# 2022 MLB playoffs



## lizkat

Well the  2022 post-season picture is not quite filled in,  but we're gettin' there... one fraught contest after another.

Featured yesterday:  "Droughtless in Seattle"    -- after 21 years,  a berth in the playoffs for the Mariners.

https://www.twitter.com/i/web/status/1576073212034940928/​


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## Yoused

Will they start the WS before Thankgiving?


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## Herdfan

Yoused said:


> Will they start the WS before Thankgiving?




No   . Every year it seems to creep a couple of days. Either they need to start the season earlier (in warmer cities or domes) or cut the schedule back to 154 games.


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## lizkat

Herdfan said:


> No   . Every year it seems to creep a couple of days. Either they need to start the season earlier (in warmer cities or domes) or cut the schedule back to 154 games.




Remember when summer's end rolled around and then after the WS there was still time to cut the grass a few more times before the whistle blew on the first football games of the season?


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## Herdfan

lizkat said:


> Remember when summer's end rolled around and then after the WS there was still time to cut the grass a few more times before the whistle blew on the first football games of the season?




I'm not quite old enough to remember the WS before the LCS's.  But it certainly was over mid-October.


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## ronntaylor

Herdfan said:


> No   . Every year it seems to creep a couple of days. Either they need to start the season earlier (in warmer cities or domes) or cut the schedule back to 154 games.



I would start the season a bit later and reduce it to 150 games. I think the wildcard series are too short and unfair to the away team. So expand all the series: wildcard to Best of 5, all others to Best of 7. At one point I was for making all playoffs series Best of 7.


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## Herdfan

I know this is dedicated to the playoffs, so please forgive me @lizkat, but Judge just hit #62.


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## lizkat

Herdfan said:


> I know this is dedicated to the playoffs, so please forgive me @lizkat, but Judge just hit #62.




Fine by me!    Here's video

https://www.twitter.com/i/web/status/1577451053607329792/


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## mac_in_tosh

I don't like the wild cards, especially now that they have expanded it. I'm of an an age when there were two leagues and the best team in each league played in the World Series. That was the post season, usually played in nice early October weather. Then they went to three divisions and, I believe, two series.

Now we have multiple wild cards which diminishes the value of the long, regular season even more. Why should a team that was barely over .500 even get a chance to play against a team that may have won 100 games and may even have dominated the ~.500 team during the regular season? Of course we know the reasons - more revenue for baseball from more games and keeping fan interest up to attend games for wild card teams, such as the Phillies.


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## ronntaylor

lizkat said:


> Fine by me!    Here's video
> 
> https://www.twitter.com/i/web/status/1577451053607329792/



Waiting for-evah for this moment and I forgot the damn 2nd game of the day-night double-header. Doh!! I'm glad he finally done it and hope he can still snag the triple crown. Not likely as he's a few points behind and I suspect Aaron Boone will not put him in the lineup for the last game tomorrow.


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## lizkat

ronntaylor said:


> Waiting for-evah for this moment and I forgot the damn 2nd game of the day-night double-header. Doh!! I'm glad he finally done it and hope he can still snag the triple crown. Not likely as he's a few points behind and I suspect Aaron Boone will not put him in the lineup for the last game tomorrow.




Too bad that drought before #61 was quite as long as it was...  would have made triple crown a no brainer.   But anyway breaking Maris old record is massive accomplishment,  especially considering these days a guy can face so many fresh pitchers in a single game...


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## ronntaylor

lizkat said:


> Too bad that drought before #61 was quite as long as it was...  would have made triple crown a no brainer.   But anyway breaking Maris old record is massive accomplishment,  especially considering these days a guy can face so many fresh pitchers in a single game...



It's a shame that the HR record chase probably killed his chance at the triple crown. It's also a shame that Cole blew another game and the Yanks couldn't snag their 100th win of the season. My fantasy of another Subway Series with the Mutts being hosted by my Yanks looks dim at this point.


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## Herdfan

lizkat said:


> Too bad that drought before #61 was quite as long as it was...  would have made triple crown a no brainer.   But anyway breaking Maris old record is massive accomplishment,  especially considering these days a guy can face so many fresh pitchers in a single game...




I watch PTI most evenings and they did either a birthday or anniversary of Steve Carlton.  One year he had a record of 27-10 on a team that only won 59 games.  He completed 20 of them.  In a year.  Pitchers today won't get 20 CG's in a career.

Babe Ruth was probably a great player, but he did not have to face pitching like they have today.  Even Marris didn't.  So that makes Judge's accomplishment so much more special.


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## Herdfan

I was kind of following this game on ESPN's Gamecast.  Saw the Phillies took the lead and then went and ate Dinner.  Came back and saw the final, but looking at the play-by-play, something didn't look right.  So maybe someone can figure out what I am missing.  Here is the Phillie's Top of the 9th,




So Hoskins got the 1st Out.  Then Stott grounded into a Fielder's Choice for Out 2.  So now we have 2 outs.  How does Schwarber hit a Sac Fly to center?  Shouldn't that have been the 3rd out?

What am I missing?  There are no errors listed.

10 players batted = 6 runs, 3 outs and 1 LOB (Marsh)

The only thing I can think of is the FC was actually a hit and just not listed as an Infield Single.


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## Yoused

Herdfan said:


> … the Phillies took the lead and then went and ate Dinner …




this sounds a little more like what the Mariners did


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## ronntaylor

Herdfan said:


> I was kind of following this game on ESPN's Gamecast.  Saw the Phillies took the lead and then went and ate Dinner.  Came back and saw the final, but looking at the play-by-play, something didn't look right.  So maybe someone can figure out what I am missing.  Here is the Phillie's Top of the 9th,
> 
> View attachment 18273
> So Hoskins got the 1st Out.  Then Stott grounded into a Fielder's Choice for Out 2.  So now we have 2 outs.  How does Schwarber hit a Sac Fly to center?  Shouldn't that have been the 3rd out?
> 
> What am I missing?  There are no errors listed.
> 
> 10 players batted = 6 runs, 3 outs and 1 LOB (Marsh)
> 
> The only thing I can think of is the FC was actually a hit and just not listed as an Infield Single.



Nope, the FC doesn't automatically give the batter a hit. The fielder also does not get an error on the play. Basically, the fielder took a chance to get the lead runner out and lost. So the batter doesn't get a hit and the fielder doesn't get an error. IIRC, it doesn't count as a plate appearance.


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## lizkat

Shoot.  Cleveland just had 3 on base *and left them all there...*    good thing i don't have a hat to burn.  Well it's not over yet, so....

Hours later...   12th inning and still no score....  gee...


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## Yoused

Looks like they canned the free man on second for the playoffs.


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## lizkat

Great finish for Cleveland, walk-off homer by Gonzalez in the 15th inning to take it,  1-0   So fine.

Welp... next for Cleveland is facing the Yanks in the ALDS.    But for now the Guardians party!



EDIT:  Here's a write-up, with embedded twitter video of rookie Oscar Gonzalez' home run.









						Oscar Gonzalez delivers ‘wake-up call’ to Guardians fans with game-winning home run
					

Oscar Gonzalez was waiting for a breaking ball from Cleveland legend Corey Kluber and that's what came his way in the 15th inning.




					www.cleveland.com


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## Runs For Fun

lizkat said:


> Great finish for Cleveland, walk-off homer by Gonzalez in the 15th inning to take it,  1-0   So fine.
> 
> Welp... next for Cleveland is facing the Yanks in the ALDS.    But for now the Guardians party!



Really excited for the Guardians! Hopefully the long break doesn't throw them off.


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## Yoused

Argos beat the Lions, in a game that started at the same time, which was probably why the Bluejays were not able to pull it off in the end. Bad luck when the other local team wins right across town. But my god, a football game that is a whole hour shorter than a baseball game? Something wrong with this world.


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## lizkat

Well the Mets managing to stave off end of season by evening up with the Padres was also interesting.      Also "how 'bout those Mariners?'   -- I think coming back 10-9 from being down 7 to stay in the mix was pretty stunning.  This part of post-season is turning out to be "wild" indeed.


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## Yoused

lizkat said:


> I think coming back 10-9 from being down 7 to stay in the mix was pretty stunning




It was the second biggest turnaround in playoff history, the biggest (8 pt deficit) being by a home team (IOW, biggest playoff comeback on the road).


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## lizkat

Yoused said:


> It was the second biggest turnaround in playoff history, the biggest (8 pt deficit) being by a home team (IOW, biggest playoff comeback on the road).




A 21 year drought between postseason berths could make a team pretty thirsty....

Anyway the Mariners' extended clawback period has at least landed them in the playoffs again. It also drew some attention from the NYT sports section, which put up a long piece about some of the Mariners' rebuilding architects and the challenges along the way.   Maybe some of those Wall Street billionaires who read the Times will make their way to fill up the T-Mobile park seats in Seattle for division series games...

*The Remaking of the Seattle Mariners* (NYT, paywall removed)

It's worth the read...  since it goes back to the beginnings of the franchise and some of the missteps in the late 70s and early 80s.



> “We had Tom Paciorek on air with a 30-second spot, saying, ‘Come out on Saturday night because it’s funny nose glasses night!’” Adamack said. “And he puts on a pair of funny nose glasses, and a voice-over comes on and says: ‘No, No, Tom. It’s jacket night.’ And Paciorek’s answer at the end is, ‘What am I going to do with 30,000 pairs of funny nose glasses?’”
> 
> Turns out, the fans took him seriously. The Mariners scheduled a funny nose glasses night for 1982 and attracted a crowd of more than 37,000. That was great, but it underscored the finicky nature of the market: The silly giveaway outdrew, by nearly 10,000, an actual baseball milestone two nights earlier: Gaylord Perry earning his 300th career win.




But the piece moves on quickly to later years and new strategies that would take awhile to work.



> Jerry Dipoto, the Mariners’ president for baseball operations, knew what he would have to do when he took over as general manager in September 2015. He just needed to put it off for a while.
> 
> Four players — Hernández, Robinson Canó, Nelson Cruz and Kyle Seager — took up more than half of the Mariners’ payroll, like skyscrapers scattered among split-level homes. The group was signed through at least 2018 and needed an influx of low-cost, complementary players to compete. Dipoto earned a reputation as an eager, aggressive dealer.
> 
> “It was all this shell game of moving on the margins,” he said, and it almost worked. Seattle earned 86 wins in 2016, missing the playoffs by just three games, and improved to 89 wins in 2018 — with the oldest roster in the sport.






> After the season, the team’s chairman, John Stanton, met with Dipoto, Manager Scott Servais and other top lieutenants. Stanton, 67, defers almost entirely to Dipoto on strategy, and wanted to know if he could win with this core.
> 
> “The answer was no, and that was OK,” said Stanton, who made his fortune in wireless communications. “From my point of view, I had to have the willingness to say, ‘OK, we’ll take the hit.’ We thought we would take a 250,000 hit in attendance, and it was half a million. It was excruciating in a lot of ways.”
> 
> Dipoto unloaded most of Canó’s contract by packaging a star closer, Edwin Díaz, in a December 2018 trade with the Mets. He also dealt starter James Paxton, infielder Jean Segura and catcher Mike Zunino that winter, and catcher Austin Nola the next summer. The Mariners had two losing seasons but jumped to 90-72 last year — two games short of a wild card and five behind Houston in the A.L. West.
> 
> “The Astros have decided not to get old,” Dipoto acknowledged. “They just continue to be awesome.”




Sigh... the Astros do indeed continue to prove problematic, and not just for the Mariners...


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## lizkat

Hmm.  Kinda sorta starting to look like the Mets didn't get the memo about how it was the Mariners already drew the long straw for a miraculous outcome in the wild card series.   Being down 6-0 to the Padres in the 8th and hoping for a comeback is probably stretching credulity.  The fans are trying to stay conscious...   

Weird game though.  Never before saw all the umpires come out and check a pitcher's ears for foreign substances.   It didn't seem to intimidate the Padres' pitcher,  which either means he had found something really great to amp up his spin and speed,  or else that he was totally innocent and makes Showalter look like just grandstanding while losing a game...


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## Yoused

win 101 games in the regular season, but you have to remember to get more than one hit when the post-season is on the line


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## lizkat

Yoused said:


> win 101 games in the regular season, but you have to remember to get more than one hit when the post-season is on the line




Yeah so much for vague dreams of a subway series.   "Maybe next year...."

On with the playoffs.  LA Times trying to drum up drama for Padres-Dodgers games. Time will tell...









						Nine concerns the Dodgers should have about facing the Padres in the NLDS
					

The Dodgers and San Diego Padres will meet in the National League Division Series. Here are nine things the Dodgers will need to wary of in the series.




					www.latimes.com


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## Herdfan

lizkat said:


> Weird game though.  Never before saw all the umpires come out and check a pitcher's ears for foreign substances.




They were shiny.  Looked like something oily was all over them.

I don't know if it's new, but I love the new ESPN pitch location graphic.  It shows a 3D image of where the ball passes through the zone.


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## ronntaylor

Travelled back down to Virginia so was online is short bursts. Only thing I kept my eye on was the MLB playoffs. Home team 3-6 is sad. So much for me thinking it was unfair to the visiting teams.

And the Mutts really disappointed. I know another Subway Series was not likely, but damn!! Dad is so disappointed. Guess he'll root for Atlanta since he's relocated to Georgia.

Can't wait for my Yanks to enter the fray. Just hope Cole doesn't give up a bunch of HRs. Especially early as I have little confidence in the Yank bullpen. The 1st game will be electric against The Guardians.


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## lizkat

ronntaylor said:


> And the Mutts really disappointed. I know another Subway Series was not likely, but damn!!



I had wanted them to keep it alive through the wild card too.  After prev night thought it was possible!


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## mac_in_tosh

This is why I dislike the current playoffs. The Mets won 101 games during the regular season, the Padres 89. If they were in the same division the Padres would have finished 12 games behind the Mets so why should they get to play them, especially in a best of three series.

Any team can lose two games in a row. The Dodgers, with the best record in baseball, did it over ten times during the season. It just all seems to diminish the importance of the long, regular season.


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## mac_in_tosh

ronntaylor said:


> Can't wait for my Yanks to enter the fray. Just hope Cole doesn't give up a bunch of HRs. Especially early as I have little confidence in the Yank bullpen. The 1st game will be electric against The Guardians.



If they get by the Guardians, how much confidence do you have they can do the same with the Astros?


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## ronntaylor

mac_in_tosh said:


> If they get by the Guardians, how much confidence do you have they can do the same with the Astros?



Well first they have to get by the Guardians, and the Asterisks have to get through the Mariners. Not taking anything for granted after the home teams were 3-6 during the wild cards with *all* games at home.

I think the Yanks got back into stride for the end of the season with Stanton and LeMatheiu back at full strength, the rookies Cabrera and Peraza contributing greatly, and pitching coming along. My only concern is Cole for Game #1 given his last few starts and his propensity to give up HRs. I seriously think the Yanks can win against any team right now.


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## mac_in_tosh

mac_in_tosh said:


> This is why I dislike the current playoffs. The Mets won 101 games during the regular season, the Padres 89. If they were in the same division the Padres would have finished 12 games behind the Mets so why should they get to play them, especially in a best of three series.



An even better example is now before us - the upcoming Padres/Dodgers series. The teams are in the same division and the Dodgers finished 22 games ahead of the Padres with a 14-5 record against them !! By what logic should the Padres be on the same field as the Dodgers in the post season if the regular season is to have any meaning? All that for home field advantage?


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## lizkat

For the series, Dodgers and Yanks would be fun to watch.   Guardians and Phillies too...


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## Yoused

mac_in_tosh said:


> By what logic should the Padres be on the same field as the Dodgers in the post season if the regular season is to have any meaning? All that for home field advantage?




By the logic that sports are interesting and worth betting on because the outcomes can be unpredictable. The Mets done screwed the pooch when it came down to the brass tax.

If you want to make it interesting,


Spoiler: try this




 add 1 team each, to make an even 16 in each league
 play a 102 game pre-scheduled regular season, with divisional focus
 divide the league into cross-seeded groups – the 4 best teams in one, down to the 4 worst in the last group
 the groups play 30 games only against each other – the results establish the seeding level of the qualifying groups (number of series wins are a tie breaker)
 the winners of each group go into the seed-1 group, the last-placers into the seed-4 group (traditional top-to-bottom seeding)
 after the last 30 games, the winner of each group goes to the playoffs (hence, a last-place team still has a shot at the post season in at least part of September, and top-rank teams still have to play like they really mean it late into the season)
 only 4 teams from each league make the --DS / --CS


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## lizkat

Must be past my bedtime, how can even have 



Spoiler: this?



16 teams with 3 divisions


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## Yoused

lizkat said:


> Must be past my bedtime, how can even have
> 
> 
> 
> Spoiler: this?
> 
> 
> 
> 16 teams with 3 divisions



In 1996 



Spoiler: for example



there were 14 teams in 3 divisions in each league.


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## lizkat

Yoused said:


> In 1996
> 
> 
> 
> Spoiler: for example
> 
> 
> 
> there were 14 teams in 3 divisions in each league.




Hah,  see I knew it was past my bedtime.   Also in 1996 I was preoccupied by my own version of a 'bicoastal series", i.e. supporting IT groups in LA and NYC, both remotely.    If there even was a WS that year it could have been played by pairs of the worst or best, and I'd not even have read about it. Didn't even make room for politics that year past being amazed at Perot's performance.

But back to the current playoffs.  I loathe how the wild cards work now, and not least the 2-of-3 scenarios.   Still, the only thing that might make the so-called beancounters stop tinkering with "fan friendly" formulae is to keep messing around until they finally end up giving us a World Series between the two worst teams in the country...   which would mean whole teams full of players making $$M annual pay just watching TV by mid-October.   How DO they count the beans in moneyball any more anyway?


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## Yoused

lizkat said:


> How DO they count the beans in moneyball any more anyway?




My understanding is that a losing team is more profitable than a winning team. For the owners, at least. I think it has something to do with player salaries.


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## lizkat

Yoused said:


> My understanding is that a losing team is more profitable than a winning team. For the owners, at least. I think it has something to do with player salaries.




They end up doing stuff like trading away a good older player for a decent price in hopes of covering the contract of a newbie they paid too much for "because that's the market."  They hope to include in the deal receiving a few promising guys from the minors.  Sometimes it works out on the balance sheet.  For the players, it can be jolting to have a real team-building guy subtracted from their usual mix all of a sudden.  For the fans, who knows.


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## Herdfan

lizkat said:


> But back to the current playoffs.  I loathe how the wild cards work now, and not least the 2-of-3 scenarios.




Not a huge fan of the 2/3, but it sure is better than the 1 game gimmick they had before.

Make it 3/5 and take the DS to 4/7 like it used to be.  And stop spacing the games out.  It is baseball, they are used to playing every day.  Give them a day off for travel, otherwise play every day.


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## ronntaylor

Home teams continue to struggle. So far, they're 3-7 with another down late in their contest. Hope the Yanks take advantage of their home crowd. Fingers definitely crossed with Cole on the mound to start things off.


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## lizkat

ronntaylor said:


> Home teams continue to struggle. So far, they're 3-7 with another down late in their contest. Hope the Yanks take advantage of their home crowd. Fingers definitely crossed with Cole on the mound to start things off.



Well your Yanks just left three of my Guardians stranded on base in top of the 3rd, so that 1-0 Cleveland score at the moment could have been far worse by now.

EDIT:  ok so it's tied up already...

EDIT:  of course I have to go and make myself crazy hunting down fascinating information during commercials.  For example, from some piece at Cleveland dot Com: 

"Overall, FiveThirtyEight gives the Guardians a 13% chance of making the World Series and a 4% chance of winning the fall classic for the first time since 1948. So, they’re saying there’s a chance."​​Right.  A snowball's chance.   But hey.  Not over yet!
​


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## Herdfan

lizkat said:


> Well your Yanks just left three of my Guardians stranded on base in top of the 3rd, so that 1-0 Cleveland score at the moment could have been far worse by now.




You live in NY.  Just curious as to why you are a Cleveland fan?  Does it also extend to the Browns and Cavs?


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## lizkat

Herdfan said:


> You live in NY.  Just curious as to why you are a Cleveland fan?  Does it also extend to the Browns and Cavs?




Nope.  Just been a fan of the Guardians --formerly Indians-- since I was a kid.  Think it was all because some guy from the Rochester Red Wings (then a Cardinals farm team) went up to the show and then landed in Cleveland.  I think I was like ten or eleven years old when I found out St. Louis had traded him away,  and I was about following him at that point, not a team that was far away anyhow.  Later on I realized it was advantageous to follow a team where the blackout rules hardly ever got in my way...


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## Yoused

https://www.twitter.com/i/web/status/1580032133837443074/​
What I want to know is: who do the Yankees have playing Seeker?


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## Yoused

OT, I learned that the Big Unit (who did make the playoffs a few times) has taken up photography and graphic arts stuff. His business logo is


Spoiler: what he is best known for






link​


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## Herdfan

Yoused said:


> OT, I learned that the Big Unit (who did make the playoffs a few times) has taken up photography and graphic arts stuff. His business logo is
> 
> 
> Spoiler: what he is best known for
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> link​




I don't know which "Like" emoji to use:  or .

Some people won't get it.


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## Yoused

Herdfan said:


> Some people won't get it.



I guess I could have 



Spoiler: clarified


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## Herdfan

lizkat said:


> It's bad luck to watch them live.  Bad luck for my cardiovascular system.    They have a bad habit of loading the bases and stranding them, watching the next batters strike out or hit into double plays.
> EDIT:   However, the MLB app informs me Cleveland took it 4-2.   Yay!  Even up, a game apiece...




Pulled your post from another thread so as to not side-track it.

I did just read the "midges" may be back in Cleveland when the Yankees visit.  Will probably never forget Joba covered in those things.


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## Yoused

I am so disappointed the Cleveland/NY game was not rescheduled for Saturday. A double-header in the playoffs would have been _awesome_, especially if they had to travel 500 miles for game 2.


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## Herdfan

Looks like the Yankees are dropping Judge to 2 in the lineup because he is struggling.  I think he can change a game in 1 swing no matter where he bats.


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## Yoused

Geez, I joked about a Yankees/Guardians double-header, but the Astros/Mariners game is already about at the end of a second game, tied yet at no score. Surely this is not a playoff record, but it must be getting close.


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## lizkat

Muh Guardians figured out how not to strand the baserunners tonight.   Yee haa!


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## Yoused

Looks like the Astros swept the Mariners 3-0-1


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## ronntaylor

lizkat said:


> Muh Guardians figured out how not to strand the baserunners tonight.   Yee haa!



Told my husband that the Yanks were about to lose heading into the bottom of the 9th. Just had a feeling. And not feeling good about tomorrow.


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## Herdfan

Yoused said:


> Geez, I joked about a Yankees/Guardians double-header, but the Astros/Mariners game is already about at the end of a second game, tied yet at no score. Surely this is not a playoff record, but it must be getting close.




Not sure if it is a record, but an interesting stat:  There have been 4 MLB postseason games go into 18 innings.  All 4 had a HR hit in the 18th.  



lizkat said:


> Muh Guardians figured out how not to strand the baserunners tonight.   Yee haa!




That was a great inning of baseball.


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## lizkat

ronntaylor said:


> Told my husband that the Yanks were about to lose heading into the bottom of the 9th. Just had a feeling. And not feeling good about tomorrow.




Take heart, it's never over 'til over.

Couldn't resist tuning in to the game last night, but almost didn't watch the last of it... the Guardians have left 3 on base too many times to remember,  and I was seriously afraid I'd put my laptop through the window...


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## Yoused

lizkat said:


> Take heart, it's never over 'til over.



In the wings, the Fat Lady awaits.


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## mac_in_tosh

Even if the Yankees get by Cleveland they haven't much chance against Houston. The pattern in recent years is that they do well in the regular season and then flop in the postseason. I guess striking out a lot, relying on home runs and batting around .220 is not a good strategy. As the song says: "Where have you gone Joe DiMaggio?"


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## lizkat

Yoused said:


> In the wings, the Fat Lady awaits.




Hah, yeah.  The Fat Lady was definitely running scales the other night, even if it did take the Astros 18 innings for her to remember how that part of the song goes.

The Yankees in their current state may not be able to take the Series if they can even hang on  for the AL championship,  but the chances of the Guardians taking the Astros in the Series are way lower. I hasten to add "...this time around" because the Guardians do have a lot of promise. 

But for this year and being rookie-heavy in a Series,  the Guardians' way of playing good small ball would be tough for a win because the Astros have such great fielding.


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## Yoused

I like that the Braves tried to ride that philly and got bucked off. Maybe they will consider a name change.


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## lizkat

Yoused said:


> I like that the Braves tried to ride that philly and got bucked off. Maybe they will consider a name change.




I just wish they'd lose that tomahawk chant. Prob'ly never gonna happen.


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## Yoused

I have to admit, the Madres made me happy. As, I think it was, Colbert said, "_Autumn is such a magical time in Los Angeles, as you see the birds changing color and falling off the trees._"


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## lizkat

@ronntaylor  yer Yanks up 3-0, only the 2nd inning...  see I should not be watching this game


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## ronntaylor

lizkat said:


> @ronntaylor  yer Yanks up 3-0, only the 2nd inning...  see I should not be watching this game



I was afraid that Cole would give up a big HR middle of the game. Our bullpen came in strong (imagine if Aaron Boone had made the same pitching change 24 hours earlier!).

Still worried as playing four days in a row, and on top of that, flying in late from Cleveland. Anything is possible in game #5. Will be interesting how Boone deals with the pitching. Especially late in a close game.

My hope is that the Yanks get their bats active early and often to have any chance.


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## Herdfan

In the AL, both teams that will play in the ALCS won their division (Houston vs NYY/CLE), but in the NL, the two teams playing in the NLCS are Wild Cards.

The two NL teams left won 87 & 89 games and eliminated teams that won 101, 101 & 111.


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## lizkat

Herdfan said:


> In the AL, both teams that will play in the ALCS won their division (Houston vs NYY/CLE), but in the NL, the two teams playing in the NLCS are Wild Cards.
> 
> The two NL teams left won 87 & 89 games and eliminated teams that won 101, 101 & 111.




October can be brutal.  The wild card thing, I dunno.  It's antithetical really to the idea of playing off until "best team" wins.  It says to the top performing teams of regular season that oin the postseason there can be _no such thing_ as having a bad day because if you do then someone up from the sandlots can displace you.

Yet their own top ranking of performances in season may well have depended on their opposition --during any given stretch-- having had a bunch of bad days.

It's not all skill either, we know that.  Bad calls, weirdly anomalous results of bat contacting ball...  or the angle of the sun and a ball hit high and three guys afraid to collide in the outfield despite having practiced calling each other off...


----------



## Herdfan

lizkat said:


> October can be brutal.  The wild card thing, I dunno.  It's antithetical really to the idea of playing off until "best team" wins.




I think if you are going to do the Wildcard, then it's one.  The three division winners and the top non-division winner.  Seed them and be on your way with best of sevens.


----------



## Yoused

lizkat said:


> I dunno. It's antithetical really to the idea of playing off until "best team" wins.




Those hundred regular season wins that the Dodgers and the Braves and the Mets racked up were against many sub-par teams. They still have to prove themselves against the very best in the League, and be on top of their game when all is on the line. Fail to do that and they embarrass the faithful.

In the end, the highest-ranked teams proved conclusively that they were not the best.

My guys tied the MLB record for regular season wins one year but crapped out in 5 in the ALCS. They simply showed that they were really good but not good enough for the pageant.


----------



## lizkat

I admit to being surprised that the Dodgers fell apart this year.  The Braves maybe not so much.  I wonder if leading a division in regular season makes a team a little complacent about a wild card trying to cut in.

All the wild card stuff was weird this year, being down quite a few games and then walloping teams with way more regular season wins in the playoffs. 

That speaks to what you said though.  Can't let up in postseason and those other guys are sometimes pretty hungry.   Seattle, wow.  And the Phillies.

Meanwhile tonight's game is still in delay before even starting.  Weather...

https://www.twitter.com/i/web/status/1582134398148694017/


----------



## Herdfan

Yoused said:


> Those hundred regular season wins that the Dodgers and the Braves and the Mets racked up were against many sub-par teams.




And the regular season is so different from the playoffs.  In the playoffs, 2 dominant pitchers can carry you through a series, even a best of 7.  But in the regular season, 2 dominant pitchers will get 60 wins and you hope the other 3 starters can get you enough to make the playoffs.


----------



## lizkat

EDIT at 936pm: two minutes ago a NY Post reporter says rain coming down steadily now.  He's who said there was hope for a 9:30 first pitch time.   Now says he's getting out of meterology biz.

https://www.twitter.com/i/web/status/1582182684100816896/

EDIT:  they WERE saying first pitch at 930pm

=======

Rain rain rain in NY ever since 730pm with a delayed start over weather initially called at 6:20...

How ugly is it going to be if the game tonight is pushed to tomorrow and then the winner has to fly immediately to Houston for game one of the ALCS on Wednesday.


----------



## lizkat

Herdfan said:


> And the regular season is so different from the playoffs.  In the playoffs, 2 dominant pitchers can carry you through a series, even a best of 7.  But in the regular season, 2 dominant pitchers will get 60 wins and you hope the other 3 starters can get you enough to make the playoffs.




Here's a free link to a WSJ column suggesting hey we should all get over it.  Fun read anyway.









						Baseball’s Behemoths Are Gone. Is This Bad for the Game?
					

A fast and furious divisional round dismisses the juggernaut Dodgers and Braves. The 101-win Mets are also gone. Is the postseason too random?




					www.wsj.com


----------



## lizkat

Rescheduled for 4pm tomorrow.

https://www.twitter.com/i/web/status/1582184763854848002/


----------



## Yoused

Geez, for a moment there I thought I was seeing a huge grocery store ad.


----------



## lizkat

I coulda shoulda watched a movie instead of hanging out thinking there could still be a game tonight.


----------



## Yoused

lizkat said:


> I coulda shoulda watched a movie instead of hanging out thinking there could still be a game tonight.



Do you have an iDevice with a sports app on it that you could set to go a-OOOGAh a-OOOGAh when the game starts?


----------



## ronntaylor

I don't worry about the Wild Card teams beating teams with superior records anymore. It's happened so often in the past when the best teams don't always prevail. My Yanks had a super hot start, then a massive drop around the all-star break that lasted 5/6 weeks. And then injuries have plagued them the last third of the season. The goal of adding more and more wild card teams was to increase interest in the post-season with more teams being rooted on by their fans. And of course, increased revenue with six teams in each league for the post season. That's why I'm surprised that MLB limits the first round to just best 3-of-5. I would make all series best 4-of-7, even if it requires less games per season. I've long advocated for a start in mid-April and concluding mid-to-late October (down to 150 or 154 games per season) to get in more post-season games. Hell, I'd even go to best 5-of-9 for the World Series as has happened in the distant past.

At one point I suggested going the Super Bowl route: World Series in designated parks to lessen the chance of rain outs. We have so many parks in sunny climes and domed stadia all over the place. But that would probably be too much since it isn't a single game like the Super Bowl.

Whoever wins tomorrow (and I'm really rooting for my Yanks to be the winners) will have an even more difficult task of defeating The Asterisks with less rest since they'll be playing after flying out of New York probably less than 24 hours between Game 5 finishing and Game 1 starting.


----------



## lizkat

Yoused said:


> Do you have an iDevice with a sports app on it that you could set to go a-OOOGAh a-OOOGAh when the game starts?




I just went on about my to-do list of fixing up some stuff in my music libraries and glanced in at Twitter sports columnists now and then...



ronntaylor said:


> Whoever wins tomorrow (and I'm really rooting for my Yanks to be the winners) will have an even more difficult task of defeating The Asterisks with less rest since they'll be playing after flying out of New York probably less than 24 hours between Game 5 finishing and Game 1 starting.




Yeah this is going to be a drag for sure.


----------



## Yoused

ronntaylor said:


> At one point I suggested going the Super Bowl route: World Series in designated parks to lessen the chance of rain outs. We have so many parks in sunny climes and domed stadia all over the place. But that would probably be too much since it isn't a single game like the Super Bowl.




Which I see as violating the very foundation of grid football, which is _supposed to be played in the muck and the snow_.


----------



## lizkat

Yoused said:


> Which I see as violating the very foundation of grid football, which is _supposed to be played in the muck and the snow_.




yeah well bball players warming their hands over barrels on the warning track, whole other thing.


----------



## ronntaylor

Yoused said:


> Which I see as violating the very foundation of grid football, which is _supposed to be played in the muck and the snow_.



I remember when Giants Stadium hosted the SB. I was praying for a snowstorm during frigid weather!!


----------



## lizkat

The Yankees of @ronntaylor are sure trying to stick the ALDS landing today...


----------



## Yoused

The winner has to play in Houston tomorrow? Will they at least have one hand not tied behind their backs?


----------



## lizkat

Yoused said:


> The winner has to play in Houston tomorrow? Will they at least have one hand not tied behind their backs?




Well it starts to look like all the Guardians are going to manage to do here is mess with the Yanks' ability to rely on their bullpen tomorrow when they face a rested-up Astros team.

What a botched week in the annals of baseball. 

weird playoffs construct,  mechanical issues with a plane,  having to switch hotels,  crap weather and a stupidly extended rain delay...​​gee what could go wrong for the ALDS winner after a long flight to Texas tonight and looking at first pitch tomorrow?​
Also and just showing my bias here,  if any high wins team was going to manage to stave off the onslaught from wild card teams,  I'd rather it had not been the Astros.


----------



## ronntaylor

I'm assuming the Yanks tank in Game 1. With less than 24 hours after celebrating and flying into Houston for the first pitch, they almost need to sacrifice the opener. Concentrate on Game 2 with the goal of a split with three consecutive games at Yankee Stadium.

Hoping Boone doesn't blow it with questionable lineup decisions.


----------



## Yoused

Yankees vs Asstros: for most of the country, it is a matter of, who do I root against? _Go Phillies or Padres!_


----------



## lizkat

Yoused said:


> Yankees vs Asstros: for most of the country, it is a matter of, who do I root against? _Go Phillies or Padres!_



Yeah eventually...   but (or, so) I'd root for the Yanks any day over Houston. 

Just don't tell my Yanks-lovin' brother.  He's been nice enough though not to email me any gloats yet over last night's game.


----------



## Joe

'Stros!


----------



## lizkat

Joe said:


> 'Stros!




Well had it been the Guardians playing the Astros,  FiveThirtyEight gave Cleveland something like 13% chance of taking the ACLS.   Yanks might have better odds than that but you probably right.


----------



## Joe

lizkat said:


> Well had it been the Guardians playing the Astros,  FiveThirtyEight gave Cleveland something like 13% chance of taking the ACLS.   Yanks might have better odds than that but you probably right.




Astros have owned the Yanks all season. We'll see how that goes in this series.


----------



## lizkat

Well I gotta root for the Yankees while I can, since the Guardians have done their best for season

 There will be time to think about the Astros later on during the Series, most likely..,

Edit:    weird ad sequence, dunno if from TBS or YTTV but they just showed me a Labor Day sale ad... hello?


----------



## ronntaylor

I already conceded this first game to the Asterisks... but damn!! 17 friggin' strikeouts?! I knew the team would be in a daze. But 17 whiffs!!!


----------



## lizkat

They were jes' softening the Astros up by playing half-dead...   one can hope.    Flying fatigue didn't help. At least it wasn't a shutout.


----------



## lizkat

No AL game tonight so we'll see how the Phillies and Padres mix it up on Phila turf tonight.

Special of the day: _*modified*_ Philly cheese steak....

Philadelphia Inquirer havin' a little down home fun w/ the Padres' mascot ahead of the game...


​


----------



## lizkat

Happy about the Phillies' win last night.  Hope they can keep truckin' and eventually win the NLCS.   I don't fancy watching San Diego in the World Series... no matter who's playing for the AL.   Dombroswki having stepped into the Phillies' baseball operations slot has done his typically great job improving their chances.

Anyway for the first look in at today's games,  I'm back to being a Yankees fan.  For their sake and so I don't have to put quarters in the swear jar again, I sure hope the Yanks can take it.

EDIT:  Hmm.  Well the quarters jar is the winner here today so far, geez.   Couple innings to go...


----------



## lizkat

I give up.  Switching to Phillies game.   btw a tweet from yesterday:  man, Phillies fans are LOUD.

https://www.twitter.com/i/web/status/1583661386457960450/


----------



## mac_in_tosh

Even only having a casual interest in baseball these days, I didn't think the Yankees could get past Houston. But does it have to be so embarrassing? Down 0 games to 3 now. It's apparent they will never win another World Series under the current regime, let alone even get there. Judge is batting 0.156 in the postseason, Stanton .179, Rizzo .231, Torres .133, Donaldson .200. The glory days are long over.

Kind of analogous to the Dallas Cowboys. There's usually a lot of hype about "America's Team," but they haven't won squat in a long time, routinely falling short in the post season.


----------



## lizkat

Man this round with the Phillies and Padres tonight is a hell of a game.


----------



## Herdfan

So if both teams clinch tonight, which is a very real possibility, are we really going to have to wait almost a week for the WS?


----------



## lizkat

Herdfan said:


> So if both teams clinch tonight, which is a very real possibility, are we really going to have to wait almost a week for the WS?




Ironic, eh, after all the shoving around and playing next day hassles.

First let's see if the weather gods can clean up their act (in NY as well as in Philly).   Sounds like it might not lead to postponements...   at least in Philadelphia.  But the tarp is out there.

https://www.twitter.com/i/web/status/1584203158758178817/


EDIT:  from  Phila Inquirer piece by Anthony Wood:



> Skies will be slate gray, and temperatures will be on the chilly side, in the low to mid-60s in South Philly.
> 
> “It’s not going to be a nice afternoon,” said Martin.
> 
> Deger added that might be especially true for the hitters, with a decent wind from the northeast blowing almost straight in from centerfield. Not to mention the fact that the Phillies (Zach Wheeler) and Astros (Yu Darvish) will have their aces on the mound, and the hitters might be arm-weary after Saturday night.
> 
> He said that in terms of weather issues, Sunday night’s Game 4 of the playoff series between the Houston Astros and Yankees in New York, might in serious trouble.
> 
> Down 3-0, the Yanks might not mind a break.




Edit:  Phillies-Padres game will start:   tarp's off the field, 1st pitch about half an hour away now,

https://www.twitter.com/i/web/status/1584237581147189248/


----------



## lizkat

Wow....  Phillies nail down the NLCS,  now to dry off their gear, rest up and pray for some kinda miracle to keep the Astros off the WS menu...   heh:  I'm back to being a temporary Yanks fan.

Man, both the Padres and Phillies deserve kudos for playing through some nasty rain today.


----------



## Yoused

lizkat said:


> … back to being a temporary Yanks fan.




GLWT – looks to me as though the pinstripes are dealing with serious disAstros, which I expect will soon befall the Fillies.


----------



## lizkat

Yoused said:


> GLWT – looks to me as though the pinstripes are dealing with serious disAstros, which I expect will soon befall the Fillies.




Hah, I know...  but until that game gets underway... and finished...  lemme have that dream..

MLB says aiming for an 830pm start now.  But the weather says 40% chance rain continues even through the 9-10pm mark so I dunno.  Starting to feel like postponement.

Whole thing is weird, they coulda been playing already, it's not any worse than what the Phillies and Padres played through.    Also the wind is from slightly east of north, so...  "play ball" already, gee.

https://www.twitter.com/i/web/status/1584326374864482304/


----------



## Joe

‘Stros!


----------



## lizkat

Joe said:


> ‘Stros!



Gotta say Astros deserved the win.  They were dancing with brooms in the clubhouse.  Kinda saucy "class photo" they had taken after donning champs' t-shirts in Yankee Stadium


----------



## ronntaylor

I usually root for the team that beats my team. Never for the Asterisks!! I can root for Philly since I have family roots there and fond memories of a few trips there for conferences and a HS classmate lived and taught there for several years (we also reconnected in Philly after not seeing each other in person for nearly a quarter of a century).

Go Philly.


----------



## lizkat

ronntaylor said:


> I usually root for the team that beats my team. Never for the Asterisks!! I can root for Philly since I have family roots there and fond memories of a few trips there for conferences and a HS classmate lived and taught there for several years (we also reconnected in Philly after not seeing each other in person for nearly a quarter of a century).
> 
> Go Philly.




Even the Dodgers discovered that October's a brutal month.  A Phillies series win would be so fine.


----------



## lizkat

Here from a piece in the Philadelphia Inquirer is the schedule for the series.



> The MLB schedule-makers were smart enough to schedule the series around the NFL. As a result, Phillies fans will be able to watch the Eagles during the only two off days of the series — Sunday, Oct. 30, and Thursday, Nov. 3.
> 
> Here is the full schedule for the 2022 World Series between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Houston Astros (all times are Eastern):
> 
> Game 1: Phillies at Astros, Friday, Oct. 28, 8:03 p.m. (Fox)
> 
> Game 2: Phillies at Astros, Saturday, Oct. 29, 8:03 p.m. (Fox)
> 
> Game 3: Astros at Phillies, Monday, Oct. 31, 8:03 p.m.(Fox)
> 
> Game 4: Astros at Phillies, Tuesday, Nov. 1, 8:03 p.m.(Fox)
> 
> Game 5: Astros at Phillies, Wednesday, Nov. 2, 8:03 p.m.(Fox)*
> 
> Game 6: Phillies at Astros, Friday, Nov. 4, 8:03 p.m.(Fox)*
> 
> Game 7: Phillies at Astros, Saturday, Nov. 5 8:03 p.m.(Fox)*
> 
> * - if necessary




Hate to see that asterisk on games 5-7...  OF COURSE some of those games will be necessary, because Philadelphia will be playing in Philly for games 3-5 and with those crazy fans for backup, what more could one need to help make a full series necessary?

Gotta love how the Phila authorities greased all the lightpoles in the city before the NLCS finale, but the fans climbed them anyway despite a bunch of them getting busted for doing so.   Philly papers full of photos of the pole scalers today.  Those fans know how to party.

Oh, and also:

https://www.twitter.com/i/web/status/1584427169773944832/​


----------



## lizkat

And while we wait...MLB having a little fun with us, also throwing a poll out there.


https://www.twitter.com/i/web/status/1584748814207885312/


https://www.twitter.com/i/web/status/1584959431250350080/


----------



## Yoused

due to an injury,









						No Black players expected in World Series, a 1st since 1950
					

For the first time since 1950, shortly after Jackie Robinson broke the Major League Baseball color barrier, there is projected to be no U.S.-born Black players in this World Series.




					news.yahoo.com


----------



## Herdfan

Yoused said:


> due to an injury,
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> No Black players expected in World Series, a 1st since 1950
> 
> 
> For the first time since 1950, shortly after Jackie Robinson broke the Major League Baseball color barrier, there is projected to be no U.S.-born Black players in this World Series.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> news.yahoo.com




Give Dusty a glove.  He can still probably play. 

He actually has a chance to be the second Black manager to win 2 WS's.

So is it no Black players or no US born Black Players?


----------



## Herdfan

lizkat said:


> And while we wait...MLB having a little fun with us, also throwing a poll out there.
> 
> https://www.twitter.com/i/web/status/1584959431250350080/




Did they just poll in Philadelphia?  I have the Astro's in 5.


----------



## lizkat

Herdfan said:


> Did they just poll in Philadelphia?  I have the Astro's in 5.




Hah,  no, just a regular online Twitter poll.

 I'd be surprised if you're far off the mark but I do hope the Phillies don't just get swept.  They did beat the Astros 3-0 one time in October during regular season...

But on that poll:   maybe more of those who favor the Astros just don't have Twitter setups yet (or, again) since Elon Musk hasn't finished buying that platform and supposedly means to open it up to more freedom of expression.  

Personally I think it's just that it's popular to roll with the underdog in polls...


----------



## lizkat

Woot!  6-5 win for the Phillies in 10 innings...  they were teachin' school tonight in Houston,  once they got over being back 5-0.    Fun start to the Series,  no matter how it goes from here.   

I don't have many potato chips left from my contraband purchase today,  I must admit.


----------



## Yoused

I like to think the Fillies were just toying with Houston. Made it look like they were struggling, just for the hell of it.


----------



## lizkat

Yoused said:


> I like to think the Fillies were just toying with Houston. Made it look like they were struggling, just for the hell of it.




Right... more like this guy had it really LOL.  Seriously it was joy to watch them pull that off tonight.

https://www.twitter.com/i/web/status/1586221966058749952/


----------



## lizkat

Different day, different ballgame, different outcome.   

Three games in Philly comin' up after a day to get there and rest up for the home sweep.


----------



## lizkat

While we wait for game 3, a piece about baseball's metrics gettin' outta hand, and metrics elsewhere in our culture as well.









						What Moneyball-for-Everything Has Done to American Culture
					

You can make a thing so perfect that it’s ruined.




					www.theatlantic.com
				






> ...on a deeper level, I think what happened is that baseball was colonized by math and got solved like an equation.
> 
> The analytics revolution, which began with the movement known as Moneyball, led to a series of offensive and defensive adjustments that were, let’s say, catastrophically successful. Seeking strikeouts, managers increased the number of pitchers per game and pushed up the average velocity and spin rate per pitcher. Hitters responded by increasing the launch angles of their swings, raising the odds of a home run, but making strikeouts more likely as well. These decisions were all legal, and more important, they were all correct from an analytical and strategic standpoint.
> 
> Smarties approached baseball like an equation, optimized for Y, solved for X, and proved in the process that a solved sport is a worse one. The sport that I fell in love with doesn’t really exist anymore.






> Or take film. As with music, you could certainly make the case that the communications revolution has created an abundance of video content that, in the aggregate, is fantastically diverse. But although the rules for making a viral video, or a critically acclaimed film, are deeply complex, blockbuster movies look a lot like a solved equation.
> 
> In 2019, the 10 biggest films by domestic box office included two Marvel sequels, two animated-film sequels, a reboot of a ’90s blockbuster, and a Batman spin-off.
> 
> In 2022, the 10 biggest films by domestic box office included two Marvel sequels, one animated-film sequel, a reboot of a ’90s blockbuster, and a Batman spin-off.
> 
> Correctly observing that audiences responded predictably to familiar intellectual property, studios invested in a strategy that has squeezed original IP from the top-10 charts. Blockbusters are kinda boring now, not because Hollywood is stupid, but because it got so smart.


----------



## lizkat

Waaaahhh...     game 3 postponed to tomorrow, Tues. Nov. 1 --  raining in Phila.

https://www.twitter.com/i/web/status/1587217217648836608/


----------



## lizkat

Wow...  I swear the Phillies just love to play baseball...   at home, anyway.  

Edit:   gee, only the bottom of the 5th inning and Phillies are up 7 to zip.   They havin' fun!


----------



## Yoused

I heard that the Astros pitcher set a WS record for coughing up HRs. And the manager set a record for not pulling the pitcher before he set a record.


----------



## lizkat

Yoused said:


> he Astros pitcher set a WS record for coughing up HRs.




That poor guy, I feel sorry for him really.


----------



## Yoused

Houston would have done much better against the Dodgers or the Braves – they do not know how to play against a low-ranked team.


----------



## lizkat

Yoused said:


> Houston would have done much better against the Dodgers or the Braves – they do not know how to play against a low-ranked team.




Yeah maybe Astros a little unsure how to play against a team that was obviously not at all intimidated by unexpectedly landing in the playoffs (and then taking the first WS game in extra innings on Houston grass).

The other thing is that although Philadelphia's regular season W-L was unimpressive, its late season trajectory was on the rise and already scrappy before the playoffs. 

I felt at the outset of the series that there might have been some delayed psychological impact of that late regular season 3-0 loss the Astros experienced at hands of Philadelphia.  LIke when it happened, well so what, Astros already clinched their division etc. and anyone can win a ballgame now and then.

But then in postseason when Philadelphia had serially tuned up both the Braves and the Padres and the Astros were on deck for the Series and Phillies were like sayin' "Next?," well...  hmm.  

Self-doubt is a funny thing, it can just sit there and fester...

Still, Houston has a very capable team on field and at bat.   It was just weird Baker didn't take that pitcher out before those hot Philly bats pegged the bar too high for a comeback last night.   In a way it had to be a bet that Phillies can't sweep the three home games,  so Baker was saving his starters,  and also believing that the Astros can take the last two in Houston?   This despite Philly already having demo'd they can win an away game in the WS under pressure. 

I dunno.  It sure hasn't been a boring series so far.


----------



## Herdfan

lizkat said:


> That poor guy, I feel sorry for him really.




He had to be tipping. No way guys can tee off like that if he isn’t.


----------



## lizkat

Herdfan said:


> He had to be tipping. No way guys can tee off like that if he isn’t.




So sayeth those who noted a quick conversation between Philly batsmen,  a chat that paid off.

Lotta iPad scrolling for pitching coaches' homework:    _What did they see, what does he do._


----------



## Herdfan

lizkat said:


> Lotta iPad scrolling for pitching coaches' homework:    _What did they see, what does he do._




They mentioned leg kick as an option. I doubt that since he got lit up from both the windup and the stretch.  

I am thinking arm angle or maybe the Phillies have a spy and a trash can.


----------



## lizkat

Hah well the Astros have untll spring to figure it out, if he's still around by then.


----------



## lizkat

Welp the Phillies made history again last night but not in a thrilling way for Philly fans...  Astros handed them the first no-hitter in the World series since the 1950s.  Series tied up 2-2 now.

On to tonight's game, the last of the three in Philadelphia.    Schwarber has homered in bottom of the first to tie up the game 1-1,  so whatever the Astros might have been thinking about another no-hitter just went over a wall.    Heh after last night no place to go but up, so that low bar has been cleared already.


----------



## Yoused

Are Houstoners watching the WS or the Eagles @ Texans game in Houston on at the very same time? (Texans are pretty crappy this years, while the Eagles lead their division – but football is still somewhat more popular in the US, and in Texas in particular.)


----------



## lizkat

Yoused said:


> Are Houstoners watching the WS or the Eagles @ Texans game in Houston on at the very same time? (Texans are pretty crappy this years, while the Eagles lead their division – but football is still somewhat more popular in the US, and in Texas in particular.)




dunno... haven't looked at US football since back in the days of the office pool, where i routinely chipped in my two bucks and threw darts at a copy of the sheet stuck to corkboard in the pantry to make my picks. Once in awhile I won enough to have to stop by the bakery and come up with the obligatory round of pastries for Monday morning...


----------



## lizkat

Enthralling game 5 last night didn't go the Phillies way, exasperating how they left men on base and then their bats went quiet at the wrong times.  Weird how they practically had Verlander on the ropes after their 2nd inning showing (Houston did already have action in the bullpen) but then they couldn't hit the relievers when they started showing up.

Anyway the Series is 3-2 Astros (was it a bad omen that game 5 score was also 3-2?)  so it's must-win in Houston Saturday night for the Phillies.  Of course the Phils would have preferred going there not having to win both games.    They already proved they can win an away game v Houston but having to take two straight after a demoralizing no-hitter on Wednesday and a squeaker loss last night...  ugh. 

My problem is figuring out whether to bother getting streaming video access to the last or last two games in Houston.  I revived a YTTV sub for the postseason but it happens to expire "on the 5th" so no clue if that means 23:59 on the 4th.   I guess I will revert to listening to the game(s) on Audacy instead.   I'd take a free trial on fubo but hardly seems worth using that up for possibly just one game.

Still it was amazing to watch the Astros' McCormick snag that Realmuto zinger up against the wall last night in the 9th.   No Astros fan,  me... but gotta give credit where due on that catch.


----------



## lizkat

Game 6 tonight!   The start of do-or-die time for the Phillies in Houston is a few minutes away.  Trying to figure out whether to make the popcorn now or save it for the top of the 9th.  Hope the Phillies don't save their hot bats for then, except as insurance runs.

[ Welp it's a pitchers' battle so far...  i noticed in one of the ads that someone was eating nachos,  which seemed llike a great idea so I stepped out to the kitchen in the bottom of the 4th and made those instead of breaking out the popcorn.   Funny how the ad was for some softdrink but what caught my eye were the nachos! ]​​Edit:    Phillies first on the board with a solo homer by Schwarber in the 6th.     It's the nachos, I'm sure of it now.  

Edit:   welp, that didn't last long.  Astros scored big on the reliever and now it's 3-1 Houston...  man the Phillies keep asking so much of Alvarado when they bring him into situations like having runners on 1st and 3rd...  best case he'd probably come out of it tied up.  but 3-1, ugh.     Even more nachos might not work now...


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## Joe




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## lizkat

I have to say the Astros earned those rings.    Happy for Dusty Baker.


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## JamesMike

It was smart of the Astros to bring in Dusty Baker after the scandal. I’m glad he finally got his World Series ring.


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