FanGraphs Dodgers/Giants NLDS Game 5 Chat

9:00
Kevin Goldstein: Hi everyone! I’m here. Dan is here. The most hyped game of the season is here. Let’s hope it lives up to expectations. We’ll be here all night talking about the game, making dumb and not so dumb polls, and answering any other fun questions that end up in the queue. Thanks so much for joining us!

9:01
Kevin Goldstein:

You are on the Dodgers conference call, you are asked to vote…

Go traditional, start Urias (39.6% | 50 votes)
 
Use Knebler as an opener to flip the lineup (60.3% | 76 votes)
 

Total Votes: 126
9:02
Kevin Goldstein: So far, the results of the poll show there might not be a right/wrong answer.

9:02
Mike Y: What’s the optimum lineup strategy for the Giants, with Knebel starting?

9:02
Kevin Goldstein: Personally, I’d go with my vs. Urias lineup.

9:03
Joseph: The Giants have obviously been the biggest surprise as in outperforming team this year. What part is luck and what part is good management/strategy by their FO?

9:03
Kevin Goldstein: They won 107 games and have the Dodgers on the brink. I think it’s silly to be assigning any of this to luck at this point.

9:04
Alf: Dave Roberts reportedly texted Gabe Kapler last night to tell him that Knebel would start today’s game. Can you explain that? Is giving the opposing manager that type of notice common?

9:04
Kevin Goldstein: It’s a courtesy. It’s nice of him. It’s not done all of the time, but it’s certainly not uncommon.

9:04
Joseph: Without using Dan’s supercomputer, what is the win probability distribution for this game according to you?

9:04
Kevin Goldstein: 50/50 on the nose.

9:05
JT the nervous Giants Fan: What needs to go the Giants’ way for them to win this game?

9:05
Kevin Goldstein: It’s really just going to be about Webb being second half/g1 Webb.

9:05
Kevin Goldstein: Cheap answer but really the top factor.

9:06
Kevin Goldstein:

Who are you rooting for? (NOT A PREDICTION QUESTION)

Giants (50.7% | 72 votes)
 
Dodgers (28.1% | 40 votes)
 
Neutral, just want a good game (21.1% | 30 votes)
 
Neutral and want a crappy game (0% | 0 votes)
 

Total Votes: 142
9:06
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Good evening!

9:06
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Just had to reboot my PC real quick.

9:06
Avatar Dan Szymborski: But apparently there was a Windows update waiting.

9:06
Shodai: I think it was you (among others) that said SF is doing some groundbreaking work on matchups. What exactly does that mean beyond the usual analytics or are their dark magicks still beyond us mere mortals?

9:06
Matthew: If you’re going to use Knebel as an opener, would there be a way to hide it until the line-up cards are exchanged? It seems like some of the value is lost by allowing the Giants to revise their lineup.

9:07
Kevin Goldstein: No, latest it could be would be when lineups are revealed which has an early afternoon deadline.

9:07
Kevin Goldstein: Whoops, walked on Shodai there, which if you watch sumo, happens at times.

9:07
Kevin Goldstein: Shodai: They are definitely doing some stuff beyond platoons based on pitch type/location strengths and weaknesses.

9:08
Greg: Bigger hype: today’s game or Hakuho-Terunofuji showdown back in July…

9:08
Kevin Goldstein: This is the game of the year, the was the biggest sumo match of the last . . . ten years? Sumo all the way. I stayed up until nearly 4am to watch that match.

9:08
Avatar Dan Szymborski: There’s so much to examine there; digging into matchup mysteries is such a fun, complex problem.

9:09
Italian beef w/ giardiniera: Who would each team start in Game 1 of the NLCS?

9:09
Kevin Goldstein: I would guess Max/Gausman

9:09
Belli Flop: Cat update Mr. Dan?

9:09
Avatar Dan Szymborski: I’ve got Justinian down here, don’t know what the others are up to at the moment.

9:09
Jesse Catherine: Would there be any incentive to use a second reliever before Urias just to keep the Giants on their toes?

9:09
Kevin Goldstein: Jesse has his thinking cap on. . . .

9:09
Avatar Dan Szymborski: I was actually taking a Devil’s nap; got little sleep last night as I was finishing my piece and had a headache.

9:10
Lzfreak: How do all these people have each other’s phone numbers?

9:10
Kevin Goldstein: There’s something called the MLB Confidential Directory that has all key front office and field personnel’s numbers. I’m sure they already had each other’s numbers. Managers have a lot of comerarderie among them.

9:11
Scotty: Is Frangraphs correspondent Ben Clemens at the game today?

9:11
Avatar Dan Szymborski: I think he is!

9:11
Kevin Goldstein: He definitely is.

9:11
Avatar Dan Szymborski: As a spectator rather than working

9:11
Rob Manfred: Doesn’t look like Webb is getting the extra 6 inches tonight

9:11
Avatar Dan Szymborski: 12-year-old me is trying not to respond to this a certain way.

9:11
asinwreck: Can we have a scouting report on President Pierce?

9:11
Kevin Goldstein: He’s a little SOB. 80 energy.

9:11
Datt Mamon: Kevin, are you an IDLES fan?

9:11
Kevin Goldstein: I am!

9:12
Bobby Thomson: What does the Giants off-season look like?

9:12
Kevin Goldstein: The most fascinating in baseball? I think Bryant stays, I think Gausman probably stays. They have cash….

9:12
Kevin Goldstein: Wow, big Giants crowd in the chat, almost 2-to-1 over Dodgers.

9:13
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Oh man, I don’t have my Pierce Tale of the Tape any more.

9:14
Avatar Dan Szymborski: I saved over it with the Tale of the Tape for the Adams vs. Adams match.

9:14
Avatar Dan Szymborski:

9:14
Guest: Was the league able to change the start time of this if they wanted? This is such a marquee matchup that will end around 1 AM eastern.

9:14
Kevin Goldstein: I don’t think they could change it from night to day, thus the start time.

9:14
Bobby Thomson: After the Dodgers lose tonight, are they the modern version of the 90’s Braves?

9:14
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Winning the Series is hard! It’s not like they’re the Twins

9:15
Rich: Do teams have any metrics on umpires that translate to anything in game?

9:15
Kevin Goldstein: Absolutely. Advance reports include umpire sheets so the battery knows the zone tendencies. Really strong ones can influence location strategies.

9:15
Rob Manfred: Little known fact: if these teams are tied after 18 innings they both advance and have to combine teams for the next series

9:15
Avatar Dan Szymborski: 18 innings? I intend to be in bed by 3 AM.

9:16
Kevin Goldstein: That Webb inning was a bit concerning. Hard hit balls all over the place.

9:17
Rob Manfred: Trea Turner .158/.158/.211 this series, not what you want

9:17
Kevin Goldstein: I’m sure there were several four-game streaks during the season for Turner that were worse. It’s FOUR GAMES.

9:17
Avatar Dan Szymborski: I like the lineup the Giants are using. Mostly a mix of their best overall players and not obsessing about any 12th-dimensional chess the Dodgers are doing with pitcher usage.

9:17
Appa Yip Yip: I am cheering Giants because the Dodgers won last year so it’s boring to cheer for them again.

9:18
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Honestly, if you’re rooting for variety, you basically want the Braves to win it all.

9:18
Lzfreak: So how many innings do we see from Urias today?

9:18
Kevin Goldstein: I guess they’ll treat it like a normal start, no?

9:18
Avatar Dan Szymborski: 7 of the last 11 World Series are teams remaining

9:19
Kevin Goldstein: Ruf with a blast to the wrong part of the ballpark

9:19
Hugh Duffy: I am sad there was no way to like that comment, Dan.

9:19
Avatar Dan Szymborski: You can like it in your heart.

9:19
Eel Ffilc: Shildt the most surprising firing in recent memory?

9:19
Kevin Goldstein: Shocking

9:20
Kevin Goldstein: 104/36 for Ruf; 101/30 for Posey.

9:20
Kevin Goldstein: Brusader Graterol warming. This is not a drill.

9:20
Lzfreak: Oh man Betts is lucky that Posey isn’t fast

9:21
Hugh Duffy: What could the “philosophical differences” between Shildt and the front office be?

9:21
Kevin Goldstein: There’s a ton to unpack here. Probably not for the chat. I’ll be on the radio in STL tomorrow to discuss….

9:21
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Heideggerian vs. Hegelian

9:21
Chuck H: Knebel getting hit pretty hard, too. If it was just about anyone but Posey hitting that last one, it would have been three bases.

9:22
Two Dads Playing Catch: Bertrand Russell vs. the world

9:22
Bobby Thomson: TBS is talking about Posey 10 for 20 vs Urias.  Do teams still pay attention to individual match-up stats or are the sample sizes too small?

9:23
Kevin Goldstein: Too small for the most part, but when you get around 20 AB, it starts to get thought about, for right or wrong. Dan: Do individual hitter/pitcher matchups ever half enough for you to be real?

9:23
Avatar Dan Szymborski: I can’t tell you what teams are *actually* looking at, but from what I’ve personally seen, I get the impression that its’ more geared towards *characteristics* that lead to beneficial matchups rather than the specific players.

9:23
CJ: Is Urias in the dugout still?

9:23
Kevin Goldstein: No, in the bullpen to warm when he’s coming in.

9:23
Rich: Was the podcast recorded before the Shildt news broke, KG?

9:23
Kevin Goldstein: As you’ll hear tomorrow, it broke WHILE we were recording.

9:24
Kevin Goldstein: Strike 3 to Crawford is a ball because it was a missed location.

9:24
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Did you make a loud klaxon sound and go into 1930s radio announcer voice? That’s what I do on podcasts anytime news breaks.

9:24
Kevin Goldstein: I did say breaking news….

9:25
Avatar Dan Szymborski: You know I’m all the weird episodes of FanGraphs Audio.

9:25
WestCoastMiller: I welcome our future robot ball/strike calling overlords.

9:25
Kevin Goldstein: Holy crap that breaker for strike three.

9:25
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Just to get back to the matchup thing.

9:25
Kevin Goldstein: Approaching 3000 rpm

9:26
Avatar Dan Szymborski: I want to suss out the *qualities* that would lead a righties curveball to get what kind of lefties out

9:26
Ttam Nomad: What is Keibert Ruiz’s offensive upside? (If we can ask non-game questions)

9:26
Kevin Goldstein: You can, and above average for a catcher.

9:26
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Rather than the specific names so much because you’re going into sample issues

9:26
Kevin Goldstein: Dan: Problem is there are 582 different types of curveballs

9:26
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Hence the difficulty!

9:27
Avatar Dan Szymborski: But more on the macro level than the matchup level

9:28
CJ: Does Knebel pitch to Bryant? Then Urias to Yaz?

9:28
Kevin Goldstein: Makes sense, but I have to wonder if Roberts wants to give Urias a clean inning to start….

9:28
darkness88: I’m assuming that when the Dodgers pinch hit for the pitcher the first time through the order, they’ll have burned two relievers and bring in Urias after that. Is this right?

9:28
Kevin Goldstein: We will find out together!

9:28
Alf: % chance that you pick the Giants to win the division next year?

9:28
Kevin Goldstein: Very low.

9:29
chisoxmatt: Im not watching this game but this is really cool to be able to chat with you all during a game. Hope to come back for another game.

9:29
Kevin Goldstein: There will be more. We really like doing these, and it’s always great to hear that you folks do as well.

9:29
Kevin Goldstein: Also, watch the game!

9:29
Chuck H: Am I just seeing things, or is Logan Webb the spittin’ image of Jesse Plemons, the actor?

9:29
Appa Yip Yip: Cannot cheer for Atlanta because the chop is an abomination

9:30
RTJ: Have to expect the Padres to end up with a more competitive record next year, right?

9:30
Kevin Goldstein: I’d certainly take the over on a 77 number, but hard to see them catching the Dodgers in terms of overall roster quality.

9:30
Avatar Dan Szymborski: It’s really cringe.

9:30
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Chief Wahoo was worse than the Tomahawk Chop, but the Tomahawk Chop is *way* worse than the team name Indians

9:30
Dan: Giants are one of my least favorite teams but since my favorite teams are all AL or bad this year I’m rooting for the Giants.

9:30
Kevin Goldstein: The Jesse Plemons thing is something I’m tired of.

9:30
Two Dads Playing Catch: Does this feel like the world series to anyone else?

9:30
Avatar Dan Szymborski: I demand seven games!

9:30
Chuck H: Not as tired as Logan Webb is, I betcha.

9:31
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Unfortunately, my demands are rarely met!

9:31
Kevin Goldstein: Graterol throwing in pen, so feels like he’ll have the second….

9:31
Justin: Which of this year’s playoff teams do you think is least likely to reappear in the playoffs next year?  Notwithstanding that they had the best record this year, I’d have to think the Giants are at or near the top of that list.

9:31
Kevin Goldstein: Fun question. Red Sox up there for me.

9:31
Avatar Dan Szymborski: I hate to say it because it will inevitably sound like sour grapes, but I gotta say Giants. They gotta essentially rebuild the rotation again and it’s still an old team.

9:32
Avatar Dan Szymborski: And Boston does have some issues.

9:32
Two Dads Playing Catch: NEVER. FIGHT. A MAN. WITH A PERM.

9:32
Sharps: They should rename themselves the Barvez. Hebrew for duck.

9:32
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Yum!

9:32
Ace: Webb doesn’t feel “as” on as he was in Game 1, which of course makes sense – the Giants offense will need to show up here. Kevin / dan – if Predicting, how many runs does the winning team score tonight? My guess – 5

9:32
Kevin Goldstein:

How many runs will it take to win tonight’s game?

1 (1.5% | 2 votes)
 
2 (7.6% | 10 votes)
 
3 (27.4% | 36 votes)
 
4 (44.2% | 58 votes)
 
5 (13.7% | 18 votes)
 
6 (4.5% | 6 votes)
 
7+ (0.7% | 1 vote)
 

Total Votes: 131
9:33
Chuck H: Ron Wotus, retiring Giants coach, said on the Network today that Brandon Crawford is the greatest shortstop in Giants history. That’s a something like 140-year history. Are you buying that?

9:33
Avatar Dan Szymborski: No way. It’s gotta be Travis Jackson IMO

9:33
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Much better inning that time!

9:34
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Yeah, Jackson is part of the Everyone Frankie Frisch Ever Played With crew, but he really was damn good

9:34
MFG1975: Bottom of the 9th of WS game 7, you are up one run, opponent has bases loaded with 0 outs. Of contemporary players, who do you want at each infield position while playing infield in?

9:34
Kevin Goldstein: Arenado, Correa, Turner, Gurriel

9:34
Finnegan’s SSW: Is Lux actually better in CF than Taylor?

9:34
Kevin Goldstein: No.

9:35
Alf: Better inning for Webb in terms of hard-hit balls, but his command is still not where it was his last start.

9:35
Kevin Goldstein: I mean, last start was his 98th percentile….

9:35
Avatar Dan Szymborski: If his knees hadn’t gone, Jackson would have stuck around longer and made a better Hall case.

9:35
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Hmm, worse in JAWS t han I thought though. 33rd

9:36
Andy: Whenever I see Crawford field I think of that video of him when he was in AA in Richmond. An early work type thing where he was doing almost trick fielding like a baseball Harlem Globetrotter. Smooth guy

9:36
WestCoastMiller: Not Chris Speier?

9:36
Rob Manfred: Kind of ok with Knebel going but Graterol coming in feels like things are going to get really weird

9:37
Ttam Nomad: What is Kirilloff’s ceiling?

9:37
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Most likely sheetrock attached to joists.

9:37
Avatar Dan Szymborski: I’m sorry

9:38
Ttam Nomad: I knew something like that was coming

9:38
Kevin Goldstein: Yellow card, Dan.

9:38
STL Dramarama: Whatever it was with Schildt, they did it immediately despite the soft MLB prohibition on breaking news over the top of a playoff game. This isn’t going away quietly.

9:38
Kevin Goldstein: They asked for permission to announce and got it.

9:38
Kevin Goldstein: Kris Bryant can run a bit still.

9:38
Avatar Dan Szymborski:

9:38
Chuck H: Bryant can really fly for a big guy.

9:39
Kevin Goldstein: C’mon Dan. I don’t wear the hat anymore, I’ve lost 40 pounds and I have a beard. I’ve evolved!

9:39
Avatar Dan Szymborski: It’s an old card!

9:39
Cocopuffs: Do you agree with bringing in Graterol instead of Urias in the 2nd?

9:39
Kevin Goldstein: I do, end of SFG lineup is RHH heavy.

9:39
Avatar Dan Szymborski: That was like a ballista from Bryant

9:39
Kris “Vega$’ Bryant: I was doing the fly balls thing before it was cool.

9:40
Two Dads Playing Catch: Why doesn’t Graterol throw his 4 seamer more often? Do the Dodgers just not believe in it? sinker/slider combo is obviously already effective, do they not want to mess him up?

9:40
Beau: Echoes of the Hunter Pence broken bat hit

9:40
Ttam Nomad: Bryant should still be a Cub, but I digress

9:40
Kevin Goldstein: He wanted to get to Free Agency, so nah.

9:40
Rob Manfred: every time Will Smith tosses his mask on a popup and then starts to drift back toward it i lose a year off my life

9:41
Kevin Goldstein: Will Smith still very much has college baseball catcher energy.

9:41
Kevin Goldstein: That’s not a bad thing, per se.

9:42
Avatar Dan Szymborski: The vigor before time makes you into an Old Catcher

9:42
Chuck H: What do you think chances are Bryant re-signs with the Giants? He’s from out that way, that might help a little.

9:42
Kevin Goldstein: Also the team he grew up cheering for. He also wanted to get back on the west coast. It’s far from a done deal, but SFG is certainly the favorite to have him on their roster in 2022.

9:42
Avatar Dan Szymborski: There’s a point every catcher hits around 33-34 where every time they stand up, the knees of everyone watching start hurting too.

9:42
Lzfreak: I’m surprised to hear that Muncy has a dislocated elbow. I was able to locate it pretty easily from my couch.

9:42
Word Association: “Old Catcher” – Mickey Cochrane

9:43
Ace: The Dodger bullpen terrifies me. KG / Dan – where did you vote in the poll above on “runs needed to win”?

9:43
Avatar Dan Szymborski: I said 5

9:43
Cam: In terms of projection percentiles, this Giants season has to be right up there with the most extreme in recent history, right? Even as a Dodgers fan, I’ve gotta take my hat off to those guys

9:43
Kevin Goldstein: We got fun! First pressure point of the game with two on, one on. Not the best part of the lineup for the Giants here…..

9:43
Avatar Dan Szymborski: It is in ZiPS. We’re talking above 99th percentile and it’s ZiPS’ biggest miss ever

9:44
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Hey, as 8 hitters go, I’ll take Longo

9:44
Kevin Goldstein: Longoria cheating on FB, still can’t get to it.

9:44
CJ: If this doesn’t work, Roberts gets excoriated

9:44
Roger: Bryant and Bellinger sort of remind me of each other in a way. A bit underrated athletically in their draft days, perhaps. Body type to an extent. How was Bellinger just a 1b in HS? I get LH, but no CF or RF? Was he less athletic then?

9:44
Kevin Goldstein: Undeserved.

9:45
Kevin Goldstein: Roberts made it clear this was a FO decision.

9:45
Kevin Goldstein: Huge out there with runners holding and now pitcher up.

9:45
Kevin Goldstein: Only 40% K rate for Webb this year at the plate.

9:46
Ttam Nomad: Is the percentage chance Correa signs with the Cubs higher than 0?

9:46
Kevin Goldstein: Not much.

9:46
Appa Yip Yip: The announcer just said Logan Webb was a good hitter

9:46
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Being a good hitting pitcher is usually like being a four-year-old described as a good cook

9:47
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Carlos Zambrano could be trusted to not burn the house down making toast

9:47
Avatar Dan Szymborski: But wasn’t actually GOOD

9:47
Kevin Goldstein: Nice try Logan. Seven innings to go, and I’m gonna go make an iced coffee, back in 60.

9:47
Bobby Thomson: I did not realize that Longoria has not been an all star since 2010

9:47
Old Catchers: When I was a kid (in the 80s), Roy Campanella signed a card for me at a card show and I have been a huge fan my whole life. That is supposed to be the point of autographs.

9:47
CJ: Sorry, what is FO?

9:47
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Front office

9:47
Rob Manfred: Is Greinke as much of a Hall of Fame lock as it feels like he should be?

9:47
Avatar Dan Szymborski: No way

9:48
Avatar Dan Szymborski: It took six years to get Mussina in

9:49
Cam: It’s 2:48pm here on Friday afternoon in New Zealand. I have stopped working. This game is bigger than work.

9:49
Avatar Dan Szymborski: HEY ITS FRIDAY THERE CAN YOU TELL US WHO WON?

9:49
Chuck H: Kevin, how would you handicap Correa’s chances of landing with the Tigers? People there think the AJ connection, but that seems unlikely to me because history?

9:50
Kevin Goldstein: Cam: What are you doing in NZ? Is the game on normal TV there? Do you hang out with Flight Of The Conchords?

9:50
Kevin Goldstein: I think history actually favors AJ/Correa.

9:50
Kevin Goldstein: But that doesn’t make them the favorite. I still think Yankees make too much sense.

9:50
Cam: Baseball was the winner on the day. There’s your tip

9:51
Avatar Dan Szymborski: The people of one day later should be more generous to those of us in the past.

9:51
Two Dads Playing Catch: Mussina didn’t have 3000Ks though, and Greinke will likely reach that total before retiring.

9:51
Appa Yip Yip: Should we be savouring these pitcher at bats because they’re likely the last ones we’ll ever see?

9:51
Kevin Goldstein: Or celebrating their elimination….

9:51
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Yeah, but the Hall of Fame voting base evolves slower than the end-of-season award voters

9:52
Kevin Goldstein:

Do you want a universal DH?

Yes, watching pitchers hit is dumb (59.5% | 84 votes)
 
No, watching pitchers hit is fun (40.4% | 57 votes)
 

Total Votes: 141
9:52
Avatar Dan Szymborski: I have to admit that I’m sorta indifferent about the DH

9:52
Avatar Dan Szymborski: It’s fun to see pitchers hit sometimes, but I don’t really care too much.

9:52
Kevin Goldstein: It’s not something I lose sleep over, but I’m for all DH, all the time.

9:53
Kevin Goldstein: Hmmm, I thought Taylor got more of that.

9:53
Avatar Dan Szymborski: I actually think we get another year of the DH at least

9:53
Avatar Dan Szymborski: There’s bigger crap to deal with this winter

9:53
Cocopuffs: Agreed, I actually like that each league is different. And I’m an AL fan

9:53
Ace: GAH. The Giants need some breaks here. No profound question, but feels like they’re gonna regret not taking those early opps

9:53
Kevin Goldstein: 92/34 on the Taylor ball, didn’t even get that much of it.

9:54
Cocopuffs: I don’t like the giants but I love Webb just based on how fast he works. Pitchclock when?

9:54
Kevin Goldstein: Of all the experiments in the minors, this would be my strong bet to get to the big leagues first. It makes a huge different.

9:54
Kevin Goldstein: Universal DH with a quite solid lead.

9:54
Kevin Goldstein: That was Webb’s best inning so far.

9:55
Old Catchers: Buster Posey is 34 and I honestly thought he was older. Maybe a year off to get healthy is underrated!

9:55
Kevin Goldstein: It absolutely is. I think it’s a massive part of his success this year. The physical toll of catching is unreal and under-appreciated.

9:55
Chuck H: When I see pitchers try to bat, I don’t feel like it’s an honest effort much of the time, and from a competitive standpoint, that offends me.

9:56
Cam: Game is being broadcast on ESPN here in New Zealand – we get the Australian versions of ESPN 1 and 2 here, full of targeted Aussie stuff. Typical Yanks thinking Aussie and NZ are the same. I haven’t met the Flight guys – although Bret McKenzie plays in a band called the Black Seeds and they rock – great live.

9:56
Avatar Dan Szymborski: I tthink it’s an honest effort. It’s just that none MLB-quality hitters against MLB-quality pitchers is going to look really awful

9:57
Anti Trachsels: As a hitter, I always HATED it when the pitcher was rushing me. Pretty sure this is a thing even though I quit after high school. “Don’t rush me! I’ve made that mistake before” (taylor dayne)

9:57
Appa Yip Yip: I saw Marcus Stroman go oppo a few years back in interleague play and it was legitimately dope, AL pitcher going yard. Electrifying. But man the overwhelming majority of the time it is grim watching dudes fail to bunt and flail away uselessly.

9:57
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Bartolo homer!

9:57
Beau: Is it safe to assume Ramos and Bart will be in Dickerson and Casali’s roster spots next season.

9:57
Chuck H: When I was in ANZ, all the hotels had two sports networks, and 80% of what they aired was rugby (ick), and most of the rest was cricket. I became a big cricket fan as a result of watching it there.

9:57
Kevin Goldstein: Casali is arb eligible and I bet he stays. Team raves about him.

9:59
Actually…: Enjoying pitchers hitting is about outlier anecdata. Your brain has deleted the 99% of pathetic strikeouts and 6-3s.

9:59
Ttam Nomad: Zambrano hit 24 HRs. Fun!

9:59
Kevin Goldstein: I’m with actually, even though he used a word I don’t know the meaning of.

10:00
Ace: MadBum was fun to watch hit

10:01
Taylor Dayne: Which one of you is the Taylor Dayne fan?  Her overall sing tool was like 65-70 IMO

10:01
Kevin Goldstein: Excuse me, I’m sorry to bother you. But I just have to say . . . I love your voice. (Whoever gets that is a good person)

10:01
Two Dads Playing Catch: How many future hall of famers do you think are in this game?

10:02
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Well, Dodgers have what, 3 guys in the lineup who could make cases? Maybe a fourth if you think Bellinger can turn things around in a major way

10:02
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Posey I think gets in

10:03
Kevin Goldstein: Jay isn’t here, and well, I need to stay on brand in terms of awards and the HOF

10:03
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Is everyone else getting loanDepot commercials that are like 10% the volume of the other commercials?

10:03
Josh Maxson: Kershaw, Pujols and Scherzer being the three Dan?

10:03
Avatar Dan Szymborski: They’re not IN the game

10:04
Avatar Dan Szymborski: and Kershaw, of course, isn’t even in the series!

10:04
Kevin Goldstein:

In what inning will we see the first run?

4th (32.9% | 32 votes)
 
5th (32.9% | 32 votes)
 
6th (22.6% | 22 votes)
 
7th (6.1% | 6 votes)
 
8th (3.0% | 3 votes)
 
9th (1.0% | 1 vote)
 
Extras (1.0% | 1 vote)
 

Total Votes: 97
10:05
Floyd: Betts not a lock?

10:05
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Not  a lock yet by any means!

10:05
Ttam Nomad: Betts could end up in the HOF maybe?

10:05
Avatar Dan Szymborski: He COULD but it’s not there yet

10:05
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Hang on, I guess you guys want I should run a projection?

10:05
MFG1975: Verdict so far on the Dodgers’ pitching strategy?

10:05
Kevin Goldstein: Score says it worked.

10:05
Kevin Goldstein: YES DAN

10:07
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Hmm, well ZiPS has him finishing with 77.3 WAR

10:07
Avatar Dan Szymborski: but that’s not where he is *now*. A lot of bad things can happen in a decade.

10:08
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Has him exactly 50% through his career strikeouts. 178 more projected

10:08
Avatar Dan Szymborski: so 356

10:08
Avatar Dan Szymborski: about 2300 hits

10:08
Jack: Can we say the opener worked? Dont we have to see how Urias does?

10:08
Kevin Goldstein: Why? Who’s to say how it would have gone in a normal start?

10:08
Avatar Dan Szymborski: But I dont’ think i’d call it a *lock*

10:08
Alf: Based on what Trea Turner has done so far in the series, and his career numbers, it’s pretty certain that he’ll go hard this inning. He’s due.

10:08
Kevin Goldstein: Due is not a thing. (Turner went 1-3)

10:08
PSA: Free screenings tomorrow of RAD – the insanely great BMX movie celebrating its 35th anniversary. Lori Loughlin(‘s obvious stunt double) does a bike dance that is pivotal to the plot but like most 80s movies, it’s mostly about Helltrack and defeating the Blonde A__hole.

10:08
Hugh Duffy: More players have had Hall of Fame trajectories than careers that got them in, sadly.

10:09
JT the nervous Giants Fan: Opener did affect the lineup construction, but with the Giants turning over the lineup by the 3rd, doesn’t seem like it was super effective. Thoughts?

10:09
Avatar Dan Szymborski: They weren’t baited into going all-in with lefties, like Twitter thought they would for some bizarre reason

10:09
Kevin Goldstein: I didn’t hurt them.

10:10
Jack: I already asked this, but is it certain that whatever opener gain in handiness offsets potentially making the pitchers uncomfortable in their roles?

10:10
Kevin Goldstein: It’s very pitcher to pitcher, and Urias coming out of pen in post-season games has some good history…..

10:12
Zoso: Best Led Zeppelin bass line:  Ramble On / Lemon Song/ the field.  I’ll give odds at 2:1 / 3:1 / 15:1

10:12
Guest: Who does ZIPS like better to reach 65.0 career WAR: Betts or Posey?

10:12
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Betts

10:12
Marko from Tropoja: Does Scherzer re-sign with the Dodgers?

10:12
Kevin Goldstein: STRESS MOMENT. Two on, two out for Justin Turner.

10:12
Avatar Dan Szymborski: I think it’s quite possible

10:13
Kevin Goldstein: I think LAD is the favorite at least.

10:13
Fire Ken Tremendous: What’s up my dudes and dudettes? Anything going on tonight?

10:13
Kevin Goldstein: There’s a very good baseball game on.

10:13
Kevin Goldstein: Absolute nails from Webb there. He’s been nothing short of remarkable.

10:13
Cam: 3-run homer. Book it

10:13
Kevin Goldstein: Book what now?

10:14
Avatar Dan Szymborski: dang this game is just shooting by

10:14
Ian the vegan: who else is stress eating

10:14
Kevin Goldstein: If having coffee. Are you eating Burmese food?

10:15
Kevin Goldstein: Um . . . . Max Scherzer is jogging from the dugout to the bullpen…

10:16
Two Dads Playing Catch: 58.1 avg exit velo for Webb last inning btw

10:17
Ttam Nomad: Not predictive of course, but Scherzer didn’t fare well out of the bullpen in 2017 NLDS

10:17
MFG1975: I’m just hoping it turns into an “ice cream” game

10:17
Hart: If LA can get 5 innings from Urias,Scherzer  will finish?

10:17
Kevin Goldstein: Nah, I think he’s just for an emergency. Jansen SHOULD still get the ninth.

10:17
Cam: Max with a 5% bullpen bonus is a scary thought. Dude’s intensity might pop a vein

10:18
Kevin Goldstein: Somewhere, John Smoltz is complaining about the shift.

10:18
Finnegan’s SSW: Scherzer in Game 5 of the 2017 NLDS was also insanely unlucky

10:19
Two Dads Playing Catch: oh I think it’s supposed to be a game that’s so good you begin to eat ice cream out of nervous excitement

10:19
Cam: Does Trea instead of Corey get to that ball…?

10:19
Kevin Goldstein: More likely, but not in a way where he could make a play.

10:19
Guest: Smoltz complained about the shift on a single without the shift

10:19
Appa Yip Yip: Remember when Vladdy almost killed Max at the all Star game then hugged him? Imagine having the stones to hug Scherzer while he’s on the mound. Took his life into his hands there

10:19
Belli Flop: Didn’t Scherzer DSg5 in 2017 have a catcher’s interference and like 2 errors?

10:21
Guest: Forcing TBS’s chosen broadcasters upon us instead of Kruk + Kuip should be a crime

10:21
Ian the vegan: lol strike zone

10:21
CJ: That really was not a strike

10:21
Kevin Goldstein: Really bad AB for the ump.

10:21
Rob Manfred: As a Dodger fan …. Doug Eddings you the real MVP

10:22
Mike: It seems like it’d be true, and maybe it’s just missing spots when I’ve seen otherwise, but do teams encourage pitchers and catchers to pitch to the shift? Or are they relying more on batter tendency and telling pitchers/catchers to pitch how they otherwise would to that batter/stick to pitcher strengths?

10:22
Avatar Dan Szymborski: AC Slater

10:22
Kevin Goldstein: Yes. But locating pitches is REALLY REALLY HARD.

10:23
TuffyGoeswich: Bryant striking out in a 5-0 count has to feel bad.

10:24
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Eddings thought that was a strike too

10:24
Kevin Goldstein:

Crawford reaches 2nd with one out, do the Giants score?

Yup (24.2% | 25 votes)
 
Nope (75.7% | 78 votes)
 

Total Votes: 103
10:25
Ttam Nomad: Not to belabor this but Scherzer gave up two runs before errors/interference

10:25
Mike: Slater’ll get it done

10:25
Kevin Goldstein: QUIT PREDICTING SINGLE AB RESULTS FOLKS. YOU ARE REALLY BAD AT IT. NOBODY IS GOOD AT IT. THAT INCLUDES YOU.

10:25
Cam: Eddings booting the ball away. Clearly on the take. I demand the game be replayed – if the Dodgers lose this farce

10:25
Thomas: Looked like some ump interference on that wild pitch. Maybe makeup for the Bryant AB?

10:26
Guest: Eddings is having entirely too much impact on this inning

10:26
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Umpires are the true protagonists of baseball games. Players are just here for the Philosopher-Hero umpires to judge.

10:27
Guest: Does eddings have a dodger shirt under his chest protector?

10:27
Kevin Goldstein: Umpires are sometimes bad. To think that umpires are bad in a way that intentionally favors one team is just silly.

10:27
Rich: Joe West can retire in peace with that comment, Dan

10:27
Appa Yip Yip: Okay but this one time I was watching a game and I was like “this guy’s gonna hit a homer” and he did so

10:28
Avatar Dan Szymborski:

10:28
Thomas: Dan, I unironically agree with that take. Or at least, umps are significant supporting players, hugely important to the workings of the plot of the game. It’s why I’m against the robozone.

10:28
Avatar Dan Szymborski: And that’s four scoreless

10:28
CJ: I’d have never guessed Flores will have such a career when I saw him toiling with the Mets

10:28
Kevin Goldstein: People forget that Flores was one of, if not THE top player in the ’07 international class.

10:28
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Thanks to commercials, I’m already sick of this movie

10:29
Joe West: Umpires are the last true authority in america

10:29
S: can’t predict an at-bat, can predict a half-inning! way to go pollsters

10:29
Kevin Goldstein: Amen.

10:30
TuffyGoeswich: What is the baseball version of Michael Myers?

10:30
Kevin Goldstein: Jaime Moyer.

10:30
Mick: Can’t be disappointed as an umpire fan, they seem to go to the World Series every single year

10:30
Floyd: Can we predict a game though?

10:30
Kevin Goldstein: Not really, no.

10:31
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Badly!

10:31
Avatar Dan Szymborski: That’s why I go with probs

10:31
GodBlessOurBloops: Vicente Padilla is my Michael Myers

10:31
Alf: But what if a guy is due?

10:31
Kevin Goldstein: That changes everything!

10:32
Fire Ken Tremendous: Michael Myers is an even Nastier Boy than Randy

10:32
Wire Fan: I predict this game will end eventually.  I have been 100% on that postseason prediction so far.

10:32
Mateo: Some authority figures still matter. I stand and salute when David Appelman or Meg Rowley tell me to do something. That’s why I have a FanGraphs ad-free membership and support Effectively Wild on Patreon.

10:32
Kevin Goldstein: Mateo is our player of the game

10:33
Rich: It’s October, all about that big ‘mo, momentum

10:33
Matt: Say it’s 0-0 and Longoria gets on base next inning. Pinch hit webb?

10:33
Kevin Goldstein: I’d rather bunt.

10:33
Cocopuffs: Mike Myers is of course the Michael Myers of baseball

10:33
Kevin Goldstein: Missed opportunity by us, nice save from Cocopuffs.

10:33
JT the nervous Giants Fan: How many innings will Urias go?

10:33
Avatar Dan Szymborski: 4

10:34
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Unless a pinch-hitting opportunity is too hard

10:34
Avatar Dan Szymborski: That was a beautiful K pitch by Webb

10:34
Kevin Goldstein: I gotta say, on that Lux K. My favorite non-contact play is the batter bail out called strike three.

10:34
Avatar Dan Szymborski: He had NO idea what that pitch was doing

10:35
Dalton Wilcox: Who is Bellinger playing for in 2022?

10:35
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Dodgers

10:36
CJ: Is there a correlation between sinker usage and injury?

10:36
Kevin Goldstein: Not really. They only real correlation between pitching and injuries is that pitchers get injured.

10:36
Giant Fairweather Fan: Dude in my dynasty league didn’t give up on Bellinger, I doubt LA will.

10:36
In bounds?: Can we start talking about where each pitcher is putting whatever they’re mixing with the mound resin?  Because Webb’s is by his right pocket.

10:36
Jnc: Too early to get a Zips forecast on Bellinger’s 2022, Dan?

10:36
Kevin Goldstein: Is that the 36th 1-3 in this game for Webb?

10:36
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Probably but I can still run it! lol

10:37
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Percentile BA OBP SLG AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SB OPS+ WAR   90% .278 .371 .570 460 82 128 28 8 30 107 68 14 149 5.4   80% .261 .353 .525 463 78 121 24 7 28 100 65 12 133 4.3   70% .254 .345 .500 464 77 118 23 5 27 96 64 11 125 3.8   60% .247 .338 .484 465 75 115 22 5 26 93 63 11 118 3.4   50% .242 .332 .466 466 75 113 21 4 25 89 62 10 112 3.0   40% .239 .326 .462 468 73 112 21 4 25 88 60 9 110 2.8   30% .230 .315 .436 470 71 108 20 4 23 85 58 9 100 2.2   20% .225 .308 .417 472 70 106 19 3 22 80 56 8 94 1.7   10% .215 .295 .392 475 66 102 18 3 20 74 53 7 83 1.0

10:37
Avatar Dan Szymborski: wow that looks awful

10:38
Guest: Webb has extremely low spin rates spider tack isn’t helping him

10:38
Avatar Dan Szymborski:

10:38
MFG1975: Kevin, which player that you’ve met would make the best game show host?

10:38
Kevin Goldstein: Joe Biagini?

10:39
Vin Scully: Who has a better season next year Kyle Tucker or Luis Robert?

10:39
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Luis Robert has such a high ceiling

10:40
Guest: Luis Robert is my spirit animal.

10:40
Farhandrew Zaidman: Call me pessimistic, but I’m taking the under on that 50th percentile.

10:41
Two Dads Playing Catch: man, good pitching is a hell of a drug

10:42
Rob Manfred: a 112 wRC+ next year would be a nice upgrade in the 8 hole for the Dodgers

10:42
Ace: I take back by 5 run prediction to win. I now think this is a race to 2, but the Giants bullpen may affect that outcome

10:42
Doug: Do we think Gausman stays in SF?

10:42
Avatar Dan Szymborski: I think there’s a real chance that he does

10:43
cjm: Apologies if you’ve already talked about this recently – but what do you make of Rob Arthur’s article finding that spin rates have been climbing steadily since the sticky stuff ban took effect. Guys adjusting their mechanics / grips to not having anything to use, or potentially some more stealthy methods sneaking back into the mix?

10:43
B’Ryce Hammer: Can’t decide who I’m rooting for tonight. Just want one of these two teams to crush the A.L. Champs

10:43
Gavin: Has anyone mentioned the travesty that was the City Pride jersey? Biggest perk of reaching the post season is knowing we don’t have to see those monstrosities ever again

10:45
Pitcher stuff: Urias keeps touching the same spot as Webb, below arm side back pocket. It’s not a big deal but also not subtle.

10:45
Kevin Goldstein: He does it after he goes to his mouth, which is required by the rules.

10:46
Wire Fan: I hope this game ends soon… Young Sheldon is coming on.  How the heck does that make it 5 seasons?

10:46
Avatar Dan Szymborski: I still don’t know who was watching Big Bang Theory

10:46
Kevin Z.: catching up on chat where projection percentiles were discussed earlier. How extreme was Red Sox in 2013? I predicted they would win the east that year and my buddy thought I was crazy.

10:46
Avatar Dan Szymborski: I can check. Hang on

10:46
B’Ryce Hammer: Anyone looked at the ball to see if they dejuiced it a bit more? Feels like a lot of warning track fly balls

10:46
Kevin Goldstein: The EVs haven’t been that impressive. I’m with you in that I’ve been fooled on the broadcast a couple of times off the bat, not sure why.

10:47
Drew: Can we expect a freeze on major transactions in the offseason until a new CBA, or maybe a rush of transactions to get them in before a potential lockout? For me both polar scenarios seem plausible

10:47
Kevin Goldstein: I don’t think we’ll see much before 12/1.

10:47
LOVE GALLO: would transactions before 12/1 get invalidated with a new cba?

10:47
Kevin Goldstein: No.

10:48
Avatar Dan Szymborski: 88th percentiles

10:48
Avatar Dan Szymborski: for 2013 red sox

10:48
ralph: Good call to let Webb bat?

10:48
Kevin Goldstein: I was down with it.

10:48
Avatar Dan Szymborski: 84 projected

10:48
Avatar Dan Szymborski: 88th percentile

10:49
Phil: Re: pitcher-injury correlations–so is it a myth about the screwball? I’ve always wondered.

10:49
Kevin Goldstein:

Good call to let Webb bat?

Si (92.1% | 94 votes)
 
No (7.8% | 8 votes)
 

Total Votes: 102
10:49
Avatar Dan Szymborski: We don’t really have a TON of screwballs

10:49
Ace: I know we haven’t talked much about the CBA, but I assume expectations are pretty pessimistic right now?

10:49
Kevin Goldstein: Exceptionally so.

10:50
Rob Manfred: Realistically I’m not sure how you could distinguish between 95 and 105 off the bat from the usual TV angle, probably just looks good because it’s the right launch angle

10:50
Kevin Goldstein: You can distinguish 86 from 96 on a pitch, no?

10:50
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Barry!

10:50
Ben Schneider: What do the owners want in the new CBA?  It is obvious what the players need

10:50
Kevin Goldstein:

You good with Urias hitting here?

Yes (88.8% | 88 votes)
 
No (11.1% | 11 votes)
 

Total Votes: 99
10:50
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Owners want to give ’em nothing and make it retroactive

10:50
Kevin Goldstein: Owners want a way to keep as much money as possible.

10:51
Bobby Thomson: Barry Bonds at the game.  I will tell my kids about the stuff I saw him do someday and they won’t believe me

10:51
Avatar Dan Szymborski: “There was this guy Barry Bonds. I saw him eat 87 pancakes on a Tuesday morning!”

10:51
CBA Q: Should I just skip fantasy baseball in 2022 given the total lack of predictability? I can use that time in the winter/spring but also like winning and money. Or just let ‘er rip?

10:51
Kevin Goldstein: Do you have fun playing fantasy baseball? Then play fantasy baseball!

10:52
Kevin Goldstein:

Do you play fantasy baseball?

I do! (39.8% | 65 votes)
 
I do not! (60.1% | 98 votes)
 

Total Votes: 163
10:52
Kevin Goldstein: Hmmm. Surprised here, I thought yes would win handily.

10:53
Kevin Goldstein: Betts is the one guy who likes hitting against Webb.

10:53
Appa Yip Yip: I spend way too much time paying attention to regular baseball I have other things I’d like to do with my days.

10:53
Avatar Dan Szymborski: then don’t play!

10:54
Lzfreak: What’s the roster size in the chat tonight?

10:54
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Two, me and Kevin!

10:54
Phil: I don’t understand fantasy baseball at all. I root for the guy’s on my hometown team. I don’t want to be dependent on the success of guys on the other team.

10:54
Lzfreak: I mean how many people are here total

10:54
Kevin Goldstein: Hundreds

10:54
LOVE GALLO: wow what a steal

10:54
Avatar Dan Szymborski: I don’t have the total number of people who have been in here, but at any given moment, it’s generally been 250-300

10:54
Kevin Goldstein: Really tough pitch to throw on.

10:55
Chuck H: Fun fact: Julio Urias was a 16-year-old professional baseball player at Great Lakes in the Midwest League. What were you doing when you were sixteen?

10:55
Avatar Dan Szymborski: alcohol

10:55
Kevin Goldstein:

We really don’t know, because we can’t predict the future, but will the Dodgers score here?

Yes (65.2% | 62 votes)
 
No (34.7% | 33 votes)
 

Total Votes: 95
10:55
Kevin Goldstein: At 16 I was finishing high school and getting ready to move to Chicago.

10:56
Kevin Goldstein: IN PLAY (RUNS)

10:56
Avatar Dan Szymborski: YOU BETTER NOT VOTE NOW LIARS

10:56
Kevin Goldstein: Seager with a great piece of hitting to drive home Mookie with an oppo line drive double.

10:57
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Dang, I don’t have any pictures of me at 16

10:57
Kevin Goldstein:

Did The Dodgers Just Score A Run

Yes, we all just saw it, dummy (47.7% | 43 votes)
 
No, as none of this is truly real (52.2% | 47 votes)
 

Total Votes: 90
10:58
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Though I guess 16 and 18 were similar.

10:58
Avatar Dan Szymborski:

10:59
Eel Ffilc: Goldeneye?

10:59
Wireless Joe Jackson: That better be a Goldeneye tournament.

10:59
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Of course

10:59
Galaxy Brain: If time is linear, why did the Dodgers bring a Lux capacitor?

10:59
Thomas: Kevin, I want option 3 “”Just” is a relative term, what if I’m answering this poll tomorrow”?

10:59
Kevin Goldstein: No existentialism in the chat, sorry. Rules are rules.

11:00
Lzfreak: Which one is Dan

11:00
Avatar Dan Szymborski: I look pretty much the same just no beard

11:00
Oddball Herrera: Dan is all of them

11:00
Avatar Dan Szymborski: I’m certainly not Jerry, he was a workout freak despite him being in that picture

11:00
Mick: We are all Dan

11:01
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Im’sorry

11:01
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Well, still 1-0

11:01
Gavin: How wild would it be if this was actually a Wave Race 64 tournament?

11:01
Avatar Dan Szymborski: But of COURSE it’s goldeneye

11:02
Floyd: Kevin finished HS when he was 16? Is that allowed?

11:02
Kevin Goldstein: There was a time when I was gifted. I also graduated HS with like a 2.0 GPA.

11:02
Two Dads Playing Catch: dan/kevin is the best chat combo ty for doing this guys

11:02
Wireless Joe Jackson: Dan was probably playing OddJob.

11:02
Kevin Goldstein: Thanks for coming

11:02
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Do you see anyone punching me?

11:03
Avatar Dan Szymborski: The rule was you could keep punching whoever tried to use Oddjob or Moonraker Elite 2

11:03
Cocopuffs: I have a similar picture, and it really could be a Wave Race 64 tournament

11:03
Street Fighter II: Is there a way to be Blanka in Street Fighter II for SNES without being the cheap beginner doing the too-easy move over and over?  See also, Pikachu / Super Smash Bros for GameCube.

11:03
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Use Blanka’s mobility

11:04
Ben Schneider: Kevin, how did you get your first job in the baseball world?

11:04
Kevin Goldstein: To tell the story well, I’d need extra innings.

11:04
Avatar Dan Szymborski: you can’t rely on the electricity and the rolling thing if you’re against people who know how to play!

11:04
cjm: Dan strikes me as a Jaws picker

11:04
Avatar Dan Szymborski: I liked ouromov

11:05
Rob Manfred: What’s the cast in FanGraphs the movie? Obviously Robert Gossett reprising his role as Dan Szymborski

11:05
Avatar Dan Szymborski: ha!

11:05
Kevin Goldstein: Right now it’s about a 61% win probability for the Dodgers

11:05
Avatar Dan Szymborski: There’s always space for a different interpretation of the Dan Szymborski character other than the one seen on The Young & the Restless

11:06
Avatar Dan Szymborski: and we are TIED

11:06
Rich: Ruf luck for Urias

11:06
Woof: Ruf AB for Urias

11:06
Mateo: How about now Kevin?

11:06
Kevin Goldstein: Sometimes baseball games are insanely fun. Also, the win probabilities just changed dramatically.

11:07
Gavin: Rug!!!

11:07
Gavin: autocorrect is fun sometimes too

11:07
Tyler: Poetically this has to go to extras, right?

11:07
Avatar Dan Szymborski: yup

11:07
Avatar Dan Szymborski: it was always going to feel cheap if one team won 9-2 or something

11:10
Ian the vegan: i think it’s good and cool that MLB has an official crypto exchange

11:10
Avatar Dan Szymborski: It feels like MLB just heard “Hey, crypto is a thing. Whatever it is let’s do that.”

11:10
Mick: If you’re the Giants how inclined are you to go Gausman tonight? Feels hard to be comfortable with this bullpen

11:10
Avatar Dan Szymborski: I let him go as long as he’s comfortable

11:10
Dan: That is also what wall street is doing with crypto

11:11
Kevin Goldstein: No surprise, but the Ruf HR is the hardest hit ball of the night. 110.1 off the bat. That’s a very large number.

11:12
Avatar Dan Szymborski: He crushed it

11:12
Lenny Dykstra: I have a meeting about crypto at MLB next week actually.

11:12
Fire Ken Tremendous: Crypto is “very legal and very cool”

11:13
Dial: Bryant is still pissed about the strike two call last AB

11:13
Dial: OMG  – moderated

11:13
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Is that you chris?

11:13
Kevin Goldstein: This is a fantastic game and I’ll freely admit that I really still don’t understand crypto (I also haven’t really tried to, to be fair)

11:13
MFG1975: Per JJ Cooper on twitter just now…Ruf in Reading, August 2012: .371/.451/.931 with 20 HRs in 31 games.

11:13
Kevin Goldstein: I remember that run. He was like 26 at Double-A.

11:13
Dial: Could it *be* anyone else?

11:14
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Fake Dials

11:14
Avatar Dan Szymborski: There’s a store-brand Dial soap. You could be a store-brand Dial. Kris Dial

11:15
Ace: Chris Dial is here? Wow, this is like a legends of stats nerddom chat!

11:15
Two Dads Playing Catch: Hey Dan what does Bryant’s rest of career zips projection look like if ya don’t mind me asking

11:15
Rich: Crypto is going to save humanity KG, we’re just waiting to figure out how

11:15
Kevin Goldstein: I just know it’s why PC gamer weirdos can’t get super expensive graphic cards.

11:15
Avatar Dan Szymborski: What am I, MADE OF PROJECTIONS?

11:16
Avatar Dan Szymborski: It took me a month of website mining to get my 3080 in January!

11:16
Rob Manfred: Every time they say Ruf spent 3 years in Korea it sounds like they mean he fought in the war

11:16
FIPs: I predict that Dan predicts.

11:16
Dial: Your Ace from Outer Space?

11:17
Two Dads Playing Catch: you’re the one who put your own name in the projection database

11:17
Avatar Dan Szymborski: I didn’t even use the first letter!

11:17
Dial: To be fair, we discussed that

11:17
Thomas: Crypto is the logical conclusion of your burnout friend who was good at math taking a huge toke and shouting ” but money’s just a concept, man”

11:17
Kevin Goldstein:

Let’s do this again. It’s 1-1 after six innings. How many runs will win this game?

2 (24.8% | 32 votes)
 
3 (50.3% | 65 votes)
 
4 (19.3% | 25 votes)
 
5 (3.1% | 4 votes)
 
6 (0% | 0 votes)
 
7+ (2.3% | 3 votes)
 

Total Votes: 129
11:17
Fire Ken Tremendous: Do pick-off attempts have a pitch count equivalent? Do they have any effect on a pitcher’s arm?

11:18
Avatar Dan Szymborski: I don’t think so, though there’s evidence hitters hit worse with more pickoff attempts

11:18
WestCoastMiller: Weren’t we urged not to make predictions?

11:18
Kevin Goldstein: Not in any serious way, no.

11:18
Joe: I voted 5 because I refuse to change my mind given new evidence

11:18
Kevin Goldstein: You’ll make an excellent politician one day.

11:19
Avatar Dan Szymborski: For those who don’t know why I’m so familiar with Dial, Chris has been a friend for 25 years and is one of the reasons ZiPS is a thing.

11:19
Avatar Dan Szymborski: So blame him for the Giants preseason projection

11:19
Vegas: Predictions are easy. I parlayed the Orioles under .500 with Arrieta sucks. Next Kung Pao Chicken is on the house.

11:20
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Dan likes his chicken spicy

11:21
Divcoman: This is pretty surprising that Webb is still in for the 7th, no?

11:21
Kevin Goldstein: Mildly?

11:21
Avatar Dan Szymborski: It is, but it’s really hard to take it away from him now

11:22
TKDC: How many innings are we rooting for here? I assume Braves fans like me would be okay with 19.

11:22
Kevin Goldstein: I certainly would love extras, but not because of the LCS impact.

11:22
Avatar Dan Szymborski: I’ve got my booster shot tomorrow, I don’t want to be going bed at 5 AM!

11:22
Avatar Dan Szymborski: If we have extras, let’s have a reasonable one

11:22
Rich: I’d guess the logic is he’s already faced the “scary” part of the dodgers lineup the 3rd time?

11:23
Kevin Goldstein: My sleep schedule is absolutely hosed with a puppy in the house, so I’m just like whatever.

11:23
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Which isn’t really bad Rich. Maybe they feel different if the top of the order is up here

11:23
RAGBRAI: If we’re doing predictions/polls, Who wins the NLCS? Braves, Dodgers or Giants?

11:23
Avatar Dan Szymborski: You kinda have to take the Braves if doing a NOW projection

11:23
Kevin Goldstein: Nope, game results are verboten in KG chats.

11:24
Doug: This feels like it should be the NLCS… idk something about one of these teams getting bounced in the 1st round just feels wrong

11:24
Shodai: My 5G microchip booster isn’t till 1:30 tomorrow, let’s get to the 16th tonight. Max is inevitable.

11:24
Kevin Goldstein: Then win your division. I see this kind of thing as a feature more than a bug.

11:24
The ood and the Ugly: Webb has the best pitcher snarl since Lackey.

11:24
Avatar Dan Szymborski: I just prefer it would be 7

11:24
Avatar Dan Szymborski: bit 5

11:24
Boss Tweed Coat: Do people still say “stymied “?

11:24
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Stymied is a good word

11:24
Dial: Yes, he has the “MAriano Rivera” portion of the lineup

11:25
cjm: So then I assume you are against re-seeding after the WC, KG?

11:25
Kevin Goldstein: Nah, I’m fine with the current setup. If anything, I’d just kill the wild card game, have just one wild card team and they play the 1 seed.

11:25
Avatar Dan Szymborski: I like there being a significant penalty for the wild card though

11:25
Avatar Dan Szymborski: you can’t really do it with matchup and HFA

11:26
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Without the wild card game, that NL West final week is just “who cares, whatever”

11:26
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Or the last two months after the Padres plummetted

11:26
Avatar Dan Szymborski: plummeted

11:26
Avatar Dan Szymborski: sorry

11:27
Lzfreak: Plumetttttttttted

11:27
B’Ryce Hammer: I just know that this series is probably gonna be the best series in the entire postseason. Although an LA-HOU grudge match would be cool

11:27
mybloodyballantine: 2nd wild card team should be randomly selected. We need a Charlie Kelly style wildcard.

11:27
Kevin Goldstein: Love it when pitchers show emotion.

11:27
Phil: Is Wilmer Flores good?

11:27
Kevin Goldstein: He’s useful for sure.

11:30
RAGBRAI: If playoffs expand  in the new CBA, do we see a shorter regular season?

11:30
Avatar Dan Szymborski: No

11:31
Avatar Dan Szymborski: And I don’t think playoffs expand

11:31
Kevin Goldstein: I think they might

11:32
Kevin Goldstein: Playoffs games make a ton of money. Owners like money. Easy concession for players. Might line up.

11:32
Finnegan’s SSW: No way Treinen is good enough that you let him hit, right?

11:32
Kevin Goldstein: No way.

11:33
Andy: As a fan, I hate expanded playoff’s potential for crowning a mediocre champion. Baseball games are so close to 50/50 that a middling team can run the table in the playoffs in a way that rarely happens in football or basketball.

11:33
Kevin Goldstein: It can happen now, and does often.

11:34
Dial: I wonder about that pitch classification.  I presume those pitches were some kind of slider?

11:34
Ace: Logan Webb. Wow, that’s (and I hate this cliche, but true) a hell of an old-school SP ace performance. If he never does anything else, will always have this series.

11:34
Ace: Holy hell, how is one supposed to hit that Treinen pitch? my eyes broke trying to follow that

11:34
TKDC: When does Scherzer come in?

11:34
Kevin Goldstein: It’s absolutely insane raw stuff. Among the best in the game.

11:34
Avatar Dan Szymborski: When he demands it!

11:34
Phil: But if there are expanded playoffs, and yet teams continue to manage them the way they do now (“spikes on,” as Cora says), won’t that just lead to more injuries?

11:34
Eric Gagne: So why not Kelly here instead?

11:34
Kevin Goldstein: Interesting one. Maybe has a matchup in mind….

11:35
T: What’s some of the best pure stuff you saw, Kevin? Whether they made it or not. Ariel Hernández made it with the Reds a little. Talk about an effectively wild, tough AB

11:35
Kevin Goldstein: Fun question. Best raw stuff/worst pitcher award is absolutely Jason Neighborgall. But that wasn’t fun, that was just sad.

11:36
Kevin Goldstein: Uttlerly killer inning from Blake.

11:36
Hugh Duffy: I think Joe Kelly is who Roberts brings in to get out of jams. No jams yet.

11:36
Rob Manfred: The Dodgers are going to use Scherzer in the 9th because there’s nothing the Dodgers love more than pushing their starters in relief in clinching games.

11:36
Avatar Dan Szymborski: The silver lining of no Kershaw

11:36
Phil: Best stuff I ever saw in person belonged to Oil Can Boyd. Who was good, just not as good as I always thought he should have been.

11:37
Avatar Dan Szymborski: 80 nickname though

11:37
Raw Stuff Worst Pitcher: There are a lot of right answers but Carlos Marmol leads all Cubs RPs in fWAR, that’s my guy.

11:37
Scotty: Dylan Maples deserves a shot at that best stuff/worst results trophy

11:37
Kevin Goldstein: He’s up there. He’s no Neighborgall. Go look him up.

11:38
He Hate Me: So LAD starts the game with two relievers before bringing in their CY candidate, who only goes 4 IP.  On what planet is that a smart move?  Too clever by half…

11:38
Kevin Goldstein: The Giants have one run in seven innings. How can you call this a failure.

11:39
Mick: Because they wanted the Giants to have ZERO runs in seven innings

11:40
Ace: looks like Jason is doing ok!  You think with today’s level of pitching sophistication, anyone could have harnessed his stuff better?

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-neighborgall-701b2814/

11:40
He Hate Me: Well, they used four pitchers to get the same results as one pitcher for the Giants…

11:40
Kevin Goldstein: This is not a comparison. The Dodgers have allowed one run in seven innings. The pitching has done well.

11:41
TKDC: The Urias move could only be criticized. No outcome would lead to it being praised.

11:41
Kevin Goldstein: Sure feels like it.

11:41
Farhandrew Zaidman: What is the path to becoming a submarine pitcher? Like, at what point does a player say “Nothing else has worked, may as well try this!”

11:41
Kevin Goldstein: I used to suggest in Houston that before a pitcher gets released, you put him on the mound, drop him down and see how it works….

11:42
Eric Gagne: Scherzer has to be coming in next right?

11:42
Kevin Goldstein: Don’t think so, but I wonder if he’s in Roberts’ mind for a potential 10th.

11:43
Lzfreak: Who was the first ever submarine pitcher? Like who came up with this amazing premise?

11:43
RTJ: y’all are forgetting that the scoring is Runs Score / Pitchers Used

11:43
Kevin Goldstein: Right? I have no idea how to watch that game and say the Dodgers have screwed up their pitching.

11:43
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Lots of early guys had weird deliveries

11:43
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Do we even know?

11:44
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Liek Carl Mays was famous for it a century ago. But he almost certainly wasn’t the first

11:44
Sharps: We need secret bullpens so pitchers can suprise everwhen when they come in, WWE style

11:44
Craig Counsel: You all debate your funky deliveries while I wear my batting stance crown.

11:45
Farhandrew Zaidman: That crown belongs to Julio Franco.

11:45
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Amd we

11:45
Avatar Dan Szymborski: And we’ve got a real rally

11:45
Jared: My Wife’s Mother’s cousin’s brother is at the game. He said Kershaw is getting loose… 🙂

11:45
Kevin Goldstein: Is that the mom who works for Nintendo?

11:46
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Ben has to be enjoying himself

11:46
Avatar Dan Szymborski: It’s been a terrific game

11:46
Two Dads Playing Catch: HOYT WILHELM. I was trying to think of that dude’s name for like a week finally got it thank god

11:46
Kevin Goldstein: Man, tough as tough a spot here for the Giants. Surprised Kapler is keeping Rogers in….

11:47
Kevin Goldstein: Rogers seems way off. Gotta get someone hot, and FAST.

11:48
Kevin Goldstein: And then he whiffs Seager. Baseball is wonderful.

11:48
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Huge K

11:48
Rob Manfred: Is Trea Turner Due, the longest thread in the history of forums

11:48
Kevin Goldstein: This has become the Seager is due chat.

11:48
Hugh Duffy: And Doval is coming in.

11:49
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Well, being due *is* the most important factor by far!

11:50
Kevin Goldstein: Weird move to Doval here. Turner kills FB.

11:51
Fire Ken Tremendous: He does but he hasn’t been killing much of anything this series…except Dodger fans

11:51
TKDC: How long is Doval going at this point? Would they consider 2.1?

11:51
Mr. 954: you know, and it feels weird to say this… i think i’m tired of baseball for a while…. I’ve watched these teams all year, I know the players, the drama…. but I can’t make myself care… should I turn the game off and wait for spring or try to stick around to see if magic happens?

11:51
Kevin Goldstein: I’d be shocked at more than four outs.

11:51
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Do what makes you happy! Don’t overthink it

11:51
Kevin Goldstein: Yup, and don’t do what does NOT make you happy.

11:52
Hugh Duffy: And Turner didn’t kill that fastball.

11:53
Avatar Dan Szymborski: And they escape

11:53
Kevin Goldstein: Indeed he did not. What a frickin’ game. (Family chat)

11:53
Avatar Dan Szymborski: I have to admit to dropping curses from time to time

11:53
B’Ryce Hammer: This game has not disappointed

11:53
Kevin Goldstein: You want to hear my curse, listen to the podcast.

11:55
Tim Livingston: Dan, quick video game aside (because I think KG is a JRPG guy): How good is Metroid: Dread?

11:55
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Couldn’t tell you!

11:55
Avatar Dan Szymborski: I’m a JRPG guy too!

11:55
Ian the vegan: speaking of, when does the next ep drop KG

11:55
Kevin Goldstein: Always Friday morning.

11:55
Avatar Dan Szymborski: I beat Cold Steel IV in Japanese without speaking the language.

11:55
Kevin Goldstein: I’m not JUST a JRPG guy….

11:55
Jason: Does the FO feed much information to the manager prior to a game like this?  If so, what?

11:55
Kevin Goldstein: Tons. Advance reports for each series are book-like.

11:56
Kevin Goldstein: Kenley Jansen has the ninth. That’s the right call.

11:56
S: what’s an FO?

11:56
Kevin Goldstein: Front Office

11:56
Remember ’51: I’m 41 and my parents weren’t born yet.

11:56
Two Dads Playing Catch: ooh it is really cool that this is happening 70 years after the bobby thompson game

11:57
Avatar Dan Szymborski: My mom wasn’t but my dad was

11:57
Farhandrew Zaidman: Jansen 6 outs?

11:57
Kevin Goldstein: Would need a low pitch count here. VERY low.

11:57
Avatar Dan Szymborski: He was born in 1949, mom in 1954

11:57
Avatar Dan Szymborski: He was only five years older than me when he died, which does seem weird

11:57
Joe: What could CNN possibly need a streaming service for?

11:58
Kevin Goldstein: Both of my parents (from Brooklyn) remembered the Thompson home run.

11:58
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Jeff Toobin’s OnlyFans

11:58
Ben: Missed the earlier extra inning games, are they doing runners on second in extras during the playoffs?

11:58
Kevin Goldstein: Nope. We are once again pure.

11:58
Fire Ken Tremendous: Is that why they call it the hot corner?

11:58
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Naturally!~

11:58
Hugh Duffy: Now we’re in the NSFW area.

11:59
Joe: I legit thought Ruf was retired.

11:59
Zapffe: Any idea what were the ‘philosophical differences’ for Schildt getting canned?

11:59
mybloodyballantine: Fangraphs needs an only fans. Perhaps that can be the next subscription tier

11:59
Avatar Dan Szymborski: FanGraphs OnlyFans – if you subscribe, it’s turned OFF for you

11:59
Rob Manfred: a … fun … subplot here is that it could be Kenley’s last appearance as a Dodger

11:59
Kevin Goldstein: We have Twitch

12:00
Phil: If Bobby Thompson steps out of a time machine right now, is he still on the roster because he was when he stepped into it?

12:00
Avatar Dan Szymborski: no

12:00
Kevin Goldstein: Happy Friday East Coast

12:00
Avatar Dan Szymborski: He’d be unsigned

12:00
Ace: Ice cream!

12:01
Kevin Goldstein: Nope, still three hours away.

12:01
Avatar Dan Szymborski: He would be missing from the timeline and presumably released

12:01
Whitty: Now us East Coasters know the outcome of the game like the New Zealanders

12:01
B’Ryce Hammer: If San Fran wins, Webb gets MVP right?

12:01
Kevin Goldstein: PRETTY sure there is no LDS award.

12:01
Bob: Whoever wins is gonna be exhausted for the Braves series.

12:02
Rich: Did #WeirdBaseball gain any traction in the Astros FO?

12:02
Kevin Goldstein: I did not try.

12:02
Wesley: HIs contract would likely not be in line with the CBA rules anyway, so either the league or PA would get it voided

12:02
Lzfreak: I feel like most of my postseason memories from the last decade include Kenley Jansen in the late innings

12:02
S: *** IRC Style Banner in a Web Browser in 2021 ***

12:02
Marko from Tropoja: If the game goes long and Max comes in, what’s his leash like? 40-50 pitches?

12:03
Kevin Goldstein: /join #fangraphschat

12:03
Avatar Dan Szymborski: I think it depends on the game

12:04
Kevin Goldstein: My god, what a game.

12:05
Avatar Dan Szymborski: ### (#   ###                                 
                                                            ##   #     ##                               
                                                           #.   ##     ###                               
                                                           #/   ##    ##  ##                              
                                                           #   ##   ##   #                              
                                                           #( ##.    #    ##                              
                                                         ## ##     ##   ##                               
                                                        ##   ##,    ##  *#/                               
                                                       /#     ###*  ,#/#

12:05
Avatar Dan Szymborski: dang, too narrow

12:06
Avatar Dan Szymborski: What’s IRC without ascii art?

12:06
Avatar Dan Szymborski:

12:06
B.R: Does the manager have access to spin rate/other pitch metrics during the game or is that not allowed?

12:06
Kevin Goldstein: Team has access to the statcast feed I believe.

12:06
TKDC: Would Max Scherzer getting the game-winning hit be the best way for this game to end?

12:06
Kevin Goldstein: It’s up there!

12:07
Kevin Goldstein: GET EXCITED ALERT: Max Scherzer is warming up in the pen.

12:07
Sliver57: Where’s my dot matrix printer?

12:07
Hugh Duffy: That’s definitely NSFW.

12:07
Appa Yip Yip: Dan just murdered ASCII art

12:08
Kevin Goldstein:

Are we going to extra innings in this one?

Yes, yes we are (64.2% | 72 votes)
 
No, no we are not (35.7% | 40 votes)
 

Total Votes: 112
12:08
David: Who’s up in the Dodgers bullpen?

12:08
Kevin Goldstein: I just told you! Max Scherzer!

12:08
Avatar Dan Szymborski:

12:08
Rich: my vote for “no” was mostly wishful thinking

12:09
David: I’ve never been known as a good listener

12:09
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Man, we’re reaching our reader peak after midnight ET!

12:10
Marko from Tropoja: OMG yes Scherzer homer in the top of the tenth.

12:10
Avatar Dan Szymborski: TLR would say that was intentional

12:10
Rob Manfred: i didn’t have Alex Wood on my bingo card

12:11
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Gavin Lux sounds like an obnoxious British billionaire who made his money in faux-luxury hotels

12:11
Avatar Dan Szymborski: and probably owns a tabloid

12:11
Kevin Goldstein:

Do you HAVE to wake up before 9am ET tomorrow for work or personal reasons?

I do (53.5% | 61 votes)
 
Sleeping in (46.4% | 53 votes)
 

Total Votes: 114
12:11
5 Run Homer:

The Dodgers and Giants have each spent ~1,500 innings over the last six months proving themselves to be the best teams in the game and two equally-matched titans, and now it’s “next run wins”. Lol.
15 Oct 2021
12:11
Two Dads Playing Catch: Have either of you ever met David Price? he seems like a cool guy.

12:11
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Only very briefly

12:11
Kevin Goldstein: I have not.

12:12
5 Run Homer: Mountain time rocks

12:12
Ben: Does TLR coach the wsox in 2023 if they don’t make it out of the first round again?

12:12
Avatar Dan Szymborski: No

12:12
Two Dads Playing Catch: I would like to formally announce that I am having fun

12:12
S: do a west coast / east coast poll??

12:12
Kevin Goldstein:

What time zone are you in?

East (40.0% | 72 votes)
 
Central (18.3% | 33 votes)
 
Mountain (7.7% | 14 votes)
 
West (31.6% | 57 votes)
 
West of the 48 (Hawaii, Asia, etc) (1.6% | 3 votes)
 
East of the 48 (Europe, Africa, etc) (0.5% | 1 vote)
 

Total Votes: 180
12:13
Kevin Goldstein: HIGH STRESS TIME

12:13
Wireless Joe Jackson: It’s only 8pm, guys.  Quit complaining.

12:13
Kevin Goldstein: Two on, one out, Cody Bellinger.

12:13
Rob Manfred: They should settle this with an arm wrestling match between Friedman and Frahan

12:14
He Hate Me: It’s 9:15 where both of these teams play.

12:14
Avatar Dan Szymborski: This would be a good moment for Bellinger to remember that whole baseball thing

12:15
Divcoman: Please tell me that FG is running a chat for the Sox/Astros tomorrow night!

12:15
Kevin Goldstein: Sorry, we are not.

12:16
Avatar Dan Szymborski: We don’t want to do too many or you’ll get tired of them

12:16
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Especially of me since I’m in so many of them

12:16
Ben: Used to live in cst but west coast now, definitely better for sports west coast time. Baseball at 9am on occasion and football starting at 10am not terrible.

12:16
Rich: Cody going deep now would be very MLB post-season

12:16
Doug: Bellinger, happy for him

12:17
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Dangit! I saw this before Bellinger got the hit

12:17
He Hate Me: Bellinger atones

12:17
Josh Maxson: He remembered!

12:17
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Great timing!

12:17
Shodai: Rise Son Of Clay!

12:17
Kevin Goldstein: Cody Bellinger’s nightmare season is defined by an inability to get to premium velocity, so you throw a middle-middle slider?

12:18
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Shodai, I have COdy/Clay issues.

12:18
Avatar Dan Szymborski:

12:18
B: Feel great for Bellinger. After the nightmare this year must’ve been for him

12:19
Ace: I feel like my soul just left my body

12:19
Phil: Scherzer in anyway?

12:19
John: BRING ME SCHERZER OR BRING ME DEATH

12:19
Kevin Goldstein: He’s warming!

12:20
Avatar Dan Szymborski: At this point, just using relievers as relievers would be the weird thing

12:21
Paul H.: That just won worst bunt of the year article by far.

12:22
Avatar Dan Szymborski: “We’re so confident about this one-run lead in the most important game of the year that we’re going to FRIGGING bunt!”

12:22
Brooklyn Heights: That bunt seemed ill-advised

12:22
Fire Ken Tremendous: That seemed…ill advised?

12:22
weezy: what was that bunt

12:23
TKDC: was Bellinger going?

12:24
Kevin Goldstein: On the bunt? Looked like safety squeeze.

12:24
Jared: Scherzer’s first pitch is going to 109 mph. I can see his heart beating

12:24
B’Ryce Hammer: Scherzer closes this out on ten pitches, he still starts game 1?

12:25
Avatar Dan Szymborski: I’ve got no idea at this point!

12:25
Guest: Gonsolin game 1?

12:25
Kevin Goldstein: Crawford, Bryant, Slater due up.

12:25
Kevin Goldstein: Scherzer coming in.

12:25
Ben: Has a pitcher ever had an immaculate inning where they missed all nine pitches or have there been at least a few called strikes each time?

12:26
Avatar Dan Szymborski: It has to have happened ONCE right?

12:26
He Hate Me: There actually haven’t been that many immaculate innings.  Fewer than no-nos

12:26
Sliver57: Wade hits for Slater

12:27
Avatar Dan Szymborski: I may stroke out from too much baseball goodness if the Giants tie it here

12:27
Lzfreak: They haven’t reliably tracked immaculate innings for that long. There may be more than we know.

12:28
Kevin Goldstein:

Fine, I’ll let you ingrates predict a game result. Bottom of the ninth

1-2-3 inning (34.4% | 32 votes)
 
Giants get runner to 1st; don’t score (25.8% | 24 votes)
 
Giants get runner(s) in scoring position; don’t score (15.0% | 14 votes)
 
Giants tie game, we get extras (12.9% | 12 votes)
 
Giants win (11.8% | 11 votes)
 

Total Votes: 93
12:28
Avatar Dan Szymborski: A homer here and you can upgrade him to Crawlincoln

12:28
Christopher Jacoby: Was Doval best pitcher to be in that spot against Bellinger?  Seems a lot for a rookie pitcher, with two on against the Dodgers, expecting him to maintain for the hold to give his team a chance for NLCS is a lot of pressure.

12:28
Kevin Goldstein: Honestly, he might have been their best if he just threw fastballs….

12:29
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Or maybe even Crawcadillac

12:29
Avatar Dan Szymborski: He made solid contact, so no downgrade to Crawgeo

12:29
weezy: Off the bat I was sure that was a hit for Crawford

12:29
Rich: I just took drowsy cold medication, whatever happens please be the last half inning

12:29
Two Dads Playing Catch: those are terrible puns Dan

12:30
Kevin Goldstein: Holy crap on that E.

12:30
Kevin Goldstein: I audibly gasped

12:30
Rob Manfred: .700 xBA for Crawford there

12:30
losingteam: turner, what?!

12:30
5 Run Homer: Justin Turner is a sneaky bad fielder

12:30
Kevin Goldstein: Correct. 40 Third baseman.

12:30
Whitty: This feels like a turn-ing point

12:30
5 Run Homer: 9/10 on the that can’t happen scale

12:30
LFC Mike: dont go there Dan.. you are better than that

12:31
Avatar Dan Szymborski: I’m not better than puns

12:31
Mick: Late night Lamonte?!?!?

12:32
LFC Mike: That was  a Crawpinto

12:32
Wireless Joe Jackson: Only on FanGraphs After Dark!

12:32
Correan WAR: I did not know that nickname existed, and I love it.

12:32
Hugh Duffy: Google returns results on Late night Lamonte.

12:32
Doug: That ball for a split second off the bat…. yikes

12:32
Steve O: Scherzer looked panicked for a moment there lol

12:33
Marko from Tropoja: Turner atones with a 5-4-3 double play. I can feel it.

12:33
Kevin Goldstein: So he’s due?

12:34
Two Dads Playing Catch: absolutely cruel pitch there

12:34
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Remember, CODY was due!

12:34
Farhandrew Zaidman: The first pitcher to master the intentional cement mixer will be deadly

12:34
CJ: Yikes that was middle-middle

12:34
Kevin Goldstein: Advance him, he might be a 0-0 auto-taker

12:35
Avatar Dan Szymborski: And that’s it!

12:35
Correan WAR: Damn, no hesitation on ringing him up and sending everyone home

12:36
Lzfreak: Oh man that was close to not being a swing

12:36
Bobby Thomson: Not the finish anyone wanted.

12:36
Rob Manfred: There is literally no more fitting way for this to end then on a check swing call

12:36
Kevin Goldstein: What can I say? That was a fantastic game. We had fun. I think there’s a chat for ALCS game 3 on Monday! We’ll see you then and thanks so much for hanging with us tonight. The crowd grew throughout the night and we appreciate you. If you had a good time tonight, please support FanGraphs!

12:36
Avatar Dan Szymborski: That game lived up to the hype!

12:36
Thomas: Great giffabke Giants fan reaction into he broadcast right there

12:37
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Thanks for coming everyone!

12:37
Avatar Dan Szymborski: We enjoyed having you chill with us

12:37
Alf: Thanks guys!! Fun as always!

12:37
Doug: Thanks Kevin and Dan!

12:37
Hugh Duffy: Thanks for the chat!

12:37
S: Subscribe to FanGraphs!!

12:37
Fire Ken Tremendous: Thanks guys!

12:37
Jon: Disgraceful.  I had no interest in the winner.  As a baseball fan…disgraceful.

12:37
Trick or TreaTurner: Thank you

12:37
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Didn’t even call it dramatically

12:37
Rich: Thanks Dan and KG!

12:38
TKDC: Thanks buddies!





Meg is the managing editor of FanGraphs and the co-host of Effectively Wild. Prior to joining FanGraphs, her work appeared at Baseball Prospectus, Lookout Landing, and Just A Bit Outside. You can follow her on twitter @megrowler.

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