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MLB World Series 2018: Eh. Dodgers/Boston. Eh.

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Good first win for the Sox, continuing their steamroller of a season. Gotta give it to them, team is just relentless. Not built around an Ortiz (although JD can mash), not looking to take pitches and get on base in case someone hits a HR, they just grind the crap out of you 1-9. Bullpen has been a pleasant playoff surprise, this 'starters pitch the 8th' thing is working, and Cora almost seems like he's playing in God mode when picking matchups and pinch hitters. If Price can be half as good as his last start, this thing could be over quickly.

And thankfully, we haven't even had to see what's been a strength for this team this season: the refuse to lose, never out of it, come from behind mentality. Forget the exact stat, but they won a ton of games they had no business even competing for after an early beating. so far, the offense has jumped on starters early and we haven't had that 'down a bunch early' hole to dig out of. Hopefully we won't have to play that card again this year...
 
Yeah, Buck noted that at the beginning of the game. That probably does factor in his pitching woes. But I still suspect the cold air didn't help much either.
 
Dr. San Guinary said:
He's never pitched at Fenway before, has he? Could that have had something to do with it?
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I think the big issue with Kershaw is that his fastball was topping out at 90 last night. Historically he's been around 94, with the ability to crank it up to 96 - 97. You aren't fooling anyone with an 85 mile an hour changeup when it's coming after a 90 (or slower) fastball.

He started having velocity issues last year when he re-injured his back, and it's entirely possible he'll never be a power pitcher again. The issue is that he's still trying to throw like one.
 
#PuigMyFriend

Seriously, that dude owns.

Machado is less a baby and more just a flat-out dirty player.
 
I think I've complained about this before, but I don't understand how players, especially pitchers, can play without high socks. With your pants at your heels, it feels like you'd trip over everything in sight.

All the way back to Little League to when I pitched in high school (and then wrecked my knee), I absolutely refused to wear anything else than stirrups.
 
Heh, to each their own. We simply had regular pants (we were a small private school with little funding for the baseball team) and that never bothered me. I guess it helped that I played at first so I didn't have to move as much. *shrug*
 
Kronos said:
This is gonna be a sweep isn't it?
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I feel like the Dodgers can win Game 3, as Buehler is a much better pitcher than Porcello (every time I'm reminded he won a Cy Young, I just laugh), but the bats need to wake up. All three of the Dodgers' hits came in one inning last night, and that just won't work.

Also, the Twins are hiring Rocco fuckin' Baldelli as their new manager.
 
still feels like Sox in 5. You're right, think the Dodgers get home, put in a lineup for a RHP, and wake up a little, but can't see it going back to Boston. Roberts seems to be killing his lineup to adhere to L/R matchups, leaving a lot on the bench and then asking people to come in cold in big spots, just doesn't seem to be much feel for the game at the moment. Radio this morning was joking that the Sox should pull a Brewers and start Rodriguez just to Roberts burns his entire bench again, and then toss Eovaldi back out there after a couple innings.

We'll see how Porcello looks, but G3 with him, G4 with Eovaldi (and maybe kitchen sink since they keep using him in the bullpen), and then have Sale, Price, Everyone lined up behind it if you drop a game somewhere. Sox are rolling so far.

Buehler being better than Porcello doesn't even MATTER, since they aren't playing each other (except for a couple at-bats max because of the silly minor league rules). Since Buehler has to face off with the Sox lineup instead, not sure much is slowing they down lately, so as long as Porcello doesn't bury the Sox early, they may weather it just fine.
 
Timby said:
Fuck the DH. :p
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Fuck your 3 pitcher dingers a year making us watch .090 hitters come to bat in big spots the entire rest of the season, plus playing by two different rule sets in a single championship series :P

One way or the other, need a single set of rules. These aren't two different organizations having a joint playoff anymore, that hasn't been true in what? 80 years? It would be like in the NFL where you aren't allowed to carry a kicker in the NFC and the QB has to do it. Some times you get Vinatieri, sometimes you get Brady. As hilarious as it would be to watch Brady try for a field goal, and as hard as I'd laugh when he makes one, I'd still rather leave it to someone that looks like he does it professionally. Plus knowing that you can try it from more than 15 yards away would be a positive.

Can't immediately find the stat, but willing to bet that pitchers hit less than .150 for the season, and with an OPS only a tiny tick higher to allow for a couple walks and accidental HRs. If they couldn't throw a curve ball, that would get them cut from every roster in the majors, and they'd be released from the minors or trying to stick in Japan or something. Don't want to watch that. And the 'huge mental game' aspect of the double switch is just stupid. And overrated. Roberts managed to use his entire roster while playing by AL rules, so it turns out you CAN sub players in whenever you like. It's only a double switch instead of a substitution because you need to get that pathetic noodle bat in the P position out of the lineup, so it costs you another position player to kick that can down the road a few spots in the batting order...

Love to watch Kershaw (or whoever) pitch, but I'd rather see Ortiz hit in their spot. Ortiz TODAY, still wearing his suit and jacket, would be a better hitting choice. Hell, I'd take Yaz today over watching a pitcher bat. If they can locate Ted Williams' head, I'm willing to see what he's got left as well :lol:
 
For fun, the big power threat pitchers you're excited to see in this series are:

Buhler: .163 this year. 7 hits in 47 ABs, no doubles, triples, or HRs. Found a RBI somewhere, 21 Ks
Wood: .045 this season. 50 ABs, 2 hits (singles), 1 run, 0 RBIs. Stole a base. No walks either, so .045 OBP too.
Kershaw: .239 avg (higher than I thought), 11 singles, 2 doubles. 57 ABs. 7 walks, 11Ks.

Ryu won't get an AB, but hit an amazing .269 somehow in 30 appearances. 7 singles and a double. Not as many games, so small sample size I guess.

That's what we're excited about? No dingers, by the way. Or we could just let professional hitters hit and leave the pitchers to throw the baseball.

JD Martinez: .330 avg, 43HRs, 130 RBIs. 188 singles, 37 doubles, 2 triples
Kemp (used as DH so far this series): .290, 21 HRs, 134 hits, 25 doubles, 85 RBIs

It's not even close, I'd rather watch the bottom list hit. I left the Boston pitchers off the hitting list because the sample size isn't worth anything. Hilariously, though Porcello is hitting .429 this season (gotta bat him all the time!). but it's in 7 at bats. 3 singels, 2 doubles, 3 RBIs. Eovaldi is .000 in 3 at bats, Sale is .000 in 2 at bats. Whee...
 
Screw dingers. The game isn't about just about home runs. If a pitcher can get a single, walk, or a well-placed bunt, then that's good enough for me. That keeps the game interesting. I'm bored to tears by the home-run derby mentality.
 
think the numbers showed that they aren't getting singles, either. the 4 NL pitchers i listed combined for 30 total hits in a season (of any flavor).

Pitcher hits are a happy accident; they go up there praying for a walk, ready for a sac bunt, and expecting a strikeout either on a pathetic swing or looking.

It's not interesting, you know what's going to happen and there's very little doubt. If there's a space open and 2 outs, they walk the 8 man to get to the pitcher, who strikes out. If there's less than 2 outs and a man on, pitcher tries a sac bunt. Otherwise, just an uncomfortable swing that's not going anywhere. And then you pull a pitcher who is dealing in the 6th inning because it's his turn to bat again.

Automatic outs, weaker lineups, predictable ends of innings. Oooh, but the manager knows he has to remove his second baseman in order to avoid the pitcher spot batting again so soon. Meh.
 
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