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[JoseDFrog]

McCann running out of cliches

 

[Jack Remington]

http://espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=351001126

Mattingly plans to stick with his best lineup the rest of the way, resting those who need it.

"We plan on playing through," he said. "We'll play the lineup we want."

Batting leadoff this game was Carl Crawford, owner of a .308 on base percentage.

Fire this hack.

 

[BigJonsson]

Shave those sideburns

 

[HarryDemeanor]

http://espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=351001126



Batting leadoff this game was Carl Crawford, owner of a .308 on base percentage.

Fire this hack.

Best lineup.

 

[Jack Remington]

Even if he's forgotten how to hit, Pederson still has a .350 OBP because he draws a shit-ton of walks. He's better than Crawford by any metric except pure batting average, where Crawford isn't even that great. Playing Pederson is the no-brainer decision. At least he'll get on base and score runs.

1B A-Gon
2B Howie
SS Seager
3B Turner
CF Joc
RF Ethier
LF Hernandez
C AJ/Grandal, they're basically interchangeable now

is the only starting lineup we should see in the playoffs. Unless you're really concerned with Ethier against a lefty, in which case it would be excusable to bring him off the bench and start Crawford. Would love to have Puig back for those situations.

Mattingly overvalues singles.

 

[JDeluis]

Even if he's forgotten how to hit, Pederson still has a .350 OBP because he draws a shit-ton of walks. He's better than Crawford by any metric except pure batting average, where Crawford isn't even that great. Playing Pederson is the no-brainer decision. At least he'll get on base and score runs.

1B A-Gon
2B Howie
SS Seager
3B Turner
CF Joc
RF Ethier
LF Hernandez
C AJ/Grandal, they're basically interchangeable now

is the only starting lineup we should see in the playoffs. Unless you're really concerned with Ethier against a lefty, in which case it would be excusable to bring him off the bench and start Crawford. Would love to have Puig back for those situations.

Mattingly overvalues singles.

You got to remember Crawford is a much better player during the postseason. So he will start left field. Kikè has pretty much been handed the center position. As for catcher, the way Grandal has been awful after the All star game, Ellis will start game 1. Ellis is another player who plays well during the postseason. Just look how well he has played through September. And he is in better health then last year.

 

[jello44]

Fellow MLB.tv users, has it been super choppy for anyone else lately? Constant lowering of the bitrate and just straight up hitching. Been going on for a few weeks now, with both the new and old player.

Yup, same. Sometimes when it would go to break, the steam would just stop.

the inevitability of a Cards/Yanks WS is slowly dawning on everyone

Please god no.

 

[Cystm]

 

[JDHarbs]

Masterful plate-blocking by Herrera there.

 

[cashman]

And that locks up the playoff spot. Now to win the division tomorrow!

 

[Enron]

 

[Jack Scofield]

Fellow MLB.tv users, has it been super choppy for anyone else lately? Constant lowering of the bitrate and just straight up hitching. Been going on for a few weeks now, with both the new and old player.

Yes! I actually posted about this yesterday. Good to know it's not just me. It's been incredibly annoying. Here's my original post:

Jesus, I don't know if it's because I'm watching it with Unblock-Us enabled (though I don't see why that would matter), but MLB.TV has been HORRIBLE for me lately. Constantly skipping back a few seconds, seemingly unable to get to HD, it's ridiculous.

My PS4 is connected directly to my modem, and speed tests look great. No idea what's going on, but man, it's annoying.

 

[BigAT]

Yes, this will do.

 

[sethbot]

I'll be going to the game tomorrow in Arlington. Can't wait to see them potentially clinch the division!

 

[Malo]

Yes, this will do.

A+ avatar.

 

[lastflowers]

Yes! I actually posted about this yesterday. Good to know it's not just me. It's been incredibly annoying. Here's my original post:

I've been getting the same.

 

[GK86]

Arod has an ugly O-face.

 

[The_Inquisitor]

Good job rangers.

 

[boxter432]

Man we are a Carter home run for Hou away from a three way wild card tie heading into the final 3 days. Damn Oak for blowing it last night.

 

[User 479360]

Thanks White Sox

 

[MultiJhonny]

So i have been away all day but goddamn I love a nice sweep of the Mets.

 

[ProfessorMoran]

Thanks White Sox

Well that's what you get for sending in the scrubs two games in a row, should have at least play the regulars for both games of the double header, then let then drink themselves to death, Dickey was pitching well too, he deserved to have the win on Wednesday

 

[Beckx]

Yes! I actually posted about this yesterday. Good to know it's not just me. It's been incredibly annoying. Here's my original post:

It's been straight up terrible. Hitching, stopping, losing the feed entirely. This is on chrome, on IE/Edge it's not even watchable.

 

[shinboy630]

Yup, same. Sometimes when it would go to break, the steam would just stop.

Yes! I actually posted about this yesterday. Good to know it's not just me. It's been incredibly annoying. Here's my original post:

Oh good, it isn't just on my end, then.

For what it's worth, I only noticed it starting a few weeks ago when the Cards were part of the free game of the day, so I blame them.

 

[lazybones18]

Hope Cincinnati can get their shit together and help the Cubs out

 

[Caja 117]

Congrats to the Yanks for clinching a one game playoff i guess.....I really don't get why a team is going to celebrate that, is like celebrating you got a C+.

and I can let it out, Im totally against a one game playoff in MLB, is so insulting after a 162 game season, the previous playoff format was perfect, 4 teams each league.

 

[DoktorEvil]

I hope the Astros crush Los Yanquis in that 1 game playoffs.

 

[Parch]

I'm mixed about the wildcard. One game and out is such a crap shoot, but on the other hand there have been wildcard teams win the World Series. It's a fair argument that more teams in the playoff race also means much better September baseball.

If they're going to make the other teams wait until Thursday to play, they should have the wildcard series be 2 out of 3 where they play Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. It's not like these teams are unfamiliar with playing several days in a row.

 

[The Elite]

I'm mixed about the wildcard. One game and out is such a crap shoot, but on the other hand there have been wildcard teams win the World Series. It's a fair argument that more teams in the playoff race also means much better September baseball.

If they're going to make the other teams wait until Thursday to play, they should have the wildcard series be 2 out of 3 where they play Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. It's not like these teams are unfamiliar with playing several days in a row.

I like that it reestablished the importance of winning a division again since a wild card is one and done now. The two wild card spots still give more teams something to fight for.

I think it's the best scenario as is. I really wouldn't want a 2 out of 3 for the wild card. Also the extra days give the league the opportunity to address tie breaking game scenarios.

 

[Dmncnby2k9]

Win the division you won't have to worry about the one game. And how awesome it is to have Cole vs. Arrieta face off. Then you won't have your ace ready for game one, penalizing you for not winning division.

 

[detectiveconan1]

AstrosGaf, what did you guys think of Bo Porter as manager?

 

[Fox318]

https://youtu.be/vNN1KmSH7Dk?t=13

 

[Caja 117]

Even if it gives more teams opportunity, I still dont think Baseball should have elimination games, but is already here and its not going away, I just hope that they don't start putting more teams for Playoff, thus making those 162 games even more meaningless.

 

[Link]

Just a reminder to everyone that all games this weekend will be free to watch with MLB.TV, and MLB Network will be going RedZone style with Sunday's games.

 

[lastflowers]

So, Uh, What Happened to the Astros.

Some wood for my irrational Kazmir dislike campfire:

However, competence was, and Kazmir hasn’t offered it. In 13 starts as an Astro, he’s given up 42 runs and 78 hits in 73.1 innings. Opponents are smashing 1.6 homers per nine innings against him during his time in Houston, and that would be second-worst among all qualified starting pitchers if prorated over the entire season. His 5.20 FIP as an Astro would be the worst fielding-independent mark among all qualified starters by a comfortable margin. Like many of his fellow Astros pitchers, Kazmir has especially struggled in September. In his first seven starts as an Astro, he posted a 2.64 ERA. In his six starts since, all in September: 6.52, with four unearned runs allowed to boot. That includes a six-run debacle Wednesday night in Seattle that Houston’s recently surging offense was able to overcome en route to a tight 7-6 victory.

Although he’s in a contract year and put up impressive numbers over the first half of the season, Kazmir’s cratering isn’t totally unexpected. This is the second straight season in which Kazmir’s hit a wall down the stretch: He posted a 2.37 ERA in his first 21 starts last season, and a 6.05 ERA in his last 10. Beyond the immediate consternation his struggles have caused, if the Astros do make the playoffs and then beat (presumably) the Yankees to advance to the ALDS this year, they’ll have to think long and hard about starting a pitcher with Kazmir’s checkered history. He tossed just 1.2 innings between the 2011 and 2012 seasons, toiled in indy ball to reignite interest from major league teams, then made an amazing comeback with the Indians and A’s. Yet, he remains someone who can’t seem to make it through a full big league season without both his velocity and results deteriorating.

Add in a bullpen slump, though, and that’ll do it. In September, Houston’s pen posted a 5.63 ERA, the worst mark in the majors over that span. In this case, the prevailing woes look more like bad luck than anything. For Astros relievers, the strikeout and walk rates remained virtually identical to their strong levels from earlier in the season. In fact, opponents also made contact less frequently and chased more pitches out of the zone than they did the rest of the year. But the Astros pen got hammered by terrible results on balls in play and a gigantic decline in strand rate.

I was wondering about the above. Watching the games, the bullpen hadn't been as bad as their results. Neshek's recent HR ball looked like a good pitch where you just gotta tip your hat to the batter, but I was at the game and only saw a replay on the big screen once.

In case that wasn’t enough, their offense has also suffered some less obvious misfortune. In September, their already power-laden lineup5 turned on some extra juice, leading the majors in homers (44) and slugging percentage (.486). After a miserable first five months, Chris Carter has cranked six homers in his past nine games, while other complementary players like Colby Rasmus and Jake Marisnick have also put up impressive numbers. Those contributions, which helped the club to the third-best overall offense on a park-adjusted basis in September, might’ve been enough to offset the team’s pitching woes — if not for even more lousy luck. The Astros posted a low .258 batting average on balls in play with men on base in September — the second-lowest figure for any team that month, and way below Houston’s .301 mark the rest of the season.

 

[crpav]

Dang Twins just won't go away.

 

[arts&crafts]

If the Jays toss out the Lugnuts for a 3rd straight game I am going to snap.

 

[Parch]

If the Jays toss out the Lugnuts for a 3rd straight game I am going to snap.

B-team Jays are pretty sad.
It's good to give Colabello regular at bats. He hasn't played enough. It's also good to evaluate how many of these bums deserve to be major leaguers. I'm thinking not a lot.

I think we'll get a mix and match for the rest of the season. The regulars will get a game or two, but as soon as they clinch the AL it'll be back to the lugnuts.

 

[zroid]

Gibby already said it's full steam ahead in Tampa

but I wouldn't be surprised if one or two regulars still get a break in each game

I definitely would like to see Pompey in CF for all three games, Pillar has played more games this season than anyone on the roster, and a bit of a longer look at Pompey wouldn't be bad at all.

 

[bonesmccoy]

The Lugnuts were giving us all unpleasant flashbacks. Though that game yesterday was amazing.

 

[eyeless]

In addition to shutting down Price for the season, he plans on letting Mark Buehrle use every bullet in his arsenal on Friday to try and reach 200 innings for the 15th straight season and then, if he falls just short, will likely offer him the chance to start on one day’s rest on Sunday.

all is lost

 

[Zeeman]

all is lost

Nope, sorry, this owns.

 

[zroid]

all is lost

Come on bro. Papa Buehrle deserves it.

 

[bonesmccoy]

Hutch out of the bullpen

Buehrle getting his innings

Kawasaki making the post-season roster

 

[BigAT]

If the Jays toss out the Lugnuts for a 3rd straight game I am going to snap.

Your AA team lost two games in a row. Fucking relax.

 

[ProfessorMoran]

Gibby already said it's full steam ahead in Tampa

but I wouldn't be surprised if one or two regulars still get a break in each game

I definitely would like to see Pompey in CF for all three games, Pillar has played more games this season than anyone on the roster, and a bit of a longer look at Pompey wouldn't be bad at all.

Pompey is nowhere near as reliable as Pillar at CF, at this point Pillar has earned the job at CF, whether it's his defense or his bat, let him play it out.

Let Pompey ph or pr, same with Pennington, Tulo needs playing time.

It's time for Gibby to stop fucking around and get serious.

 

[zroid]

Pompey is nowhere near as reliable as Pillar at CF, at this point Pillar has earned the job at CF, whether it's his defense or his bat, let him play it out.

Let Pompey ph or pr, same with Pennington, Tulo needs playing time.

It's time for Gibby to stop fucking around and get serious.

Nah. Give Pompey the at-bats. He's going to be on the postseason roster so if they know he can be a reliable backup outfielder it will make pinch running him an easier decision.

If you think I meant replace Pillar with Pompey in the playoffs that's obviously not what I meant lol

 

[The Elite]

Gibby isn't fucking around.

 

[ProfessorMoran]

Hutch out of the bullpen

Buehrle getting his innings

Kawasaki making the post-season roster

Kawasaki needs to be cut already.

Cut the fucker, srsly.

Unless Buerle doesn't make the 25 man roster, Hutch should be the odd man out along with Loup, Schultz, Tepera, Francis and Delabar... but I KNOW Gibby is going to fuck this up.

 

[ProfessorMoran]

Nah. Give Pompey the at-bats. He's going to be on the postseason roster so if they know he can be a reliable backup outfielder it will make pinch running him an easier decision.

If you think I meant replace Pillar with Pompey in the playoffs that's obviously not what I meant lol

I just think both Pillar and Goins are finally swinging the bat that Gibby should keep them out there, let Pompey ph or pr as a late inning sub.