2018 MLB Postseason Discussion Thread

[Vanimal46]

Fernando Rodney Experience on the way!

[Danchat]

Wow, that's a pretty terrible end of the season for Rodney... the Judge hit was really flukey, but then getting pulled out of the game mid-count? Maybe they shouldn't have traded for a guy they can't trust.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

Further proof of....... something.

[Vanimal46]

Luke Voit... 27 year old AAAA player finding the right situation. That being Yankee stadium's short RF porch. Now on a string of the best ~150 ABs of his life. 1 HR every 10 AB pace.

 

Baseball is so random.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

Welp, this is what “bullpenning” looks like in the postseason. Probably the first — and last — time we’ll see it. Same could probably be said for “Opener-Primary”

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

And that was a hell of a snag of a line drive

[Danchat]

 

Luke Voit... 27 year old AAAA player finding the right situation. That being Yankee stadium's short RF porch. Now on a string of the best ~150 ABs of his life. 1 HR every 10 AB pace.

Baseball is so random.

I guess they didn't need Austin, huh?

[S.]

I'm not quite sure why these broadcasters are trying so hard to justify the A's doing a bullpen game. C'mon, anyone who has ever seen Liam Hendriks pitch knew him "starting" the wild card game is a garbage plan.

[Mike Sixel]

The A's lost something like five starters to injury this year.... And made the playoffs because of their bullpen. It certainly want their starting pitching.

 

Hendricks was great as an opener, but that might have been September.....

 

Sometimes stuff doesn't work, but this team is not in the playoffs without these relivers.

[notoriousgod71]

I think Darling said it in the first inning. If you are going to pitch eight guys chances are at least two or three of them don't have it.

[Beemo]

I don't know what the A's were thinking, going with the bullpen game. They should've done what the last team to face the Yankees in the Wild Card game did and started their best starter. I'm sure it would've worked better.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

Welp, this is what “bullpenning” looks like in the postseason. Probably the first — and last — time we’ll see it. Same could probably be said for “Opener-Primary”

^^^ This aged well!!

 

Brew Crew doing a "bullpen" game tonight -- good luck, fellas!

[Otto von Ballpark]

Counting the wild card game as its own round, Oakland has participated in 10 postseason rounds in the wild card era (since 1994), and won only 1 of them -- 2006 vs the Twins.

 

The Twins have participated in 8 postseason rounds during that time, and won only one -- 2002 vs Oakland.

 

(On a game level, rather than round/series, Oakland does have more postseason wins during that time, since their 6 division series losses each went the full 5 games. 12 wins for Oakland, vs 6 for the Twins.)

[Otto von Ballpark]

Thursday Oct. 4

 

NLDS Game 1

Rockies at Brewers

4:07 PM CST

Broadcasts: Fox Sports 1, international MLB.TV, and ESPN Radio

 

NLDS Game 1

Braves at Dodgers

7:27 CST

Broadcasts: MLB Network, international MLB.TV, and ESPN Radio

[nicksaviking]

 

I'm not quite sure why these broadcasters are trying so hard to justify the A's doing a bullpen game. C'mon, anyone who has ever seen Liam Hendriks pitch knew him "starting" the wild card game is a garbage plan.

 

I wanted Ervin Santana and his HR prone tendencies nowhere near Yankee Stadium last year. Most of the A's rotation are also flyball pitchers due to their home stadium, the only two guys who would have made any sense to start were Cahill and Anderson, but they'd pitched the previous two games and since Anderson can't miss bats he was still likely to get shelled.

 

The A's bullpen has been the best in the league this year and Hendriks has been great since they brought him back. It was a sound plan, it just didn't work out.

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

Brew Crew doing a "bullpen" game tonight -- good luck, fellas!

Wow, that is strange. The Brewers NLDS roster features 5 guys who were primarily starting pitchers in 2018, and while none are stars, none are slouches either -- they all had a 96 ERA+ or better this year. I guess Guerra and Peralta will work in relief. They also left off Chase Anderson, who had 30 starts of 104 ERA+ this year (although not many innings, and a much worse FIP).

 

Stranger still, after a bullpen game today for game 1, they have announced Chacin is starting game 2 tomorrow on short rest after he faced the Cubs in game 163 on Monday.

[Vanimal46]

^^^ This aged well!!

 

Brew Crew doing a "bullpen" game tonight -- good luck, fellas!

Instead of cheering for teams, I'm now rooting for teams that do not go with a bullpen game. Sorry Milwaukee, you're dead to me tonight.

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

the only two guys who would have made any sense to start were Cahill and Anderson, but they'd pitched the previous two games

That's no excuse -- Oakland's playoff position was already wrapped up, they could have easily skipped those guys last weekend.

[Otto von Ballpark]

Does anybody here have a strong rooting interest among the remaining teams?

 

For me, my top interest is anti-Yankees.

 

Beyond that, I primarily just want close games/series, although I have some extended family rooting for the Brewers and Rockies so I'll cheer them on too.

[Vanimal46]

I'm anti-bullpenning

[biggentleben]

 

Does anybody here have a strong rooting interest among the remaining teams?

 

*raises hand*

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

The A's bullpen has been the best in the league this year and Hendriks has been great since they brought him back. It was a sound plan, it just didn't work out.

Also, Hendriks has only been "great" in a small sample (1 month, 13 innings) with pretty middling peripherals too, like a 20% K rate -- the lowest of any of the pitchers they used yesterday. Trivino was at 27%, Treinen at almost 32%.

 

I think it's absolutely fair to wonder if Hendriks was the wrong guy to open a bullpen game for them, even if you accept that a bullpen game was a fair strategy in this case.

[Dozier's Glorious Hair]

 

Does anybody here have a strong rooting interest among the remaining teams?

 

For me, my top interest is anti-Yankees.

 

Beyond that, I primarily just want close games/series, although I have some extended family rooting for the Brewers and Rockies so I'll cheer them on too.

 

In terms of rooting interest, I'd rank them like so:

 

1. Brewers (since I kinda consider them the NL Twins)

2. Astros (respect the hell out of that team)

3. Rockies (eh, they're cool)

4. Indians (eh, I'm okay with them)

5. Braves (I'm jealous of all their young talent, so they're in the bottom half)

6. Red Sox (with that "let's buy our way to a title" payroll, I can't root for them)

7. Yankees (because they're the Yankees)

8. Dodgers (because they're the Dodgers)

[jimmer]

Go Rockies!!!

[Otto von Ballpark]

Actually, maybe the opener / bullpen game makes more sense in the NL. A guy who can go 2-3 innings, then get lifted for a pinch-hitter.

 

Edit to add: especially as the home team, batting last. The Brewers did just that today, getting 3 shutout innings from Woodruff before lifting him for a pinch hitter in the bottom of the third.

[Otto von Ballpark]

8. Dodgers (because they're the Dodgers)

But the Dodgers playoff roster features Brian Dozier's glorious hair!

[Dozier's Glorious Hair]

 

But the Dodgers playoff roster features Brian Dozier's glorious hair!

 

I'm afraid poor Dozier's hair is past its prime. 

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

 

Actually, maybe the opener / bullpen game makes more sense in the NL. A guy who can go 2-3 innings, then get lifted for a pinch-hitter.

Edit to add: especially as the home team, batting last. The Brewers did just that today, getting 3 shutout innings from Woodruff before lifting him for a pinch hitter in the bottom of the third.

maybe so. Seven innings, scoreless. 

[Vanimal46]

Blackmon's beard.... Majestic.

[Vanimal46]

Didn't know the Brewers have a "one of us" managing their team. The more you know...