2018 MLB Postseason Discussion Thread

[Vanimal46]

It will go 4 games if Roberts continues to bench Muncy, Bellinger, and Pederson against lefties. They're getting too cute with their platoon decisions.

[USAFChief]

 

I don't know if this is relevant, since it's nothing to do with the game, but I wandered around the streets surrounding Fenway last night, and posted my observations here:

http://twinsdaily.com/blog/159/entry-11254-the-cheapskates-guide-to-attending-the-world-series/

Not relevant.

 

You wander around the streets every night.

 

[ashbury]

Not relevant.

 

You wander around the streets every night.

These were better streets.

[Otto von Ballpark]

It will go 4 games if Roberts continues to bench Muncy, Bellinger, and Pederson against lefties. They're getting too cute with their platoon decisions.

Postseason stats:

Pederson .233/.303/.367, .670 OPS

Muncy .194/.370/.361, .731 OPS

Bellinger .128/.227/.231, .458 OPS

 

Considering one of the RH replacements has been their best postseason hitter (David Freese, .400/.444/.667, 1.111 OPS), I am guessing the platooning isn't holding them back too much.

 

They just need to start hitting. And they need to use Jansen instead of Madson (Madson has inherited 5 baserunners in game 1 and 2, and allowed all 5 to score, while Jansen hasn't pitched).

 

RHP Porcello is starting Game 3 for Boston, and possibly RHP Eovaldi for Game 4, so you should get to see your Dodger lefty bats starting anyway.

[Mike Sixel]

I was baffled at not bringing in Jansen when the bases were loaded with two outs in the critical inning. Seriously baffled.

[Vanimal46]

Postseason stats:

Pederson .233/.303/.367, .670 OPS

Muncy .194/.370/.361, .731 OPS

Bellinger .128/.227/.231, .458 OPS

 

Considering one of the RH replacements has been their best postseason hitter (David Freese, .400/.444/.667, 1.111 OPS), I am guessing the platooning isn't holding them back too much.

 

They just need to start hitting. And they need to use Jansen instead of Madson (Madson has inherited 5 baserunners in game 1 and 2, and allowed all 5 to score, while Jansen hasn't pitched).

 

RHP Porcello is starting Game 3 for Boston, and possibly RHP Eovaldi for Game 4, so you should get to see your Dodger lefty bats starting anyway.

They're giving more PAs to worse players in Kike Hernandez and Dozier. And frankly, the LH/RH platoon advantage is minimal against Sale and Price.

 

Lefties hit .170/.224/.200 off Sale this year which is obviously bad, but righties only hit .181/.247/.308. Price held lefties to .210/.291/.381, but righties only hit .232/.293/.402 off of him.

 

So when the margin is that thin, why wouldn't you just play your big bats who helped you get there in the first place?

 

That's being too cute with the platooning IMO.

[TheLeviathan]

You might both be right.  They're being too cute....but it just doesn't matter if no one is hitting.

 

The reason baseball playoffs are a crapshoot is because over a small sample size (playoff round) it's easy to have things go south for a short time.  And that's all it takes to lose.

[Mike Sixel]

And, against my better logical brain judgment, I rooted for the Dodgers. My dislike of the Red Sox must run deep....

[ashbury]

I have to say, the Boston local media are pretty hard to take. I sat through a couple of hours of a cable TV call-in show today in which the hosts kept referring to the Dodgers manager as numnutz and repeatedly called Dozier "D.J." because apparently they thought it was funny.

 

I enjoyed driving through Boston and listening to WEEI the day of October 17, 2004, when the Sox were down 3-0 to the Yankees, much better. There was a certain degree of, shall we say, humility that is not present today. Oh, who am I kidding, it was wailing and gnashing of teeth. Delicious. Bill Freakin' Buckner this, and Bob Freakin' Stanley that. All the ghosts of the past were coming back to haunt them, as they anticipated final doom that night against those entitled Yankees. Sadly, never again. Now they're entitled, too.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

Postseason stats:

Pederson .233/.303/.367, .670 OPS

Muncy .194/.370/.361, .731 OPS

Bellinger .128/.227/.231, .458 OPS

Considering one of the RH replacements has been their best postseason hitter (David Freese, .400/.444/.667, 1.111 OPS), I am guessing the platooning isn't holding them back too much.

They just need to start hitting. And they need to use Jansen instead of Madson (Madson has inherited 5 baserunners in game 1 and 2, and allowed all 5 to score, while Jansen hasn't pitched).

RHP Porcello is starting Game 3 for Boston, and possibly RHP Eovaldi for Game 4, so you should get to see your Dodger lefty bats starting anyway.

Hey wait — wasn’t I scolded for citing Jeffress’s postseason stats when criticizing Counsell’s decision to use Jeffress?

[Otto von Ballpark]

Hey wait — wasn’t I scolded for citing Jeffress’s postseason stats when criticizing Counsell’s decision to use Jeffress?

I don't think I scolded. I agreed with you, I wouldn't have trusted Jeffress in that spot either! I just thought it was a fairly standard managerial blunder and it was unfairly getting lumped in with more extreme criticism of "bullpenning". Roberts seems to be making a similar error with Madson right now?

 

Similarly here, I don't think Roberts is necessarily taking platooning too far to the point that it is dooming the Dodgers, although one can certainly disagree with the lineups.

[Otto von Ballpark]

FWIW, position-wise, Freese was the guy in the lineup for Muncy, and he had a pretty good year himself -- 126 wRC+. Roughly equal production in 2018 vs LHP as Muncy. Combined with early SP exits and a willingness to deploy pinch hitters, (plus Muncy probably being an over-achiever in 2018), I think it's a fair gambit.

 

Pederson doesn't obviously displace anyone in the game 1 or 2 lineups.

 

Dozier is clearly the hardest one to justify. 82 wRC+ vs LHP this year, effectively replacing Bellinger (via Hernandez) who posted an 88. Hernandez at 113 may have still been the best option at 2B, although Dozier has out-performed Hernandez through 2 games, with 2 walks and a near-double if not for a fantastic catch by Benintendi, so who knows.

 

Kind of like Counsell's reliever usage, I think the Dodgers got this far in part because of their mixing and matching lineups, so I'd hesitate to blame that tactic too much for their current struggles. The whole team is OPSing just .462 this series, and Freese is the only guy to break .700. Despite not starting, Muncy/Bellinger/Pederson have still combined for 9 PA through 2 games -- they're just 1-for-9 with 4 Ks...

[Vanimal46]

[ashbury]

Is Max Muncy just really bad at sliding, or was that an attempt at a dirty play to end the first?

[h2oface]

June 8, 2015

 

Tyler Jay #6

Andrew Benintendi #7

Walker Buehler #24

 

Sigh........

[Otto von Ballpark]

Is Max Muncy just really bad at sliding, or was that an attempt at a dirty play to end the first?

I'd guess the former, judging by his interaction with the fielder after the play.

[nicksaviking]

As someone who’s spent all summer day-dreaming about Manny Machado in a Twins uniform, man, I’m really starting to reconsider. Everyone is talking about the defensive issues and lack of hustle, but geez, the bad vibes he gives me are even worse.

 

I don’t like jumping on and off bandwagons though. Maybe I just table my preference for now.

[Mike Sixel]

 

As someone who’s spent all summer day-dreaming about Manny Machado in a Twins uniform, man, I’m really starting to reconsider. Everyone is talking about the defensive issues and lack of hustle, but geez, the bad vibes he gives me are even worse.

I don’t like jumping on and off bandwagons though. Maybe I just table my preference for now.

 

Not to mention he tries to hurt other players. I have zero interest. zero.

[h2oface]

And Dozier gets another chance to be a World Series hero in the bottom of the 9th. A single will do.

[h2oface]

Nope. Popped it up in foul territory. 3 outs.

[h2oface]

The longest World Series game in MLB History, and I am still watching. Hell it's only 11:15 in LA! It's still early.

[USAFChief]

I guess nobody stayed for the finish.

 

I gave up after the top of the 18th. How long did it go?

[Otto von Ballpark]

Game 3 only went 9 innings, and ended in a 1-1 tie.

 

Then they immediately started Game 4 for some reason, which the Dodgers won 2-1 in the 9th inning.

[nicksaviking]

I guess nobody stayed for the finish.

I gave up after the top of the 18th. How long did it go?

I fell asleep on the couch and kept waking up thinking it’d be over. I finally went to bed in the middle of the 18th. Oops.

[ashbury]

I made it through top of seven. What do I win?

[Mike Sixel]

I kept flicking over to see who won, only to have the game still on. I gotta admit something....I'm finding baseball kind of boring. Which seems like an odd thing to say given my post count. I'm really only here for the conversation....I only slightly like baseball these days.

[TheLeviathan]

My satellite feed went out and that's when I stopped!  

 

Sounds like it was a good game, not sure it changes the outcome here.  Boston looks pretty unbeatable right now.

[notoriousgod71]

 

I kept flicking over to see who won, only to have the game still on. I gotta admit something....I'm finding baseball kind of boring. Which seems like an odd thing to say given my post count. I'm really only here for the conversation....I only slightly like baseball these days.

 

 

That's exactly how I feel. Last night I was actually watching Baseball seasons 1986, 87, 88 on MLBN instead of the World Series. I watch more old games on youtube than I watch current games. I'm just not interested in dozens of pitching changes and even more home runs, walks, and strikeouts.

[h2oface]

Watched until the end! Baseball history. Sleep is overrated. Bottom of the 18th and Muncy finally got his dinger. And I am in LA so not so late.

 

Nathan Eovaldi is a free agent when this is over. Sign him!

[Otto von Ballpark]

I started watching late via DVR, and caught up to the live broadcast in the 7th inning.

 

Then I went to bed listening to the Gameday Audio on an earbud, but quickly fell asleep. Woke up in the middle of the night, and could faintly hear sound from the earbud, which implied the game was still going.

 

At that point, I couldn't get back to sleep, so I got up and picked up the DVR broadcast where I left off. It was a fun watch, although it cut off around the 14th inning because the recording reached its 6 hour limit! Had to experience the last few innings via highlights.