Astros series

[e16bball]

32 minutes ago, Alasdaire said:

Do these games really feel like coin flips that are going to go our way in October?

No, this game didn’t really feel like a coin flip. 

It really felt a lot like we were pounding them most of the night, and they barely edged us at the end thanks to a bad night from our superstar closer — powered by a walk to a bum, a bloop single, a missed fly ball at the wall by our back-up SS, and a dropped 3rd strike by our backup C.

Edited August 9, 2023 by e16bball

[eddie83]

88 Mets went 10-1 vs Dodgers in regular season. Dodgers upset them, then A’s in playoffs. 
 

A buddy of mine tonight texted me tonight saying they can’t beat teams with a pedigree. Ultimately it will be about how they execute pitches in October. Their record vs “elite teams” in regular season will mean nothing.  

[Alasdaire]

Just now, e16bball said:

No, this game didn’t feel like a coin flip. 

It felt a lot like we were pounding them most of the night, and they barely edged us at the end thanks to a bad night from our superstar closer — powered by a walk to a bum, a bloop single, a missed fly ball at the wall by our back-up SS, and a dropped 3rd strike by our backup C.

Let's turn the superstar having a bad night thing around. How many times do you think this lineup puts up six runs on Framber Valdez? Is that a reliably repeatable performance?

[vab]

3 minutes ago, e16bball said:

No, this game didn’t really feel like a coin flip. 

It really felt a lot like we were pounding them most of the night, and they barely edged us at the end thanks to a bad night from our superstar closer — powered by a walk to a bum, a bloop single, a missed fly ball at the wall by our back-up SS, and a dropped 3rd strike by our backup C.

Really? A dropped third strike? 

[Malike]

1 minute ago, Alasdaire said:

Let's turn the superstar having a bad night thing around. How many times do you think this lineup puts up six runs on Framber Valdez? Is that a reliably repeatable performance?

Not sure, but they did put up 7 the other time they saw him.

[G54377]

How we respond in this series will be telling.

[Malike]

Just now, vab said:

Really? A dropped third strike? 

Yeah, and people are making it sound like it was an easy play. 102 MPH tipped up and to the left and went in and out of McCann's glove.

[eddie83]

5 minutes ago, Alasdaire said:

Let's turn the superstar having a bad night thing around. How many times do you think this lineup puts up six runs on Framber Valdez? Is that a reliably repeatable performance?

How many times does Felix blow a save with a 3 run lead?  Can’t have it both ways. 

[eddie83]

3 minutes ago, Malike said:

Yeah, and people are making it sound like it was an easy play. 102 MPH tipped up and to the left and went in and out of McCann's glove.

I agree. It would have been a nice break/play had it happened. Nothing else. 

[Alasdaire]

5 minutes ago, Malike said:

Not sure, but they did put up 7 the other time they saw him.

Touche. I forgot about that game. Oh boy, this is so rich.

1 minute ago, eddie83 said:

How many times does Felix blow a save with a 3 run lead?  Can’t have it both ways. 

  Let's reminisce on that game from last September where we lit up Framber. The Astros went into the ninth inning in Baltimore down by two runs. Who came in to save the game but Felix Bautista. They scored four runs in the ninth to beat us by one run. So at least that one too.

[e16bball]

12 minutes ago, Alasdaire said:

Let's turn the superstar having a bad night thing around. How many times do you think this lineup puts up six runs on Framber Valdez? Is that a reliably repeatable performance?

The same Framber Valdez who now has a 5.65 ERA in his last 7 starts? Gave up 4 to the Cardinals, 5 to the Angels, 4 to the A’s, 6 to the Rangers, and now 6 to us in that span? That they hung 7 runs on the last time they faced him?

I wouldn’t rule that out. He’s a really good pitcher, but we don’t need to make these guys into superheroes.

Edited August 9, 2023 by e16bball

[Aristotelian]

39 minutes ago, Frobby said:

This is just silly.  We lost a game in aggravating fashion in the 9th.  It happens.  The fact that it was the Astros is no more significant than if it had been any other team.  

The only thing that I don't like about it is that there is a good chance we face these guys in the ALCS. I do not want them to have any kind of mental edge on our bullpen. Hope we can at least win a couple against them with no more major meltdowns the rest of the way. 

[eddie83]

4 minutes ago, Alasdaire said:

Touche. I forgot about that game. Oh boy, this is so rich.

  Let's reminisce on that game from last September where we lit up Framber. The Astros went into the ninth inning in Baltimore down by two runs. Who came in to save the game but Felix Bautista. They scored four runs in the ninth to beat us by one run. So at least that one too.

I was there recall it vividly. 

[baltfan]

14 minutes ago, G54377 said:

How we respond in this series will be telling.

They will be fine. They have come back from stuff like this all year long. 

[Alasdaire]

7 minutes ago, e16bball said:

The same Framber Valdez who now has a 5.65 ERA in his last 7 starts? Gave up 4 to the Cardinals, 5 to the Angels, 4 to the A’s, 6 to the Rangers, and now 6 to us in that span? That they hung 7 runs on the last time they faced him?

I wouldn’t rule that out. He’s a really good pitcher, but we don’t need to make these guys into superheroes.

He's not infallible, but I question how much teams/players who have climbed the mountain before and whose seasons are failures if they do anything other than win a world series are really dialed in to game 122 or whatever of the regular season against a cellar dweller team in St. Louis. Valdez is an elite pitcher who can turn it on like he did in his last start to pitch a no hitter, and I would not feel confident this lineup would bat him around in the playoffs. It's encouraging that they've shown the ability to him him though, no doubt.