NEW YORK — For one brief moment, all had been forgiven. The unreasonable hope, the unbearable burden, the unfulfilled potential — it all had led to this point, when the local kid and lifelong Yankee fan finally made good.
Anthony Volpe stepped into the box in the bottom of the sixth inning with a runner on first, two out, and the Yankees down by two and facing elimination in Game 3 of the American League Division Series. After taking a Griffin Jax sweeper in the dirt for a ball, the one-time second coming of Derek Jeter, who’d stalled and backtracked and flamed out in frustrating fashion, turned on a sinker running in on his hands and lifted a high-arching fly ball to left field that just cleared the wall for a game-tying home run. As he made his way around the bases, all the emotions of the last four years came pouring out of him.
But just after he crossed the plate, the six umpires came together and called for a crew chief review. Reality set in as the replay repeated on the jumbotron in center field, showing different angles of the same disappointing event. Several minutes of deliberation made it official: The home run was overturned. A fan in the first row had reached over the wall with both hands and touched the ball before it rolled up his arms and into his lap.
Volpe was awarded second base, as the umpires determined that the ball would not have been caught even if the fan hadn’t interfered with it. They also concluded that George Lombard Jr., who began the play on first and was running on contact with two outs, would’ve scored on the play. That run turned out to be the final one of the game for either team, as the Rays held on to beat the Yankees, 4-3, and complete the sweep. Read the rest of this entry »
After cruising through the NLDS with a gentleman’s sweep, the defending-champion Los Angeles Dodgers are headed to the National League Championship Series for the third year in a row. A day after Yoshinobu Yamamoto silenced Atlanta’s bats in Game 3, the Braves and Dodgers ran out the finest Tylers they had to offer, and both pitchers excelled. The difference largely came down to the bullpens. With a bevy of rested options to choose from, Dave Roberts went and got his pitchers at the first sign of trouble. In contrast, Walt Weiss, who ran a bullpen game in Game 2 and needed four innings from his ‘pen in Game 3, stretched his pitchers a bit further than they could manage, and although it took seven innings, he finally paid for it. The Dodgers took the game 4-1 and the series 3-1. They now await the winner of the Brewers/Padres series in the NLCS, but you have to imagine they’re not too worried either way.
If you were the Braves, you might have circled Tyler Glasnow’s start on the postseason calendar. This Dodgers rotation has about as many soft spots as the four horseman of the apocalypse, but Glasnow missed much of the season with back spasms, hadn’t pitched in 13 games, and had underperformed his peripherals in a major way. Since he returned from the IL, Glasow had run an excellent 2.14 FIP because he was striking out nearly 13 batters per nine, but his ERA was an unsightly 4.46. When your other options are Yamamoto, Tarik Skubal, and Blake Snell, you’ll take it.
The Braves manufactured the first run of the game. More specifically, leadoff man Michael Harris II manufactured it almost single-handedly. Glasnow started Harris with a 96-mph fastball right at the top of the zone, and Harris was all over it, shooting a low liner through the right side of the infield at 107 mph. With basestealing guru Antoan Richardson in the first base coaching box, Harris got out to a huge vault lead and easily stole second base two pitches later. He could have had third as well, but he didn’t see Will Smith’s throw continue into center field. Harris made it there eventually, advancing on a Matt Olson groundout. Three pitches later, Glasnow spiked a 1-1 curveball to Ozzie Albies, and Harris didn’t hesitate for a second. He broke as soon as he read the pitch’s downward angle. It bounced well in front of the plate, and Smith did well to block the high bounce, but he couldn’t keep it close. Harris scored easily. With their season on the line, the Braves had a 1-0 lead. Read the rest of this entry »
You’ve probably heard this fun fact 500 times in the past 48 hours, but I’ll repeat it here: The White Sox haven’t clinched a postseason series at home since 1906. And while I’d take the under on another 120-year wait for a home clincher, White Sox fans are going to have to sit tight for at least another 24 hours.
Jo Adell cleared the bases with a third-inning triple to put the Guardians on top, and they stayed there thanks to some old-school grit-and-grind ball by José Ramírez. A cavalcade of six relievers just barely kept Chicago at arm’s length through the middle and later innings, and the Guardians stayed alive with a 9-3 win. Read the rest of this entry »
Welcome to our Open Game Thread for the LDS games today. Chat with fellow readers as we watch four baseball games for the last time all year! Only Members can participate, and unlike our usual game chats, your messages will be posted immediately.
Our Member community is made up of thousands of incredibly knowledgable baseball fans, and we think this is a great way to follow a game with like-minded baseball enthusiasts. We might even have some FanGraphs Staff drop in and join the fun. Please be courteous to your fellow Members, or you may find your chat privileges revoked.
We are going to open the chat up at 3:30 PM ET and it will remain open until the final out of the Brewers-Padres game.
Jon Becker
Hi everyone! And for the record, my favorite Midwestern foods are cheese curds, Juicy Lucys, and buckeye candies
Eminor3rd
Midwestern-style pizza is underrated. There's Detroit-style, but there's also this generally square cut, sort-of-but-not-super-thin standard MW pizza that just hits the spot.
Jon Becker
I would know, I have been a Midwesterner all my life
Sean Dolinar
Have you gone to an Elvis game?
Jacquehammer Jones
Which World Series Game in Chicago does the Pope go to?
Sean Dolinar
Game 3 or 7? Feel like those are the most Catholic numbers. Unfortunately, there is no game 12.
Broken Bat
What WHITE Sox celebrity I’d throwing out first pitch? Luis Aparicio… MJ ?
Jonathan Vander Lugt
MJ in the red City Connect jerseys would be sick
Eminor3rd
Bumpy cake!
Jeremy Fox
Dan's not in this chat, so I guess we can say Cincinnati chili
Sean Dolinar
I had Skyline back in July. It definitely gets too much hate.
Keaton Arneson
Is it called a casserole or hotdish?
Eminor3rd
As a child I used to get the little Skyline hotdogs, but without the chili. They came in sets of 2 or 3 and would have like a full block of cheddar grated on top of them. So good.
Sean Dolinar
I'd say casserole. But I'm from Pittsburgh.
Eminor3rd
Also casserole, from Columbus
Keaton Arneson
Sean are you adding features mid chat with the team flairs?
Sean Dolinar
I added it this morning. But yes, team flair. Someone kept on saying "As a [TEAM] fan, I want this…". And I'm like we make that simpler.
Keaton Arneson
The answer is hot dish (north dakota/minnesota)
GarageCat
Imo's pizza and frozen custard
Sean Dolinar
I've hosted a few parties with Imo's that I had shipped in. Along with a block of provel.
macseries
playoff odds graphs has small fluctuations since october 5. is this a weather situation, starting pitcher or pure vibes?
Sean Dolinar
It looks like it's like a 0.1% – 0.3% fluctuation. That's just randomness in all likelihood. We can adjust the playing time projections based on an injury or news. But there's always going to be some flux from run to run.
Bacterun
After googling 'popular mid western dishes' and clicking on an AllRecipes list i am going with Tater Tot Hot Dish as the best
James
Hot dish is a good choice. Hard to go wrong there.
Jorge Fabregas
So…who was the mystery first pitch thrower?
tjcook87edited
Also came here to ask. (And for, you know, the baseball chat)
Anonymous Member #46
After all of his injuries, it's so cool to see Daniel Espino starting a playoff game.
wenz
I love when teams do [color]-out games. Always looks so cool
Jacquehammer Jones
Crowd really committed to that BlackOut
macseries
crowd sounds very loud on the radio broadcast
Bacterun
Someone named Belmont Cameli from "Off Campus" threw out the first pitch…no idea who that is
Jorge Fabregas
Thank you. I had seen that name speculated, but likewise have no idea.
Jorge Fabregas
Apparently a square-jawed actor from Naperville
Bacterun
It was a lobbed throw that would hit a LHH but did make most of the way there, catcher reached a little so might have landed at the back of the batters box
wenz
As a Cubs fan, I was very sad when Len Kasper left. He got a lot of mockery for leaving to be able to call playoff games on the radio because the team fell apart right after he switched. I'm glad he's getting to finally do it
drplantwrench
the height of Midwestern food is the walking taco, an abomination of all cuisines involved
tjcook87
Skyline Chili has entered the chat.
drplantwrench
skyline chili is known by all, walking tacos is not known outside of the midwest. people like skyline chili, despite it not being chili
wenz
Socktober may be inevitable
wenz
Wow, less than an inning
Jorge Fabregas
Pretty sure the plan was just for 1 inning.
wenz
Ah, ok. I thought Vogt was panicking haha
drplantwrench
oh wait, you can add your team to your name? did i miss that
Jorge Fabregas
New thing today
Jorge Fabregas
Chat settings top-right gear
eandy
Are we in agreement, the White Sox are the team that everyone is rooting for if they don't have a dog in the fight?
bosoxforlife
That is when you challenge!
Jorge Fabregasedited
Darrin Jackson: umpire gave Peters the big ringy-ringy and has to take it back and apologize
Jorge Fabregas
Just early
drplantwrench
i enjoy the new team thing. before i always wondered what team other people like. like who knows what team "bosoxforlife" is rooting for
tdmocedited
huge bovine guy (bos/ox)
Alan Sherman
Hotdish. State fair fried food on a stick. Cheese curds
moomin
ooh, that was a silly little play
drplantwrench
total aside, huge fan of the moomintroll series
Alan Sherman
I think this is the only series where the teams are evenly matched cuisine wise
Anonymous Member #46
really depends on your stance toward Tampa Bay-style pizza
Alan Sherman
You're going to say that one type of dish can make tampa better than the most diverse food city in the hemisphere? I've had great Southern barbecue in Brooklyn in my admittedly very limited experience of NYC
Anonymous Member #46
I don't think my sarcasm warning was quite high enough!
Alan Sherman
sarcasm is very difficult to detect in text, sorry.
wenz
I know it isn't midwest cuisine, but the Korean corndogs at Rate Field are delicious and I highly recommend them
addctedtoglove32
The footlong Chicago dog at Rate Field is also very good
Raysfan42069
is it too late to say a giant tenderloin sandwich or a bowl of chili with a peanut butter sandwich on the side.
Alan Sherman
I will go for a sandwich alongside a sandwich.
Raysfan42069
I did a poor job of writing that sentence. The PB sammy goes with a bowl of chili. The tenderloin is a completely different amazing dish.
Alan Sherman
Anyone got some ballplayer food names? Ben Rice relevant today
Rich Hill's Fastball
Does Bryan Baker count?
Sean Dolinaredited
Boxberger was a good one.
Sean Dolinar
Ooof, out of challenges this early.
Jacquehammer Jones
Tim Salmon
Alan Sherman
first you send your Rice to the Miller, then it goes to the Baker, and then you have rice bread to go with your Salmon
Rich Hill's Fastball
You can eat it Fried too!
Asa
This is very advanced level stuff. Well done
drplantwrench
Hank Conger (if you eat eel)
bosoxforlife
Or Trout
tdmoc
Pretzels Getzien
Alan Sherman
Also Zach Wheat is an old Brooklyn hall of famer (Lighting the Jaffe signal)
Alan Sherman
Salmon Fried Rice is a great dish
Phil
Sean, it looks like Brendan's chat from earlier today disappeared–it's not in the main feed (not sure it was even while going, just linked from the banner at the top of the page). Just thought you'd want to know in case there's a glitch or Brendan neglected to click something that needed to be clicked.
Back to baseball. Fastballs away are not a good pitch.
Alan Sherman
Ben Clemens wrote that article earlier this year?
tdmocedited
I'm curious what pitches in what locations draw the fewest swings – I figure it's stuff that never looks like a strike, like breaking balls above the zone or fastballs below it.
Alan Sherman
fried catfish hunter too
Alan Sherman
and he hunts rob deer?
bob
Sox too confident?
Alan Sherman
I am loving the Hagen Smith/Grant Taylor/Ray Kerr bullpen surprise aspect of these playoffs
Rich Hill's Fastball
Smith's slider is *snapping* wow
bosoxforlife
He is unhittable if he can throw strikes which is still in question.
drplantwrench
JOOOOOO
Keaton Arneson
White Sox need the no triples defense that is being experimented with in the Fall League
bosoxforlife
That experiment is beyond the pale. I will stop watching if that is ever put in place.
HappyFunBall
Jo Adell should just try to hit triples every time
Alan Sherman
Let them load the bases again and finally got punished
drplantwrench
fun fact: when jo adell hits it, its called a jriple
tdmoc
man, that oppo groundball down the line is such a killer
.280 xBA and probably not much more xSLG
bosoxforlife
It doesn't look like much to a computer but gets the job done more often than not.
macseries
white sox make an out by contact challenge
Sean Dolinar
You don't see the dropped called third strike too often.
bosoxforlife
This has to be first in the history of baseball. Four different lefty pitchers in the first four innings of a game.
Benny The Jet
We back! Very cool touch with the team affiliations, thank you as always for putting these together!
bosoxforlife
Sean, how do I get my real team affiliation attached to my moniker?
Jon Becker
Settings cog in the top right!
Sean Dolinar
We didn't think you needed one!
bosoxforlife
Thanks!
Jon Becker
(I am not Sean but I am helpful)
Benny The Jet
I'll admit I tend to be skeptical of former players hired in the front office, and was doubly so in the case of Getz, having come from the previous mess of a FO, but he has done a phenomenal job it seems
Phillip Denny
White Sox still have some life left in them!
bosoxforlife
Ha Ha, love it!
Sean Dolinar
Double Challenge! 🚨🚨
Anonymous Member #46
These are total time sucks. MLB should be replaying the totality of plays when adjudicating challenges.
Sean Dolinar
Agreed it's too legal system-ish.
Phillip Denny
double uno reverse card
Rich Hill's Fastball
What a silly few minutes
Phillip Denny
Is *runner at 2B turns his head to look at the bag* the universal sign for telling the hitter it's a FB?
tdmoc
@Jon – I have to ask, do you and Jason have automations set up to track roster moves and lineup projections, or are you glued to your computer at all hours F5ing ad nauseam
Sean Dolinar
You should see them at dinner during Winter Meetings.
Sean Dolinar
I'll take that double over catcher's interference!
bosoxforlife
Peters loves those long AB's. Not quite 18 pitches but he delivered again.
wheelhouse
So Jazz Chisholm Jr. has likely played his last game as a Yankee
Phillip Denny
If you're the Yankees do you QO Jazz? If you're Jazz, do you accept?
Rich Hill's Fastball
I think they'll QO him and he'll decline it.
tdmocedited
haven't followed him much, but at a glance I'd say yes and no – he's only 29 next year and looks like a 2+ win guy moving forward
wheelhouse
Yes and yes but I am neither the Yankees nor Jazz Chisholm Jr.
drplantwrench
jazz has to have a free agency market, in spite of everything. i could def see the angels go after him
Sean Dolinar
I don't see someone who talks about having 50/50 season this year just accepting the QO.
wheelhouse
It obviously will depend on what other offers are on the table, but I think the appeal of accepting it would be a chance to redo his walk year after this year’s performance
bosoxforlife
if I was a GM he is not someone i would want on the team. He seems to dance to his own drum and isn't so good that you want him around at the price he is going to ask for.
Anonymous Member #46
I wouldn't mind a high-value, shorter contract if you trust your organizational culture, clubhouse leaders and manager, but I wouldn't want to be on the hook for six years and nine figures.
wheelhouse
I think that’s overrated, at least specifically in his case, but I do think the yankees are done with him. He objected hard to being benched for one postseason game in 2025, and now he’s going to have been benched for multiple postseason games in 2026, so they’re clearly past caring how he feels about it
Phillip Denny
if he has a QO attached to him I could definitely see him being one of those "unsigned into March" guys, let along the lockout playing a part
bosoxforlife
Not starting tonight is absolutely a ticket out of New York.
lzfreak
He's sitting against a RHP today. Not sure if that's happened before in the playoffs. Not a good look
bosoxforlife
Which is exactly why I made my comment.
Benny The Jet
Had me thinking about it so I just did the research and nobody has been stuck waiting until the season to take less $$ because of the QO since Keuchel in 2019- feels like it used to be 3-4 guys every year with the old CBA
lzfreak
Some of this is more guys accepting it too
bosoxforlife
Just a routine major league caliber play but still pretty nice.
Rich Hill's Fastball
Horrible way to allow the first run
Rich Hill's Fastball
That might've been even worse but I guess we'll take it?
bosoxforlife
The pitch of the year coming up
Sean Dolinar
I can just feel the leverage.
bosoxforlife
and that is what great players do!!
Nathaniel
did the ump rule that a catch? i couldn't see on the broadcast. not that it matters, i guess. what a recovery
bosoxforlife
I simply can't say enough about my appreciation of Jose Ramirez. He stayed with Cleveland when he could have got much more elsewhere. It is too bad that he didn't make that play in front of the home crowd.
war2d2
I have an unreasonable dislike for Chase Meidroth for the sole reason that his name has terrible mouthfeel.
Dan Szymborski
I still think J-Ram is the most underrated player of this generation and I hope he doesn't get shafted in the Hall vote
Dan Szymborski
Meidroth pronounced sounds like the name of a demon in an Elder Scrolls game
war2d2
Cleveland has been my AL team since the days of Albert “Don’t Call Me Joey” Belle, but it feels like a frontrunner move to add them as flair on my name.
TKDC
They haven’t won a World Series since the Truman Administration. I think it’s okay.
war2d2edited
J-Ram has an outside shot at 400 HR/400 SB, and maybe 2,500 hits if he really rebounds. I think he’ll get in.
Davy Andrews
Hey I'm writing up the LAD-ATL game tonight, so I'm just stopping in to say hi. Also, I'm glad you got that BOS tag next to your name, bosoxforlife. Now we'll finally know who you're rooting for.
bosoxforlife
I am very proud to have been a Red Sox fan since my first game at Fenway in August 1948 and am not afraid to show my loyalty through thin and, finally, thick.
Nathaniel
ok i'm switching to the LA-ATL game
Jon Becker
Asking for two innings from Cade Smith up four runs feels a little much
Rich Hill's Fastballedited
How many non-Grant Taylor relievers have attempted this in the last week already and gotten hit? Duran, Miller, etc
ktriskett
Hate it.
war2d2
Also the correct answer for “favorite Midwestern food” is Italian beef ordered wet, hot and sweet.
TKDC
Hotdish is my favorite Midwest food.
bosoxforlife
I am still trying to find a way to answer "neither" when asked who I want to win in the Rays-Yankees game.
Sean Dolinar
I’ll try to remember for tomorrow.
macseries
walking ten and striking out 16 times (and counting!) is not a good way to win a baseball game
Phillip Denny
feels like the Dodgers hitting plan for today was "sit on the splitter and wait for a bad one"
Rich Hill's Fastball
This broadcast totally forgot about Tyler Anderson 🙁
Dan Szymborski
So do GMs, most years
Phillip Denny
remember when he randomly popped for 4 WAR in 2022 and got way overpaid by the Angels? Pepperidge Farm remembers.
Jos
i was at his near no hitter vs the angels and its the one time ive ever been actively mad at shohei since he broke it up in the ninth
TKDC
Smoltz says players will evolve in “when, how, and why they will challenge” in ABS. I want him to expand on this “how” element of the challenge system.
tdmoc
accidentally while adjusting their helmets
TKDC
I was thinking maybe more taps? Like at least five or six.
Benny The Jet
Cleveland is Clevelandmaxing
Rich Hill's Fastball
Gotta sit Cade now, right?
Benny The Jet
I don't much want to watch him broadcast baseball, but I would absolutely watch Smoltz try to play a video game
Nathan
He was proudly Smoltzsplaining how to get a big lead and force a throwover. I would watch that.
bosoxforlife
How fate twists and turns as life goes on. Early in the year Davis Martin was a leading candidate for the Cy Young and now he is relegated to mop up duty.
macseries
mop-up guy came in in the third
tdmoc
wow! still Cade Smith? with a 6 run lead?
bosoxforlife
Stephen Vogt is usually one step ahead but this is definitely a questionable decision.
Sean Dolinar
Great response with the CLE/CHW poll! Most of you were wrong. But I like the participation!
Alan Sherman
Has Davis Martin made a start in the playoffs yet?
lzfreak
3 hard hit outs against Mahle that inning
Phillip Denny
the BABIP gods giveth, the BABIP gods taketh away.
TKDCedited
Muncy hit a really good pitch 390 feet. Braves should be very worried about third time through but are very inconsistent about how much they consider that.
Phillip Denny
Could we *not* check in on the prediction trends, driven by Polymarket?
Phillip Denny
5 walks is bad and all, but ultimately 4.2 IP 1 ER from your #4 starter in the playoffs is perfectly adequate
Matt Martell
Hello from Yankee Stadium
Matt Martell
Here's a poll question:
Will the Yankees make more errors than I eat press box cookies tonight?
Davy Andrews
If I were there and this question were about me, it would be no contest.
Matt Martell
For those of you who don't know, during last year's ALDS, Davy carried multiple plastic cup's worth of cookies out to the auxiliary press box in the right field upper deck stands. It was inspiring
Davy Andrews
Cookies are my favorite food.
lzfreak
Teoscar looks hurt
danodea
Can't believe that wasn't a triple. Did he not run out the box? Tbh I guess that's fair cause I *really* can't believe it wasn't a homer lol
bosoxforlife
He didn't go into his HR trot but he never hit high gear.
Antonio Bananas
Feel like we should find a way to tax ad spend for gambling sites. Consider it a pigouvian tax.
Antonio Bananas
So twice ATL wont score because a baserunner didnt get to 3rd when they should have
Davy Andrews
Wait, Harris scored on the first one.
bosoxforlife
Last night it was easy to find time to have dinner between games but I am befuddled by what I am going to have to do to fit my chicken alfredo into the schedule.
Davy Andrews
How was the pizza?
bosoxforlife
It was, as always, just right. Crisp and loaded with meats of all kinds.
TKDCedited
Brandon Gaudin clearly saw the criticism of Joe Davis and didn’t want the same.
wheelhouse
Well, time to watch the judge yankees die
wheelhouse
they gave fried schlittler’s numbers in the tv graphic
lzfreak
I was so confused by this
bosoxforlife
It looks like Fuentes is beginning to show some fraying around the edges.
TKDC
I think it was 47 pitches and then two days rest. That feels like a lot of pitches to only rest two days.
Nathaniel
i think he was safe
JakeDubois
Yeah, but seriously Teo, come on
bosoxforlife
Too close to overturn.
lzfreak
Closer than it needed to be though. Would've been a total tootblan
Schmegs
I'm happy anytime there's a chance to say TOOTBLAN
wheelhouse
What was that, 6 pitches?
wheelhouse
New lineup fixed everything
bubbles
Keys to the game. Don't walk guys with 2 outs
TKDC
The Dodgers are just absolutely mocking that conventional wisdom this series.
MattStats5
F*** the Dodgers! That is all.
Benny The Jet
Wow
bosoxforlife
What type of cookies? I am partial to rea Toll House.
Davy Andrews
They're very much cafeteria cookies. Usually chocolate chip (but those go fast) and oatmeal raisin.
TKDC
Pages should have ran through second there.
lzfreak
One of my favorite baseball-isms is guys throwing "the kitchen sink." I just love the idea of people who don't know the sport blinking at the idea of a "kitchen sink guy"
Antonio Bananas
Say what you want about Smoltz
Antonio Bananas
Why is Acuna batting 2nd?
TKDC
Where should he be hitting? He was fantastic in September. If we are moving guys down based on the postseason, are we moving Olson and Baldwin down, too?
Antonio Bananas
Has Acuna even hit a ball hard? Olson, Baldwin, and Albies have at least made hard contact
TKDCedited
Yes, he has hit a ball hard.
Edit: his hard hit rate coming into today in this series is 50%, tied for highest on the team.
wheelhouse
Fried’s hurt
lzfreak
Fried still out there. Any source on the injury?
MattStats5
Acuna a non-factor….tough to see.
MattStats5
What happened to Fried? Watching Braves game….
wheelhouse
Unclear but Cole just jogged out to the bullpen
MattStats5
As much as I hate the Yankees (I'm an Orioles fan), good to see Lombard post up since his call up.
wheelhouse
He’s been bad
ncphl
That changeup for strike three by Martinez was pretty
MattStats5
Fried back out for the third.
wheelhouse
Lombard making a mistake on the field again. That throw was both futile and wide and could’ve given deluca an extra base if garcia didn’t bail him out
jthornton
Are you guys watching Yankees exec Mike Pinsky on Survivor 51?
wheelhouse
No, I’m watching Dua Lipa in the second row
wheelhouse
Maybe Lombard is too
millvillemeltdown
"dula peep" "i can't [field a ground ball]"
MattStats5
Playoff baseball, and we have someone invading the chat who's watching Survivor….LMAO!
millvillemeltdown
could a player theoretically go on the injured list for insomnia
millvillemeltdown
the basis for this question is that i felt my game iq slide into the negatives as i attempted to play frisbee on 30 minutes of sleep last night
jthornton
for sure, right? I think I can recall some sleep apnea diagnoses helping players get right
wheelhouse
Rays win
Michael Baumann
What's happenin', hot stuff?
Michael Baumann
As much as I'm frustrated by not having a dining table at hand when I go to a baseball game, I find the Chop House slightly offensive. It feels antithetical to the communal peanuts-and-cracker jack mode of live baseball
millvillemeltdown
if you aint balancing an aggressively laden tupperware and thermos of scalding soup precariously on your lap you aint livin
millvillemeltdown
i think the only viable solution is a lecture hall style desk that folds out from in between, and is inevitably covered in gum et cetera
marqueefgrissom
atlanta would never have an offensive chop
marz
Diaz again. Do the Dodgers think he’s back?
jms4
rice is nice!
marz
Well damn, maybe he is.
danodea
He was pretty good to close out the season
Rich Hill's Fastball
Popping back in just to celebrate!
GoatBenRice
🙂
millvillemeltdown
alas, my "hometown" "team", the cobb county hatchets, have fallen
GoatBenRice
nice George
Rollie's Mustache
The funny thing about the Yankees is that they *can* play good defensively. Great even, at times. But they can also look like a DSL club some nights.
wheelhouse
That was some great defense right there
danodea
Congrats to Ryan Vilade, former Indianapolis Indian
lzfreak
Scorebug got fooled there
Phil
How do we feel (aesthetically) about the moment of ambiguity when it's not clear whether it's a home run or a robbery? Extra fun 'cause suspenseful, or annoyingly anticlimactic?
moomin
I'm a fan
lzfreak
It's super fun when they actually catch it and play it cool for a second or two
ncphl
I only like it when it's a catch
millvillemeltdown
i'm not a huge fan bc it feels like doing the pitcher dirty
millvillemeltdown
but im sure lots of pitchers are chiller than i imagine. i'm just socially anxious and a mess
millvillemeltdown
lombard feels like a bwj type situation to me. he might grow into ss really nicely
millvillemeltdown
at least that's my hope, bc i find defense aesthetically pleasing
Sean Dolinar
TBS messed up and put up a third out on that HR. Oops.
wheelhouse
Ben Rice deserves to be on a better team
millvillemeltdown
wheelhouse deserves to root for a better team
millvillemeltdown
ftr i think it's like a law of nature that wheelhouse must be a yanks fan. like fermions having half-integer spin. if you put another hat on their head they become a non-wheelhouse
lzfreak
The Yankees had the best run differential in the league this year by a lot. This isn't a bad team. I wish for the day when the Yankees have an actual bad team
wheelhouse
I didn’t say they were bad, I said Rice deserves better
millvillemeltdown
rice deserves a whole bibimbap of accompanying characters
millvillemeltdown
rice deserves to be the staple grain of entire continents and their diaspora
millvillemeltdown
i'm so hungry.
millvillemeltdown
the yankees are certainly a very frustrating team i will grant
Phil
Is this one of those injury replacements that really isn't 'cause they were going to take him out anyway? And does the reliever still get the extra warmup pitches in that situation?
millvillemeltdown
extra warm up pitches feels almost… counterproductive to me. if the guy's already warm, save his bullets, i guess? i don't know how arm health works, though
wheelhouse
Why would you be playing jones shallow
millvillemeltdown
i am sure aaron boone has seen 10^23 times more baseball played than i have, and has billions more neural connections related to it than i have, and knows subconsciously more than i will ever consciously know about the sport. but every so often he makes a decision that's a real head-scratcher, even to me
millvillemeltdown
did you know that neutrinos change flavors. i didn't even know neutrinos had flavors until today. what do you think they taste like
Rollie's Mustache
I heard it was considered as a secret ingredient on Iron Chef but producers worried that it would be the most disappointing and confusing reveal.
wheelhouse
Should Boone pull Fried for the sixth
Davy Andrews
Hey everybody, just filed my Dodgers-Braves gamer. What'd I miss in New York?
Phil
Rice is a good hitter. Kevin Cash has a quick hook.
jms4
ben rice is still the goat
millvillemeltdown
some yankees fans might hate the yankees more than i do
Matt Martell
Wasn't a quick hook. Martinez left after getting hit by the Volpe line drive
Matt Martell
He seemed to be on the ropes anyway, but I think that prompted it.
jms4
another hard hit lineout for trent grisham. i will not be looking at the average social media take on trent grisham
wheelhouse
Boone should pull Fried, right?
millvillemeltdown
i am trying to use the new flairs to create words instead of watching real baseball. the psychologists continue to insist that this constitutes normal behavior.
Matthew Spence
I love this for you
millvillemeltdown
"i'm creating value for society!" i scream, while they drag me back to the basement
wheelhouse
Fried’s back out there
millvillemeltdown
if you stitched fried and rodon together do you think they'd be injured more or less frequently
drplantwrench
not sure, but theyd make a great circus act
drplantwrench
BAAANG
Davy Andrews
Oh my goodness, the way Mesa watched that ball.
wheelhouse
Hey Boone should’ve pulled Fried
danodea
That was awesome
wheelhouse
God I hate being a better manager on my couch than that numbskull
Benny The Jet
Did something happen between Mesa and Wells bc that was aggressive
danodea
I thought he was looking at his bench
Rollie's Mustache
I uh don't think that's where Fried wanted that sweeper.
wheelhouse
I uh don’t think that the mound in the sixth inning in a win-or-go-home game is where I wanted Fried
millvillemeltdown
i remember him melting down in the atl/sdp wild card in… '24? i think it was yom kippur as well; idk if he's observing still
millvillemeltdown
my friend's cat bernie is not impressed.
Phil
Victor Mesa is a very fun Rays Magic story.
nicstone
I have rarely been so shocked by a HR. Might be the worst pitch I've ever seen Max Fried throw. I wonder if the Caminero hot shot back at him messed him up
wheelhouse
Good hitter third time through the order
nicstone
Not better than Aranda or Diaz. And not a better hitter than Fried is a pitcher. And Fried was cruising until the the liner at his face
wheelhouse
“He was cruising”? Are we in pre-SABR times?
nicstone
The first 2 batters of the inning were sat down easy. And the previous inning was 1-2-3 with two nasty strikeouts
drplantwrench
good guy fried wanted to make sure he could be home for his new kid
lzfreak
Is Fried really that bad of an option there? He's a top 10-15 starting pitcher in the game and he had the platoon advantage over Mesa. I love to rail on Boone as much as the next guy but this one wasn't an obviously bad call
millvillemeltdown
clearly, because he gave up a homer /s
Phil
I didn't think it was obvious, but I'm generally skeptical of the 3rd-time-through orthodoxy (and I wanted Gray to be left in, so it would be hypocritical to say Fried clearly shouldn't have been).
wheelhouse
It’s the third time through the order, against the top of the order, in a tied win-or-go-home game, with a fully rested bullpen. Inexcusable
wheelhouse
Oh, and Fried has been on the IL twice this season and hasn’t regularly gone deep into games
lzfreak
Wasn't Jax going to start tomorrow? If there's a game 4, who starts?
wheelhouse
I guess we’ll never know
millvillemeltdown
it aint over til, uh, what was it?
GoatBenRice
Mr. wheelhouse the odds of max fried giving up a left on left homer to victor mesa are like 0.1%. This series is just hell
Rollie's Mustache
Fist LvL home run Fried's given up this year I think.
GoatBenRice
Put the ball girl at third
GoatBenRice
actually kill me
NATS Fan
Go Rays! defeat the evil empire!
GoatBenRice
you're all invited to my funeral
lzfreak
Nice challenge by Hicks
GoatBenRice
evil empire you're stuck in the 90s brotha
GoatBenRice
AHHHHHHHH|
Michael Baumann
I love it when the ball girl makes a nice catch. It's one of my favorite bits of baseball mundanity
drplantwrench
wow
GoatBenRice
ANTNEE
danodea
oh my
Rollie's Mustache
Volpe, of course.
Michael Baumann
Where the heck did that ball go? Live, it didn't look like the fans got it either
Matthew Spence
Hit the roof
lzfreak
Mesa had an odd reaction there
lzfreak
If this gets overturned I'm excited to watch Boone get tossed
GoatBenRice
bout to def wasn't over
drplantwrench
i cant wait for it to get overturned plz
Jon Becker
I think that's a double
Jon Becker
If they can split the difference there
Jon Becker
Definitely not a homer
Benny The Jet
Jeffrey Maier is looking old
GoatBenRice
Yea no way where does Lombard go
Michael Baumann
It looked good head on but the guy in the jacket was clearly way over.
Sean Dolinaredited
I’d call him out.
GoatBenRice
if its a double Lombard definitely would have score no?
Sean Dolinar
I’d call him out.*
Rollie's Mustache
Over/under on items thrown on the field when this is overturned?
Rollie's Mustache
Two beverages, a container of popcorn and counting.
NATS Fan
they will always be the evil empire to me! Although now the dodgers also qualify.
Michael Baumann
Right call, imo
Sean Dolinaredited
Really just out of spite for the fan that reached into the field of play.
nicstone
Literally everything is going against us today. I hate this
Jon Becker
Boone asking for an explanation for a perfect call in which the run scored is interesting
wheelhouse
Eyewash
Benny The Jet
We might need a poll for that
Jon Becker
Maybe he wants Volpe on third?
Michael Baumann
Also, come on, we're at least another 75 years from the Yankees not being the Evil Empire
GoatBenRice
Being a yankee fan who wasn't alive for the dynasties is odd
Michael Baumann
I feel ya. It's got to be unsettling to be the Nebraska football of baseball
NATS Fan
Go Rays!!! Tampa needs some love!
GoatBenRice
holy changeup Jesus
Michael Baumann
They've been a normal big-market team for at least 15 or 20 years now but the metaphysical inertia they built up from 1920 to ~2009 is the size of a planet
lzfreak
For Twins fans it continued into 2010, 2017, 2019. I will never not despise the Yankees
nicstone
As someone born in 2000, I do remember 2009. But fans of other teams really underestimate the sense of how fans of my age feel just like any other team. We genuinely feel we have seen barely any success. Yes we appreciate being good every year. But a lot of other teams are good every year (or most, we are abnormally consisten). But at some point we want WS titles, and we just feel like we consistently fail in the playoffs. Because we don't remember the 90's. It not relevant
GoatBenRice
No we have it so much better than most. The bad thing about the past few years is how uniquely humiliating the losses have been.
lzfreak
Try living through one losing season then we'll talk
GoatBenRice
Exactly we got it good but the laugh factor of the recent losses sucks a lil
GoatBenRice
As I am also a fan of sports teams that miss the playoffs I can say id rather them miss the playoffs than lose to a huge rival because they make 5 errors in a game with the cy young winner on the mound
NATS Fan
You get to pitch Cy Young pitchers and see home run champions every year. Have the Yankees ever traded away at the deadline?
wheelhouse
They were very stupid not to in 2023
lzfreak
They got Gleyber Torres from the Cubs for Aroldis Chapman in 2016
NATS Fan
They did not know it was an option probably
Alan Sherman
hey you kids get off my lawn! /snark
Benny The Jet
The Yanks definitely aren't the same Evil Empire to the rest of the league anymore, but respectfully, a Pirates fan born in 2000 has seen 6 playoff games in their lifetime and they lost 4 of them… there's levels to it is what I'm saying
GoatBenRice
Thank you Michael I am stealing metaphysical inertia. this is why I subscribe to this service
Jon Becker
Manny Machado did WHAT
Eric Brooks
At minimum the consequence needs to be that they confiscate the ball, right?
Jon Becker
(he bunted for a hit)
NATS Fan
I know a few METS fan who still think the Yankees are evil. They will always be evil. Baseball is more fun when you hate or love the Yankees.
wheelhouse
Now imagine if that third run had been to take the lead, instead of not being enough to make up for Mesa’s HR
Phil
I take it personally that the Red Sox were denied an opportunity for another World Series because John McGraw refused to play them in 1904. A few mildly underachieving years for the Yankees are not going to change how I feel about them.
GoatBenRice
Okay Boston sports fan experiencing literally the most sports success ever of all time and still complaining
Phil
Not being a football fan changes things a bit, but point taken.
GoatBenRice
Fair fair
wheelhouse
The Red Sox have completely dominated the Yankees for most of my living memory
lzfreak
Didn't the Yankees just obliterate them last week in a playoff "series"
wheelhouse
That was AI
fincampbell05
Even as a Red Sox fan it kind of feels that way with what so often happens to the Yankees right after they beat the Red Sox soundly (in the regular season just as much as the playoffs, it feels like)
si.or.no
Can we get a flair for team entropy? I just want every series to go to the last game. Maximum baseball.
Sean Dolinar
What would it be? ΔS?
millvillemeltdown
Ω_max(Baseball)
millvillemeltdown
ΔS is really good i appreciate this (currently in thermodynamics)
Sean Dolinar
Yeah, I was wondering if you got your homework done when I wrote that.
Alan Sherman
Does Yankee Stadium even have parking lots?
millvillemeltdown
for once!
wheelhouse
That was a nice last Yankee AB for Jazz
lzfreak
Well we got to see Jazz Chisholm
GoatBenRice
He was in there to homer or walk and took a good aggressive homer swing just missed it
Matthew Spence
The Yankee fans seem nice.
wheelhouse
Would you be
Matthew Spence
TBF the Dodger fans would have left already to beat traffic
wheelhouse
Now a nice last Yankee AB for Grisham, and Bednar’s warming up for his last Yankee innings, right after Blackburn’s last Yankee inning+. Considerate of Boone to get everyone in the game so we can all say goodbye. Maybe he’s not so bad of a manager after all
misterjohnny
Yankees fans booing their own team is so Yankees fans
GoatBenRice
idiot fans
NATS Fan
I have always felt Jazz Chisholm was a great name.
GoatBenRice
its a one run game stop booing
Matthew Spence
So true
wheelhouse
Could’ve been a one run game the other way if Boone had pulled Fried when he should’ve
GoatBenRice
Brother if you want to play the odds game the odds of mesa hitting that homer are so slim. if Diaz or caminero hit it id get it but he mowed down Diaz and Aranda to start the inning
wheelhouse
At worst, it should’ve been batter-to-batter with a reliever ready as soon as one reached base.
GoatBenRice
If its batter to batter you're absolutely leaving him in against a lefty with a runner on first
GoatBenRice
damn Jax so nasty
nicstone
Jax is nasty. Can't be too upset at Grisham or Rice
GoatBenRice
Curveball averaged 86 w -16 tn
David P
I love that MLB doesn't stretch out the playoffs games ridiculously like the NBA does, but is it too much to ask to avoid overlapping games?
lzfreak
I love the overlapping games. Feels like March madness
Alan Sherman
I went to a night dodger game at the end of a spring break road trip and we were in the parking lot until midnight and then had to drive all night up I-5 to the Bay
Matthew Spence
It is honestly the worst postgame experience
GoatBenRice
public transit >>
Alan Shermanedited
In full agreement that public transit is the way to go to a ballgame
millvillemeltdown
there's this song called "LAX" by vulfpeck. the hook goes "i love my baby, she's the best / she picks me up at LAX". it sounds like a love song, and it is, but even more it's a condemnation of lax as a feat of extreme endurance
jcathtraverse
I haven't been to a Dodger game, but have spent enough time in LA to say I don't think you want to take public transportation there.
Antonio Bananas
Car dependency + NIMBYs = awful everything
NATS Fan
I believe Tampa Rays are the best run team in sports. Go Rays!
GoatBenRice
Them and MIL. Rays strategy of getting a bunch of scrappy guys and elite pitching seems to get them a legit run every 5 or so years. Can't ask for much more when you don't spend
Antonio Bananas
Only one 90 loss season since 2008. In the last 10 years they haven't had a 90 loss season or finished last. So they do this without long periods of high draft picks…in the AL East
wheelhouse
Victor Mesa Jr. had reverse splits this year btw, just fwiw. 146 wRC+ vs. LHP
GoatBenRice
Yeah but it's max fried who famously does not give up home runs. I get taking him out but its not like leaving him in is bringing in Nestor cortes to face Freddie freeman
wheelhouse
Bringing in Nestor there was more defensible than leaving Fried out there here
NATS Fan
Victor Victor Mesa Mesa
millvillemeltdown
victor "victor mesa" mesa
millvillemeltdown
vick table
NATS Fan
I'll bet the Marlins miss Mesa
GoatBenRice
Clean shaven gerrit Cole jumpscare
millvillemeltdown
i wish for a midwest funfest world series
Sean Dolinar
If that happens, we are going to have so many Midwest themed polls in here.
GoatBenRice
I hope its finally the brewers year
NATS Fan
I hope your right, but the dodgers exist!
wheelhouse
He wasn’t hit there
GoatBenRice
Weird one because it sounded like it did but didn't look like it
wheelhouse
That won’t be overturned and Boone should get himself tossed
Rollie's Mustache
Aranda's elbow guard didn't move and the spin of the ball didn't change. Don't like that call.
wheelhouse
If he doesn’t he’s quiet quitting
nicstone
That's terrible. Pretty clearly didn't touch him
GoatBenRice
Junior is so scary
Matthew Spence
Not a HBP
millvillemeltdown
i am somewhere within a day's round trip of the twin cities, so i went to kramarczuk last time i was down there. good soup. excellent soup.
comradeyurika
Looked like the ball changed direction slightly
wheelhouse
I wonder whether Bednar gets the QO. Velo was down from his peak all year
millvillemeltdown
between bednar and r. iglesias who do you figure is the better true talent closer
GoatBenRice
it'll be interesting to see. velo down but splitter took a huge step forward. doubt they give a reliever that money
NATS Fan
I'd guess Bednar
wheelhouse
Bednar but they’re both in the great, not elite tier
millvillemeltdown
i think they are very similar. one could even say close.
NATS Fan
can Adrian Morejon close as well as them?
wheelhouse
I think they either trade for a brand name who hasn’t hit FA and gotten paid yet (there was so much noise around Miller), or sign someone who’s gotten saves for someone to go into a competition with the likes of Headrick and Lagrange for the spot
millvillemeltdown
in my mind, based on exactly 0 data, morejon feels like a better closer candidate than either
wheelhouse
Morejon will also get paid as much or more than either
NATS Fan
My gut feels the same
wheelhouse
I believe that was Volpe’s first-ever putout at 3B in the majors
fincampbell05
Red Sox legend Cam Booser
GoatBenRice
That story on him on mlb.com was really cool
jms4
RARE RAYS DEFENSIVE MISCUE
millvillemeltdown
a win for team entropy
Michael Baumann
Not an awesome throw but Aranda's got to pick that. Caminero did a pirouette for God's sake
Matthew Spence
They called it an E5?
millvillemeltdown
everyone knows that the more you spin the more obligated the 1b is to pick it
Michael Baumann
I would not have, obviously
millvillemeltdown
i think TΔS works maybe? being part of the thermodynamic identity if you swap d for delta
wheelhouse
Lombard actually swinging at a first pitch fastball strike for once in his entire career. He missed it
GoatBenRice
Great time for an ad break
Matthew Spence
Hated it
ncphl
Makes me mad
GoatBenRice
you know I just really wish it was a gambling ad
NATS Fan
They are prediction markets
GoatBenRice
u right u right my bad
wheelhouse
Nice for Stanton to get one last AB as a Yankee.
GoatBenRice
lighten up, Francis
wheelhouse
I said it’s nice
wheelhouse
Hope he doesn’t strike out
Matthew Spence
Whelp
wheelhouse
It was still Nice
millvillemeltdown
0.7^3 is a shockingly small number, and i wish people who bet on parlays understood that better
Matthew Spence
What are we talking about here
millvillemeltdownedited
sorry i meant to reply to the thing about gambling ads. parlays preying on a "near miss" fallacy etc. the more legs to a parlay, no matter how good the chances of an individual leg hitting, the worse the chances get, invariably.
nicstoneedited
Stanton up. This is cinema. Does a HR here materially effect his HOF chances?
millvillemeltdown
giancarlo "notnats" stanton
GoatBenRice
legendary social media presence
millvillemeltdown
i was trying to show my friends photos of his batting stance and came across his nude photoshoot. that was an interesting day
GoatBenRice
Interesting…. but not bad
danodea
He should lay down a bunt
Matthew Spence
Hold on doing a parlay on that
danodea
Dang we both lost money
wheelhouse
Thanks for nothing G
millvillemeltdown
the cleveland series was legendary though. i wish he could have kept hitting nukes forever
millvillemeltdown
g. stanton > 0.5 bunts, g. stanton > 0.5 hrs, g. stanton > 3 Ks. surely that'll hit
nicstone
Ugh. A HR would have been so crazy. Wasted chance
GoatBenRice
kelly was a brutal matchup. no homer off those bowling balls
wheelhouse
7, 8, and 9 in the order up in the ninth against Baker
Russell
they yankees have them right where they want them
danodea
Rays would have been so flummoxed by the bunt attempt that they'd throw it away. Yes I am available to manage the Yankees, if only they'd ask
wheelhouse
Would you have pulled Fried prior to the sixth? If so you’re disqualified for knowing too much ball
danodea
I would not have cause I only learned about the reverse splits after the fact when the announcers mentioned it
Benny The Jet
Can I get a fact check on there having been no new options for motion sickness in the last 40 years
Matthew Spence
I mean, I know they had Dramamine in 1986 so….
millvillemeltdown
i wasn't aware i even had options! i've just been carrying my plastic-lined bag around in case…
Michael Baumann
Phoebe Bridgers is new as of the past 40 years
millvillemeltdown
tbf so am i
nicstone
Fried couldn't have done THAT??? 😔
GoatBenRice
muk frid
millvillemeltdown
mac feed
danodea
You're tellin me a Max fried this rice??
millvillemeltdown
srimp
danodea
Oh Tatis Tater to tie it up, nice
GoatBenRice
word?? I gotta turn that game on
NATS Fan
Are Singles Tater Tots?
millvillemeltdown
infield hit has to be, like, a single shred from hash brown
Schmegs
So Kelly finished the inning and can now be removed from the game. If he comes out next inning can he be removed after facing a second batter if he's previously finished an inning? Or does he then have to face a third hitter?
wheelhouse
Three batter minimum is only waived to start an inning
wheelhouse
I.e. the latter
wheelhouse
If that’s the last we see of Bednar I would like to congratulate him on having been A Good Yankee. Rare these days
wheelhouse
Not that rare. Hit-and-miss for big trade acquisitions maybe.
Michael Baumann
Love Bednar. Though going to commercial with him on the mound and coming back with Baker on the mound made me think the aspect ratio on my TV had gone off
wheelhouse
2
jms4
Baker does not look unbeatable tonight, which is a start
danodea
Throw strikes
wheelhouse
Can we get a Yankee GIDP to end it all
danodea
So close
wheelhouse
Jones should steal here
jms4
Babe Ruth 1926 World Series Game 7 caught stealing would ruin me rn
jms4
i concede
danodea
Future Pirate Jazz Chisholm Jr
wheelhouse
Ooooooh almost
wheelhouse
1
Michael Baumann
Another rotating Rays infielder, another botched pick by Aranda
lzfreak
Ah thought that was it
Sean Dolinar
Are all you Yankees fans gonna come back the rest of the playoffs after tonight?
wheelhouse
Which would you prefer
nicstone
Absolutely not
jms4
probably gonna have to use tomorrow to weep
Michael Baumann
Whoever said a spin should oblige the first baseman to catch better, I don't care if you were being sarcastic: It should
millvillemeltdown
more spins more better was my thesis. i am unprepared to defend it
wheelhouse
Oh, it’s over
Russell
WOOOOOO
wheelhouse
I’m less upset than I was after game 2 by far
Phil
Congratulations to the St. Petersburgians!
NATS Fan
Go Tampa!
Davy Andrews
I take it Junior Caminero doesn't use a broom very much in his day-to-day life.
danodea
Is that what he was doing?? I thought he was golfing for some reason
Davy Andrewsedited
Ninety-nine percent sure it was a sweep, but yeah, he shouldn't take up miming.
millvillemeltdown
the children yearn for the mimes
Matthew Spence
Is the roof the series MVP?
Davy Andrews
Maybe the turf?
wheelhouse
Boone “shaking up the lineup” meant that Grisham took that AB instead of, you know, Ben Rice btw
Russell
tactical genius Aaron Boone
danodea
Should have just slapped a fake mustache on Judge and sent him up. "Yea I uhhh had a growth spurt"
wheelhouse
People really think it’s yankee fan overreaction to say he’s terrible at the job. I don’t see one thing he’s good at
nicstone
What a terrible at bat from Grisham and Jazz after a game full of them. Mind boggling that Boone thought putting Trent first instead of Rice was a good idea. Imagine Rice taking that at bat instead…
millvillemeltdown
what happened to grish even
wheelhouse
Oh, this one’s easy: they bit hard on an outlier year and ignored concerning trends w.r.t. his defense and general athleticism, and then sunk-cost fallacy meant they kept playing him
Davy Andrews
There's a little more to this one. He looked great, then he strained a hammy and didn't hit as well afterward. And some of the advanced numbers say he just got unlucky even after the injury.
millvillemeltdown
i know last year was kind of an outlier but he just totally cratered
Phil
The Rays' radio guy is suddenly complaining that the Rays don't get enough love from the "national writers." Is that true? I thought everyone agreed that the Rays are the most efficient franchise in baseball?
JBigs
I would assume they're talking more about ESPN/FS1 types not Fangraphs.
LaBellaVita
I can't speak about the media. But I can say TBR didn't receive as much love from the bettors. Going into the season, even though the Rays had won more games than NYY and had home-field advantage, more money was put on NYY than on TBR.
wheelhouse
That’s because bettors bet for their team and there are more Yankees fans than Rays fans in the country. That’s all that is
LaBellaVita
And that is how smarter bettors make money.
wheelhouse
Sure, but dumb bettors are not a demographic whose respect I’d care about
Michael Baumann
I dislike the implication that I'm obligated to "love" anyone
Michael Baumann
It's why I don't have a dog
millvillemeltdown
they are a bit tricky to root for tbf. churn etc
NATS Fan
so Yankees fans hate dogs?
wheelhouse
How long do you have if you want to get to the bottom of what Yankees fans do and do not hate
millvillemeltdown
yanks HATE bark @ the park
misterjohnny
My son Is a rays fan. Keeps needing new jerseys bc all the players get traded
millvillemeltdown
hopefully caminero is around for a long time
NATS Fan
just get him a Wade Boggs devil Rays Jersey. He is in the hall of fame.
Rollie's Mustache
That's like buying a Pete Rose Expos jersey!
millvillemeltdown
zobrist? longoria?
misterjohnny
He’s off the payroll he buys his own jerseys now. But in 2020 we went to the WS together in TX and it was great. ( for me the Dodger fan)
NATS Fan
I know
tdmoc
Erasmo Ramírez
Matthew Spence
Will Boone be back?
millvillemeltdown
no comment on his game iq but i personally find him a bit unpleasant
wheelhouse
Yes
Davy Andrews
Chat, I have an important update from Matt Martell: The Yankees made zero errors and I, unfortunately, ate zero cookies.
wheelhouse
Boone made several errors on their behalf
millvillemeltdown
davy, i used to work at a place known for its purportedly unlimited cookies. i'll invite you someday somehow
Davy Andrews
There are few things I wouldn't do for cookies.
millvillemeltdown
funnily enough i am not a very good baker of cookies. i mostly made bread.
Davy Andrews
You still have my attention.
jcathtraverse
Obviously the Yankees have a ton of faith in Boone, and I would imagine this isn't quite what it takes to break it, but it does seem at some point you'd have to give another manager a shot to win a WS in the Judge era.
wheelhouseedited
Talking about winning a WS in the Judge era is approaching the same meaning as saying the Nationals won the WS in the Ryan Zimmerman era.
LaBellaVita
Is it Boone, who was, I read, credited with completely outmanaging Tracy in the previous series, or does it start with Cashman? Do the Rays outplay the Yankees because they have better players, or are the players better prepared?
jcathtraverse
Yeah, you're right it's more a general staleness. Not sure what the solution is or if it's enough of a problem to need a solution. But most teams do eventually make change even if just to make it.
Rollie's Mustache
Bradgley Rodriguez is an early contender for this year's postseason Louis Varland. Will he pitch in every single game? I'm leaning yes.
wheelhouse
This is the 4th time in 5 years that a rival team has celebrated eliminating the Yankees from the playoffs on the field at Yankee Stadium. The only respite was missing the playoffs entirely
wheelhouse
Like it’s getting boring
jcathtraverse
congrats on being bored of watching your team in the playoffs?
NATS Fan
So you would prefer to lose
wheelhouse
Would you have found that series enjoyable
wheelhouse
They just lost
jcathtraverse
Yeah, I just watched it, it wasn't a very good series. Not worse than watching your team suck all year.
NATS Fan
I'll feel sorry for you if you go through 7 consecutive 95 loss seasons and sell at all 7 deadlines.
Phil
Eh, it sucks to lose, regular season or playoffs. I get it.
NATS Fan
then you finally get a winning team and they sell at the deadline!
Davy Andrews
You guys, Junior Caminero just did the Vladdy "Theeeeee Yankees lose!" thing in the clubhouse.
Rollie's Mustache
Oh no. Cursed 2027 season incoming for Junior.
Phil
Sterling will live to be mocked, forever.
Ben Schneider
Checking in late night to celebrate the Yankees being swept away!
Ben Schneider
And to watch the best series
Benny The Jet
If Miller and Morejon are healthy and available, why are they not getting these next 12 outs?
Jos
asking miller to get 6 outs didnt go well last time, not sure stammen is going to try that again
Nate
Seems like the Padres using their high leverage arms in every game in this series is finally coming back to bite them
NATS Fan
Do not abuse Morejon! i want him to be a healthy National next season.
war2d2
Man, I’m sorry but Wainwright adds absolutely nothing to this broadcast. Pierzynski is annoying and has a terrible voice, but at least he sounds like he’s got more than two synapses to rub together. Continues to be the worst booth in this postseason.
NATS Fan
It's a shame. Nobody was better at following Molina's commands.
jcathtraverseedited
the FOX booths both suck despite basically fine play by play. would be happy to see Peacock expand it's playoff portfolio when the rights all get renegotiated.
CurrentlyAtABar
Best way to avoid an underwhelming booth? Watch the game from a bar loud enough to drown it out.
war2d2
The name checks out.
wheelhouse
Yankees lineup in 2027 is probably:
1. Rice DH
2. Judge RF
3. Garcia 1B
4. Bellinger LF
5. Lombard SS
6. Jones CF
7. Volpe 2B
8. Wells C
9. McMahon (lol maybe it’ll be Caballero) 3B
That sucks
lzfreak
Yeah woof. Probably only top 3 in runs scored. With a top tier pitching staff. Tough times
wheelhouse
5 down is terrible
NATS Fan
You mean like Yankees fans that complain about have two of the best power hitters in baseball leading off and batting second followed by a guy that will slug over 500 against rhp?
Rollie's Mustache
Whoa. Boo birds are out in San Diego. Who do they think they are, Yankee fans??
Ben Schneider
Yankees must upgrade at third, but there aren't many options out there
wheelhouse
They need two infielders
NATS Fan
I'm sure you could get my Nats to trade you YoYo Morales 1b/3b. We are planning on giving him hundreds of at bats next year.
millvillemeltdown
i know it's mo-re-hon but i keep reading it as "more jon"
CurrentlyAtABar
There are so many ways in which I cannot relate to professional athletes, but watching Mason Miller pitch here with a baby whose age can be measured in hours really makes the comparison stark.
NATS Fan
I took zero time off 22 years ago when my daughter was born. Not because I wanted too.
war2d2
If he’s anything like I was after my first kid was born he’s probably seeing three catcher’s mitts while he’s standing up there.
millvillemeltdown
my sincere condolences. parental leave should be a guaranteed right.
millvillemeltdown
i seen dansby swanson throw frisbees as part of his hitting coaching thing. i seen pitchers throw footballs, javelins, etc for their warmups. do you think pitchers should throw frisbees
Rollie's Mustache
Baseball has a lot of food-related slang – cookie, meatball, can of corn, cheese, cup of coffee, oppo taco, grand salami, ribeye… as someone who doesn't watch a lot of other sports, does this also exist in them? Or is it a baseball-only thing?
Ben Schneider
Uber Eats had that commercial last year with food terminology in football
jzmaxson27edited
Tom Brady just added meatball sub to the football lexicon this year. In hockey the puck can be referred to as a biscuit, flowing hair is lettuce, teeth are chiclets as in spittin' chiclets. I think humans are just pretty food focused.
millvillemeltdown
ben rice
Davy Andrews
Every time they cut to a closeup of Miller, I think, "Now there's an exhausted facial expression I definitely made in the first 24 hours of my daughter's life."
millvillemeltdown
i've been asked "baby now or baby never" more times than i can count of recent. i love kids but at this stage of my life i think i would actually perish if i had to take care of a small child in addition to full-time studenthood
Anonymous Member #46
a crash course in thermodynamics as your life melts down before your very eyes
CurrentlyAtABar
Just become the best reliever in MLB and apparently someone else will take care of them for you?
millvillemeltdown
unfortunately that someone else is almost always "wife" and she's almost always stretched way too thin
NATS Fan
Those wives are better paid than mine was
CurrentlyAtABar
True, I guess you need to hit FA first and get that guaranteed contract.
millvillemeltdown
similar to more-john, i always read it as brajlee and not brad-gley
NATS Fan
Well i do not think i can stay up late enough for the game to end. As long as the dodgers lose, I'm fine with whoever they play. Goodnight!
millvillemeltdown
i must take my leave as well. i have to be in class at 7:30 tomorrow (not thermo this time). goodnight all
Phil
Has there been any thought about a live score tracker on Fangraphs? Or do you have to pay MLB to license that?
Davy Andrews
This might be a question for earlier in the night tomorrow. I'm sure Sean will have an answer.
Ben Schneider
Back-to-back curveballs is super gutty
Davy Andrews
I loved it.
jzmaxson27
Moments like that I really miss Vin's "Like a house by the side of the road."
Davy Andrews
And with that, I've got to head to bed as well. Goodnight, all!
Anonymous Member #46
This game makes me wonder how Ashby didn't stick as a starter.
Jonathan Beilfuss
Sadly, my two favorite teams both lost today, the Braves and Not the Dodgers. Thank goodness for Not the Yankees!
Antonio Bananas
So everybody asleep? Is this when we get the good liquor out?
wheelhouse
We can talk about the 2027 yankees’ dearth of bullpen options
war2d2
Cubs are also in that bucket. I think Morejon is a free agent, and if so I think he’s going to get paiiiiid.
wheelhouse
The yankees don’t pay relievers anymore
Rollie's Mustache
AJ just said Chourio's "gonna be" a star. Who wants to tell him?
Ben Schneider
That's like all the years Smoltz called Kyle Tucker underrated
jzmaxson27
Stammen isn't thinking of bringing King back out for the 9th right?
lzfreak
I'm pretty sure most teams go into the offseason with an incomplete bullpen
jzmaxson27
Contreras so mad.
Rollie's Mustache
That might be the first mound visit I've seen by a catcher who wants to cool down himself instead of his pitcher.
JBigs
Contreras is mad he wasn't able to lose two more challenges
lzfreak
Machado thought it was gone
Rollie's Mustache
OHHHHH MY GOD
Ben Schneider
Missed it by that much
Anonymous Member #46
YOINK
CJ
I somehow didn't know there is a chat.. This series has been VERY enjoyable
Dan Szymborski
We only started doing this very recently! Outside of the normal game chats of course.
Dan Szymborski
Sean made this from scratch, unlike our Jotcast chats, so it should be more flexible and we can do more of these.
jzmaxson27
Morejon looks rough.
JBigs
Does he have the flu?
jzmaxson27
I feel like he looks like he does.
Rollie's Mustache
Just your run of the mill shoulder "stickiness". Evidently.
CJ
I'm glad I didn't know there is a chat before Yankees lost – I might have started ranting uncontrollably
jzmaxson27
You wouldn't have been alone.
lzfreak
There was plenty of that here. It was amusing
Anonymous Member #46
It briefly turned into group therapy in here, which was clashing with the early innings of the late game.
Benny The Jet
Man I don't want this series to end
CJ
One more game, please??
Ben Schneider
Get Buffalo Wild Wings to rig the game
jzmaxson27
Yeah, was just wishing this was a 7 game series.
lzfreak
I feel like managers get their aces throwing in situations like this just to troll us
Ben Schneider
The Miz coming in would become the most memorable moment of the postseason
JBigs
Just not sure why they would do that when Megill exists
CJ
Being lazy here – did anyone bring up the definition of insanity and Boone in a sentence?
lzfreak
Just you!
CJ
Thanks – As I said, I am glad I didn't know there is a chat until that abomination of a series is over
Rollie's Mustache
These two bullpens are nutty. Just a cornucopia of lab-grown mutants throwing 101 with breaking balls that make hitters regret their life choices.
Antonio Bananas
Sounds like a quote from Bull Durham
jzmaxson27
Megill always amazes me. How he can throw such darts while his delivery makes it look like he's falling backwards always messes with my brain.
Rollie's Mustache
And now it comes down to a less-than 100% Holy Sheets. The run may be over.
jzmaxson27
I feel like AJ is flirting dangerously with Joe Morgan logic right now
jcathtraverse
ARod logic even
CJ
NO
Benny The Jet
Brewers-Dodgers should be fun!
JBigs
MLB doing re-runs now?
CJedited
IMHO with that ball hitting the roof in game 1 and Machado's ball today, Padres can be excused for feeling like they were robbed. – good night everyone!
marz
I don’t watch the Brewers often, but my impression after watching this series is that there is a magical vortex that surrounds them that forces everyone to play “good fundamental baseball.” None of this walking and home run hitting. You might beat them at their game, but you are forced to play it.
marz
Crap, ARod agreeing with me on this point is not a good sign,
Rollie's Mustache
I wanted a Padres-Dodgers NLCS for the higher likelihood of tempers and shenanigans but the Brewers deserved it. Helluva team.
Saw him on the backfields, where he hit everything. Didn't get much of Surprise and he wasn't in the lineup there when I did. But he looks hitterish.
Charles Bengal Tiger
Does Henry Bolte have another gear beyond what he showed this season?
Brendan Gawlowski
I don't think so. He already hit for power than you'd think for someone with a 60%+ ground ball rate and a lot of strikeouts.
Resolution
Any insights on Jack O’Dowd’s ability to stick at catcher? Has been rougher so far but he’s still newish to the position
Brendan Gawlowski
Didn't look good. Arm very light for it, couple pop times in the 2.15 range yesterday.
Kevin Kelsey
Jake Monroe a borderline top 100?
Brendan Gawlowski
No. Has barrel feel but that's the only tool. Fringy at third, oppo shooter with below average power.
riibett
Are you more of an Owen Carey or Connor Essenburg guy?
Brendan Gawlowski
Essenburg. I don't want to overreact to a few AFL games but Carey looked ordinary this past week.
Kevin Kelsey
Can Braxton Bragg get back to being a well regarded maybe mid rotation arm?
Brendan Gawlowski
I'd take the under. Saw him last week, sat 92-94, breaking ball looked just okay.
Charles Bengal Tiger
Would you rather have Kevin Alvarez or Xavier Neyens out of the Astros' system?
Brendan Gawlowski
Alvarez. I'm not sure Neyens can hit.
Phil
Who goes from Worcester to Boston this winter/spring? Arias I should hope, but I'm wondering about the long-awaited Duran trade opening up a spot for Campbell. Are there other good fits?
Brendan Gawlowski
Red Sox list will be out fairly early in the cycle, which will presumably answer this in a lot of detail. Arias will be up early, possibly Opening Day depending on what Boston does this winter. As for Campbell, he's going to have to hit his way back into town.
rainingmozzarella
How has Demetrio Crisantes and Patrick Forbes looked so far, if you've had a chance to see them?
Brendan Gawlowski
Did not see Forbes; Crisantes was his usual self. Fast, good barrel feel. Better than a lot of the pitchers he'll face.
Charles Bengal Tiger
A follow-up on the Alvarez-Neyens question. Is Albert Fermin a comparable prospect to Alvarez?
Brendan Gawlowski
No.
rainingmozzarella
So since the Dbacks have a bloated payroll, bad farm system, and way too many holes, do you think it makes sense to trade either Perdomo or Moreno to get a bunch of pieces back?
Brendan Gawlowski
Sounds like payroll is about to go down, too. I don't think I would, with Burnes back and Pfaadt (perhaps) having turned a corner, I'd keep the core intact for another run.
rainingmozzarella
In an effort for the Dbacks to get more pitching depth, do you think Tommy Troy for Karson Milbrandt makes sense for both sides?
Brendan Gawlowski
If you were really confident that you could reliably get Millbrandt back into the strike zone, sure. But I don't know how you could be.
Churlayla
Rafe Perich. What's the fatal flaw?
Brendan Gawlowski
I don't know if he has a fatal flaw, more that fringy defense and a power-over-hit skillset likely make him more of a supplementary fit than an everyday guy.
higginsford
What are the top 1 or 2 things you would focus on if you were hired as the A's GM?
Brendan Gawlowski
Figuring out what the altitudinal effects of the new park will look like and building a pitching plan around that from soup to nuts.
Cosmo
How likely is it that either Josuar or Walcott are the #1 prospect sometime next summer?
Brendan Gawlowski
Josuar's time in that airspace is more likely in 2028
ImKeithHernandez
Do the Mets have a #1, #3, and #5 in McLean, Scott, and Thornton?
Brendan Gawlowski
Good way to think of it. Maybe shorting Thornton a little bit.
Solitaire
When an athletic corner outfielder with well-above average sprint speed grades out well below average as a fielder, specifically from range, is the conclusion just "this guy takes bad routes because he misreads the ball?" Can you teach that? This question is about Dylan Beavers, but I feel like I see it often
Brendan Gawlowski
That can be part of it. First step/acceleration comes into play too. This can get better with time and reps but some guys just have better instincts and reads than others.
Churlayla
Thanks for taking our queries!
Brendan Gawlowski
You're welcome. I may have screwed something up in how I scheduled this, there aren't many folks in here today relative to most weeks. So, uh, good odds if you have a question…
higginsford
Do you think Jefferson Rojas and Brayden Taylor contribute at the MLB level next year? Have them in an Ottoneu league
Brendan Gawlowski
Fantasy is a little out of my realm but my instinct is that neither should be lynchpins of your 2027 plans.
Churlayla
Max Anderson breaks camp at the keystone in Detroit?
Brendan Gawlowski
I would guess not. Re-signing Gleyber would make sense for them, but even if they keep it internal, I'd prioritize getting Lee in the lineup first.
crossedup
Where are we at on Tai Peete? Stat wise it seems like he took a step forward with some help of a near .400 babip; was there any notable change to his set up or swing at the plate to go with it?
Brendan Gawlowski
Spin has been the big issue with him. It still is but perhaps to a slightly lesser degree. This is a guy to stay patient with, if he hits, he'll hit big. Prospects move so quickly these days, he's one I'd continue to push slowly.
viceroy
Names to watch in Fall and winter leagues? Maybe prospects who were hyped and then hurt and these will be the first looks at them in a minute
Brendan Gawlowski
I'll have notes on a lot of these guys in the coming days but… Lot of pitchers match that description… Kannon Kemp, Braxton Bragg, Jake Bloss… I liked R.J. Sales yesterday, too. Among the hitters, Dax Kilby blew me away, Wyatt Sanford and Nathan Hall are really interesting. Tai Peete and Braylon Payne are fun/toolsy. Alex McCoy may hit one to Mars.
tdmoc
Any chance you'll be at tomorrow's Peoria/Glendale game? Curious about Patrick Reilly 50+ innings into his TJS return.
Brendan Gawlowski
Back home, unfortunately. Perhaps Eric will be at the game…
viceroy
Why didn’t Max Anderson get a shot down the stretch? Is the glove work an issue? Are they skeptical of the approach even though it’s worked so far? Issues against heat/spin?
Brendan Gawlowski
I don't see him as an impact guy.
Bud Smith
Get a chance to see Susana?
Brendan Gawlowski
I did. Sat 101-103, low effort, which is a real thing I just typed. Pairs it with a low-mid 80s sweeper mostly, threw a couple harder breaking balls. He'll be high on the T100.
oaktownblues
Should the A's stretch Luis Medina back out to be a starter? Or keep in him in the pen now that he's had some success?
Brendan Gawlowski
Bullpen, I don't think he has the command to start, and the fastball plays down from the number.
crossedup
What's the off-season scheduling look like? Odds and ends from the AFL and planning for the Top prospect lists?
Brendan Gawlowski
I'll have a bunch of notes in the next week, they're long enough that we're planning to publish a few posts to stagger them. From there, Eric is working furiously on Asian players, we'll need to prepare a 2027 draft board, and of course lists, lists, lists. I'm 98.54% done with one list and 89.14% done with a second.
Brendan Gawlowski
I'd also like to write a follow up to the pro scouting piece that ran at the end of September.
higginsford
I know y'all got a lot on your plate but around when do you think an initial list will go on THE BOARD for the 2027 draft?
Brendan Gawlowski
Eric and I talked about this when I was down in Phoenix. Before the start of the college season, late January or early February would be my guess.
Churlayla
Franklin Primera. Get excited or he just overpowered the level?
Brendan Gawlowski
Little of both. Expecting him to be a 45+ this winter. Sneak peak on the conclusion: "While the hit tool is really exciting, Primera is not especially projectable, and we want to see how his swing and approach hold up against better pitching before we dive in with both feet. He’s the kind of player where, were I still scouting for a team, I’d write him up as an everyday player without hesitation, but from a valuation perspective, we think it behooves us to stay patient for a little while longer. "
CherryTomato
First full healthy season from Farmelo. Anything unexpected from his performance?
Brendan Gawlowski
Not really, was worried that the injuries might've taken a bite out of his speed, but fortunately that wasn't the case. Otherwise, showed the talent and the swing and miss you'd expect with his long swing. We'll see if better pitching forces an adjustment soon.
Solitaire
I get the impression that high/low effort on velocity is treated as quite important/valuable but I'm not sure I've seen analysis confirming that. I've seen HOF starters who look like they're max efforting all the time and I've seen middle reliever Andrew Kittredge casually throw 96 like he's in the backyard. Curious your thoughts. Does looking like you're not trying actually mean it's easy? Are our monkey brains just stuck on facial expressions as important identifiers?
Brendan Gawlowski
Lot to unpack here. I generally but not always like lower effort because, in my experience at least, it correlates with better strike throwing and health. It's certainly not a 1:1 relationship with either. I don't recall where I read it, but Scherzer had a really insightful perspective on this, and on how he's been able to stay healthy even though he's a high effort guy because he's so strong and coordinated that he's able to pitch without over-stressing his arm.
Brendan Gawlowski
For most of the non-freak athletes, it's really hard to put the ball where you want if you're trying to throw it as hard as you can.
Charles Bengal Tiger
What would an 80th percentile outcome on Logan Hughes look like?
Brendan Gawlowski
Late career Joc with smoother peaks and valleys.
niall
Among baseball writers, I've noticed that there's a lot of mention around IP as the proxy to measure SP workload in the minors and majors. I started thinking about this after noticing Brody Hopkins and Kendry Chourio pitched a similar number of innings despite Hopkins facing about 100 more batters (very different types of pitcher, obviously). Do you get the sense teams/scouts are using this proxy or is this more of a shorthand where they're measuring something else to get at the "load" on pitchers?
Brendan Gawlowski
Shorthand. Teams have other ways to more precisely measure workload/stress.
Churlayla
What's for lunch?
Brendan Gawlowski
Man, I just had breakfast, why so ambitious?
crossedup
Following up from last chat; were you able to take a look at the Mariners lower minor starters? I know you were a bit interested in Bowery but there was also Reid Easterly and Scott Rouse. I know you were in AFL so not sure if you had a chance to look.
Brendan Gawlowski
Sorry, next chat I got you.
Haste11
Does Ralphy V win the starting 1B job in Cleveland on Opening Day? It feels like he doesn't have anything left to prove in AAA
Brendan Gawlowski
Lot of variables, new CBA might have something to say about this. You will see him soon, whether it's Opening Day or not is subject to factors outside of his control/performance.
Brendan Gawlowski
On talent, he could do it.
Fangraphs Man
Has Hagen Smith showed anything in his cup of coffee that makes you think he’s more likely to be a starter long term?
Brendan Gawlowski
No, strengths — awesome stuff — and weaknesses — below average control — in his game have long been apparent and we're seeing them these playoffs.
Churlayla
Ethan Anderson is the #2 C behind Basallo by August 2027?
Brendan Gawlowski
I think Anderson and Willems both are better fits as third catchers than traditional backups. Particularly with Basallo around, who you may not want to catch everyday anyway, I think BAL would prefer to have a better defender as the backup. But that's speculation.
Samuel Clemens
What does Tyler Bremner need to work on to keep moving up and be an effective SP with the Angels,
Brendan Gawlowski
Needs a better breaking ball.
scottsjunk1981
Any new rumors about whether and when there will be an R5 draft? Have you heard of any teams drawing a meaningfully different line than in most seasons?
Brendan Gawlowski
Haven't done any true reporting on this, but the scouts I sat with weren't optimistic.
Churlayla
Caden Bodine is catching MLB games by June?
Brendan Gawlowski
Sure, why not.
GB
Any plans to add a scouting report to Yostin Pena?
Brendan Gawlowski
Yes he'll get an extended writeup when we do NYY. I suspect they'll be fairly early in the list cycle.
wheelhouse
I’ve read that the yankees’ terrible fundamentals permeate their whole system down through the minors. Is that what you’ve seen, and how long would it take to address? Years?
Brendan Gawlowski
It does, they're really sloppy. In theory it could be a fairly quick fix.
jazzrunner12
Do the Tigers give Valencia 400 at bats next year? That was quite an impressive debut but he's 26 not 23. Also, do the Angels let Nelson Rada take over CF for most of the year?
Brendan Gawlowski
He's a tricky one to plan around, because the approach is aggressive/exploitable and you don't want to go into the year with him as a starter and have no Plan B. At the same time, he can be both really flawed and a lot worse next year… and still be a guy you want to give 500+ PA's anyway. So, yes, tentatively.
Brendan Gawlowski
As for the second question, this depends as much on how they want to man-manage Trout as it does on Rada's talent. I suspect, one way or the other, he'll play out there plenty. You might have to wait a bit for him to be the everyday guy.
wheelhouse
What do you attribute it to? Is it a question of the players they acquire or a lack of coaching emphasis? It’s bizarre to me that it’s such a glaring embarrassment on their big league squad and they’ve never done anything to correct it in their system
Brendan Gawlowski
This is a follow up to the Yankees question… Probably a little bit of both? It's not like any of the players or coaches want to see errors or whatnot. But, clearly there's an apparatus where both the acquisition groups and the coaching/dev staffs are willing to live with it if the guy can otherwise play.
canderson20
Do you have any insight on how teams decide who is going to play in the AFL? Thinking of a guy like Braden Nett who could seemingly use some extra innings due to time on IL this year compared to Kenya Huggins who had mostly a full season.
Brendan Gawlowski
Varies from team to team. Some see it as a valuable place to get innings/extra AB's, others couldn't care less and send a bunch of orgs to fill out a roster.
Brendan Gawlowski
I will say: If I was a player, I don't know if I'd want to go to the AFL. The atmosphere in the park is lethargic, the competition is just okay, a lot of the players/coaches don't want to be there, some of the rule experiments might be frustrating… It's not for everybody.
rainingmozzarella
Any idea why Milbrandt had issues throwing strikes in AAA? 64.4% strike rate in AA down to 57.4% in AAA. That's a huge decline. Was it issues getting acclimated to the different ball?
Brendan Gawlowski
I would just be speculating. The ball is a common issue for guys jumping to AAA. Both because they're developing feel for it but also because some guys don't get nearly the same movement and batters don't chase to the same degree.
Phil
There was a funny question in the Red Sox post mortem press conference–a reporter asked Craig Breslow if he would draft Craig Breslow (I think the implication would be that, as an analytics/Driveline guy, he only cares about velocity and spin). Breslow averred that he would–that he would recognize himself as someone with the ability to induce weak contact, regardless of the approach. But Breslow was drafted in teh 26th round (which I don't think still exists?)–how would, in fact, a guy like that, an ivy league LOOGY type with unimpressive velo. fare today? Would anyone draft Craig Breslow?
Brendan Gawlowski
With the caveat that I have only the vaguest feel for what Breslow's game looked like in college… He probably had some kind of standout or outlier trait, whether it was command, deception, changeup quality, I don't know. With his arm strength, it's hard to imagine he'd have been selected early, and while he might've been someone that would get taken in the 12th or 18th round today, it's possible he wouldn't be selected at all. Obviously, I think, the shorter draft and quicker development trajectory are filtering out guys who would develop into big leaguers in another context.
philly
Would be curious to hear any AFL thoughts on Flewelling. I thought it odd Tampa would send a young catcher coming off a full season.
Brendan Gawlowski
He looked good, only saw him play one game, but liked the approach and swing. Personally, I'd take him over Bodine.
Charles Bengal Tiger
Brock Wilken. Is there still hope?
Brendan Gawlowski
Maybe as a bench bat.
scottsjunk1981
What's your take on players who far exceed expectations in their rookie seasons and then fall back to being replacement-ish? Did the league adjust? Did they just start on a favorable part of the random walk? As a Nats fan, I'm specifically looking at Parker and Irvin and worrying about Alvarez.
Brendan Gawlowski
Sometimes the league adjusts, sometimes guys are able to execute their stuff for a stretch in a way that they can't over the long haul.
Churlayla
Bold prediction: Boston fans throw something/one in the harbor if Arias isn't at the 6 on day one.
Brendan Gawlowski
Every fanbase has its overreactors…
vottogoat
Any thoughts from Michael Arroyo's cup of coffee in the majors this year? Chance to be a regular next year?
Brendan Gawlowski
Didn't play much, unfortunately, bizarre that the M's gave Weston Wilson so many AB's down the stretch. When he did play, he kept on doing the same things he's always done…
Churlayla
Do you have prospects you can't contain your excitement about or has your career taught you to stay relatively 'flat' and wait for things to play out thru the minors?
Brendan Gawlowski
I enjoy the journey.
canderson20
Cardinals brass reported they're going to have Rainiel start working 3b into the mix for him this offseason. If he takes to the position, would it move him up or down the rankings?
Brendan Gawlowski
Steady.
tdmoc
Any big takeaways from your first (nearly) full year working here?
Brendan Gawlowski
Nothing earth shattering. There are a lot of people within the game who read this stuff… I like being able to cover the game globally and write things like the Brandon Valenzuela re-eval and (especially) the pro scouting piece…
OranguTongs
Anyone down in Arizona who looks like the next Jonah Tong?
Brendan Gawlowski
GDI.
Churlayla
Joseph Dzwiera is in the BAL rotation by mid-season?
Brendan Gawlowski
I suspect he'll get a look by that point, at least…
Churlayla
Nelson Rada? Raudi Rodriguez is the stud and he'll come off the top rope to remind you if need be! Lol
Brendan Gawlowski
– glances at Angels Roster Resource – There's… room for both of them.
Brendan Gawlowski
Think I'm going to shut it down here today. Thanks as always for stopping by, I'll be back in the normal Tuesday window again next week. Enjoy the postseason and see you soon.
Thanks in part to their offense’s listless performance against a parade of six Braves pitchers — Atlanta’s second bullpen game in a row — the Dodgers squandered a chance to take a 2-0 Division Series lead on Sunday, lending extra urgency to their matchup against Chris Sale in Tuesday’s Game 3. Manager Dave Roberts shook up his lineup in ways both foreign and familiar, most notably dropping Shohei Ohtani in the batting order below the two-hole for his first time as a Dodger, in hopes it would lead to a better approach by the banged-up, slumping slugger. Additionally, Roberts called upon old hands Enrique Hernández and Miguel Rojas, as much for their intensity as for the platoon advantages they provided against the ace lefty. Not all of those moves had a direct impact, but one certainly did, as Hernández broke a scoreless tie with a two-run homer off Sale in the fourth inning. Backed by seven strong innings from Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the Dodgers eked out a 3-1 victory, positioning them to clinch the series on Wednesday.
Through the first two games, Ohtani had gone 2-for-8 with a pair of strikeouts out of the no. 2 spot behind Mookie Betts, with a single in each game and three hard-hit balls in all. Roberts dropped him to fifth behind Betts, Freddie Freeman, Teoscar Hernández, and Will Smith — the first time Ohtani had started a game batting lower than fourth since 2020, when he was Angel. I’ll explore the numbers below, but the move made particular sense given Ohtani’s sudden struggles against sliders, Sale’s forte. Elsewhere, Roberts swapped out switch-hitting Tommy Edman at second base in favor of Rojas, batting sixth, and in place of lefty-swinging Max Muncy, he inserted the righty-swinging Hernández at third base, batting him ninth. Ohtani aside, the lineup resembled the one the Dodgers used when they — including Yamamoto — squared off against Sale on August 27 in Atlanta; Hernández played third, and Rojas second, with Edman in center in place of the injured Andy Pages. The Dodgers lost that one, 1-0, as Sale tossed a five-hit, 11-strikeout shutout, with Rojas the only one of the aforementioned moving parts to collect a hit.
Muncy merely ranked second on the team this year in both wRC+ (129) and homers (29), and what’s more, he homered in each of the first two games of the NLDS, running his franchise record for postseason dingers to 18. Coming off one of his best seasons against same-side pitching — .261/.343/.504 (133 wRC+) in 134 plate appearances against lefties, compared to .249/.349/.485 (126 wRC+) in 427 plate appearances against righties — this wasn’t a benching to be taken lightly. Hernández’s small-sample numbers against lefties during an injury-shortened season (.176/.236/.333, 50 wRC+ in 55 PA) didn’t exactly strengthen the case, nor did his 81 wRC+ against lefties over the past three seasons, compared to 75 against righties. Read the rest of this entry »
When the Padres put Mason Miller on the paternity list ahead of NLDS Game 3, it always had to be this way. It’s like Chekhov’s gun; if you show me a missing closer in the first act, you must show me a late-inning situation where he’d normally appear in the final one. The Padres beat the Brewers 4-3 to stay alive, narrowing their NLDS deficit to 2-1, in what has been easily the most entertaining series of the divisional round.
Right from the jump, the Brewers put pressure on the Padres. And right from the jump, the Padres minimized the damage. Jackson Chourio tattooed a line drive to the deep part of the ballpark to open the game. In response, Jackson Merrill took off on a perfect line and slid across the warning track to corral it.
Nick Pivetta couldn’t throw the ball past anybody; Milwaukee swung 37 times at his pitches and missed only twice. The Brewers peppered line drives left and right, making frequent loud contact. But they got less for their troubles than you’d expect, because Pivetta beguiled them and his defense stood tall behind him. Read the rest of this entry »
Sunday night’s encore performance of the Ray Kerr Variety Hour felt like a turning point in this postseason. The Braves had not only survived the Chris Salebullpen fiasco, they were headed back home with the series tied and their two best starting pitchers lined up on full rest. The Dodgers have been on the ropes before during their back-to-back World Series-winning run, but those ropes felt especially menacing against Sale and the resurgent Braves.
Not to worry, Dodgers fans. Los Angeles escaped this crucible with a 3-1 win, and now sit one game from a third straight NLCS appearance. Regularly scheduled programming has resumed. Read the rest of this entry »
Major League Baseball is once again using the Arizona Fall League as a laboratory for potential rule changes at the major league level. In the past, the AFL has been a proving ground for rule alterations that have made their way to the top level of play, from the pitch timer, to limits on infield shifts, to the ABS challenge system; other initiatives, such as check swing challenges and fully automated balls and strikes, have previously been tested in Arizona but not implemented in the majors. This year, FanGraphs can report that the AFL is piloting new rules restricting defender positioning both on the infield (with the bases empty) and, perhaps more notably, in the outfield. Though MLB implemented restrictions on where infielders can play in 2023, this is the first time the league is piloting guard rails around where outfield defenders can be positioned when a pitch is thrown.
These restrictions first came to my attention during Monday’s game at Salt River Field, where Brendan Gawlowski and I noticed two things. First, Brendan noticed that the two teams’ corner outfielders were positioned both very close to the foul lines and much shallower than contemporary outfielders typically play. Of course, there are situations where a team might want to strategically align their outfielders like this, but for both teams to be doing so regardless of the hitter or game situation struck us as strange. Here is what that looked like on Monday:
Welcome to our Open Game Thread for the NLDS Game 3. Chat with fellow readers as we watch the Dodgers at the Braves and the Brewers at the Padres. Only Members can participate, and unlike our usual game chats, your messages will be posted immediately.
Our Member community is made up of thousands of incredibly knowledgable baseball fans, and we think this is a great way to follow a game with like-minded baseball enthusiasts. We might even have some FanGraphs Staff drop in and join the fun. Please be courteous to your fellow Members, or you may find your chat privileges revoked.
We are going to open the chat up at 5:30 PM ET.
si.or.no
What's the difference between a chat and a game thread? Is a game thread a no-moderation-queue chat?
Sean Dolinar
Correct, this is just an open game thread. So more casual. People can interact with each other rather than having staff facilitate everything. Less friction.
Paul
The MVP Yeti arrived last week. Looks great! Thank you and keep up the good work!
Sean Dolinar
Welcome everyone!
Bacterun
Wishing all a happy "hope the dodgers lose" day!
lzfreak
This is such a juicy pitching matchup! Feels like a game 1
Sean Dolinar
I gotta get some polls up!
Rich Hill's Fastball
The pitching matchup is so good that this game will definitely end 11-6
lzfreak
Thoughts on Ohtani batting 5th?
TKDC
Yeah, is that a “he’s not himself” thing or a “he’s not a good matchup with Sale” thing?
Rich Hill's Fastballedited
All the Sale discourse has people underrating the heck outta Yamamoto today
Bacterun
I voted for him to get pulled early….but thats more a hope than thinking he's not amazing. As a Jays fan i know all to well how he can take over a game
Bacterun
Don't expect it to change to much, but maybe he'll benefit from seeing a few batters worth of pitches before he goes to bat
Phil
Before checking just now I had no idea when this game started, or when the next one did, and these two start times would not have been in my top ten guesses. Definitely not staying up for the late game.
lzfreak
MLB's reluctance to have multiple playoff games on at once is annoying
Sean Dolinar
I don't get why CLE game started at 5PM yesterday and today's is 6PM. Dodgers being a West Coast team vs midwest teams? 🤷♂️
lzfreak
I think both games being pacific time is the difference
Jon Becker
Hi everyone!
Sean Dolinar
I still haven't put the 👋 emoji in yet!
Rich Hill's Fastball
Hi Jon!
lzfreak
Oh wait this is in Atlanta lol
Matt Martell
If Sale were a wide receiver, he would've gotten his foot down on the bag for the first out
Matt Martell
Also, hi
Jon Becker
Hi Matt!
Jon Becker
Sean hasn't added the 👋 emoji yet
Sean Dolinar
Someone submitted 4 PRs today that I need to review.
lzfreak
Kim paying homage to the Yankees defense
hamandcheese
Sure would rather have Jorge Mateo…
rhyde1990
Lets say the Rays and Dodgers ended up meeting in a 2020 rematch. Could the Rays style of play (lots of contact, small ball, etc) end up being a bad matchup for the Dodgers pitching (swing and miss stuff), or more of a repeat of how last year's WS turned out?
Rich Hill's Fastball
A factor here is that the Dodgers' fielding is generally much better than, to pick a random team, the Yankees'.
rhyde1990
I thought the same thing since the Dodgers IF ranked well in OAA this year, but so did the Yankees and then last night happened 😂
Jon Becker
Ohtani is certainly capable of taking ugly swings but goodness that was especially ugly
Matt Martell
Yes, I think, especially if Ohtani is broken
Jonathan Smith
That Sale arm angle and slider movement will break a man
Rich Hill's Fastball
Camera angle won't do hitters any favors tonight
Jon Becker
Looks beautiful in Atlanta and it is in fact 25 degrees colder there than it was in LA for Game 1, so everything is weird about this series so far
bosoxforlife
This has to be the best matchup, pitcher wise, in any Game 3 ever played.
Phil
Good mailbag question. Could be investigated with career WAR or same-year WAR, maybe.
Jon Becker
It's been DAYS since Matt asked me to do a mailbag question, I may have to look into this for this week
Matt Martell
@ me next time
Matt Martell
If you submit this as a question to mailbag@fangraphs.com, we'll answer it this week!
Jon Becker
That is a very emotional challenge from Acuña
bosoxforlife
Has anybody ever seen a left-handed hitter who was a good matchup for Sale? 6'6" from deep down. I would pull a Kruk and just head back to the dugout.
Jon Becker
Eric Hosmer absolutely owned him somehow, .346/.370/.538
Rich Hill's Fastball
Because Hosmer didn't use "analytics," Jon!
Jon Becker
Just cannot burn that with nobody on and one out in the first
hamandcheese
Acuna is awful at challenging.
Jonathan Smith
Not a good challenge there
bosoxforlife
What a ridiculous challenge!
Matt Martell
Bad challenge
Rich Hill's Fastball
Do we think Smith's glove movement could've impacted Acuña challenging there?
bosoxforlife
I will attempt to put together a coherent question.
rhyde1990
Great pitching matchups that come to mind for me in the last 25 or so years- Clemens vs Schilling, Beckett vs Pettite was pretty tight in 03, Lee vs Sabathia in 2009, Lincecum vs Lee a couple games, Lester vs Wainwright had a good duel if I remember correctly
RonaldRaygun
Randy Johnson faced Greg Maddux in 2001
rhyde1990
oh thats right Ronald, forgot about that
bosoxforlife
Please identify that breaking pitch that Sale throws. It has been called a slider for years but doesn't look like any slider, short quick break, that I have ever seen.
Rich Hill's Fastball
I dunno what to call it besides "filthy" (okay, maybe a slurve)
bosoxforlife
That fastball under the hands to righties is pretty tough to hit as well.
Phil
Pedro-Roger in the 99 ALCS was a game 3, now that think of it
bosoxforlife
Great catch! That does beat this and by quite a bit.
bohs and os
Why just casually toss it over to first the second time given the rules?
Jon Becker
Sale has the Goods tonight
Jon Becker
These are the insights your Membership fees pay for, folks
Rich Hill's Fastballedited
Credit to the Dodgers for at least running up the pitch count
lzfreak
What makes this particular game 3 matchup crazier for me is that it's the first series for the Dodgers. They're set up and Yamamoto is still only their third most trusted guy. Their rotation is absurd!
Matt Martell
The greatest miracle in sports is whenever anybody gets a hit off Chris Sale
bosoxforlife
I am beginning to think that when Sale's arm is attached he could be similar to the God of Arms, Nolan Ryan. Sale might pitch into his 40's.
Phil
Just take away his bicycle.
Jonathan Smith
Pumping 99 at that arm angle at 37 is just incredible.
lzfreak
He did miss quite a bit of time in his 30s. But this Atlanta chapter has been impressive
lzfreak
Smoltz: "That was a true sacrifice"
Ben Clemens
That was a sweet play by Yamamoto there. I mean, totally unnecessary and no added value. But man, fun to watch
Ben Clemens
How can he even get close to first with that setup? impressive
Rich Hill's Fastball
Harris had that stolen standing up, wow
bosoxforlife
The chats haven't mentioned the explosion in offensive bunting. I am of the opinion that as pitching continues to get tougher to hit we are going to see more and more attempts, but hopefully not pure sacrifices with a man on 1st
Rich Hill's Fastball
Bunting for a hit has always been a relatively smart gamble if the pitching is good enough. Sacrifices…not so much, and I think these playoffs have generally demonstrated that teams agree
fincampbell05
I imagine the run expectancy proposition from straight up sacrificing (runner on first, none out -> runner on second, one out) would get even worse as pitchers get better, right
lzfreak
Nice play by Dubon
bosoxforlife
Dubon is my choice for the most underappreciated player in the game today.
Sean Dolinar
I wish they wouldn't cut the ump cam in the middle of a pitch like that.
Ben Clemens
That was a super fun play by Dubon and I am really divided about how tough it was. Like, pretty tough! But surely not the best catch we've seen these playoffs. That low wall makes it hard for my brain. Because I'm like what a robbery
Ben Clemens
but actually the really hard part was getting there and absorbing the contact, not like he had to leap super high
lzfreak
This postseason has had more catcher's interference than expected
Jon Becker
Anyone else spot Baldy on Baldwin's chest protector? Not sure I'd love that nickname if I was him
TKDC
I think it’s a rule that every catcher’s nickname is just the first syllable of their first or last name plus a “y”
bosoxforlife
They must be taking lessons from Jacoby Ellsbury on how to induce catcher's interference.
Rich Hill's Fastball
If memory serves, Ohtani last reached on catcher's interference in game 5 of the '24 World Series
Antonio Bananas
How many pitches does Weiss give Sale? Lots of stress so far
Ben Clemens
I'm super interested in this!
Ben Clemens
I've had Sale on my mind a lot, what with writing about him and all. Feels like there are not a ton of moving parts to atlanta's strategy, but 'what do we do with Sale' is a massive and variable question
Rich Hill's Fastball
I feel like Weiss will push Sale a bit too far, whenever that is
trmackey
I feel like Sale will push himself further than Weiss will.
beanbong
Provided he doesnt start getting knocked around, I think you could see 110-115
beanbong
After the Freeman & Hernandez flyouts, kinda looks like they got the juiced ball in this one
lzfreak
That splitter is filthy
jzmaxson27
I feel like this is the sickest pitching matchup I have watched all year.
jzmaxson27
It's so rare that a highly billed on really lives up to the billing. But damn.
Antonio Bananas
These quick Yamamoto innings gotta be making Sale's stressful innings even worse right? No breaks
fincampbell05
Definitely but Sale is also a sicko
Antonio Bananas
He hasn't really been hit all that well which is encouraging. 3 infield hits
Antonio Bananas
Does Dubon make these plays at SS?
beanbong
I don't really understand what they're hoping to get out of Kim. What does he provide that someone like Jarvis doesn't other than standing in the right handed batters box
bosoxforlife
I have a very warm spot in my heart for Enrique Hernandez. His 2021 season with the Red Sox was something special and since I have no rooting interest I will enjoy his moment.
lzfreak
I guess we're doing October Enrique Hernandez again
Ben Clemens
Yamamoto is just DEALING. Was looking at Savant and this stat is kinda wild. He has 9 whiffs in 17 swings. Sale has 8 whiffs in 31 swings
Ben Clemens
And like, Sale looks sharp too!
Ben Clemens
worrisome stat for Sale, though: he's allowed 5 hard-hit balls so far, which is how many he allowed in his whole last start. Yamamoto has allowed zero, because jeez
Ben Clemens
er, six….
Rich Hill's Fastball
Can't rob that one!
Ben Clemens
I must not have been paying attention in previous Freeman visits to Atlanta but man, lot of booing!
Rich Hill's Fastball
Oh, this is new!
Ben Clemens
ah, well that explains it
TKDC
Did he say something? It’s weird. But at the same time this is the playoffs not the regular season.
Davy Andrewsedited
Hello, friends. How is playoff Erique possible? How is it possible?
lzfreak
I wonder if someone told him every day in the regular season that it's a playoff game if he'd be a Hall of Famer
Ben Clemens
like I guess I kind of remember it? But in my head it was kind of a mixed reaction, not this
lzfreak
Freeman was in quite a power outage before the playoffs. Seems to be back to normal now
Antonio Bananas
This feels insurmountable
trmackey
Well I think there's less curiosity on how deep Sale lasts now…
Phil
Davy, your article today has me looking to see if infielders are smelling the ball. I hope you're happy.
Davy Andrews
This makes me deeply happy. Honestly, that was some of the most fun writing I've done in a while and I stand by the idea one million percent.
Ben Clemens
Tough inning here for Sale, Weiss needs to start thinking about what to do. Last six hitters all put the ball in play:
103 mph grounder single xBA .380
94 mph liner out xBA .730
107 mph homer xBA .870
98 mph groundout xBA .230
103 mph homer xBA .580
108 mph lineout xBA .880
Davy Andrews
Ben, how are you doing?
Ben Clemens
I'm good. Getting all amped up for tonight's recap
Davy Andrews
You get amped? I get stressed.
Jon Becker
This has very quickly devolved from “alpha pitching duel” into “Sale is probably going to be out of the game after five innings trailing by multiple runs.” Gonna see a lot of The Raptor (Brent Suter) today, methinks
Davy Andrews
Hey Becker! I almost asked for your help coming up with puns for my article this morning. Did I blow it?
Jon Becker
I thought you did great 🙂
Davy Andrews
Oh, I just meant is that a particular skill of yours. Seems like it would be.
Sean Dolinar
We can wave now.
Matt Martell
Becker is FanGraphs' leading Pun-dit!
Matt Martell
Baumann doesn't count – there is no word to describe what he does
fincampbell05
I'm sure this is not a popular opinion, and I'm sure it's colored by anti-Dodgers sentiment, but I really don't like watching Yamamoto pitch. Something about these weak contact/BABIP merchant pitchers just grinds my gears. And his windup is weird too.
lzfreak
As a neutral fan I completely disagree
jzmaxson27
He says right before he blows a high 97 mph fastball by Albie's for his 7th K of the game.
bosoxforlife
I am the antithesis of you. I grew up watching Mel Parnell and Whitey Ford do exactly that and prefer that to today's TTO game.
fincampbell05
I mean yeah he's very good of course
Ben Clemens
Yeah I'm with you, @lzfreak. Yamamoto is one of my favorit pitchers to watch
Ben Clemens
In the same way that I love watching Soto hit
Ben Clemens
like probably my least favorite pitcher to watch, relative to skill, is Blake Snell
lzfreak
I used to be on the anti-Snell-watching train but last year's playoffs won me over. Felt like he was attacking the zone better and working quickly and effectively
MadMonk
as a Padres fan, the year he won the Cy Young with us, it was frustrating whenever he pitched, not enjoyable to watch.
Ben Clemens
and Yamamoto is kind of reverse Snell
Jon Becker
I still can’t really fathom how he can spin a curveball that beautiful from that arm slot
Antonio Bananas
With the infield hits, catchers interference, quick Yamamoto innings, all stressing Sale it's not a surprise he got hit hard.
Antonio Bananas
Was exhausting just watching those innings
Phillip Denny
how much longer does Kiké do this before we grudgingly admit that clutch *may* be a thing for *some* players?
Antonio Bananas
Or is he incredibly un-clutch the rest of the time?
Rich Hill's Fastball
fwiw, Kiké has discussed how his ADHD does negatively affect his focus during the regular season but helps him during the playoffs. Take that for what you will.
Phillip Denny
this may be a tomayto – tomahto situation tbh
lzfreak
I wonder if there's an inefficiency in sports psychology or something where a team could try to unlock value by getting guys to focus/perform at peak more often. Not sure what that looks like
Phil
I think it's well established that there is such a thing as clutch–it's just not predictive. Just because it's not predictive doesn't mean it doesn't exist.
fincampbell05
Yeah personally I really enjoy pitchers like Snell. Guys who look like they're launching grenades rather than pea-shooting, if that makes any sense. Just a random person-to-person thing I guess
Ben Clemens
100%. personal preference is why baseball is fun. if we all liked the same stuff, the sport would not grab me the same way
Phillip Denny
Man Shohei frequently gets spooked on the inside corner like that
Matt Martell
Hate to say it, but I agree with Smoltz there — bad challenge by Ohtani. Don't challenge in a 3-0 count with nobody on and your team up 3-0. Clearly an emotional challenge there
Antonio Bananas
I think he's pressing a bit because he's not hitting up to his standard. Same reason why Acuna challenged his IMO
TKDC
Ohtani and Acuna both made bad challenges on essentially the same pitch.
Phillip Denny
Shohei's plate knowledge up, down, and out are very good. Inside, it's very poor.
zapper
Best inning of the game for Sale. The Dodgers need to knock him out in the 6th and put that Braves' bullpen to work.
David
I will be curious to see the evolution of challenging pitches if it stays around for very long at all. The other night there was a pitch clock violation and, it happens so rarely now, I had nearly forgotten it was a thing.
zapper
Nice game by Dubon, stellar catch and now a leadoff single.
Rich Hill's Fastball
I haven't adjusted my emotional priors enough from 2021-2023. Austin Riley still terrifies me as an opponent.
Jon Becker
I really like Snitker using the Rowdy card here, Yamamoto has reverse splits but ultimately is great against everyone and Rowdy has a better chance of running into one
Jon Becker
Apologies to Walt Weiss, who is the actual manager of the Braves
Antonio Bananas
Rowdy Tellez looks like the bad guy Mets hitter from Rookie of the Year
Ben Clemens
Dubon for Nick Allen was a great trade for the Braves, huh? They basically won on both ends
Davy Andrews
Losing Nick Allen is never a good thing.
Ben Clemens
like, they got Allen's best year, then moved him at the high point
Anonymous Member #46
selling high =/= selling tall
cashgod27
If you're pinch-hitting HSK with a guy who has 11 PAs this year, why start him at all?
jzmaxson27
Man, really had that rowdy stinger locked and loaded.
Davy Andrewsedited
I love that Rowdy ended the year with a .506 xwOBA.
bosoxforlife
I missed the Braves moving Dom Smith for Rowdy Tellez.
Matt Martell
Of all people to walk
jonmberra
Surprised that wasn’t a double play.
zapper
So Yamamoto can speak more English now. The interpreter stayed in the dugout for that mound conference.
jonmberra
It would be funny if they weren’t talking and it was just stalling/rest move.
lzfreak
Maybe the pitching coach learned Japanese
zapper
Acuna left his playoff hits on the field for Venezuela during this year's Classic.
Jon Becker
A 3-1 perfectly placed splitter is just diabolical
Davy Andrews
Weird how diabolical is so much better a word than devilish.
Ben Clemens
One of my playoff resolutions was to be less annoyed by Smoltz. And for the most part, I think I've done it well. But I've been spiraling since he compared Ozzie Albies to Chipper Jones
Ben Clemens
Look, we know you don't know many players that aren't Braves. But can he be Terry Pendleton or something?
Anonymous Member #46
Mark Lemke with power
Ben Clemens
i mean, perfect
Ben Clemens
Chipper is 6'4"
lzfreak
One thing I haven't seen mentioned with all the Sale discourse: might he be in play for a potential game 5? It would be somewhat similar to the game 3 wildcard series move, but an inning or two from him in that scenario could be huge for the Braves
Rich Hill's Fastball
He'd definitely be available for this, yeah.
Antonio Bananas
I think the WC series is the plan moving forward. Start on 5 days rest and use his throwing day to put him in relief
Anonymous Member #46
I love how these chats feel like we're just running amok in the FanGraphs work Slack.
Sean Dolinar
Our Slack isn't typically this interesting.
Jon Becker
The most exciting our Slack gets is when Meg accidentally sends the main channel that she’s getting lunch and then she’ll get to Baumann’s piece, so we all get to ask what’s for lunch. Riveting stuff
Anonymous Member #46
Asking what's for lunch is a time-honored FanGraphs tradition.
bosoxforlife
I got the chicken and the veggies cut up for the between games stir fry and I will rejoin this very interesting chat.
ruddurball
I got my dan dan noodle prep done before first pitch. Hope your dinner is tasty!
Ben Clemens
dan dan noodle? tell me more
ruddurball
I use the recipe from kenji Lopez alt “the wok” but sub peanut butter for tahini becuase of a sesame allergy. Super fast and easy. They also suggest using capers instead of pickled mustard root and it works!
zapper
If the Dodger's have the lead in the 9th who will get the save opportunity, Diaz or "shaky lately" Tanner Scott?
jzmaxson27
Darkhorse option of Evan Phillips
Rich Hill's Fastball
This NLDS features two of the game's best organists.
Ben Clemens
I think I'd even be willing to say 'the game's best two organists'
lzfreak
Having been to all 30 parks, this was my take as well
bosoxforlife
I envy you. I have been to 67 ball parks with my passion for minor league ball.
Rich Hill's Fastball
Roberts is going to have some VERY interesting bullpen decisions coming up
lzfreak
Let Yamamoto go 9!
bosoxforlife
I upvote that!
zapper
Wow, no challenge.
Jeremy Fox
Is Matt Olson the highest-waisted player in baseball?
Anonymous Member #46
Sean Hjelle
Jeremy Fox
Sean Hjelle is long-limbed all the way round. Olson combines long legs with a (comparatively) short torso and short arms.
Ben Clemens
how about Carl Edwards Jr? or is his an optical illusion based on being so slender?
Jos
watching players do ABS calculus in real time is such a fun new aspect of baseball strategy
Antonio Bananas
How good are we at measuring the impact of challenges? Olson probably challenges that high strike and wins if Acuna hadn't wasted one
Neat
Very cool ump cam curveball
zapper
Do the umpires get told during the game about calls they missed that did not get challenged?
Jos
id imagine they get some kind of game report afterward breaking down all the calls rather than anything mid game
Davy Andrews
Yeah, postgame report. Also, you might recall that last year the league tightened up the buffer zone around the edge of the plate, which resulted in more strike calls.
beanbong
I’ve never seen a switch hitter change sides against the same pitcher in all my life.
Antonio Bananas
Freeman could have had 3 HRs this game as hard as he's hit them
Davy Andrews
I was just thinking of that line from Moneyball, when David Justice would come back to the dugout after hitting one as hard as he could and watching it die on the warning track: "That used to be gone."
Antonio Bananas
If you could add 20 minutes of that movie to cover Hudson/Zito/Mulder, who do you cast?
Davy Andrews
This is a Matt question if I've ever heard oe, so I'll just say Andy Serkis for all three.
Matt Martell
I like the idea of casting one person as all three, because they were so inconsequential to the season that they might as well all be the same person — in the eyes of the filmmakers anyway
Keaton Arneson
They also ignored Chavez and Tejada… So their 5 best players. And Lidle by WAR
Matt Martell
Back to FanGraphs Slack for a moment… Here's a real thing Baumann asked me two weeks ago: "Do you think you and I talk about Bulworth more than any two coworkers in the world, or do we just talk about Bulworth more than any two people in the BBWAA?"
Davy Andrews
I have never seen that movie, but in ninth grade, when the JV basketball team went to preseason camp, my friend Justin and I roomed together and he brought the soundtrack. He played Ghetto Superstar on repeat for the entire week.
Matt Martell
Great news, Davy – I just bought the DVD on eBay. Come over and watch it during the offseason
Davy Andrewsedited
Is it…good? Isn't there a part where Warren Beatty raps? Am I thinking of the right movie?
Sean Dolinar
Slightly late to this. We had Sale at 5.65 for innings pitch…so 5.2 IP in our written convent. And he pitched 5.0 IP.
Sean Dolinar
Median 6 IP. The 5.65 was the average.
Davy Andrews
Smart chat.
Matt Martell
You are thinking of the right movie. And it is good! It's absolutely bonkers, but good!
Jonathan Smith
I know they set this up for the CS but Yama as your number 3 is just downright disgusting. This guy is an ace of all aces.
jzmaxson27
I feel like there is a legitimate argument to be made that he is the most important player to them during this run of back to back titles and the attempt for the third.
lzfreak
Oh yeah they definitely don't win it without him last year
Jonathan Smith
And if I recall he struggled early on in his first year? What a massive payoff for him to be this strong.
Michael Baumann
Hi guys, heard you were talking about Bulworth
Davy Andrews
I just laughed so hard.
Matt Martell
If you command+F "Bulworth" in my Slack messages with Baumann, you get 14 hits
Michael Baumannedited
I'm shocked it's not five times as many
zapperedited
Yamamoto starts the 8th to deal with the nine hole pinch hitter and Vesia comes in for Baldwin.
Matt Martell
Guys… Bulworth features an original score by Ennio Morricone!!!
zapper
Guess not with all the hand slapping in the dugout.
Michael Baumann
Gotta run. I just took out a hit on myself so my daughter can collect on my life insurance policy.
jzmaxson27
I figured with your article titles you were already living a life unencumbered by focus groups and handlers. I'm excited to see where it all goes from here!
Matt Martell
Well done
Rich Hill's Fastballedited
Organist honoring Mii-guel Rojas 🙂
Matt Martell
^This is a Bulworth reference for those of you who haven't had the pleasure of seeing it yet
David
My (disingenuous) pet theory on Ohtani's poor second half is that he had a second kid in June and is just not sleeping well at all with the adjustment. Ask me how I know.
Davy Andrews
Has anybody on staff seen The Rock 150 times or so? Would be nice to have someone to talk to about that particular movie.
jzmaxson27
It is the best Bruckheimer movie. Honorable mention to Con Air of course.
Matt Martell
Put some respect on THIEF
Davy Andrews
Oh, I have been meaning to see that!
Matt Martell
I also own Thief! We can do a Bulworth/Thief double feature!
jzmaxson27
Guess I've got an addition to my watch list!
Davy Andrews
This sounds fun, but the whiskey taste test has to come first. Also, I have been informed by an interested party that it needs to be at your apartment.
Matt Martell
Whiskey taste test DURING the Thief/Bulworth double feature!
Davy Andrews
No way. The taste test is a serious work assignment.
Davy Andrews
Which we should probably get on the calendar, actually.
Matt Martell
Wow this has really turned into FG Slack
Phil
I just saw Longenhagen's piece about restricting outfield positioning in the AFL. Sounds very fishy to me (I don't mean Eric's reporting, I mean the idea reported on). Might not teams want outfielders to work on their defense, inckuding pre-pitch positioning, in Arizona?
Matt Martell
Teams might want to, but MLB views the AFL as a low stakes place to try stuff out. That is more important to the powers that be than whether minor league outfielders can correctly read a card telling them where to play.
Doug Gray
This is probably why they are only doing it in one stadium (this year). It's 14 games unless I counted wrong. The Salt River guys will get a little less "normal" outfield work, though.
Phil
Yeah. But then I also wonder whether that's enough games to see if it has an effect. But I guess it's nore of a heck, why not move than a carefully developed experiment.
Ben Clemens
Davy I make a decent number of The Rock references. But my wife has somehow not seen it even though we live in SF. It's a travesty
Davy Andrews
My wife fell asleep while watching it, and it hurt my soul.
Davy Andrews
She also fell asleep during Raiders of the Lost Ark, and I have an amazing cell phone video of her snoozing peacefully on the couch while John Williams' thrilling Indiana Jones score blares in the background.
Matt Martell
I know he has played in four MLB seasons, but I refuse to believe Brewer Hicklen is a real player
zapper
Don't let Hicklen on, 70 speed.
Ben Clemens
I mainly remember Hicklen because when we did the crowdsourced OOTP Brewers in 2020, I traded for everyone with Brewer in their name: Brewer Hicklen and Colten Brewer
Phil
I just realized Hicklen was in fact a Brewer. . . for 5 PAs in 2024.
Rich Hill's Fastballedited
Who faces the Olson-Albies-Harris corridor in the ninth? Ideally that'd be Scott so I'm surprised he's being deployed here. Edit: meant to submit this at the start of the inning.
lzfreak
We getting Diaz in the 9th?
Yer Main Guy
Why can't position players just stand where they wanna stand, Manfred?
Rich Hill's Fastball
For those unaware, Mason Miller was just placed on the paternity list
Rich Hill's Fastball
His Padres play an elimination game in half an hour
Keaton Arneson
I know why teams put in their best relievers when losing a close game, but at what point is letting a team see that reliever over and over in a series a hindrance?
Phil
There's a name for this but I can't remember what it is
Phil
Familiarity penalty, I guess. Discussed in an Effectively Wild episode, looks like (and which I vaguely remember).
Davy Andrews
Yeah, there have been some SABR Research Journal articles about it as well.
jzmaxson27
Should have challenged that one right?
Rich Hill's Fastball
Down 0-2 in the count, with one challenge left, you have to be DAMN sure you're right
bosoxforlife
But if the game went extra innings the Dodgers would get another challenge so he should have used it.
zapper
The Braves' pen owns the Dodgers.
Davy Andrews
Austin Wells would have stretched that into a triple.
Phil
Not dead yet.
Matt Martell
Maybe Ozzie Albies actually is Chipper Jones!
bosoxforlife
Diaz has been good (okay?) recently but I see this a risky move by Roberts.
lzfreak
How do the Dodgers always spend like 9 figures on the bullpen and come October nobody is trustworthy
Rich Hill's Fastball
I choose to watch (and love) the Moneyball movie as a piece of narrative art, not a documentary
bosoxforlife
I would trust Yamamoto in this spot.
lzfreak
Wonder if Kershaw is available for a token high leverage relief inning
Rich Hill's Fastball
Glasnow vs Mahle tomorrow!
bosoxforlife
The wok is hot and I will be back for the Brewers-Padres.
Ben Clemens
I ran off for a bit to set up for the next game. And to keep with my bit of criticizing the bad television personalities, did everyone else hear Derek Jeter bragging about how he 'told everyone about Yamamoto'? Oh, you mean the freaking world series MVP and one of the best pitchers in the world?
Ben Clemens
I like pizza. I don't go around yelling "I told you about pizza, don't act like I didn't" to people. Because, like, yeah.
Sean Dolinar
I have a friend who brags about their skill at finding pizza.
Ben Clemens
like, a specific pizza place? Because I think I'd accept 'i told you about yamamoto's ability to land a split for a strike' or something similar
Davy Andrews
Hey Jack!
Ben Clemens
or like, just their incredible food knowledge that pizza is good?
Ben Clemens
that said – hey, being compared to Derek Jeter isn't the worst thing in the world
Sean Dolinar
Not something specific. Though it tends to be Neapolitan/wood fire type pizza. Not like hole-in-the-wall finds.
Sean Dolinar
I had another friend that wanted to go to all the VPN-certified pizzerias she could find. One was near me. I went it and it was delightful.
Jack Dorfman
VPN-certified?
Jack Dorfman
Googled it, that seems like a good way to find new spots
Davy Andrews
Hey Jack! (This time in the right place.)
Jack Dorfman
Haha hey Davy!
bosoxforlife
Lunch tomorrow with my friend of 56 years will be at our favorite pizzaria. Great thin crust after a bowl of the best pasta fagioli I have found in my extensive travels.
Sean Dolinar
I should have added the pizza emoji too.
Davy Andrews
Everybody in this booth looks like their mom combed their hair for them on picture day.
MattStats5
Freddie Freeman just sealed his future as a studio analyst….helluva postgame interview.
Jack Dorfman
Excited for Playoff Piv feel like he'll come out chucking
lzfreak
So how should the Padres approach the lack of Miller here? Lean extra hard on Morejon and Rodriguez? Get weird with a starter in relief?
MattStats5
I get the paternity list thing, but now? Your team is facing elimination…tough decision, for sure.
Davy Andrews
Easy decision. Only decision.
lzfreak
Is anyone else bothered by how Amin pronounces "Contreras?" Sounds like he's saying "Contrerez"
Davy Andrews
Ok, yeah, I hear that.
bosoxforlife
Pivetta always frustrated me during his 5 years with the Red Sox. He always looked like he would do what he has shown with the Padres.
Davy Andrews
Yeah, how many Positional Power Rankings talked about his stuff versus his results?
lzfreak
Exciting Jackson play
Jack Dorfman
That did not feel like it was going to get caught wow
Sean Dolinar
I thought that was going to drop. He almost overran that too!
Davy Andrewsedited
Can't believe he held onto it given where it hit his glove.
bosoxforlife
Bauers isn't a contender for Comeback of the Year because he never was anything but he is a contender for biggest surprise of the year.
Jack Dorfman
Does Bryan Baker win AL Surprise of the Year?
bosoxforlife
He is on the ballot.
Brendan Smith
William Contreras being 28 and in the league for 7 seasons is shocking. Equally shocking is his 18.1 career bWAR. Quietly a top 5 catcher in the league consistently
bosoxforlife
He was #1 on the MLB position rankings at least once. I know I would like him to join his brother on the Red Sox.
war2d2
On the “bad broadcasters” topic: this booth. Pierzynski and Wainwright make me wish I wasn’t a baseball fan. Absolute tire fire.
lzfreak
Oh wow the Padres are batting an actual good major league hitter second in their lineup!
lzfreak
Is it just me or does Dustin May look leaner than the last time I saw him?
bosoxforlife
Who is surprised that the Brewers chose May over Harrison?
Jon Becker
Hopping back in quickly to say that’s the worst challenge of the year I think
Jon Becker
Now back to my snack of saltines, which are genuinely good even when not sick. No further questions
Davy Andrews
I finished the Saltines last night.
Davy Andrews
Though I was slathering them in sweetened hazelnut butter.
David
This is definitely the correct take
war2d2
The Nabisco mini-saltines are wonderful. Like un-cheesed Cheez-its.
war2d2
“I’m here to chew bubblegum and make terrible ABS challenges, and I’m fresh out of bubblegum.” — William Contreras
Brendan Smith
Dustin May 100!!!!
Davy Andrews
Must have killed Contreras not to challenge that one.
war2d2
Someone reminded him that the dugout is full of bubblegum. Literally littered with it.
bosoxforlife
It has been discussed so many times but what are these players thinking with these meaningless challenges. Are the coaches to blame?
Davy Andrews
I suspect there's a real concern about getting them too in their heads here. You want them to be aggressive, and you don't want them thinking about challenges when they're supposed to be hitting or catching. It's important, but not as important as driving the baseball or calling a good game!
Brendan Smith
Does Ty France Comeback Player of the Year count if he was coming back from mid?
Phil
The definition of a comeback should be the new controversy to replace the definition of a breakout. How good do you once have to have been to have a comeback?
war2d2
Man, Pivetta’s throwing some real wiffleball curves.
Jacob Richey
Brewers doing a great job working the count. Bauers and Turang both struck out but on 9+ pitches each. What’s Pivetta’s expected pitch count? can’t imagine it’s high given coming back from injury.
Davy Andrews
He hit 87 in the start before last, so it might be fairly high if he's dealing.
bosoxforlife
Another challenge in a low leverage situation. ????? What is going on with these guys?
Davy Andrews
What a bummer that pitching coach Chris Hook never gets to be the one to take out the pitcher.
lzfreak
My favorite was when Craig Counsell was the Brewers manager. You'd have Hook out to give council then Counsell would come with the hook.
war2d2
God willing he’ll aspire to managing, and then score one for nominative determinism
bosoxforlife
Which contract is a worse albatross, Bogaerts or Riley?
jzmaxson27
Depends on which owner is more spending averse.
Jacob Richey
ZIPS 3 yr projections still like Riley… or at least don’t factor in this year. Think Bogaerts contract is worse. More money, more years remaining, bogaerts is older, and decline to sub 2 WAR projected pretty quickly.
lzfreak
Murphy with the hilarious sound bite there
jzmaxson27
🤣🤣🤣
Jon Becker
Just have Murphy call the game
Davy Andrews
This is why he's manager of the year every year.
lzfreak
Is he gonna win it a third straight year? I'm not sure who else you'd give it to
jzmaxson27
Every now and then we get rewarded for having the sound on.
Jon Becker
Nothing against this booth, which I like, I just think they'd rather he call the game too
Jack Dorfman
Playoff game in Petco going on my bucket list
Jack Dorfman
atmosphere is so consistently fantastic
jzmaxson27
I guess the bunt paid off? I still don't like it.
bosoxforlife
It isn't luck that the Brewers and Guardians exceed their projections every year and often by a large amount. Vogt and Murphy haven't missed the playoffs yet. Why these teams mystify all the projection systems is impossible to quantify and it has to come down to something these managers understand that only a few have ever figured out.
This is historically where May starts tilting. But he seems like he has kept his cool a little better this year than years past
Jon Becker
May just jumped about eight feet in the air
jzmaxson27
He for sure thought it was gone off the bat.
Jack Dorfman
was going to say may must have a 50 inch vertical haha
bosoxforlife
Already down to 37 here in central CT. Time to bid adieu to my tomatoes. I will NOT waste my hard earned money on those red baseballs sold in a store.
Jack Dorfman
Looked like Salas tried to fake him out inside, set up away, then the pitch hung inside
jzmaxson27
Can only throw 92 down the pipe so many times Pivetta.
war2d2
This is dumb, right? I can’t be the only one who thinks this is dumb.
bosoxforlife
Davy, I dumped Prospectus when I found Fangraphs so the article is hidden to me. The system must be more important than the people or the Mets wouldn't be the laughingstocks they were this year with David Stearns, who got all the credit, at the helm. I strongly believe there are managers who instinctively know when and where to put the players in the best spots to maximize their production much more efficiently than computers. The Red Sox players, in their postmortem, appeared to almost have a mutiny over what they saw as the excessive use of computers in decision making.
lzfreak
Whoa that was ballsy
jzmaxson27
Exciting stuff!
Benny The Jet
Wow
bosoxforlife
Sending the runner on such a short fly ball is just what I was saying and is part of the reason the Brewers win. I don't think many 3rd base coaches would have sent Pratt. As a group 3rd base coaches are afraid of being seen as the man who sent the runner if he was thrown out
Antonio Bananas
Is PetCo the best of the corporate-named ballparks?
Antonio Bananas
By name I mean
Philedited
The problem with "best" is that there's a certain pleasure to be taken in the confusion of a bad one. In this regard the newly renamed Fifth Third Field (edit: it's actually Fifth Third Park) in Detroit should be a lot of fun, since it does not remotely sound like a meaningful three-word sequence.
Jack Dorfman
Used to love Safeco and Miller, Petco up there with Busch and Citizen's bank maybe?
Benny The Jet
Coors is good, plus the corporations who happened to be named pleasant sounding ballpark names like American Family Field and Great American Ballpark
asf123
Wrigley 😜
Phil
I was disappointed to realize that Great American is insurance. For some reason I was absolutely sure it was a hot dog brand, which would be much better and funnier.
Jack Dorfman
OFs playing deep stealing doubles
Jack Dorfman
Reminds me of Ben's barrels article from the summer, wonder if that's even more true in the yoffs
Ben Schneider
Joining now, what I've seen of the last couple innings has been a fun, tense game
Phil
This whole series has been like that.
Benny The Jet
We need 5 games of this series
antihustle
Absolutely
Ben Schneider
No one likes a parade of pitching changes, but they're more tolerable when both teams have a lot of electric guys coming in
Alan Sherman
reading the chat well behind, but I think the best corporate ballpark name was the original Arizona one. I think it was Bank One Ballpark and we got to just call it "the Bob"
David
Yeah, the local nicknames are where it's at. I thought "The Juice Box" was great in Houston.
Alan Sherman
Not just a local nickname, I called it the Bob as a Bay Area Giants fan
Alan Sherman
Also jokingly called the Coliseum "the Virus" in the years that McAfee had the naming rights
Phil
I spend a lot of time in Chicago for work–no one I know there bothers to learn the ever-changing name of the ballpark on the South Side. "Sox Park" is common (which also reflects the CTA's abbreviation for maps and schedules, which is just "Sox"), as is, naturally, "Comiskey."
Ben Schneider
I just read Eric's new article and now I'm thinking how that batted ball would be a boring routine out
Pedantic A-hole
Do you think that Cooper Pratt paid to have someone do that to his hair?
Antonio Bananas
Does PetCo have a local nickname?
Alan Sherman
I lived in San Diego for 8 years in college and after and I never heard one from other residents or at a couple of games a season
Alan Sherman
the radio announcer would often say "from the gaslamp quarter" but that's the neighborhood not the ballpark and obviously he's required to use the corporate name
Ben Schneider
Chisholm should learn from Turang there
Alan Sherman
If we could all learn second base defense from Turang, the world would be a better place
Jack Dorfman
Michael king in the game to close it down is fun
antihustle
Why is King so likeable
Ben Schneider
That looked like a swing to me
Antonio Bananas
We know Miller not being available hurts the Padres chance of winning. We know he did a thing about 9 months ago. Knowing those 2 things, what's the negative WPA of that thing he did 9 months ago?
Anonymous Member #46
Would be hilarious for the Padres to lose because of their closer's daddy issue.
Sean Dolinar
I like how wild these chats get after midnight.
showbusiness77
Yankees fan sad career of King traded for one year of Soto. Although if we would've won the dance, would've felt a BIT differently. Hindsight
showbusiness77
Why King used though? no tomorrow. Maybe treating it like a bullpen session. Would still be available for game X?
jms4
my king, Mike King
Ben Schneider
I think King will pitch in Game 5 on short rest if they get that far
Pedantic A-hole
Is Lara running?
Ben Schneider
Yes
fishnchips
Wowowowow
antihustle
So that's what defense should be like
Jack Dorfman
A great series
Jack Dorfman
ray and musgrove piggybacking tomorrow?
Pedantic A-hole
What a great ballgame! And series. Hope we get a game 5
Biscuit
What was the velocity on that last hit from Yelich?
