2021 MLB playoffs

[Herdfan]

Instead of clog up the "What did I do today" thread with baseball which only a few of us respond to, I made a thread.

So here is where we are at posting:

ALCS
Red Sox lead series 2-1 over Houston.

Game 4 is tonight in Boston.

NLCS
Braves lead Dodgers 2-0 and are up 5-2 in G3.


I have probably never been as intrigued by a single at-bat as I was last night by Verdugo (BOS). He worked an 0-2 count into an 11 pitch walk. Baseball has a beauty to it that no other sport can match.

 

[lizkat]

Yeah so two days later the Dodgers better get it together tonight, although it's actually Atlanta feeling the pressure,they would love to wrap it on the upside already, both teams have déja vu sensations from last year.

2-1 Atlanta after a homer puts the Dodgers on the board, and the next pitch goes to a line drive and puts a Dodger on first and the next pitch is hit over the wall and now its Dodgers 3-2. "It happens fast".... lol

EDIT: now 7-2 Dodgers in the 7th, they might pull this off...

EDIT: 8-2 Dodgers in the 8th, keepin' it warm. Every starting Dodger in the hitters' lineup has been on the baselines at least once. Oops, well another homer with two on, now it's Dodgers 11-2 still in the 8th.

And that's it, Dodgers win it 11-2. On to Atlanta Saturday night!

 

[Joe]

Hoping the Astros end it tonight against Boston and Atlanta ends it next game.

 

[lizkat]

Hoping the Astros end it tonight against Boston and Atlanta ends it next game.

Heh, well... that way at least I wouldn't have to decide whether to root for Boston or LA in the World Series.

 

[lizkat]

Watching Boston at Houston... time for Boston to bring some runs home or rack up the season...

EDIT: Boston remains scoreless after eight innings. Boston peaked in game 3, and now haven't scored in about 25 innings... pathetic.

Oh man, now 5-0 Houson in the 8th... homer w/ 2 on. Astros deserve to go to the series.

And that's it for the final. Long flight home for the Red Sox...

 

[Joe]

‘Stros! 4 more. Let’s get it!

 

[lizkat]

‘Stros! 4 more. Let’s get it!

Don't count World Series chickens before the eggs hatch... they might look like they're from farther out west than Texas.

 

[Herdfan]

The Astro's are really good. Not surprised they are in the WS.

As for the NL team, I was leaning Dodgers even though the Braves were up 3-2 but were going to have to face Scherzer and Buehler in back to back games. But just read Scherzer is out for tonight's game so it looks like it may be a bullpen game for both teams. I certainly wouldn't move Buehler up on short rest, so no idea who the Dodgers are going to have on the mound.

So even though Vegas has the Dodgers as a -177/+162 favorite, I am going to call it a toss up.

 

[lizkat]

It's beisbol. Anything can happen.

 

[Herdfan]

Dodgers are starting Buehler on short rest. Just don't know even though he pitched great the last time in G4 of the NLDS on short rest.

 

[lizkat]

Dodgers are starting Buehler on short rest. Just don't know even though he pitched great the last time in G4 of the NLDS on short rest.

It's tricky. They could really use Buehler in a game 7 but first they have to make sure there'll even be a game 7, so...

So they went with him now, hoping he can help keep them from being eliminated tonight. I guess that makes sense... anyway a bullpen game is what all these contests seem to devolve into now. But the Dodgers also have other short term pitching staff issues. And since that's the case, if I were Dave Roberts then I might have settled on Buehler tonight too. Start with best of what's on tap for this crucial game and try to stay in contention.

Roberts will be probably be second-guessed later on his pitching decisions no matter what he does tonight -- If LA loses and it's because of Atlanta bats, or if LA wins tonight but they come up short on pitching depth in a game 7.

Thankless job anyway, managing a major league team. Notice the Astros' owner Jim Crane certainly praised Dusty Baker on the team's division win, but he also used weasel words in there like "I don’t think there is any reason we wouldn’t visit about [a new contract] after the World Series … I love Dusty."
(Washington Post piece by Dave Sheinin)

 

[Herdfan]

I love Dusty."

So do I. Grew up watching him play, mainly for the Dodgers in their battles with the Reds for the NL Pennant. Around that time we had just gotten cable and 3 of the channels were WTBS, WGN and WXIX (Cincinnati) so I got to watch a lot of baseball as a kid. He was a great player. Either way, he will manage in the WS against one of the two teams he is most known for from his playing days.

Random footnote: He was in the on-deck circle when Hank hit 714 for the Braves.

 

[lizkat]

This game,wow. Well at least the Dodgers managed to strand the Braves with the bases loaded just now. So could be worse for LA.

But the Braves are playing like they've tried on World Series rings....

EDIT: sigh.... well OK I got a temporary sub to the Atlanta Journal Constitution so I can keep up with the Braves' hometown take on the Series...

 

[Joe]

‘Stros vs Atlanta

 

[ronntaylor]

‘Stros vs Atlanta

A friend is calling it: Cheaters vs Chokers

 

[Herdfan]

A friend is calling it: Cheaters vs Chokers

I watch/listen to quite a bit of sports talk and when playoffs get down to the last 4 teams or so, there is always a segment about who the league office wants in the finals. Usually it is based on market size, like the NBA would prefer something like Lakers/Nets over OKC/Indy.

I can't think the MLB offices are happy with this matchup either. On one hand as pointed out, you have the cheaters, but you also might just have to present the Commissioner's Trophy to the Braves in Atlanta, the city you moved the AS Game from over voting laws.

Me thinks MLB would rather have had the Sox/Dodgers.

 

[lizkat]

A friend is calling it: Cheaters vs Chokers

Harsh but where there's been fire there's still that lingering smoke..... I'll watch with the sort of detachment only a fan of Boston and LA can summon up for the occasion...

 

[Joe]

A friend is calling it: Cheaters vs Chokers

Go ‘Stros!

 

[ronntaylor]

Harsh but where there's been fire there's still that lingering smoke..... I'll watch with the sort of detachment only a fan of Boston and LA can summon up for the occasion...

I usually root for the AL team since I'm a Yankees fan. But I've always hated the Sox and now the 'Stros nearly as much. I tease my younger siblings that live in the Atlanta area about how often their team chokes. But I will probably semi-root for the Atlanta team since one of them is (was?) a season ticket holder.

 

[Herdfan]

I usually root for the AL team since I'm a Yankees fan. But I've always hated the Sox and now the 'Stros nearly as much. I tease my younger siblings that live in the Atlanta area about how often their team chokes. But I will probably semi-root for the Atlanta team since one of them is (was?) a season ticket holder.

Just pretend the Astros are still in the NL.