Small-Sample Theater Comes to the Postseason
With its assortment of winner-take-all, best-of-five and best-of-seven series, playoff baseball is inherently small-sample theater. Obviously, the wins and losses mean a whole lot to the teams and their fans, but there’s danger in ascribing too much meaning to the numbers that underly them given the circumstances. Nonetheless, we can’t help but notice certain trends, and wonder how they may connect to what we spent six months observing over the course of the regular season. While far from comprehensive, here are a handful of things that caught my eye through the first four days of Division Series play.
Astros vs. Indians: Nearly Hitless in Houston
Through the first two games of their Division Series, the Indians have been almost completely stifled by the Astros’ pitching. In Game 1, they didn’t get their first hit off Justin Verlander until Yan Gomes‘ single to lead off the sixth inning. In Game 2, they didn’t collect a hit after Melky Cabrera‘s infield single off Gerrit Cole in the fifth. In all, they’ve totaled just six hits, which puts them in jeopardy of having the fewest in a Division Series if their bats don’t perk up in Game 3. Likewise, for Division Series records for fewest total bases; they currently have nine, with Francisco Lindor’s Game 2 homer, which briefly gave them a 1-0 lead, their only extra-base hit. Here are the lowest totals for hits in a three-game ALDS or NLDS:
Team | Year | H | Opponent |
---|---|---|---|
Reds | 2010 | 11 | Phillies |
Rangers | 1998 | 13 | Yankees |
Dodgers | 1996 | 14 | Braves |
Rangers | 1999 | 14 | Yankees |
Rockies | 2018 | 14 | Brewers |
And for total bases:
Team | Year | TB | Opponent |
---|---|---|---|
Rangers | 1998 | 16 | Yankees |
Rockies | 2018 | 18 | Brewers |
Reds | 2010 | 19 | Phillies |
Rangers | 1999 | 19 | Yankees |
Astros | 1997 | 20 | Braves |