2020 MLB (non-Twins) Postseason Discussion Thread

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

I’m really disappointed Cash pulled Snell. Sorry but no, the game is not “on the line” in the top of the 5th.

I hear you, although Snell had been shaky -- 82 pitches and 4 walks in 4 innings. I was nervous about letting him face the top of the lineup a third time with 2 runners on base. And Diego Castillo had been fantastic in the postseason up until that point, and had two full days of rest -- it's not a bad spot to leverage him at all.

 

And to be clear: pulling Snell there didn't automatically mean they had to rely on a rookie like McClanahan to pitch the 6th and 7th innings and put the game further out of reach. They only turned to McClanahan after Castillo uncharacteristically allowed 4 runs to score. If Castillo isn't quite so ineffective, they have a good enough pen to keep the game closer if they want to. But once Castillo gave up 4, they decided to save those bullets for game 7.

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

Friday, October 16

 

Likely our last day of multiple baseball games this year, unless both Houston and Los Angeles win tonight.

Well, I was wrong here too!

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

This might make me a bad person, but I might also be an Astros fan for the next few days too, to make the ALCS a little more interesting with the Rays up 3-0.

And I now regret typing this!

 

Feel free to blame me for the Astros comeback, I am officially a bad person.

[Otto von Ballpark]

Saturday Oct. 17

 

Okay, THIS is the last day with multiple baseball games this year. I guarantee it!

 

Four real starting pitchers going today, all on full rest.

 

3:38 pm CDT

NLCS Game 6

ATL at LAD (ATL leads 3-2)

Max Fried vs Walker Buehler

TV: FS1

 

7:37 pm CDT

ALCS Game 7

HOU at TB (series tied 3-3)

Lance McCullers Jr. vs Charlie Morton

TV: TBS

[Sielk]

This might make me a bad person, but I might also be an Astros fan for the next few days too, to make the ALCS a little more interesting with the Rays up 3-0.

I bet you didn't want it THAT interesting...

 

On the other hand, wouldn't it be nice if the cheaters got their hopes up only to have them crushed in G7? Go Rays!

[Otto von Ballpark]

I bet you didn't want it THAT interesting...

 

On the other hand, wouldn't it be nice if the cheaters got their hopes up only to have them crushed in G7? Go Rays!

I like the cut of your jib.

 

I think I was cheering for the Rays again by game 5, that was interesting enough for me.

[Danchat]

Rays win it in 7! I'm sure some were triggered when Morton was pulled in the 6th at just 66 pitches. 

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

Rays win it in 7! I'm sure some were triggered when Morton was pulled in the 6th at just 66 pitches.

 

I assume you are referring to me since I complained about Snell being pulled last night, and yes I was a little put off by Morton coming out of the game. Morton was in absolute control and Anderson almost pissed it away in the 7th, but he didn’t, and results are what matter (to me, anyway). I’m glad the Rays did it. It’s a win for the analytics guys and also for the fans.

[Otto von Ballpark]

Sunday October 18

 

7:15 pm CDT

NLCS Game 7

ATL at LAD (series tied 3-3)

Ian Anderson vs Dustin May

TV: FOX (and FS1, apparently)

[Otto von Ballpark]

Should be interesting to see the Dodgers pitching strategy. Dustin May is starting, but he's had only one 1 day of rest since throwing 2 innings as the game 5 starter, so he's probably getting pulled very early.

 

The bulk of the innings could go to Gonsolin, Urias, or even Kershaw (he's on 2 days rest).

 

Their top relievers (Jansen, Baez, and Treinen) have all pitched two games in a row, so I wouldn't expect them to pitch very long, but could make an appearance.

[Linus]

So Bellinger really celebrated that homer. I think this gets to the argument of the unwritten rules. Honest celebration is cool. Showboating or pimping a home run is going to cause problems. IMO Bellinger is going to get drilled next year and I’m not sure I would disagree b

[USAFChief]

Was hoping ATL would keep the smug, high payroll Dodgers out of the Series.

 

Oh well, go Rays.

[Nine of twelve]

 

Was hoping ATL would keep the smug, high payroll, really good Dodgers out of the Series.

Oh well, go Rays.

FTFY. Not that I like the fixed version better.

[Nine of twelve]

 

So Bellinger really celebrated that homer. I think this gets to the argument of the unwritten rules. Honest celebration is cool. Showboating or pimping a home run is going to cause problems. IMO Bellinger is going to get drilled next year and I’m not sure I would disagree b

To me the line one shouldn't cross is the one which separates celebration from poor sportsmanship. I don't think Bellanger crossed the line. Compare this to Bautista 5 years ago. He didn't stare at the pitcher to show him up (a la Bautista) or even look in his direction. He didn't flip the bat (Bautista threw his almost to the dugout) but rather just dropped it. And his expressions of happiness were directed toward his teammates, not the opposition.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

Congrats to the Dodgers. They are really good. Urias looks all the way back from his 2017 shoulder surgery. I’d love to see another seven game series here.

[Otto von Ballpark]

Personally, I find the Dodgers interesting/fun to watch. They are high payroll for sure, but they have done a lot of great player development -- both with prospects and with some out-of-nowhere success stories. I'd probably be more annoyed with them if they were an AL team.

 

Bonus: no tomahawk chop!

[Vanimal46]

I expected to see more randomness in the playoffs this year with no off days, and expanded for more teams. Turns out the best teams prevail no matter the format. The Rays and Dodgers were without question the best teams in their respective leagues in 2020.

[sampleSizeOfOne]

 

Was hoping ATL would keep the smug, high payroll Dodgers out of the Series.

Oh well, go Rays.

I'll take the blame for this one. If i hadn't said anything about hoping to see the continued Atlanta pitching earlier in this thread, the universe wouldn'ta known how to disappoint me.

[Danchat]

 

I expected to see more randomness in the playoffs this year with no off days, and expanded for more teams. Turns out the best teams prevail no matter the format. The Rays and Dodgers were without question the best teams in their respective leagues in 2020.

The Astros going this far into the playoffs was pretty random - well, beating the Twins was easy, but they then crushed the #2 seed and got the #1 seed to a Game 7, which is insane for a 29-31 team. Plus the Marlins actually won a series!

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

The Astros going this far into the playoffs was pretty random - well, beating the Twins was easy, but they then crushed the #2 seed and got the #1 seed to a Game 7, which is insane for a 29-31 team. Plus the Marlins actually won a series!

Maybe the randomness was more about the 60 game season than the playoffs themselves? The Astros are a good team, as evidenced by the past few years (asterisk aside). They were 19-14 at the trade deadline, then had a disappointing last month of the regular season with a playoff berth all but locked up.

[Otto von Ballpark]

Tuesday October 20

 

Baseball is back, and on free TV from here out!

 

7:11 pm CDT

World Series Game 1

Tampa Bay Rays at Los Angeles Dodgers

Tyler Glasnow vs Clayton Kershaw

TV: FOX

[Otto von Ballpark]

Aaron Slegers was dropped from the Rays postseason roster, despite 3.2 scoreless IP in the ALCS (all while the Rays were trailing, though). 

 

Nick Anderson and John Curtiss are the ex-Twins (or near ex-Twins) remaining for the Rays, along with Brusdar Graterol on the Dodgers side.

 

 

[sampleSizeOfOne]

 

The Astros going this far into the playoffs was pretty random - well, beating the Twins was easy, but they then crushed the #2 seed and got the #1 seed to a Game 7, which is insane for a 29-31 team. Plus the Marlins actually won a series!

Happens every 30 years or so. '91 North Stars and all. (Too lazy to do the math as far as if that is in line with random results for some model or other. Also too lazy to quote something apt from the opening dialogue of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are dead.)

[Nine of twelve]

 

Happens every 30 years or so. '91 North Stars and all. 

It was no fluke that the '91 North Stars got to the SC finals. They peaked at just the right time and they were playing really, really good hockey through Game 1 vs the Pens. But then they just ran out of gas. The postseason is a far more brutal ordeal in the NHL than in the other three major North American sports and the same thing has happened to many really good teams over the years.

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

'91 North Stars and all

Only thing I remember about the '91 North Stars is that game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals was only available on pay-per-view in Minnesota. Despite paying for the game, my family gave up after the second intermission and let me play Nintendo on the TV instead...

[Otto von Ballpark]

Wednesday, October 21

 

7:08 pm CDT

World Series Game 2

Tampa Bay Rays at Los Angeles Dodgers (Dodgers lead 1-0)

Blake Snell vs Tony Gonsolin

TV: FOX

[biggentleben]

 

To me the line one shouldn't cross is the one which separates celebration from poor sportsmanship. I don't think Bellanger crossed the line. Compare this to Bautista 5 years ago. He didn't stare at the pitcher to show him up (a la Bautista) or even look in his direction. He didn't flip the bat (Bautista threw his almost to the dugout) but rather just dropped it. And his expressions of happiness were directed toward his teammates, not the opposition.

100%. I had zero issues with the Dodgers celebrations in the series, and there were numerous on catches and home runs. They were celebrating the moment, and they were doing so in pure enjoyment of the game and to rally their own teammates. I didn't once see anything directed at either opposing dugout.

 

On the contrary, one thing that the announcers completely missed mentioning, but that the cameras caught, was Freeman ribbing Betts at first base the next time Betts was at the plate after robbing the homer in game 7. The two went back and forth a few times, both chuckling. That was great.

[biggentleben]

 

 

Personally, I find the Dodgers interesting/fun to watch. They are high payroll for sure, but they have done a lot of great player development -- both with prospects and with some out-of-nowhere success stories. I'd probably be more annoyed with them if they were an AL team.

 

Bonus: no tomahawk chop!

Absolutely unbelievable that the fans that came to the game would find it in "good taste" to start the chop in Texas.

 

It's bad enough that the team no longer plays the theme music. That was 100% bassackwards fans.

[twinfan]

I'm rooting for the Rays who i believe will bounce back after losing game one. However, I'm not sure they have enough hitting to beat the Dodgers. This season, except maybe for the playoffs, should be thrown out as it was too short to really consider teams like the Marlins a pennant contender. Also, some players and pitchers never recovered from bad starts. The only constant was the Twins losing in the playoffs- something we need to stop.

[Otto von Ballpark]

Nick Anderson, relief ace, called upon in a jam in the 5th inning... and he succeeds!

 

Brained, MN gets some national exposure from Joe Buck in the process.