I don't believe I have ever watched a night of baseball more full of tension. Of course, it is not every day the Cubs are involved in a do-or-die World Series game facing elimination in front of 41,000 screaming fans. It seemed almost by sheer will from the fans and the players that they managed to win and force the series back to Cleveland for a sixth game. Lets hope it continues on Tuesday.
Some observations:
Chapman earned his money Sunday night. I have to say I never expected him to be able to dominate the Indians for three innings. He had certainly not done so against anyone in the past, and he always has looked like a guy who preferred to earn his saves by coming in for a single inning with no one on base. That fact was undoubtedly part of the sense of impending dread that affected everyone in the stadium and at home watching. It's not like Chapman is Andrew Miller who seems to do this every other day. Also, and for future reference should the Cubs or others be tempted to sign him to a long-term deal, Chapman is not really a baseball player so much as he is a superbly endowed athlete capable of one big thing, throwing a baseball 100+ mph consistently. Teams can run at will on him, and, as we saw in the eighth inning, he doesn't always cover first base.
The Indians are a lot better team than most people think. They did not crumble when the Cubs had their inning and they made this almost a gladiatorial combat to the end.
Maybe Baez should take batting practice. Baseball is such a weird game. You wonder how a player like Baez can look like a superstar who has finally figured it all out through the first two playoff series and look like a complete mope at the plate in this one.
Lester is one helluva big-game pitcher.
The Cubs seem to play very well when their backs are to the wall. They seem to be able to provide one great offensive inning on a regular basis in these games. It got them a long way during the season and maybe it will be enough to carry through to a championship.
The series goes to Cleveland Tuesday and potentially Wednesday. These are evenly matched teams right now. Home field favors the Indians, but, oddly enough, AL rules favor the Cubs because of their depth and the presence of Schwarber as DH. The pitching match-ups also give the Cubs an edge if only because their remaining starters will pitch on full rest whereas the Indians starters will both pitch on short rest.
Maddon told the team to wear Halloween costumes on the flight to Cleveland. Strange, but somewhat endearing none the less.
Go Cubs!
Sunday, October 30, 2016
On the Brink
The Cubs played another lousy game Saturday night. There is no other way to describe their performance. Again the hitting or lack thereof and the lack of plate discipline proved their undoing. Whether they are pressing or whether the Indians pitching is that good is probably a moot point now. The only players who seemed to have a solid approach were Fowler and Rizzo. Bryant was hopeless and made two errors in the second inning, one physical on the bad throw and the other mental on a throw that should not have been made that cost a run.
The team played with a sense of desperation. Whether they can recover to at least take the series back to Cleveland is another big question mark. You want to think so. With Lester pitching against the weakest of the Indians starters Sunday night, the Cubs are still favored. Also, they would send Arrieta and Hendricks on full rest against Tomlin and Kluber on short rest were the series to return to Cleveland. They have to get over the hump, however. They have done so before, notably in the LA series where they looked pretty bad in Games 2 and 3 as well.
One observation on Lackey. This guy has serious anger management issues and they really do affect the outcome of closely contested games. He was fuming all through the second and third innings about bad calls. I could see only one egregious bad call, the rest were borderline or correct. The thing is he loses concentration after one of these slights and he invariably makes a bad pitch on the next offering.
The team played with a sense of desperation. Whether they can recover to at least take the series back to Cleveland is another big question mark. You want to think so. With Lester pitching against the weakest of the Indians starters Sunday night, the Cubs are still favored. Also, they would send Arrieta and Hendricks on full rest against Tomlin and Kluber on short rest were the series to return to Cleveland. They have to get over the hump, however. They have done so before, notably in the LA series where they looked pretty bad in Games 2 and 3 as well.
One observation on Lackey. This guy has serious anger management issues and they really do affect the outcome of closely contested games. He was fuming all through the second and third innings about bad calls. I could see only one egregious bad call, the rest were borderline or correct. The thing is he loses concentration after one of these slights and he invariably makes a bad pitch on the next offering.
Friday, October 28, 2016
A Surprising Game (and Loss)
I guess that's baseball, but, under the conditions, warmish night, wind howling out to center field, no one would have expected a 1-0 game. Given the Cubs offense, no one would have expected them to be on the short end. Give the Indians credit, they have a pitching plan, which is to stick with the off-speed stuff, and, so far, through their own playoff series and now the World Series, it has been effective.
No one wants to talk about it, but even the implication of Maddon's post-game interview is that the wind must have got into the Cubs batters heads. I daresay there was a reason the hitters got out of the strike zone. By and large, all of them looked like they wanted to deposit the ball on Waveland or Sheffield for a grand slam even with the bases empty. Baez, in particular, was a mess. Back to the old high leg kick and all. He came up twice late in the game with a chance to tie or win it and came up empty. The Cubs win when the grind out at-bats, swing at strikes, and play within themselves.
Tomorrow is another day.
Of the controversies created after the game among fans and commentators, I have these thoughts. Maddon defended his decision to allow Edwards to continue to pitch in the seventh inning with Crisp coming up. His thoughts were he liked that match-up better than Montgomery vs. Guyer, who may have pinch-hit had he made a change. I don't like it much. First of all, Edwards was in his second inning of work and was on the ropes. Secondly, there is no assurance Francona would have hit for Crisp, who is a switch-hitter and a veteran player. Maddon has had a lot of success turning the Indians switch-hitters around, so why not take a chance. Lets just say it was an odd and uncharacteristic choice.
As it turns out, Crisp got a bloop single. Soler chose to play the ball on a hop, a safe play. Could he have caught it. That's pretty doubtful, and if he had tried, he would likely have had to leave his feet, which pretty much meant the run would have scored from third base anyway. He was playing very deep at the time, as all the fielders were given the game conditions. As it is he got the out at third base against the advancing runner and kept the game close. The wild pitch was the key play of that inning, getting the runner to third. Given that pitch, all the more reason to take Edwards out. It is fashionable to knock Soler, but the guy did go two for three with a triple and he did give the Cubs two of the three scoring opportunities they had against Indians pitching.
Saturday becomes a must-win game for the Cubs and they have to beat Kluber or get him out early. Weather conditions are likely to be similar Friday night. Lets hope they get it together.
No one wants to talk about it, but even the implication of Maddon's post-game interview is that the wind must have got into the Cubs batters heads. I daresay there was a reason the hitters got out of the strike zone. By and large, all of them looked like they wanted to deposit the ball on Waveland or Sheffield for a grand slam even with the bases empty. Baez, in particular, was a mess. Back to the old high leg kick and all. He came up twice late in the game with a chance to tie or win it and came up empty. The Cubs win when the grind out at-bats, swing at strikes, and play within themselves.
Tomorrow is another day.
Of the controversies created after the game among fans and commentators, I have these thoughts. Maddon defended his decision to allow Edwards to continue to pitch in the seventh inning with Crisp coming up. His thoughts were he liked that match-up better than Montgomery vs. Guyer, who may have pinch-hit had he made a change. I don't like it much. First of all, Edwards was in his second inning of work and was on the ropes. Secondly, there is no assurance Francona would have hit for Crisp, who is a switch-hitter and a veteran player. Maddon has had a lot of success turning the Indians switch-hitters around, so why not take a chance. Lets just say it was an odd and uncharacteristic choice.
As it turns out, Crisp got a bloop single. Soler chose to play the ball on a hop, a safe play. Could he have caught it. That's pretty doubtful, and if he had tried, he would likely have had to leave his feet, which pretty much meant the run would have scored from third base anyway. He was playing very deep at the time, as all the fielders were given the game conditions. As it is he got the out at third base against the advancing runner and kept the game close. The wild pitch was the key play of that inning, getting the runner to third. Given that pitch, all the more reason to take Edwards out. It is fashionable to knock Soler, but the guy did go two for three with a triple and he did give the Cubs two of the three scoring opportunities they had against Indians pitching.
Saturday becomes a must-win game for the Cubs and they have to beat Kluber or get him out early. Weather conditions are likely to be similar Friday night. Lets hope they get it together.
Wednesday, October 26, 2016
Cubs Even Series
The Cubs evened up the World Series at one game each with a 5-1 win Wednesday night. I would not describe their performance as flawless, but they were in control throughout the game. First off, Arrieta was on his game. He took a no-hitter into the sixth inning. He was, however, a little wild at times and he definitely ran up his pitch count. Arrieta is definitely not the guy he was during the Cy Young run last year or earlier this season, but he is good enough to keep his team competitive deep into game. He has developed a tendency to overthrow some pitches in the dirt when he gets in trouble. This cost him a fun in the sixth when a wild pitch brought home the only Indians run. Still, this outing was his best of the post-season by far.
Sticking with the pitching, it seems Maddon is much more comfortable turning the Indians switch-hitters around to the right side. Montgomery bailed out Arrieta in the sixth and pitched two innings of very effective relief. Chapman finished off the last four outs in typical Chapman fashion.
On the hitting side, I guess the story is Schwarber who continued to have productive at-bats and hit two singles with men on base that drove in runs. Schwarber is rapidly becoming the story of this series the new Roy Hobbs. Who knew he could bounce back from that terrible injury and still play in October, let alone recover his batting form? There is some talk of playing him in the outfield when the series returns to Chicago. I don't see an advantage to this and there are certainly risks involved. Also, Schwarber is not exactly the greatest left-fielder when he is completely healthy, so his being in the field could pose not just personal risks, but risks for the team. Another consideration is that he would almost certainly have to be replaced with a defensive substitution late in the game. That's when his bat might do the most good. All in all, the Cubs should not force matters.
The Cubs must be the most irritating team for opposing pitchers to face. They just grind out those at-bats relentlessly. Bauer threw 87 pitches in less than four innings. The Cubs must have had nearly twenty men on base in the course of the game what with all the walks and errors and nine hits. Granted they left thirteen men on base, but they scored often enough to win comfortably.
Francona has announced he will go with a three man rotation through the series. He hasn't a lot of options, but this is going to work to the Cubs advantage. Kluber came back on short rest against Toronto in the ALCS and lost Game 4. Granted he pitched well, but he still lost, lasting only five innings. The match-ups from here on out are very much to the Cubs advantage. You have to like their chances.
Sticking with the pitching, it seems Maddon is much more comfortable turning the Indians switch-hitters around to the right side. Montgomery bailed out Arrieta in the sixth and pitched two innings of very effective relief. Chapman finished off the last four outs in typical Chapman fashion.
On the hitting side, I guess the story is Schwarber who continued to have productive at-bats and hit two singles with men on base that drove in runs. Schwarber is rapidly becoming the story of this series the new Roy Hobbs. Who knew he could bounce back from that terrible injury and still play in October, let alone recover his batting form? There is some talk of playing him in the outfield when the series returns to Chicago. I don't see an advantage to this and there are certainly risks involved. Also, Schwarber is not exactly the greatest left-fielder when he is completely healthy, so his being in the field could pose not just personal risks, but risks for the team. Another consideration is that he would almost certainly have to be replaced with a defensive substitution late in the game. That's when his bat might do the most good. All in all, the Cubs should not force matters.
The Cubs must be the most irritating team for opposing pitchers to face. They just grind out those at-bats relentlessly. Bauer threw 87 pitches in less than four innings. The Cubs must have had nearly twenty men on base in the course of the game what with all the walks and errors and nine hits. Granted they left thirteen men on base, but they scored often enough to win comfortably.
Francona has announced he will go with a three man rotation through the series. He hasn't a lot of options, but this is going to work to the Cubs advantage. Kluber came back on short rest against Toronto in the ALCS and lost Game 4. Granted he pitched well, but he still lost, lasting only five innings. The match-ups from here on out are very much to the Cubs advantage. You have to like their chances.
A Bad Beginning
The Cubs lost 6-0 to the Cleveland Indians, who continue their hot pace in the playoffs. Lester pitched well except for the first inning and even then he was rather unlucky, also stubborn. He got the first two outs easily before Lindor singled. Lindor stole second base, which seemed to really shake up Lester. After a bunch of walks, the Indians scored on a little dribbler that would have ended the inning had it traveled another three feet and a hit batsman on an 0-2 pitch. Lester doesn't always throw strikes to get people out. In this case, there is no doubt the umpire was squeezing him. In any case, the only other runs scored on two home runs from the unlikeliest of sources, the Indians catcher Roberto Perez, a career .220 hitter who was even worse this year, checking in well under the Mendoza line. Go figure.
Corey Kluber, who is an elite pitcher and former Cy Young winner, was dominating throughout his six plus innings. Since injuries have decimated the Indians starting staff, that team is all about the trio of Kluber, Andrew Miller, and their closer Cody Allen. They have scripted their playoff games so far to make the most use of these players. This game went according to script. The Cubs did get Miller in trouble in both his innings and they managed a double off Allen in the ninth, but the outcome was never in doubt.
Given the disarray of their rotation, they will likely continue the same plan, probably bringing Kluber back Saturday on short rest. It will be interesting to see how he fares the second time around, especially on the road. Also, Miller threw forty pitches Tuesday night. You wonder if he will be available Wednesday. He's been in seven post-season games this year and logged almost fifteen innings, which is quite a load for a reliever.
Some random observations:
Schwarber looked surprisingly good at the plate. I had some doubts as to whether bringing him back was such a hot idea, but he had some pretty good at-bats. His double just missed going out and his walk in the seventh was a nice at-bat. He did strike out the following inning with two men on, but, on the whole, the move paid off.
I was surprised that Heyward sat against the right-hander. Heyward is an automatic out against nearly everyone, but Coghlan is not much of an improvement. If you were going to sit Heyward, I'd have thought seriously about Soler. Maddon has gone all-in on platoon matchups lately, but the truth is that Soler has better stats against righties through his career.
Rondon looked rusty again. One of the regrets of the lead-in to the playoffs is that, for whatever reason, Maddon was unable to get Rondon and Soler up to speed. They were a big part of the team's success in last year's post-season.
One wonders why Maddon did not hit for Ross with the bases loaded in the seventh inning. Contreras was already in the game and he later took over catching. Soler and Almora were available and Almora ultimately replaced Ross in the batting order the following inning.
Wednesday it is Arrieta vs. Bauer. I like the matchup even though Arrieta has not been the dominant force he was last year or earlier in the season. It could be a long night as heavy rain is in the forecast and the starting time has already been moved up an hour in anticipation.
Corey Kluber, who is an elite pitcher and former Cy Young winner, was dominating throughout his six plus innings. Since injuries have decimated the Indians starting staff, that team is all about the trio of Kluber, Andrew Miller, and their closer Cody Allen. They have scripted their playoff games so far to make the most use of these players. This game went according to script. The Cubs did get Miller in trouble in both his innings and they managed a double off Allen in the ninth, but the outcome was never in doubt.
Given the disarray of their rotation, they will likely continue the same plan, probably bringing Kluber back Saturday on short rest. It will be interesting to see how he fares the second time around, especially on the road. Also, Miller threw forty pitches Tuesday night. You wonder if he will be available Wednesday. He's been in seven post-season games this year and logged almost fifteen innings, which is quite a load for a reliever.
Some random observations:
Schwarber looked surprisingly good at the plate. I had some doubts as to whether bringing him back was such a hot idea, but he had some pretty good at-bats. His double just missed going out and his walk in the seventh was a nice at-bat. He did strike out the following inning with two men on, but, on the whole, the move paid off.
I was surprised that Heyward sat against the right-hander. Heyward is an automatic out against nearly everyone, but Coghlan is not much of an improvement. If you were going to sit Heyward, I'd have thought seriously about Soler. Maddon has gone all-in on platoon matchups lately, but the truth is that Soler has better stats against righties through his career.
Rondon looked rusty again. One of the regrets of the lead-in to the playoffs is that, for whatever reason, Maddon was unable to get Rondon and Soler up to speed. They were a big part of the team's success in last year's post-season.
One wonders why Maddon did not hit for Ross with the bases loaded in the seventh inning. Contreras was already in the game and he later took over catching. Soler and Almora were available and Almora ultimately replaced Ross in the batting order the following inning.
Wednesday it is Arrieta vs. Bauer. I like the matchup even though Arrieta has not been the dominant force he was last year or earlier in the season. It could be a long night as heavy rain is in the forecast and the starting time has already been moved up an hour in anticipation.
Saturday, October 22, 2016
The Wait is Finally Over
Well, they did it, and in a pretty impressive fashion Saturday night. Hendricks was superb. I've always like Hendricks ever since they got him in the Demptster trade. He has certainly developed almost to the point where one can legitimately compare him to Greg Maddux. He is likely to be around as a dominant starter for quite a while.
As for Kershaw, the Cubs had him on the ropes from the beginning of the game. Baseball is an oddly humbling game in some respects. Hard to explain how a pitcher can go from compete control to struggle in the course of a week, but we saw an example in the two starts that Kershaw made. Give the Cubs credit, though. They did not succumb to all the hype, and, boy, there was plenty of it. They had a great plan and they kept to it.
Maddon said after the game that their performance was on of the best games they had played all year. I have to agree. No panic, no jitters, no real mistakes, great pitching, solid hitting. These guys are good.
Maybe now we can look forward to a weekend without the appalling references to Bartman and the goat and the Gatorade glove and whatnot, as well as the invincibility of Bumgarner and Kershaw, et al.
I don't know much about the Indians, other than they are a good, young team with good pitching. Interesting that their best reliever is Andrew Miller, the guy the Cubs really wanted at the trade deadline. On the subject of relievers, Kenley Jensen was impressive. If the Cubs want to play in the expensive closer market in the off-season, I think he is a better bet than Chapman.
On a personal note, my father, besides being a diehard Cubs fan all his life, became an Indians fan when he lived in Ohio during the depression. I guess he would have been happy to see them succeed as well.
On to Cleveland!
As for Kershaw, the Cubs had him on the ropes from the beginning of the game. Baseball is an oddly humbling game in some respects. Hard to explain how a pitcher can go from compete control to struggle in the course of a week, but we saw an example in the two starts that Kershaw made. Give the Cubs credit, though. They did not succumb to all the hype, and, boy, there was plenty of it. They had a great plan and they kept to it.
Maddon said after the game that their performance was on of the best games they had played all year. I have to agree. No panic, no jitters, no real mistakes, great pitching, solid hitting. These guys are good.
Maybe now we can look forward to a weekend without the appalling references to Bartman and the goat and the Gatorade glove and whatnot, as well as the invincibility of Bumgarner and Kershaw, et al.
I don't know much about the Indians, other than they are a good, young team with good pitching. Interesting that their best reliever is Andrew Miller, the guy the Cubs really wanted at the trade deadline. On the subject of relievers, Kenley Jensen was impressive. If the Cubs want to play in the expensive closer market in the off-season, I think he is a better bet than Chapman.
On a personal note, my father, besides being a diehard Cubs fan all his life, became an Indians fan when he lived in Ohio during the depression. I guess he would have been happy to see them succeed as well.
On to Cleveland!
Friday, October 21, 2016
Poised to Advance
The Cubs pounded the Dodgers 8-4 Thursday night to bring the NLCS back to Wrigley Field for a potential elimination games Saturday and, if necessary, Sunday night. Lester was impressive in his start, going seven tense innings. Addison Russell was once again the batting hero.
The game was a tense and closely contested affair through seven innings with the Cubs on top 3-1 thanks to Lester and Russell. They broke it open with an extended rally in the top of the eighth when, barely hitting it out of the infield, the Cubs parlayed a series of bunts, infield singles, and Dodger errors into two runs. With the bases loaded, Baez sealed the game with a three-run double.
I have to say that the Dodgers are capable of some really awful baseball, which they proved Wednesday and Thursday nights. I don't care how good Kershaw is, with these guys behind him, defeat is only a bobble away.
As to the Saturday lineup. Hendricks pitches. I sincerely hope they bench Heyward again. Otherwise things look pretty good. It's going to be pretty cold at game time if tonight is any harbinger.
Incidentally, I really hope Maddon ditches any plans he might have to extend Chapman to a two inning save, especially if they have a significant lead. I remember a number of outings Chapman had with the Reds where he blew big leads or else made things pretty uncomfortable for his team. Chapman is a dominant force when he is used correctly, which is to say, when he starts the ninth inning with no one on base in a close game. Otherwise, he can be a bit of an adventure.
The game was a tense and closely contested affair through seven innings with the Cubs on top 3-1 thanks to Lester and Russell. They broke it open with an extended rally in the top of the eighth when, barely hitting it out of the infield, the Cubs parlayed a series of bunts, infield singles, and Dodger errors into two runs. With the bases loaded, Baez sealed the game with a three-run double.
I have to say that the Dodgers are capable of some really awful baseball, which they proved Wednesday and Thursday nights. I don't care how good Kershaw is, with these guys behind him, defeat is only a bobble away.
As to the Saturday lineup. Hendricks pitches. I sincerely hope they bench Heyward again. Otherwise things look pretty good. It's going to be pretty cold at game time if tonight is any harbinger.
Incidentally, I really hope Maddon ditches any plans he might have to extend Chapman to a two inning save, especially if they have a significant lead. I remember a number of outings Chapman had with the Reds where he blew big leads or else made things pretty uncomfortable for his team. Chapman is a dominant force when he is used correctly, which is to say, when he starts the ninth inning with no one on base in a close game. Otherwise, he can be a bit of an adventure.
Thursday, October 20, 2016
The Bats are Back
The Cubs offense came alive in the fourth inning, sparked by an unlikely bunt single by Ben Zobrist. After a couple of weakly hit singles from Baez and Contreras and an RBI grounder from Heyward, Addison Russell connected on a long home run to pretty much ice up the game. An inning later, Rizzo launched one to center field to put the Cubs up 5-0.
Lackey pitched pretty well for four innings, then walked the first two batters in the fifth. Maddon was ready with a quick hook. Lackey did not look any too happy to be pulled, but it was the right call by Maddon. The two walks eventually scored when Montgomery could not field or get his glove out of the way of a routine double play ball, but it didn't much matter after the Cubs added five more runs in the next inning to put the game out of reach.
It was good to see the team return to form and to add several sparkling defensive plays as well. Roberts announced after the game that he would not start Kershaw Thursday night. Unless something goes terribly awry, Lester will match up against Maeda and the Cubs will probably return to Wrigley Field with a one game advantage and the task of winning one of the two home games to advance.
Baseball is a funny game, full of tricks and turns. The best team doesn't always win a short series, but the Cubs right now are the best team and you have to like their chances. Meanwhile the Indians, somewhat surprisingly, made short work of the Blue Jays, winning the series 4-1. For some bizarre reason known only to Bud Selig, the Indians will have home field advantage in the World Series.
Lackey pitched pretty well for four innings, then walked the first two batters in the fifth. Maddon was ready with a quick hook. Lackey did not look any too happy to be pulled, but it was the right call by Maddon. The two walks eventually scored when Montgomery could not field or get his glove out of the way of a routine double play ball, but it didn't much matter after the Cubs added five more runs in the next inning to put the game out of reach.
It was good to see the team return to form and to add several sparkling defensive plays as well. Roberts announced after the game that he would not start Kershaw Thursday night. Unless something goes terribly awry, Lester will match up against Maeda and the Cubs will probably return to Wrigley Field with a one game advantage and the task of winning one of the two home games to advance.
Baseball is a funny game, full of tricks and turns. The best team doesn't always win a short series, but the Cubs right now are the best team and you have to like their chances. Meanwhile the Indians, somewhat surprisingly, made short work of the Blue Jays, winning the series 4-1. For some bizarre reason known only to Bud Selig, the Indians will have home field advantage in the World Series.
Tuesday, October 18, 2016
An Embarrassing Loss
OK, getting shut out by Kershaw is understandable, but getting shut out and completely eviscerated by Rich Hill is not. Not that Hill has not made himself a solid starting pitcher in his mid-thirties, but he is no Clayton Kershaw. Hill actually came up with the Cubs and was a promising starter and productive part of the team's rotation in 2007. After that, as I remember, he kind of fell apart, couldn't throw strikes if his life depended on it. Then he bounced around as an undistinguished reliever for years and years and he even wound up in an independent league before he resurfaced at the end of 2015 with the Red Sox in four good starts down the stretch. This year he has been the pitcher people thought he might become ten years ago, splitting time with the A's and the Dodgers. He has been good, and he is a good story, but really, I mean, he is no Cy Young.
Anyway, the Cubs were hopeless against him and a succession of relievers including Kenley Jensen Tuesday night. No life at all. I thought Maddon's lineup shifts were justified even though Montero against a lefty is an automatic out these days. Another lefty tomorrow and my guess is the same lineup goes with the exception of Contreras catching. Actually, the only additions to the lineup were Soler and Montero. Soler had one good at-bat that resulted in a walk. Not exactly spectacular, but better than Heyward has been doing. I was rather surprised Roberts left Jensen in to pitch the ninth inning when the Dodgers went up 6-0. Maybe he'll get tired.
The Cubs bats need to wake up or this series is over and out, much as the Mets series last season even though this team is a far better team than last year's. A win Wednesday evens things up and probably gives the Cubs an advantage as the Dodgers are unlikely to solve Lester Thursday night. This brings up an interesting question in the form of Jake Arrieta, who once again turned in a disappointing playoff performance. Actually, Arrieta has been pretty unreliable and inconsistent since the beginning of July. The question is if it goes to Game 7, do you bring out Arrieta again or do you shuffle around with some left-handed combination that would put LA at a distinct disadvantage. It would be a brave man to make that call.
Anyway, the Cubs were hopeless against him and a succession of relievers including Kenley Jensen Tuesday night. No life at all. I thought Maddon's lineup shifts were justified even though Montero against a lefty is an automatic out these days. Another lefty tomorrow and my guess is the same lineup goes with the exception of Contreras catching. Actually, the only additions to the lineup were Soler and Montero. Soler had one good at-bat that resulted in a walk. Not exactly spectacular, but better than Heyward has been doing. I was rather surprised Roberts left Jensen in to pitch the ninth inning when the Dodgers went up 6-0. Maybe he'll get tired.
The Cubs bats need to wake up or this series is over and out, much as the Mets series last season even though this team is a far better team than last year's. A win Wednesday evens things up and probably gives the Cubs an advantage as the Dodgers are unlikely to solve Lester Thursday night. This brings up an interesting question in the form of Jake Arrieta, who once again turned in a disappointing playoff performance. Actually, Arrieta has been pretty unreliable and inconsistent since the beginning of July. The question is if it goes to Game 7, do you bring out Arrieta again or do you shuffle around with some left-handed combination that would put LA at a distinct disadvantage. It would be a brave man to make that call.
Sunday, October 16, 2016
A Tense, Tough Loss
Here's my take for what it is worth. Kershaw was outstanding, similarly Jensen. That is really all the Dodgers have, though, so I still like the Cubs chances. Hendricks was also really good. He gave up a home run to Gonzalez in the second inning on a good pitch that was a ball. So, in this case, you have to tip your hat and move on.
Some observations, however. The Cubs had one legitimate shot in the fifth inning when Baez and Contreras singled with two outs. Heyward was due up. Heyward is an automatic out most of the time this season, especially against a good left-hander. The time to pinch hit Soler was then, not the following inning to lead off. Later on, in the seventh inning, they had half-a-shot when Rizzo walked. Baez just missed a pitch. That was it. Kershaw was certainly on his game. He had the benefit of a pretty generous strike zone and the Cubs were never able to run up his pitch count. The only inning they got him to twenty pitches was the sixth, but, despite lengthy at-bats by Fowler and Bryant, he was able to tough it out.
Although Maddon has been adventurous with his bullpen and lineup switches late in the game, he has been uncharacteristically conservative in terms of his starting lineup and downright stubborn in terms of constructing his batting order during the playoffs. While it is certainly defensible to bat Bryant second and Rizzo third, batting Zobrist cleanup is not a good choice. Zobrist is a competent hitter, but the mere fact that he finished the season with 76 RBI batting behind a trio of players who came close individually to being on base at a .400 average means he did not consistently get the job done. Russell, who had a fairly mediocre batting average, drove in 95 runs, which is a testament not so much to his abilities as a run producer, but to Zobrist's deficiencies.
The Cubs have been in a bit of a batting funk for several weeks now. Some of this may have been due to the early clinching, the lack of meaningful games, and the constant lineup shuffling and days off during the final weeks of the season. However, what is clear now is that the team is not producing offensively like a team that won 103 games and that to advance to the World Series, they need to start doing so.
The team is being carried through the playoffs largely by Fowler, Bryant, and Baez. Also Contreras when he plays. Rizzo is mired in a terrible slump and he is clearly pressing. Russell is also slumping, and Heyward, of course, has produced nothing all year long. Maddon's response has been to stick with these guys and to stick with a set lineup, which is a bit surprising because he usually plays matchups much more often than not. It is also cool when there are seventy games left to play, but not so cool when there are potentially three.
My modest suggestion is to sit Heyward against lefties at a minimum. I know he is a great defender and all that, but the Cubs weakness is not defense or pitching. Unfortunately, Soler had a nagging injury late in the year and did not have enough appearances to regain his timing. I would still start him against the lefty Tuesday night and I would bat him fourth or fifth. Baez needs to move up in the lineup as well and Russell needs to drop down to seventh or eighth until he regains his stroke. If you don't want to hit Zobrist second where he kind of belongs, you need to drop him down to sixth.
Maddon has not been afraid to shake things up in the past and it would be a shame to let the season slip away through taking too cautious an approach.
Some observations, however. The Cubs had one legitimate shot in the fifth inning when Baez and Contreras singled with two outs. Heyward was due up. Heyward is an automatic out most of the time this season, especially against a good left-hander. The time to pinch hit Soler was then, not the following inning to lead off. Later on, in the seventh inning, they had half-a-shot when Rizzo walked. Baez just missed a pitch. That was it. Kershaw was certainly on his game. He had the benefit of a pretty generous strike zone and the Cubs were never able to run up his pitch count. The only inning they got him to twenty pitches was the sixth, but, despite lengthy at-bats by Fowler and Bryant, he was able to tough it out.
Although Maddon has been adventurous with his bullpen and lineup switches late in the game, he has been uncharacteristically conservative in terms of his starting lineup and downright stubborn in terms of constructing his batting order during the playoffs. While it is certainly defensible to bat Bryant second and Rizzo third, batting Zobrist cleanup is not a good choice. Zobrist is a competent hitter, but the mere fact that he finished the season with 76 RBI batting behind a trio of players who came close individually to being on base at a .400 average means he did not consistently get the job done. Russell, who had a fairly mediocre batting average, drove in 95 runs, which is a testament not so much to his abilities as a run producer, but to Zobrist's deficiencies.
The Cubs have been in a bit of a batting funk for several weeks now. Some of this may have been due to the early clinching, the lack of meaningful games, and the constant lineup shuffling and days off during the final weeks of the season. However, what is clear now is that the team is not producing offensively like a team that won 103 games and that to advance to the World Series, they need to start doing so.
The team is being carried through the playoffs largely by Fowler, Bryant, and Baez. Also Contreras when he plays. Rizzo is mired in a terrible slump and he is clearly pressing. Russell is also slumping, and Heyward, of course, has produced nothing all year long. Maddon's response has been to stick with these guys and to stick with a set lineup, which is a bit surprising because he usually plays matchups much more often than not. It is also cool when there are seventy games left to play, but not so cool when there are potentially three.
My modest suggestion is to sit Heyward against lefties at a minimum. I know he is a great defender and all that, but the Cubs weakness is not defense or pitching. Unfortunately, Soler had a nagging injury late in the year and did not have enough appearances to regain his timing. I would still start him against the lefty Tuesday night and I would bat him fourth or fifth. Baez needs to move up in the lineup as well and Russell needs to drop down to seventh or eighth until he regains his stroke. If you don't want to hit Zobrist second where he kind of belongs, you need to drop him down to sixth.
Maddon has not been afraid to shake things up in the past and it would be a shame to let the season slip away through taking too cautious an approach.
Saturday, October 15, 2016
Wow!
Another memorable win. There is something different about this Cubs team and I think the last two games more or less embody the difference. This year's team doesn't lose games that turn against them at the end. Previous Cubs teams would not have survived something like the Dodgers eighth inning comeback. This team won.
Saturday's game was full of a lot of managerial moves, some good, some not so good, some maybe a little excessive. As far as the Cubs go, perhaps Maddon got a little too cute with his bullpen after removing Lester. At the time, I thought Lester might have been good for another inning or two. After the game, Maddon explained that he thought Lester did not have his best stuff, so perhaps he was right to take him out with a chance to score an insurance run.
Roberts, on the other hand, made some poor moves. The TV guys gave him a pass, but then, these are FOX TV guys and that pretty much guarantees they are wrong. It was fairly obvious that Maddon wanted to get Contreras up against a lefty and that Roberts wanted to get Chapman out of the game. I agree that getting Contreras up was trouble for the Dodgers. I think, though, that if I am Roberts I want Chapman in the game. He came on in a pressure situation in the eighth, threw a lot of stressful pitches, and, by and large, he is not good in multiple inning save situations.
So, with a man at second and one out, I can kind of agree with walking Heyward to pitch to Baez, though Baez is a hot hitter these days. What I cannot figure out is the intentional walk to Coghlan, which has the sole function of forcing Maddon to pinch-hit for Chapman. I mean, Coghlan is not exactly Babe Ruth. He hit .188 in the regular season, which is worse than Montero, who checked in at .218. Why wouldn't you pitch carefully to him? So maybe he walks anyway or maybe he gets a hit to put the Cubs ahead or maybe he makes an out, which is the likeliest scenario. Instead, you give Montero a shot with no room for error in exchange for getting a pitcher out of the game who, given his history, you probably want to keep in if only to use him up for tomorrow.
Just my thoughts for what they are worth. I'm glad he made these moves, given that Montero hit a grand slam and won the game.
As far as the quality of play, I think the game exposed some chinks in the Dodgers armor and that the Cubs played a high quality game with perhaps one mental error, that being Bryant's attempt to make a 5-3 double-play that set up the Dodgers rally. That, however, was a split-second decision that by chance went wrong. The Dodgers, on the other hand, made at least two base-running mistakes that cost them dearly, the Gonzalez play earlier in the game where he was thrown out at home and the final play of the game when the runner at second was doubled up on the line drive to Rizzo. Also, in the field, the Cubs turned in highlight reel plays all night in support of Lester, whereas the Dodgers did not provide the same support for Maeda. In fact, you could assert that the Bryant first inning double that scored Fowler was misplayed and that the Baez bloop hit might have been caught by a Cubs defender.
Anyway, tomorrow night should be quite a pitching matchup, Kershaw vs. Hendricks.
Saturday's game was full of a lot of managerial moves, some good, some not so good, some maybe a little excessive. As far as the Cubs go, perhaps Maddon got a little too cute with his bullpen after removing Lester. At the time, I thought Lester might have been good for another inning or two. After the game, Maddon explained that he thought Lester did not have his best stuff, so perhaps he was right to take him out with a chance to score an insurance run.
Roberts, on the other hand, made some poor moves. The TV guys gave him a pass, but then, these are FOX TV guys and that pretty much guarantees they are wrong. It was fairly obvious that Maddon wanted to get Contreras up against a lefty and that Roberts wanted to get Chapman out of the game. I agree that getting Contreras up was trouble for the Dodgers. I think, though, that if I am Roberts I want Chapman in the game. He came on in a pressure situation in the eighth, threw a lot of stressful pitches, and, by and large, he is not good in multiple inning save situations.
So, with a man at second and one out, I can kind of agree with walking Heyward to pitch to Baez, though Baez is a hot hitter these days. What I cannot figure out is the intentional walk to Coghlan, which has the sole function of forcing Maddon to pinch-hit for Chapman. I mean, Coghlan is not exactly Babe Ruth. He hit .188 in the regular season, which is worse than Montero, who checked in at .218. Why wouldn't you pitch carefully to him? So maybe he walks anyway or maybe he gets a hit to put the Cubs ahead or maybe he makes an out, which is the likeliest scenario. Instead, you give Montero a shot with no room for error in exchange for getting a pitcher out of the game who, given his history, you probably want to keep in if only to use him up for tomorrow.
Just my thoughts for what they are worth. I'm glad he made these moves, given that Montero hit a grand slam and won the game.
As far as the quality of play, I think the game exposed some chinks in the Dodgers armor and that the Cubs played a high quality game with perhaps one mental error, that being Bryant's attempt to make a 5-3 double-play that set up the Dodgers rally. That, however, was a split-second decision that by chance went wrong. The Dodgers, on the other hand, made at least two base-running mistakes that cost them dearly, the Gonzalez play earlier in the game where he was thrown out at home and the final play of the game when the runner at second was doubled up on the line drive to Rizzo. Also, in the field, the Cubs turned in highlight reel plays all night in support of Lester, whereas the Dodgers did not provide the same support for Maeda. In fact, you could assert that the Bryant first inning double that scored Fowler was misplayed and that the Baez bloop hit might have been caught by a Cubs defender.
Anyway, tomorrow night should be quite a pitching matchup, Kershaw vs. Hendricks.
Thursday, October 13, 2016
Dodgers Advance
To be honest, I rather thought the deciding game between the Dodgers and the Nationals was a bit of a mess. The Dodgers won on one big inning. They had to use their closer for nearly three innings at the end and they had to use Clayton Kershaw for the final two outs. Largely as a result of injuries, their pitching staff is a shambles. They had to use Kershaw to start two games and Hill to start another two. Neither were dominant in their starts. The third starter, Maeda, got shelled in his start. He will likely start Game One of the NLCS.
Anything can happen, but you have to like the Cubs chances. The Cubs took the season series 4-3 and Lester and Hendricks, the likely starters in Games One and Two, were dominating in their respective starts against LA.
Anything can happen, but you have to like the Cubs chances. The Cubs took the season series 4-3 and Lester and Hendricks, the likely starters in Games One and Two, were dominating in their respective starts against LA.
Tuesday, October 11, 2016
Unbelievable!
Well, they did it. What more can you say? Whereas Monday night, I really felt confident they would sail by to the NLCS, tonight I felt convinced they would lose and have to return to Chicago for a deciding game on Thursday night.
Baseball is hard to figure sometimes, actually more often than not. The ninth inning rally Tuesday night is more the stuff of legend. All night long the Cubs were stymied by Matt Moore, who had held them to two hits. Once he was removed for what looked like a routine save for even the beleaguered Giants bullpen, the roof caved in.
What is even more fantastical is that it was evident that Maddon spoke to Contreras when the inning began, telling him to be ready to pinch hit if the Giants went to a left-hander, which Maddon was determined to see happen because he was going to insert pinch-hitters into the game until they were forced to do so.
After that hocus-pocus, I am sure the Cubs players must think that Maddon is some sort of sorcerer and that they will literally walk through walls should he tell them to do so.
People are knocking Bochy for taking Moore out, especially given the history of the Giants bullpen through the second half of the year. However, the guy had thrown a lot of pitches and it looked as if even they could hold a three-run lead. Maybe a better bet than supposing Chapman could pitch out of a jam and notch a six-out save.
Credit the Cubs sheer determination to win for this one though. The first three at-bats of the inning by Bryant, Rizzo, and Zobrist set things up. They were illustrations of the kind of grit that has got the Cubs to where they are today. After that the Giants were on their heels and whatever momentum and confidence they had was gone.
Game 1 of the NLCS is Saturday night. Not sure who they will play, as the Nationals/Dodgers series goes to Game 5 on Thursday.
Baseball is hard to figure sometimes, actually more often than not. The ninth inning rally Tuesday night is more the stuff of legend. All night long the Cubs were stymied by Matt Moore, who had held them to two hits. Once he was removed for what looked like a routine save for even the beleaguered Giants bullpen, the roof caved in.
What is even more fantastical is that it was evident that Maddon spoke to Contreras when the inning began, telling him to be ready to pinch hit if the Giants went to a left-hander, which Maddon was determined to see happen because he was going to insert pinch-hitters into the game until they were forced to do so.
After that hocus-pocus, I am sure the Cubs players must think that Maddon is some sort of sorcerer and that they will literally walk through walls should he tell them to do so.
People are knocking Bochy for taking Moore out, especially given the history of the Giants bullpen through the second half of the year. However, the guy had thrown a lot of pitches and it looked as if even they could hold a three-run lead. Maybe a better bet than supposing Chapman could pitch out of a jam and notch a six-out save.
Credit the Cubs sheer determination to win for this one though. The first three at-bats of the inning by Bryant, Rizzo, and Zobrist set things up. They were illustrations of the kind of grit that has got the Cubs to where they are today. After that the Giants were on their heels and whatever momentum and confidence they had was gone.
Game 1 of the NLCS is Saturday night. Not sure who they will play, as the Nationals/Dodgers series goes to Game 5 on Thursday.
Series Extended
What a wild and long game. The Giants survived, just barely. I was pretty confident the Cubs would prevail going into the eighth inning, but then the bullpen fell apart. I cannot fault Maddon's thinking by bringing in Chapman for a two inning save, but that is going to be a problem when you use five relievers to get through two innings. In the end, the Cubs were left with only Montgomery to get them through the rest of the game, with Edwards there to close it out should they get the lead. Montgomery did a great job only to come a cropper in his fifth inning of work.
On the plus side, Arrieta pitched pretty well. He got through six and left with a one-run lead. The Cubs also managed to grind out at-bats and get Bumgarner out of the game after five innings.
On the minus side, besides the Chapman blown save, the Cubs did not produce with men on base. They had a lot of chances, but they did not deliver. Bryant and Fowler and sometimes Baez and Contreras are the whole offense so far and there are really some big holes in the lineup. To my way of thinking, Rizzo has been the big disappointment. He has been in a slump for a while now. In the playoffs so far, he has had loads of opportunities but has not come through. Actually, he seems anxious and undisciplined, which is really surprising for a guy who has built his career around the opposite batting approach.
Lackey pitches tonight. He is a bulldog. If he delivers a solid performance, the Cubs should advance without having to play a deciding game at home.
Saturday, October 8, 2016
Two Down
The Cubs played another excellent game last night, winning 5-2. The injury to Kyle Hendricks was scary, but it appears he is alright. I can only think what a disaster this might have been for other recent Cubs teams in terms of morale and for the fans in terms of catastrophic thinking, but, in this case, they just played on and came out ahead. The bullpen was fantastic, putting up five plus shutout innings with Travis Wood contributing a home run as well.
A couple of knocks. Javier Baez has got to stop admiring balls he thinks he has hit out of the park and just run. In this case, he did hit a double, but was called out on a stupid rule that needs to be changed. I mean, his body was out of contact with second base for a nano-second after he almost broke his nose sliding headfirst into the Giants infielder. The intent of the rule should be to compensate for a runner genuinely over-running the base.
Does anyone else think the coverage on FS1 and MLB Network is bizarre? Nobody cares what Bill Murray is doing in the stands. Nor do we really care how long it has been since the Cubs won a World Series or even played in one, not to mention the Indians, etc. We also don't care about how stupid the playoff structure is and how absurd it is to be playing meaningful games in November, mainly because there is nothing anyone can do about it right now and all we really care about, no matter who you are rooting for, is this game.
The topper this evening was the interview with the Giants manager and the guy with the bow-tie. These interviews are pretty mindless exercises in any case. Last night, they managed to miss the Wood home run while this incessant blather was going on. I wish there was not such a distinct network lag, so that it would be possible to mute the TV and just pick up the Cubs radio guys.
A couple of knocks. Javier Baez has got to stop admiring balls he thinks he has hit out of the park and just run. In this case, he did hit a double, but was called out on a stupid rule that needs to be changed. I mean, his body was out of contact with second base for a nano-second after he almost broke his nose sliding headfirst into the Giants infielder. The intent of the rule should be to compensate for a runner genuinely over-running the base.
Does anyone else think the coverage on FS1 and MLB Network is bizarre? Nobody cares what Bill Murray is doing in the stands. Nor do we really care how long it has been since the Cubs won a World Series or even played in one, not to mention the Indians, etc. We also don't care about how stupid the playoff structure is and how absurd it is to be playing meaningful games in November, mainly because there is nothing anyone can do about it right now and all we really care about, no matter who you are rooting for, is this game.
The topper this evening was the interview with the Giants manager and the guy with the bow-tie. These interviews are pretty mindless exercises in any case. Last night, they managed to miss the Wood home run while this incessant blather was going on. I wish there was not such a distinct network lag, so that it would be possible to mute the TV and just pick up the Cubs radio guys.
Friday, October 7, 2016
One Down
Ten to go, I guess. That was an exciting, tense, and well-played game by both teams. That being said, the game does expose some of the strengths and weaknesses of both clubs. First off, Lester was in complete control most of the game, especially the second half. I was at two of his last three starts before the playoffs, the winning ones. He looked the same tonight on TV. Lester is one of the best starters in baseball in money games, no doubt about it. He might easily have completed the game, and I was a little surprised that Maddon hit for him with no one on base and two outs. There may be a statement there as well, though. Maddon has a lot of confidence in his bullpen, as well he should.
On the other hand, it is clear that the Giants have very little confidence in their relievers, elsewise Cueto, whose pitch count was well over 100, would not have gone out for the eighth inning. In some respects, getting his pitch count up in a game where the Cubs had only two hits through seven innings and no walks was something of a testament to the skillfulness of the Cubs approach, even though positive results were lacking.
The Baez home run was really smacked, but it barely made it into the basket. Baez just paused to admire the shot, flipped his bat, and then really had to hold his breath when the ball got up against the wind. It went out, and it wasn't cheap. On an ordinary night, it might have landed on Waveland.
A couple of other observations. I really do not like Zobrist in the outfield and I especially do not like him in left field. I also do not like him in the cleanup spot. I expect tomorrow that he will be back in the infield and that Bryant will be in left field as the Cubs like to keep Baez in the lineup when Hendricks pitches as well. Notwithstanding the platoon matchups, I would not mind seeing Soler in left.
You have to like the Cubs chances in Saturday's pitching matchup. Hendricks is on a roll and Samardzija is a good enough pitcher but really not in the same class as the Cubs rotation.
Wednesday, October 5, 2016
It's the Giants
An interesting NL Wild Card game. The Giants won 3-0 on the back of a dominant pitching performance by Bumgarner, who pretty much owns October baseball and a three run home run by one of the more unlikely post-season heroes, namely, the White Sox castoff Conor Gillaspie.
Other than the pitching, I was not especially impressed with either lineup. I was leaning toward pulling for the Mets, but, in the end, I just couldn't do it. With respect to the Giants, the Cubs are likely to play some tight games in the NLDS, much as the games were played in the season series. The Giants have a good team. In a way, their lineup is a lot like the Royals of the past two seasons. They play good defense, they haven't much power, and they don't strike out much. The Wild Card was a bit of an exception, at least while Syndergaard was in the game.
In terms of matchups with the Cubs, their starting pitching is pretty good, but I think a little short of the Cubs rotation with the exception of Bumgarner who, fortunately, will not pitch until Monday in San Francisco. The Cubs bullpen is much superior. Defensively, these teams are both exceptional. Offensively, you have to give the Cubs a definite edge both in terms of power and their general approach.
Right now, both teams are playing good baseball. You have to remember though that the Giants have only been playing well for about a week. Before that they were in a terrible funk that lasted through the better part of July, August, and September. The Cubs, on the other hand, have played well all season and finished strong. You have to figure the Cubs should advance.
Other than the pitching, I was not especially impressed with either lineup. I was leaning toward pulling for the Mets, but, in the end, I just couldn't do it. With respect to the Giants, the Cubs are likely to play some tight games in the NLDS, much as the games were played in the season series. The Giants have a good team. In a way, their lineup is a lot like the Royals of the past two seasons. They play good defense, they haven't much power, and they don't strike out much. The Wild Card was a bit of an exception, at least while Syndergaard was in the game.
In terms of matchups with the Cubs, their starting pitching is pretty good, but I think a little short of the Cubs rotation with the exception of Bumgarner who, fortunately, will not pitch until Monday in San Francisco. The Cubs bullpen is much superior. Defensively, these teams are both exceptional. Offensively, you have to give the Cubs a definite edge both in terms of power and their general approach.
Right now, both teams are playing good baseball. You have to remember though that the Giants have only been playing well for about a week. Before that they were in a terrible funk that lasted through the better part of July, August, and September. The Cubs, on the other hand, have played well all season and finished strong. You have to figure the Cubs should advance.
Tuesday, October 4, 2016
Playoff Rotation
Looks like Jon Lester will get the ball Friday night against either the Mets or the Giants. He will be followed by Hendricks, Arrieta, and Lackey, if necessary. Pretty much what was expected. I hate to root for anyone in the NL Wild Card game between the Giants and the Mets. All in all, the Cubs will match up better against the Mets starters, especially as their rotation has been decimated by injuries. I think the Giants, however, are the better team.
I watched much of the AL Wild Card between peeks at the VP debate. I wasn't much impressed with either team. Not that I am a big fan of AL baseball, but these teams seemed pretty evenly matched. The pitching was indifferent and both teams seemed to be built to score on the home run and little else. All but one of the runs scored by either team was the result of home runs, the final three scoring in the bottom of the eleventh on an Encarnation three-run homer which mercifully put an end to what had proved an almost interminable game.
These teams clearly liked to swing for the fences. There were twenty-three strikeouts as opposed to three walks. In the end, the pitchers left standing were two guys thought to be washed up, Ubaldo Jimenez and Francisco Liriano. I guess the verdict on Jimenez stands. Liriano, who had had a really miserable year with Pittsburgh before being traded to the Blue Jays and somewhat rescuing his career, pitched two impressive innings of relief to get the win.
Actually, the most remarkable part of the game was Showalter's decision not to use his star closer, Zach Britton, who had not allowed an earned run in months and was perfect in save opportunities. Rather typical of a guy who manages by the book. Only use your closer on the road if you are ahead even if it means the season is over.
All this being said, I would not be surprised to see Toronto beat the Rangers in the ALDS. I'm not a big fan of Texas either.
I watched much of the AL Wild Card between peeks at the VP debate. I wasn't much impressed with either team. Not that I am a big fan of AL baseball, but these teams seemed pretty evenly matched. The pitching was indifferent and both teams seemed to be built to score on the home run and little else. All but one of the runs scored by either team was the result of home runs, the final three scoring in the bottom of the eleventh on an Encarnation three-run homer which mercifully put an end to what had proved an almost interminable game.
These teams clearly liked to swing for the fences. There were twenty-three strikeouts as opposed to three walks. In the end, the pitchers left standing were two guys thought to be washed up, Ubaldo Jimenez and Francisco Liriano. I guess the verdict on Jimenez stands. Liriano, who had had a really miserable year with Pittsburgh before being traded to the Blue Jays and somewhat rescuing his career, pitched two impressive innings of relief to get the win.
Actually, the most remarkable part of the game was Showalter's decision not to use his star closer, Zach Britton, who had not allowed an earned run in months and was perfect in save opportunities. Rather typical of a guy who manages by the book. Only use your closer on the road if you are ahead even if it means the season is over.
All this being said, I would not be surprised to see Toronto beat the Rangers in the ALDS. I'm not a big fan of Texas either.
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