Blue Jays

[AlwaysinModeration]

Didn’t see that one coming.  Taking on the fighting Berrios’!

[Azviking101]

Blue Jays vs Twins should be a more viewed series than AZ-MIL and TEX-TB

Twins should not get the first game time but of course they probably will 

[davidborton]

It will be a fun series. Toronto plays exciting ball. What a great matchup.

For radio listeners, encourage you to flip over to Toronto feed and listen for a bit. Ben Wagner is an excellent PBP announcer.

Innings 4-6, Toronto dial. If you don't have MLB radio:

• The Blue Jays broadcast will be on Sportsnet 590.

I am guessing starters:
1. Gausman
2. Bassitt
3. Berrios

[Jocko87]

3:38pm everyday, should be great.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

36 minutes ago, davidborton said:

It will be a fun series. Toronto plays exciting ball. What a great matchup.

For radio listeners, encourage you to flip over to Toronto feed and listen for a bit. Ben Wagner is an excellent PBP announcer.

Innings 4-6, Toronto dial. If you don't have MLB radio:

• The Blue Jays broadcast will be on Sportsnet 590.
• Rays fans can tune into the game WDAE 620 AM / 95.3 FM and WBQN/1300AM.
   

I am guessing starters:
1. Gausman
2. Bassitt
3. Berrios

Gausman / Berrios / Bassitt has been the sequence the second half.

The lineup looks good on paper, but I am very confident the Blue Jays can be pitched to. The Blue Jays also only have one leftie in the pen. I have no idea if Ryu or Kikuchi, their lefty starters, will be moved to the pen for this series. This kind of works against Buxton being on the roster to pinch hit. I kind of think the Twins will load up on their young lefthanded lineup and let er rip. 

 

[Beast]

3:30 start times are awful for people with young kids and a career.  At least for this guy with young kids and a career.  Pretty disappointing

Should be a good series.  It’s easily the team the Twins have the best chance of beating.  But, Blue Jays fans are saying the same thing right now.

If the streak doesn’t end this year, it may go on forever.

[Jocko87]

3:38pm everyday, should be great.

[USAFChief]

Best possible 1st round matchup.

Twins actually outscored Toronto this season. 

[davidborton]

29 minutes ago, Hosken Bombo Disco said:

. I have no idea if Ryu or Kikuchi, their lefty starters, will be moved to the pen

Bud lives in Canada and doesn't like Ryu or Kikuchi. Says, "Never know which pitcher will show up when they pitch. Excellent one or erratic one."

[DJL44]

A series that takes place entirely during happy hour is good for cord cutters like me.

[Parfigliano]

3 hours ago, davidborton said:

Bud lives in Canada and doesn't like Ryu or Kikuchi. Says, "Never know which pitcher will show up when they pitch. Excellent one or erratic one."

Come on erratic one!!!

[Trov]

I am not upset with this matchup.  They have good starters, but they are right handed.  They may use the lefties out of the pen later in games, but feel we match up well with them.  I was hoping Texas would have won the division so we could have hopefully faced them round 2 and not a rested Houston team. 

[Riverbrian]

13 hours ago, Hosken Bombo Disco said:

Gausman / Berrios / Bassitt has been the sequence the second half.

The lineup looks good on paper, but I am very confident the Blue Jays can be pitched to. The Blue Jays also only have one leftie in the pen. I have no idea if Ryu or Kikuchi, their lefty starters, will be moved to the pen for this series. This kind of works against Buxton being on the roster to pinch hit. I kind of think the Twins will load up on their young lefthanded lineup and let er rip. 

 

Blue Jays left handed pitching that I assume will be on the roster and available for utilization at any time:

Tim Mayza - 1.52 ERA - 51.1 IP - 51 K's

Genesis Cabrera - 2.66 ERA - 23.2 IP - 20 K's

Yusei Kikuchi - 3.86 ERA - 167.2 IP - 181 K's

Hyun Jin Ryu - 3.46 ERA - 52 IP - 38 K's

 

[Azviking101]

I’d love to hear why the MLB thinks it’s ok to give both NL matchups the prime time slots. 
 

I am just happy the Twins didn’t get the first time slot but there’s no way the Dbacks and Brewers have more viewers than our game. 

[Puckett34]

5 minutes ago, Azviking101 said:

I’d love to hear why the MLB thinks it’s ok to give both NL matchups the prime time slots. 
 

I am just happy the Twins didn’t get the first time slot but there’s no way the Dbacks and Brewers have more viewers than our game. 

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing.  Especially the Bichette and Guerrero factor.  Figured at worst the Twins/Jays games would be the latest AL games at the 3rd slot at 7ET.  Guess I was half correct

[chpettit19]

24 minutes ago, Azviking101 said:

I’d love to hear why the MLB thinks it’s ok to give both NL matchups the prime time slots. 
 

I am just happy the Twins didn’t get the first time slot but there’s no way the Dbacks and Brewers have more viewers than our game. 

Arizona being the furthest west pretty well locked them into one of the later slots. Philly being the biggest national brand pretty much locked them into the last slot. Not surprised at all by these times. Not sure why AL vs NL would be a consideration for the league.

[Cap'n Piranha]

38 minutes ago, Riverbrian said:

Blue Jays left handed pitching that I assume will be on the roster and available for utilization at any time:

Tim Mayza - 1.52 ERA - 51.1 IP - 51 K's

Genesis Cabrera - 2.66 ERA - 23.2 IP - 20 K's

Yusei Kikuchi - 3.86 ERA - 167.2 IP - 181 K's

Hyun Jin Ryu - 3.46 ERA - 52 IP - 38 K's

 

Yeah, I don't know where the idea that the Jays don't have lefty pitching is coming from.  If I'm the Jays, I'm tempted to use Kikuchi or Ryu as my starter in Game 2/3, and see if I can get Rocco to overplay his hand.  Does he load up on righties, and then the Jays go to Berrios/Bassitt for the second inning, forcing the Twins to empty their bench almost immediately, or leave a bunch of their best hitters out of the game?  This is where Rocco's unwillingness to let our lefty hitters face lefty pitchers, particularly in not-close games, might come back to haunt.

[chpettit19]

20 minutes ago, Cap'n Piranha said:

Yeah, I don't know where the idea that the Jays don't have lefty pitching is coming from.  If I'm the Jays, I'm tempted to use Kikuchi or Ryu as my starter in Game 2/3, and see if I can get Rocco to overplay his hand.  Does he load up on righties, and then the Jays go to Berrios/Bassitt for the second inning, forcing the Twins to empty their bench almost immediately, or leave a bunch of their best hitters out of the game?  This is where Rocco's unwillingness to let our lefty hitters face lefty pitchers, particularly in not-close games, might come back to haunt.

Depending on how they build their WC roster, I think this is a great strategy for them to try to deploy in a game. I wouldn't be surprised to see it at all. That's the problem with being so "copy/paste" with your strategies. I don't know how the Twins/Rocco would respond to seeing one of the lefties announced as a starter, but I really hope they've been discussing it, and are self-aware enough to know that's a really obvious strategy Toronto has to be at least considering since they know how the Twins can be rather dramatic with their pinch hitting moves. Will be fascinating to see. I expect to see 4 lefty arms on the Blue Jays roster tomorrow. Or at least 3. Either 4 lefties and 7 righties, or 3 lefties and 8 righties. 

[Riverbrian]

8 minutes ago, Cap'n Piranha said:

Yeah, I don't know where the idea that the Jays don't have lefty pitching is coming from.  If I'm the Jays, I'm tempted to use Kikuchi or Ryu as my starter in Game 2/3, and see if I can get Rocco to overplay his hand.  Does he load up on righties, and then the Jays go to Berrios/Bassitt for the second inning, forcing the Twins to empty their bench almost immediately, or leave a bunch of their best hitters out of the game?  This is where Rocco's unwillingness to let our lefty hitters face lefty pitchers, particularly in not-close games, might come back to haunt.

If not starting... I could see them going left handed early with any of those 4 guys. Rocco could have to make an early decision on his lefty hitters and that will set up our right handers to face their righthanders at the end.     

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

2 hours ago, Riverbrian said:

Blue Jays left handed pitching that I assume will be on the roster and available for utilization at any time:

Tim Mayza - 1.52 ERA - 51.1 IP - 51 K's

Genesis Cabrera - 2.66 ERA - 23.2 IP - 20 K's

Yusei Kikuchi - 3.86 ERA - 167.2 IP - 181 K's

Hyun Jin Ryu - 3.46 ERA - 52 IP - 38 K's

 

I have been properly corrected about Toronto not having left handers in their bullpen. I knew about Mayza and the starters, but Genesis Cabrera was a new one to me. 🙂 

I don’t know if Ryu as their fifth starter makes the roster, but I’m thinking Kikuchi absolutely will. The possible idea that people are discussing of Kikuchi as a lefty coming in to pitch for several innings, the way the Twins might use Varland, or even to start a game as an opener, is a very interesting wrinkle. 

[Riverbrian]

13 minutes ago, Hosken Bombo Disco said:

I have been properly corrected about Toronto not having left handers in their bullpen. I knew about Mayza and the starters, but Genesis Cabrera was a new one to me. 🙂 

I don’t know if Ryu as their fifth starter makes the roster, but I’m thinking Kikuchi absolutely will. The possible idea that people are discussing of Kikuchi as a lefty coming in to pitch for several innings, the way the Twins might use Varland, or even to start a game as an opener, is a very interesting wrinkle. 

If I'm Toronto... Ryu makes the roster and I'm throwing the lefties early.

I'm making Rocco empty that bench.   

[Schmoeman5]

16 hours ago, USAFChief said:

Best possible 1st round matchup.

Twins actually outscored Toronto this season. 

Yeah. But what concerns me is it seems Bo Bichette destroys Twins pitching the way Perez did for the Royals. 

[Azviking101]

2 hours ago, chpettit19 said:

Arizona being the furthest west pretty well locked them into one of the later slots. Philly being the biggest national brand pretty much locked them into the last slot. Not surprised at all by these times. Not sure why AL vs NL would be a consideration for the league.

Dbacks aren’t the home team

don't see why they should consider that especially since there are no Dbacks fans in AZ 

 

the fact that the MLB can continue to get away with these early games on a weekday is insane. People wait all year for their team to have a chance and MLB steps in and goes, “sorry, you can’t watch”

[chpettit19]

5 minutes ago, Azviking101 said:

Dbacks aren’t the home team

don't see why they should consider that especially since there are no Dbacks fans in AZ 

 

the fact that the MLB can continue to get away with these early games on a weekday is insane. People wait all year for their team to have a chance and MLB steps in and goes, “sorry, you can’t watch”

Them being the home team doesn't matter, the fact that their market is the farthest west does.

"Get away with?" They're a multi-billion dollar organization. You don't think they've done a little research on how to get the most eyeballs on their product come playoff time? Maybe you can't find a way to watch certain games, but plenty of other people can. If they weren't able to fill the stadiums, or their ratings were way below where they want/need them, they wouldn't keep having games at those times. They've run the numbers, and they're doing what makes them the most money. Which means their advertisers, and the TV companies, also agree that the day games are the best idea. Plenty of people are still able to watch.

[Woof Bronzer]

45 minutes ago, Azviking101 said:

the fact that the MLB can continue to get away with these early games on a weekday is insane. People wait all year for their team to have a chance and MLB steps in and goes, “sorry, you can’t watch”

Lol so you are saying MLB intentionally schedules afternoon playoff games out of spite to ensure that a lot of fans can't watch therefore hurting their product?  That's....quite the take.   

[Azviking101]

36 minutes ago, Woof Bronzer said:

Lol so you are saying MLB intentionally schedules afternoon playoff games out of spite to ensure that a lot of fans can't watch therefore hurting their product?  That's....quite the take.   

Amazing how some people just love to argue about things, regardless of the topic. Human nature I guess.

You know damn well the only reason they do this is so that they can hopefully get as much viewership and ad revenue by not having multiple games going at once. If multiple games are on, people are switching channels at commercial break. It’s all about the money and they don’t give a hoot that it hurts the average fans ability to watch.

Yes I understand that without money MLB isn’t a thing, but they can make money while also giving people the ability to watch at a normal time. More than 75% of games during the week are in the evening.

I work from home so I’ll be able to watch every game. I live on the east coast so it’s easier for me, but I feel for the other fans who can’t.

[GusGus11]

57 minutes ago, Woof Bronzer said:

Lol so you are saying MLB intentionally schedules afternoon playoff games out of spite to ensure that a lot of fans can't watch therefore hurting their product?  That's....quite the take.   

One thing that I dont get though is why they didnt do this season just like last year.

End the season on a Wednesday. Start the WC on Friday and play that for a full weekend.

The dumbest thing baseball does is have their final day of regular season on a football Sunday. Like thats the mental part.

Afternoon games for playoffs are going to have to be a thing, they always are.

[Woof Bronzer]

14 minutes ago, Azviking101 said:

You know damn well the only reason they do this is so that they can hopefully get as much viewership and ad revenue by not having multiple games going at once.

Yes, exactly.  A business trying to maximize revenue and viewership, the horrors. 

 

[USAFChief]

50 minutes ago, Azviking101 said:

Amazing how some people just love to argue about things, regardless of the topic. Human nature I guess.

You know damn well the only reason they do this is so that they can hopefully get as much viewership and ad revenue by not having multiple games going at once. If multiple games are on, people are switching channels at commercial break. It’s all about the money and they don’t give a hoot that it hurts the average fans ability to watch.

Yes I understand that without money MLB isn’t a thing, but they can make money while also giving people the ability to watch at a normal time. More than 75% of games during the week are in the evening.

I work from home so I’ll be able to watch every game. I live on the east coast so it’s easier for me, but I feel for the other fans who can’t.

Gonna go out on a limb and suggest the broadcasters, who are trying to maximize revenue, have a lot of input into start times. 

As is normal and to be expected. 

As an aside, I'm grateful the games are somewhat staggered, so I can watch more than just one game if I choose. 

[sampleSizeOfOne]

I too approve of staggering.