NL Division Series Games 5 Chat

4:49	Craig Edwards: Are you excited? I’m Jessespano.gif excited.

4:50	Craig Edwards: We will get things going here shortly. It will be me and Kiley for the early games with Dan Szymborski and Nick Dika taking on the later games.

4:50	Craig Edwards: Here’s a quick things I wrote about the starters today: https://blogs.fangraphs.com/instagraphs/the-nlds-game-5-pitching-match…

4:52	Craig Edwards: Cardinals lineup: St. Louis Cardinals @Cardinals For all the marbles #NLDS \| #TimeToFly 9 Oct 2019

4:52	Craig Edwards: and Braves: Atlanta Braves @Braves Game 5. Winner takes all. #RELENTLESS 9 Oct 2019

4:52	Craig Edwards: Couple polls:

4:53	Craig Edwards: Rooting for? Cardinals (36.3% \| 32 votes) Braves (31.8% \| 28 votes) Just hoping for a good game (31.8% \| 28 votes) Total Votes: 88

4:53	Craig Edwards: Who will win? Cardinals (48.7% \| 20 votes) Braves (51.2% \| 21 votes) Total Votes: 41

4:59	Derek: I am pumped.

5:00	John Redbird: Hi Craig I don’t have a question I’m just excited for some good ol elimination game baseball with some strong pitchers on the mound. Now how do I get out of work to watch the game…

5:00	Cave Dameron: Adam Duvall in LF.

5:00	Craig Edwards: Duvall is the one big lineup change. While he did hit the homer off Flaherty in game 1, Flaherty is better against righties and Duvall hasn’t had as much success against them.

5:01	Craig Edwards: For the Cardinals, Carpenter at third isn’t a change from the last two games, but it is a change from Game 2 when Foltynewicz shut down the Cardinals. Probably the right call for the Cardinals, but the defense does go down a bit.

5:03	Jim hardball: For 2 innings, on FS1, I could not see the strike zone square. I panicked, but the umps call was the umps call. the pace of drama

5:03	Jim hardball: In short, the umps are part of the game, and a bigger strike zone speeds it up.

5:04	Craig Edwards: I’m not sure I agree. I think pitchers are good enough to pitch to a smaller strike zone and we would see more swings and swifter play if the strike zone were smaller.

5:05

Derek in LIttle Rock: Fascinating that big league managers in 2019 still buy the fallacy of the hot hand and play a guy against his own strength and into his opponent’s strength on the basis of a one-time (pinch hit, no less) event that happened nearly a week ago, back when the Kurds were our allies.

5:06	Craig Edwards: It’s also possible that he wanted better defense in there, and citing recent track record is the better public excuse. It also seems like Markakis would be the more logical choice to the bench, but he’s been the everyday guy, so…

5:07	scott: Also fascinating. haveing above average hitters give away outs in 2019!

5:07	Craig Edwards: Have to think Wong was partially bunting for a hit given he topped MLB in bunt hits, but not the best effort there.

5:08	Craig Edwards: Swanson saved a run right there keeping the ball on the infield.

5:09	Derek: (Very) SSS caveats and all that, but Goldschmidt has looked really good this postseason – how encouraging is that for Cardinals fans after a somewhat disappointing regular season for Goldy?

5:10	Craig Edwards: He did get somewhat unlucky this season and had a lot of big hits, but this Playoff Paul is what the Cardinals were hoping for all year.

5:11	Craig Edwards: I wrote about Ozuna a bit in the recap of Game 4 here: A word on Ozuna: https://blogs.fangraphs.com/braves-blow-chances-while-the-cardinals-st…

5:12

Craig Edwards: “The outfielder is having a fantastic series, with three doubles and two home runs among his eight hits in four games. He’s heading into free agency after what could be classified as a solid season. He put up a 110 wRC+ and 2.6 WAR at 28 years old. The free agent market for him remains murky, but it is possible his statistics this year underrate Ozuna’s performance. Based on exit velocity and launch angle, his .379 xwOBA is the 19th-best mark in the game. The 38-point gap between his wOBA and his xWOBA was the biggest in baseball among 135 qualified hitters.

5:12

Craig Edwards: The five players directly above and below him include Alex Bregman, Josh Donaldson, Pete Alonso, and DJ LeMahieu. Ozuna isn’t heavily shifted against and isn’t an incredibly slow runner such that he should be expected to have a much lower wOBA, so his underperformance is mainly due to his home park — Busch Stadium is tough on righties — and bad luck. The 10 players closest to Ozuna in xwOBA averaged a 136 wRC+ and with neutral luck, we’d be talking about Ozuna’s five-win season this year.”

5:12	bobby three sticks: his batted ball profile was almost identical. was it park effects? he was 40 points under his career average babip

5:12	Craig Edwards: The change in parks certainly didn’t help Goldschmidt, though he also just wasn’t quite as good as he was in Arizona.

5:14	Craig Edwards: So putting Carpenter in the lineup is already affecting the game and uses his good eye to get a bases loaded walk.

5:14	Derek: Probably not the start Foltynewicz was looking for…

5:15	Craig Edwards: Definitely not. He hasn’t been bad by any means with a couple tough breaks, but the only out is a sac bunt at this point.

5:16	Mo money, Molina: “he’s got the couch out right now for foltynewicz” – what a line

5:16	Guest: who is Edman??

5:16	Craig Edwards: Didn’t know? Now ya know.

5:19

Craig Edwards: In Jack Falherty’s second-to-last start of the regular season, he pitched a gem with 11 Ks in 7 innings, but the Cardinals lost. Then, with the season on the line, Flaherty pitched in game 162 and the Cardinals jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the second inning and won the game easily. It’s still early, but…

5:19	tom: another Craig Edwards Cardinals puff … chat

5:19	Craig Edwards: it’s heading that way.

5:19	Dystopian Future: Baseball is so cruel; Folty’s comeback story is totally derailed after not even one full inning.

5:19	Craig Edwards: Well, I’m not sure totally derailed is right given how well he’s pitched lately, but getting just one out isn’t what he or the Braves were hoping for.

5:20	Kiley McDaniel: Sorry for the delay, had a contractor wrapping up some work but KILEY IS HERE

5:20	Kiley McDaniel: SEEMS LIKE I MISSED A FEW THINGS

5:20	Kiley McDaniel: Feel a little better about turning down tickets last minute

5:21	Craig Edwards: Just the pitcher batting in the first inning. No biggie.

5:21	Craig Edwards: and walking.

5:22	Craig Edwards: Really tough spot for Fried. Bases loaded is tough, but in the first inning, I’m not sure you can really prepare for that.

5:23	Derek: Okay so what is the most lopsided elimination game in history? Seems like that might be in play at this rate…

5:23	Kiley McDaniel: this is really insane

5:24	Craig Edwards: Funny you should ask. I don’t know if this game is it, but in 1996, the Braves beat the Cardinals 15-0 in game 7 of the NLCS as the Cardinals blew a 3-1 lead.

5:24	Mo money, Molina: Bader defensive sub bottom 1? (half joking)

5:24	Lunar verLander: Ok, just got home from work, traffic was a bit hectic, but looks like I haven’t missOH MY GOSH

5:24	Kiley McDaniel: do we know what the mercy rules are in NLDS games

5:25	A Guy: I guess it could end up being one of the best comebacks/choke jobs of all time though…

5:25	Kiley McDaniel: this question came 10 minutes ago

5:25	Craig Edwards: I believe the rule is that when you score 9 in the first, you say, MERCY!

5:26	Craig Edwards:

5:26	Lou: The Braves need MadBum.

5:26	Adam: At what point, do the Cardinals pull Flarehty if they continue to extend the lead?

5:26	A: Anybody agree? Benjamin Hochman @hochman Pull Jack. Have him start Game 1. 9 Oct 2019

5:26	Kiley McDaniel: i think all of their bums are mad rn

5:27	Kiley McDaniel: i’d go bullpen game here. i get that it isn’t a great message to say that this game is now less important..but it’s also 10-0

5:27	Craig Edwards: So you have to get 9 innings. NLCS starts Friday.

5:27	Derek: Kiley you may have missed the entire important part of the game

5:27	Kiley McDaniel: the important part was me not going

5:28	Dystopian Future: Ozzie Albies wasn’t smiling when the camera cut to him, which means this is officially a disaster.

5:28	Kiley McDaniel: the real tragedy

5:28	Craig Edwards: ponce de leon and genesis cabrera can get a few each I would imagine. I think you could give Flaherty two innings if they are low stress and pull him.

5:29	Craig Edwards: Do you pull Flaherty? Right now (1st inning) (33.6% \| 63 votes) In first three innings? (51.8% \| 97 votes) Let him pitch a normal game? (14.4% \| 27 votes) Total Votes: 187

5:31	Guest: This is what happens when you ban the tomahawk chop. Without racism, their superpowers are gone.

5:31	Craig Edwards: correlation, causation, something, something.

5:31	A Guy: I think if you score 9 in the first you say “merci!”

5:31	Ouch: Scoring on a strikeout…this is really awful now

5:32	Craig Edwards: Now?

5:32

hypo: Cardinals first. Fowler walked on a full count. Wong sacrificed, pitcher Foltynewicz to first baseman Freeman, Fowler to second. Goldschmidt hit an infield single to shortstop, Fowler to third. Ozuna singled to right, Fowler scored, Goldschmidt to second. Molina safe at first on fielding error by first baseman Freeman, Goldschmidt to third, Ozuna to second. Carpenter walked on a full count, Goldschmidt scored, Ozuna to third, Molina to second. Edman doubled to right, Ozuna scored, Molina scored, Carpenter to third. DeJong was intentionally walked. Fried pitching. Flaherty walked, Carpenter scored, Edman to third, DeJong to second. Fowler doubled to left, Edman scored, DeJong scored, Flaherty to third. Wong doubled to center, Flaherty scored, Fowler scored. Goldschmidt flied out to right fielder Markakis, Wong to third. Ozuna struck out, safe on Fried’s wild pitch, Wong scored.

5:32	Dystopian Future: This is less devil magic and more satanic wrath, if you ask me.

5:32	Craig Edwards: Plus a Yadi groundout for the late-arriving crowd.

5:33	Dystopian Future: How hard is it to pitch as Flaherty when you have a ten run lead here?

5:33	hypo: If I was in the crowd I would leave now. Beat the traffic. Nothing left to see here. C-ya

5:33	Craig Edwards: He’s probably still upset about game 2 so I don’t think it is an issue for him.

5:33	Kiley McDaniel: it’s also rush hour in ATL so maybe not beating the rush

5:33	Dystopian Future: I know it’s already sort of garbage time, but that play by Donaldson was really beautiful.

5:34	Craig Edwards: that’s the spirit. We’ll be here a while.

5:34	Kiley McDaniel: silver lining: pace of play should be good rest of the way

5:34	Kiley McDaniel: lots of fastballs, no one is taking any one pitch too seriously, not a ton of pitching changes

5:34	Craig Edwards: and we get a walk.

5:35	Mason Jarre: That panicked scurrying sound you here is the entire TBS programming department trying to figure out how they can get Seinfeld reruns on.

5:35	Kiley McDaniel: this is the manager version of no DB’s within 30 yards, standing in the end zone, praying you don’t drop the rainbow pass

5:35	hypo: Kiley are you enjoying this, seeing how things “ended” with the Braves?

5:35	Craig Edwards: This was not the lead-in for Dodgers-Nationals they were hoping for.

5:35	Mo money, Molina: they actually put in bader, wow

5:35	Kiley McDaniel: believe it or not, but i don’t root for them or against them. i do like seeing some of the young players i was involved with doing well

5:36	Mo money, Molina: Just remember, no lead is safe with carlos martinez

5:36	Manta: So, let’s say the Cards pull Flaherty and the Braves mount a comeback over 3 innings culminating in Carlos Martinez vs. Acuna with men on in a tie game 10-10. The drama, right?

5:36	Kiley McDaniel: especially if you disrespect the game, anything can happen

5:37	Kiley McDaniel: paging Frank Reich!

5:37	Mo money, Molina: “you love to have the lead but with it comes challenges” – what great analysis

5:38	Kiley McDaniel: “lots of pressure to not give up 10 runs” is a real burden

5:39	E: If the Cards can score 10 in the first so can the Braves!

5:39	Craig Edwards: they might even score 11.

5:39	Kiley McDaniel: Jack is not making this easy on us

5:40	Mike Sixel: Anyone warming for the cards? Not able to watch….

5:40	Kiley McDaniel: doesn’t appear so

5:40	E: 10-0 is the most dangerous lead in baseball

5:40	Kiley McDaniel: good thing STL didn’t have a rally-killing HR in the 1st

5:41	Utz: This dismantling of the Braves is brought to you by Utz. Utz: The only thing that will make Atlanta fans feel worse than that first half-inning is our manufactured cheese balls.

5:41	Kiley McDaniel: they are truly heinous

5:41	Craig Edwards: Teams scoring 10 runs in a playoff game are 151-4.

5:42	Belli Flop: “So you’re telling me there’s a chance”

5:43	OddBall Herrera: Look on the bright side, now we get 8 innings to have the ‘what are you not allowed to do in a lopsided game’ unwritten rules come out of the woodwork

5:43	Kiley McDaniel: not on Brian McCann’s watch!

5:43	tolec: St. Louis sent 14 men to the plate in the highest-scoring first inning in MLB postseason history.

5:43	Brad: Teams scoring 10 runs in the first inning of a playoff game are 0-0.

5:43	Dystopian Future: One of them is the 2017 WS game with the Dodgers and Astros right?

5:44	J: Not saying it’s right or wrong but given that Flaherty pitched a normal game 162 after StL had already clinched the central, I’d assume they’d do the same here?

5:45

Craig Edwards: Very different situation. They would still have to play a 163 if they didn’t win and the Brewers won as well. Plus, he was still set up to play game 2 and 5 of NLDS on normal rest. In this scenario, if Flaherty pitches a full game, he can’t go until game 3 of NLCS and maybe only gets one game. Pitching 1 and 5 is way better for St. Louis.

5:46	Bill: My proprietary model forecasts the final score of this game will be 90-0.

5:47	Dystopian Future: Is this the earliest that a non-injury defensive substitution has happened? (In the playoffs, since I assume it’s happened before in the regular season; everything’s happened in the regular season).

5:47	Craig Edwards: at least tied, I would think.

5:47	hypo: What if it really starts pouring and the game is washed out. Would they resume at 10-0 in the 2nd or wipe the score and start over?

5:47	Craig Edwards: I can’t even imagine.

5:48	Craig Edwards: 85% of you think Flaherty should not pitch a normal game.

5:49	Yo-Yo: What do you think the worst managerial decision has been so far in the playoffs?

5:49	Craig Edwards: Brian Snitker calling the give-up-10-runs-in-the-first-inning play.

5:50	Lunar verLander: Kiley, I heard (from an anonymous source; let’s call this person “Reg Mowley”) you got new kitchen cabinets. How are they?

5:50	Kiley McDaniel: yes they are great, they don’t yet have counters on them yet, that’ll take about a week, but the guys measuring for the counters just left. soft close and slow close, off white

5:51	Kiley McDaniel: i’m currently being needled to start my lifestyle brand

5:51	Kiley McDaniel: the working name is dude goop

5:52	Wire Fan: So if you bet the over on 7.5 runs, do you have to wait for the game go end to cash the ticket?

5:52	Kiley McDaniel: i think this policy differs by each sportsbook

5:52	hypo: I don’t see Flaherty going any less than 6 innings or like 85 pitches. Anything else is really bad optics. And if the Cardinals were to lose the game, you would never hear the end of it

5:52	Kiley McDaniel: this is the same terrible reason to not go for it on 4th down because its an unusual call, so you get hammered more if you fail that way

5:53	Kiley McDaniel: have to manage for the best championship odds

5:53	Kiley McDaniel: not nonsense PR downside

5:53	Craig Edwards: Braves decreased the Cardinals offense by 90% from the first to second inning.

5:54	Fjtorres: If the Cards bullpen can’t hold a 10 run lead without Flaherty they don’t deserve to move on.

5:54	hypo: It’s sad when you are trying to think up scenarios that give you a shot at winning and the best I’ve got is a hurricane, earthquake, or Godzilla attacking

5:54	Kiley McDaniel: is that…do I hear? THAT’S JULIO JONES’ MUSIC

5:54	Marc: What’s the effect of Flaherty pitching like 40 pitches today and then starting game 1 of the NLCS? Basically like a bullpen session?

5:54	Craig Edwards: It would be like if a starter came on in relief for a couple innings in between starts, which happens in the postseason at least semi-regularly.

5:55	dazzle ship: is shildt the kind of manager that would care about getting Flaherty the “win”?

5:56	Craig Edwards: I wouldn’t think so. If Flaherty stays in, it is because he wants to guarantee the Cardinals win this game.

5:56	Yo-Yo: We give the announcers crap all of the time, but it must be a nightmare to announce a game like this. Hell, it must be tough to chat!

5:56	Kiley McDaniel: feel like it’s much easier because, if you have any interests, curiousity or personality, you can do as much of that as you want

5:56	Derek: Ooh soft close and slow close means you can’t slam them to passively-aggressively show your anger towards those in your vicinity… Seems like a mistake imo.

5:57	Kiley McDaniel: they also can’t do it to me

5:58	hypo: I hope somebody gets on base so they can take Fried out, he looks, well, fried

5:58	Kiley McDaniel: in the south, things are either deep fried or chicken fried, you’ve gotta pick one

5:59	Kiley McDaniel: lol darling is defending the flaherty decision because “no manager is prepared to be up by 11”

5:59	BEA: FYI – We’re in the 2nd inning and Tommy Edman is a single and a home run away from the cycle.

5:59	Kiley McDaniel: like it happened in 27 seconds and he’s in shock, doesn’t have access to his faculties yet

6:00	Kiley McDaniel: you have the manager job to make tough, quick, decisive choices, often in situations that are unlikely

6:00	Kiley McDaniel: not adjusting to the circumstances because you’re “traditional” means your brain can’t handle the basic duties

6:00	Craig Edwards: 123 second inning for Flaherty. 33 pitches. Could easily pitch Friday or Saturday if you take him out now. starts getting questionable with another inning.

6:01	Kiley McDaniel: to be clear, taking him out now is still defensible. darling’s line of logic made no sense

6:02	Kiley McDaniel: this is still the amount of exertion a guy has on a throw/bullpen day, so friday would fit and still be on a relatively normal short-term schedule

6:03	Dystopian Future: I’m now imagining Mike Schildt on a twenty-minute time delay from reality.

6:04	Craig Edwards: He’s digging deep into his binder of notes, finds a tab that says, UP 10 IN THE FIRST INNING, flips to tab. It’s blank. Panic begins.

6:05	Dystopian Future: Quickly, some final lines from Braves pitchers: Foltynewicz: 0.1IP, 3H, 7R, 3BB, 0K Fried: 1.2IP, 4H, 4R, 1BB, 2K

6:05	Craig Edwards: Is that bad?

6:05	Morbo: Would the Cardinals have home field advantage in the nlcs if the Nats beat the Dodgers? Since it’s based on seeding not record

6:05	Craig Edwards: Yes. Cardinals get home field if both they and the Nationals win.

6:09	stever20: TBS already going to previewing the 2nd game..

6:09	Craig Edwards: Please stick around. Please.

6:10	Skore: I’m sorry but that’s stupid. Why should the Cards have home field advantage over a team that won two more games? Because they were in the same division as a 97-win team they get punished for it? Ridiculous

6:10	Craig Edwards: Maybe they are just being punished for playing the Marlins so many times.

6:10	Dystopian Future: No homers in this game. If you told me a team scored 11 runs in two innings in 2019 without any homers I’d be flabbergasted.

6:10	Craig Edwards: Interesting.

6:10	Tooch: I really would prefer the Cardinals not play the Dodgers, but I also would love to see a Flaherty/Buehler matchup. We’ve seen a few of those over the past few years already.

6:11	stever20: Jay with the awesome tweet- At first Atlanta’s pitching plan was Folty and now it’s just Fried.

6:12	robaguirre9139: do you think this type of loss might cost snitker j=his job?

6:12	Kiley McDaniel: if snit gets fired, it’s not because of this game

6:12	Vincent Adultman: Kiley- I have a prospect question! If there were no hard caps, do you think Jasson Dominguez would have signed a bigger bonus (not saying whether he’s worth the bigger bonus but whether a team would have given it to him)?

6:13	Kiley McDaniel: yeah, at least a few million more

6:13	Kiley McDaniel: he’s worth a lot more than that, but there is a level of recruiting in the J2 market, where kids tend to like having a locked-in number a year in advance and family will turn down bigger offers even when they come

6:13	Kiley McDaniel: this happened with Maitan and other similar guys in the old system

6:14	CB: At what point does Snitker throw in the towel? Put in bench players, pitch the guys in the back of the BP, etc.?

6:14	Kiley McDaniel: he won’t and he shouldn’t. this lineup can score 10 runs, it’s just unlikely

6:14	Kiermaier’s Piercing Green Eyes: My partner’s family got the slow close cabinets and was so excited about them. They were all, “Check these out, Kiermaier’s Piercing Green Eyes! You can’t slam them!”

6:15	Kiermaier’s Piercing Green Eyes: You can slam them and they called me a jerk.

6:15	hypo: The Braves didn’t lose this series today. They lost it in game 4 when they squandered so many chances to score runs late in that game and failed. That should be the one they remember all winter, not this one.

6:15	Kiley McDaniel: yeah, if you’re really mad, you can slam them and it just lessens the noise. i may have tested this

6:15	Craig Edwards: It’s been an even series. This game wouldn’t have happened if the Cardinals hadn’t done the same thing as the Braves in Game 3.

6:15	nat: Is the manager totally insulated from the front office during a game? Can a ball boy be sent down from Mozeliak with a note saying “yank Flaherty now!”?

6:15	Craig Edwards: Whichever team lost this series was going to look back and see a ton of missed opportunities.

6:16	Kiley McDaniel: typically there’s someone, like a trainer, that has a cell phone and is the guy you can relay messages without having to physically enter the clubhouse

6:16	Kiley McDaniel: can’t have the phone in the dugout, but trainer may have to call outside person for something so they have one

6:18	Russ: What’s this talk about Snit being fired? Is that really a thing?

6:18	Kiley McDaniel: I don’t think so. I was just saying this game isn’t a data point for that case

6:18	Craig Edwards: The only team to ever score more than 12 runs in a playoff game and lose were the 93 Phillies, who lost 15-14 to the Blue Jays. Phillies were up 14-9 going into the eighth.

6:19	Craig Edwards: The Edman cycle train just lost some steam.

6:21	Craig Edwards: The Braves still had a 2% WE after the Cardinals’ first inning. It’s down to 1% now.

6:21	Dystopian Future: Wasn’t there a Marlins Indians ’97 WS game that had both teams over 10 runs?

6:22	Craig Edwards: Yes. Marlins won 14-11. The game was 7-7 going into the ninth inning. Marlins scored 7 and Cleveland could only answer with 4.

6:22	Fire Ken Tremendous: Is the Edman cycle like a Peloton bike?

6:22	Craig Edwards: No. Edman is pretty inexpensive.

6:23	Craig Edwards: I think you could argue that Flaherty shouldn’t be batting just to avoid injury.

6:23	Alex: Does Acuna end up being this year’s version of Machado where we spend so much time obsessing about his attitude and work ethic this offseason?

6:23	Craig Edwards: I know I won’t be.

6:24	hypo: In Game 4 of the 1929 World Series, the A’s trailed the Cubs 8-0 heading to the bottom of the seventh before scoring 10 runs in the inning to win 10-8.

6:25	jaybird: Assuming he isn’t pulled really soon, Flaherty pitches games 3 and 7 of NLCS rather than games 1 and 5, right? Not sure there’s much tactical difference.

6:25	Craig Edwards: Except game 5 is much more likely to happen.

6:28	Section329 : Flaherty not being pulled

6:29	Hire Joe Morgan?: If we’re listening to a blowout broadcast, I’m glad it’s with Darling. He’s talking about tunneling now. There should be lots of time for asides.

6:29	stever20: Man recent Atlanta sports history isn’t exactly stellar is it?

6:30	Craig Edwards: At least they are making the playoffs to blow third quarter and playoff series leads.

6:30	Hire Joe Morgan?: Is there a significant difference for St. Louis in having Flaherty in games three and seven instead of one and five? Seems like the cost wouldn’t be until a potential World Series.

6:31	Craig Edwards: I asked Dan, and you can ask him later, but I think he’s going to run those scenarios for his NLCS preview. I’m guessing it makes some difference, but not a lot.

6:31	Hire Ken Tremendous: What’s worse, losing like the Braves or losing like the Twins?

6:31	Craig Edwards: The Braves got some enjoyment out of this series, I would imagine, so worse for the Twins.

6:31	Craig Edwards: So Flaherty now at 47 pitches.

6:31	Hire Joe Morgan?: “More instructional videos with Ron Darling, as we continue.” That’s good broadcasting.

6:32	Wire Fan: Also if he pitches games 1 and 5, Flaherty would have 2 days rest prior to a potential game 7 (an inning or two of relief?)

6:32	Martin Frydenlund: if they have him in 1 and 5 they could potentially bring him in on short rest as a reliever in game 7 if it gets really tense right?

6:34	stever20: wow… This is the first time the Braves have allowed 10+ runs in the first inning of any game (regular season or postseason) since July 2, 1925 against the Brooklyn Robins.

6:37	Hire Joe Morgan?: The reason to keep Flaherty in is to keep him in his routine, right? There’s no other valid reason.

6:38	Craig Edwards: It’s to guarantee they win this game, which is pretty much already guaranteed.

6:38	Wire Fan: Fowler maintaining a 1 AB per inning pace.

6:38	Craig Edwards: He’s not the only one.

6:39	Craig Edwards: BREAKING: The Cardinals didn’t score that inning.

6:39	Jordan: Is there anyway for the Red Sox to move David Peice and his 3/96?

6:39	Craig Edwards: Sure, if they pay down a bunch of it.

6:39	Dystopian Future: Is it easier to write recap articles about close games or blowouts like this?

6:40	Craig Edwards: Easier: blowouts. A little less fun and easier necessarily means less stimulating. I’m currently trying to figure this one out while there were so many interesting things to talk about the one I wrote for Game 4.

6:41	Craig Edwards: Trent McCotter @trentmccotter Braves down 13-0 against Cardinals. In 144 years of MLB, no team has ever won after being down by 13 runs in a game. Honorable mention: on 9/30/1894, the Cleveland Spiders came back to TIE after being down 16-3 to the Reds. 9 Oct 2019

6:42	Craig Edwards: Flaherty still in the game. I think we are going to hear an awful lot about this if the Cardinals go down 2-0 or even go 1-1 in the NLCS.

6:42	A Nev: What kind of contract do you think Ozuna gets after this year?

6:43	Craig Edwards: 5/80?

6:43	Craig Edwards: Josh Donaldson with a homer.

6:44	Belli Flop: Hey the Braves have a run!

6:44	Jordan: How much do you think they have to eat?

6:44	Craig Edwards: For Price? He just had wrist surgery so probably like $50 million. Maybe more.

6:46	Craig Edwards: So that homer didn’t change the win expectancy for the Braves.

6:47	Wire Fan: So at this point is Flaherty locked into game 3 and might as well go 75-90 pitches?

6:48	Craig Edwards: I’m not sure. I think fewer pitches would still be better.

6:48	Hire Joe Morgan?: Does Flaherty remind anyone else of Wainwright? I know Flaherty is fastball/slider with a curve mixed in and Wainwright is the other way around, but I keep seeing prime Wainwright.

6:49	Craig Edwards: I think you are trying too hard. Most of the comparisons that get made are to Chris Carpenter if you are within the Cardinals world.

6:49	Craig Edwards: Flaherty gets through the 4th inning and now has a 13-1 lead.

6:50	Pedro Cabeza: Snitker should go. He isn’t the best manager available to a team with top 3 or 4 young talent. That would be Joe Maddon. Hire him, Bravos!

6:50	Craig Edwards: Certainly sounds like Maddon will end up in LA with the Angels.

6:51	Hire Joe Morgan?: I think it’s the neat, compact delivery.

6:56	Pedro Cabeza: Sez you. How could Joe refuse a shot with multiple years of World Series possibilities ahead?

6:56	Craig Edwards: I’m guessing the Angels will pay more and that Joe Maddon would love to manage Mike Trout and live in Los Angeles again.

6:56	Hire Joe Maddon?: Is it too reactionary to blame Maddon for the Cubs’ shortcomings this year? I’m not as convinced he’s a good manager as the apparent market demand for him would indicate

6:57	Craig Edwards: Yes. He certainly has his faults and its possible the veteran, static squad in Chicago wasn’t a great fit for his skills, but he’s never been great at managing a bullpen.

6:58	Craig Edwards: Not that the Cubs gave him much to work with. All that said, the Cubs weren’t bad. They just weren’t good enough.

6:58

hypo: Snitker’s fault this year in my opinion was how hard he ran Freeman, Albies, and Acuna during the season. No games off and they looked tired at points down the stretch. I don’t think Freeman is 100% with his elbow and Acuna has a hip issue that he’s been dealing with. I think his talent is the only reason he’s hit so well against the Cardinals in this series

6:59	Fire Ken Tremendous: Acuna Machado is a problem free philosophy

6:59	Kiley McDaniel: we both know it’s Acuna Moncada

6:59	Craig Edwards: Freeman is just hurt. Not much you can do about that. I’m not sure running down Albies or Acuna really affected anything here. Losing Martin right away really hurt because they had to use Fried in the pen instead of in Game four and that ended up hurting them.

6:59	Craig Edwards: Ozuna Moncada?

7:00	Craig Edwards: Oh by the way, Flaherty is still pitching.

7:00	Craig Edwards: have to think this is his last inning.

7:03	Hire Joe Morgan?: Flaherty aside, at what point do they consider taking out Molina to give him a little rest?

7:03	Craig Edwards: When Molina decides he’s ready to come out. They have a day off tomorrow. He’s catching that last pitch and running to the mound to celebrate.

7:04	Tooch: Do you get the feeling like Schildt picked 5 innings because he still feels like he needs to get 5 out of his starter somewhere deep down inside?

7:04	Kiley McDaniel: that feels very consistent with his approach to baseball

7:05	Craig Edwards: Five innings is a full, but not quite full start where he can say he pitched the game, but still gave him some rest.

7:05	Craig Edwards: The Cardinals are still shifting.

7:06	Wire Fan: Maddon seems like a terrible fit for a veteran club and/or a big market where his lovable antics/schtick won’t be deified by the local press. It may have worked for a little while in CHI, but that was probably because they still had the lovable loser perception and insane talent.

7:07	Craig Edwards: It worked in Chicago because he did a good job. It would have continued to do well if he had kept winning. The winning stopped and his message probably grew a little stale.

7:07	Kiermaier’s Piercing Green Eyes: This is more or less the dumbest time for a bean ball war.

7:07	Craig Edwards: Sure is.

7:07	Dystopian Future: Braves fans finally unleashing the pent-up frustration. Let’s see if they go full Toronto.

7:08	Craig Edwards: Or full Infield Fly Rule.

7:08	hypo: Outfield fly rule

7:08	Craig Edwards: Tomato-Tomoto.

7:09	Dystopian Future: Why has Jack Flaherty thrown 89 pitches in this game

7:09	Craig Edwards: Good question.

7:13	Craig Edwards: 94 pitches now.

7:14	Jays Fan: Out of curiosity, does anyone know if a pitcher has ever been removed from the game, not due to injury or trade, but just because they didn’t need him, before he ever threw a pitch?

7:15	Craig Edwards: This used to happen in game 162 if a team waited for the outcome of other games, but not sure about a blowout in the first.

7:15	Hire Joe Morgan?: At this point, would anyone be surprised if they let Flaherty bat?

7:15	Craig Edwards: I’m really surprised at this point.

7:16	Craig Edwards: There’s no way Flaherty can pitch until Game 3 at this point, but at 94 pitches, we are entering pitching tired territory and that can be dangerous for an injury.

7:16	Belli Flop: Why in the world is Flaherty hitting?!

7:17	Craig Edwards: I don’t know, but he was slightly afraid of retaliation it looked like.

7:17	Tooch: I actually feel a little better about them deciding this is Flaherty’s game than just arbitrarily picking 5 innings as a short outing

7:17	Craig Edwards: Now proof this isn’t about the pitcher win.

7:18	Derek: This is honestly verging on like, fireable offense levels of stupidity from Schildt

7:20	Craig Edwards: I wouldn’t go that far. He’s letting his starting pitcher pitch a normal game in Game Five of the NLDS. It’s not a good decision with this lead and the potential in the NLCS, but the good has far outweighed the bad this season.

7:20	Wire Fan: At this point don’t you just want to get some relievers in to get them work and keep them sharp? Especially some of the lower leverage guys?

7:21	Craig Edwards: Some of those guys might be pitching for a roster spot in the NLCS, too.

7:22	Kiley McDaniel: just wanted to get it on the record that leaving flaherty in for 100 pitches is super dumb

7:22	Craig Edwards: Darling is sort of working through some defenses of this.

7:22	Hire Joe Morgan?: My seven-year-old is rooting for the Cardinals because she’s a staunch, upright young person and we’re raising her with sound values, but she lights up every time Acuna and Albies come on “because their hair floofs out like mine!” Let the kids play!

7:22	Kiley McDaniel: FanGraphs is pro hair floofs of all kinds

7:23	Morbo: Shildt seems determined to give Flaherty the opportunity to qualify for a win

7:23	Kiley McDaniel: or now get a quality start

7:23

Derek: I get the letting him pitch a full game thing, but he’s approaching 100 pitches, up by TWELVE RUNS, and Schildt just let him bat in a situation where there was a clear risk that he could have been targeted with a 95 mph missile from 60 feet away. All of that seems inexcusable even if it wasn’t involving the literal best player on his team

7:24	Craig Edwards: It’s bad. It’s excusable in terms of having his current job.

7:24	hypo: Obviously the old school manager wants Flaherty to get a “decision” in the game.

7:24	Kiley McDaniel: i’m all for arguing for the gray area of traditional approaches having room in today’s game, but we’re well past that point now

7:26	Fire Ken Tremendous: You’re the new GM of a team and you have the technology to hire any manager (past or present) to manage your team. Who do you hire?

7:26	Craig Edwards: We are well past the keeping him in a rhythm point.

7:27	Kiley McDaniel: there’s lots of fine answers here and i’m wary of just picking a current guy because “they have to know analytics!” but i think rocco baldelli will be a popular answer to this in a year or two

7:27	Patrick: Schildt just isn’t sure he’s awake right now so he’s experimenting. To be fair, I’m not entirely sure I’m awake right now either.

7:28	Craig Edwards: It hasn’t been the best series for Shildt. I think he picked the right lineup in Game Five and letting Carlos Martinez pitch in Game 4 could prove dividends, but there were a bunch of questionable decisions.

7:29	Craig Edwards: He’s generally been a manager who learns from his mistakes and he uses data to make his decisions, so I imagine he’ll improve. He and the Cardinals caught a bit of a break this series.

7:30	Marc: I can imagine the Dodgers/Nats would love the decision to keep Flaherty in if it weren’t for worrying about staving off impending doom in an hour.

7:31	Craig Edwards: One of the teams will be happy about it on Friday and Saturday, though tonight, they will just be celebrating a win.

7:31	Kent Serly: Any thoughts to why Carlos Martinez is closer when you have so many more talented arms in the bullpen?

7:31	Craig Edwards: I don’t think they have any more talented arms in the bullpen. He had a rough couple days. He’s been really good for them most of the season.

7:32	Nathan: “I think he picked the right lineup in Game Five…” Yeah, I mean I hate to be totally outcome based, but they have scored 13 runs through six innings, so that’s probably right.

7:32	Craig Edwards: Win or lose, putting Carpenter in the lineup was the right one. Scroll to the beginning of the chat.

7:32	Dystopian Future: Slow down on the “so many more talented arms”. Martinez was the Cardinals’ ace for several years, and he was great this year.

7:33	Craig Edwards: He should probably go back into the rotation next year if he feels comfortable with his arm.

7:33	jesus montero: hallion has had a terrible game

7:33	Craig Edwards: Fortunately, I don’t think this is going to be the Hallion game.

7:33	Section329 : The Cards have a very good analytical department but keep hiring old school managers . Why?

7:35

Craig Edwards: Not sure what you mean by old school? The Cardinals went from no shifts to a bunch under Shildt. They got better on defense and baserunning, which I guess is sort of old school, but that’s arguably what’s made the difference between teams that missed the playoffs the last few years and the team that made it this year.

7:36	Tooch: They kinda got stuck with Schildt when they went on a tear under him as interim manager, right?

7:37

Craig Edwards: He’d been manager in waiting for a few years. He worked his way up through the minors for a decade to get to this spot. They wanted him to succeed. They didn’t have to extend him when they did. They chose to extend him at the very first hot streak they had because they wanted him to have the job full-time.

7:37	Hire Joe Morgan?: Is there any indication Martinez is going back to the rotation?

7:37	Craig Edwards: Who knows at this point. Everybody has more pressing issues at the moment. A lot will depend on the Cardinals offseason and how his arm is in spring.

7:37	Derek: Shildt has been a good manager I think… But how he handled Flaherty today is just mind-numbingly dumb.

7:38	Craig Edwards: That is fair.

7:38	Dystopian Future: I mean I would understand pitching Martinez as some kind of confidence-booster type thing, but pitching Gallegos just makes absolutely no sense. He’s managing this game like it’s 3-1 instead of 13-1.

7:38	Craig Edwards: They have an off-day tomorrow and they had one yesterday. I’m not sure it matters that much.

7:39	Simon: Martinez going back to the rotation may depend on the health of Hicks

7:39	Craig Edwards: Hicks won’ be back at the beginning of the year, so it probably won’t matter.

7:39	Hire Joe Morgan?: Let’s pause and consider the entirely impossible. The Pirates could have a rotation of Cole/Morton/Glasnow right now.

7:39	Craig Edwards: But not the right now Cole/Morton/Glasnow right now.

7:40	This is Lude-i-cris: My 7 year old son grades all athletes 90% by their hair and 10% other factors.

7:40	Craig Edwards: on a 20-80 scale? We wouldn’t want grade inflation.

7:40	mike sixel: I’m going to go out on a limb and predict neither team in the second game scores 10 runs……

7:41	Craig Edwards: Bold. Predict both teams combined don’t get to 10 runs and then you are getting somewhere.

7:42	Craig Edwards: Also, Mike Maddux and Mike Shildt carpooling to playoff home games so their s.o. can have the second parking spot when they go to the games is hilarious and awesome.

7:42	Wire Fan: Aaron Hicks says he is healthy and good to go. Any chance the Yankees add him for the ALCS (even just as a bench piece/defensive replacement) or do they just roll with what is working?

7:42	Craig Edwards: If he’s healthy, I would add him. He’s really good.

7:44	Dystopian Future: Both teams combined don’t even score six runs, how about that? Dodger Stadium, Strasburg vs Buehler with all hands on deck, pitching wise?

7:44	Hire Joe Morgan?: The broadcasters are doing a great job finding things to talk about. This is nice, hearing about Schildt.

7:44	Craig Edwards: They’ve done about as well as you can expect given the circumstances. I’m actually entertained. I’m also exhausted and could use a beer.

7:46	Dystopian Future: Which team is Terrance Gore on right now?

7:46	Craig Edwards: He was on the Yankees to end the season I believe.

7:46	This is Lude-i-cris: These chats are the very best way to enjoy playoff baseball. Thanks to all of you for putting in the long hours.

7:47	Craig Edwards: Thanks to all of you for continuing to watch baseball. I think the next three hours are going to be much more exciting.

7:47	Ryan: Where does this game rank in terms of lowest leverage index of a winner-take-all playoff game?

7:49	Craig Edwards: I don’t know, but looking at the game log by leverage index, there was just a single plate appearance with a LI above 2, Carpenter’s walk to make it 2-0. There were only 7 PA with a LI above 1 and 10 above 0.5.

7:49	Dystopian Future: Braves haven’t allowed a run since the third inning.

7:50	Craig Edwards: Harrison Bader with your typical 4 PA game off the bench in a game that didn’t go nine innings and his team scored three runs while he was in.

7:50	Brad: Braves might not be allowing another run for 5 months.

7:50	Craig Edwards: dang.

7:51	Craig Edwards: The Cardinals need six outs. The braves need 12 runs to prolong things.

7:51	Marc: Idk about the idea of activating Hicks for the ALCS… he’d essentially be getting his first rehab at bats against either Greinke or Snell.

7:51	Craig Edwards: Not sure he’s necessarily in for his bat.

7:52	Dystopian Future: So we figured out three of the games where a team scored 10 runs and lost in the playoffs (’93 WS, ’97 WS, 2017 WS) what was the fourth? Or did I just miss it

7:54	Craig Edwards: 2002 World Series, Angels beat Giants 11-10. Angels scored two runs in the eighth to break a 9-9 tie and the Giants answered with just one in the ninth (a Barry Bonds homer).

7:54	Ryan: I was informed on Reddit that this avenges Game 7 of the 1996 NLCS (STL – 0, ATL – 15).

7:54	Craig Edwards: Braves still up on goal differential.

7:55	Dystopian Future: So they all happened in the world series, and they all happened pretty recently. Weird.

7:56	Dystopian Future: But the Cardinals have the away goals. Or was the other game in StL?

7:56	Craig Edwards: Braves were at home for both.

7:57	Craig Edwards: Brebbia and his beard on in the eighth. Guessing it will be Helsley in the ninth, but outside shot at Brebbia going two or Martinez coming in.

7:57	Craig Edwards: Now watch it be Miller.

7:57	Dystopian Future: So John Brebbia’s beard lives without shaving for another series. He shaves it at the end of the season, and not at the start of spring training, right?

7:57	Craig Edwards: Maybe both.

7:57	Hire Joe Morgan?: Hey, since the first inning, this has been a really solid game!

7:57	Craig Edwards: a 3-1 Cardinals win.

8:00	Hire Joe Morgan?: Well, but Atlanta has the top of the order up and Martinez has been rocky, so don’t speak too soon.

8:00	Dystopian Future: Maybe Mike Schildt has goldfish memory and he just forgot the first inning. Maybe that’s why he kept Flaherty in so long.

8:01	Craig Edwards: He thought the Cardinals only scored 1 in the first inning because he didn’t see the zero.

8:02	Dystopian Future: I really thought that was gone off the bat for Freeman. Ball just didn’t carry on that did it?

8:02	Craig Edwards: ball isn’t juiced in playoffs conspiracy. Usually easy to hit out to right in Atlanta, too.

8:03	John: If the nationals win and Astros lose, are they the new WS favorite given easier NL path?

8:04	Craig Edwards: Ask Dan, but Yankees probably?

8:04	Morbo: The weather is also cooler in October so

8:04	Morbo: That could contribute to the ball dying in the outfield like it did this spring

8:04	Alfredo: Think Snitker will be 2nd guessed for not starting Tomlin?

8:04	Craig Edwards: Stats don’t lie. Tomlin has pitched great if you don’t consider context at all.

8:04	Craig Edwards: The Cardinals might have been actually hitting to the score.

8:05	Dystopian Future: Or, I’ll try to put it a little more diplomatically and say that Helsley might not be in the game to try and keep controversy to a minimum and to try and not rile up some frustrated fans. Not implying that it’s his fault in any way, mind.

8:05	Craig Edwards: I don’t think Shildt is very concerned with the Braves fans. If he felt like it were important to Helsley.

8:05	Ryan: Only 90.3 mph on the exit velo.

8:05	Craig Edwards: guess it wasn’t hit that hard.

8:06	Craig Edwards: Why is Paul DeJong taking a first pitch strike down the middle?

8:07	Dystopian Future: Remember when Paul DeJong got some early MVP buzz three weeks into the season?

8:07	Craig Edwards: Yes. I wrote about it. A HBP might have slowed him down some, but I also think hunting fastballs might have played a role.

8:07	Nathan: Earlier a friend and I were hoping to see a position player pitch in this game for ATL. Not going to happen. We wondered if it had ever happened in postseason play… seems unlikely.

8:07	Craig Edwards: Not sure.

8:08	Belli Flop: Remember when Jack Flaherty wasn’t good for the first part of the season?

8:08	Craig Edwards: I also remember that.

8:08	James: Cliff Pennington pitched for the Jays a few years back in the postseason!

8:08	Craig Edwards: ah yes.

8:09	Hire Joe Morgan?: Who’s the best bet on the guy the Cardinals invent for next season?

8:11	Craig Edwards: Assuming we aren’t talking about Dylan Carlson, they don’t have a ton of candidates who haven’t made the majors, yet. Arozarena, Lane Thomas, Sosa, etc.

8:12	Morbo: Hire Joe Morgan, does Nolan Gorman count?

8:12	Craig Edwards: He’s still a ways away.

8:12	Dystopian Future: Austin Romine pitched for the Yankees vs Boston last year right?

8:13	Craig Edwards: And it is Genesis Cabrera to end the game. The Cardinals are going in reverse order.

8:14	Morbo: Tommy Pham trade is still feeling very lopsided

8:14	Craig Edwards: It still is.

8:14	Dystopian Future: Genesis Cabrera should’ve been pitching in the third inning.

8:14	Craig Edwards: That’s a good point.

8:14	EonADS: Romine gave up the homer part of Brock Holt’s cycle, yes.

8:15	Kiermaier’s Piercing Green Eyes: Tommy Pham deal completely ruined my expectations for what trades to consolidate your 40-man look like.

8:15	Hire Joe Morgan?: We need a rally to take us through first pitch in the second game. Otherwise, there’ll be a gap.

8:15	Craig Edwards: Is that really what we want?

8:15	Craig Edwards: Let alone, need?

8:15	This is Lude-i-cris: We do not

8:17	Dystopian Future: The Braves are seriously not letting Brian McCann hit? Come on.

8:17	Craig Edwards: Let everybody play.

8:17	ZachA: Seems like a jerk move not to let McCann get a final PA in front of this home crowd. Had a great Braves career.

8:18	Craig Edwards: Fair, but I think it is more important to get Flowers an AB, maybe?

8:18	Wire Fan: If the next 10 Braves reach, they can get the tying run to the plate.

8:19	Craig Edwards: .32^10. Odds not good.

8:19	Belli Flop: I was actually looking forward to a potential McCann ovation

8:19	Craig Edwards: i guess I’ll defer to you guys then.

8:19	Craig Edwards: And there it is.

8:20	Craig Edwards: The game is over and the Cardinals are the first team to advance to the NLCS.

8:20	Belli Flop: Cardinals move on and prepare to fly to Los Angeles?

8:21	Craig Edwards: They are staying in Atlanta tonight. They don’t know if they are flying home or to LA just yet.

8:22	Dana: Who pitches in relief for Strausberg tonight?

8:22	Craig Edwards: Sanchez, Corbin, Doolittle and Hudson.

8:23	Craig Edwards: Flaherty, when asked about the next opponent. Gestures toward his celebrating teammates and says, “I’m not gonna watch that game. We’ll figure that out later.”

8:23	Belli Flop: Scherzer is theoretically available for an inning as well

8:23	This is Lude-i-cris: Or Strasburg May just go until his arm falls off. If this isn’t what they’ve been saving him for then I give up

8:24	Dystopian Future: FINAL in Atlanta: StL 13 – 1 ATL. Thanks Kiley and Craig for chatting!

8:25	Craig Edwards: Thanks to all of you who stuck with it. Dan and Nick will be shortly to discuss the next game which should provide more excitement, I hope.

8:26	Wire Fan: How big an underdog will StL be to either of the other teams? Especially with Flaherty potentially only starting 1 game unless the series goes 7.

8:26	Dan Szymborski: And Craig’s prophecy has been fulfilled.

8:26	Craig Edwards: They were at 48% to win today and 16% to advance to the World Series so somewhere around 33-40%

8:27	Dan Szymborski: Probably good that I didn’t chat this game as Craig would probably be exhausted with my Shildt-Flaherty frustration.

8:27	Craig Edwards: Dan is probably in a better position to answer that and many questions, so I’m bowing out.

8:29	Dan Szymborski: I believe that ZiPS will have the Cards as an underdog against either team, but I don’t want to give any grand pronouncements until after the game, when I write up my preview while running the projections!

8:30	Morbo: Most anticlimactic post season advance I’ve ever seen

8:30	Nick Dika: Fingers crossed this one isn’t as much of a laugher as ATL/STL.

8:31	Nick Dika: But also fingers crossed there’s as many bat tosses into right field.

8:32	Dan Szymborski: Hi Nick!

8:32	Nick Dika: Hey Dan!

8:33	Belli Flop: Dan, I am planning on having pizza for dinner. What type of sandwich is that?

8:33	Dan Szymborski: It’s begun.

8:33	Dan Szymborski: It’s not. I think there was something in a Bad Lip Reading about using a pizza as a sandwich

8:35	Dan Szymborski: Found it!

8:35	Dan Szymborski:

8:36	Dan Szymborski: It’s sad that I have encyclopedic knowledge of things like this.

8:36	Kiermaier’s Piercing Green Eyes: Hey wait a second there’s a fantasy writer in my real baseball chat! This is a place for MS paint images, what is and is not a sandwich, and discussion on the best beans to use in chili recipes.

8:36	Nick Dika: Those are all things fantasy writers have MORE time for.

8:36	Dan Szymborski: Nick, I think you’re replying in line to the questions, not in the chat

8:36	Wire Fan: If you cut off all the edges of a calzone, is it a sandwich?

8:36	Dan Szymborski: No stop it!

8:36	Dystopian Future: How did you feel about that first game Dan?

8:37	Dan Szymborski: It’s probably the most annoyed I’ve been at the winning manager in an elimination game with a double-digit lead

8:37	This is Lude-i-cris: Dan are you a Chiefs fan

8:37	Dan Szymborski: No, but I made and Andy Reid/Taft avatar for some reason that I don’t remember.

8:37	Belli Flop: Why the bleep did Flaherty go so long today?

8:38	Nick Dika: I’m assuming they weren’t going to take him off regular rest however long he went?

8:38	Dystopian Future: This broadcast is really in love with its pitch overlays, huh.

8:38	Nick Dika: If you’re curious @joshuahowsam on twitter has a lot of interesting insights about why overlays can be a bit misleading.

8:38	tz: Waking up from that snoozer…to find out Ernie Effin Johnson’s doing play by play for the nightcap. Gettin me a Red Bull and hitting the mute button.

8:38	T: Acuna got on base 12 times in the series and had 1 run, which came on a home run, yet Jon Heyman calls him out on twitter for getting a single in game 1 thirty minutes ago and doesn’t mention the failures of all the vets. I can’t imagine why.

8:38	Dan Szymborski: Jon’s a good reporter but he’s miscast when playing an analyst.

8:38	Dodger fan: I shared this last night but did you know that Clayton Kershaw, the hitter, has a higher career playoff OBP than Cody Bellinger?

8:38	Dan Szymborski: Sooner or later it shall

8:39	Dan Szymborski: Warning, I may be violently ill at some point during this game as I’ve eaten an obscene amount of crab chips that came in the mail today.

8:39	Marc: 538 has the Cards with a 35% chance of advancing FYI

8:39	Dan Szymborski: I think ZiPS will have it closer than that.

8:39	Dystopian Future: No, this time Ernie Johnson’s got a pink bowtie this time, he’ll be 5% less bland.

8:39

Hire Joe Morgan?: Dear Dan,

I have been saving all my most important questions for you. Number one: is temperature part of the structure of a sandwich? So for a structural purist, does a grilled cheese sandwich need to be hot to be a sandwich? Does it cease to be a sandwich at room temperature?

Thank you, kindly.

8:40	Dan Szymborski: I think no. I think temperature’s only an issue if it changes the fundamental architecture of the sandwich.

8:40	Savi: Fun random stat blast from 2018: Dee Gordon (588 PA) had 8 3B, 9 BB, 10 GIDP, 12 CS. Just though everyone should know that.

8:40	Dan Szymborski: BUT WHAT DID HE HAVE 11 OF

8:40	larryv: a grilled cheese must be hot at some point to become grilled, but subsequent temperature is irrelevant

8:41	Dan Szymborski: Yeah, but that’s for the construction of the grilled cheese, not for the construction of the sandwich. A non-hot grilled cheese is still a sandwich, it’s just a cheese sandwich.

8:41	Jordan: Dan how much of Prices salary do you think the RedSox would have to eat to move him?

8:41	Dan Szymborski: Wild guess or actual projection where I have to open up ZiPS and stuff?

8:42	Mad Joe-Don: And is Price’s salary a sandwich?

8:42	Dan Szymborski: So at least this won’t start out 10-0

8:42	larryv: huh. somehow “grilled cheese sandwich” sounds amazing while “cheese sandwich” sounds vaguely terrible?

8:42	Nick Dika: Cheese sandwich is what happens when you run out of groceries.

8:43	Hire Joe Morgan?: The cheese texture is very different when melty.

8:43	Nick Dika: I like how they call them “toasties” in Europe.

8:43	Dan Szymborski: It’s kind of a better description.

8:43	Dan Szymborski: My office really smells of Old Bay now.

8:43	Alex: Dan, do you think Girardi has a decent chance to land the Cubs job? Seems like they might give the edge to one of the internal candidates (Ross, Loretta, etc.) but I know Joe interviewed with them today.

8:43	Savi: What level of prospect would the Padres have to attach to Myers to move him without eating more than 25% or so of his salary? Seems like a decent fit for the Tigers if they get a good enough sweetener

8:44	Dan Szymborski: I don’t. I think internal is the favorite.

8:44	Nick Dika: With the Tigers rebuilding, what’s the incentive for them to take on a player like Myers? Do you think he’d be part of the next good Tigers team?

8:44	Dan Szymborski: I can see Epstein-Girardi having similar issues as Cashman-Girardi.

8:44	Morbo: It could start out 0-10, Dan

8:45	Dystopian Future: Nick I think the comment was more the Tigers pulling a basketball move and taking on Myers’ contract for a prospect to go along with it. Might be reading it wrong though.

8:45	Dan Szymborski: It COULD but at least we get a second half-inning that starts off at 0-0.

8:45	Nick Dika: Oh, gotcha.

8:45	Dan Szymborski: I think the Padres would want to spend money so they get a prospect, not send a prospect to save money.

8:45	Savi: RE Myers/Tigers: I can see him being a part of the next good team considering he’s not that old and you get bonus prospect capital for just cash and the rights to kick the tires on a guy with pedigree

8:46	Dan Szymborski: I can’t see him being a good part of the next good team. I don’t think he’s even good now.

8:46	Dan Szymborski: Ah, that’s what Soto’s getting at.

8:47	Dan Szymborski: My first inclination was that he was whipsering “Hey, slip it back in here before someone sees” to the other side

8:47	Savi: The main savings for the Padres being cost, OF AB’s and a roster spot

8:47	Dan Szymborski: TRAPPED IN A DOOR

8:47	Dan Szymborski: I did that to a cat the other day

8:47	Hire Joe Morgan?: That was not a home run swing.

8:47	Dan Szymborski: Haha like that matters in 2019

8:47	Kiermaier’s Piercing Green Eyes: How can you not be romantic about baseball?

8:47	Dan Szymborski: I’m not a romantic

8:47	Mad Joe-Don: Is anyone else amazed that they still include postseason batting averages when they show the lineups?

8:48	Dystopian Future: How bad did the Hosmer contract mess up the Padres competitive window, or am I overrating how big an effect an albatross contract has, especially with the Padres’ young talent?

8:48	Nick Dika: This is my biggest annoyance

8:48	Dan Szymborski: I don’t think it has that big of an effect. I think they know it’s crap. We’ll see how they treat it though.

8:48	stever20: never seen that ground rule double before.

8:48	Nick Dika: It definitely seemed unnecessary to sign him. Even at the time.

8:48	Dan Szymborski: First for me.

8:48	tz: If this was Finnish baseball, we’d get to see Soto opening the fence to get the ball, cause EVERYTHING is in play in Finnish baseball.

8:49	Hank: Why are we talking about the Padres right now? Am I in the wrong chat?

8:49	Nick Dika: We’re all surfers.

8:49	Dan Szymborski: Just be happy we’ve transitioned off sandwiches.

8:49	Dan Szymborski: The Dodgers were swinging at those last Strasburg start.

8:49	Mad Joe-Don: I want Finnish-rules baseball!

8:50	Dodger fan: Peisapallo is the word

8:50	Dan Szymborski: You know what the call “Adam Eaton has no chance” reminds me of?

8:51	Dan Szymborski:

8:51	Belli Flop: MAX POWER

8:52	Shirtless Bartolo Colon: Never transition from sandwiches!!!!!!!

8:52	Nick Dika: I expect this from Big Sexy.

8:52	Dan Szymborski: He’s the man whose name you’d love to touch. But you mustn’t touch!

8:52	Belli Flop: @Shirtless Bartolo Colon you’re releasing a memoir!

8:52	Kiermaier’s Piercing Green Eyes: “All your base are belong to us” is actually a mistranslation of “home run.”

8:52	kevinthecomic: I used to think I was a hopeless romantic. Turns out I’m just hopeless.

8:52	Fire Adam Gase: Who are the most likely extension candidates this offseason among players currently team control?

8:53	Dan Szymborski: I still think there’s a chance the Nats give Rendon a winning bid before he gets to FA

8:53	This is Lude-i-cris: Realmuto extension

8:53	Dreamer Bob: If Soto doesn’t like Pederson’s double being called a home run, he can go get it out of the door.

8:53	Dan Szymborski: Turned out to be a moot point anyway!

8:54	Hire Joe Morgan?: Who are the best candidates for the Astros to acquire from Pittsburgh and turn into a Cy Young candidate?

8:54	Dan Szymborski: Mitch Keller

8:54	Dan Szymborski: or is he the one the Rays take?

8:55	Dan Szymborski: I guess given the Morton path, the Astros get Trevor WIlliams and he suddenly starts throwing 97.

8:55	Dystopian Future: If the Astros were to nab Archer and turn him into a CY worthy pitcher PNC Park might just burn down

8:55	Dodger fan: Mlbtr published their arbitration predictions today. Cody Bellinger is a super 2 going into his first arb and they have him at 11.8m. He could break the Betts record by his 4th trip.

8:55	Belli Flop: Chad Kuhl?

8:55	Sanford: Joe Musgrove

8:55	Dak To The Future: Does Buck Showalter get another managerial gig?

8:55	Dan Szymborski: No. I think he gets an advisory job somewhere.

8:55	Thom: That Cards Braves game was so bad it made Brian McCann retire

8:56	Morbo: Dan, is a hot pocket a burrito?

8:56	Dan Szymborski: Yes

8:56	Morbo: I have a life goal, that if I succeed will make me smile until my dying day. That goal is to get Bartolo Colon to sign a sandwich for me and then proceed to eat it. Obviously, pictures will happen before the eating

8:57	Dan Szymborski: You know it’s serious when the whole 40-man roster goes to the mound

8:57	This is Lude-i-cris: Still got a shot at 10-0.

8:58	Hire Joe Morgan?: What would he sign it with? Ketchup?

8:58	Nico Robin: am I the only one that remembers Colon’s second family and PED use

8:58	Dan Szymborski: Bartolo’s love can’t be contained within a single family unit.

8:58	Revad: Is a signed sandwich still a sandwich or does it become a souvenir?

8:59	Hire Joe Morgan?: The sandwich remains a sandwich. The photograph is the souvenir.

8:59	Dan Szymborski: Does Bartolo sign the photograph too?

8:59	Belli Flop: TOOTBLAN

8:59	Dreamer Bob: My wife always accuses me of remembering the one bad thing about every athlete and celebrity,

8:59	Hire Joe Morgan?: Dear Dan, Where do you fall in terms of structural and ingredient purity for curry? Thank you, kindly.

8:59	Dan Szymborski: I’m not a curry expert!

8:59	kdl: Best line about Colon: The best way to comeback from PED and being a deadbeat dad? Get really fat and keep playing

9:00	Hire Joe Morgan?: Does one have to be an expert to have an opinion?

9:00	Nick Dika: It really was an odd path to redemtion

9:00	Dan Szymborski: No, but I can’t trick you guys into thinking I know what I’m talking about if I talk about too many things.

9:00	Fire Adam Gase: Gut feeling, what happens to Kapler? Think Callaway’s firing plays a role in what the Phillies do? Bizarre that they’re still holding off on making this decision.

9:00	Dan Szymborski: I think if they were going to fire him, they already would have.

9:01	Nick Dika: The Phils seem to be in general, a little more together than the Ny Mets squadron

9:01	Dodger fan: That the Mets and Phillies fanbases just want to fire managers every 2 years baffles me. Gape kapler didn’t make their team 81-81.

9:01	Nick Dika: He didn’t pitch for them either

9:02	resumeman: Wasn’t Big Sexy already pretty fat before either of those things happened?

9:02	Nick Dika: I don’t understand exercise science but I don’t get why he took PEDs

9:02	Dan Szymborski: I don’t know his whole bigamy timeline

9:02	Dreamer Bob: What could Jamie Moyer have gotten away with if he got fat?

9:02	Dan Szymborski: WHy didn’t Ernie Johnson realize that it was a catch? Just where did he think the ball went?

9:03	Dodger fan: We are very not actually discussing the game

9:03	lee: Did Kiké make a really great or really poor play?

9:03	Dystopian Future: Back into the wall, clearly.

9:03	Dan Szymborski: The Astros should replace the departed Tal’s Hill with the Peanuts kite-eating tree.

9:03	Dan Szymborski: but, like, eats baseball because there aren’t a lot of kite-related plays in the average baseball game

9:04	Dak To The Future: Who’s the next decent Marlin to be given away for free by Jeter? I think he may be out of them by now but Caleb Smith looks like he has value that Jeter can fail to recoup in a trade

9:04	Nick Dika: Imagine this Marlins’ rotation with Stanton/Ozuna/Yelich/Realmuto in the lineup

9:05	Dan Szymborski: Paddack + Castillo!

9:05	Dan Szymborski: Oh wait, if the Marlins get Castillo back, they also dont’ get to keep the Dan Straily Hot Years.

9:05	MAXIMVS MVNCIVS: Ernie had to check w/ the Chinese COmmunist Party to see if it’s a catch

9:06	Hire Joe Morgan?: How much involvement does Jeter actually have in decisions?

9:06	Dan Szymborski:

9:06	Dreamer Bob: Do you mean Luis Castillo or Luis Castillo?

9:06	Dan Szymborski: the really good one.

9:06	Nick Dika: He’s replacing the CF statue with a Re2spect statue

9:07	Dan Szymborski: It’s an insult to only retire Jeter’s number. In honor of Jeter, I feel the Yankees should have retired the concept of numbers.

9:07	Dystopian Future: Which, saying that, we talk about “look at where the Marlins outfield is now” what are we going to be saying about the Angels in five years?

9:07	Dan Szymborski: “Can you believe it’s been nine years and the Angels still can’t figure out how to build a 71 win team plus Trout and get to .500?”

9:07	Mad Joe-Don: Wait. Home run derbies are pants-optional now!?

9:07	Dan Szymborski: It is true.

9:07	Hire Joe Morgan?: Dear Dan, What is the appropriate way to make a delicious bean stew? Thank you, kindly.

9:07	Dan Szymborski: The chili ingredients, but then add beans

9:08	Fire Adam Gase: I think we should’ve retired the gift basket alongside Jeter’s number.

9:08	MAXIMVS MVNCIVS: Muncy’s homer had an xBA of .370, LA 36 and EV 100.8 Pederson’s double had an xBA of .740, LA 27 and EV 101.5 Soto’s lineout had an xBA of .740 LA 21 and EV 103.9 Baseball

9:08	Hire Joe Morgan?: Can you have a delicious vegetarian bean stew?

9:08	Nick Dika: Yes- but it needs more cheese than a regular one.

9:08	Dan Szymborski: I’d prefer no, but it’s a free country unless you’re in Blizzard’s cafeteria.

9:08	Hi lee: Lee: That was a horrible play bu Hernandez. Very lucky to recover

9:09	Fire Adam Gase: Marlins Man should be the owner of that team.

9:09	Dan Szymborski: I don’t want Marlins Man to get to be a millionaire

9:09	Dodger fan: I didn’t follow the nats that closely but my impression was that Zimmerman was basically toast. It appears that was not quite true

9:09	Dan Szymborski: Zimmerman’s not toast, but you can feel the crustiness on the white part of the bread.

9:09

Dystopian Future: And the point of what I was saying is that the Marlins’ 2014-2017 teams were just that; a team that couldn’t figure out how to break .500 despite having some great players. They had no depth and a bad team, and wasted their money on Wei-Yin Chen. They were the current Angels; they were never going to make the playoffs.

9:10	Matt: So does an ice-cream sandwich at room temperature become a soup with croutons?

9:10	Dan Szymborski: Yes, a dessert soup.

9:10	Dodger fan: In his pregame, Dave Roberts explained stetting Hernandez vs a righty by talking about buehlers flyball tendencies and the importance of outfield defense

9:10	Dan Szymborski: I need to go pull up Strasburg curve swung at stats this game

9:10	Dan Szymborski: NO CONGRATULATIONS TO SHILDT ERNIE

9:11	Nick Dika: Also important: Hernandez mashing taters.

9:11	Dan Szymborski: I like how Ernie waits to see if Taylor caught that ball. If Taylor caught that ball, he’d have looked a lot happier.

9:11	Dystopian Future: Enrique Hernandez in play, run(s).

9:11	Wire Fan: Is the ball just really carrying tonight?

9:11	Dan Szymborski: The ball’s really carrying this year and the last one

9:12	lee: That was better Kiké, then!

9:12	Dodger fan: Postseason hero kike Hernandez, I always say

9:12	Dan Szymborski: I like how Kiké is the player that gets everyone to remember hwo to make make é real quickly

9:12	Nick Dika: More or less likely than postseason (2019) hero Russell Martin?

9:12	Dan Szymborski: alt-0233

9:12	Dreamer Bob: It always happens. A player makes an awkward diving catch, is the first batter in the next inning, and then hits a homer. And Ernie Johnson doesn’t know what happened on either play.

9:12	Nico Robin: us french class takers already knew

9:13	Dan Szymborski: I do too because of MP3 tagging a large music collection that has a lot of classical music.

9:13	Garm: Not sure if this has been mentioned yet, but Brian McCann has announced his retirement

9:14	Dan Szymborski: If baseball gets a Czech player, I’m prepared like a boss.

9:14	Dan Szymborski:

9:14	This is Lude-i-cris: Yes but will the ball carry next year? Asking for a friend.

9:14	Dan Szymborski: NO idea wha thtey’ll do with the ball this offseason

9:14	Nick Dika: They have Max Kepler, they’re slowly making their way east.

9:14	Hire Joe Morgan?: Strasburg’s body language is so different when he’s behind….he always looks like he’s been kicked and he’s sullen about it when he’s behind.

9:14	Dak To The Future: Have we seen the last of CC on the mound?

9:14	Dan Szymborski: I think so

9:15	Nico Robin: also his name doesn’t have the accent mark iirc, broadcasts just add that for obvious reasons

9:15	Dan Szymborski: It’s a word you try to avoid

9:15	Dan Szymborski: Sean Forman actually changed Kevin Youkilis’s baseball-reference ID as a result

9:15	Guest: Would you bring Hicks back to the NYY lineup?

9:17	Nick Dika: I don’t trust Urshela. I get the batted ball data backs up his breakout, but I still see it as unsustainable

9:15	Hire Joe Morgan?: I thought that was a joke the first time around. Now it’s a little sad they didn’t let him bat in the ninth.

9:16	Kiermaier’s Piercing Green Eyes: Dan have you ever shown your mother one of your chats?

9:16	Dan Szymborski: No, but I assure you my family is just as strange as I am.

9:16	Hire Joe Morgan?: If McCann does retire, where do you stand on him for the Hall of Fame?

9:16	Dan Szymborski: Nopers.

9:17	This is Lude-i-cris: Has Brian McCann named a successor to be the no fun policeman

9:17	Dan Szymborski: Brad Keller?

9:17	Joe: What did I tell you about nopers?0

9:17	Mei: Freedom for Hong Kong!

9:17	Hire Joe Morgan?: What’s your mother’s view on sandwich structure and ingredients? Did you inherit your position?

9:17	Dan Szymborski: I have not asked my mom

9:17	Dodger fan: Getting the accent mark on a phone is hard, but kike chose to use the accent mark even though it doesn’t exist in actual Spanish

9:18	Dak To The Future: On the topic of HOF catchers, how is Munson not in yet? Even with 60% of a career he has impressive numbers. As good as Yadi’s whole career and he has an MVP

9:18	Dystopian Future: Clint Hurdle is gone, Brian McCann is gone, they’re dying out.

9:19	Nick Dika: Now its one fun player (Carlos Martinez) getting mad at another (Big Ron)

9:18	Dan Szymborski: I think the fact that he was already in steep decline and was perceived to be as such hurt him.

9:19	Dan Szymborski: And once he didn’t get in from the tragedy (it’s not like they used WAR when they voted), his traditional numbers aren’t htat impressive

9:19	Dean: Say Buehler makes it through the order twice on 65 pitches and has given up no runs; do you let him go through the order a third time, or turn to Maeda/Kershaw?

9:19	Dodger fan: Hernandez is one of the more socially aware, activist players in MLB. You should check out some of his stuff about toxic maxulinity

9:20	Dan Szymborski: Depends how much he’s cruising.

9:20	Dystopian Future: It’s insane to me that Chris Archer was seen as the new wave of fun guys in baseball when he did that broadcasting spot and in general; FFWD a few years and he’s a villain and the next Hurdle guy. I think it says something, not quite sure what though.

9:20	Matt: Wait…Archer is a villain?

9:21	Nick Dika: He took issue with some celebrating earlier this year.

9:20	Dan Szymborski: A 3 run lead ain’t a 1 run lead. I don’t think they need to do a panic pull of Buehler

9:21	Dan Szymborski: I HAVE A RELEVANT GRAPHIC

9:22	Dak To The Future: With MLB now legitimizing sports gambling, is it time for Rose to be welcomed back? I get that he’s an ass but it’s time. The Hall is clearly missing that plaque

9:22	Nick Dika: I think he has some other personal issues that might (understandably) not be looked favorably upon

9:22	Dan Szymborski: Never mind, it was Edwin Diaz I have smashing Nicholas Castellanos into the limo, not Archer.

9:22	Belli Flop: Every straight female Dodger fan is in love with Kiké. I am a straight male and am also in love with Kiké.

9:22	Dan Szymborski: I think Buehler should have stirrups.

9:22	Andrew : Dan, when don’t you have a relevant graphic?

9:22	Dystopian Future: Archer was the guy who was tossing at Dietrich earlier in the year and whining about the celebrating by the Reds.

9:23	Nick Dika: The Reds gotta celebrate something. Take it easy on them.

9:23	Brian CashGod: Cut4 @Cut4 Kiké Hernandez & his fiancée Mariana’s engagement photos are the best things you’ll see all day. (📸: Bree Marie Photography/Kiké’s IG) 12 Jul 2018

9:24	Dan Szymborski: Nope, while I created Archer in WWE2K, I don’t have a GIF. The only Archer related media I can find is my sister and her husband as Pam and Cyril froM Archer for Halloween.

9:24	Dan Szymborski: And this:

9:24	Nick Dika: Is Stras gonna work a walk?

9:24	Dan Szymborski: And like that, it’s the wrong Archer

9:24	Dan Szymborski:

9:25	Dak To The Future: Stirrups should only be allowed if they’re real IMO. No fake single socks

9:25	Dan Szymborski: Absolutely

9:25	stever20: If the Nats had been up 3-0, would Kershaw have been in right now already?

9:25	Dan Szymborski: No

9:26	Dan Szymborski: Pitchers are the best rally hitters because they don’t end rallies by hitting worthless home runs.

9:26	Dan Szymborski: Well, that often.

9:26	Nick Dika: They know that doubles are better.

9:27	Dan Szymborski: Am I going deaf or was there a Darryl chant?

9:27	Nick Dika: I am very deaf and cannot confirm

9:27	Dan Szymborski: What say you chat?

9:27	Wire Fan: Is it really necessary to use Michael Taylor’s middle initial? Who does he think he is Michael J Fox or something?

9:28	Nick Dika: Maybe because he has two first names he’s trying to let us know which is his first name?

9:28	Dan Szymborski: Will Smith’s stop really was sweet there

9:28	Dan Szymborski: There was another Michael Taylor at the same time

9:28	Dan Szymborski: Prospect for Phillies

9:28	Nick Dika: And he said “why should I change? He’s the one who sucks.”

9:29	Dan Szymborski: ORiginal was still playing, those he was extra crispy at the time

9:29	Dan Szymborski: I like to think that Adam Eaton was screaming latin at Buehler

9:30	Dystopian Future: Donald Z Greinke has a ring to it, for example.

9:30	Sanford: Something Michael J. Fox and Michael A. Taylor have in common is that both of their middle names begin with the letter A. I am not lying.

9:30	Nick Dika: Manuel A. Ramirez

9:30	Dan Szymborski: I’m still annoyed about David Jonathan “J.D.” Drew.

9:30	Belli Flop: Cody J. Bellinger

9:31	MAXIMVS MVNCIVS: But what about the Will Smiths why no initial

9:31	Dan Szymborski: Very different positions and movie careers.

9:31	Matt: Or J.A. “Jay” Happ. That’s not how this works.

9:31	Nick Dika: Like Homer “Jay” Simpson

9:31	Belli Flop: Solid throw Seager. Shortstops are underappreciated sometimes.

9:32	Nick Dika: I’m convinced he’s going to go off offensively soon. People forget he’s only 25. Changed his launch angle, hitting more fly balls than ever this year.

9:32	Dan Szymborski: I always used Chris B. Young and Chris R. Young, but most people just used Chris Young

9:33	Sanford: Happ actually doesn’t use any periods between J and A which makes it…more weird somehow?

9:33	Dan Szymborski: B. was the black guy who was a really good centerfielder. R. was the white pitcher who threw 75 MPH fastballs and looked like a wendigo.

9:33	larryv: ahem. the plural is “Wills Smith”

9:33	Matt: THE CATCHER AND THE PITCHER DAN

9:33	Dan Szymborski: AND THE DJ JAZZY JEFF ASSOCIATE

9:33	Dan Szymborski: That’s why I started with positions

9:34	Dak To The Future: With Ryu and Hill likely gone, do the Dodgers look for outside rotation help or just hand the keys to May and Urias and let it ride?

9:34	Nick Dika: Cole is from California I think if they wanna spenddddddd.

9:34	Dan Szymborski: But you can’t talk about separating the Williams Smith without the most famous one.

9:34	Dan Szymborski: Maybe they can be Will Smith, will.i.c, and will.i.p.

9:34	Wire Fan: How could BJ Upton not use Bossman?

9:34	Ryan: Would you rather have Seager or Correa long term? Youth and potential for both, but also injury issues…

9:35	Nick Dika: I’d default to Seager for the defense.

9:34	Dodger fan: Seager had a couple pretty good stretches but when he isn’t getting results, his approach at the plate regresses back to swing at the first strike. In 2017 before the injury bug he was a 11% bb player.

9:34	Dodger fan: Dodgers also have gonsolin for rotation but don’t be surprised if they resign Hill knowing he pitches like 10 regular season games but is a thing in October. He could still be a valuable 2 or 3 inning reliever

9:35	Dan Szymborski: It’s going to be funny when PG&E shuts off the power to Dodger Stadium in the 7th.

9:36	Belli Flop: Lol Dan

9:36	Dan Szymborski: Wait, didn’t I made a Turner-Jansen tag team in WWE2K/

9:36	Matt: In the case of Turner…does he get a new jersey every game, or are the clubhouse launderers that good?

9:36	Hire Joe Morgan?: Is it starting to rain or is that smog?

9:36	Nick Dika: It’s LA – it’s vape smoke

9:36	Dystopian Future: By the way, Will M Smith is the reliever and Will D Smith is the catcher, if you do feel like using initials

9:37	Matt: I think it’s smug.

9:38	Hire Joe Morgan?: I am more interested in sandwiches than initials.

9:38	Dodger fan: Cody Bellinger pulls the shit out of everything but he’s gonna talk about his gap to gap hitting

9:38	tz: Derek J. LeMahieu (a gift basket to whoever guesses what the J stands for)

9:38	Wire Fan: Justin Turner (Overdrive) should walk up to “Taking Care of Business”

9:38	Dan Szymborski: Johesephat

9:38	Matt: I don’t think I’ve ever seen a spray chart with 40% in a single…quintrindt?

9:38	Dan Szymborski: That didn’t touch his chest ernie

9:38	Nick Dika: Jordan?

9:39

Dodger fan: I think if the dodgers spend they’re most likely to do so via extension, and failing that I think they’d pursue a right handed bat with contact skill again as they dreamed with Pollock. If they made a big dollar signing I think it’s rendon. Justin Turner only has a year left and transitioning him to first base could make sense. His glove is declining

9:39	Dan Szymborski: See, if the ball hit his chest, it would actually change trajectory. It didn’t pass through his ribs, heart, and then burst out the back without any resistance.

9:40	Dan Szymborski: I found the relevant media.

9:40	Dan Szymborski:

9:40	Dystopian Future: Dan what should the Nats do with howie kendrick and his defense?

9:40	Nick Dika: What twosome from the Nats do you send out against Turner/Jansen?

9:40	Dan Szymborski: Ever see Old Yeller?

9:41	Belli Flop: May we do an NL MVP poll of this group?

9:41	Belli Flop: Dan never ceases to amuse me

9:41	Dan Szymborski: YOu’re an exception.

9:42	Matt: Last night, it was decided that we the chatters are the co-MVPs

9:42	Dan Szymborski: WHo voted on that?

9:42	Dan Szymborski: The real chat is the friends you lose along the way.

9:42	Matt: Meg.

9:42	Belli Flop: Dan almost never ceases to amuse me

9:42	R: My knees ache just watching the Nats right side defense

9:43	Trent: Dan never ceases to amuse me, either, but that’s because “ceasing” an action implies that one had started doing the action in the first place.

9:43	Matt: Stras has kinda an Abe Lincoln-ey look to him, doesn’t he?

9:44	Nick Dika: It’s the lack of mustache.

9:43	kdl: Bellinger’s wRC+ by month 248, 155, 141, 142, 130, 127. How much does he drop in everyone’s MVP standings if the 248 is in June?

9:43	Dan Szymborski: Not mine! Can’t say about writers.

9:43	Belli Flop: Nick, what’s it like being the adult in the room?

9:43	Dreamer Bob: The Angels can finish 4th with or without chatters.

9:43	tz: Steve Ontiveros or Steve R. Ontiveros?

9:43	Dan Szymborski: Thankfully, they both weren’t good enough that we had to tell the Jeff d’Amicii apart.

9:43	Nick Dika: I’ve consumed an amount of pizza since we started that no real “adult” could ever consider reasonable

9:44	Dreamer Bob: Howie Kendrick’s baserunning thinks Howie Kendrick’s defense isn’t bad.

9:44	Wire Fan: Are teams like Boston and Houston serious about being under the CBT next year, or is that mostly posturing? It would seem like both would have to make a significant deal(s) to really get under, and obviously not add any even mid tier FAs. (apologies in advance for the baseball talk)

9:44	Dan Szymborski: I think it’s more posturing by Houston than Boston

9:46	Dan Szymborski: I never actually used this feature before.

9:44	Hire Joe L. Morgan?: Given Joe Morgan’s middle name is Leonard and the danger of “Joe L.” being contracted to “Joel” Morgan, I would like the chat to know I will be reverting to my prior handle.

9:45	Dystopian Future: I’ll never forget when Elvis Andrus went full Abe Lincoln a few years ago

9:45	Dan Szymborski: This is going to be a 4 hour game

9:46	Nick Dika: It’s looking that way. Especially with pitchers working walks.

9:45	Belli Flop: Random thought: Brent Suter throws in the mid-80s

9:47	Dodger fan: Boston wanting to reset their tax is understandable, the repeater penalties when you’re at the 2nd or 3rd thresholds are steep

9:47	Andrew : Did you reply to your own reply Dan?

9:47	Dan Szymborski: IT was a test.

9:47	Dystopian Future: Well you should use the feature more often Dan. In fact, your entire next chat should just be those replies.

9:47	Dan Szymborski: Maybe I should.

9:47	Dan Szymborski: Oh, you can’t reply to a reply. I was going to try make one long reply ziggurat

9:47	Dodger fan: Dodgers work a lot of deep counts when they’re playing their game

9:48	Nick Dika: It’s somehow less annoying than when the Yankees do it IMO

9:48	Dreamer Bob: Abe Lincoln didn’t do so well on his first day as president that he seemed like a relative disappointment from then on. And he didn’t get shut down for the Civil War.

9:48	Dodger fan: The reply feature showing that you are replying us pretty cool

9:48	R. Dak To The Future: Just found out that Dak’s first name is Rayne so name change was necessary. Dan what’s you’re opinion of using a first initial if you go by your middle name?

9:48	Dan Szymborski: It depends on the syllables. Certain combinations aren’t sufficiently mellifluous.

9:48	Dan Szymborski: Like D. John Szymborski sounds weird

9:49	Matthew: the reply feature messes up the auto scroll for me

9:49	Belli Flop: Is there a way for us non-employees to reply to stuffs?

9:49	Matt: Wait…working counts is annoying?

9:49	Nick Dika: When you’re a Blue Jays fan and prefer games to not be five hours long it can be. Good baseball process. Still annoying.

9:49	Dan Szymborski: START YOUR OWN FANGRAPHS AND THEN HAVE CHATS

9:49	Dystopian Future: But DJ Szymborski? Well, that’s an idea.

9:49	Dan Szymborski: I have a DJ Szymborski email I use for spam

9:49	Dan Szymborski: I would pronounced it as Dee-Jay. I wouldn’t be Didge Szymborski like JA Happ.

9:49	Mad Joe-Don: Dan, is a cheeze-it stuffed crust pizza an abomination?

9:49	Dan Szymborski: Yes

9:50	Andrew : D. John sounds like mustard

9:50	Dodger fan: My middle name is Scott so I always thought that if I ever wanted to do the initial middle name thing I could pull it off since f Scott Fitzgerald is so famous

9:50	Dystopian Future: ALRIGHT THEN WE’LL START OUR OWN FANGRAPHS WITH BLACKJACK

9:50	Dan Szymborski: ACES ABOVE REPLACEMENT

9:50	Greg: The reply feature is mainly so Dan or Nick can set up a drinking bird to start “typing” a reply, thus making it appear that they are still at the computer even while stepping out to run errands, etc.

9:50	TS Lotus: Grade this joke on a scale of 1-10, 10 = best and 1= awful

9:50	Dan Szymborski: 1, I don’t know the punchline

9:51	TS Lotus: Rate this joke on a scale of 1-10, 10 = best and 1 = worst I have a mortal fear of escalators. Thankfully, I’ve been taking steps to avoid them.

9:51	Dan Szymborski: TS Lotus’s Joke 1 (16.4% \| 11 votes) 2 (7.4% \| 5 votes) 3 (10.4% \| 7 votes) 4 (13.4% \| 9 votes) 5 (10.4% \| 7 votes) 6 (11.9% \| 8 votes) 7 (11.9% \| 8 votes) 8 (10.4% \| 7 votes) 9 (2.9% \| 2 votes) 10 (4.4% \| 3 votes) Total Votes: 67

9:51	lee: “Good luck with that wacky spin rate business, weirdo!” (/facepalm)

9:51	Nick Dika: Is this Mitch Hedburg?

9:51	Matt: How about someone starts a Fangraphs that actually talks about fans?

9:51	poplar: Is it just me or is the Dodger stadium organ really loud?

9:51	Nick Dika: The Cardinals’ fans haven’t done that?

9:51	Dan Szymborski: I like a good organ

9:52	Dan Szymborski: dammit that can be open to intepretations

9:52	Dodger fan: Are the nats the stars and scrubsiest team in MLB? Every time you get passed rendon and Soto in the lineup it feels like you’re good for a bit

9:52	Dan Szymborski: The Rockies are made up of superstars and people the superstars beat up in elementary school

9:52	La Pantera: my favorite organ is the kidney

9:52	Dystopian Future: Mortal fears are the worst kind of fears.

9:52	Belli Flop: Our organist is amazing

9:52	Dan Szymborski: THERE’S A WHOLE BAND BASED ON CALLING FLIES

9:53	Andrew : Skin is the largest organ in the body

9:53	Dodger fan: Deiter Ruhle is fantastic

9:53	Matt: “Escalators are great because they can never break down. They just become stairs. There should be a sign. This escalator is now stairs. Sorry for the convenience.” – Mitch Hedberg

9:53	Nick Dika: I think we forget just how good a (partial season) Howie Kendrick had. Suzuki wasn’t awful, either.

9:53	Eel Ffilc: Dan how you would be as a stadium organist?

9:53	Nick Dika: We didn’t talk about defense in our MVP convo

9:54	stever20: Man, Bellinger is one hell of a CF.

9:54	Dan Szymborski: I would actually be pretty good. I’ve played classical piano since 5 and I have played a full church organ with pedalboard.

9:54	Dan Szymborski: And I have a MIDI pedalboard for the digital piano.

9:54	Andrew : What a catch by Bellinger

9:54	Nick Dika: Do you remember when he wasn’t going to play 1B anymore because he didn’t want to risk injury

9:54	Nick Dika: I never fully understood that logic.

9:55	Jordan: Nick are you a Blue Jays fan?

9:55	Nick Dika: I am!

9:55	Matthew: no one would understand classical music references

9:55	Belli Flop: Nick are you a fan of Vladito?

9:56	Nick Dika: Absolutely! I know it wasn’t the rookie season we expected, but I’m still very optimistic. On the defensive side of things – people forget he didn’t even start playing third base until rookie ball, I believe.

9:55	Nick Dika: I could maybe get like 30% of them.

9:55	Greg: Playing first base means risking injury with Manny Machado in the division.

9:55	Dan Szymborski: Ouch.

9:55	Nick Dika: Lol

9:55	Matt: Don’t the toilets flush backwards in Canada?

9:55	Dan Szymborski: Canadians don’t poop.

9:55	Jordan: Where do you stand on the Blue Jays front office? It’s a very divided fan base

9:58

Nick Dika: I don’t think their as awful as their detractors have made them out to be, but I do think there’s a bit of reason for concern. It was frustrating seeing them handle the Ken Giles, EE and Josh Donaldson situations – they seem to do a lot of selling low on players. A lot of prospects have taken big steps forward though with them at the helm. Biggio and Danny Jansen are two that are playing right now.

9:56	Dan Szymborski: I’d say meh-minus.

9:56	Hire Joe Morgan?: Nick, are you a Blue Jays fan who believes the Jays should go back to the blue and white they wore when they went to the World Series, or are you the bad sort of Blue Jays fan?

10:00

Nick Dika: Hahahahaha, those were the best unis. Those and the powder blues from the George Bell era.

9:56	Matt: Don’t you mean “ay” minus, Dan?

9:56	Blue: Canadians do poop, it just comes in a bag.

9:57	Dan Szymborski: Last time I was in Canada, to see an NHL game in TOronto, I won a bet with a friend. $50 to see who could get the most canadians to say “soar-ry” when gently bumping into them.

9:57	Dodger fan: According to statcast there have been 5 barrels in this game. 3 of them are outs.

9:57	Dan Szymborski: thanks for reminidng me, I had statcast open for something and I had forgotten

9:58	Belli Flop: Dodger fan, are we the same person?

9:58	Zach: So MLBTR says the Twins are going to pursue “impact” pitching. What kind of contract would they have to offer Cole to get him to sign there instead of, say, NYY or HOU?

9:58	Dan Szymborski: I think if the money’s right, anyone will go anywhere

9:59	Dodger fan: The 1b injury thing was about a specific thing. Bellinger has a history of with his shoulder on diving infield plays directly to his side.