2021 MLB Postseason: AL & NL Division Series Games

[Jimbo]

My dad was a Milwaukee Braves fan, so I guess I need to root for the Braves.

 

Meant to be in blue? Also, wouldn't you root against the city that pouched your dad's team?

[brooks_quichenick]

We still don’t have a playoff roster yet?

 

They have until 10:00am Central.

[sveumrules]

Arozarena first player to steal home in the postseason since Jackie Robinson, and first ever to homer & steal home in the same postseason game.

 

Only player with more than Randy's 11 HR over a span of 19 postseason games is Babe Ruth.

[AKCheesehead]

My dad was a Milwaukee Braves fan, so I guess I need to root for the Braves.

 

Meant to be in blue? Also, wouldn't you root against the city that pouched your dad's team?

 

I would say yes. My Dad was a Braves fan too and he has no use whatsoever for them to this day.

[Underachiever]

Arozarena first player to steal home in the postseason since Jackie Robinson, and first ever to homer & steal home in the same postseason game.

 

Only player with more than Randy's 11 HR over a span of 19 postseason games is Babe Ruth.

Watching a younger guy play so well in the playoffs is cool. Watching him play well, knowing he used to be a Cardinal is even better.

[Nola Beery]

If the Rays aren't amazing, who is?

 

Since 2008 they've won the 4th most games (1,181) in baseball playing in the toughest division (NYY is 2nd with 1,238 & BOS is 5th with 1,178 wins) while having a rock bottom payroll, a front office/management structure so strong that LAD & CHC had to poach their GM/Manager to win their Worlds Serieses, and a player development system that churns out so much talent they end up having to trade away legit guys because there are only so many MLB spots.

 

This just needs to be repeated.

[pitchleague]

Arozarena first player to steal home in the postseason since Jackie Robinson, and first ever to homer & steal home in the same postseason game.

 

Only player with more than Randy's 11 HR over a span of 19 postseason games is Babe Ruth.

 

On the broadcast, they said Javier Baez was the last to steal home in a playoff game.

[dlk9s]

My dad was a Milwaukee Braves fan, so I guess I need to root for the Braves.

 

Meant to be in blue? Also, wouldn't you root against the city that pouched your dad's team?

 

Well, considering I also live in Atlanta, I suppose I am definitely rooting for the Braves against the Brewers now.

[sveumrules]

Arozarena first player to steal home in the postseason since Jackie Robinson, and first ever to homer & steal home in the same postseason game.

 

Only player with more than Randy's 11 HR over a span of 19 postseason games is Babe Ruth.

 

On the broadcast, they said Javier Baez was the last to steal home in a playoff game.

 

Hmmm, thought I heard that on MLB Network. The Baez steal there was a pitch, then a throw from C to 3B, then a throw back home from 3B, so I must have missed a qualifier in there somewhere.

[dlk9s]

I bet Baez slid into home beautifully.

[Team Canada]

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/32358699/randy-arozarena-history-making-homer-straight-steal-home-provide-rays-more-october-heroics

 

The swipe marked the first steal of home in a playoff game since 2016, when Chicago Cubs infielder Javier Baez pulled off the feat in the National League Championship Series, and the first straight steal of home in a playoff game since Jackie Robinson's against Yogi Berra and the New York Yankees in 1955.

[MrTPlush]

If the pitcher and catcher do their job that steal home is an easy out. Just throw it down the middle. Two outs, two strikes, and the batter is bailing out of the box before the pitcher steps off. Throw a strike and he is out by a long ways.

 

Yes, I know no player thinks of these things in the heat of the moment on something that never occurs. It is fun to think out how it could have ended up drastically different though.

[Fear The Chorizo]

If the pitcher and catcher do their job that steal home is an easy out. Just throw it down the middle. Two outs, two strikes, and the batter is bailing out of the box before the pitcher steps off. Throw a strike and he is out by a long ways.

 

The batter should have stayed in the box until he knew if the pitcher was stepping off or not. The catcher was popping up before he would have known if an actual pitch or a step off was coming. Had it been a legit pitch the batter could have stuck the bat out for catcher's interference. Then the Rays manager could have accepted the catcher's interference if Arozarena was tagged out or declined the catcher's interference had he been called safe. It would have been a no lose situation for the Rays with no possible way of recording an out there.

 

Yes, I know no player thinks of these things in the heat of the moment on something that never occurs. It is fun to think out how it could have ended up drastically different though.

 

I honestly don't know why this doesn't happen more frequently against LHP and frankly quite a few RHP, or is at least attempted. Arozarena made it home safely with ease because of the slow, methodical process that reliever was doing getting himself set in the stretch - the reliever was completely clueless what was going on until it was way too late. Kudos to Arozarena for making some action happen during that ~3 seconds that was otherwise destined for us to watch yet another reliever do a series of toe-taps before actually delivering a pitch.

 

Factor in the shift the Red Sox were playing, which had the 3B nowhere near the bag for Arozarena to even worry about being picked off by either the pitcher or the catcher after a pitch, and he was able to get basically halfway down the line with his lead before even starting for home. MLB.com had a really good breakdown showing the 3-4 pitches prior to the play actually happening how Arozarena was gauging his lead and looking for whether the 3B was doing anything in terms of breaking towards third before and after each pitch - once the hitter had 2 strikes on him with 2 outs it was the perfect time to take a shot....and I can't believe nobody in the Red Sox dugout didn't see that and at least call for a pickoff play of some kind a pitch or two earlier in the at bat.

[owbc]

Even with everything aligned in Arozarena's favor, he was safe by a fraction of a second. As a pitcher, your goal there is to not get distracted by him, because the assumption is that he's not going to be crazy enough to go. And even if he does go, you're probably going to throw him out anyway.

 

If you watch the full AB, you can see he made a bit of a false jump toward home earlier in the AB and got absolutely zero reaction from the pitcher. At that point I think he decided to go for it.

 

Truly one of the more remarkable plays in recent postseason memory. About as beautiful as it gets!

[Fear The Chorizo]

Even with everything aligned in Arozarena's favor, he was safe by a fraction of a second. As a pitcher, your goal there is to not get distracted by him, because the assumption is that he's not going to be crazy enough to go. And even if he does go, you're probably going to throw him out anyway.

 

If you watch the full AB, you can see he made a bit of a false jump toward home earlier in the AB and got absolutely zero reaction from the pitcher. At that point I think he decided to go for it.

 

Truly one of the more remarkable plays in recent postseason memory. About as beautiful as it gets!

 

He was safe by much more than most stolen base attempts at 2nd. The catcher tagged his shoulder well after he crossed the plate even though the throw home was a good one after the pitcher finally realized what was happening. There's a big difference between a pitcher not being distracted by a guy on 3rd dancing around with no chance to actually steal home and the entire team being so oblivious to it to allow that to continue without either picking him off or making a small adjustment to hold him on even slightly to negate Arozarena from thinking about it.

[willie key]

What a comeback by Red Sox

 

Is Chris sale career done?

[sveumrules]

Sale is coming back from injury & posted a 3.16 ERA | 150 ERA+ | 3.69 FIP line over 9 GS | 42 IP this year vs career marks of 3.03 ERA | 140 ERA+ | 2.92 FIP.

 

He had a bad inning, but with 3/85 left on his contract I don't think Sale's career is done.

[willie key]

Sale is coming back from injury & posted a 3.16 ERA | 150 ERA+ | 3.69 FIP line over 9 GS | 42 IP this year vs career marks of 3.03 ERA | 140 ERA+ | 2.92 FIP.

 

He had a bad inning, but with 3/85 left on his contract I don't think Sale's career is done.

 

 

I knew the injury was bad. But those are pretty decent numbers. I will be interested how next year goes for him. His throwing motion definitely had serious injury written all over it

[Fear The Chorizo]

Buster gets the Giants rolling early!

[willie key]

This is going to be a heck of a series.

[TURBO]

This is going to be a heck of a series.

 

Yeah, I also enjoy the fact that these teams hate each other...

 

Makes for added dramatic effect.

[sveumrules]

Buster gets the Giants rolling early!

 

I can never decide what's funnier between Larry Jones or Gerald Posey. Ryan Tellez also doesn't quite have the same ring to it.

[sveumrules]

Sale is coming back from injury & posted a 3.16 ERA | 150 ERA+ | 3.69 FIP line over 9 GS | 42 IP this year vs career marks of 3.03 ERA | 140 ERA+ | 2.92 FIP.

 

He had a bad inning, but with 3/85 left on his contract I don't think Sale's career is done.

 

 

I knew the injury was bad. But those are pretty decent numbers. I will be interested how next year goes for him. His throwing motion definitely had serious injury written all over it

 

Yeah, Sale's motion & slight frame have always seemed like an injury waiting to happen, but from his first year as a stater in 2012 through his last year before injury in 2019 he posted the 13th most games started (232), 6th most innings (1,535), 3rd best FIP WAR (42.8) & 5th best runs allowed WAR (42.1).

 

I don't think he'll reach those heights again because Top 4 Starter Over An 8 Year Stretch is a pretty high bar for anyone to clear, but I could see Sale putting up a 2022 line looking something like Lance McCullers from this year (162 IP | 136 ERA+ | 3.5 WAR).

[BruisedCrew]

The AL games aren’t following the common wisdom that playoff games are close and low scoring.

[jason21nl]

I just love great defensive plays and that DP by the Giants was just awesome