MLB 2023

[unclevlad]

Marlins HATE!!!!!   HATE!!!!!!!!   HATE!!!!!!! New York.

 

First, there was the mishandling of the tarp, that forced a game to be delayed because the field surface was not playable.  This led to a doubleheader that disrupted the Marlins' pitching rotation.  The Mets' owner apologized for this one.

 

Now there's tonight's game.  Mets get 1 in the 8th to take the lead.  Marlins get 2 in the 9th...then the rains come.

 

And stay.

 

And stay.

 

And stay.

 

Apparently the forecast is for rain through Saturday in the area.

 

Yes, well, the Marlins have a 3 game series in Pittsburgh with first pitch scheduled for 6:35 Eastern...and the game hasn't been called yet.  To be sure:  MLB is between a rock and a hard place.  This will be game 159 for everyone.  Arizona:  84 wins.  Marlins:  82, but with this game still indeterminate.  Cubs, 82.  Reds, 81.  Arizona has 3 with Houston;  Miami, 3 with Pittsburgh.  Cubs are in Milwaukee.  Reds are in St. Louis.  Obviously, each game is *critical*.  There are both head-to-head and 3-way, and possibly even a 4-way, tie break scenario.

 

So the Marlins and MLB are in a total, no-win scenario.  No one wants this game to be suspended, to be played Monday if necessary...but forcing the Marlins to stew in the dugout and clubhouse on the road......UGH.

[unclevlad]

Yeah, the game was suspended, it'll resume Monday afternoon.  Potentially with the season on the line...top of the 9th, 2 on, 2 out, Marlins hitting.  No pressure for the hitter...or the Marlins pitcher....

 

Noted on MLB.com...

Zack Greinke asked for the ball coming out, thinking it might be his last, 225th, win.  Well, the KC bullpen blew THAT, but...the gesture does suggest he's planning to retire.  He turns 40 in a few weeks, he's been ineffective...ERA over 5.  The record is, as you might expect, disastrous, but the Royals are horrible.  They actually had a worse record than the A's at times around 100 games into the season. 

 

So, if he does...

 

The '28 HoF ballot starts with Cabrera...shoo-in.  90%+ of the votes.  3000 hits, 500 HRs, Triple Crown, multiple batting titles.  I'd argue should be near-unanimous.  Then...you've got Wainwright and Greinke.  Greinke's got 224 wins...hard to remember, but he's second ONLY to Verlander.  Cy Young winner, 2009.  Two other years, in the top 5;  and two others, in the top 10.  6 Gold Gloves.  And then Wainwright.

 

That's a top-heavy ballot right there.  

 

EDIT:  just seen.  First end-of-season domino to fall -- Giants fire Kapler.  More to come...

[unclevlad]

Despite bats cold enough to reverse global warming...the D'backs back into a WC spot, because the Reds pitchers implode.  They give up 10 walks and 13 hits to give the Cards 15 runs.  The Marlins also win and clinch, so the 6 NL teams are set.  The only remaining question is who has the #2 WC, and who has the #3?  The Marlins have the tie break over the D'backs...or whether MLB will insist that the Marlins finish the suspended game, if the D'backs have the edge after tomorrow.  If the Marlins have the edge, then there will be no reason to complete it.

 

And the Astros don't let the D'backs thaw out...winning 1-0.  With Texas beating Seattle...that's it.  All the teams are now set, altho the seeding isn't.

 

 

[Pariah]

...and the Colorado Rockies' long (missing the) postseason streak continues!

[unclevlad]

4 minutes ago, Pariah said:

...and the Colorado Rockies' long (missing the) postseason streak continues!

 

i call it admirable consistency.

[Pariah]

As the old saying goes, consistency is only a virtue if you're not a complete screw-up.

[Cancer]

15 hours ago, unclevlad said:

...

  With Texas beating Seattle...that's it. 

 

First mention of South Alaska in months.`  A fine job of imitating the national media.

[unclevlad]

Was holding off...because the M's drew it out...and DARN NEAR pulled it off.  I was watching;  it was actually VERY close to a 4-way tie (Rangers, Astros, M's, Blue Jays) which, IIRC, would've given the Mariners the division.

 

Obviously it woulda been different had they won last night, but darn if they don't get a bit of vengeance, winning again.  With the Astros sweeping the ice-cold D'backs (only 6 hits again)...the Astros get the division and the #2 spot.  Blue Jays lose again and fall to the #3 WC.  Well, that might be better...Texas has to play Tampa Bay, while the Blue Jays get the Twins.  

 

In the NL...turns out it's an NL East elimination for the first 2 rounds.  Marlins at Phillies, winner gets the Braves.  Playoff notes on MLB.com suggest the Marlins still have to go to New York to finish the suspended game, but the outcome won't matter.  (So why force them to make the trip?  Sigh.)  D'backs go to Milwaukee...who knows what'll happen.  The D'backs are a schizo team...they can run HOT or FRIGID.  At it's turned on a time a few times already this year.

[unclevlad]

And it was Buck Showalter's turn today.  Fired by the Mets.  

 

And tonight makes it a brace of ducks.  Phil Nevin.

[unclevlad]

Winners, now big favorites...Rangers, Twins, D'backs, Phillies.

 

Biggest winner:  Minnesota, because they broke an 18 game playoff losing streak.  First playoff win since 2004.

Biggest loser:  Tampa Bay.  They threw the game away...literally.  4 errors charged...3 I know were on throws.  Beyond that, there were others that weren't charged as errors, but plays that should have been made, but weren't.  The most exemplary play, to me, was in the top of the 6th.  2-0 at this point.  Glasnow starts off badly...walks the first 2 batters.  Corey Seager lines to center.  The OF is Jose Siri, and he makes *4* separate bad plays.

 

1.  He charges the ball, out of control...but the ball lands 5-7 feet in front of him.  Mental mistake #1.

2.  Not being on balance, he has nothing better than to try to swipe at the ball;  he's not in position to block it.  Mistake #2.  The ball bounces off the heel of his glove, flying straight up in the air.  That allows the runner on 2nd to score easily, and the runner on 1st to chug on to 3rd.

3.  Given how long it takes to actually get the ball back, there's no play at 3rd.  None.  But Siri launches a throw there, when only bad things can happen.  Mistake #3.

4.  And...of course...it DOES happen.  The throw's bad, and flies into the 3rd base dugout.  Boom...runner get extra bases.  Mistake #4.

 

Only #4 counts as an error in the scorebook, but what might have been bases loaded, or a run in and runners on 1st and 2nd, becomes 2 runs in, and Seager, the batter, on *3rd.*  

 

Siri also failed to make a catch against the wall, because he went back rather poorly...but that was ruled a double.  Pretty sure there was at least one other like that.

[slikmar]

Team, probably, most in trouble is Milwaukee. AZ won the game that MIL needed, given their game 2 starter isn't available and they used a lot of bullpen arms AND D'Backs basically have their top 2 pitchers for games 2 and 3.

[Pariah]

Tampa drew 19,704 fans for today's playoff game--the lowest non-COVID playoff crowd since the 1919 Black Sox.

 

Google tells me that the 103-loss Rockies averaged 29,608 fans per game this season.

[unclevlad]

That was yesterday, wasn't it?  There were more today...IIRC, about 500 more.

 

Tampa Bay basically limped into the playoffs, with their real roster largely on the injured list, and did absolutely nothing.  4-0 yesterday, 7-1 today.

 

I'll have plenty of time to have a lazy morning, then go to the market, before the first game tomorrow....

[slikmar]

2 hours ago, Pariah said:

Tampa drew 19,704 fans for today's playoff game--the lowest non-COVID playoff crowd since the 1919 Black Sox.

 

Google tells me that the 103-loss Rockies averaged 29,608 fans per game this season.

That's ok, they finally are able to build a new stadium, pretty much in the same area so people still won't show up.

[unclevlad]

Yeah, that's been an eyebrow-raiser since the new stadium was announced.  For those who don't know...hopefully this comes through....

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Tampa,+FL/Tropicana+Field,+1+Tropicana+Dr.,+St.+Petersburg,+FL+33705/@27.8628673,-82.6426795,12z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m13!4m12!1m5!1m1!1s0x88c2b782b3b9d1e1:0xa75f1389af96b463!2m2!1d-82.4587527!2d27.9516896!1m5!1m1!1s0x88c2e19bf76f7791:0x9eacaa905938efdd!2m2!1d-82.653408!2d27.768188?entry=ttu

 

Yeah, good enough.  Not only on the wrong side of the bay, but all the way down at the end of the St. Pete peninsula.  You can also figure that driving home, across that causeway...it's probably gonna be crowded and slow.  Yeah, I can see why Tampa residents don't show up in great numbers.

 

Meanwhile, Minnesota breaks its other streak...an 18 game losing streak clearly implies a long streak of series losses.  They win another tight game, 2-0.  

EDIT:  my, my, my, my, my.............  The big winner tonight is Amazon...because *all 4* series turned into sweeps, which means TNF has no counterprogramming.

 

All 4 series end up with repeated patterns.  D'backs give up 2 early, but then lock down, and get runs across in the mid innings.  5-2 final.  Phillies give up only 1 run in the 9th...in garbage time, up 7-0 at the start, to win easily again.

 

D'backs have to be happy about the sweep, too, as it avoids what might've been a REALLY tough call.  Starting catcher Gabby Moreno got caught sliding a bit forward, and into the batter, to block a ball in the dirt;  the batter swung through it, and the follow-through clipped Moreno in the side of the head.  He finished off the last couple pitches of that inning, but then went back into the clubhouse for a more thorough exam, and was removed from the game.  Here's the tough call...the D'backs only carried one other catcher.  If Moreno couldn't play tomorrow...do you want to start a game with only 1 catcher?  When that game is win or go home?  That's playing with fire.  BUT...if you call up another catcher to replace Moreno for game 3, then Moreno is ineligible for the entire Division Series.  ESPN posted a stat:  with Moreno catching, the D'backs played .600 ball.  Without?  .400.  It's bad enough playing the Dodgers;  they OWN Arizona in Dodger Stadium.  But now, they can decide whether to put him on the roster later;  probably Friday, possibly as late as Saturday morning.  

[Pariah]

I confess that I haven't followed the playoffs very closely so far, but I think we can all agree to celebrate the fact that three American League East teams got into the playoffs, and none of them were the Yankees or the Red Sox. 

[unclevlad]

Wow.  The 1-2 seeds, with home field, have gone 1-5 so far.  Worse, they've also had their rotations set up to throw their top starters, which wasn't necessarily the case for their opponents.  One thing that helped them was, they all swept, which gave them a smaller workload and another day off.

[unclevlad]

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Phillies go up 4-0.  Braves come back to take the lead in the bottom of the 8th.

 

Harper draws a walk to lead off the 9th.  Out next.

 

Next batter blasts a ball into dead center.  Looks DANGEROUS, it's got good wheels on it.  Center fielder gets back, leaping up a step or so in front of the wall to catch it.  VERY good catch.  

Harper's carrying the tying run, and he's NOT expecting the ball to be caught.  He goes WAY too far...well, maybe if the ball goes off the wall and to an outfielder, he might not have scored.

 

As it was, he had so far to get back that even tho the Braves kinda fumbled around getting the ball back in...they STILL got the ball to first before Harper could get back.  Double play, game over.  Series even now.

 

HUGE shift.  Overall MAJOR mistake by Harper...he could've been just a bit past 2nd and watching, and very likely would've scored...the ball, if not caught, was gonna be off the wall in dead center.

 

Meanwhile, the D'backs ambush today's Dodger starter...not to the extent they got Kershaw, but 3 runs in the top of the 1st.

 

 

 

[unclevlad]

Wow in a different way.  D'back pitching keeps the Dodger bats down again.  4-2 Arizona, going home with a 2-0 lead.

 

And this round is best of 5.

 

The shocking aspect:  Arizona had only won 10 of the last 46 in LA.  They're a streaky team, but right now everything's clicking.  We're also seeing where the Dodger pitching injuries are catching up with them.  

[Pariah]

As much as I dislike having to cheer for the Diamondbacks, I dislike the Dodgers more. 

[unclevlad]

1 hour ago, Pariah said:

As much as I dislike having to cheer for the Diamondbacks, I dislike the Dodgers more. 

 

Of course you do.  No card-carrying fan of any Denver sports team can do anything but LOATHE the LA teams.  It's in your blood.  What you feel for the D'backs is the pinging on the Rivalry Nerve, nothing more.

 

Astros are returning the universe to its expected configuration...or at least their part of it.  4 runs in the first, never challenged in a 9-1 game.  2-1 Stros.  

Ohhh...that's why it started so early...mid-afternoon.  Cuz if there's 4 games tomorrow...which needs the Orioles to beat the Rangers, there's 4 games tomorrow, and Astros-Twins starts the day off...looks like 1 PM local time.  Second game...5 Eastern...is Atlanta-Philly, on TBS...so they're staggering the 4 games.  They didn't on Saturday...it was FS1, FS1, TBS, TBS...which forced the 2nd games to start on alternate channels, so that was a bit of a surprise.

[unclevlad]

OTOH...the Rangers are CRUSHING Oriole pitching again.

 

1 run in the first...5 runs, all with 2 outs, in the 2nd.  Innocent start...line out, single pop out.  Then double, intentional walk to load the bases (to Seager, who blasted the no-doubter homer in the 1st), double scoring 2, 3 run blast that might have closed the door on the series.

 

No putaway pitch.  6 batters reach with 2 strikes;  the first out in the 2nd was still a 15-pitch at-bat by the #7 hitter.

 

Rangers' pitching is shaky enough that there's still a chance for an Oriole comeback, but it's not looking good.

 

And...talk about some terrible timing.  There's a watch company in Baltimore;  I picked up one of their watches a while back, so I get their emails.  Today, they sent an offer for $50 off their watches...while the Orioles were in the playoffs.....  Oops.....

[unclevlad]

And the AL East goes 0-7 combined.

 

Rangers 7-1.  Texas goes 5-0 against the 2 best records in the AL during the regular season.

 

Top 5 records during the regular season?  1-10 so far.  Milwaukee ended up with the 5th best.

[slikmar]

Yeah, the 3 AL east teams, the division that was considered the best in baseball where all 5 were over 500, iirc, in August was a really bad showing. They talk about the time off, but I really wonder if the fact that teams like the Dodgers, Braves, Orioles, Rays etc had all clinched at least a playoff game early had more to do with it. Easy to play when you can relax a little. Look how much better the non playoff teams seem to play once eliminated.

[unclevlad]

SOME of it is injuries late.  Dodgers are stuck with Lance Lynn tonight...with an ERA WELL over 5.  Rookie started game 2.  Kershaw got rocked...rust could easily have been a factor.  Rays lost their #1 starter.  Braves aren't in bad shape, as they did take game 2.  

 

Once a team's eliminated, they get to play relaxed.  They often play some younger, hungrier players.  First time a lineup sees a pitcher...how often does the pitcher not just hold his own, but dominate?  

 

Phillies have to worry that the Braves may be waking up.  

 

D'backs have to continue to play.  Their hitting, in particular, has vanished...but if you're a Dodger fan, the massive concern is their starting pitching.  Lynn?  No confidence.  Kershaw?  NERVOUS...great pitcher for a long time, but not a great post-season track record, and of course...game 1.  And Miller for game 5...?  Not ideal.