2017 ALCS Game 7 Live Blog

7:51	Dave Cameron: Happy Game 7 everyone!

7:51	Dave Cameron: This should be fun.

7:51	Dave Cameron: I am rooting for the Astros (65.8% \| 168 votes) Yankees (34.1% \| 87 votes) Total Votes: 255

7:51	Dave Cameron: I think the Astros will win (57.5% \| 138 votes) Yankees will win (42.5% \| 102 votes) Total Votes: 240

7:52	Dave Cameron: CC Sabathia will get 0-6 outs (3.4% \| 8 votes) 7-9 outs (21.1% \| 49 votes) 10-12 outs (37.0% \| 86 votes) 13-15 outs (28.8% \| 67 votes) 15+ outs (9.4% \| 22 votes) Total Votes: 232

7:52	Dave Cameron: Charlie Morton will get 0-6 outs (8.4% \| 19 votes) 7-9 outs (34.6% \| 78 votes) 10-12 outs (30.6% \| 69 votes) 13-15 outs (18.2% \| 41 votes) 15+ outs (8.0% \| 18 votes) Total Votes: 225

7:53	Dave Cameron: Justin Verlander Will pitch tonight if it’s close (49.1% \| 118 votes) Won’t pitch tonight either way (50.8% \| 122 votes) Total Votes: 240

7:55	JC: Thanks Dave for doing this. Neutral, but love game 7’s. Let’s go baseball.

7:55	Llewelyn: Who would you rather see get their first ring, Kershaw or Verlander?

7:55	Dave Cameron: Verlander probably doesn’t have as many more shots as Kershaw does.

7:57	BlueBirds: Is Kershaw a lock to start Game 1 regardless of who wins tonight?

7:57	Dave Cameron: Yup.

7:58	Mike: is there any way verlander is going to go 3 starts in the WS given game 1 is short rest away from yesterday already? that’d be 3 in a row on short rest.

7:58	Dave Cameron: Nah, but two starts and a relief appearance definitely possible.

7:58	Michelle: Thanks for doing this! I know you guys usually get the weekends to enjoy family.

7:58	Dave Cameron: Thanks for saying thanks!

7:59	Kiermaier’s Piercing Green Eyes: How long are we expecting this one to go? Don’t think I’m gonna be able to stay up too late, so hopefully the Astros take a big lead early.

7:59	Dave Cameron: If this goes less than 4 hours, I’ll be surprised.

7:59	Dave Cameron: We’re going to see a lot of pitching changes, probably multiple challenges, and more mound visits than any game in baseball history, maybe.

8:00	Mac Gwire: Girardi left CC in for several batters too long in game 5 against Cleveland. Will he have learned his lesson, or not because they still won?

8:01	Dave Cameron: I think the underreported story here is Girardi wasting Green yesterday in a game they lost anyway. So I bet he pushes CC a little too far because he probably doesn’t want to use Green today.

8:01	HappyFunBall: Before first pitch, any thoughts on Dusty Baker? Nats aren’t doing themselves any favors in the reputation department…

8:01	Dave Cameron: Yeah, the Nationals owners might be the worst in baseball.

8:02	Dave Cameron: Dusty wasn’t the reason they lost that series.

8:02	Dave Cameron: Could they find someone who is better strategically? Maybe. I don’t know if I trust them to do it, though, and they already had a guy the players liked.

8:02	Guest: Who do the Astros go to first in the bullpen after the Yanks chase Morton?

8:02	Dave Cameron: http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/mapping-out-27-outs-for-a-j-hinch/

8:02	Rick: Poll question: Does Liriano get in the game?

8:03	Dave Cameron: Not unless it’s a blowout

8:03	Dave Cameron: Maybe for some left-on-left match-up if Morton goes out really early, but probably not.

8:04	Mac Gwire: So to expand on the CC question, with the Astros’ righty-heavy top of the order, would you pull him after he gets through the lineup the second time, no matter what?

8:04	Dave Cameron: Pretty much, yeah.

8:04	Tom: I just gotta say….this series has been great….and as a baseball fan, idc who wins…I just want a close exciting game.

8:04	Dave Cameron: Yeah

8:04	Luke: How much does home field advantage matter in a Game 7?

8:04	Dave Cameron: Maybe a bit more than in a regular game?

8:04	Dave Cameron: So something like a 5% point swing?

8:04	Owen: Does Girardi use Robertson if, say, Yanks are losing 3-2 in the top of the 4th?

8:05	Dave Cameron: If CC doesn’t make it through 4, he’ll probably have to.

8:06	Dave Cameron: Okay, real quick before the first pitch.

8:06	Dave Cameron: Thanks for hanging out tonight, everyone!

8:07	Dave Cameron: We love the community of baseball fans that want to hang out here and talk baseball with other folks, and are interested in doing so on a Saturday night, no less.

8:07	Dave Cameron: We also want FG to be around forever, so, allow me to make a quick plug for our membership program. https://www.fangraphs.com/plus/product/fangraphs-membership/

8:08	Dave Cameron: If you find what we do useful, consider a $20 per year membership. It helps keeps the doors open and makes giving up Saturday nights with our families worth it.

8:08	Dave Cameron: We also have a $50 ad-free membership, which gets you all the content we offer without any advertisements.

8:09	Dave Cameron: As you probably know, the internet ad model kind of sucks, so being a member is the best thing you can do to keep FanGraphs going.

8:09	Dave Cameron: So if you’re hanging out tonight and haven’t become a member, feel free to consider it!

8:09	Dave Cameron: Now, let’s watch some baseball.

8:09	bosoxforlife: I’m working on the pizza now, the nacho dip is ready and the fridge is full. Play Ball!

8:10	Bork: Hello friends

8:10	Dave Cameron: That call is going to be nice for Morton if he keeps getting it.

8:10	Tommy: Hi Bork

8:10	GoYanks: Got my bottle of wine. Will see if it turns into happy drinking or sad drinking

8:10	Dave Cameron: And Morton’s stuff looks lively again.

8:11	Michelle: Just a quick addition to Dave’s plug, I’m a member, and I ask for it as a gift at the holidays. If you have a family that loves to give you stuff even if you don’t need it, it’s a nice way to support the site and not clutter up your place!

8:11	Hannah Hochevar: I will reiterate the thanks for weekend work tonight. You guys are great. Definitely worth the ad-free membership and beyond!

8:11	desertfox9139: if morton goes 9 up, 9 down, how long do you keep him in?

8:11	Dave Cameron: Probably until he gets in trouble.

8:12	gizrockthunda: wheres carson?

8:12	Dave Cameron: Probably scouting the statline for AFL players.

8:12	Steve: Charlie Morton sits at 96?!?

8:12	Dave Cameron: Welcome to 2017, where everyone throws 5 mph harder than they used to.

8:12	Ron: what mechanical adjustment did morton make for the increased velocity? I dont remember him throwing this hard with the pirates

8:13	Dave Cameron: He tried to throw harder. That’s what he says. He just tried, and it worked.

8:13	Stephen Loftus: You remember correctly Ron. He sat around 92-93 just two years ago

8:13	Show Hey O’Tawny: Morton’s face is not the face of a large man

8:13	desertfox9139: would you try to steal an inning with devanski at the bottom of the yankees order?

8:14	Dave Cameron: I would just trust Devenski because he’s good.

8:14	Dave Cameron: That curve was wicked.

8:14	Show Hey O’Tawny: Is Loftus the new guy?

8:14	Dave Cameron: Yes, hi Stephen!

8:14	Dave Cameron: He’ll be live blogging with us.

8:14	Canyonero Driver: That curve ball should be in a museum

8:15	Stephen Loftus: Hi Dave!

8:15	Eric: Dave, your philosophy with RPs seems to be to trust good track records — a bit more than guys like Hinch and Maddon have been trusting them. But in reading your commentary, you seem completely out on Betances right now, is that right?

8:15	Dave Cameron: I’d use him when a few walks can’t hurt you, but his command problems are on another level from most guys struggles.

8:16	Dave Cameron: I don’t think you can trust him to throw strikes when you need no baserunners right now.

8:16	Section329: Welcome to the show new guy!

8:17	Dave Cameron: 78 on the first pitch from CC? A change?

8:18	Dave Cameron: Don’t see first pitch non-fastballs too often.

8:18	Dave Cameron: Oh, wait, I missed the first pitch apparently.

8:19	ChatzMcGee: Remember when CC couldn’t field bunts?

8:20	Ron: Better arm Aaron Hicks or Brett Phillips?

8:20	Dave Cameron: Phillips

8:20	Dave Cameron: CC going slider heavy early.

8:21	Mac Gwire: Lots of 1st-pitch swings

8:22	Dave Cameron: Yeah, I think they were expecting HOU to come out swinging, so he came out throwing breaking balls

8:22	Oddball Herrera: No point in running up the pitch count in a game where no one will hesitate to go to the bullpen

8:22	Dave Cameron: Also true.

8:23	X: Guess on which batter gets the biggest hit tonight?

8:23	Dave Cameron: I’ll guess Correa is the hero.

8:23	CC Sabathia: What kind of contract will I get next year?

8:23	Brian: 2/30 about right for CC’s next contract?

8:23	Dave Cameron: Brian sounds right to me

8:23	Buddy Chaps: How do you feel about the CC is 10-0 when pitching the game after the Yankees lose? Totally meaningless or just mostly meaningless?

8:23	Dave Cameron: Totally

8:23	Stephen Loftus: Absolutely and totally.

8:24	Eric: Springer is the best interview after an elated heroic moment so I’m rooting for him

8:24	David Coonce: Sabathia or Verlander have any chance at the Hall? Or will the voters cling to wins for another few decades?

8:24	Dave Cameron: Going to write about this for Monday, I think.

8:24	Dave Cameron: I’d vote for both.

8:24	Mike: can we fix the live scoreboard/win expectancy table? it returns an error code tonight

8:24	Dave Cameron: It’s being worked on.

8:24	Dave Cameron: Well that was some kind of hole.

8:25	Tommy: How many people at fangraphs are working tonight?

8:25	Dave Cameron: Stephen and I.

8:25	Dave Cameron: I’m sure other folks are watching the game.

8:25	Dave Cameron: Bird just missed that one.

8:25	Hannah Hochevar: Do the Astros change this 1st pitch swing approach next inning?

8:25	Dave Cameron: Yeah, I doubt they’re quite as aggressive in inning 2.

8:26	Canyonero Driver: If only you and Stephen is working, who’s fixing the live scoreboard?

8:26	Dave Cameron: The fearless leader.

8:26	Dave Cameron: He’s always working.

8:26	Mattingly’s Sideburns: Gonna be first playoff game ever where both pitchers throw 9 innings on like 48 pitches

8:26	John: Great play by Bregman. Thought that was ticketed for left

8:27	Kiermaier’s Piercing Green Eyes: Ah great, Dave’s significantly ahead of the stream. He’s talking about Sanchez slapping a single and I still have the entirety of the two inflatable Orbits dancing.

8:27	Dave Cameron: Sorry!

8:28	john: Is the strike always wider in the playoffs?

8:28	Dave Cameron: No, but zone grows a little bit.

8:28	bosoxforlife: Nasty!!!

8:28	Dave Cameron: Morton’s curve is on so far.

8:28	Dave Cameron: Morton rolling.

8:29	Dave Cameron: Easy to see why Astros believed in the stuff despite his results last game.

8:29	Canyonero Driver: Due to electrons bouncing off each ocher, Castro was technically never on the base and should have been called out.

8:29	Andrew: Morton’s stuff is GOOD tonight

8:29	John: How many innings does Mccullers throw tonight?

8:29	Dave Cameron: I’ll guess 3

8:30	Chalupa Batman: Saw a ton of Yankee fans on twitter thanking the heavens Morton was pitching. I just thought, “Be careful what you wish for.”

8:30	bosoxforlife: Last game was a couple of bleeders and that Frazier fluke.

8:30	Buddy Chaps: Which SP goes longer tonight? Guy says Morton because of Yanks bullpen

8:30	Dave Cameron: Don’t think Yanks pen is as deep as usual last night, with no Green and Robertson getting lit up last night.

8:30	Dave Cameron: I think Girardi wants to go CC-Kahnle-Chapman.

8:31	Brian: Stephen, Jeff has said that he believes that Michael Brantley is worth the 10M option. Care to offer a counter argument?

8:31	Lunar verLander: CC has a longer leash than Morton, right?

8:31	Dave Cameron: Yeah, I think so.

8:31	Stephen Loftus: I would agree that Brantley is worth the 10M, just don’t think he should have been on the playoff roster

8:32	ChatzMcGee: That talk about Morton’s pickoff move made me think of a question I’ve had for awhile, it seems like the number of errors on pickoff attempts to second vs the number of actual pickoffs at second makes even attempting it inadvisable, do you know if that’s true?

8:32	Dave Cameron: Interesting question.

8:32	Dave Cameron: I don’t know.

8:32	MrJ: I’m a yanks fan and am thankful Morton is pitching.

8:32	Dave Cameron: Tall man!

8:32	Brian: WOW

8:32	ChatzMcGee: What a catch!

8:32

Matt: OMG

8:32	Lunar verLander: damn

8:33	druidiful: MVP!

8:33	Mark: Oh my lordy

8:33	John: JUDGE. F***ing hell…

8:33	Guest: Robbed it

8:33	Dave Cameron: Aaron Judge is good at baseball.

8:33	Phil: Judge is more athletic than you think…

8:33	Chris: That’s expert analysis right there Dave 🙂

8:34	Dave Cameron: Please get a membership for more takes like that.

8:34	Tom: Judge 2nd best RF’r in the AL? (behind Betts)?

8:34	Dave Cameron: I’d take Judge over Mookie at this point.

8:34	Chris: LOL. Is this just a free online chat basically? Never been on here before. Pretty cool.

8:35	Dave Cameron: It’s moderated, so we don’t publish everything that comes in. Think to if more like we all watch the game and react together.

8:35	Andrew: Overall: Judge>Mookie, Defensively: Mookie>Judge tho, right?

8:35	Dave Cameron: Right

8:36	Neil: Well, we’re like 20 seconds behind you

8:36	Dave Cameron: I’m giving myself a little space to try to not be too spoiler-ish.

8:36	Brian: What was the Hit Prob on that Judge catch?

8:36	Dave Cameron: 52%

8:36	David: What do you think of Girardi using green for two innings last night?

8:36	Dave Cameron: Not a fan

8:37	Ace: Dave, what’s your current prediction? Anything in the first two innings that makes you feel any differently?

8:37	Dave Cameron: Have been leaning HOU in a close one all day, still that way.

8:37	ChatzMcGee: Has the use of high leverage relievers in low leverage situations not been pretty absurd this postseason?

8:37	Dave Cameron: It has been

8:38	Cody: Would Aaron Judge be a major leaguer 10 or 20 years ago? Seems like the strikeouts would have been too much back then.

8:38	Dave Cameron: Adam Dunn had a career.

8:38	Nic: Cc doesnt look good so far

8:38	Andrew: Neither has been bad, but Morton looks a little sharper than CC so far imo.

8:38	Mitch : Cc is all around the zone tonight. And getting hit. Making me nervous.

8:38	A.: Oml take CC outtt

8:39	Jeff: Yankees or Astros better positioned for the next 5 years?

8:39	Dave Cameron: Yankees

8:39	Dave Cameron: Marwin missed a cookie there.

8:39	Dave Cameron: 85 spinner down the middle.

8:40	Tommy: Smoltz disagrees

8:40	Dave Cameron: He knows more about pitching than I do.

8:40	Dave Cameron: But that looked like a meatball to me.

8:40	Canyonero Driver: How much of Yankees being better positioned is based on their financial resources.

8:40	Dave Cameron: A good chunk of it.

8:41	Dave Cameron: And then a dinkier.

8:41	Dave Cameron: That felt like good pitching/bad luck for CC

8:41	Dave Cameron: 69 mph EV

8:41	ChatzMcGee: For some reason I think Sonny Gray would really do well in a relief role, nothing to back that up.

8:42

DLHughey: RE: Betances. I don’t get how you can vouch for trusting Justin Wilson, a guy who walked more than a batter an inning for the Cubs, but not Betances. 17 innings is enough to say that the magnitude of that problem is way worse than Betances’ problems (even if a problem is an undisclosed injury). Neither should be trusted. Recency bias is just as bad as selectively ignoring data because of a long track record.

8:42	Dave Cameron: Walks are one thing. Betances is throwing balls to the backstop on the fly.

8:42	Dave Cameron: And the Yankees can afford to be picky, because they have a great bullpen. The Cubs did not.

8:42	John: Calling my shot, Reddick takes one out to right, 2 rows into the bleachers

8:42	Mike: whew good thing Josh Reddick is batting in a high leverage situation.

8:42	Trey: Reddick’s time to finally shine…?

8:43	X: do you think you do know more about pitching than some MLB pitchers?

8:43	Dave Cameron: Nope.

8:43	John: Sigh

8:43	Jaack: I must say that so far there is not a single ad this postseason that will stay with me for life like HER FATHER IS THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY or THIS TRAAAAAAAINNN

8:44	Mike: My girlfriend has developed a great dislike for the JD Power Award for Reliability commercial .. “wowwww”

8:44	Canyonero Driver: Sabathia has only thrown 4 more pitches than Morton but it feels like he’s thrown 15-20 more.

8:44	A.: Do you think this will end up 2-1 or 9-8?

8:44	Dave Cameron: 5-4

8:45	J. D. KaPow: Sabathia’s thrown 11 more pitches than Morton.

8:45	Tom: Josh Reddick, .043 OPS in the ALCS. Could be the Yankees MVP if they win.

8:45	Dave Cameron: Yeah, not that Verlander guy. What did he even do?

8:46	Mike: He said “Yankees MVP”

8:46	Dave Cameron: Well, yes, that’s a decent point.

8:46	Canyonero Driver: I was wrong and KaPow is right; I misread the Baseball Savant number.

8:46	John: Dirty

8:46	Dave Cameron: This zone is Morton friendly so far.

8:46	druidiful: Does it seem like Morton’s zone is larger than CC’s?

8:46	Dave Cameron: Yep

8:47	Stephen Loftus: A bit

8:47	Chalupa Batman: That ball was knee high to a grasshopper

8:47	Lunar verLander: McCann secret elite framer?

8:47	Dave Cameron: Not a secret.

8:47	Dave Cameron: I don’t have sound here; what is the speculation on what the umpire/manager conversations were about?

8:48	ChatzMcGee: Maybe the gum thing was just grossing Joe out too.

8:48	Mark: The gum

8:48	Dave Cameron: Altuve with a nifty play.

8:48	Dave Cameron: And Gurriel’s foot almost got wrecked.

8:49	Stephen Loftus: Not exactly textbook footwork around the bag

8:49	Brian: Headley is slow

8:49	Lunar verLander: was his foot on the bag?

8:49	Dave Cameron: Looked like it to me

8:49	Dave Cameron: Safe

8:50	bjogc: They dont have enough to overturn it

8:50	Dave Cameron: Probably not indisputable.

8:51	Kimball: Does anyone else find it weird that there’s a single replay umpire?

8:51	Dave Cameron: There are more in NY

8:51	Dave Cameron: We don’t see them all

8:51	Canyonero Driver: Still a worthwhile challenge.

8:51	Dave Cameron: Yup

8:51	Parker: Not sure on the bag but not enough to over turn it

8:51	Dave Cameron: Yeah

8:51	Dave Cameron: That was a hanger.

8:51	Dave Cameron: Morton is pitching well but that could have been hit 1,000 feet.

8:52	Brian: Is there any diminishing returns to expect tonight from the fact that mccullers and Morton are such similar pitchers?

8:52	Dave Cameron: They aren’t really.

8:53	Dave Cameron: McCullers better against LHPs, Morton is more RHP specialist who is okay against lefties.

8:53	bjogc: Charlie morton looks like he sold me weed out of his camaro in high school

8:53	John: McCullers’ curve is very different from Morton’s

8:53	ChatzMcGee: I wish they’d play street rules and allow corked bats and spit balls.

8:53	Dave Cameron: Corked bats don’t work!

8:53	Dave Cameron: They’re dumb.

8:54	JoeZ: Is there research on corked bats?

8:54	Dave Cameron: Yeah, Alan Nathan has done some work on it.

8:54	Dave Cameron:

8:54	Dave Cameron:

8:55	Dave Cameron: Hmm, PDFs seem to be weird here

8:55	Dave Cameron: Google Alan Nathan corked bats

8:55	Jim: Coach Dave lets Morton pitch to Judge and then lifts him, or has he shown you enough?

8:55	Dave Cameron: I’d probably stick with him until he gets in a jam, but I’d have McCullers ready to go.

8:55	JoeZ: Very cool, also covers humidors and baseballs. If it will post here’s the link http://baseball.physics.illinois.edu/AJP-June2011.pdf

8:56	Brian: Less mass same speed=ball goes less far when struck… its a bad idea

8:56	Mark: Any concern about mccullers on short rest given his health/durability issues?

8:56	Dave Cameron: 3 days rest, should be good for a few innings.

8:56	Dave Cameron: No one is asking him to go deep

8:57	Jon: They said McCullers has a really long complicated pre game ritual though

8:57	Dave Cameron: Yeah, but he could have started it a while ago.

8:57	Dave Cameron: Pretty sure he knows he’s pitching today.

8:57	TB: EV on that ground out?

8:57	Dave Cameron: 111!

8:58	Das it: Is CC allowing an inordinate amount of hard contact this game

8:58	Dave Cameron: 4 100+ balls hit so far; 3 off Morton, 1 off Sabathia. So nope.

8:58	Mac Gwire: You obviously have Savant open during the game. Do you do that just to answer questions or do you learn things from it?

8:58	Dave Cameron: Both

8:59	Dave Cameron: Tough play, but I think Castro should have caught that.

8:59	Owen: error, imo

8:59	Dave Cameron: That would be a tough error.

8:59	Jon: Error to me

8:59	Dave Cameron: Okay, I’m a generous grader I guess.

8:59	bosoxfor life: E-4

8:59	Canyonero Driver: Judge would have had to crouch to catch that.

9:00	Mark: base hit

9:00	Jaack: Dave is official scorer confirmed

9:00	Eric: hit LOL

9:00	Stephen Loftus: I would have it as an error, but I’m a tough grader (My students can attest)

9:00	jonnyzuck: play that should be made but not an error

9:01	Bruce: What do you teach, Stephen?

9:01	Stephen Loftus: Math and Statistics at a liberal arts college

9:01	Dave Cameron: Trouble.

9:01	Dave Cameron: CC shouldn’t have much more of a leash here.

9:01	John: NY bullpen starting to get loose now?

9:02	ChatzMcGee: I’m not sure I even want CC facing Correa.

9:02	Jon: Who do you use to relieve CC?

9:02	Dave Cameron: Kahnle

9:02	Mikey: Sabathia getting squeezed a little, yea?

9:02	Dave Cameron: I don’t think he’s getting squeezed, but I think Morton has gotten a more generous zone so far.

9:03	bjogc: CC is getting squeezed but he is also all over the place if that makes any sense. He’s not getting any close calls because he also keeps missing his spots by 5 feet

9:03	Chalupa Batman: Nibbling probably isn’t helping

9:03	Dave Cameron: Sabathia gets a call there.

9:04	Post malone: He has to nibble. He throws 89.

9:04	Dave Cameron: Kahnle finally getting loose. Should have been up a while ago.

9:04	ChatzMcGee: I think Correa is gonna hit one 450 feet, just feels like it.

9:04	Dave Cameron: Would you settle for 45 feet?

9:04	Mark: Huge play

9:04	Dave Cameron: Yeah, that feels like a big missed chance for Houston.

9:05	Chalupa Batman: As a Mets fan, all of this defense is so beautiful i almost want to cry

9:05	Tommy: Why not 3rd there?

9:05	Dave Cameron: Habit, probably.

9:06	ChatzMcGee: Wow, that’s huge to get out of that.

9:06	Dave Cameron: They dodged a big bullet there.

9:06	Dave Cameron: Can probably limp CC through bottom of the order now.

9:06	Dave Cameron: But wouldn’t let him face Springer again.

9:06	Jeff: The contact management us so key in situations like that

9:06	Dave Cameron: This is basically his primary skill these days.

9:07	Dave Cameron: The nibbling isn’t great when they don’t swing, but when they do and you get those weak grounders, it’s nice.

9:07	Straight Cash(man): As a Yankees fan, I can’t believe Houston didn’t score there

9:08	Dodger Nation: I really don’t want to have to throw Kershaw Hill and Wood five times against this Astros lineup

9:08	Dave Cameron: Judge-Sanchez make you feel better?

9:08	Mac Gwire: Dave, do you give any credence to the “Yankees are fun” argument, or should everybody be rooting for Houston in this game?

9:08	Dave Cameron: I think people should root for whoever they want. And if you don’t enjoy Aaron Judge, I don’t know what to tell you.

9:09	Dave Cameron: It’s fine to both hate the Yankees for being the villain of baseball and acknowledge that this particular group is likable.

9:09	Bread: As a pitcher, how long can Sabathia keep his career going like this? It seems like he could survive more velocity loss, and it wouldn’t change this approach much?

9:09	Dave Cameron: If he can keep commanding the edges, he’s got 2-3 years left, probably.

9:09	option240: Don’t sleep on Greg Bird in the lineup too

9:10	Dave Cameron: Bird against those LA lefties less scary.

9:10	some other matt: Hate the laundry, not the players

9:10	Jk: Started watching baseball 2013 don’t really understand Yankees as evil narrative.

9:10	Dave Cameron: Morton’s curve.

9:10	Dave Cameron: Man.

9:10	Stephen Loftus: Jeez

9:11	Deylen: Wow

9:11	Dave Cameron: This is basically Hinch’s dream scenario, with how well Morton is throwing.

9:11	ChatzMcGee: It seems weird that there’s so much vertical drop from that arm angle.

9:11	Rosin Bag: Morton’s averaging 1 out for every 3 pitches

9:11	Ace: Morton’s stuff looked ridiculous. Historically, has the issue been consistency? Because that’s Kershaw-esque.

9:12	Dave Cameron: Historically, he hasn’t had 97

9:12	Dave Cameron: The velo bump is recent.

9:12	Tommy: Dave you must love Morton. All strike outs and ground balls.

9:13	Dave Cameron: I’d like a better change-up, but the stuff is obviously good.

9:13	Jesse: EV?

9:13	Dave Cameron: 102

9:13	TB: 36 pitches in 4 innings!!

9:13	bjogc: Morton getting 2/14 raised some eyerbrows right? Or am I misremembering the offseason

9:13	Dave Cameron: Yeah, they got mocked for that.

9:13	Dave Cameron: I’m pretty sure I remember Heyman calling it the worst signing of the winter or something.

9:14	Dungeon Master: Morton seems like the poster boy for the starting pitcher of the future, velo, good breaker, amazing through 4 or 5 and goes no further

9:14	Dave Cameron: Yup.

9:14	Jesse: Is Morton getting away with some very hard hit balls being hit right at fielders?

9:14	Dave Cameron: Yes.

9:14	Dave Cameron: This is the opposite of his last starts.

9:15	Jeff: Am I wrong or is Morton getting a bit lucky? Yanks have tattooed a couple pitches

9:15	Dave Cameron: Not wrong. 4 100+ mph balls in play so far, Yankees are 1 for 4 with a single.

9:15	Jaack: Hypothetically, if MLB wanted to decrease or reverse the decline of the starting potcher, how would they go about it?

9:16	Dave Cameron: There’s no easy fix.

9:16	Action Bronson: Matter of time before those hard ones turn into hits or will Hinch not let it get that far?

9:16	Dave Cameron: Would guess Morton is out at the next jam he gets into.

9:16	Cowdisciple: This game is, surprisingly, moving right along!

9:16	Dave Cameron: Yeah, feels like fastest game of the playoffs so far.

9:17	Andrew: What if MLB limited the number of pitchers that could appear in one game? That would theoretically force teams into using a starter.

9:17	Dave Cameron: And then they’d get sued for forcing guys to pitch hurt.

9:17	John: Gattis missed one

9:18	Action Bronson: If you limit the number of pitchers you will have games ending in ties

9:18	Dave Cameron: Yup.

9:18	Nick R: Cc out next hit he gives up?

9:18	Dave Cameron: Girardi probably lets him give up 2.

9:19	Marc: Two runs or two hits? Joe can be slow with the trigger sometimes

9:19	Dave Cameron: Two hits.

9:19	Dave Cameron: Would think CC is out on any run.

9:19	Dave Cameron: And there we go.

9:19	Dave Cameron: Played with fire, got burned.

9:19	Canyonero Driver: KABOOM

9:19	Dungeon Master: oh baby

9:19	Homer at the Bat: GOOD BYE

9:19	Matt: horrific pitch

9:19	John: Yeah. I sorta called it!

9:19	Nick R: Gattis looks like he made that bat himself

9:19	Section329: Yahoo

9:20	Erli: that should be it for CC

9:20	Dyson: OK OUT GOES CC RIGHT

9:20	Dave Cameron: Let him face McCann

9:20	John: What was the EV on that one?

9:20	Dave Cameron: 106

9:20	CJ: Consequence of having Green not available

9:20	Dave Cameron: Well, Joe wouldn’t have pulled CC with a shutout either way.

9:21	bjogc: That was a good segue for Buck. Oh yeah when he connects they go a long way dinger

9:21	Dave Cameron: Live data working again! http://www.fangraphs.com/livescoreboard.aspx?date=2017-10-21

9:21	Nathan: EV = Effective Velocity?

9:21	Dave Cameron: Exit Velocity

9:21	Tommy: Fearless leader!

9:22	Dave Cameron: Okay, walk to McCann. Get him now.

9:22	Das it: CC has looked pretty terrible this game if we’re being honest

9:22	Mac Gwire: Walking him twice is bad

9:22	Andrew: He’s missing all over the place now

9:22	Parker: Take him out now please Girardi

9:22	TJ: You can’t give up a HR to Gattis and then walk McCann. You just can’t.

9:22	Dave Cameron: Sticking with him is not a good call, Joe.

9:22	Jaack: BB Sabathia

9:22	Stephen Loftus: Finally getting someone up again

9:22	Jeff: Nobody is even up

9:22	Joe: Resting the pen for tomorrow.

9:22	esko: nobody even up… smh

9:23	K-Man: HE”S A GAMER YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND

9:23	Evan: Buck just said they’re stirring in the Yankee bullpen, but nobody up yet.

9:23	Dave Cameron: This is rough

9:23	Dave Cameron: I like Girardi, but this is Game 7.

9:23	Stephen Loftus: There’s Kahnle

9:23	Dave Cameron: You can’t get beat because you didn’t warm up your elite bullpen in time.

9:23	Jon: Playing this game like it’s April yikes

9:23	Dungeon Master: MAKE HIM PAY MARWIN

9:23	A.: This is game 5 in CLE all over again, except without the 6Run lead

9:23	Pete: Shouldn’t Girardi always have someone halfway , like gray should be long tossing for the next 2 innings

9:24	Dave Cameron: Yup.

9:24	Bill: This is 3rd time Joe has been too slow to pen in this series alone.

9:24	Tom: Probably working on the theory that Marwin is weaker from the right side, but still not a great call.

9:24	Buck Showalter: I don’t see any problem with wanting to hold off on using your elite relievers.

9:25	Mike: Marwin weaker as a L, and then Reddick? There’s a train of thought there.

9:25	Dave Cameron: CC is so much worse than Kahnle though, that doesn’t offset.

9:25	J. D. KaPow: There’s no way he’ll face Springer, is there? Is There?

9:25	Dave Cameron: Managerial malpractice if he does.

9:26	Stephen Loftus: …No? You would hope not.

9:26	Dave Cameron: Reddick hit!

9:26	Dave Cameron: If he doesn’t get CC here, Cashman should just go on the field and do it himself.

9:26	TB: 3 swings and misses in 63 pitches for cc

9:27	Dave Cameron: Several batters too late, but if Kahnle gets out of this, still just 1-0

9:27	Post Malone: That skin flab on CCs elbow they showed in the slow mo is nasty

9:27	Tommy: That’s the CC we expected last start

9:27	Nori Aoki: He didn’t look great today but 1 run in 3+ innings isn’t terrible

9:27	Dave Cameron: Really, this is fine for NY.

9:27	Dave Cameron: Given gap in starter quality, they should take down 1 right now.

9:28	Parker: Only fine if Kahlne gets out of it

9:28	Dave Cameron: Yeah…

9:28	A.: It might be fine, but it doesn’t FEEL fine. That’s what it is to be a fan

9:28	KKDirtymoney: Serious question are GMs permitted by rules to make onfield decisions during the game? I realize you were being facetious Dave but is Cashman allowed to pull a pitcher if he wanted to emasculate Girardi?

9:28	Dave Cameron: Haha, no.

9:28	skip: If Greene isn’t available today, who will Girardi have to use to get through 5 innings?

9:29	Dave Cameron: Kahnle through the sixth, Chapman in to start 7th maybe, figure out the 9th depending on how Chapman does.

9:29	Dave Cameron: Or maybe Gray in there somewhere

9:29	Dave Cameron: Or Robertson

9:29	TFP: Adam Warren’s arm hasn’t fallen off.

9:29	Dave Cameron: Wouldn’t use him with big leads, won’t use him today.

9:30	Dave Cameron: Hey look, Kahnle good.

9:30	Nori Aoki: 1 pitch

9:30	TJ: Way to be, Springer!

9:30	Marc: Well, that’s pretty great

9:30	Yanks fan: Kahnle for president 2020!

9:30	esko: Very big moment there.

9:30	Ryan S: Huh, going to the bullpen works

9:30	Dave Cameron: Astros really going to kick themselves for these stranded runners they lose.

9:30	Post Malone: How many pitches does Kahnle have in him tonight?

9:31	Dave Cameron: Probably 40-50

9:31	TGM: Given his recent work and Joe’s disinclination to let him pitch, what are the odds we see Betances tonight?

9:31	Dave Cameron: 0%

9:31	A.: Kahnle has a better pitches:outs ratio than Morton, so shh stros fans

9:31	K-Man: Have managers gone too far towards bringing in starters out the pen and their best relievers to protect huge leads? Even Roberts has done it with Morrow and Kenley so far, and he’s probably the best manager in these playoffs

9:31	Dave Cameron: Yep.

9:31	Dave Cameron: The protect-any-lead method is leading to guys pitching when they don’t need to.

9:32	Adam: Do you think Yankees still have decent chance to win game today?

9:32	Dave Cameron: Of course

9:32	Bourque: Case in point Ken Giles

9:32	hscer: still better than having #3 starters facing 30 batters, take the progress!

9:32	Dave Cameron: Yeah, we’re heading towards efficient usage, but new inefficiencies being created.

9:32	Post Malone: Ever been to a WS game?

9:32	Dave Cameron: I have not.

9:33	Dave Cameron: And here come the Yankees.

9:33	Mike: I mean there are other considerations than leverage, I don’t think Roberts would have allowed anyone but Jansen to get the WS-Clinching out for a lot of other reasons

9:33	Dave Cameron: Sure, with the big break coming, that was fine.

9:34	Zeke: Astros should have someone warming from here out…astyoing Bird doubles

9:34	Dave Cameron: Agreed.

9:34	druidiful: Good thing Bird doubled there and didn’t kill the rally with a homerun.

9:34	deananna: Greg bird is a good hitter

9:34	Rosin Bag: Bunt here?

9:34	Dave Cameron: Eww, no.

9:34	Canyonero Driver: Castro should bunt, advance the runner.

9:34	Dave Cameron: Eww, no.

9:35	ChatzMcGee: Morton gonna get left in too long too?

9:35	Dave Cameron: Maybe!

9:35	ChatzMcGee: castro missed a hanger.

9:35	Deece: How to bunt; 1: dont, 2: hit a dinger

9:36	JT: Castro should get a hit here, score the runner.

9:36	Josh R: Gut feel now – Verlander pitches tonight?

9:36	Dave Cameron: Yes.

9:36	Tom: Nobody up for HOU is kind of crazy no?

9:36	Dave Cameron: Yep.

9:36	Kiermaier’s Piercing Green Eyes: Nobody warming? Jeez, why? It’s the fifth!

9:36	Dave Cameron: Overly conservative managing.

9:36	This is lude-icris: Castro should ground into a double play here

9:37	K-Man: Honest question: is there a way to delay the chat for ~15 seconds? I am always behind and it kills the surprise

9:37	Dave Cameron: Scroll up?

9:37	John: Big call there

9:37	TJ: Big K there.

9:37	Canyonero Driver: See, should have bunted!

9:37	Lunar verLander: Castro should have bunted

9:37	Josh R: World Series chat schedule? Every game?

9:37	Dave Cameron: Yep, every game.

9:37	Nori Aoki: Should have hit a dinger

9:37	Jaack: Aarons Hick’s should bunt here

9:38	Dave Cameron: Eww, no.

9:38	Ryan: Aaron Hicks should hit a dinger here

9:38	Joe: ok then, DAVE, when should we bunt!?!??

9:38	Dave Cameron: Tomorrow, when you’re just goofing off.

9:39	Mattingly’s Sideburns: Step 1: hit dingers

9:39	Mac Gwire: Yankees haven’t bunted yet and haven’t scored a run yet. Conclusion: Everyone should bunt

9:39	Dave Cameron: There are times for bunting. Late game, when you know one run wins, okay.

9:39	Dave Cameron: Fast guy who can’t hit up and maybe can force an ROE? Okay

9:39	Dave Cameron: Will Harris is alive!

9:39	beating the shift.: Bunt to beat the shift of deep infielders.

9:40	Dave Cameron: Bunting for hits is almost always fine.

9:40	Dave Cameron: Sac bunting is usually not.

9:40	Zeke: Honestly both teams should have relievers warming at start of every inning here out; all it takes is walk, bloop, blast and game changes

9:40	Dave Cameron: Yep.

9:40	Mike: BUNT LIKE YU DARVISH

9:40	Jeff: Hinch is gunna be scarred for life if Harris is bad

9:40	Mattingly’s Sideburns: Seems like this is a realllly slow hook.

9:40	Mac Gwire: Suicide squeeze! More bunts!

9:40	Straight Cash(man): Morton has reached the wall

9:41	esko: morton is spent

9:41	ChatzMcGee: Hanger, missed the zone.

9:41	CJ: Both managers are racing backwards today

9:41	Deylen: This is the first jam you were talking about

9:41	Chalupa Batman: That sinker is not sinking

9:41	Dave Cameron: Holding for the streamers…

9:42	Dave Cameron: (Greg Bird is slow)

9:42	Michael: Absolutely perfect throw.

9:42	Phil: What a play

9:42	Michael: Wow.

9:42	Evan: Automatic review?

9:42	Stephen Loftus: Huge throw!

9:42	Dave Cameron: Yes.

9:42	TJ: Wow. What a play.

9:42	Joe: Looked safe…

9:42	Ryan: Should’ve bunted

9:42	Tom: Wow Bregman.

9:42	Nori Aoki: Stupid sexy Bregman

9:42	Dungeon Master: HOLY HELEN

9:42	Josh R: Bregman? What a play by McCann

9:42	My Cat: Wow that was a risky move throwing home!

9:42	Andrew: clearly out

9:42	Joe: He wasn’t!

9:42	Homer at the Bat: OUT

9:42	bosoxfor life: I can’t believe what I just saw.

9:42	Deece: mccann losing that arm

9:42	A.: I’m gonna cry

9:42	John: They got him!

9:42	Cowdisciple: McCann really redeemed himself.

9:42	Erli: gusty play to throw home

9:42	Steve: Awful slide

9:42	Matt: Bird isn’t a runner, nor a slider apparently

9:42	Nick R: Great play by mccan

9:42	Andrew: what a play

9:42	Tommy: Perfect throw

9:43	Michael: That play made me appreciate just how good these guys are at their jobs. Wow.

9:43	Dungeon Master: oh good let Morton face a lefty good idea

9:43	A.: GREG BIRD GOT THROWN OUT AT HOME IN A CLOSE GAME AGAIN

9:43	ChatzMcGee: He basically bunted.

9:43	Ryan: Okay now is the time to bunt, right?

9:44	Dylan: Stop this bunt business lol

9:44	Nori Aoki: Low

9:44	Stephen Loftus: Generous again

9:44	Deylen: This strike zone for Morton

9:44	CJ: That was ball 3

9:44	Parker: Ump is killing Yanks

9:44	ChatzMcGee: That was so low,

9:44	John: Wow. That two seamer got the call

9:44	TJ: “I don’t think so.”

9:44	Tim: Pitch framing ftw

9:45	bjogc: Just watched that replay, Bird slide directly into Mccann. He didnt have control of the ball I don’t think he would have tagged him if Bird didnt run into him

9:45	This is lude-icris: This is a strike that’s a strike Im a strike you’re a strike

9:45	Tom: Morton done after this inning?

9:45	Dave Cameron: Should be, for sure.

9:45	Dave Cameron: 97 down the middle and Headley grounds out weakly.

9:45	Dave Cameron: Lots of good luck for HOU there.

9:46	TB: As good as you could hope from Charlie

9:46	TB: 5 clean from Morton is a godsend

9:46	Das it: Can I just say that amidst all this Yankees hate that I really hate the Astros and think they’re a very easy to hate team in general

9:46	CJ: Bird should at least learn how to slide

9:46	Cowdisciple: Who next? McCullers for three or so?

9:46	Dave Cameron: If Harris is trusted to warm up, he should be trusted to pitch. He’s good.

9:47	Rosin Bag: I bet Morton comes out for the 6th and we all freak out.

9:47	Staples: You go headfirst on the outside and drop your hand in

9:47	A.: You can’t send out Mccullers to face judge, honestly maybe you send in Morton to get judge and then relieve

9:47	Dave Cameron: Or harris!

9:48	Parker: 2-2 pitch instead of 3-1 makes a difference in Headley contact on the 97 fastball down the middle

9:48	Dave Cameron: Sure, but that was still a hittable pitch and Headly missed it.

9:48	Nick R: Harris will never throw another pitch Dave accept it

9:48	Dave Cameron: He just warmed up!

9:48	hscer: -2.2 BsR for Bird this year, which seems surprisingly modest at the moment

9:48	Dave Cameron: He only played like 50 games

9:48	Dave Cameron: And he had a .280 OBP. Hard to get low BSR when you’re not on base.

9:49	Lunar verLander: Houston beat writer saying that McCullers is the only guy warming up in the bullpen; thinking that they wanna save Harris for a not-clean inning (probably not the BEST idea, but plausibly what they’re thinking)?

9:49	Bill: Remember Chris Devinski? that dude was awesome.

9:49	Mike: Bird had that foot surgery too I bet speed is pretty far down the list of things to come back when you cant run and work out for so long.

9:50	Dave Cameron: Bregman misses 97 down the middle too.

9:50	Dave Cameron: Guys getting away with stuff today.

9:50	Post Malone: Remember how nasty severino was out of the pen last year

9:50	Dave Cameron: Nah, he’s already worked a lot this year, protect your young arm.

9:50	Michael: Morton gets high fives from teammates; could be done.

9:50	Dave Cameron: McCullers throwing means he’s coming in.

9:51	skip: Is there credence to saving Harris and Devenski for when other pitchers need to be bailed out? Or is it better to just use them to get some clean innings?

9:51	Dave Cameron: Let’s be honest; Hinch doesn’t want to use them.

9:51	Dave Cameron: He stopped trusting his RPs a while ago.

9:51	Dave Cameron: Little man!

9:51	ChatzMcGee: That’s impressive.

9:51	Nori Aoki: MVP

9:51	Chalupa Batman: JUDGE NOT TALL ENOUGH

9:51	Tom: THE TUVE!!!!

9:51	John: ALTUVE!

9:51	Michael: Altuveeeeeeeeeeeee

9:51	Andrew: Al-2-ve

9:51	Steven: Boom!

9:52	Dungeon Master: YES!

9:52	This is lude-icris: Even judge can’t reach that

9:52	Deylen: My goodness

9:52	Sadman : LOL

9:52

Buk: OPPO

9:52	Michelle: YAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSS

9:52	TB: Should’ve bunted

9:52

John: EV?

9:52	Dave Cameron: 100

9:52	bosoxfor life: What an amazing player!

9:52	Bill: His HR yesterday was a 1%’er

9:52	Dave Cameron: That one was legit

9:53	Deylen: My cousin is throwing stuff into the yard now

9:53	Rick: I literally love Jose Altuve!!

9:53	Dave Cameron: He was almost to 1B when he let the bat go.

9:53	Brett: Dave, please, where do you get the live EV data?

9:53	Dave Cameron: https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/gamefeed?game_pk=526503&type=exit_veloc…

9:53	Michael: Wanted to flip it so badly.

9:53	UKChris: Yankees ‘pen running out of steam?

9:54	Dave Cameron: Or Altuve is just good?

9:54	A.: Joe is not taking out Kahnle

9:54	Dave Cameron: I wouldn’t either.

9:54	Dave Cameron: Altuve will get hits off good pitchers.

9:54	Dan: This looks bleak for the Yankees

9:54	Dave Cameron: Still just 2 runs

9:54	Dave Cameron: And Hinch doesn’t trust his pen, so might push McCullers too far.

9:55	This is lude-icris: It’s only the fifth inning!

9:55	Scott Wood: What’s the Astros win expectancy?

9:55	Dave Cameron: http://www.fangraphs.com/livewins.aspx?date=2017-10-21&team=Astros&dh=…

9:56	Eric: Wasn’t Kahnle touching 99 earlier in the year

9:56	Dave Cameron: 100, even.

9:57	Dave Cameron: Kahnle’s glove just had a seizure.

9:57	John: You could take any three players from these two teams to start your team, who do you pick?

9:57	Dave Cameron: Judge, Correa, Altuve. Pretty easy.

9:57	Leader of the Free World.: Kahnle channeling his inner White Sox

9:57	Nori Aoki: Perfect execution

9:57	Deylen: Smart play

9:57	ChatzMcGee: lucky hit and run.

9:58	Dave Cameron: Adam Warren????

9:58	Dave Cameron: I didn’t know he was still a thing.

9:58	Canyonero Driver: Correa’s jump was very graceful

9:58	TB: I genuinely gasped

9:58	Jeff: Who would you bring in?

9:59	Dave Cameron: Warren’s fine. He’s good, in fact!

9:59	Dave Cameron: But Girardi has avoided him like the plague.

9:59	Post Malone: He’s either saving DRob or last night made him nervous.

9:59	Dave Cameron: The latter, probably.

9:59	Nick R: Everyone has bad outings

9:59	Dave Cameron: Well that wasn’t close.