Playoff Game Thread

[WillyM]

Looks like losing games 160, 161, and 162 to get a matchup with the third seed worked out a lot better for the Diamondbacks than losing game 162 did for the Blue Jays.

[Can_of_corn]

Looks like it's going to be all sweeps.

Kinda sucks we have no baseball tomorrow.

[Just Regular]

Szymborski's piece is generally understanding of the Berrios-Kikuchi tandem strategy today.

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/minnesota-shuts-down-torontos-bats-advances-to-alds/

Further affecting that calculation was the fact that Kikuchi has significant platoon splits. As of the mid-September run of ZiPS, only two established starting pitchers had a better lefty-killing platoon projection: Andrew Abbott and Ranger Suárez.

[dystopia]

5 hours ago, Just Regular said:

Szymborski's piece is generally understanding of the Berrios-Kikuchi tandem strategy today.

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/minnesota-shuts-down-torontos-bats-advances-to-alds/

Further affecting that calculation was the fact that Kikuchi has significant platoon splits. As of the mid-September run of ZiPS, only two established starting pitchers had a better lefty-killing platoon projection: Andrew Abbott and Ranger Suárez.

Pulling Berrios sucked the life out of the team, and after Chapman grounded into the DP they pretty much packed it in after that. 

[Frobby]

MLB can’t be too happy that all four wild card seties only went two games.  Not to mention Tampa only drawing 40 k for their two games combined.  Probably $10 mm in lost gate receipts; not sure if TV revenue is affected.

[O's84]

12 hours ago, Can_of_corn said:

For anyone that hasn't seen it.

Full count, runners on second and third, Bichette at the plate.

Yeah I saw that and it was hilarious.  And they had their best hitter up who was something like 6 for 8 in the series.  Just pure stupidity by Vlad.

[dystopia]

Gonna say Snell on this one just because the stakes were higher. 

[dystopia]

1 hour ago, O's84 said:

Yeah I saw that and it was hilarious.  And they had their best hitter up who was something like 6 for 8 in the series.  Just pure stupidity by Vlad.

And to think that was not even the stupidest thing the Jays did in that game. 

[Just Regular]

Bailey Ober over Joe Ryan for Game 1 caught me a little by surprise.

The Twins third starter types were not able to stop the runs like the Rangers did.

[Chavez Ravine]

Twins go back to back in the 7th to claw back.

[Just Regular]

Bryce Harper outplays Spencer Strider to get the NL champs the first run of the game.

[Just Regular]

Caleb Thielbar is a strong enough lefty reliever to get Danny Coulombe sold and go through a year without allowing a HR to a lefty bat.

Yordan gets him to restore the Astros lead to 2 in the bottom of the 7th.

[Just Regular]

Jose Abreu just geared down the last couple steps going 1st to 2nd on a wild pitch, opening an opportunity for Ryan Jeffers who hustled and still tried the throw to record an extra out.

Twins have at least succeeded in not getting rolled.

This afternoon sucked, but Baseball Zen, Game 1 day of the divisional series is one of the very best on the calendar for the game at its best.

[Just Regular]

Its clear by now though Ryan Pressly gets the saves, Bryan Abreu is the alpha dog in the Houston bullpen.

[Chavez Ravine]

I really do not want to see a Rangers-Astros ALCS