MLB Postseason 2022: ‘Stros vs. Phightins

[EnochRoot]

Managerial blunders already the story and Aaron Boone hasn’t even gotten started yet.

I mean...

Robbie Ray in three starts vs HOU this year: 10.97 ERA, 2.81 WHIP, 1.374 OPS allowed.

[Giff]

I had the good sense to set my dog Adam on the floor for Yordan’s plate appearance or he’d be more traumatized than he is after my screaming.

I yelled so loud it set off a sensor on a couple Halloween dolls too. Good afternoon, I must say!

[degenerasian]

Managerial blunders already the story and Aaron Boone hasn’t even gotten started yet.

I mean...

Robbie Ray in three starts vs HOU this year: 10.97 ERA, 2.81 WHIP, 1.374 OPS allowed.

That was such over management. Yikes.

Leave Sewald in, or walk Alvarez and bring in Brash to face Bergman.

Servais must feel like a complete fool

[tennbengal]

that did seem exciting. congrats giff.

[EnochRoot]

Managerial blunders already the story and Aaron Boone hasn’t even gotten started yet.

I mean...

Robbie Ray in three starts vs HOU this year: 10.97 ERA, 2.81 WHIP, 1.374 OPS allowed.

That was such over management. Yikes.

Leave Sewald in, or walk Alvarez and bring in Brash to face Bergman.

Servais must feel like a complete fool

It was. I mean, the three starts (10+ IP) is by definition a small sample size, but still...why let him beat you? (to Pedro Martinez' point in the postgame).

[brian]

That’s gonna piss off all the racist Trumpers in Yankee Stadium right field.

[degenerasian]

Every home team today is sloppy defensively. Five days off does that.

[EnochRoot]

Every home team today is sloppy defensively. Five days off does that.

When Rizzo stopped that quick grounder to 1B with runners on 2nd and 3rd, his job was not to throw home. It was to run towards the runner who was stopped between 3rd and home, and then throw to the base he breaks towards. That wasn't even a HS mistake. More like Little League.

Oh, and this is good:

[Rex]

I like Costas and always have. He actually seems to like sports which is not always a given. I feel like he was groomed to be the next Jim McKay but that has not been a relevant thing since 1991. So he is stuck doing things that do not really suit him, like play by play.

[mister d]

Hope no one took any “Mister D is already maxed out on Josh Donaldson hatred” bets.

[Rex]

Nice fucking catch, you dipshits

[degenerasian]

If that fan brought a glove it would have been 96 over again.

[mister d]

Those goofs didn’t look like gloves would have changed anything.

[Rex]

Those goofs didn’t look like gloves would have changed anything.

Another way in which Hal has ruined the team. You sit in the first row, you are part of the team.

[EnochRoot]

Hope no one took any “Mister D is already maxed out on Josh Donaldson hatred” bets.

Couple things...Donaldson has been doing that this year (along with Gleyber), in addition to not hustling out of the box on misplayed balls. Also, what's up with Travis Chapman (1B coach) not barking in Donaldson's ear to stop at 1B?

[Jerloma]

Hope no one took any “Mister D is already maxed out on Josh Donaldson hatred” bets.

Oh god that was infuriating and the high five to the first base coach was utter cringe.

[A_B]

Oh for fucks sake.

[Rex]

[Jerloma]

Where is he? Behind home plate?

[DaveInSeattle]

Well...that sucked...(M's v Astros)

[Jerloma]

Apparently he's Metallica's manager.

[A_B]

The noise and music at dodger stadium makes me feel like I’m playing the bonus game at slots.

[EnochRoot]

The noise and music at dodger stadium makes me feel like I’m playing the bonus game at slots.

I think I’ve heard that guy jam Harold Faltermeyer’s Fletch keyboard jam. If the rest of the organists in MLB were half as good as he was, the sport would be a lot more fun.

[Brontoburglar]

Managerial blunders already the story and Aaron Boone hasn’t even gotten started yet.

I mean...

Robbie Ray in three starts vs HOU this year: 10.97 ERA, 2.81 WHIP, 1.374 OPS allowed.

That was such over management. Yikes.

Leave Sewald in, or walk Alvarez and bring in Brash to face Bergman.

Servais must feel like a complete fool

Brash pitched in the sixth inning

FWIW, Alvarez also doesn't have much of a platoon split in 2022. Opposing LH hitters had an OPS ~100 points lower than RH hitters against Ray, which is a better sample size than three starts given the circumstances.

there was no real good option with Alvarez at the plate and no overwhelming reason to think Sewald has an advantage over Ray. shit happens sometimes.

[A_B]

Managerial blunders already the story and Aaron Boone hasn’t even gotten started yet.

I mean...

Robbie Ray in three starts vs HOU this year: 10.97 ERA, 2.81 WHIP, 1.374 OPS allowed.

That was such over management. Yikes.

Leave Sewald in, or walk Alvarez and bring in Brash to face Bergman.

Servais must feel like a complete fool

Brash pitched in the sixth inning

I know it's part of the new game, and TBH I follow baseball more like 5th grade me, reading box scores, stats and just blurbs about teams, but the way that pitching is all willy nilly these days due to analytics and high leverage etc. makes 100% sense but is still dicombobulating. The only way Tony Larussa is throwing Eckersley in the 6th is if it's in spring training next year as a gag.

[Brontoburglar]

Brash isn't Seattle's closer though either. he finished just three games in 2022 and didn't pick up a save

[A_B]

Oh I don’t know enough about all that was more speaking in generalities.

[EnochRoot]

Managerial blunders already the story and Aaron Boone hasn’t even gotten started yet.

I mean...

Robbie Ray in three starts vs HOU this year: 10.97 ERA, 2.81 WHIP, 1.374 OPS allowed.

That was such over management. Yikes.

Leave Sewald in, or walk Alvarez and bring in Brash to face Bergman.

Servais must feel like a complete fool

Brash pitched in the sixth inning

FWIW, Alvarez also doesn't have much of a platoon split in 2022. Opposing LH hitters had an OPS ~100 points lower than RH hitters against Ray, which is a better sample size than three starts given the circumstances.

there was no real good option with Alvarez at the plate and no overwhelming reason to think Sewald has an advantage over Ray. shit happens sometimes.

Eh. In a time where statistical probabilities dictate in-game decision making, it might not be a good idea to send out a fastball pitcher to pitch to a fastball hitter. That sounds like a great way to invite shit happening.

[degenerasian]

Then they should have brought in Torrens, who got the win last week!

[EnochRoot]

I liked Pedro's point after the game about circling a name or two in the lineup that they'd simply pitch around and not let them beat you. Alvarez was that guy (and he mentioned Altuve, but he was pointing out he's too good of a hitter to put up another oh-fer). He mentioned Tucker is the guy with the weakspot in his swing - fastballs in / up & in (that had been pointed out late in the season in one of the games I was watching).

[Brontoburglar]

Eh. In a time where statistical probabilities dictate in-game decision making, it might not be a good idea to send out a fastball pitcher to pitch to a fastball hitter. That sounds like a great way to invite shit happening.

Ray cut his four-seam fastball usage by a third in 2022 and added a sinker to the mix while upping the use of his slider from 31 to 37%. Sewald threw four-seam fastballs more often than Ray (51% to 38%) and had the disadvantage of the platoon split. Had Sewald stayed in the game and Alvarez won it off him, there's a very good chance this same discussion is happening with the roles reversed.

[mister d]

Yordan is a fastball hitter who is also a splitter, sinker, slider and change hitter. He's just a great hitter and you have to pitch to him because a HR is still lower probability than a Bregman single. Good lineups force bad situations.

[Brontoburglar]

bingo. putting the tying run in scoring position with two outs to pitch to Bregman is a far worse probability than knowing they need an extra base hit to tie the game with Alvarez. sometimes the best players in baseball do best players in baseball things.

[degenerasian]

bingo. putting the tying run in scoring position with two outs to pitch to Bregman is a far worse probability than knowing they need an extra base hit to tie the game with Alvarez. sometimes the best players in baseball do best players in baseball things.

I still think you get less questioned when your reliever gives up a home run then put a starter in that situation. If the reverse happened and Service gets questioned he simply says, "I went with my best guy who only gave up one single and got hit by a great hitter."

[Brontoburglar]

any manager or coach in any sport who is making a tactical decision based on the amount of potential questioning they will get after the game if the decision backfires is likely in the wrong profession

[A_B]

any manager or coach in any sport who is making a tactical decision based on the amount of potential questioning they will get after the game if the decision backfires is likely in the wrong profession

I agree with this but I don't think some of the old-school style managers really understand all of what they are given to consider, so it may be more difficult for them to describe and I also think there's probably still some bristling that the computer nerds are making the decisions.

[mister d]

Some of the most memorable playoff pitching performances of the last two decades are starters coming on in relief to shut something down. I don't think its hard to imagine Robbie Ray as a better option than Seattle's 4th best bullpen arm.

[EnochRoot]

Yordan is a fastball hitter who is also a splitter, sinker, slider and change hitter. He's just a great hitter and you have to pitch to him because a HR is still lower probability than a Bregman single. Good lineups force bad situations.

They didn't have to give in to Alvarez the way Ray did. I mean, the guy slashed a .306/.406/.613 this past season. There was no appreciable difference in his splits vs RH or LHs (whereas Bregman hits LH much less effectively than he does RH). Just a bizarre time to go after their best with their own best.

[A_B]

Oh for fucks sake.

This is what I was referring to:

https://defector.com/that-stupid-fuckin ... the-start/

[sancarlos]

Apparently he's Metallica's manager.