LDS Live Blog Extravaganza - 10/9/17

1:02	Paul Swydan: Hi everybody!

1:03	Paul Swydan: Who is going to be eliminated today? Red Sox (16.6% \| 32 votes) Yankees (6.2% \| 12 votes) Diamondbacks (13.5% \| 26 votes) All of them (19.7% \| 38 votes) Two of them (36.9% \| 71 votes) None of them! (6.7% \| 13 votes) Total Votes: 192

1:04	1908wasnextyear: Any way to guage whether a hitter’s splits or a pitcher’s splits are more important? Thinking of Edwards vs Harper … CJ is better against lefty hitters than any of the actual lefty pitchers in the Cubs pen — but Harper hits righties better. Whose splits matter more?

1:04	Paul Swydan: I’d be surprised if Edwards’ splits against lefties was indicative of his true talent level.

1:04	Brandon M: I LOVE BASEBALL

1:05	Paul Swydan: Me too, Brandon!

1:05	LegallyEagle: Is Boston going to fire its coach this offseason?

1:05	Paul Swydan: That is a lot less clear than it was at this time yesterday. Let’s see how today goes.

1:05	quizzical: Why do the Boston media remain skeptical that a league-average hitter can still be among the best players in the AL?

1:06	Paul Swydan: Because 100+ years of thinking is hard to erase all at once, especially when the player in question hits A LOT of frustrating infield pop-ups.

1:06	Lunar verLander: Stuck at work while my team tries to exorcise it’s game 4 ALDS demons…my heart rate appreciates not being able to watch the game, but these early start times stink.

1:07	Paul Swydan: I’m getting to the age where I hate the late start times more than the early start times, though I will readily own up to the fact that it’s been nearly 15 years since I had a job where I couldn’t watch baseball during the day.

1:07	Patrick: Do you think it’s wise to have Sale as the first man out of the pen if Porcello is meh? And how would the potential rain delay affect your decision making if you were Farrell?

1:08	Paul Swydan: Nope, I wouldn’t throw Sale at all today. I perfectly understand Dave’s logic for starting Sale today, and I sort of understand Farrell’s logic, but I wouldn’t do it on three days rest AND in bad weather.

1:08	Owen: Do you think that Chris Sale will pitch today in relief?

1:08	Paul Swydan: I think Farrell wouldn’t have volunteered that he was an option unless he was really ready to use him today. So I think there’s a real good chance that we see him.

1:08	Paul Swydan: Here we go!

1:09	Patrick: What is Farrell doing by batting the slumping Bogaerts second? And what was the point of putting Holt on the postseason roster considering he is both bad and not being used?

1:09	Paul Swydan: Moving Bogaerts from first to second is a symbolic shakeup that shows he was doing something while still not materially altering the lineup.

1:09	Paul Swydan: Holt is on the roster in case both Pedroia and Nunez got hurt.

1:10	Paul Swydan: Nunez did, but Pedroia’s been fine. But we’re playing in rainy conditions today, so you never know.

1:10	Hideo Nomo: Bogaerts in the 2 spot… why not put him 9th?

1:10	Paul Swydan: Because he’s still one of the best hitters on the team, and there’s really no reason to punish a guy for 14 bad at-bats. It’s a blip.

1:10	the pale king: been a great start to the postseason. most fascinating figures have been altuve, price, lindor, girardi, puig, harper, rizzo, bradley. as a dodger fan i’m hoping for bellinger to get going. and the yankees have probably surprised me the most. they are a dangerous matchup for anyone.

1:10	Paul Swydan: Yes, the Yankees are very dangerous.

1:11	Paul Swydan: If Bradley doesn’t double clutch on that throw, he might have had Springer.

1:11	Mr november: Today is better than the first weekend of March Madness. people just dont know it yet

1:11	Dan: I can’t believe Rick Porcello is a Cy Young award recipient.

1:11	Paul Swydan: Me neither.

1:11	Mark: BS that the game isnt on MLB.TV! not everyone has FS1!

1:11	Paul Swydan: Sorry Mark.

1:11	Show Hey O’Tawny: Calling it now: Porcello gets knocked around today

1:11	Paul Swydan: Bold!

1:11	LegallyEagle: How disruptive would a weather delay be? Typically pitchers interrupted don’t go back out after the delay. But Boston probably isn’t deep with options it trusts…

1:12	Paul Swydan: Well the theory is that the delay won’t come until 3-4 pm, so hopefully the game will be old enough at that point that the starters can comfortably exit the game.

1:12	Pie: This is Game 4 of this series and the latest start time we’ve had so far is 3:00 Central. No question, just annoyed

1:12	Paul Swydan: Yeah, it would have been nice if they had moved this series to a later start time, but that’s the Yankees effect.

1:12	stever20: interesting Porcello pitching out of the stretch to get started…. Seeing this more and more now

1:12	Cardi Gee: This camera angle is awful

1:13	Paul Swydan: Yeah, it really is. There’s no need for this, the team is capable of providing a better angle.

1:13	Eric: Is it weird as a fan I can’t stand to watch my team in the playoffs? I’m a total nervous wreck and it’s too much. Love watching the other games

1:13	Paul Swydan: No, you’re not alone there.

1:13	Soxfan90: How does one slow down Altuve?

1:13	Paul Swydan: Tie something around his waist?

1:13	Adam: I saw that Maddon is slotting Zobrist 5th today. He’s hit a few HRs against Scherzer in his career but has looked terrible with the bat and slow in the field. Why not start LaStella?

1:14	Paul Swydan: Because Zobrist has been Maddon’s guy for … what, a decade? Not going to change now.

1:14	Paul Swydan: Wow what a real short hop for Vazquez.

1:14	Forsyth: imo porcello shouldn’t throw middle middle 4 seamers today but farrell has the scouting reports

1:14	Paul Swydan: I like the way you think!

1:14	Tyler: Why have the sox played the early game every time

1:15	Paul Swydan: Because of the Yankees.

1:15	Tyler: That is a pb not a wp

1:15	Paul Swydan: Yes, but that’s a tough passed ball.

1:15	Mr november: sox and their fans dont look like they have the urgency of a team with their backs against the wall

1:15	Paul Swydan: They didn’t at the open yesterday either.

1:15	Paul Swydan: The way Porcello has started, hard to blame them.

1:16	Ray Liotta as Shoeless Joe: Do you really think the Yankees, and not the defending ALCS champs, dictate the ratings? I have to think it is at least both…

1:16	Paul Swydan: If you’d like to be generous to Cleveland, you could say it’s the combination of the two. But realistically, no one gives a damn about Cleveland. If it was Houston-New York, Cleveland would be playing the early games.

1:17	Mattingly’s Sideburns: Porcello with a bold strategy here

1:17	Paul Swydan: Let’s see if it pays off for him.

1:17	Paul Swydan: Huge double play.

1:17	Forsyth: Can Kimbrel go 9 today?

1:17	Paul Swydan: I bet you that he thinks he can.

1:18	LegallyEagle: Is there a specific reason pitch counts are so much higher in the postseason? I can’t imagine players just turning on a “patience” switch… Is it just batters taking every at bat seriously and implying that during the regular season they don’t?

1:18	Paul Swydan: It’s because you’re now seeing only the best teams.

1:18	Mr november: i see a lot of open seats. i know its a week day game but its the playoffs

1:18	Paul Swydan: It’s also raining. Or was. But yes, the fever isn’t there for this team. There are a lot of people – myself included – who have found it harder to get behind the 2017 Red Sox.

1:19	Paul Swydan: The players have done A LOT of whining, and the manager has made a lot of headscratching decisions. Front office too.

1:19	Peter: With porcello pitching, the sox should probably have someone somewhat loose already right?

1:19	Paul Swydan: Before the double play, I was right there with you.

1:20	Scott: Would they even be playing today if it wasn’t the playoffs?

1:20	Paul Swydan: Maybe. It’s been drizzling basically all day where I am, but the rain is supposed to get heavier later.

1:20	Andrew: Had tickets I couldn’t sell (at work), aside from lack of excitement a crappy weather forecast and unknown start time until later yesterday likely contributed as well.

1:21	Paul Swydan: Yeah that’s true. We didn’t know the start time until the Yankees game ended at 11:30. The Yankees didn’t score until the 7th, and even then it was a one-run game, so you had to wait for the final out.

1:21	Bryan: Why is Dusty starting Werth today? Kendrick has far better numbers against the pitcher of record, has been swinging the bat better and is far better defensively

1:21	Paul Swydan: Because batter v pitcher numbers are worthless stats would be my guess.

1:21	Mark: Higher career WAR: A.J. Pollock or A.J. Pierzynski?

1:21	Paul Swydan: Without looking, I’ll say Pierzynski.

1:21	Tyler: Playoff games have to go 9 right?

1:21	Paul Swydan: I believe so, yes.

1:22	Paul Swydan: The ole back elbow HBP. That had to smart.

1:22	That guy from France: i’m french following the game in France, so ……… I REALLLLY enjoy this type of scheduling 🙂

1:22	Paul Swydan: MLB is global, you guys.

1:22	Sonny: Re: Fenway feelings lacking. Yeah this is a high water mark for unappealing Red Sox rosters. Love the OF but man this whole organization needs a cold shower on their bull

1:22	Pie: That looked painful

1:23	Jesse: the win exptenancy change if altuve had focused on drawing a walk and achieved it vs GIDP seems pretty enormous even for first inning.

1:23	bosoxforlife: The empty stands are shocking! I haven’t seen so few people at a Sox game that mattered in 50 years.

1:23	zmiko: Amsterdam here, so excited this game is early

1:23	Tyler: I hate that a player can start their swing and get hit in the arm or hand and still get a hbp

1:24	Paul Swydan: Yeah, that’s always sort of bothered me too, but the umpires have long made clear how they are going to call HBPs, so you just have to sort of accept it.

1:24	Pie: It’s looking like Porcello isn’t finding his mark today, do you think Sale comes in relief soon? As an Astros fan, I don’t know what I would prefer the Sox do in that situation

1:24	Paul Swydan: I don’t think Sale will be an option in the first few innings, because then the question naturally becomes, “Why didn’t you start him?” I think to avoid that type of second-guessing you wouldn’t see him until the middle innings.

1:25	Paul Swydan: Rare display of emotion from Porcello on that K.

1:25	Sonny: Hey Paul, you get three moves to make the 2018 Red Sox a better playoff team GO

1:25	Paul Swydan: You want to do this RIGHT NOW?

1:25	Paul Swydan: Ok, fine.

1:25	Paul Swydan: 1. Trade for Austin Barnes.

1:26	Paul Swydan: 2. Find a better 1B solution.

1:26	Paul Swydan: 3. Find a SP comfortable being the swingman or 6th SP.

1:26	Paul Swydan: How’d I do?

1:26	Sgt. Pepper: I was umpiring Little League once and I called a swing HPB correctly and the coach went crazy

1:26	Paul Swydan: Haha.

1:27	Paul Swydan: I had to eject a parent who wasn’t even coaching once when I was umpiring, as a teenager.

1:27	Daniel: You leave Austin Barnes alone! You can have Grandal

1:27	Paul Swydan: No I want Barnes. 🙂

1:27	Ray Liotta as Shoeless Joe: Okay, you can say “Trade for Austin Barnes” but that kind of deal probably requires a player the Sawx don’t have to give up (or is something like a Barnes and Puig for Jackie Bradley deal).

1:28	Paul Swydan: Yeah, it’s not a move that would really happen. But you guys asked!

1:28	Paul Swydan: I’d also be fine with giving Swihart another chance, but I’d be surprised if that happened.

1:28	LegallyEagle: I’m a Dodgers fan. I’m curious what Austin Barnes can fetch in the market. Worth the Dodgers to shop/trade him?

1:28	Paul Swydan: Oh god no, the Dodgers should hang onto the Grandal/Barnes duo for dear life.

1:29	Gary Sanchez Jr. Jr.: Find a better 1B solution such as…. : )

1:29	Paul Swydan: I dunno, that’s a November problem. 🙂

1:29	bosoxforlife: Sign Nunez, not too expensive, and move Devers to 1st.

1:29	Paul Swydan: I would actually let Nunez walk. And I wouldn’t move Devers to first, not yet. He’s only 20.

1:29	Juan: Which remaining playoff team is most likely to finish under .500 next season?

1:30	Paul Swydan: Tempted to say Red Sox…none of the teams still left are really on their last run. You’d expect them to be decent next year.

1:30	Tyler: Hire Cora to manage the team

1:30	Paul Swydan: Well, yes, sorry. Should have said that.

1:30	Show Hey O’Tawny: How would you feel if the Red Sox signed Eric Hosmer (at say, 4yrs 80mil)?

1:30	Paul Swydan: Terrified.

1:31	Paul Swydan: Xander, baby!

1:31	$11 Worth of Taco Bell: So disappointed this is not Porcello vs Verlander

1:31	Paul Swydan: That would have been epic.

1:32	Sonny: Would you rather have chicken and beer with Josh Beckett or 30 High Lifes w Wade Boggs?

1:32	Paul Swydan: Tough one. Probably Beckett.

1:32	Ben: THATS WHY BOGAERTS IS HITTING SECOND

1:32	Show Hey O’Tawny: “Man that John Farrell is smart eh?” No A.J. No.

1:32	Ray Liotta as Shoeless Joe: @LegallyEagle: Want to know Austin Barnes’ value? The Red Sox would, no questions asked, take Adrian Gonzalez and his entire contract back to get Barnes. NO. QUESTIONS. ASKED.

1:33	Paul Swydan: Yeah, for sure.

1:33	Phil: Why is Bogaerts even playing, he has been sucking…. nevermind.

1:33	Paul Swydan: 🙂

1:33	Cardi Gee: Damn, Marwin played that beautifully

1:34	Paul Swydan: I’m sure he was given a stern talking to after biffing Hanley’s hit yesterday.

1:34	Matt: Man, that barely made it over the bullpen wall, but damn, do we need Bogaerts to start swinging the bat well

1:35	Paul Swydan: Yeah, but that’s 380-390 out where he hit that. That’s a very well-hit ball.

1:35	Thomas: What a turn by Correa on that relay

1:35	Paul Swydan: Yeah he almost got Mookie.

1:35	Dr Evil: Non Hometown TV crews referring to players by nicknames? Yeah or nah? Talking about AJP saying “Bogey” like he’s part of the team (not something like universal like the Big Hurt))

1:35	Paul Swydan: Meh, no need to be so formal. Also, pretty sure Bogaerts was in the org at the same time Pierzynski was, so he may know him.

1:36	stever20: If Sale doesn’t pitch today, he’s going to have incredible pressure on him on Wednesday. On a level that we’ve only seen recently I feel by Kershaw in some of his postseason starts….

1:36	Paul Swydan: I don’t know that I agree with that. The Sox won the World Series recently, and they’d be the comeback team.

1:36	A seat facing CF: Do Fenway’s dimensions play a role in Xander resisting the #airballrev ?

1:36	Paul Swydan: I doubt it.

1:37	Matt: Shouldn’t they consider sending Mookie right now? Morton isn’t that fast to the plate and McCann isn’t exactly a defensive savant behind the plate

1:37	Paul Swydan: Matt is omniscient.

1:37	Paul Swydan: Well, one thing is clear. These teams aren’t going to try to move faster to get as much of the game in before the rain starts as possible.

1:37	Matt: I’ll take a bow for that 😛

1:39	Paul Swydan: Well that was a horrible check-swing call. Moreland didn’t come close to going around there.

1:39	Tyler: that is not a swing

1:39	Sgt. Pepper: Not sure that was a swing

1:39	Thomas: In a situation like this, with Moreland’s shift, with less than two strikes why not try bunting against the shift? I get that it isn’t easy, but you can try

1:39	Paul Swydan: Moreland actually did a decent job of hitting the ball the other way against the shift yesterday. He did it twice, IIRC.

1:39	Show Hey O’Tawny: I was really confused as to why we were going to commercial because that was not a swing

1:39	Matt: Regarding the bunt: Moreland isn’t exactly quick on his feet

1:40	Paul Swydan: Yeah that’s another good reason. He’d have to really push it down the line and get it away from the pitcher and catcher, and that’s an even harder type of bunt.

1:42	Formerly Sad Accountant: Don’t have audio on at work but I’m sure David Cone was happy about that swing call.

1:42	Paul Swydan: They cut to commercial pretty quickly. It IS Fox, after all.

1:42	Paul Swydan: Wow, Mookie misplayed a ball.

1:42	Paul Swydan: Don’t see that every day.

1:43	Tyler: Red Sox should be better next year than this, they are young. 4 starters younger than Judge. With a little health and some regression to the mean they could be very good.

1:43	Paul Swydan: Not that optimistic, but I’m glad you are!

1:43

Matt: So, Price, after 4 innings and 57 pitches, not available today. Kimbrel will likely pitch 2 innings since he hasn’t pitched much this series. But, you have to figure Porcello is on a relatively short leash, if he gets in trouble, who’s the first person out of the pen? Do you go with E-Rod, do you bring Kimbrel in in the 5th or 6th?

1:44	Paul Swydan: I laid out my whole plan at Boston.com. https://www.boston.com/sports/boston-red-sox/2017/10/09/heres-how-the-…

1:45	Paul Swydan: I’d like to think they could use Eduardo today. The only question is do they use him before or after the rain delay.

1:45	SubmarineSailor: Did they call that check swing a strike or call the runner out on interference? He took a couple small steps back and lightly bumped McCann when he was going for the ball. It almost looked like they called interference the way the catcher and umpires were pointing?

1:45	Paul Swydan: Believe they called it a strike on the check swing.

1:45	Paul Swydan: McCann pointed to the 3B ump who signaled swing.

1:46	Jesse: Seems to me like they’re heading into a more expensive era for their core before they get off the bad contracts.

1:46	Paul Swydan: Yeah, they need to decide who they really want to keep and offer them fair market value.

1:46	Blue Morpho: Do you think there’s anyone at the Bruins game right now?

1:46	Paul Swydan: No one cares about the Bruins.

1:46	bosoxforlife: Radar indicates a steady light rain is moving in, but nothing too heavy.

1:47	Paul Swydan: Noted!

1:47	weezy: I really feel getting rid of the error as an official stat needs some traction. If that ball hit to Mookie isn’t an error, why have the stat

1:47	Paul Swydan: I think they would assume that a normal player wouldn’t have got to that ball at all.

1:47	Mike: Honestly, having you chat the BOS game is kinda annoying as you have a heavy bias. Would’ve rather seen you do an NLDS game

1:48	Paul Swydan: Sorry, Mike. I’m trying to be objective as I can here.

1:48	Show Hey O’Tawny: Bias is fun! We get to see you react as a fan, not just as a writer

1:49	Tyler: Price, Erod, Wright all have been hurt same with Pedroia Xander. Mookie, JBJ Porcello fell off the earth compared to last year. Plus Benny and Devers with another full year, there is good reason to think they should be ok for the next couple of years.

1:49	Paul Swydan: There’s no reason to think that Price, Rodriguez, Pedroia or Wright will be any healthier next season, sorry.

1:50	Paul Swydan: Agree that Benintendi and evers should be better, but not sure you’d forecast them to be MUCH better.

1:50	Sgt. Pepper: I like Paul’s bias. Reminds me that FG writers are human.

1:50	Sam: I’m a Yankee fan, and I don’t think you’re annoying. Mike needs to get a grip.

1:50	Brandon M: I think what Mike was trying to say was that we appreciate you taking time out of your day to chat with us on this wonderful day for baseball. You rock, Paul

1:50	Paul Swydan: Guys, leave Mike alone. He’s perfectly entitled to his opinion.

1:51	Show Hey O’Tawny: It bothers me that Gattis and McCann are practically identical

1:51	Matt: Devers will be a huge net positive for a full season compared to the dumpster fire that was 3B for the last 2+ seasons

1:52	Paul Swydan: Yes, he should. But he’ll also be 21. Not going to forecast him for a 5-6 WAR season.

1:52	Paul Swydan: The Red Sox should probably stop pitching to George Springer.

1:52	Paul Swydan: That hung right over the plate. Horrid.

1:53	ChatzMcGee: Why did they decide Pierzynski was qualified to be on playoff broadcasts?

1:53	Paul Swydan: I enjoyed AJ yesterday, actually.

1:53	Jack Webster: I worry about Devers defensively at third, could make the move to first

1:54	Paul Swydan: You let him play third until he proves definitively that he can’t play it. Can’t let worrymongers force him off the position prematurely.

1:54	Paul Swydan: Wow, Benintendi just lost his damn mind.

1:54	Paul Swydan: Hit the cut-off man, boys and girls.

1:54	Paul Swydan: Bad idea, worse throw.

1:55	HappyFunBall: We may have the best 8 teams in the playoffs, but we sure don’t have the best 8 announcers in the booth…

1:55	Paul Swydan: I don’t know, I think Davis and Cone are FANTASTIC.

1:55	Paul Swydan: And I’ll take AJ over Joe Simpson and some others. He’s definitely not the worst IMO.

1:56	Sam: Posting our comments and telling us to leave Mike alone is actually annoying. You’ve come full circle.

1:57	Paul Swydan: Hakuna matata.

1:57	ChatzMcGee: Lucky it didn’t go in the dugout.

1:57	Sgt. Pepper: I liked it when Buck Martinez used to do the division series

1:57	Paul Swydan: Really? Wow I can’t stand Buck.

1:57	Josiah: Joe Davis is just about the best replacement dodgers could have gotten for Vin

1:57	Peter: Cone is probably the best commentator left. So it balances AJ in my mind

1:57	Fair line: A lot of people have praised Ron Darling and I just didn’t get it until this series w/ Cubs-Nats and I think he’s been excellent

1:57	Paul Swydan: Love Worcester native Ron Darling.

1:58	chan: Posting comments about posting comments is actually annoying. We’ve come full hexagon.

1:58	Wildcard : Porcello can’t have much left on his leash right?

1:58	Mattingly’s Sideburns: Season hanging in the balance? Time for Joe Kelly!

1:58	bosoxforlife: Is Joe Davis the new Dodgers play-by-play man?

1:58	Paul Swydan: Yes, Davis is.

1:58	Tyler: Its A.J. that ruins this booth

1:59	Paul Swydan: In general, I don’t like three people in the booth. So I’d prefer just Davis and Cone. But I don’t mind A.J.

1:59	Mike: I don’t think you’re annoying and I enjoy your articles/think you’re a good writer, for the record. It’s just that almost all of the chat has been about BOS like they are playing against themselves.

1:59	Paul Swydan: I know, tell the Astros fans, I won’t bite!

1:59	A seat facing CF: listening to the radio call. I can’t tell if Merloni is good at this.

1:59	Paul Swydan: He isn’t.

1:59	Wildcard : Bases loaded for Correa. Right where we want them!

2:00	Sgt. Pepper: I hear Buck 162 times a year with the Jays. It’s like Stockholm Syndrome. And I liked how there used to be a website devoted to his screw ups.

2:00	Carson Cistulli: Hello, Paul and everyone.

2:00	Paul Swydan: Sorry, Sgt. Pepper.

2:00	Paul Swydan: Surprise, Carson is here! Hi Carson!!!

2:01	stever20: I can’t believe Ferrell is leaving Porcello in here with the bases loaded….

2:01	Carson Cistulli: I’m surprised.

2:01	ChatzMcGee: Carson is here to save us from Paul’s bias.

2:01	Paul Swydan: I feel oddly OK with this decision.

2:01	Paul Swydan: Wow.

2:01	Carson Cistulli: I saw that someone said Paul might be slightly biased. That’s wrong. He’s very biased.

2:02	Paul Swydan: Can we talk about how much body protection Correa has, at age 22? He’s got a full shin guard, and a flap on his helmet. By the time he’s 32, he migth be wearing full body armor.

2:03	Patrick: Should the Sox put in a different pitcher for the 3rd inning?

2:03	Carson Cistulli: Yes.

2:03	Paul Swydan: Yeah, probably. But they’re not going to.

2:03	Paul Swydan: Oh, hold on. Some full throated thoughts on Austin Barnes coming.

2:03	Carson Cistulli: They should have probably done that one and two and three batters ago.

2:03

Ray Liotta as Shoeless Joe: Okay, I am going to spend the rest of my work day trying to figure out a realistic Austin Barnes to the Red Sox scenario that both teams would appreciate. Keep in mind that Grandal becomes a free agent in 2019…so there is a real incentive for the Dodgers to hold onto Barnes. Additionally, the Red Sox have a lot of holes and a GM with a propensity to make bad deals.

I look at the Dodgers as a team without many holes, but might appreciate having another outfielder (Granderson is a free agent, Ethier will be bought out, Puig is on his last year of control). Assuming you want to push Chris Taylor back to a super-utility role and Cody Bellinger to first base, the Dodgers could potentially be looking for one starting outfielder and a platoon partner for Joc Jams.

Money isn’t a real issue for either team, but for the sake of it, let’s note that the Dodgers have almost $30M off the book in dead money between Carl Crawford and Alex Guerrero, and the Red Sox have a $1M buy out for Allen Craig.

2:03

Ray Liotta as Shoeless Joe: In terms of team psychology, the Dodgers have no incentive to trade any of their starting pitchers as long as there are no rule changes to the 10-day Disabled Lists, so if they wanted to open up salary for another move, it probably won’t come from ditching Brandon McCarthy or Hyun-Jin Ryu. It’s also worth noting that Yu Darvish is a free agent. That said, we might have something here with the Red Sox taking on one year of dead money:

The Red Sox acquire Austin Barnes (ARB3 in 2023), Andrew Toles (injured), and Scott Kazmir ($17.67M in 2018) for Jackie Bradley Jr. (2nd of 4 Arb Years) and Blake Swihart (A4 in 2021).

Bradley is the headliner piece for the Dodgers, who insert him as the starting center fielder. Joc Pederson shifts to a platoon left fielder, and Puig holds down right field. Swihart gets an opportunity as C2, but it is Kyle Farmer’s job to lose. Or maybe Los Angeles flexes some of that cash and ends up with some Boeuf Wellington.

2:04

Ray Liotta as Shoeless Joe: The Red Sox pull a Dombrowski-ish trade, where they fill one hole by opening up another. Mookie Betts has the opportunity to shift to center field, and a free agent acquisition (JD Martinez) is overpaid to take right field. Scott Kazmir never appears for the Sox.

Post this bitch, or open it up to a poll!

2:04	Paul Swydan: Chew on all that.

2:04	Carson Cistulli: Hey, Paul. Can you please inform me/the entire world who’s available out there in the bullpen.

2:04	Paul Swydan: I think everyone but Price is technically available.

2:05	Matt: Porcello may not be pitching the best, but he’s limiting damage right now. Lead off triple, then bases loaded, only one run. Could have been so much worse

2:05	Carson Cistulli: I would submit that he has limited the damage; however, he’s pitched like someone who won’t do that much longer.

2:06	Paul Swydan: True, but he made it through the heart of the order, so he may be fine for next inning.

2:06	Paul Swydan: I would expect Musgrove to be first out for Houston, too, for the record.

2:07	ctw: is it possible to disable the emojis? or do the current moderators enjoy them?

2:07	Paul Swydan: Eh, I kind of like them.

2:07	Bill: Is there validity in the idea on “limiting the damage?” Is stranding runners a skill?

2:07	Jim Melichar: When did they re-lax up on the body armor? I remember right after the Bonds era you essentially needed a note from your doctor to wear it.

2:08	Paul Swydan: Yeah, I don’t know, that is the kind of thing that seems to make headlines as per MLB “taking action” but is never really enforced.

2:08	Paul Swydan: Kind of like how hitters are supposed to stay in the box now.

2:08	Carson Cistulli: Stranding runners is correlated pretty strongly with pitching well. Striking dudes out, etc.

2:08	Carson Cistulli: Although, in terms of projecting it, I think it regresses somewhat heavily to ca 70%.

2:08	stever20: how much do these incredibly long innings hurt Morton?

2:09	Carson Cistulli: Devers with a single that was a ground ball to second base in a number of other realitiez.

2:09	Paul Swydan: I think he knows he’s not out there for 6 innings, so probably less than normal.

2:09	Carson Cistulli: *realities.

2:09	Carson Cistulli: Although: “realitiez” fine, too.

2:09	Jim Melichar: I personally liked “realitiez”

2:09	Paul Swydan: Haha

2:09	bosoxforlife: Remember when Hanley could run? He looks like Pujols out there.

2:10	Hunter: Who is available for the stros? Devenski and Giles 1-2 a piece and then pray?

2:10	Paul Swydan: Would expect to see Musgrove and Devenski before Harris and Giles.

2:10	Paul Swydan: Musgrove has been pretty good as a RP.

2:10	Carson Cistulli: I’d be curious to see Hanley’s home-to-first times. His loss of speed seemed to occur almost overnight.

2:11	Sitting in Class: Does Morton make it through the second?

2:11	Paul Swydan: He showed up to Boston like 20 lbs. heavier, I feel like.

2:11	Macho Man Sandy Ravage: They had Joe Kelly up, perfect guy to put your season on when he just pitched yesterday and you have at least 3 better pitchers available

2:11	Carson Cistulli: The probability of Morton remaining in the game is trending downward.

2:11	Paul Swydan: Joe Kelly has great stuff.

2:11	Warren: Can you tell how many people are following the chat?

2:11	Paul Swydan: There’s a little counter at the top of our chat window.

2:11	Jeff Zimmerman ran over my cat: What will be the order of the Astros’ relievers?

2:12	Paul Swydan: Broadcasters keep saying Musgrove first, but who knows.

2:12	tommy!: what is the problem with the body armor? who wants to get hurt like stanton did?

2:12	Paul Swydan: Eh, nothing really, I just find it amusing.

2:12	Paul Swydan: It’s there for <1% of the possible outcomes.

2:13	Carson Cistulli: Second-highest leverage of the game here, looks like.

2:13	Carson Cistulli: Right behind Correa PA from last inning.

2:13	Carson Cistulli: Not sure if Morton’s pitch was actually a strike, but really cool front-hip sinker.

2:13	Paul Swydan: That was a nasty pitch on 2-1.

2:13	Paul Swydan: That was a nasty pitch on 2-2.

2:13	Carson Cistulli: And well followed by breaker on outside corner.

2:13	Carson Cistulli: Again, not sure if strike.

2:13	Paul Swydan: Those might have been the two best pitches Morton has thrown all day.

2:13	Carson Cistulli: Hm.

2:14	Carson Cistulli: Not really.

2:14	Carson Cistulli: Lefty strike, though, maybe.

2:14	Paul Swydan: Close enough that Bradley should have been swinging, certainly.

2:14	Michael: Do the Yankees resign Tanaka if he opts out?

2:14	Paul Swydan: Yes.

2:14	YKnotDisco?!: Do you think the fact that there is a need for extra security has shied some fans away from the ballpark?

2:14	Paul Swydan: I suppose you can’t rule it out.

2:14	Show Hey O’Tawny: When did Morton get good?

2:15	Carson Cistulli: When he started getting lefties out.

2:15	Paul Swydan: Last year, basically.

2:15	Paul Swydan: Also, did you know that this is Morton’s 10th season in the majors? Good god I feel old.

2:16	Warren: How would you rate the Giles trade for HOU in hindsight?

2:16	Paul Swydan: Well, it got more favorable after Velasquez sh*t the bed this year, that’s for sure.

2:16	Show Hey O’Tawny: I don’t think we talk enough about Hanley going from athletic SS to slow DH in like four years

2:16	Paul Swydan: carson was just talking about that.

2:16	Sgt. Pepper: Are the rules on what counts as an “official game” different in the playoffs? Honestly can’t remember.

2:16	Paul Swydan: Believe you have to play all 9.

2:17	Paul Swydan: Pedroia is HOT.

2:17	Paul Swydan: Pedroia needs to walk away.

2:17	Carson Cistulli: Farrell gone.

2:17	Paul Swydan: That’s ridiculous. Sorry.

2:17	Paul Swydan: And I hate Farrell more than anyone.

2:18	Paul Swydan: No one is going to tell Mark Wegner how short he is.

2:18	Carson Cistulli: I believe Farrell said, “Fun king Bolshevik.”

2:18	Carson Cistulli: Not sure what that means.

2:18	Show Hey O’Tawny: Reading lips is fun

2:18	Pie: Quick trigger on Farrell, but I think it was good on the ump to walk away from Pedroia

2:18	Sam: What happened for those of us not watching live?

2:18	Carson Cistulli: Called strike three to Pedroia. Not happy about it.

2:19	Paul Swydan: Yes, that was good of him to try and walk away.

2:19	Carson Cistulli: Farrell came out.

2:19	Carson Cistulli: Got tossed.

2:19	Shaun: Tough luck for JBJ

2:19	Bryan: Do calls like this make you want Robot umps? Or do you like the Ump having so much influence over a game like this?

2:19	Sgt. Pepper: Good on Farrell for getting out there and taking the hit for Pedroia.

2:19	Kevin: Replay is suspiciously slow this postseason. Any else notice that?

2:20	Paul Swydan: FOX always prioritizes reaction shots over replays. They do it in football too.

2:20	Carson Cistulli: Life is riddled with injustice. Human um

2:20	Carson Cistulli: Human umps remind us of that.

2:20	Sgt. Pepper: When I was umpiring calling me a Bolshevik was automatic grounds for ejection

2:20	Sonny: Farrell has a low understanding of the Russian Social Democratic Party and their history

2:20	Brandon M: Did Farrell just lose his job

2:20	Uncle Jimbo: That pitch was pretty close for all that arguing.

2:20	Wildcard: Will be absolutely brutal if the Sox get nothing out of this.

2:20	Wildcard: Was the pitch a strike? I can only follow along on MLB gamedayyyyy

2:21	Paul Swydan: Neither pitch looked like a strike. But both pitches looked like they were close enough to be strikes. Pedroia, in particular, should have known better.

2:21	weezy: I have definitely seen players get ejected for less

2:21	Randy: Pedroia easily could have been tossed. Ump really gave him some slack

2:21	Kate Upton: Fantasy MVP: The ball was definitely outside the strike zone. Close, but still an incorrect call.

2:21	Show Hey O’Tawny: The Bradley call was worse than the one on Pedroia

2:21	yourbestfriend: the one to JBJ looking an inch out but the one to pedroia was over the plate

2:21	Sonny: This Red Sox team imploding over borderline calls is very on brand

2:22	Paul Swydan: Very, very on bran.

2:22	Carson Cistulli: The call against Bradley was less surprising. Left-handers are generally required to cover the area just off the plate. Not according the rule, but according to reality.

2:22	Paul Swydan: d.

2:22	Sam: Must have been the most life Farrell has shown in months

2:22	Paul Swydan: You could see Farrell really lose it after he was tossed. He was not expecting to be tossed AT ALL.

2:22	Kate Upton: Fantasy MVP: Can’t we have the best of both worlds with hybrid robo-human umps?

2:22	Paul Swydan: Who wants to volunteer to be RoboUmp?

2:23	Paul Swydan: I’m pretty sure being RoboUmp is what noted Justice League member Cyborg does in his spare time.

2:23	Carson Cistulli: Perhaps it will be an umpire who was almost killed on the streets of Detroit.

2:23	Deece: an hour and 10 min, and 2 compete innings. not looking like they are going to beat the weather

2:23	Elbo: Incredibly slow pace. Players frustrated. Raining. Crowd getting ugly. Starting to remind me of Altamont.

2:24	Tyler: Shit do not warm up Sale

2:24	HappyFunBall: Wow. Only two innings? I love baseball but this is looooooooooooong

2:24	Carson Cistulli: “Shit. Do NOT warm up, Sale.”

2:24	Carson Cistulli: Or:

2:24	Carson Cistulli: “Shit do not warm up, Sale.”

2:24	Carson Cistulli: That’s a weird message for Chris Sale.

2:24	Carson Cistulli: Or.

2:24	YKnotDisco?!: Isn’t Darling a native of Hawaii?

2:24	Carson Cistulli: The Shit-Do-Not-Warm-Up Sale.

2:24	Paul Swydan: Huh. I guess he is. But he grew up in Worcester. https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/darliro01.shtml

2:25	RufusD: Eats shoots and leaves. Eats, shoots, and leaves.

2:25	Paul Swydan: Yeah, now is not the time for Sale. After the rain is.

2:25	Ground Ball: Should I watch baseball instead of doing my homework?

2:25	Paul Swydan: Yes.

2:25	Carson Cistulli: I believe “After the Rain” is the name of a PM Dawn album.

2:25	Paul Swydan: Ha.

2:26	Carson Cistulli: Depends, Ground Ball. Which subject, level of education?

2:26	Fair line: Borg umps

2:26	RufusD: Bender from Futurama would be an ideal robo-ump. Try arguing with him.

2:26	Hunky Dory: Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo

2:26	Justin: Why on earth would you start warming up Sale when you know there’s going to be a long rain delay within the hour?

2:26	Paul Swydan: That’s a great question, Justin. A great question.

2:26	Guest: When did Dustin Pedroia turn into such a gigantic tool? He used to be the definition of a smart, gritty ballplayer. And now he’s…not that

2:27	Carson Cistulli: Perhaps if you don’t expect Sale to pitch more than an inning or two?

2:27	Paul Swydan: I think it’s possible Pedroia has always been the same person, and just the perception of him has changed now that he isn’t a perennial All-Star.

2:27	Ground Ball: Carson- History. Specifically US history. College. I am NOT a history major.

2:27	Ugh: Can I just say this warm October weather sucks. As both a baseball fan and a runner

2:27	Jeff Zimmerman ran over my cat: Fun King Bolshevik was Trotsky’s nom de plume when writing a series of pamphlets aimed at getting more young people involved in the Revolution

2:28	Paul Swydan: I could do without the humidity.

2:28	Carson Cistulli: Ground Ball: need more information. What epoch we studying here? What text?

2:28	Carson Cistulli: “Bradley’s on his horse…”

2:28	Fly Ball: What can you tell me about Econometrics Carson? I have a test tomorrow but baseball is on…

2:29	Show Hey O’Tawny: Fun King Bolshevik would be a great band name

2:29	Carson Cistulli: Question: would outfielders save more or fewer runs if they manned their positions on horseback?

2:29	Hunky Dory: As a Yankees fan…yes, Pedroia has always been (let’s say, kindly) the same person. Fans of a team are always the last to know.

2:29	Sam: Genuine question, what’s the probability that Girardi is the red sox manager next year? Has to be non-zero

2:30	ChatzMcGee: It’s a tiny horse.

2:30	Paul Swydan: I asked Mike Axisa the other day if the Yankees were really going to fire Girardi, and he assured me that they weren’t going to.

2:30	Sonny: Having Carson 3 seconds ahead with the radio call is weird and fun. Quick tell me the future!

2:30	Carson Cistulli: Blackness, all.

2:30	Michael: According to Dave Cameron, Yuli is not a good player

2:30	Carson Cistulli: Pssh. Dave Cameron.

2:31	Wildcard : I’ll go with fewer. Worse reaction times.

2:31	Michael: Is Mike Axisa really more connected to the org than Mike Francesa?

2:31	Paul Swydan: I’m comfortable saying yes.

2:31	Srhkthew2: Fewer. They’d have to dismount to field ground balls.

2:31	HankLloydWright: Few runs because of the added reaction time

2:31

Mike: As a Dodger fan, to get Barnes (a 4-WARP player in 250 PAs with 5 years of team control and with Grandal in decline this year) from us, I would only be interested in a deal that started with Betts, Devers or Sale. JBJ is not good enough to be worth giving up a 5-6 win catcher for the next 6 seasons. The Dodgers have some nice catching prospects but they are all A or below right now besides Kyle Farmer.

They wouldn’t make that deal for JBJ. They don’t need Bogaerts. Benintendi would be interesting but ultimately I don’t know that he hits enough to be a 5 win corner outfielder.

You don’t trade a 5-6 win player for a bunch of 3 win players when you are already as deep as the Dodgers. You have to make a substantial improvement at a position and lock it down. The Dodgers could play Devers at 2b. That’s the most realistic trade, since they wont trade Betts or Sale.

2:31	Kevin: Fairly efficient third. Porcello in the fourth?

2:32	Paul Swydan: I think Porcello gets to start the fourth inning, but there will be someone ready to come in.

2:32	Matt: is Sale seriously going to pitch this game you think? who would go in game 5?

2:32	Carson Cistulli: Would outfielders save more or fewer runs if they defended on horseback? More (13.2% \| 20 votes) Fewer (70.8% \| 107 votes) There’s no room for these whimsical hypotheticals. Baseball is serious. (15.8% \| 24 votes) Total Votes: 151

2:32	Paul Swydan: Price.

2:33	Paul Swydan: I say fewer, for the record. As someone said, they’d have to dismount to field grounders.

2:33	Paul Swydan: Or learn how to wield a stick-like glove of some sort.

2:33	Pie: There would be so many inside the park home runs on balls off the wall. Horses aren’t great at changing direction

2:34	Jesse: Everyone knows that a man can beat a horse in a 20 foot race

2:34	Paul Swydan: We do?

2:34	David S.: Did I just read a Betts or Sale for Austin Barnes trade? Dodgers fans are the best.

2:34	Mike: Well, I’d slow my roll on Barnes being a perennial 6 win player. Especially because he’s already 27

2:34	Show Hey O’Tawny: Like polo-baseball

2:34	Moltar: On horseback with a lacross stick?

2:34	Paul Swydan: Yes, like polo-lacrosse-baseball.

2:34	Carson Cistulli: What animal would be the best type of outfielder?

2:34	Ricky: 1:30 hours and it’s only the third inning?! What is going on there

2:35	Carson Cistulli: The two clubs are attempting to problematize our understanding of time.

2:35	Bork: Hello friend

2:35	Paul Swydan: Hey, Bork is here!

2:35	RufusD: What would be the ideal animal for outfielders to ride? I suggest well-trained emus.

2:35	Paul Swydan: Wow, that double play is painful.

2:35	Paul Swydan: Bregman was all over that.

2:36	Carson Cistulli: For those not watching: Mookie just crushed a ball… right to Gurriel. Throw to first. Benintendi doubled off.

2:36	Carson Cistulli: Moreland follows with a ball down line.

2:36	Carson Cistulli: Double.

2:36	Paul Swydan: Also, Carson, clarify – are we talking about best animals for riding in the outfield, or best animals to play outfield all by themselves?

2:36	Fair line: Giraffe corner outfielder

2:37	Paul Swydan: You’d have to think a giraffe would be great for RF at Yankee Stadium.

2:37	Guest: I would assume an Eagle or a hunting bird would be best in the OF. The tracking skills would be erm…killer.

2:37	Wildcard : Definitely some sort of monkey.

2:37	weezy: ^emus, definitely

2:37	Shoemaker: Not birds. See: Johnson, Randy

2:37	weezy: would the animal needs to throw, or just fetch?

2:37	ChatzMcGee: Bears.

2:37	RufusD: Though poorly-trained boars might be more entertaining.

2:37	$11 Worth of Taco Bell: What if instead of horses you put the outfielders on giant crabs?

2:38	Mr november: one step back on a line drive > freeze on a line drive. agree?

2:38	Paul Swydan: That ball was hit so hard, hard to fault Benintendi for going there.

2:38	SubmarineSailor: Any sort of retriever would be good in the OF (Lab, Golden, Chesapeake).

2:38	Gamer90: Would the horses have blinders on them? Serious question

2:38	James: What about parking 3 whales out there? Giancarlo Stanton could still hit it over them, but might crack down on HRs from some of these second-base types.

2:38	Ray Liotta as Shoeless Joe: Why don’t we just get the Thundercats to play outfield?

2:38	Paul Swydan: Lion-o!

2:38	Carson Cistulli: I think they’d probably need them, right? Otherwise they’d get spooked by crowd.

2:38	Srhkthew2: I said the dismount thing! Thanks for using me Paul!

2:39	Paul Swydan: Fun fact, I have the entire Thundercats series on box set, but I’v never watched it. Maybe I should break it out.

2:39	RufusD: That…was an exceptional double-play. And one of the fastest-executed of that sort I’ve ever seen.

2:39	Paul Swydan: Yeah, Bregman was awesome there.

2:39	Guest: Deer with glove for antlers?

2:39	Lyle: Cheetah for animal outfielder. One Cheetah could cover the whole outfield.

2:39	Gary Sanchez Jr. Jr.: flying monkeys from Oz, duh

2:39	Gamer90: Ostriches, road runners, some kind of fast ground bird

2:39	Sonny: It’s weird how WEEI thinks I can infer from the crowd booing what happened on that double play, thank you for clarifying Carson

2:39	Ground Ball: I just have to take Cornell notes on the beginning of the American Revolution. I’m on the subject of Thomas Paine(note the pun). “In February 1776, the Massachusetts political leader Joseph Hawley read Common Sense and remarked, “Every sentiment has sunk into my well prepared heart.”

2:39	Macho Man Sandy Ravage: wouldn’t it be a jaguar or some sort of fast animal with cat-like reflexes?

2:40	Thomas: I think a Trout would be the best

2:40	Section329: Eagles don’t fly at night

2:40	Show Hey O’Tawny: Dragons in the outfield

2:40	ChatzMcGee: This has to be Morton’s last inning, sorry to talk about serious baseball stuff.

2:40	Paul Swydan: I dunno, he’s only at 57 pitches.

2:40	Paul Swydan: Ok, you’re right. It has to be his last inning.

2:41	Carson Cistulli: Hanley Ramirez just hit a very far, only slightly foul ball.

2:41	Carson Cistulli: Hanging curve.

2:41	Paul Swydan: Hanley chose a little lean over waiving his arms. Didn’t work.

2:41	caesar_solid: you would need the cutest animals in the outfield so batters would be afraid to hit them, perhaps a family of meerkats or some baby seals

2:41	Carson Cistulli: And then took a ball on a pitch with a VERY similar location to the two that got Bradley and Pedroia called out.

2:41	Carson Cistulli: On a fastball, though.

2:41	Paul Swydan: Wait, now that inside pitch isn’t a strike? This strike zone has been very fungible.

2:42	Carson Cistulli: Okay. More PBP.

2:42	Paul Swydan: WHY DID THEY SEND MORELAND?

2:42	Paul Swydan: Wow that was dumb.

2:42	Carson Cistulli: Hanley broken-bat single. Marwin Gonzalez fields, throws home. Moreland out at home.

2:42	Paul Swydan: He took three steps just to get in range to slide AFTER the catcher had the ball.

2:43	Paul Swydan: That was colossally stupid.

2:43	ChatzMcGee: Not sure he could’ve been further out. Might be the worst send I’ve ever seen.

2:43	Austin: That was so dumb

2:43	Thomas: Mitch Moreland is not Eric Hosmer 2015, breaking news

2:43	Carson Cistulli: It’s possible that third-base coach Brian James Butterfield chose poorly.

2:43	That guy from France: quick question, are you sure it’s always the same Bork ?

2:43	Paul Swydan: No, we have no way of knowing that. But I hope it is!

2:43	Paul Swydan: Or, if not, that it’s like the Dread Pirate Roberts, and that Bork passes the name down responsibly to the next Bork.

2:44	The Hamburglar: Do the Astros need to just start walking Hanley and Moreland? It’s kind of unbelievable that they’ve been this good this series

2:44	Paul Swydan: That’s not a sentence I was expecting to read.

2:44	Carson Cistulli: Ground Ball! Another question! You mentioned “Cornell Notes.” This appears to be some pedagogical tool unique to that university. Can you explain in, like, three sentences?

2:44	B for Bork: Bork is not a person, Bork is an idea

2:45	weezy: a horse doesn’t make that throw

2:45	Paul Swydan: And here. comes. Chris. Sale.

2:45	Sonny: Not one of these coaches is willing to cede the back page of the Herald to Farrell.

2:45	Paul Swydan: Well the only reason the pitching coach has his job is because he was old buddies with Farrell. He can go too.

2:45	BK: is Sale coming in? Why wouldn’t you just start him then?

2:45	Carson Cistulli: He’s in now.

2:45	SubmarineSailor: What an atrocious send on that play. I truly feel like I could have thrown him out on that one.

2:46	Carson Cistulli: It’s possible this was the plan the whole time, if the Sox were down.

2:46	The ghost of Gil Meche: so…if Price is “unavailable” why did he walk to the pen?

2:46	Paul Swydan: Camraderie?

2:46	Adam: If Sale is available for a few innings out of the pen, why not just start him, especially with rain coming?

2:46	Kevin: Sale? Fun king Bolshevik!

2:46	Carson Cistulli: Strangely, Farrell has actually (sort of) embraced Cameron’s suggestion, in terms of effing with the platoon advantage of these Astros hitters.

2:46	Paul Swydan: Yeah, he has. Just in reverse.

2:47	Sonny: Has anyone without an MFA ever used the word pedagogical?

2:47	Paul Swydan: I certainly don’t mind seeing a new pitcher here. I wasn’t relishing a third encounter between Springer and Porcello.

2:47	Ray Liotta as Shoeless Joe: For those of us not watching live, was Sale warming up before Farrell got ejected?

2:47	Carson Cistulli: Sonny, it’s a way of broadcast that one is both educated AND poor.

2:47	Paul Swydan: I don’t believe so, no. I believe he got up right after Farrell was tossed. But he might have left that instruction on his way down the tunnel.

2:47	Plus Hands. And Plus Hands: Cornell Notes lived across the hall from me freshman year. He was in fact a tool.

2:47	Wildcard: Price has to be the game 5 starter if the Sox get there right?

2:47	Paul Swydan: He does now, yeah.

2:48	Carson Cistulli: Sale looks pretty sharp, for what it’s worth.

2:48	SubmarineSailor: Why bring him in 40 minutes before you’re expecting a weather delay? The way this game has gone, you’ll get one inning

2:48	Paul Swydan: You know, unless they only want Sale to go 1-2 innings, and are going to start him in Game 5 too.

2:48	Paul Swydan: It’s all wide open.

2:48	Fair line: I just realized “LDS Live Blog” might be confusing for a bunch of Utah residents looking for a little mid-day spiritual comfort

2:48	Show Hey O’Tawny: Eagle/Owl platoon, with eagles in the day and owls at night

2:48	Paul Swydan: You’re going to have to help me out with that one, Fair line.

2:49	Paul Swydan: Oh, Latter Day Saints?

2:49	RufusD: Ok, think I’ve had it with SlingTV’s delayed broadcasts and digital burps. Time to ante up and pay the Evil Cable Empire. ?

2:49	weezy: teachers use pedogogical!

2:49	Paul Swydan: Jammed Springer. That was pretty.

2:49	Farrell: Sale starting is what they EXPECT me to do; instead, I’ve now seized the advantage of surprise!

2:50	Sonny: 1 IP today and starting game 5 would be damn fun

2:50	Show Hey O’Tawny: “Bring in Sale in the 4th” was Farrell’s “Fly, you fools”

2:50	YKnotDisco?!: Re Question: would outfielders save more or fewer runs if they manned their positions on horseback? Answer: I think the players defensive ability would reMANE about the same.

2:50	Kevin: I just spit my coffee, Fair line

2:50	RufusD: Wait, this isn’t the Latter-Day Saints blog? I was starting to wonder…

2:50

Ground Ball: Sorry Carson. It is an especially odd way of note taking. The paper is divided into three sections. One is for the heading and questions one has throughout the reading(often faked), most of the paper is dedicated to the actual note taking, and the final is a summary of the notes that one takes on the page. It is a common technique used by teachers who wish to extract pain in the form of lost time.

2:50	Paul Swydan: Spider-Man Sale just made a jumping snag on a comebacker.

2:50	Sammy: Why is Josh Reddick batting second?

2:51	Carson Cistulli: Thanks, Ground Ball.

2:51	Carson Cistulli: Pardon me, I have to edit Eno’s post.

2:51	Paul Swydan: Because they want to make him feel good about dropping him in the order against lefties?

2:51	Paul Swydan: Stupid Eno.

2:51	Sgt. Pepper: What does the Book of Mormon say about bringing in your ace before the rain delay

2:51	Marty: unblock.us is a wonderful, albeit legally questionable way to watch games post-cord cutting

2:53	Guest: How long until the rain delay?

2:53	Paul Swydan: Could be any minute now. Broadcast is saying 3:15 is time of heaviest rain.

2:54	Srhkthew2: Yes or no: I can write a FanGraphs-esque article for my college essay?

2:54	Paul Swydan: I would lean no.

2:54	Pie: Reddick has a 127 wRC+ on the season, and breaks up a top of the lineup that would have 5 straight righties if he were replaced with Bregman. He’s been in the two hole for most of the year (after replacing Bregman in that spot following his early year slump)

2:54	Paul Swydan: Yeah, he’s been good this year.

2:54	CamdenWarehouse: Carson, your Rate My Professor page was making its rounds on the Effectively Wild facebook group recently. please tell us what “just wait until he wears ‘the bear'” means

2:54	Paul Swydan: Guys, Carson stepped out for a bit.

2:54	Sonny: Joseph Smith’s passionate writings on bullpening led to his shunning from the pioneer lands of upstate NY

2:55	weezy: watching this game, I had kinda forgotten that the Astros were ahead. It feels like the Sox are always hitting with runners on

2:55	Paul Swydan: Pretty strike 3 from Morton on Devers.

2:56	Owen: The send of Jayson Werth in NLDS Game 5 last year vs LAD was worse

2:56	Pat the Bat: Thoughts on Morton coming back out?

2:56	Paul Swydan: It’s the bottom of the order, at least?

2:56	Wildcard: Yeah the Sox have had tons of chances, but haven’t capitalized

2:56	Srhkthew2: During the delay what are we all going to talk about?

2:57	Paul Swydan: I don’t know, start thinking of stuff.

2:57	Wildcard: Was that a strike to Devers? Gameday has it well out of the zone

2:57	Paul Swydan: Strike three? No it was well out of the zone.

2:57	Kevin: During the delay, we will talk about what animals the infielders should ride

2:58	Brandon M: Im needing some help with microbiology, we could discuss the four general features of Giardia lambli and Balantidium coli

2:58	Paul Swydan: the what what and the what what?

2:58	Thomas: What animal makes the best infielder?

2:58	RufusD: And which infielders the animals should ride.

3:00	Bored: Because Verlander would start the potential game 5, is Keuchel available today in emergency? Or would they go to Verlander and start Keuchel in a potential game 5

3:00	Q: Relevant to the general theme:https://www.si.com/extra-mustard/2017/09/26/dinosaurs-playing-baseball…

3:00	weezy: I think during the rain delay, we should only be limited to Austin Barnes trades

3:01	Paul Swydan: That was a pretty emphatic inning from Morton.

3:01	Shoemaker: Jake Lamb, Greg Bird

3:01	Brandon M: Third base would have to ostrich. They are aggressive but suprisingly agile

3:01	Paul Swydan: SAVE IT FOR THE RAIN DELAY!

3:01	Paul Swydan: just kidding

3:02	Paul Swydan: On the Astros rotation question, I feel like they haven’t had to be as forthcoming about their plans because they aren’t on the brink of elimination.

3:02	Fly Ball: Thomas- the octopus would NEVER make any errors. Now that I think about it, it is the animal version of Jose Iglesias. No range, but it won’t screw up the easy ones!

3:03	Paul Swydan: Burn.

3:03	CamdenWarehouse: Let’s talks about how ridiculous Air Bud: Seventh Inning Fetch is

3:03	Paul Swydan: Even I have my limits.

3:04	RufusD: Personally I’d like to see a capuchin monkey nestled on Kyle Seager’s shoulder. The monkey could feed him seeds and partake of some seeds itself.

3:04	Tyson in Oklahoma: Well now I’m reading Carson’s Rate My Professor page, and multiple people mention his love for The OC. Carson does seem like a Seth Cohen kind of guy

3:04	Paul Swydan: I watched the OC too.

3:04	Kevin: What animal would you trade for Austin Barnes?

3:04	Paul Swydan: Wow, galaxy brain question right there.

3:05	Paul Swydan: Meanwhile, in the game, great barehanded play by Devers, for all you jerks who think he should move to first.

3:05	Brandon M: I think the more appropriate question would be which animal would you NOT trade for Austin Barnes?

3:05	Kate Upton: Fantasy MVP: The OC was great. The show accurately captured how much we dislike dirty 909ers.

3:06	Uncle Jimbo: Devers certainly showed that he has enough to work with at 3B.

3:06	Matt: FWIW, I think Devers should move to Japan

3:06	Q: Where the heck was this Sale in game 1?

3:07	Paul Swydan: Verlander is warming.

3:07	Paul Swydan: Astros aren’t screwing around.

3:07	The Hamburglar: Trevor Bauer is going to dominate the Yankees for the 4th time this year, isn’t he?

3:07	Paul Swydan: Hahaha no

3:08	Sonny: Devers is a literal child, give him a full season before you send him to the old man positions

3:08	Paul Swydan: Yes.

3:08	Show Hey O’Tawny: Cone with a nice octopus reference, he must be reading the chat

3:08	Paul Swydan: That’d be amazing. Hi David!

3:08	Matt: “(Sale) looks like an octopus falling out of a tree” – David Cone

3:08	Shoemaker: Debating on if I would trade my pet dog for a pet Austin Barnes

3:09	Paul Swydan: That pitch from Sale was not fair.

3:09	Matt: Wouldn’t you wait to bring in Verlander after the rain delay?

3:09	Paul Swydan: Maybe they will. Remember, a starter needs longer to warm up.

3:09	Matt: Paul, help me out here. I’m a Yanks fan and I hate the Sox. But, if we make it to the ALCS, I feel better about beating them than HOU. Who do I root for, Paul?

3:09	Paul Swydan: Yeah you should be rooting for the Red Sox for sure.

3:09	Paul Swydan: Houston is definitely the better team.

3:10	Peter: How close is Verlander’s warming up compared to a typical bullpen session between starts

3:10	Paul Swydan: Not sure about his normal schedule, sorry.

3:10	weezy: Is your dog worth 6 WAR over the next 5 years?

3:10	chan: Delay is not going to happen, radar is clear

3:10	Paul Swydan: Yeah?

3:10	Paul Swydan: Don’t tease us, chan!

3:10	weezy: that was less of a strike than the JBJ or Peroia strike calls

3:10	Paul Swydan: Yeah, it wasn’t a strike, but what has been today?

3:11	Keith G.: As an Astros fan, I am rooting for the Yanks vs. Indians.

3:11	Matt: Thanks for the advice, Paul. Now – how do I make sure that my rooting has an effect on the outcome of the game?

3:11	Paul Swydan: A potion of some sort?

3:11	skittlebabies: still need a haircut…

3:11	Paul Swydan: It’s been almost a week, skittlebabies!

3:12	RufusD: My dog is worth infinite DAR! Yes he is! Whoseagoodboy… ?

3:12	Guest: http://www.intellicast.com/National/Radar/Current.aspx?region=bgm&anim…

3:12	Paul Swydan: Well, that’s not exactly clear, but it’s better than I thought it was going to be.

3:12	Matt: Hey Paul….I wanna know…..have you ever seen the rain? Coming down – on a sunny day?

3:13	Paul Swydan: I have. I’ve also seen you, and him, walking in the rain. You were holding hands, and I’ll never be the same.

3:15	Paul Swydan: Pedroia – 2 ground outs and a K looking.

3:15	Paul Swydan: Not exactly covering himself in glory today.

3:15	Kevin: Paul, I wouldn’t go around repeating the name “skittlebabies.” Not sure it means what you think it means.

3:15	Paul Swydan: I don’t think it means anything!

3:15	Guest: What do ya’ll think about the Astros potentially using Verlander here? Wouldn’t it make more sense to use Musgrove/Harris/maybe even Devo first?

3:15	Paul Swydan: I’m fine with Verlander coming in.

3:16	Paul Swydan: If Morton can finish the fifth, you get two-three from Verlander, and get the rest from Devenski/Harris/Giles.

3:16	Show Hey O’Tawny: But Paul… who will stop the rain?

3:16	Paul Swydan: I don’t know, but I can’t stand it against my window.

3:17	Paul Swydan: That’s not true. I actually love the sound of rain on my window. Missy Elliott is bananas.

3:17	Q: That strikeout wasn’t his fault

3:17	Paul Swydan: I’d submit that it was. Was close enough that he had to be swinging.

3:17	The Hamburglar: Are you fine with him coming in because youre a Red Sox fan, or do you think its an actual good move?

3:17	Paul Swydan: He’s on the same 3 days rest that Sale is.

3:18	Matt: Do you think that either team has hired a meteorologist on staff for this game to get some direct predictions in real-time of forthcoming weather as they may affect RP choices and planning?

3:18	Paul Swydan: No, MLB helps consult on those decisions.

3:18	weezy: man, Eno must have had a lot of errors for Carson to edit

3:18	Paul Swydan: I think Carson was just being polite. He’d had enough of you jokers.

3:19	The Hamburglar: Is Verlander on 3 days rest really that much of an upgrade over Devenski/Harris/Giles?

3:19	Paul Swydan: Depends. If Verlander thinks he is, are you going to tell him that he isn’t?

3:19	Me hugging Pedroia: it’s not your fault

3:19	YKnotDisco?!: Q: What’s the difference between the Boston Red Sox and the Boston Strangler? A: One chokes only in October.

3:19	ChatzMcGee: Verlander out of the pen, it’s fun.

3:19	RufusD: That “Let’s Party” Bill Belichick t-shirt being worn behind home plate made me chuckle.

3:19	Paul Swydan: That shirt is stupid.

3:20	CarrotJuice: /Sees “skittle babies” mentioned in chat /Opens Chrome in incognito mode /Searches for “skittle babies” on Urban Dictionary /Paul, don’t use that word

3:20	Paul Swydan: OH. OH.

3:20	Paul Swydan: I did not know that meaning.

3:21	Brandon M: Why does it seem like broadcasters hate everything that we discuss on FanGraphs? Such as the increasing reliance on bullpens. It really is kind of frustrating that the media always seems to be the last to adapt to changes/advances in the game.

3:21	Paul Swydan: People don’t like change.

3:21	Pie: I think if there wasn’t someone of Keuchel’s caliber waiting for Game 5, JV wouldn’t be in right now

3:21	Paul Swydan: Correct.

3:21	Paul Swydan: Game 5 being in Houston also is a factor, I’m sure.

3:21	Josh R: I’ve got to say, I just don’t get the use of Sale and Verlander here. I do understand worrying about tomorrow later, but there does come a point where you are damaging yourself down the road, right?

3:22	Paul Swydan: There probably is, yes.

3:22	The Hamburglar: Keuchel did look a little better than Verlander in his start, to be honest

3:22	John Autin: Why just assume Verlander can pitch well in relief, which he’s never done before even in the minors?

3:23	Paul Swydan: If it was planned out, it’s less like a true relief outing.

3:23	Paul Swydan: Let’s give Houston the benefit of the doubt here.

3:23	Paul Swydan: Having said that….

3:23	Paul Swydan: Benintendi, two-run bomb.

3:23	Mike: It makes sense for the Red Sox who currently don’t have a tomorrow. Less sense for the Astros; would have asked JV to come in after a rain delay and never prior, personally.

3:23	Brandon M: The Astros using Verlander, I agree with because they have Keuchel for game 5. I don’t agree with the Red Sox using Sale because if they do go to game 5, there is no one of Sale’s caliber to take his place.

3:24	Srhkthew2: Paul, are you going to be running the chat for all the games? Because that’s like 9 hours straight of blogging.

3:24	Paul Swydan: No no, Craig is doing Nats-Cubs and Travis is doing CLE-NYY

3:24	Matt: Dammit Paul. My Fox Sports GO feed is 30 seconds behind you.

3:24	ChatzMcGee: Now using Verlander looks really stupid.

3:24	Wildcard: BENNY BICEPS!

3:24	Sonny: Somewhere the cranky old pundits grow strong

3:24	Q: VERLANDER! VERLANDER! VERLANDER! YOU SUCK! YOU SUCK! YOU SUCK! IT’S ALL YOUR FAULT! YOU SUCK AT LIFE! AND PITCHING!

3:24	Paul Swydan: That was a dong and a half.

3:25	Matt: Two biggest contributors this game are two people that weren’t hitting a damn thing games 1-3

3:25	Paul Swydan: Which is why you don’t make drastic changes to the batting order in game 166.

3:25	Warren: He’s still dating Kate Upton, so don’t think we can say he sucks at life…

3:25	Q: Sorry for using the BC goal chant, Paul. Seemed appropriate

3:25	Paul Swydan: That was the BC goal chant? Sorry, they don’t usually score goals against BU. BC sucks.

3:26	Guest: Do you get any stats or highlights from the emoji reactions in the chat host interface?

3:26	Paul Swydan: Not beyond what shows inline, no.

3:26	Matt: Benintendi sure does have a pretty swing.

3:26	CarrotJuice: The Astros blowing a 2-0 lead in the ALDS to a high contact, (usually) low power team? We saw this in 2015, it was great and all, but c’mon, no repeats.

3:27	Brandon M: What are they chanting?

3:27	Paul Swydan: Anyone? I wasn’t concentrating on it.

3:27	Paul Swydan: Just-in, maybe?

3:27	weezy: “Justin”

3:27	AP: sounds like “Justin”

3:27	Unpopular Opinion: Justin I think

3:27	Bill: JUSTIN JUSTIN I think

3:28	Kevin: Austin (barnes)! Austin (Barnes)!

3:28	Sonny: “We all work in finance and have today off! We are overserved!”

3:28	RufusD: “Bolshevik! Bolshevik! Bolshevik!”

3:28	Randy: What is a team’s record in game 5 after losing games 3 and 4?

3:28	Paul Swydan: That’s a great question.

3:28	Paul Swydan: Do the Red Sox go with Sale for the rest of the game?

3:28	Paul Swydan: No definitely not. Kimbrel needs to get 6 outs today.

3:29	Paul Swydan: Reed should get at least one.

3:29	Paul Swydan: I think Sale for 1 more, then Reed 7th, Kimbrel 8th-9th.

3:29	Thomas: Where’s Will Harris?

3:29	Paul Swydan: Someone should definitely be warming.

3:29	hp: 5 years ago i made a throwing error that allowed Benintendi to score the walkoff run in extras during the state playoffs. today, i am in my PJs on a couch watching the MLB playoffs. he’s hitting bombs off justin verlander.

3:29	Paul Swydan: Wow, cool.

3:30	Paul Swydan: “The fans started to see the ball with their hearts.” Great line by Joe Davis.

3:30	Avattoir: In this Sudden Dong Era, it’s important for even the best and most celebrated pitchers to remain philosophical … or ideological; something.

3:30	$11 Worth of Taco Bell: “Boo-urns!”

3:31	Paul Swydan: Any chance we see Sale again tomorrow? Even if just for an inning? (Assuming boston wins)

3:31	Paul Swydan: Well, remember, uh, me, that there’s a day off. So, yes, I think we could still see him in Game 5.

3:32	Mikey: Is Hanley Ramirez’s head physiologically incapable of having a helmet that fits him?

3:32	Paul Swydan: Probably someone could build him a helmet that fits him. I’m guessing he just likes it loose.

3:32	ChatzMcGee: Benintendis disinter had a *5%* hit probability.

3:32	Paul Swydan: Ha.

3:32	Jake Lamb of God: Who is to blame Aj Hinch or Verlander?

3:33	Paul Swydan: I’d honestly lean toward “neither.”

3:33	Paul Swydan: I still don’t mind the decision.

3:33	Pie: 90 MPH, 35 degrees on the homer

3:33	chan: 3 years ago i made a throwing error that allowed Verlander to score the walkoff run in extras during the state playoffs. today, i am in my PJs on a couch watching the MLB playoffs. he’s giving up bombs to Benentendi.

3:33	stever20: I totally disagree. If Sale gets 3 up 3 down in 6th, you don’t take him out…. If you take your best pitcher out and a guy who is worse gives it up in the 7th especially with Reed- you are going to be questioned more than any thing we’ve seen in the playoffs…..

3:33	Paul Swydan: Yeah, maybe. I guess it depends on the plan for Game 5.

3:34	Paul Swydan: Someone get Gurriel a cold shower, wow. Although, Devers should have had that.

3:34	Paul Swydan: Fuel for the position switch crowd.

3:34	Uncle Jimbo: Question for hp: Was Benintendi clearly a cut above the rest of the players in HS?

3:34	Matt: Last time I went to Taco Bell (last week), I too spent $11 (quesorito, cheesy gordita crunch, and double decker…and a med soda). I like in Chicago, so most of that $11 was the soda…

3:35	Paul Swydan: I love Taco Bell.

3:35	JD: Spent the whole year working through Feliz, Martes, Mustgrove, Hoyt, Harris, Devo, just to find a pen that can last in October and you get there and don’t trust anyone. Especially after the way 2015 ended it’s maddening. AJ has been good all year but his pen management this series has been bad.

3:35	Paul Swydan: They just said on the broadcast they now expect NO rain delay.

3:35	weezy: I hope I don’t see Chris Sale tomorrow. the Red Sox won’t be playing and I am in Seattle.

3:35	AdamZ: The Sullivan Tire dude creeps me out.

3:35	Paul Swydan: Yes.

3:36	Paul Swydan: The creepiest part is that he’s looked and sounded that creepy my whole life.

3:36	The Hamburglar: What about Verlander? Do you take him out of the game and count on him to come back for an inning or 2 on Wednesday?

3:36	Paul Swydan: I think you leave him in but have someone ready.

3:36	hp: RARE FOOTAGE of a 16 year old benintendi knocking us out of the playoffs the year before with a home run. and of me striking out looking.

3:36	RufusD: Hanley’s helmet fits fine. He just wears a frictionless ‘do-wrap under it.

3:36	Paul Swydan: Fair point.

3:36	Paul Swydan: Big K for Sale.

3:37	Paul Swydan: It’s remarkable how crappy this camera angle is.

3:37	Terry Puhl’s 1980 NLCS: Good hit by Yuli or bad play by Devers?

3:37	Paul Swydan: More the latter.

3:38	The Hamburglar: Question: Has there ever been a fanbase of a non-WS winning team that actually liked their manager’s “pen management”

3:38	Paul Swydan: Uh, probably last year’s Cleveland Indians?

3:38	Ernie Bank$: What “taco” flavored soylent green is your favorite taco bell item?

3:39	Paul Swydan: Cheesy Gordita Crunch, by far.

3:39	Paul Swydan: MAKE THE PEYTON MANNING ADS STOP.

3:39	Kevin: hp, that’s rad

3:39	Brandon M: Will there be a separate chat for CHC-WAS or will there be overlap between the two games?

3:40	Paul Swydan: No, same window. Just stay right here. Craig will be by when CHC-WAS starts.

3:40	Matt: Paul – multiple times this post season, from each MLBN, FS1 and TBS, they have shown pitches from the camera behind the catcher. Why. Why why why why why?!?!

3:40	Paul Swydan: They need to show you how much money they’re spending on this telecast.

3:40	Jake Lamb of God: I haven’t kept up with Devers on defense, has he struggled like the announcers have said?

3:41	Paul Swydan: He made 14 errors, and he is a bit, uh, portly, so it’s an easy narrative.

3:41	Paul Swydan: But his DRS was -1, and his UZR was -3.5.

3:41	Paul Swydan: I don’t think he’s been AS bad as people think.

3:42	Paul Swydan: And the UZR breakout shows he can turn a double play and that his range is fine. The mistakes have seemed mostly mental to me. Willing to work with that.

3:42	Guest: Paul is correct. Close second is the Crunchwrap Supreme

3:42	Paul Swydan: I’d have Crunchwrap Supreme in the top 5, but I’ll go Steak Quesarito and Chicken Supreme Chalupa in between.

3:43	Sonny: He can either be a pizza selling tv man or a senator, your call Paul

3:43	Paul Swydan: Damnit.

3:43	Kevin: WINNER! WINNER! WINNER! First and only soylent green reference. Chat over.

3:43	Paul Swydan: OK, bye everybody!

3:43	Brandon M: Sale is showing why you throw your best pitcher in a playoff scenario. Even though it didnt work for Houston, I still believe its the right call

3:43	Tyler: Devers has made a lot of errors but has also made a lot of great plays

3:43	LegallyEagle: Are the Red Sox going to overspend to add a slugger like JDM or Jay Bruce this offseason?

3:44	Paul Swydan: If JD Martinez wants to DH, then I’d be all about that. Hanley can play 1B for one year.

3:44	Paul Swydan: But I doubt it.

3:44	Paul Swydan: Bottom line is the Sox already have a high payroll and need to lock up JBJ, Mookie and Xander soon.

3:44	Paul Swydan: Unless there’s going to be a big philosophical shift on paying the luxury tax, or they don’t want to retain their homegrown players, I can’t see it.

3:44	Paul Swydan: Unless it’s a super short-term deal. 2-3 years.

3:45	Wildcard: Chances of Devers being replaced after his AB here?

3:45	Paul Swydan: If they were taking him out, they would have put Rajai Davis in to run. They didn’t do that, so I’ll say 0% chance.

3:45	LegallyEagle: Fan of the Doritos shells?

3:45	Paul Swydan: No. A novelty. I thought they were gross. Even I have limits.

3:46	Bill: Any love for the grilled stuffed burrito?

3:46	Paul Swydan: Oddly, I’ve never ordered a burrito at Taco Bell. It always just seemed wrong to me.

3:46	Matt: Mexican Pizza is highly underrated.

3:46	Paul Swydan: My wife gets those.

3:46	RufusD: A former co-worker of mine tried very hard to convince me that Taco Bell used earthworms as ground beef filler. That might actually increase the nutritional value.

3:46	Paul Swydan: I will not stand for this relentless Taco Bell slander!

3:47	Paul Swydan: JBJ finally hits it hard and it’s right at someone.

3:47	Scott: Sale for one more and then Kimbrel for two?

3:47	Paul Swydan: Giddy up.

3:47	Tyler: by the time they need to lock up Mookie and Xander both Hanley and Panda will be off the books

3:47	Paul Swydan: Yes, but if they add another big bat, then they keep having that type of contract on the books.

3:48	Ray Liotta as Shoeless Joe: I want more Barnes/Kazmir for JBJ/Swihart talk!

3:48	Paul Swydan: Hahaha.

3:48	Paul Swydan: I need Toles in that deal, sorry.

3:48	Guest: What team has the best 4th, 5th, and 6th outfielders?

3:48	Paul Swydan: Probably LA or Cleveland or Chicago.

3:49	Kevin: What’s with that egg taco shell thing? Observations?

3:49	Paul Swydan: I dunno, I can’t get out of the house quickly enough for breakfast.

3:49	The Hamburglar: What’s the safest meat to eat at Taco Bell? Chicken?

3:49	Paul Swydan: It’s best not to think in those terms.

3:49	Paul Swydan: If you’re going to think like that, just eat at home.

3:50	RufusD: But they actually use oats, so even the ground beef has fiber.

3:50	Kevin: Wait. Is Sale on a horse too?

3:50	Paul Swydan: A couple of horses.

3:50	Hunky Dory: If you’re a true Bostonian, Paul, then you must weigh in – BoLoCo, yay or nay?

3:50	Paul Swydan: I enjoy it, but it wasn’t a business when I lived in the city.

3:51	Scott: The Pedroia contract is also a problem.

3:51	Paul Swydan: Yup.

3:51	Anonymous: You don’t eat at Taco Bell if safety is one of your dining criteria

3:51	Paul Swydan: George Springer is good at the baseballing.

3:51	Phil: This chat has guaranteed I am eating Taco Bell for dinner tonight.

3:51	Paul Swydan: YES.

3:51	Matt: Kimbrel going for 6 outs or is Sale going to finish the 8th

3:52	Paul Swydan: Farrell said he’d ask Kimbrel for as many as 6 outs, so I think we see that.

3:52	Q: The scoreboard says 2 outs?

3:52	Paul Swydan: Yeah that was confusing. I was like, wait, have I really missed two outs?

3:52	Paul Swydan: You’ll notice the scorebug went away immediately after and hasn’t come back.

3:52	Sonny: Say the season ends today, would you still do the Sale trade?

3:53	Paul Swydan: Grudgingly, yeah.

3:53	Paul Swydan: A good SP is borderline impossible to find on the market these days, and the Sox suck at developing them, so trade is the best route.

3:53	Show Hey O’Tawny: I’ve never actually had Taco Bell

3:53	Sonny: safest foods? c’mon Hamburglar live mas

3:54	Paul Swydan: Go to TAco Bell!

3:54	Paul Swydan: That catch was a lot harder than it should have been.

3:54	E: Steak Quesarito is the stuff

3:54	Paul Swydan: Yeah it is.

3:54	Matt: But Sale is cruising right now, he’s not going to be available Game 5 to start…wouldn’t you want want Sale to go through 8 since Game 5 will likely be somewhat of a bullpen game

3:54	Paul Swydan: You could, yeah.

3:54	Matt: If Sale is going to be unavailable for Game 5, I’d run him through the 8th

3:55	YKnotDisco?!: It’s gotta be a Chalupa (supreme) for me.

3:55	bosoxforlife: Drew Pomeranz for Anderson Espinosa. Where do you stand on that deal now?

3:55	Paul Swydan: That deal was a win for the Sox. Espinosa didn’t even pitch this year.

3:55	Paul Swydan: Well, Reed is warming now.

3:56	Anonymous: Shout outs to Paul for being the only Fangraphs playoff blogger who enables the emojis

3:56	Paul Swydan: Really? No one else does?

3:56	Paul Swydan: Fun is fun, as Millhouse Van Hooten used to say.

3:57	The Hamburglar: Astros still maintain a pitching advantage in Game 5, right? Keuchel and possibly their entire bullpen

3:57	Paul Swydan: Yes, plus they’re at home.

3:57	Paul Swydan: Where they destroyed Boston.

3:57	Paul Swydan: Seriously, what is a strike?

3:57	Paul Swydan: Wegner knows he screwed up, he put his hand on Altuve’s back as he started bitching.

3:58	weezy: I love the physical juxtaposition that is Sale vs Altuve

3:58	AdamZ: looked like a good pitch to me

3:58	Bill: Game Day says it’s a strike FWIW

3:58	Q: The zone called it a strike so it’s a strike

3:58	Matt: That might actually have been a strike

3:58	Paul Swydan: Had to have crossed through the zone. Sure as hell didn’t finish in the zone.

3:58	Paul Swydan: Or, it could just be the horrid camera angle we have. I don’t know.

3:59	Wildcard: Gameday has it well inside the corner

3:59	Paul Swydan: Huh, so it does.

3:59	stever20: going to be absolutely difficult to pull Sale if he gets thru this inning.

3:59	Q: I never know where a strike couts: when it crosses the zone or when the catcher grabs it

3:59	Paul Swydan: I think that is up for debate.

3:59	other Matt : Sale-Reed-Kimbrel?

3:59	Paul Swydan: I would think Reed is just up for in case Sale blows this inning.

4:00	Matt: Girardi just announced CC in potential game 5. Wait. What?

4:01	Paul Swydan: Maybe Sonny Gray is going to throw in relief tonight?

4:02	Paul Swydan: It’s all the rage, you know.

4:02	Michael: So I called in to Francesa and he says Axisa is wrong and there’s a very good chance girardi is not back this year

4:02	Paul Swydan: He name checked Axisa on the air?

4:04	Jucky Bacobson: No way you pull him out here

4:04	Paul Swydan: Agreed.

4:04	Paul Swydan: Gonzalez is also much more dangerous as a LHB.

4:04	Paul Swydan: Boom.

4:04	Paul Swydan: Sale struck him out.

4:04	Paul Swydan: Filthy, filthy.

4:04	Paul Swydan: In the dirt.

4:04	Michael: i dropped Axisa’s name, he said “he’s wrong”

4:06	Matt: Proof right now that personal catchers are not needed. Leon caught almost every single Sale start this year, but he’s looking great with Vasquez in there.

4:06	Uncle Jimbo: Now what game to watch???

4:06	Paul Swydan: I’ll stick with BOS-HOU.

4:06	Paul Swydan: Well, maybe I’ll flip. Where is the remote?

4:07	Paul Swydan: Pedroia still can’t get it out of the infield.

4:07	Paul Swydan: He’s still hurt, and shouldn’t be hitting so high in the order.

4:07	Josh R: This is really interesting. Who’da thunk 4 innings from Sale today before this game started? Game 5 is going to be fascinating. (If it happens)

4:08	stever20: 4 innings 6 k’s. not too shabby. do you start him in the 8th? To me it would be making a move to just make a move. Sale looks plenty good enough….

4:08	Paul Swydan: He didn’t get any hugs in the dugout.

4:08	Paul Swydan: No one is warming.

4:08	Guest: Are personal catchers just a way to give the backup predictable playing time?

4:08	Paul Swydan: That’s part of it, I think.

4:08	Jucky Bacobson: So, if Boston pulls through and wins game 5, do they keep Sale and Price in the pen and just throw them for 3-4 high leverage innings 2-3 times per series?

4:09	Paul Swydan: I doubt it. Price was immediately talking about how he wants to be a starter after Game 3.

4:09	Jucky Bacobson: My understanding Sale is not a hugger

4:09	Paul Swydan: Probably not, but he didn’t put on his coat or anything. He marched over to his spot in the dugout like you would if you were still pitching.

4:10	caesar_solid: is the CUBS/NATS chat in this window or a different one?

4:10	Paul Swydan: This one.

4:10	Dave: Can win expectancy be calculated by just replacing Morton with Verlander? Only numbers I’m seeing are the change after the HR

4:11	Paul Swydan: Yeah WE% is not calculated based on the pitchers involved.

4:11	Kevin: I think it makes sense: if you have an awesome bullpen, you’d gladly take the gamble that at least one of your two best starters, or a combination thereof, can go deep in game 4 in order to get to game 5. Then you throw CC maybe once through the lineup, followed by said awesome bullpen.

4:12	Wildcard: The only reason I would have taken Sale out is to potentially have him available out of the pen again in game 5.

4:12	Paul Swydan: Right.

4:12	Guest: Any more polls?

4:12	Craig Edwards: I am here and primarily watching Cubs-Nats for those of you watching that game.

4:12	Paul Swydan: Hi Craig!

4:12	Craig Edwards: Hey Paul.

4:12	Hunky Dory: Why are we trusting Mike Francesca? Dude’s an idiot. I don’t love Girardi but who else would manage, Brad Ausmus? Lol no. Yanks have far exceeded expectations this year, replay gaffe be damned.

4:12	Matt: “Benintendi strokes it foul.” Sounds kinky.

4:13	Paul Swydan: Get your mind out of the gutter, Matt.

4:13	Anonymous: Somewhere, Madison Bumgarner is smiling with grim satisfaction at all these aces working out of the pen

4:13	Paul Swydan: Says the person not old enough to remember Randy Johnson coming out of the ‘pen in the 2001 World Series, apparently.

4:14	Uncle Jimbo: Says the person not old enough to remember ol’ Pete coming out of the pen in the ’26 World Series.

4:14	Paul Swydan: Oh snap.

4:14	Wildcard: Didn’t Schilling and Johnson both make relief appearances that year?

4:15	Paul Swydan: Believe so.

4:15	Josh B: Why hasn’t a team just gone to we have a bunch of guys who can throw three innings type of pitching situation?

4:15	Paul Swydan: Going to be hard to get all starting pitchers to accept that.

4:15	AdamZ: what about Pedro in ’99?

4:15	Craig Edwards: I might have blocked it out, but I think John Lackey came out of the pen for Boston a few years ago.

4:15	Paul Swydan: Yeah, right, or that. Brain fart.

4:16	Q: Sale iS BACK AGAIN

4:16	Paul Swydan: Tell a friend.

4:16	Guest: Harper 4 HR game?

4:16	Craig Edwards: going to be difficult, 0 for 1 so far.

4:16	Paul Swydan: Alex Bregman just tied it. That was a shot.

4:17	Q: Could David Price pitch game 5?

4:17	Paul Swydan: Let’s get there first.

4:17	Matt: CRAIGWARDS!

4:17	Anonymous: these balls. so juicy.

4:17	Guest: Wasnt that relief appearance by randy Johnson literally on no days rest? What a haus

4:17	stever20: wow. Boston was in a darned if you do darned if you don’t situation there with Sale I think…..

4:17	Kevin: So Craig, you’re Dombrowski. Who would you trade for Austin Barnes?

4:18	Paul Swydan: Craig, FYI, we’ve been talking about the Sox trading for Austin Barnes.

4:18	Paul Swydan: What just happened there.

4:18	Paul Swydan: OK, so Gattis hit it down the third-base line.

4:18	Paul Swydan: It was barely fair.

4:19	Paul Swydan: The ball person didn’t realize that, and fielded it.

4:19	Paul Swydan: That made it a dead ball.

4:19	Paul Swydan: So even though Gattis hustled to second and was safe on the throw, they told Gattis to go back to first.

4:20	Blobfish: Well that play was drunk

4:20	Every Sportscaster: Hot take: 2nd guessing is putting my kids through college!

4:20	Show Hey O’Tawny: I feel so bad for that ballgirl

4:20	Brandon M: That looks foul to me

4:20	Paul Swydan: Did to me too.

4:20	Craig Edwards: Austin Barnes, huh. You have targeted Paul correctly. As for me, I don’t believe I would offer all that much, maybe Bradley or something like that.

4:20	Paul Swydan: That was the hypothetical offer!

4:20	Uncle Jimbo: She should have gone ahead a fired a bullet to 2B.

4:21	Craig Edwards: hamstring watch has begun.

4:21	ChatzMcGee: Shoulda been a groundrule double.

4:21	Paul Swydan: I thought so too. I don’t think it was fair to send him back to first.

4:21	Uncle Jimbo: Looked foul to the ball girl too.

4:21	ChatzMcGee: Why feel bad for her, she just saved the Red Sox an extra base, she’s a hero.

4:22	Brandon M: To those booing the ball girl: 1) that looked foul. 2) she saved the red sox a base. 3) she has more baseball talent than you have ever had or ever will

4:22	Tyler: or she save him being thrown out at 2nd

4:22	BESR: Did someone throw pizza at her?

4:23	Paul Swydan: The pizza thing is only funny because it will NEVER be replicated.

4:23	Craig Edwards: Scherzer seems fine. Nasty K on Bryant.

4:23	Josh R: Why do people say “No pun intended” when they clearly intended the pun?

4:23	Paul Swydan: Because people like to sound smart.

4:23	Shoemaker: HERE COMES THE PIZZA

4:23	Wildcard: I remember that pizza incident

4:24	Paul Swydan:

4:24	Paul Swydan: It’s still so funny.

4:24	Craig Edwards: Scherzer must be throwing hard. He threw to Rizzo inside and Rizzo actually tried to get out of the way.

4:24	Brad: Odds this goes to extras?

4:24	Paul Swydan: 100% on extras.

4:24	Dungeon Master: HERE COMES THE PIZZER!

4:25	Q: This is a weird standing O. “Yeah you gave us some relief but you blew the lead and you should feel bad.”

4:25	Avattoir: Don’t mind puns: if good, they’re fun. What bugs me is broadcast dude sez ‘No pun intended’ when pun was so intended.

4:25	Craig Edwards: it’s like saying “that’s the joke”

4:26	Wildcard: Making the pitching change 3 batters too late, it’s almost like Farrell was never ejected.

4:26	bosoxforlife: Nothing weird about it. It is also a cumulative award for all he has done this season.

4:27	Paul Swydan: “The only thing is that he didn’t hit him with the cheese side.”

4:27	john cale: i can’t believe they didn’t start the 8th with kimbrel. he’s pitched ONE inning in october

4:27	Paul Swydan: Yeah, that’s the downside of letting your star pitcher into the game, is you have to tell them that they’re done.

4:27	Paul Swydan: And no one wants to do that.

4:27	Paul Swydan: Esp when the manager isn’t even there.

4:28	Jucky Bacobson: What’s the best bat flip in this post season? The Devers one where he can’t figure out what to do with his bat, or the Harper one where he is half undressed and dismisses the bat from its duty in this drama

4:28	Paul Swydan: Harper

4:28	Craig Edwards: that means, with the regular season, he’s now pitched 70 innings this year.

4:28	Kevin: Puig single batflip

4:28	Paul Swydan: Oh, ya, that one.

4:28	Paul Swydan: That one was great.

4:29	Brandon M: Uh oh. Red Sox might be in real trouble here.

4:29	Craig Edwards: all bat flips are good.

4:29	Paul Swydan: Gotta get Reddick.

4:29	Morris Buttermaker: Does kimbrel have vaseline on his hat

4:29	Paul Swydan: I’m sure on a rainy day that there’s something on his hat, yeah.

4:29	Hannah Hochevar: Amazing that sale could lose 2 games this series if that run scores…

4:30	Show Hey O’Tawny: What’s that on Kimbrel’s hat?

4:30	Paul Swydan: Yeah that’s pretty noticeable. Not that subtle, is he?

4:30	Paul Swydan: Everything is up.

4:31	Morris Buttermaker: I just meant it looks pretty obvious. Usually they TRY to hide it.

4:31	Matt: So, uhhh…really though, why isn’t Hinch coming out about Kimbrel’s hat?

4:31	Paul Swydan: Because it’s a rainy day.

4:31	Paul Swydan: If it was a normal day and he was doing that, I’d be more expectant of Hinch.

4:31	Mattingly’s Sideburns: If I’m a batter I hope Kimbrel has something on his hat for better grip in the rain. 101 slipping out of his hand is no bueno.

4:31	Jucky Bacobson: I think Kimbrel has whale lard (ambergris) on his hat, as a hat tip to the history of the whaling industry. It’s not progressive.

4:32	Paul Swydan: 99 on the inside corner and Reddick gets a piece to foul it off. Huge.

4:32	Jucky Bacobson: I feel like Reddick’s mullet is more sincere than most. I believe he’d wear that even if he didn’t play baseball.

4:32	Craig Edwards: Kimbrel has given up 3 of his 6 home runs on exactly two days rest, which absolutely means something.

4:33	Paul Swydan: Oh wow.

4:33	Paul Swydan: Benintendi didn’t even challenge at the plate.

4:33	Paul Swydan: That’s a bad look.

4:33	Craig Edwards: Jayson werth with some hard contact, lining a single up the middle.

4:33	Paul Swydan: Two poor decisions from Benintendi today.

4:34	Paul Swydan: Maybe not.

4:34	TB: That is a series winning worthy AB

4:34	Blobfish: Runner was going on the pitch, Paul. No chance at home

4:34	Paul Swydan: Yup, more clear on the replay.

4:34	Craig Edwards: the path to elimination is paved with benintentions, no pun intendid.

4:35	bosoxforlife: They were running. He had no chance at the plate.

4:35	AdamZ: Benintendi had no choice

4:35	Brian: What did Beni do wrong?????

4:35	Deece: no chance at home, could have had him at 3

4:35	Q: Shut up Craig, and I mean that in the nicest way

4:35	Paul Swydan: OK OK, I was wrong.

4:35	Ray Liotta as Shoeless Joe: Tough luck for Chris Sale, who we will all remember as being awful in this series because his ERA was over 8.

4:35	Jesse: Just as they wrote it up, the most important runs off of Sale and Kimbrel

4:35	Q: Don’t understand why Reddick caught up to those two pitches, he should have missed them

4:35	Paul Swydan: He absolutely should have. Incredible at-bat from Reddick.

4:36	Paul Swydan: Gotta be sweet for Reddick, coming back into Fenway and doing that.

4:37	Pat the Bat: I love how excited Verlander was about the run.

4:37	bosoxforlife: Only real fans realize how great an AB that was. Fouling off those two high heaters then getting the hit. WOW!

4:37	AdamZ: Pitching carried the Red Sox all year, looks like it will cost them this series.

4:37	Paul Swydan: Or, perhaps their inability to score more than 3 runs in 3 of the 4 games is costing them?

4:38	Paul Swydan: They scored 10 runs in one game, and have scored 7 in the other 3.

4:39	Mikey: Game not over by a long shot. It feels like there is a lot more baseball left in this one.

4:39	Paul Swydan: Yup.

4:39	john cale: giles gonna blow it here

4:39	Oddball Herrera: Not employing the ball girl as a fourth outfielder earlier than this cost them

4:39	LegallyEagle: Is the field remotely okay for stealing bases?

4:40	Paul Swydan: I mean, there’s no puddles or anything.

4:40	Q: Betts home run here, calling it

4:40	HankLloydWright: Only real fans get that Mookie is short for Mookopolous

4:40	acesfull23: Just arrived. What was the consensus of this group when Sale came out to start the 8th?

4:40	Paul Swydan: Don’t think there was a consensus.

4:40	Jucky Bacobson: Red Sox pitching is great, but seriously, this year’s Astros offense is so long and talented. Just not a good team to have to keep down.

4:40	Show Hey O’Tawny: I love how Giles made his own nickname

4:40	ChatzMcGee: 41% hit probability grounder gonna end the Sawc season?

4:41	Craig Edwards: the first rule of nicknames is that you don’t get to make your own nicknames

4:41	Paul Swydan: Wow, Mookie really knocked the crap out of that one.

4:41	Jucky Bacobson: Yeah, I don’t like Giles pitching a lot here. So, let’s say Giles gets into trouble. Do you jump on to another arm quickly? Musgrove? Devenski?

4:41	Paul Swydan: Nope, it’s Giles’ show now.

4:41	Craig Edwards: 41 is decently high for a ground ball.

4:41	Brian: In other news Scherzer looks healthy!!

4:41	Kevin: Catchers should totally ride crocodiles; low clearance = fewer passed balls and blocking the plate would be a cinch.

4:41	caesar_solid: waiting for Addison Russel’s nacho disaster sequel

4:41	E: This game can’t be over, they’ve only played for 3.5 hours, we’ve got at least another hour…

4:41	Craig Edwards: Jon Lester does not approve

4:41	bosoxforlife: That hurt. 3-0 and didn’t reach.

4:42	Craig Edwards: Couple decent plays from Ryan Zimmerman thus far.

4:43	Wildcard: Hanley needs a blast here with how hot he’s been

4:43	AdamZ: Calling it: Home Run.

4:43	Paul Swydan: Wow Hanley’s grounder was almost as pathetic as Mookie’s.

4:43	Jucky Bacobson: Moreland is gone after this season, right?

4:43	Paul Swydan: I sure hope so!

4:43	john cale: bottom 9 will be the 7-8-9 hitters. this one’s over. astros turn to get the indians buzzsaw

4:44	Bullpenning: Zimmerman has always been a good fielder. Just his arm decided to go bad.

4:44	Craig Edwards: and it went really bad, but his hitting turnaround has been remarkable.

4:45

Paul Swydan:

If you’re the Red Sox, do you employ a pinch hitter in the 9th?

Yes, for Devers (1.8% | 3 votes)

Yes, for Vazquez (51.2% | 83 votes)

Yes, for Bradley (6.1% | 10 votes)

Yes, for more than one of them (7.4% | 12 votes)

No, no PH is a clear upgrade (33.3% | 54 votes)

Total Votes: 162

4:46	Paul Swydan: “Strike three, Schwarber knew it,” says Ernie Johnson, as Schwarber tosses his bats away and turns to walk toward first.

4:46	Paul Swydan: bat

4:46	IrishEyesSmiling: On this mega sports day, Ireland just won 1-0 at Wales and qualified for 2-leg playoff to get into the World Cup. USA’s turn tomorrow.

4:46	Guest: What would the Red Sox give for Matt Carpenter?

4:46	Paul Swydan: That’s an interesting idea.

4:46	Reddick’s jilted ex: Calling it, Astros gonna win cuz they are the better team.

4:46	TB: 10 minutes ago they were 6 outs from game 5. Now 3 outs from going home

4:46	Craig Edwards: David Price and $80 million.

4:47	Paul Swydan: Hahaha dream on Craig!

4:47	EccentricChemist: rotation for Astros in ALCS Kuechel, Verlander, and the tandems again for 3 and 4?

4:47	Brian: Hey Paul…could you explain why Happ isn’t playing ?

4:47	Paul Swydan: HOU rotation would certainly line up that way, yes.

4:47	Paul Swydan: Brian, I can never explain a Joe Maddon roster decision.

4:48	Paul Swydan: Joe Maddon is always too cute by half, so that you know for sure that the smartest person in the room is Joe Maddon.

4:48	0Dub: does anyone care about the NL series? Cleveland or Houston will win the WS theres no doubt in my mind… Dodgers & Nats stink in October

4:48	Craig Edwards: Scherzer destroys righties, and that is Happ’s dominant side.

4:49	Paul Swydan: I promise that there are people who care about the Chicago and Washington DC baseball teams, yes.

4:49	Kevin: great poll question, paul.

4:49	Peter: I know Maddon loves him, but zobrist hitting 5th is just silly

4:50	0Dub: Leon for Vasquez is only option to pinch hit but I roll with Vasquez

4:50	Moltar: I understand player valuation has changed pretty rapidly, but I still don’t get why there wasn’t more demand for some of the Met’s rental sluggers. I mean, Alderson was literally giving them away. The Sox really had no use for Bruce, Duda or Walker?

4:50	Craig Edwards: although not sure he is that much different that heyward and russell, so maybe one spot down? Not likely to matter much.

4:50	Paul Swydan: Yeah, not sure Moltar.

4:50	Paul Swydan: I thought the Sox could have used another 1B/DH type, but the team was oddly committed to Moreland and Ramirez.

4:51	John Farrell: Gonna get my boy Brock Holt in there to pinch hit

4:51	Matt: Paul, I’m not sure. I don’t think anyone anywhere cares about Chicago or Washington baseball. I live in Chicago, and I didn’t even know that the Cubs were a thing until yesterday.

4:51	Craig Edwards: pretty bizarre pickoff attempt as rizzo was charging.

4:52	Bebop: i believe i read somewhere that Zobrist had two homers off Scherzer earlier this year, so even though he’s scuffling this series, that’s why he got the call

4:52	Craig Edwards: i always wonder how much managers believe that or if it is just something to say to provide confidence/justify a decision.

4:53	Wildcard: Regarding the poll: I assume people want Leon to hit for Vazquez?

4:53	Paul Swydan: I would also assume this.

4:53	Paul Swydan: I

4:53	Paul Swydan: d probably let Vazquez hit though.

4:53	Matt: Guys. I haven’t done anything today at work. I feel this is your fault. Expect a lawsuit.

4:53	Paul Swydan: Too bad you’ll never know my real name.

4:54	Reddick’s jilted ex: who’s stoked to see the Astros lineup v the CLE rotation and BP? That should be hella interesting. Btw, my clients think I’m in court! (Just kidding, it is holiday after all; but my boss thinks I’m working)

4:55	Kevin: wait. what are we celebrating today?

4:55	Craig Edwards: Baseball

4:55	Brandon M: Is Beltran for Gattis actually an upgrade?

4:56	Paul Swydan: Historically, yes. This year….sitll probably yes. 🙂

4:56	Paul Swydan: But it’s a moot point, Gattis was taken out for a runner.

4:56	caesar_solid: this is such a weird start time for a game at Wrigley, I wonder if the sun angles will play a role on defense at some point

4:56	Ray Liotta as Shoeless Joe: Carlos Beltran is going to seal it with a dinger. Because #PuertoRicoStrong

4:56	Craig Edwards: also wonder if an early lead will be important.

4:56	$11 Worth of Taco Bell: Vazquez career vs RHP: 74 wRC+

4:57	Craig Edwards: or maybe right there with the Zobrist error?

4:58	KimByun Slice: One game in the final home series at Wrigley, Reds outfielders lost at least three balls in the sun.

4:58	Brian: Zobrist looking old and creaky

4:58	Paul Swydan: great name, KimByun Slice.

4:58	Craig Edwards: signed for two more years.

4:58	Anonymous: I just learned that ‘boning your bat’ was a thing.

4:59	Paul Swydan:

4:59	Craig Edwards: Rendon hit one pretty hard, but Heyward had no problem getting to it in the gap.

4:59	Paul Swydan: And the Red Sox season just died.

4:59	Brian: Why the hell dont both runs score there!!!

5:00	Paul Swydan: Yeah, you could have sent the runner that ended up on third.

5:00	Paul Swydan: Wow, they’re pulling Kimbrel.

5:00	Paul Swydan: Houston was not fooled by anything Kimbrel had to offer. That was stunning.

5:01	Matt: That park just got really quiet.

5:02	Wildcard: Carlos Beltran off of Kimbrel, who the hell would have seen that coming

5:02	Paul Swydan: Carlos Beltran is the man.

5:02	Q: How many Sox players/coaches/management lose their jobs after this series?

5:02	Paul Swydan: Look, I loathe John Farrell. I think Carl Willis is a dope. But I’m not sure there’s much they could have done differently today.

5:02	Paul Swydan: Sometimes the other team is just better.

5:03	Show Hey O’Tawny: Is it excusable for me to switch over to Cubs-Nats now?

5:03	Paul Swydan: Of course! As long as you’re still watching baseball.

5:03	Anonymous: what’s the article from this game about?

5:03	Paul Swydan: To me, it’s all the fouls off of Kimbrel and the Sale/Verlander usage.

5:03	Craig Edwards: Carlos Beltran has a 182 wRC+ in 240 postseason PA. With 16 homers he’s only one behind a certain Boston legend in 100 fewer PA.

5:03	Thomas: It’s eye-opening to see how a historic offense can make one of the game’s best relievers look pedestrian

5:03	Brandon M: To be fair, I think the Red Sox put up more of a fight this series than I expected them to. After they went down 2-0 I thought the series was for sure over. Then for a time today i thought there would be a game 5

5:04	Paul Swydan: Yup, absolutely. And some of the credit for that has to go Farrell, as much as I dislike him.

5:04	Wildcard: Kimbrel only had 3 whiffs on 37 pitches

5:04	Ray Liotta as Shoeless Joe: Somehow, against all odds, I have gotten more done at work this afternoon once baseball started and I could chat with Travis and Paul and Craig. So thanks guys for being part of a productive work day.

5:04	Paul Swydan: Hey no problem!

5:06	Craig Edwards: Hamstring Watch Alert: Three innings, 4 K. Nothing else.

5:06	Anonymous: Scherzer opening laughing at Quintana with a bat in his hands. Bully

5:06	Paul Swydan: Oh here we go. IN THE PARK HOM ERUN!

5:06	tommy!: how late is the chat going today?

5:07	Craig Edwards: until tomorrow, maybe.

5:07	Anonymous: INSIDE

5:07	Anonymous: THE

5:07	Anonymous: PARK

5:07	Kevin: holy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

5:07	WHAAA: AAAAAT

5:07	AdamZ: Lolwut? Just like they drew it up.

5:07	Gabe: (Laughing hysterically)

5:07	Wildcard: Wow

5:07	Anonymous: hooooooold on just a second. I forgot teams get 27 outs, not 24

5:07	Brandon M: WE MIGHT HAVE A GAME AFTER ALL LADIES AND GENTS

5:07	Peter: Well that was a freebie

5:07	Wildcard: Of course that would happen when they still need another run

5:08	Zach: baseball is exciting

5:08	Avattoir: LL dong.

5:08	Matt: Did not foresee that one happening

5:08	Uncle Jimbo: His chubby cheeks didn’t slow him down!!

5:08	Matt: The home run was inside the park?

5:08	Paul Swydan: YES

5:08	Mikey: Springer looked bad there, yea?

5:08	Paul Swydan: No one in that outfield looked great on that.

5:09	Paul Swydan: I think it is more on Gonzalez.

5:09	Paul Swydan: He’s gotta be there to back that up.

5:09	Mike: And so we will see the real cost of changing the lineup: Pedroia will bat with 2 out and down a run instead of Bogaerts every other time .. who would you rather have up then?

5:09	Paul Swydan: Bogaerts

5:09	Paul Swydan: As we’ve discussed, Pedroia hasn’t gotten the ball out of the infield all day.

5:10	Paul Swydan: He’s been abysmal since he came back, and you can make a real good statistical case that he is still hurt.

5:10	Factory of Sadness: When people talk about the number of HRs hit this season and how it’s soooo recordbreaking, does that include inside the park HRs? And if so, are those also up this year?

5:10	Paul Swydan: BTW, according to Baseball Savant, the most fouls off of Craig Kimbrel in the Statcast era before today was 9. The Astros fouled off 10 Kimbrel pitches today. Mind. Blown.

5:10	Craig Edwards: yes, it does, and I doubt it, but even if they were it wouldn’t be meaningful.

5:10	A: where the hell was Josh Reddick

5:10	Show Hey O’Tawny: I can’t believe you let me change the channel, Paul

5:11	Paul Swydan: Reddick could have been there too, but the ball was in left-center. Gonzalez should have been closer.

5:11	Warren: weird fenway bounce?

5:11	Paul Swydan: Def

5:11	Paul Swydan: Run, Jackie, good lord.

5:11	Paul Swydan: Don’t wait to be told you’re out.

5:12	ChatzMcGee: That seems silly, Pedroia is still a better hitter.

5:12	Paul Swydan: Not right now, he isn’t. Something like a 62 wRC+ since he returned from injury, and he returned from injury quickly. Probably too quickly.

5:13	Q: As great of a defender JBJ is, he goes ice cold for weeks at a time.

5:13	Paul Swydan: He sure does.

5:13	Paul Swydan: Ugly swing from Pedroia there, and now it’s 2-2.

5:13	bosoxforlife: Paul, Thanks for the chat. You and your cohorts made for another fun afternoon, but before leaving give me your future expectations for Devers.

5:13	Paul Swydan: Thanks!

5:14	Paul Swydan: And then an amazing foul on what was probably ball 3, but he fouled off 99 at his eyes.

5:14	Mike: Is a walk the best possible outcome for this PA?

5:14	Paul Swydan: Probably.

5:15	Michelle: Are you all live blogging all 4 games or calling it quits at some point in the evening?

5:15	Paul Swydan: I’m going to leave it to Craig.

5:15	$11 Worth of Taco Bell: Time to run for the border

5:15	Anonymous: These pretzels are making me thirsty

5:15	bosoxforlife: That up and in pitch is the one Petey used to clear out.

5:16	Anonymous: Leave It To Craig – tuesdays on UPN

5:16	Paul Swydan: Poor Pedroia. He couldn’t even run to first. Clearly hobbled.

5:16	Paul Swydan: Congrats to the Astros!

5:16	Paul Swydan: They were and are the better team.

5:16	Craig Edwards: I will remain. To catch up, Quintana and Scherzer both pitching great.

5:17	Mikey: Got to hand it to the Sox for their performance in Fenway. Astros clearly the better team

5:17	Show Hey O’Tawny: Goodnight Boston

5:17	bosoxforlife: If it wasn’t for 2004, 2007 and 2013 I would be much more upset.

5:17	Pavone: Pedroia’s face is so punchable

5:17	Darryl: ALCStros!

5:17	Gabe: Good for Houston. Now if the yankees can just lose tonight I can feel fine about the season overall.

5:17	Craig Edwards: the speed of Jon jay is not something you expect to hear often, but there it was.

5:17	AdamZ: Pedroia should have just taken 4 pitches.

5:17	Dothe: Well, thanks for making the end fun, Devers.

5:18	Paul Swydan: Yup. And thanks to all of you for hanging out. Craig is going to keep the flame burning, and Dave and Travis will be by later. The baseball day is just getting started!!!

5:18	Craig Edwards: Devers will be making the MLB minimum until 2021.

5:19	KimByun Slice: Whose bullpen do you trust more right now? As a Cubs fan, I’m worried after game 2.

5:20	Craig Edwards: i think the cubs, not sure there should be too much concern about Edwards or Montgomery. They aren’t built for matchups though and the Nats top of the lineup makes it tough.

5:20	bosoxforlife: These games should never be allowed to overlap, over to TBS.

5:20	Craig Edwards: might make too long of a day.

5:21	Bill: How many innings does Quintana go?

5:21	Craig Edwards: O/U on starters innings today should be something like 13.2 right now.

5:21	Mike: As a Dodger fan, I root for Washington if Scherzer and Harper look hurt and the Cubs if they don’t.

5:22	Craig Edwards: just root for 5 games, and also probably the Dodgers.

5:22	Uncle Jimbo: The 8th inning has given the Cubs trouble after Edwards cooled off in the early summer. Wilson was supposed to address that.

5:22	Craig Edwards: Wilson had a tough September and it seems clear that Maddon doesn’t really trust him.

5:23	Brian: Max is hurt

5:23	Craig Edwards: welp. he’s fighting through it right now.

5:24	Brian: Sorry that was meant as a joke because he gave up a baserunner.

5:24	Mike: He looks real hurt mowing the cubs down like that

5:25	Mike: Craig, I hope you are prepared for how Paul taught is emojis

5:25	sam: dusty killed scherzer

5:26	Craig Edwards: dusty is going to get blamed if quintana stays in too long.

5:27	Anonymous: Is the concept of the ‘world series hangover’ applied to the losers of the WS as well?

5:28	Craig Edwards: it used to be discussed a bit more before the last few years. playing a lot of extra games probably doesn’t help.

5:28	Brian: That one is on Zimmermann

5:28	Craig Edwards: could have stretched a bit more.

5:29	Mike: Theres no proven hangover effect, but there’s two ideas for it: lots of extra innings is tough on pitcher recovery, and lots of extra offseason publicity is time you aren’t recouperating. One applies to the losing team, one doesn’t.

5:29	Craig Edwards: then you add in that winning/getting to the WS means a lot things worked out that might regress the next season.

5:30	Mike: You want Ryan Zimmerman to stretch? He seems more like he’d break.

5:30	Craig Edwards: He’s increased his PA each of the last three seasons.

5:31	Brian: Contreras was very happy about that walk!

5:31	SignedEpsteinsMother: Per a recent Fangraphs article. The Cubs 5 starters wer in the top 20 of innings pitched in 15 and 16. No other playoff team this year has more then 1

5:31	Craig Edwards: I think I remember that one.

5:32	caesar_solid: so Scherzer is officially having control issues right

5:32	Craig Edwards: lets call it unofficial control issues. announcement to come later.

5:33	Jucky Bacobson: Why that jump throw?

5:33	Craig Edwards: re2pect

5:33	Craig Edwards: maybe he just didn’t have great footing going into the grass or something.

5:33	Bullpenning: Why is Zobrist playing? He hasn’t looked good for a while now.

5:34	Craig Edwards: switch hitter. baez is kind of a nightmare matchup against Scherzer.

5:34	Craig Edwards: not that it is a good decision, necessarily, but that’s why.

5:35	sam: is it a bad idea for dusty to take scherzer out early, and then use him out of the bullpen for a potential game 5?

5:35	Craig Edwards: ever met dusty?

5:36	Craig Edwards: i think if scherzer is pitching well, you ride him, though it is fair to question how well he is pitching right now. could become unraveled quickly with the potential for injury.

5:36	David: Turner does it all the time, doesn’t seem to affect anything

5:36	weezy: so Craig, what’s your connection to getting this game to chat? Cubs fan?

5:36	Craig Edwards: I am not a Cubs fan. I am merely available right now.

5:36	Show Hey O’Tawny: Maddon <3 Zobrist, too

5:37	Guest: have to think that Happ would be better than Zobrist at second

5:37	Craig Edwards: that’s probably what I would do.

5:37	Craig Edwards: I am the real Craig Edwards. Shoot that man! He is the imposter!

5:38	Craig Edwards: this is not a clickhole chat. I am the real Craig Edwards.

5:38	Spartacus: I am Craig Edwards

5:38	Mike: Quintana at 80 pitches in the 5th? man that’s a lot of balls and fouls

5:39	Craig Edwards: that’s not too far from average.

5:39	Nihilist Craig Edwards: In the end, it does not matter who we are, for we will be lost to the eons of time

5:40

Mike: So do we think that Greinke will be able to pitch deep tonight? Dbacks bullpen is in absolute shambles after Bradley threw 70 pitches in games 1-2 and another 20 in the WC game, after Corbin came in to pitch 5 innings in relief in game 1, and Sherfy has had a bad time in both games. If both teams go to their bullpens early, the Dodgers have everyone rested vs basically no one rested.

5:40	Craig Edwards: have to think bradley still gets a call.

5:41	SignedEpsteinsMother: isn’t average like 16-17? One thing I have noticed about Q, he seems to pile up pitches earl.y and then cruise for a few innings

5:41	Craig Edwards: it’s probably high for giving up 0 runs, though defense hasn’t helped. need to have the pen ready next inning.

5:42	Anonymous: I forgot the diamondbacks were in the playoffs

5:42	Craig Edwards: shame

5:42	sam: quintana is at 85 pitches through 5. if his turn comes around this inning (meaning the cubs have someone on base) do they pinch hit for him?

5:42	Craig Edwards: they should.

5:43	Mike: Bradley threw 45 pitches in game 2 … do you think he’d really be effective if called upon?

5:43	Craig Edwards: what’s the other option?

5:43	John Autin: Outfield defense definitely helped.

5:43	Craig Edwards: true

5:43	Craig Edwards: I’m Craig Edwards?

5:43	Craig Edwards: this has escalated in a rapid fashion

5:44	Shoemaker: Godley pitched in relief, not Corbin. And have to assume that all hands are on deck in any elimination game.

5:45	Craig Edwards: that 94 mph FB moving way out of the zone for Scherzer. slider still working though.

5:45	Crasner’s Crypt: Don’t have a television feed. How does Max look today?

5:46	Craig Edwards: very sharp at first coming a part a bit, but still bringing it. Hamstring Watch is up to HAM4.

5:46	Craig Edwards: There is no real Craig Edwards

5:46	Craig Edwards: oh no

5:47	Kreg Edwords: I’m. Wait, what?

5:47	Mike: The spray pattern for Scherzer has widened I nthe last couple innings

5:47	Craig Edwards: yep

5:47	druidiful: Is the HAM watch on a different scale than the DEFCON scale?

5:47	Craig Edwards: maybe, is 4 worrisome?

5:48	caesar_solid: ok now it’s official

5:48	Show Hey O’Tawny: Isn’t DEFCON1 the worst? I can never remember

5:48	Craig Edwards: Scherzer currently providing the Robby Ray Experience: The walks don’t hurt that bad if they can’t get a hit.

5:48	Craig Edwards: it’s not a baserunner, if you don’t believe it.

5:48	druidiful: 4 would be pretty low worry.

5:48	Craig Edwards: Moving to HAM3

5:48	Craig Edwards: or 5, whichever the bad one is.

5:49	druidiful: DEFCON 1 is the worst

5:49	Craig Edwards: 3 it is.

5:49	botchatheny: hey craig – give us a prediction of a player the cards will come in 2nd place to acquire this offseason?

5:49	Craig Edwards: if you are the Cardinals, hopefully Hosmer.

5:50	Mike: If the Cubs make it back to the World Series, they should use the DH to bat for Heyward if Arietta starts at an AL park Yes, I know they can’t.

5:50	Craig Edwards: and Arrieta is on HAM Watch himself

5:50	druidiful: Thank god for the netting!

5:51	SignedEpsteinsMother: PH for Q?

5:51	sam: is quintana on deck?

5:51	Craig Edwards: yes and yes

5:51	Craig Edwards: Duensing is up. kind of managing like a regular season game, except an inning early.

5:52	SignedEpsteinsMother: no and yes

5:52	Wayne Campbell: Ok, well, we’ll take these home, run them with a fine toothed comb, cross the “t”s and dot the… lower case “j”s.

5:53	Craig Edwards: the first one provides better material Wayne.

5:53	caesar_solid: Maddon doesn’t trust many guys in the bullpen, wouldn’t be surprised if he keeps Q in

5:53	Craig Edwards: that is correct.

5:54	Craig Edwards: i guess if the option is duensing or quintana, you go quintana, though they are giving up an opportunity to score here.

5:55	Anonymous: Is it fair for teams to ask their pitchers to throw more curveballs / sliders if those pitches theoretically increase the pitcher’s chance of injury?

5:56	Craig Edwards: if those pitches get the player to the majors and make them more substantially more money, especially if we are talking about a theoretical risk, then that is probably okay.

5:56	sam: sooooo despite being at HAM3, scherzer has a no hitter through 5

5:57	Craig Edwards: the HAM level is real. facing the bottom of the order helps.

5:57	Anonymous: More talking about the Yu Darvish rental. Dodgers have told him to throw way more junk, right before he hits FA

5:57	Craig Edwards: over a couple months, the risk seems very theoretical.

5:58	Jucky Bacobson: No reason to pull Q before he’s done with 7 unless the weeds get high. That’s why you donated Eloy to the White Sox.

5:58	Craig Edwards: that wasn’t a donation. It was a great trade by the Cubs, no matter how the rest of this game turns out.

5:58	sam: i’m feeling a bryce harper dinger rn

5:59	Craig Edwards: just keep jinxing.

5:59	Adam: This is where managers earn their paychecks. Both starters cruising but 3rd time through the order.

5:59	Craig Edwards: and both have bullpen issues to some degree and some questionable playoff decisions in the past.

6:00	Jucky Bacobson: Yeah, but no one else was willing to give something like Eloy. You’re right though. The Cubs needed that more than anyone, and this is their window. It was a great trade.

6:01	Craig Edwards: very few teams had an Eloy, and they didn’t have much depth to give, but other teams did. Sox preferred one great prospect. Could have gotten a very good deal elsewhere as well.

6:01	Craig Edwards: “Some” lol

6:01	Uncle Jimbo: How do we know what the other offers for Quintana where? Plus the Cubs wanted Quintana two weeks early.

6:02	Craig Edwards: It happened quickly because the White Sox had another offer and asked Cubs to top it. They did.

6:02	SignedEpsteinsMother: Every Cub starter had one outing in Sept. of 110 or more pitches. Which I think was by design.

6:02	Craig Edwards: they were also trying to win the division.

6:02	Craig Edwards: oh Kyle

6:03	Anonymous: I was just thinking Schwarber looked awkward in left…

6:03	ryub: LMAOOOOO Schwarber

6:03	sam: going for the reverse jinx: murphy is going to strike out here

6:03	Craig Edwards: is that what you had in mind, Sam?

6:03	Craig Edwards: maybe Zobrist isn’t the guy who should have sat for Happ.

6:04	Craig Edwards: if you are going to pull a pitcher the next inning if he lets one baserunner get on, you should probably have pinch hit for him.

6:04	Jucky Bacobson: Why do they let that dude play the field.

6:04	Craig Edwards: he’s in the NL.

6:05	Uncle Jimbo: The Cubs gave up that scoring chance in exchange for two outs from Quintana. That error hurt.

6:05	sam: this is why you should have PHed for quintana.

6:06	Anonymous: Jason Heyward is a ‘veteran’ now. Whew, that happened quick

6:06	Craig Edwards: He’s now played 8 full seasons.

6:06	caesar_solid: it would be fine if you left Quintana in, I don’t understand taking him out, he’s been looking good all game

6:06	Craig Edwards: strop v zimmerman is a better matchup

6:07	HappyFunBall: For Zimmerman…

6:07	Craig Edwards: touche

6:07	Show Hey O’Tawny: What’s the threshold for being a veteran?

6:07	Craig Edwards: a good beard

6:08	Uncle Jimbo: The decision to let Quintana hit would have looked fine if Schwarber holds on to that ball. And he might start the next inning.

6:08	Craig Edwards: except the Cubs gave up an opportunity to take the lead.

6:08	mr november: am i wrong when i say neither of these bullpens are that good

6:09	Craig Edwards: i think they are both good, but it is pretty volatile. Cubs don’t have Uehara or Rondon or a good version of Wilson. That is going to compromise anyone.

6:09	Craig Edwards: Dusty is going to get a lot of grief if the Nats don’t hold on here no matter what happens.

6:10	sam: unless harper spends his whole career in DC, i don’t see any nats player surpassing zimmerman in terms of legacy on the team for a long long time

6:10	Craig Edwards: it’s a pretty young franchise, and a championship narrative can really shape things so a lot depends on if they win one and who gets them there.

6:11	SignedEpsteinsMother: That’s the thing, if u trust Q enough to let him hit, u ley him work through the error.

6:11	Crasner’s Crypt: What’s the least mild curse that Scherzer will use if Dusty tries to pull him before the end of the game, now?

6:11	Craig Edwards: Pun Intended.

6:11	Jucky Bacobson: I like Madson + Doolittle just fine.

6:11	Jucky Bacobson: Wade Davis is good. Edwards is good. The rest you don’t want to have to rely on in a tight spot.

6:12	Bullpenning: Davis is about as good as it gets as a closer and even though he hung one to Harper Edwards Jr. is very good. The Cubs pen is better than most.

6:12	Jucky Bacobson: Sam, what is your timeline? Harper is a better player already. If Strasburg stays he’s a legend.

6:13	HappyFunBall: Michael A Taylor is good at baseball

6:13	Guest: Do you pull Scherzer before he gives up a hit?

6:14	Craig Edwards: I don’t think you let that decision guide you, but I doubt you pull him here.

6:14	Craig Edwards: HAM2

6:15	caesar_solid: i don’t think Dusty would pull a pitcher while he is throwing a no hitter, whether or not he should

6:15	Craig Edwards: he’s got to give up a hit soon, though, right?

6:16	Show Hey O’Tawny: Solis up in the pen

6:17	Craig Edwards: to face Zobrist?

6:17	SignedEpsteinsMother: Scherzer wants nothing to do with Riz

6:17	Craig Edwards: needed that DP.

6:18	Craig Edwards: Scherzer now up 3rd. should probably pull him.

6:18	Craig Edwards: Pinch hit for Scherzer yes, if there is a runner on (44.8% \| 22 votes) yes, no matter what (34.6% \| 17 votes) no, no matter what (20.4% \| 10 votes) Total Votes: 49

6:19	weezy: I joined late and had to look for what HAM meant… I was assuming it was Kanye’s HAM

6:19	Craig Edwards: HAMSTRING WATCH

6:19	Matt: Just got home from work and my girlfriend is furious with Maddon pulling Q. I didn’t see any of it – was it warranted?

6:20	Craig Edwards: not a consensus, but should have pinch hit for him innings earlier or probably let him keep pitching. Zimmerman v Strop was a better matchup notwithstanding the result.

6:20	Bullpenning: Ummm the Cubs have 4 errors?

6:20	Craig Edwards: yes

6:20	SignedEpsteinsMother: nevermind

6:21	Rosin Bag: Scherzer’s gonna bat unless there’s a runner at 3rd with one out

6:21	Crasner’s Crypt: Since Scherzer is now past Rizzo, you gotta figure he’ll be good through the 7th, even at 90 pitches, right? In other words, no PH for him this inning.

6:21	Craig Edwards: depends on how much you think hamstring is affecting him. he’s escaped some potential damage .

6:22	SignedEpsteinsMother: how many pitches is MS at?

6:23	Craig Edwards: 90

6:23	Matt: Is this hamstring talk speculative, or has it been visible through the start?

6:24	Craig Edwards: mostly speculative, but Scherzer isn’t vintage Scherzer with the control and the velo seems slightly off at times.

6:24	Show Hey O’Tawny: Addison Russell is good

6:24	Craig Edwards: Scherzer gets out, is going back out.

6:25	Craig Edwards: Bill Murray out there trying to ice Scherzer.

6:27	Matt: Wait. Is that guys Bill Murray’s brother?

6:27	Craig Edwards: yes.

6:27	SignedEpsteinsMother: First time I have seen the Murray bros. in the same room. So Craig Edwards is not really Joel Murray!

6:27	Craig Edwards: this is correct

6:28	JD: Scherzers the best besides kershaw

6:28	Craig Edwards: they are about to be tied in CY.

6:28	Seth: Yeah, I recognized him from Mad Men, never knew he was Bill Murray’s brother.

6:28	Craig Edwards: I don’t know he was absent a while doing the song…

6:29	Dude: Why would Contreras show bunt at the first pitch? Looked right down the middle

6:29	Craig Edwards: he was just definitely going to take

6:29	caesar_solid: if you’re Dusty are you basically praying for a harmless single at this point

6:29	Craig Edwards: i really don’t think that is going to play into it. maybe i’m naive

6:30	Craig Edwards: should we move it back to HAM3?

6:31	Craig Edwards: staying at HAM2. and confidence in Zobrist pays off.

6:31	Show Hey O’Tawny: Of course it’s Zobrist, see, Maddon knew what he was doing all along!

6:31	JB: keep him in … I think dusty leaves him in

6:31	Craig Edwards: Max is displeased.

6:32	Guest: PH for schwarber if Solis comes in?

6:32	Craig Edwards: Happ or Javy i would think.

6:32	Uncle Jimbo: The Cubs are apparently at the leading edge of using technology and communicating it to the field staff. Maddon may well have had info that Zobrist was the best match-up against Scherzer.

6:33	Craig Edwards: i think it was more that Scherzer is really tough on righties, but it definitely paid off there.

6:33	weezy: so much

6:33	weezy: drama!

6:33	Roger: More confidence in Chapman, Betances, Robertson, or Doolittle, Madson, Kintzler?

6:33	Craig Edwards: the former.

6:33	Lou: Dusty Baker is the reason the Nats won’t win a WS

6:34	Craig Edwards: Nah

6:34	Korey Cluber: Almora?

6:34	Craig Edwards: yep.

6:34	Ryan: Re: Zobrist and the Cubs: does any team actually have batter-pitcher specific matchup data that is a large enough sample size to be meanginful?

6:35	Craig Edwards: i doubt it given the time that has to pass to get enough PA.

6:35	JB: if they don’t win its because they ran into a talented Cubs or Dodgers team

6:35	Craig Edwards: or the AL.

6:36	Jucky Bacobson: Now you’ve knocked their starter, who was pitching really well, out of the game just by virtue of Schwarber being bad at hitting lefties. Is that a good decision Dusty?

6:36	Uncle Jimbo: The pitcher match up data is for the type of pitcher, not necessarily the specific pitcher.

6:36	SignedEpsteinsMother: That was so anti-Dusty

6:36	Craig Edwards: is that good or bad?

6:37	SignedEpsteinsMother: as I said…..

6:38	Craig Edwards: tie-game. two managers pull their starters. two relievers give up runs.

6:38	Ryan: Would not want to be a water cooler within reach of Max Scherzer right now.

6:38	Anonymous: Hot Take: Playoff baseball is better than regular season baseball

6:38	Craig Edwards: Recency Bias

6:39	Roger: On a plus note for Nats writers, the headline writes itself: No Solace from Solis as Bullpen Surrenders Game

6:39	Craig Edwards: pun could be better.

6:39	Matt: What are your thoughts on Joe saying CC will start potential game 5? Does this mean Gray is available tonight? Is that his way of expecting a short start and bullpen game?

6:39	Craig Edwards: all hands on deck.

6:39	Bullpenning: Can’t blame Dusty for his decision. If they lose he was going to get heat no matter what decision he made

6:40	Craig Edwards: this is definitely correct, although he could have PH for him, despite the no-no.

6:41	Matt: Hot take: most of the baseball that takes place in October is post season

6:41	Craig Edwards: looking into it.

6:41	Craig Edwards: Ernie keeps saying due without adding up and it is driving me nuts.

6:41	FlyingNimbus: If Almora walked, would you have PH for Heyward?

6:41	Craig Edwards: no. still want his defense.

6:41	John Autin: Though maybe a good reliever there?

6:42	JB: Which reliever do the Cubs trust right now besides Davis … do you think Lackey makes an appearance?

6:42	Craig Edwards: i could see that. seems like a maddon move.

6:43	Lou: Been watching Dusty Baker manage since the 1990s, he is horrible. He been making horrible decisions his whole career. Letting Mark Gardner hit with the bases loaded down 2-0 against the Mets in 2000 is one of the stupidest moves ever in the history of baseball.

6:44	Craig Edwards: he must be great in the clubhouse.

6:44	SignedEpsteinsMother: Lackey, IMO is “break glass if needed”. Extra inning long man. I’d expect Wilson before him.

6:44	Craig Edwards: we might find out.

6:44	Anonymous: As far as bad managers go, Dusty Baker isn’t the worst.

6:44	Craig Edwards: high praise.

6:45	Craig Edwards: oh Heyward.

6:45	Show Hey O’Tawny: TOOTBLAN!

6:45	Craig Edwards: so what’s the value of the run versus the value of that out?

6:45	HappyFunBall: Michael A Taylor is good at basebal

6:45	Zac: What the hell is Heyward thinking.

6:45	Anonymous: TOOTBLAN4

6:45	SignedEpsteinsMother: A RARE Heyward Baserunning mistake

6:47	Matt: Do you agree that it seems like Yanks have advantage tonight? That said, does momentum give them a potential edge in Game 5, or does it swing back to HOU for home/Keuchal?

6:48	Craig Edwards: better pitcher, plus at home, sure, though no on the momentum.

6:48	SignedEpsteinsMother: We got us a ballgame kids!

6:48	stever20: Taylor doing really well for the Nats this series…. both offensively and defensively.

6:48	Craig Edwards: who needs Adam Eaton, amirite?

6:49	Craig Edwards: so presumably Edwards here, Davis in the ninth.

6:49	Craig Edwards: Really nice play by Zobrist.

6:50	Guest: Is Edwards future closer material as much as that exists?

6:50	Craig Edwards: sure-if he can get his walks down and keep everything else the same.

6:50	Guest: I think TOOTBLAN4 was supposed to be TOOTBLAN? It’s thrown out on the bases like a nincompoop

6:51	Craig Edwards: Welcome to the Chat. 4 was intentional.

6:51	Craig Edwards: here is that matchup again.

6:51	Uncle Jimbo: Uh oh. Harper again.

6:52	Craig Edwards: Edwards wins the rematch with a strikeout.

6:52	Craig Edwards: i’m talking about the at bat, not this chat.

6:52	Jucky Bacobson: Two fun ballgames so far. A lot of interesting baseball.

6:53	Jucky Bacobson: Boyo. Hope someone is talking about Edwards Jr. getting a moment of revenge there. I get that a reliever is expected to get outs, but he has done well here.

6:53	Craig Edwards: He’s a good reliever, and Maddon was right to go back to him here.

6:55	Craig Edwards: Kind of hoping the game goes extras just to see who gets sent out there.

6:55	SignedEpsteinsMother: Ha! I’ve never seen you and Edwards Jr. in the same room either….

6:55	Uncle Jimbo: Maddon likes Edwards. He used Edwards in tough spots when Edwards was a rookie last year and stuck with Edwards when he struggled this year. Maddon will not give up on him now, especially with no options anyway.

6:55	Matt: A-Rod just compared Greg Bird to…Fred Couples?

6:55	Craig Edwards: is that baseball?

6:56	Jucky Bacobson: Austin Barnes should be catching at least 50% of the time. Hi, I came for the Dodgers game.

6:56	Craig Edwards: so noted.

6:56	Matt: Golf, my man. Golf.

6:57	Craig Edwards: really missed a good reference oppo there.

6:57	Uncle Jimbo: I think Davis for two innings then Montgomery.

6:58	Craig Edwards: could be. I wonder if he’ll go two innings with davis.

6:58	JD: I don’t have the nerves for this game.

6:58	Craig Edwards: sure you do.

6:59	Jucky Bacobson: Heh. La Stella wasn’t sure it was actually a walk.. That was funny

6:59	Craig Edwards: yeah, that was a bit odd.

6:59	FlyingNimbus: Oh please don’t bunt

7:00	Craig Edwards: narrator: he bunted

7:00	Show Hey O’Tawny: Was bunting there smart? Methinks not

7:00	Craig Edwards: bunting is bad.

7:00	Craig Edwards: you’ve got what a 25-30% chance of 1st and 3rd with no out?

7:01	Craig Edwards: win expectancy just went down by like 2%

7:01	SignedEpsteinsMother: In the baseball environment we are in, TLS would start on more then a handful of teams and slash 300/370/500

7:02	Craig Edwards: not sure i agree with that one.

7:02	Matt: Lastella also wasn’t sure whether he wanted to get paid a bunch of money to play a game last year. So his judgement is lacking.

7:02	Craig Edwards: judgment

7:02	Travis Sawchik: Howdy, folks

7:02	El Duderudo: what’s the success rate for a sac bunt like that? it’s easy to assume that it should happen, that failing it is unexpected, but bunting is hard.

7:02	Craig Edwards: bunting, like keeping it real, often goes wrong.

7:03	Travis Sawchik: I’m supposed to be observing NYY-CLE … but this Cubs-Nats game is fun. Need multiple devices

7:03	Craig Edwards: and even the unsuccessful ones that turn to 2 strikes and swinging away provides hitters with a disadvantage.

7:03	Craig Edwards: hello Travis.

7:03	Morris Buttermaker: Travis is here. That means I have to start flipping channels again.

7:03	Travis Sawchik: Me, too!

7:03	Matt: Did he just spit a tooth out?

7:03	Travis Sawchik: Craig! Help has arrived

7:03	FlyingNimbus: That was close

7:03	Craig Edwards: yes it was.

7:04	Matt: Whichever flavor you like, Craig… http://www.dictionary.com/e/judgement-vs-judgment/

7:04	Craig Edwards: in this chat, we obey the laws of thermodynamics and spell judgment with one e.

7:05	Show Hey O’Tawny: Last time I did channel flipping I missed an inside the park homer, I’m not falling for that again

7:05	Factory of Sadness: Hello from Yankee Stadium! Being on Fangraphs at the ballpark is not the nerdiest thing I’ve done, but it’s up there

7:05	Travis Sawchik: Wow. Well done, Factory

7:05	Craig Edwards: you can do much, much nerdier.

7:06	Craig Edwards: is Kris Bryant Clutch?

7:06	Travis Sawchik: I need to convince my wife to install multiple flat screens in basement

7:06	EccentricChemist: Does Bill Murray actually own that season ticket behind the plate or is he just down there because he can be?

7:07	Craig Edwards: probably usually just shows up but might have needed to make arrangements earlier to get his brother in.

7:08	Show Hey O’Tawny: Why not go with Doolittle here?

7:08	Craig Edwards: why not indeed.

7:09	Bill: Thought they might walk Rizzo here, guess not

7:09	HappyFunBall: Much nerdier. I went to pitch talks once!

7:10	Travis Sawchik: It is raining in NY

7:10	SignedEpsteinsMother: Joel has the season tickets

7:10	Craig Edwards: the one play michael taylor couldn’t make.

7:10	JB: Is it me or are teams making more outs on the bases this postseason?

7:11	Craig Edwards: probably you, but who knows?

7:11	John Autin: How did no one DIVE for that ball?

7:11	Craig Edwards: hard to dive when a bunch of people are heding for the same spot

7:11	weezy: totally dusty’s fault

7:12	sam: dusty’s fault for not putting doolittle in there tbh

7:12	Mitch: Rizzo has the clutch gene

7:12	Craig Edwards: where was it on the DP?

7:12	Travis Sawchik: Severino hitting 99 mph early … Let’s see if he handles the adrenaline better in this start

7:13	Travis Sawchik: 92 mph changeup from Severino!

7:13	Craig Edwards: hard to fault the manager for a bloop hit, but easy to fault him for not bringing in a better pitcher if he has one.

7:14	Travis Sawchik: Looks like weather will be off and on in NY

7:14	Macho Man Sandy Ravage: If you pay the price for good relievers, why not put them in during the most important situations?

7:14	Travis Sawchik: https://www.accuweather.com/en/us/new-york-city-ny/weather-radar

7:14	Craig Edwards: ooooh yeeaaaah

7:14	SignedBillMurray’sMother: Is it bad luck to change your name when your team is winning Craig?

7:14	Craig Edwards: let’s find out

7:14	Floyd: I don’t like Davis for Murphy. Why not go Wilson for Murph then Davis to get the last out..

7:15	Craig Edwards: i think it is better to give a reliever a fresh start whenever possible.

7:15	weezy: I was kidding about it being dusty’s fault, btw

7:15	Matt: Early thoughts on Sev? Doesn’t look like he’s over throwing, but not locating…

7:15	Craig Edwards: i know

7:16	Section329: Yanks on IPhone, Cubs on TV, blog on IPad, nirvana

7:16	Craig Edwards: Would have gone with Viewtopia, no pun intended.

7:16	Travis Sawchik: Severino better located some of his off-speed stuff ….

7:16	sam: another year, another early exit for a DC sports team why is life like this

7:16	C. Columbus: Any research around if rain hurts the offense or defense more?

7:16	Craig Edwards: you know there is at least another game.

7:17	Morris Buttermaker: Dude you intended that pun

7:17	Travis Sawchik: Shouldn’t it impact offense (fly balls) more since they travel longer in the elements? I have no idea. Pitch grip is huge, obviously

7:17	Craig Edwards: Did I? No pun intended.

7:17	David: They went out and got some relievers for the postseason and they’re going to lose this game on big hits given up by Solis and Perez. Perez was unlucky but why are these guys in in such high leverage spots?

7:18	Craig Edwards: I feel like someone should be in charge of those decisions.

7:18	Show Hey O’Tawny: There are still two more games today! I dunno if I can do this

7:18	SignedBillMurray’sMother: Hey, can I give a shout out to the late John Arguello. His Cubs Den blog got A LOT of fans threw the rebuild and to the promised land.

7:18	Travis Sawchik: Kind of a March Madness feel today. I love it

7:18	sam: you don’t understand DC sports if you think the nats have any chance of winning this series

7:19	Craig Edwards: I’m more of a Marvel guy anyway.

7:19	sam: being at game 5 of the 2012 NLDS against the cardinals changes you. pete kozma gives me nightmares still

7:19	Bullpenning: Wasn’t the point of of acquiring Doolittle was for situations specifically like the Rizzo one?

7:19	Travis Sawchik: Cubs are surviving World Series hangover, right, Craig?

7:19	John Autin: Also, somehow Adam Lind hasn’t batted yet?

7:20	Craig Edwards: maybe tomorrow

7:20	Matt: Wow. Yankees Suck chant at YS?

7:20	Uncle Jimbo: DC fans are complaining about sports history when they are playing the Cubs??

7:20	Travis Sawchik: Did that really happen? I thought I heard that chant

7:21	Craig Edwards: meh. From Bears to Bulls to Blackhawks, not sure Chicago fans are really suffering.

7:21	Travis Sawchik: Remember, Trevor Bauer is on short rest … but he feels like he could throw every day

7:22	Travis Sawchik: Bauer setting up that four-seam, curveball tunneling

7:22	Travis Sawchik: Bauer threw 35 curve in Game 1. It’s a legit pitch and his best

7:22	Craig Edwards: So I’m about to head out of here and leave everything to Travis, but we can always wonder how much Bill Murray’s seventh inning stretch affected Max Scherzer.

7:22	Travis Sawchik: Bauer has kind of been on the Rich Hill plan since the end of May

7:22	David: 7 of the last 8 Nats postseason losses have been by 1 run

7:22	Travis Sawchik: Really? Brutal

7:23	Show Hey O’Tawny: Judge’s forearm is very sweaty

7:23	Travis Sawchik: It’s from that 98 mph fastball Bauer elevated

7:23	Factory of Sadness: The chant was “Jay Bruce Sucks” for the record

7:24	Travis Sawchik: Thanks for the clarification

7:24	Craig Edwards: Have fun Travis!

7:24	Craig Edwards: Bye, no pun intended.

7:24	Travis Sawchik: Ha. Thanks, Craig. Baton hand-off complete

7:24	Björk : Hjellö frjiend!!!

7:24	Travis Sawchik: Hello, friend

7:25	Mike: Why is it that the high strike was corrected with more accurate catching data but the lefty strike has not been?

7:26	Travis Sawchik: Probably more attention focused on the higher part of the zone inside and outside the game

7:26	Travis Sawchik: Bauer looked just fine on short rest in the first

7:27	Michelle: I’m delighted to have you here, Travis. Do you know who’s joining us for the final game of the evening?

7:27	Travis Sawchik: I’m delighted to be here. That is a good question. I think the 10 p.m. slot is still TBA

7:27	Matt: Fake Bork.

7:28	Travis Sawchik: Oh?

7:28	Nathan: Thanks for translating Bjork’s comment, Travis

7:28	Travis Sawchik: That was pretty impressive, right?

7:28	Matt: Travis – I can take the 10 pm slot if you want.

7:28	Travis Sawchik: It’s under consideration

7:28	SignedBillMurray’sMother: you mean there’s a game after this one? We need more coffee!

7:29	Travis Sawchik: This is a beautiful day and it’s another reason I like the KBO wild-card idea, because you could create a similar day

7:30	Travis Sawchik: Imagine, say, a Saturday of potentially four games that are all elimination for at least one team

7:30	Travis Sawchik: I’m dedicating the rest of my life to making this happen

7:30	Mike: What % chance Bird, Judge, Severino, Sanchez have a higher total career WAR than Jeter, Mo, Posada, Pettite?

7:30	Travis Sawchik: Very unlikely. Health, more than anything else

7:32	Morris Buttermaker: As a san diego fan who lives with terrible baseball a stolen football team and no basketball, hockey or even soccer. I don’t want to hear complaints from any other fan bases.

7:32	Travis Sawchik: At least you have San Diego

7:33	Travis Sawchik: But, hey, I hated seeing the Chargers leave and the Padres, well, at least there are some pieces on the farm

7:33	Show Hey O’Tawny: Two chats in one day! I admire your endurance, Travis

7:33	Travis Sawchik: Very short rest

7:33	Section329: Westcoasters Dave or Jeff?

7:33	Travis Sawchik: I agree they would be ideal candidates

7:33	David: What’s the KBO wild card idea?

7:34	Travis Sawchik: https://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/lets-improve-the-wild-card-round/

7:34	Travis Sawchik: I promise to mostly focus on the current round of the playoffs in this chat

7:34	Matt: Carlos Santana should stick to the guitar.

7:34	Travis Sawchik: Serious questions: Where does Santana sign this offseason?

7:35	Travis Sawchik: Cleveland would miss his quality PAs

7:35	Factory of Sadness: Travis, are you on a pitch count for this chat?

7:35	Travis Sawchik: 100 questions, max

7:35	Travis Sawchik: Any more, and I will melt

7:36	Show Hey O’Tawny: He sounds very Toronto/Tampa/Boston

7:36	druidiful: Is there really much of a market for him to leave Cleveland?

7:36	Travis Sawchik: I’m not sure. He could fit somewhere in the AL East or … Oakland

7:36	Mike: Actually, is today the first weekday you haven’t written an article since you started?

7:37	Travis Sawchik: Hey, I submitted an article … you will have to take that up with Carson. But, I have missed a few weekdays since I began Jan. 3

7:37	Matt: Pro tip: you should pose the Santana question to a poll

7:38	Travis Sawchik: Where will Carlos Santana sign? Cleveland (43.5% \| 47 votes) Elsewhere (56.4% \| 61 votes) Total Votes: 108

7:38	KBO Wild Card: We’re with you, Travis. Make it happen!

7:38	Phil: David Ross was pimping the KBO idea and they were discussing it on Mike & Mike as well… so, it’s out there.

7:38	Travis Sawchik: Oh?

7:38	Travis Sawchik: I hope they are all referencing the piece published on Fan Graphs dot com

7:39

britishcub: hmm Dave’s got a lot of pure stuff fast answer’s sharp sarcasm a lot of break on his put downs but Jeff is very cerebral with a great mix of stories and ideas. keeps the readers guessing. it’s a tough call do you go for the stuff or the command for that crucial game four? make your call Manager travis!

7:39	Travis Sawchik: Those guys are each top-of-the-rotations options

7:39	Travis Sawchik: I’m Joe Blanton trying to give you multiple innings to bridge

7:40	Uncle Jimbo: The Indians acquired Santana for Casey Blake in 2008. Who won that trade?

7:40	Travis Sawchik: hmmmm

7:40	Travis Sawchik: Indians have done very well in returns for middling talent

7:40	Matt: Watching bars move on a real-time poll is great fun.

7:40	Travis Sawchik: Indeed

7:41	Dr Evil: How long do you think Cleveland’s window is (for serious WS contention)?

7:41	Travis Sawchik: Quite a while because Kluber, Lindor, Ramirez, Carrasco, Ramirez, Zimmer are all under control through at least 2020

7:41	Hunky Dory: Travis, you are Chad Green. Don’t let anyone tell you you’re Joe Blanton ever again.

7:42	Show Hey O’Tawny: How many people are in this chat right now?

7:43	Travis Sawchik: Proprietary!

7:43	Travis Sawchik: There are several hundred here at the moment and there have been several thousand throughout the day

7:44	Travis Sawchik: Urshela is on the roster for his glove ….

7:44	Uncle Jimbo: You know you hit a seed when you hurt the third baseman.

7:44	E: Ouch. Don’t expect that from Urshela

7:44	Matt: I think that’s a tough error there.

7:44	bosoxforlife: It ain’t called The Hot Corner for nothing!

7:45	Travis Sawchik: I cannot imagine playing third against a Judge or Sanchez … Plus, Sanchez probably freaking hates me

7:45	bees: Do you think Cleveland picks up Brantley’s option? Is clubhouse harmony worth $11 million?

7:46	Travis Sawchik: The Indians do seem to reward their favorites … but i’d personally rather spend that on Santana or Bruce

7:46	Travis Sawchik: Trevor Bauer is kind of like a RHP Rich Hill, only quite a bit different

7:47	britishcub: what’s the chat equivalent of a pitcher giving up a homer?naming the best players in baseball and forgetting Mike Trout? quoting pitcher wins as a predictive stat maybe?

7:47	Travis Sawchik: Or suggesting Gary Sanchez is not amazing

7:47	HankLloydWright: Sanchez retires a clear hall of famer: “It was all because Travis Sawchik said I wasn’t that good”

7:48	Travis Sawchik: I hope he invites me to Cooperstown for the speech

7:50	Travis Sawchik: Not Bauer’s best curve, but Frazier did a nice job lashing that into the corner

7:50	Matt: Did you ever really suggest Sancho wasn’t great? Or just display a deathly amount of skepticism of last year’s small sample?

7:51	Travis Sawchik: I thought it was more a health amount of skepticism

7:52	Travis Sawchik: Who is the first guy out of Indians bullpen? Mike Clevinger (36.2% \| 33 votes) Andrew Miller (14.2% \| 13 votes) Bryan Shaw (4.3% \| 4 votes) Danny Salazar (29.6% \| 27 votes) Tyler Olson (9.8% \| 9 votes) Other (5.4% \| 5 votes) Total Votes: 91

7:52	Bruce: TODDDDDDDDDD

7:52	Travis Sawchik: I loved that trade for the Yankees at the deadline

7:52	Travis Sawchik: Getting the super pen and Frazier

7:53	Travis Sawchik: What I like about Bauer long term is the cutter/slider and changuep are also legit offerings and he has the two-seamer …

7:54	Travis Sawchik: Still a lot of untapped upside

7:54	Travis Sawchik: But this inning isn’t going so well

7:55	Travis Sawchik: Remember the Indians elected to move Mike Clevinger to the bullpen and not in this No. 4 spot in playoff rotation

7:56	Travis Sawchik: Only Kluber and Carrasco had been better starters than Clevinger in the Cleveland rotation over the last month of the season

7:56	Anonymous: did they do an EE update/

7:56	Travis Sawchik: T.J. Zuppe @TJZuppe Encarnacion available tonight? Francona: “were working towards that… if you see him strolling to the plate that means he’s available.” 9 Oct 2017

7:57	Matt: Judge HR kills Bauer’s evening, right?

7:57	Travis Sawchik: Wouldn’t help!

7:57	HankLloydWright: FYI Travis, when I read the Sanchez article I thought it made sense and that you made good arguments. It’s just that he then immediately proved you wrong. 🙁

7:57	Travis Sawchik: The timing was horrendous

7:57	druidiful: So Olson only got 1 vote and then they show him up in the pen.

7:58	Travis Sawchik: Olson has been really, really good

7:58	Travis Sawchik: 0.00 ERA in 20 major league innings this season after he was called up after the Boone Logan injury

7:58	Anonymous: Last year, everyone wanted their teams to switch to the indians’ Andrew Miller-style bullpen. Step One: Find an Andrew Miller.

7:59	Travis Sawchik: Yeah, but I think it applies regardless of bullpen talent …you want to maximize using your best arm

8:00	Juan: Should/can teams start preparing pitchers to go on short rest in September?

8:00	Travis Sawchik: I think the issue is you wouldn’t want to stress arms before you need to … but maybe you could go short rest with reduced pitch counts?

8:02	Travis Sawchik: What inning does Trevor Bauer pitch through? 2nd (64.4% \| 49 votes) 3rd (15.7% \| 12 votes) 4th (9.2% \| 7 votes) 5th (1.3% \| 1 vote) 6th (1.3% \| 1 vote) 7th (0% \| 0 votes) 8th (1.3% \| 1 vote) 9th (6.5% \| 5 votes) Total Votes: 76

8:02	Travis Sawchik: Nevermind!

8:03	Travis Sawchik: That poll was an epic fail

8:03	CarrotJuice: Technically, not of the answers for that last poll were correct. Only got through 1 2/3.

8:03	Travis Sawchik: Yep

8:04	Travis Sawchik: Let’s pretend it never happened

8:04	Matt: I got screenshots, Travis.

8:05	Travis Sawchik: You really don’t want to F up in the age of scree shots

8:05	Travis Sawchik: Can’t get the pee out of the pool

8:05	Peter: You’d be a great cooler at the casino

8:05	Travis Sawchik: How well does that pay?

8:05	Fly Ball: Trevor Bauer is a good baseball pitcher. Random variation makes him look exactly like a bad baseball pitcher. Poor Trevor Bauer. Except, not really, because he is Trevor Bauer and he isn’t the best human being. Good random variation.

8:06	Travis Sawchik: I still like Bauer the pitcher and I think Bauer the person is misunderstood

8:06	Travis Sawchik: I’ve really enjoyed my interactions with Bauer this season as a reporter

8:06	Peter: So that really is the example of judges strength right? Up and in and can still have it one hop the wall

8:07	Matt: “I like pitching on short rest.” – Guy who has never successfully pitched on short rest.

8:07	Factory of Sadness: [picture of Danny Salazar] Have You Seen This Man

8:08	Travis Sawchik: That pitch to judge was up and in and 99 mph. Not a bad pitch. Bauer is/was hitting 99!

8:08	Dude: How can you not vote 9th at this point?

8:08	Travis Sawchik: That’s the correct play

8:09	Matt: Have you ever met Bauer? As a weird introvert myself, I feel like he’s just a really odd guys that the rest of society doesn’t “get”…as cliche and stupid as that sounds.

8:09	Travis Sawchik: I have! I think that’s true. He has a very different personality and interests compared to what is commonly found in a ML clubhouse

8:10	Travis Sawchik: I wrote about this very subject earlier this year for The Athletic https://theathletic.com/64655/2017/06/06/the-most-interesting-man-in-b…

8:11	John Autin: Judge hit a good pitch. But Bauer made a lot of bad ones in the game. Hung several curves.

8:11	Travis Sawchik: That’s true. Much different curveball and command of it compared to Game 1

8:11	ZW Guild Attendant: Uh, so, Tomlin finishes this one out, right? Because… I don’t know if you want to overtax your good arms tonight.

8:11	Travis Sawchik: Yeah, that has to be in your mind if you’re Francona

8:12	Travis Sawchik: Gonna be some second guessing on not leaving Clevinger in rotation for LDS

8:12	Show Hey O’Tawny: Am I the only one who hates that whistling noise they play for strikeouts at Yankee Stadium?

8:12	Travis Sawchik: What is that?

8:12	Matt: Sev comes out with both middle fingers high…

8:12	Travis Sawchik: Basically

8:13	Dr Evil: Sevy looks sharp, but if this stays at 4 runs do you pack it in early or give the offense until the 5th or 6th to get it close?

8:13	Travis Sawchik: Can’t punt this early on a LDS Game 4

8:14	Mike: joe smith wasnt even on the pitcher list either

8:14	Travis Sawchik: I’m going to stop making polls

8:15	John Autin: Did Francona overthink his rotation? Didn’t want Kluber starting Game 5 on extra rest, so he started Game 2 … on extra rest. Guess he didn’t want Kluber starting Game 4 on short rest (if he’d started Game 1) … so he winds up with Bauer on short rest.

8:16	Travis Sawchik: A little bit, but they did get the great start from Bauer in Game 1 … the Game 4 short-rest start might be more debatable

8:16	Ernie Bank$: Ok Travis what’s the Indians path back to win this

8:17	Travis Sawchik: Clevinger and the rest of the bullpen throws seven shutout innings

8:17	Travis Sawchik: Very little margin for error and it might already be too late

8:17	druidiful: New York Yankees @Yankees Ahh, now we get the Bauer OUTage thing. ? 10 Oct 2017

8:17	Travis Sawchik: Ouch

8:18	Nic: Your thoughts on girardi saying CC would start a theoretical game 5 over sonny?

8:18	Travis Sawchik: I like Cleveland in Game 5 either way

8:19	Owen: Do a first reliever out for Yankee poll!

8:19	Travis Sawchik: Really? You want me to try this again? OK …

8:20	Travis Sawchik: Who will be the first Yankee reliever called upon? Robertson (8.8% \| 8 votes) Kahnle (32.2% \| 29 votes) Chapman (1.1% \| 1 vote) Green (35.5% \| 32 votes) Betances (6.6% \| 6 votes) None (5.5% \| 5 votes) Other (10.0% \| 9 votes) Total Votes: 90

8:21	Factory of Sadness: Hey Travis, remember when you said Clevinger was the third best CLE starter down the stretch

8:21	Travis Sawchik: Yikes

8:21	Travis Sawchik: But he was!

8:22	Travis Sawchik: Proof: http://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=all&stats=pit&lg=all&qual=10…

8:23	Bruce: Can you explain why all 4 of those runs were unearned. Urshela made the only error, on castros hot shot, so once castro scores on fraziers double aren’t the rest of the runs earned?

8:23	Travis Sawchik: Lot of two-out magic that wouldn’t have occurred without the error

8:23	gundar: Who does Travis think will be the first Yankee reliever in? What’s your vote?

8:23	Travis Sawchik: Robertson

8:23	Guest: they play the PC Richards jingle for every strikeout at Yankee Stadium

8:24	Travis Sawchik: Why do they do this?

8:24	E: Almost time to start browsing Netflix for this Indians fan

8:24	Travis Sawchik: Bloodline?

8:24	MSK: The whistling noise they play for strikeouts is an ad for PC Richard & Son

8:24	Travis Sawchik: This is very interesting to me … Why?!?

8:25	Justin: Because they get paid by PC Richards

8:25	Travis Sawchik: Follow the money

8:26	D – C: re: unearned runs – I appreciate the full-circle irony that fan graphs is now explaining conventional stats to its readers

8:27	Travis Sawchik: I think people are starting to forget about conventional stats and rulings!

8:27	Matt: Not gonna lie, the fact that you said you like CLE in game 5 is looking pretty good for the Yanks based on your recent history…

8:27	Travis Sawchik: Urshela!

8:28	Travis Sawchik: Two errors, five unearned runs on Urshela

8:28	Travis Sawchik: He’s typically so good over there … Maybe not handling the moment well

8:28	Travis Sawchik: That borderline pitch the at bat before is looming large, too

8:29	Uncle Jimbo: PC Richard is getting their money’s worth if they play a flat fee for the jingle after a K. God forbid if they have to pay each time it is played in today’s high K environment.

8:29	Travis Sawchik: Very true. The high K% era might put them out of busines

8:29	Travis Sawchik: s

8:30	Travis Sawchik: Full disclosure: I have no idea what type of business PC Richard is

8:30	Matt: Urshe-LOL-a, amirite?

8:30	John Autin: Omg Urshela

8:30	Travis Sawchik: Ironic since the Indians decided to trade defense for offense in infield and move Kipnis to CF

8:31	E: Do the Indians value urshela’s defense that much? He might as well not even bring a bat to the plate

8:31	Travis Sawchik: They are in this series

8:31	Travis Sawchik: If Bradley Zimmer is healthy, Ramirez is probably still at third

8:32	CarrotJuice: Schwarber: I just had the worst day defensively this postseason. Urshela: Hold my beer.

8:32	Matt: Electronics, Travis. Their business is electronics.

8:32	Monarch: Urshela is rattled. The lead is big enough that you can bring in Gonzalez and see where it goes.

8:32	Show Hey O’Tawny: I LOVE Clevinger’s hair

8:33	Travis Sawchik: I’d rather have Salazar start a clean inning but …. stuff is electric

8:33	Deece: this is a good matchup for judge i would think, salazar not great command throws a lot of fastballs

8:33	Travis Sawchik: Salazar has one of the great swing-and-miss fastballs in the game so this is fun

8:34	druidiful: Fox’s radar gun is showing 2-3 mph higher than gameday.

8:34	Travis Sawchik: Bauer at 99 mph seemed off

8:34	Phil: Danny Salazar entering with bases loaded = oof

8:35	John: Here comes Salazar.

8:35	Factory of Sadness: SALAZAR FINALLY

8:35	Travis Sawchik: Mixed reception … but it worked

8:35	Travis Sawchik: When Salazar was health and pitching in the second half he was dominant at times

8:35	Travis Sawchik: I’d let him go for awhile here

8:36	FogginSF: How much weight can we put on Judge not being clutch? Was it worth staking your name on?

8:36	Travis Sawchik: Well, it’s not predicative …so he might very well be clutch in 2018 …. but he was not clutch in 2017 (It was a small sample of 58 PAs in high-leverage)

8:37	Travis Sawchik: He’s 1-for-2 in clutch situations tonight

8:37	Factory of Sadness: Just noticed exit velo is listed on the YS Jumbotron. How recent is that development and how many stadiums show that, roughly?

8:37	Travis Sawchik: That’s become pretty common. I know they have it in Pittsburgh and Cleveland (I think)

8:37	druidiful: Now it’s the unclutch Judge up with 2 on and 2 out.

8:38	Travis Sawchik: NOT CLUTCH!

8:38	Lunar verLander: What do post-season GM’s do during their team’s run? I’m sure they have GM-things to do, but nothing they can do will help their playoff roster…any chance non post season GM’s get a slight edge on off-season activities with more down time, or is it basically negligible?

8:39	Travis Sawchik: Maybe a very small edge, but planning for next season has begun before postseason

8:41	jonnyzuck: does anyone else like to watch big games like this while checking a win probability model frequently as the games go?

8:41	Travis Sawchik: I’m sure the are out there …

8:41	Owen: Does EE have dementia

8:41	Travis Sawchik: No

8:41	LJS: The strikeout whistle sounds like theX-Files theme song

8:42	Travis Sawchik: That’s what I thought!

8:42	Monarch: The Rockies were so close to signing Severino that people close to him were buying Rockies’ merch. That would’ve been fun to see him in Denver.

8:42	Travis Sawchik: Poor Rockies

8:42	Bruce: The “Jay Bruce sucks chants” are back

8:43	Travis Sawchik: But he hasn’t been bad since 2015

8:43	E: Man, I opened a bottle of wine for this game and everything

8:43	Travis Sawchik: What are you drinking?

8:44	Phil: Wait… they just did the whistle for a groundout… is it ALL OUTS NOW? Dear god.

8:45	mr november: ????????

8:45	Travis Sawchik: The National? I just saw them on Saturday night in Pittsburgh

8:47	Travis Sawchik: Severino hung something. Santana two-run shot. 5-2, Yankees

8:47	Travis Sawchik: Indians ought to bring this guy back

8:48	Monarch: The Cistulli Special aka Bota Box

8:48	Travis Sawchik: Nice

8:49	Lunar verLander: Texas A&M plays a clip from The Rifleman after a strikeout:

8:49	Travis Sawchik: I’m not sure I could handle that in a High-K environment

8:49	John: How long would you let Severino go? 5/6 innings max?

8:50	Travis Sawchik: He hasn’t made too many mistakes. I could see 6

8:50	E: alright, Netflix can wait for a bit

8:50	Travis Sawchik: Attaboy

8:51	Bobert: Travis where would you put the odds of a potential game 5 on Wednesday?

8:51	Travis Sawchik: I’d give the Indians a 62% chance to win

8:51	Bobert: The Dodgers’ strikeout sound is the best, in my opinion.

8:52	Travis Sawchik: Dodger Stadium has a great, great sound system and I suspect the ballpark has good acoustics since it is build into a hill

8:52	Bobert: I don’t understand why Severino wasn’t pounding the zone during Bruce’s AB; I mean he had a 5-0 lead with no base runners. Maybe loss of command?

8:52	Travis Sawchik: Keep an eye on that

8:53	Monarch: In a game five scenario, is an immobile Edwing more useful than a rusty Brantley?

8:53	Travis Sawchik: I suspect so … especially with CC pitching for Yankees

8:54	HankLloydWright: Now I’ve got Mr. November stuck in my head. How was the show? They’re coming here in December but tickets start at $70.00

8:54	Travis Sawchik: Great show. They were at Stage AE in Pittsburgh which is a good place to see a band

Travis Sawchik FanGraphs Chat

Masahiro Tanaka Might One Day Kill the Fastball

Paul Swydan used to be the managing editor of The Hardball Times, a writer and editor for FanGraphs and a writer for Boston.com and The Boston Globe. Now, he owns The Silver Unicorn Bookstore, an independent bookstore in Acton, Mass. Follow him on Twitter @Swydan. Follow the store @SilUnicornActon.

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RobertMember since 2017

7 years ago

Finally caught up to the chat… 20 min after it ended

1

BAL	CHW	ATH
BOS	CLE	HOU
NYY	DET	LAA
TBR	KCR	SEA
TOR	MIN	TEX

ATL	CHC	ARI
MIA	CIN	COL
NYM	MIL	LAD
PHI	PIT	SDP
WSN	STL	SFG

LDS Live Blog Extravaganza – 10/9/17