2018 MLB Postseason Discussion Thread

[Otto von Ballpark]

How about a postseason game thread? Any MLB postseason discussion can just go here.

[Otto von Ballpark]

Last night (Tuesday Oct. 2), the Rockies beat the Cubs in the NL wild card game.

 

Former Twin Drew Butera came into the game on a double-switch in the 7th, and was almost a goat on a catcher's interference call which prolonged that inning for the Cubs, but he was bailed out.

 

Former Twin Randy Rosario came on in the 8th and issued a leadoff walk to Butera, but baserunner Butera was later erased in a double play.

 

After the walk, Butera went 0-for-2 before being lifted in a double-switch himself in the 12th, and his replacement at catcher, Tony Wolters, wound up singling in the eventual winning run in the 13th inning.

 

Seems doubtful that Drew would make the Rockies NLDS roster.

[Otto von Ballpark]

Tonight (Wednesday Oct. 3), AL Wild Card Game

 

Oakland Athletics at New York Yankees

 

Time: 7:08 CST

TV: TBS (and MLB.TV for international viewers?)

Radio: ESPN or MLB At Bat

 

New York is starting Luis Severino, same as last year's wild card game.

 

Hat tip to TD user "old nurse" for the news about Oakland's starting pitcher (or "opener"), Liam Hendriks:

http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/24871988/oakland-start-liam-hendriks-wild-card-game

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

  On 10/3/2018 at 3:00 PM, spycake said:

Last night (Tuesday Oct. 2), the Rockies beat the Cubs in the NL wild card game...

I credit the rest days and off days for travel

[Mike Sixel]

Hendriks showing just how good an idea it is to move mediocre starters to the bullpen......good for him. 

 

The Rockies and the Brewers......both went out and got legit MLB players this off season, even if we question some of the specific moves, they didn't try to find bargains, they tried to find good to very good players. 

 

I'm guessing the Yankees win pretty handily today, but we'll see. The A's lost a huge number of starters to injury, and are still in the playoffs.....

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

  On 10/3/2018 at 4:04 PM, Mike Sixel said:

Hendriks showing just how good an idea it is to move mediocre starters to the bullpen......good for him. 

Actually, Hendriks has been a pretty mediocre reliever too. 104 ERA+ the last 3 years with Oakland, although his FIP has been better. Average leverage usage. He was even DFA'd, cleared waivers, and outrighted midseason this year by Oakland.

 

But he came back to be an "opener" for September and was effective in that role, although not particularly dominant by modern reliever standards (only a 20.4% K rate for September).

[Otto von Ballpark]

More on Oakland's pitching plan: not only are they starting a reliever in Hendriks, they have only 1 starter (Edwin Jackson) on their roster for this game:

 

https://www.mlb.com/athletics/news/as-release-2018-al-wild-card-game-roster/c-296960116

 

Presumably Jackson is there in case it goes to extra innings.

 

So it looks like it will be more like a bullpen game, rather than the more "traditional" opener followed by a starter that the Twins employed late in the season.

 

Meaning we should expect to see former Twin Fernando Rodney at some point too, perhaps fairly early in the game.

[Mike Sixel]

 

  On 10/3/2018 at 4:21 PM, spycake said:

Actually, Hendriks has been a pretty mediocre reliever too. 104 ERA+ the last 3 years with Oakland, although his FIP has been better. Average leverage usage. He was even DFA'd, cleared waivers, and outrighted midseason this year by Oakland.

 

But he came back to be an "opener" for September and was effective in that role, although not particularly dominant by modern reliever standards (only a 20.4% K rate for September).

 

which I'd assume was better than his odds of being good as a starter.......but sure, he wasn't great. I think opener is probably easier to prepare for, because you know what is coming when......and you kind of know you are getting 20-30 pitches....1-2 innings. But sure, anyone can have a good streak....

[Otto von Ballpark]

By comparison, the Yankees have 4 starting pitchers on their roster for this game. Severino will start, but they also have Tanaka, Happ, and former Twin Lance Lynn. (Although Lynn did make 2 appearances in long relief for the Yankees this year.) Tanaka has never appeared in a MLB game in relief.

 

https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/aaron-boone-previews-al-wild-card-game-roster/c-296903758

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

  On 10/3/2018 at 4:29 PM, Mike Sixel said:

which I'd assume was better than his odds of being good as a starter.......

Agreed.

 

Perhaps I should have instead quibbled with you calling Hendriks a "mediocre starter" -- that appears quite generous! Only a 69 ERA+ over parts of 4 seasons as a SP, never higher than 76.

 

But to your general point, bad starter to average reliever is a good trade-off too.

[jimmer]

  On 10/3/2018 at 3:00 PM, spycake said:

Last night (Tuesday Oct. 2), the Rockies beat the Cubs in the NL wild card game.

 

Former Twin Drew Butera came into the game on a double-switch in the 7th, and was almost a goat on a catcher's interference call which prolonged that inning for the Cubs, but he was bailed out.

 

Former Twin Randy Rosario came on in the 8th and issued a leadoff walk to Butera, but baserunner Butera was later erased in a double play.

 

After the walk, Butera went 0-for-2 before being lifted in a double-switch himself in the 12th, and his replacement at catcher, Tony Wolters, wound up singling in the eventual winning run in the 13th inning.

 

Seems doubtful that Drew would make the Rockies NLDS roster.

Drew also made a great head up defensive play in the game stopping Biaz from gaining 3B. Huge play.

[Mike Sixel]

 

  On 10/3/2018 at 4:37 PM, spycake said:

Agreed.

 

Perhaps I should have instead quibbled with you calling Hendriks a "mediocre starter" -- that appears quite generous! Only a 69 ERA+ over parts of 4 seasons as a SP, never higher than 76.

 

But to your general point, bad starter to average reliever is a good trade-off too.

 

I was trying to be nice.......I think we agree here...

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

  On 10/3/2018 at 4:50 PM, Mike Sixel said:

I was trying to be nice.......

How Minnesotan of you!

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

If you are watching the game at the start tonight, be prepared to see Twins highlights from last years WC game with what they did to Severino (which feels like a 150 years ago)

[Mike Sixel]

 

  On 10/3/2018 at 5:02 PM, spycake said:

How Minnesotan of you!

 

that hurts.....

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

  On 10/3/2018 at 5:06 PM, Mike Sixel said:

that hurts.....

How Oregonian of you?

[Mike Sixel]

 

  On 10/3/2018 at 5:09 PM, spycake said:

How Oregonian of you?

 

heh......they both suffer from surface niceness, frankly. Very similar people and culture.....and suffer being a bad word. I like the surface niceness, I'd like it more if it was deep niceness and more open.....

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

  On 10/3/2018 at 4:45 PM, jimmer said:

Drew also made a great head up defensive play in the game stopping Biaz from gaining 3B. Huge play.

Which play was that? I may have missed it, I went to bed as it went to extra innings.

[jimmer]

  On 10/3/2018 at 5:24 PM, spycake said:

Which play was that? I may have missed it, I went to bed as it went to extra innings.

when he sprinted down to cover 3B.

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

  On 10/3/2018 at 5:45 PM, jimmer said:

when he sprinted down to cover 3B.

Got it! Almora's 11th inning sac bunt. Good play by Butera for sure.

[TheLeviathan]

 

  On 10/3/2018 at 5:45 PM, jimmer said:

when he sprinted down to cover 3B.

 

He's pretty spry for an old backstop now.  He got there in a hurry.

[Otto von Ballpark]

Speaking of catchers, Bobby Wilson never got in a game for the Cubs. He was active for the last 3 games of the regular season, plus game 163 (but not the wild card game).

 

I guess we won that trade! Although it's a shame that Chris Gimenez's streak came to end -- his teams had made the postseason in each of the last 3 years (2015-2017, although he was left off the roster in 2016).

[USAFChief]

The Cubs are out, one (Yankees) to go and then I will be content.

[notoriousgod71]

Shockingly, the opener fails.

[Monkeypaws]

Last night brought. Rosario v. Butera. Tonight it’s Hendriks v. Hicks.

[Danchat]

 

  On 10/4/2018 at 12:21 AM, notoriousgod71 said:

Shockingly, the opener fails.

Well, Hendriks has been a mediocre reliever, so I'm not surprised. Why would you open a playoff game with a 4.10 ERA reliever? I don't get it.

[Vanimal46]

  On 10/4/2018 at 12:21 AM, notoriousgod71 said:

Shockingly, the opener fails.

Whaaat?! Shocked! Shocked I tell ya.

[USAFChief]

 

  On 10/4/2018 at 12:21 AM, notoriousgod71 said:

Shockingly, the opener fails.

Oakland isn't employing an opener tonight. Straight bullpen game.

[Vanimal46]

Thank goodness Trivino is going to come out of this game unscathed without having to pitch to the top of the order 3 times.

[Danchat]

 

  On 10/4/2018 at 1:24 AM, USAFChief said:

Oakland isn't employing an opener tonight. Straight bullpen game.

Weird, I had heard people saying Edwin Jackson was going to be the primary pitcher. That's an interesting decision...