Members-Only Game Thread: ALCS – Oct 17, 2026
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Hi everyone! The weather looks clear though cold in Cleveland tonight. https://www.wunderground.com/hourly/us/oh/cleveland
Poll is the same as yesterday, since we didn't play that game.
elsewhere in the midwest, a millvillemeltdown realizes they forgot all their hoodies, sweatshirts, and light jackets when packing
I broke mine out again this morning.
Hello, Sean.
Hi!
i love hoodie weather. slightly less pleasant without the hoodie though
i borrowed a cardigan that is just a bit too threadbare to protect against the wind
Sweatshirt weather is the best weather.
14 hours at an analytics conference and I am ready for a break *immediately logs into FanGraphs*
Hopefully this is more fun. Though, any analytics conference sounds fun to me right now, too.
For those who have never been, CLE is not like SF in fall. That 43 feels like 35 at most.
i spent a bit of time in the bay area one december and was thoroughly unimpressed
my staunch opinion, and maybe this is informed by abnormal physiology, is that hoodie/sweatshirt weather extends past 0°C
to my chagrin, i was raised in the South
Any reason why neither team went with their game 1 starter tonight? Wouldn't they be on regular rest now?
hubris
a less flippant answer might depend on, like, the pregame work they did yesterday?
It looks like Griffin will be the bulk guy actually. Not sure why you keep Rasmussen out for a day though
granted he didn't look too sharp his last start
Would starting tomorrow line up his throw day with Game 7 potentially?
Maybe? But you'd think pitching today would only make him more rested for a possible game 7
May have something to do with now having to play 4 days in a row with no travel day.
Yeah I guess this makes it more likely you can use both Martinez and Rasmussen in a potential game 7, but that seems pretty specific
Over under on combined K's tonight? I am setting the line at 19.
on one hand, kwan and simpson. but on the other, Jordon Scott Adell
Ya Cle is not that K prone and neither is tampa (lowest in MLB)… but both pitching staffs are.
Love the full name lol… for reasons inexplicable to even myself, I still say Clifton Pfifer Lee whenever his name is mentioned
his name isn't joseph! which the mariners did not know when they let him rob 3 hrs
Tom Emanski is upset.
Zombie Tom Emanski is an available username
It would be a great idea to do an article about a sloppy defensive game from the point of view of Tom Emanski. I'm writing that down.
second
davy singlehandedly keeping notgraphs running like weekend at bernie's
Please make sure to include a supporting comment from Baseball Superstar Fred McGriff.
ohhh that's why butler is lawdog
Have people picked up on the change in the lyrics that the fans sing for Chase's walkup?
The “hit a homer”? Yeah, that’s pretty awesome.
Did not expect a Kyle Lohse name drop! Loved that guy
now why are you running on Victor Mesa Jr
Hello all!
Pretty fantastic stuff from Griffin that inning
Is nine pitches and two strikeouts good?
I didnt like the move at the deadline… I thought that they traded Will Dion (6+years) for Will Dion (.5 years)…. I was very likely wrong….
wills dion are fleeting, ephemeral… flags fly forever…
fleeting and ephemeral is exactly how I would have described Griffins first half at the time… lol… Like I said it was a bad take.
we'll see how dion develops, he looks to be solid at least
when did they add the "ball in dirt" animation to gameday
If Aranda runs through there, wonder if everyone is safe
i think it'd only work if they were trying to stay out of the dp
because if the pivot holds onto the ball, they can try and catch him between 2b-3b
That's probably true. Just looked weird to stop right in front of a force out
Yeah Aranda looks like he slipped a bit. It was a closer play than they made it out to be.
Petey Halpin always finds the action
With all the love in my heart, he caught that like a Petey
A remarkable athletic play that was like 20% derpy
What was the exit velo and angle on that?… I have a feeling on a warmer night that was out
110.7, 29 degrees, per Gameday
110.7, 29
110.7 at 29 degrees
"xba 1.000"
out in 17/30
So Petey covers 13 stadiums. News you can use
cheers guys!!
interestingly, both cle and tb in the parks it's not a hr in
If I back calculate an Xdistance from the numbers I get 433 which is definitely out in both…
depends heavily on atmospheric factors + spin
for sure. That was for neutral wind and normal cle temp/humidity… should have used game conditions
also was in that odd pocket where the tall wall starts
TNT doing an embedded Waste Management ad instead of letting the audience hear the crowd sing was a choice
thankfully hammy and rosey calling attention to it
Brutal for Walls
do they gotta put genao on for tbazz?
Boy with possibly 4 straight days of games I'd be trying to get more innings from Griffin who looked mostly really good tonight
If anyone here has any logic to how Vogt uses the bullpen ever let me know because I have given up… I think its literally a magic 8 ball.
if he goes to gaddis or smith today i'm going to be really disappointed
Pick the worst possible reliever and the worst possible time and prepare for disappointment. Just not Festa… he is a MYTH
If it's close he will absolutely use them
matt festa, zero innings pitched
espino this early bodes poorly for me
Espino being nasty makes me happy. Hopefully he gets a solid career
Yeah, even if he’s just a filthy reliever that would be great given we all assumed his career was shot
Legit think they should make him a short stint starter next year and just go for something like 120 innings… If the BB rate is under 4.5 he is going to be very very good.
he sure feels like a leverage guy rn
Googling MLBPA service time pension milestones…let’s get him to 4 years before they try to stretch him out again
i think bazz should not steal here. he probably will try to, though
Two big double plays in the fifth
1.000 ops Bailey was amazing while it lasted
That feels like something you can’t do and win
ya walking 2 guys for JCam is a bad plan
Guessing 116 on that one
Another 110 but absolutely smoked
Hit his spot at 98 and Junior did that. He’s so good.
gave up the run but one of the best things in baseball is a good outfield relay. Kwan played it well off the wall and made a quick throw, keeping one of the fastest players in baseball at 3rd
Tootblan?
Tootblan
contact play= not TOOTBLAN…???
So am I wrong that infield in is dumb here?
Seems like runs are nearly impossible to come by this postseason, so I get it
I mean, that was a heck of a pick by Lowe
The slide was 2 feet from home plate
My most dad quality is reflexively saying "Nice block" whenever I'm watching baseball, even if I'm alone in my apartment.
Also, hi
Guards have been doing this all post-season—stopping the big inning. They gotta feel pretty good with only one there.
ESPN win probability estimate says the Rays went from 79% WP after the Caminero double to 60% now. Huge escape there
Is the plan to pitch Peralta in this inning and start him in G6?
Center field is not where the hits are tonight
Middle infield is, though
I thought DeLauter probably should've caught that
That looked so catchable…
He was too busy pretending to attempt to catch it
Is that a swing by automated checks?
Ball dont lie I guess
Yandy if there were ever a time to challenge, that was it
Yandy is so committed to the never challenging bit
I do hope they go through with the new check swing rule they're testing in the minors
oof
This is a rough inning for DeLauter
OH NO
HE GRISHAM'D IT
Wow, DeLauter looking like a good DH today
Petey Halpin needs to play every position
infield in = dumb… I am vindicated?
If Cleveland scores 3, definitely.
Chandler Simpson hitting a ball >300 feet, what a time to be alive.
WHY NO THROW??? I know it was near pointless but so is not throwing
Guess no one is challenging anything tonight?!
too cold
So I missed this earlier, I assume Peralta is scheduled to be the game 6 starter and today is just a throw day, so no adverse consequence?
I dont know what that is in the bullpen but I am positive that it is not the REAL Festa….
Patty barrels makes way for Pummelin' Petey
Playoff Patty poking Posey in the eye
Jk Pummelin' Petey is getting pinch-hit for
Bailey for Tugboat I adored at the time… looks better every day.
Honestly if Buster Posey calls with a trade idea, just say yes
My Guardians fan friend has taken to calling Angel Martinez "Devil" because of his recent struggles
Back to back hits by Bazzana and Bailey:
107.8 EV, 21º, 374 ft.
107.9 EV, 20º, 375 ft.
As a Yankee fan, who is this person and what did he do to Ian Seymour
ah, good, more intense baseball for me
INFIELD IN=DUMB!
Guardsball! I yell over and over. My dogs are hiding under the bed but I can’t stop yelling Guardsball!
After the NL series, I’m not used to the bullpens allowing so many runs.
Resource scarcity. Used to be you had several Ashbys available. These days there’s just the one
If this is Festa now… I am going to start cheering for the Rays.
time to change that team flair then
This is the first time I’ve seen him throw and I’m enjoying his whole deal so far
Festa is by no means terrible… which is why it was soo soo odd that he was never used to this point and still kept on the roster… it was/is maddening.
I just got home from seeing the Nathan Fielder movie about the fraud lady, which is completely insane. I gather there has been a lot of Ray and then more recently some modest Guard.
A comedy? Love me some NATHAN FOR YOU
It's supposedly a documentary, but with Fielderish layers.
You did this Vogt… You broke me!
Seymour almost just ruined the entire game for the Rays
There’s still time
I will say this, the Guards are showing why they deserved to win over CWS
Vogt’s going to start pitching everyone on 3 weeks rest now
Booth gassing up Seymour to get 9 outs fell apart fast.
Yah they clearly saw Seymour
The slo mo replays of Guards hitting him really highlighted his head whack. It was probably 50% camera angle and 50% knowing the result of the AB but it looked wild.
Maybe Aranda is deaf like Nate Lowe
Ah we're into the alliterative part of the Tampa Bay bullpen
Pitchers are supposed to pitch STRIKES, right?
Nope, supposed to get OUTS.
Thats the game with the bigger ball and the smooth pieces of wood on the floor.
Soooo close
Pitcher #653
Smith is up… WTF VOGT!@@!@!@@!!!
It's his bullpen day
He's committed to driving you away
All catchers hate pitchers.
I think that ball is still going
It’s in the lake, but not the one you’re thinking of
ooh
I wonder if Cam Booser ever faced Seth Beer in the minors.
Guys its been good… Vogt is about to bring in Smith because the 8 ball (PG version) said so…. Im gonna need a new hobby… suggestions?
Saved by the actually good decision to leave in Festa's robot clone… lets bring back a bit of the flair…
Well, that might just about do it.
He doesn't hit that off Smith! /s
Oof this game was interesting for a bit.
[SpongeBob 'aight imma head out' meme]
And now a new pitcher burned… WHY? JUST WHY???
I’m surprised that went out
I thought it was going foul off the bat. I am … not a smart man.
Ange- err, flappy bois in the outfield carried it a bit farther
Same
I was really enjoying Festa’s whole deal
i completely fell asleep and woke up to the chekov's festa
I am not joking when I say that Vogt is so bad at bullpen strategy that he should be removed from all decisions.
TNT needs to check back in on that sad lady with the row of empty Miller Lites
Not impressed with the home ump
Really bringing in Baker?!?
it sounds like he's been warm, you don't want to (ahem) "dry hump" him too much
Cash is jealous of Vogt's MOTY trophies.
lol even the score bug knew that was a ball
Junior having a hard time finding the ball
Whoa, Cantillo bullying Junior with three straight changeups.
Anyone else think Tampa should have tried to finish this out without using Baker? You potentially play 4 days in row here and at minimum need to play three days in a row. I feel like I’d try to preserve him in a non-save situation
Ya this is a horrible horrible use of Baker.
Cash is honoring Joe Maddon by bringing his closer into a non save situation in Cleveland. Surely these extra reps won’t come back to bite Tampa
So which of these teams would be more of a challenge for MIL? I feel like either staff would be vulnerable to the relentlessness, but TBR could at least hit some homers to compensate, particularly if Junior ever wakes up.
rays absolutely a better team. cleveland is more pesky than good
I think of Tampa as like 85% of what Milwaukee put together. They do all the same things just not as good.
Cleveland would be a tougher series for Milwaukee. Cold weather, playoff tested, better rotation and bullpen
its 7 games I would ballpark the actual odds difference at around 1.5% in favor of the Rays vs MIL vs CLE
good call by hammy, baker's velo is down
Series is tied! We might get 7 games here.
the proximate brewers fan: yes… ha ha ha… YES!!!
he's sitting 92 after averaging 96ish?
Alright everyone! Let's do this again tomorrow around 5PM ET.
I build things here.