2021 MLB Postseason: AL & NL Championship Series Games

[owbc]

2 on base

8 th inning

-

3 runs up

[BruisedCrew]

Workload by Astros starting pitchers this postseason:

 

ALDS Game 1: 6 2/3 (McCullers)

ALDS Game 2: 4 1/3

ALDS Game 3: 2 2/3

ALDS Game 4: 4 (McCullers)

 

ALCS Game 1: 2 2/3

ALCS Game 2: 1

ALCS Game 3: 1 2/3

ALCS Game 4: 1 1/3

 

Yikes.

 

And now McCullers is hurt.

[Patrick425]

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/red-sox-vs-astros-graphic-125338855.html

 

A player like Keston Huira fights hard to make it to the Majors. Has an outstanding rookie year and looks to have a bright future. Suddenly his offense disappears and he is sent back down to the minors and, unless he finds his game again, his MLB future is suddenly uncertain.

 

An Umpire makes it to the big show. End of story. They are there for as long they want, no matter how bad they end up being. No incentive to improve or consequences for being consistently wrong with calls.

 

Why does MLB continue to allow this? If there are certain umpires who are consistently out of line with the rule book definition of the strike zone, umpires who tend to argue more with managers and show a higher tendency to toss players/managers (hmm..wonder why?), then they should be required to improve. If they do not improve, they should be replaced by someone who is more deserving.

[yourout]

Amazing how much different series look when teams have a functioning lineup that can actually score runs.

[rickh150]

BA just said that Orlando Arica “bunts well” and “it’s part of his game.” Huh?

[roadcrew3]

Still can't believe Bickford has become a guy trusted enough to pitch in games like this

[rondoman]

Man imagine if the Brewers coulda scooped up Eddie Rosario for peanuts.

[TURBO]

Man imagine if the Brewers coulda scooped up Eddie Rosario for peanuts.

 

He wasn't that great during the season though. I had him on 2 fantasy teams, and I had him benched most of the time.

[Nola Beery]

It looks like my 2 LEAST favorite teams -ATL and HOU- will make the WS. Bleccchhh.

[Fear The Chorizo]

I'm trying to figure out what the hell Roberts is doing with the Dodger pitching staff....Scherzer almost hast to be starting tonight, right? Buehler giving them a stinker of a start in Game 3 really has their pen on fumes. Muncy being out really has hurt them...and now Justin Turner's done - if it weren't for Bellinger catching lightning in a bottle this postseason they probably don't even get out of the NLDS round and certainly wound up getting swept by the Braves.

 

Braves have that feel of the so-so regular season team that underperformed for 162 due to some key injuries (Acuna, hello!) and inconsistent pitching that figured it out at the right time and are riding their supporting cast bats who got hot in October (Pearls, Rosario, etc). Speaks to the randomness of baseball playoffs more than anything. It's not that the Braves are the best team this year, but they're going to make the world series because they're playing the best overall as a team right now.

[TURBO]

I feel so bad for the Dodgers injuries...

[tmwiese55]

I'm trying to figure out what the hell Roberts is doing with the Dodger pitching staff....Scherzer almost hast to be starting tonight, right? Buehler giving them a stinker of a start in Game 3 really has their pen on fumes. Muncy being out really has hurt them...and now Justin Turner's done - if it weren't for Bellinger catching lightning in a bottle this postseason they probably don't even get out of the NLDS round and certainly wound up getting swept by the Braves.

 

Braves have that feel of the so-so regular season team that underperformed for 162 due to some key injuries (Acuna, hello!) and inconsistent pitching that figured it out at the right time and are riding their supporting cast bats who got hot in October (Pearls, Rosario, etc). Speaks to the randomness of baseball playoffs more than anything. It's not that the Braves are the best team this year, but they're going to make the world series because they're playing the best overall as a team right now.

 

Yea he's certainly scrambled and gotten desperate.

 

However, I was just thinking how the current state of Dodgers pitching could probably be argued started from the trickle down from having to play the WC game and use Scherzer there. Basically exactly one of the effects the WC game was supposed to have in giving the division winners an advantage. Of course it's hurt more in this situation due to Bauer/Kershaw, but a team having 5 aces or high high level SPs is very rare, having 3 though isn't rare and this is a scenario that could happen from it.

[nate82]

Man imagine if the Brewers coulda scooped up Eddie Rosario for peanuts.

 

Rosario and Joc were both FA the Brewers tried to sign in the off season. I think they wanted Rosario to play 1B and he declined and Joc chose the Cubs over the Brewers offer.

[TURBO]

I can't stand the sight of Joc.

[Fear The Chorizo]

I'm trying to figure out what the hell Roberts is doing with the Dodger pitching staff....Scherzer almost hast to be starting tonight, right? Buehler giving them a stinker of a start in Game 3 really has their pen on fumes. Muncy being out really has hurt them...and now Justin Turner's done - if it weren't for Bellinger catching lightning in a bottle this postseason they probably don't even get out of the NLDS round and certainly wound up getting swept by the Braves.

 

Braves have that feel of the so-so regular season team that underperformed for 162 due to some key injuries (Acuna, hello!) and inconsistent pitching that figured it out at the right time and are riding their supporting cast bats who got hot in October (Pearls, Rosario, etc). Speaks to the randomness of baseball playoffs more than anything. It's not that the Braves are the best team this year, but they're going to make the world series because they're playing the best overall as a team right now.

 

Yea he's certainly scrambled and gotten desperate.

 

However, I was just thinking how the current state of Dodgers pitching could probably be argued started from the trickle down from having to play the WC game and use Scherzer there. Basically exactly one of the effects the WC game was supposed to have in giving the division winners an advantage. Of course it's hurt more in this situation due to Bauer/Kershaw, but a team having 5 aces or high high level SPs is very rare, having 3 though isn't rare and this is a scenario that could happen from it.

 

without a doubt, and exactly why I wanted the Dodgers to have to go through that WC round to soften up their staff - having to go the full 5 games against SF really left them in scramble mode, too. Not having Kershaw or at least a solid 4th SP has been costly, and having in inconsistent Buehler hasn't given their bullpen the breather it would normally get since Scherzer and Urias are constantly pitching on short rest and not able to pitch deep into ballgames as effectively.

[TURBO]

I'm trying to figure out what the hell Roberts is doing with the Dodger pitching staff....Scherzer almost hast to be starting tonight, right? Buehler giving them a stinker of a start in Game 3 really has their pen on fumes. Muncy being out really has hurt them...and now Justin Turner's done - if it weren't for Bellinger catching lightning in a bottle this postseason they probably don't even get out of the NLDS round and certainly wound up getting swept by the Braves.

 

Braves have that feel of the so-so regular season team that underperformed for 162 due to some key injuries (Acuna, hello!) and inconsistent pitching that figured it out at the right time and are riding their supporting cast bats who got hot in October (Pearls, Rosario, etc). Speaks to the randomness of baseball playoffs more than anything. It's not that the Braves are the best team this year, but they're going to make the world series because they're playing the best overall as a team right now.

 

Yea he's certainly scrambled and gotten desperate.

 

However, I was just thinking how the current state of Dodgers pitching could probably be argued started from the trickle down from having to play the WC game and use Scherzer there. Basically exactly one of the effects the WC game was supposed to have in giving the division winners an advantage. Of course it's hurt more in this situation due to Bauer/Kershaw, but a team having 5 aces or high high level SPs is very rare, having 3 though isn't rare and this is a scenario that could happen from it.

 

without a doubt, and exactly why I wanted the Dodgers to have to go through that WC round to soften up their staff - having to go the full 5 games against SF really left them in scramble mode, too. Not having Kershaw or at least a solid 4th SP has been costly, and having in inconsistent Buehler hasn't given their bullpen the breather it would normally get since Scherzer and Urias are constantly pitching on short rest and not able to pitch deep into ballgames as effectively.

 

Don't worry about the Dodgers, they will just go out and buy the top free agent pitcher for 2022...

[tmwiese55]

Haha, true. I'd guess they just re-sign Scherzer. He's seemed to enjoy his time there and I'd guess he'd want to be on the top team like this to try and get one more WS. It could get awkward since Kershaw is a FA too so if they picked Max and let Kershaw go it would be bad optics to your long timer all time great. A few years ago when Kersh was declining I could see them letting go if that continued, but generally speaking he's been able to maintain himself as good P when healthy, even if not at his elite level anymore.

 

So I think he'll take a team friendly deal and stay too. Which leaves you with Walker, Max, Urias, Kershaw as top 4. Bauer as wild card. Dustin May returning mid season. FA market doesn't look too great, Stroman is probably only top level guy unless I missed someone (verlander is old of TJ) and I doubt they pay up for that especially since they'll have to pay Trea Turner or Seger. Maybe go cheaper and keep a guy like Danny Duffy if they liked him when he was there. David Price has one more year left before his money clears.

[sveumrules]

The Dodgers have made each of the last nine postseasons.

 

They have spent over 2 billion on payroll during that time frame & won 61 more regular season games (like 7 per season!!) than the next best team.

 

Yet, they have only mustered a single pandemic weirdened World Series & are on the verge of postseason elimination once again.

 

It's almost enough to make one think that maybe the MLB postseason is predominantly determined by randomness so there isn't really any compelling reason to get too bent out of shape about the results thereof.

[tmwiese55]

Exactly right. The most important thing other than luck is just getting there. Second, is being there while having top SP. Brewers are set up to do both of those for the next few years. Now just need the luck to work out one time.

 

Of course, anything else you can do to increase your %s is good too, I'm not advocating doing nothing to help the O. They already have one other huge advantage in their favor too in Hader.

Edited October 21, 2021 by tmwiese55

[Joseph Zarr]

The Dodgers have made each of the last nine postseasons.

 

They have spent over 2 billion on payroll during that time frame & won 61 more regular season games (like 7 per season!!) than the next best team.

 

Yet, they have only mustered a single pandemic weirdened World Series & are on the verge of postseason elimination once again.

 

It's almost enough to make one think that maybe the MLB postseason is predominantly determined by randomness so there isn't really any compelling reason to get too bent out of shape about the results thereof.

 

Right? The unfortunate thing for us: The Brewers just played their worst prolonged stretch of baseball since their early season and they suffered for it. This being said, I want to go back to what I said during the series: The Braves are a very very good baseball team. No shame in losing to them when they were clearly the better team in the Series (at least in my eyes). AND, it's always wonderful watching the Dodgers lose. Almost as pleasing as a Cardinals loss. Almost.

[BruisedCrew]

One of the takeaways from the playoffs is going to be that the anemic Brewers offense squandered an opportunity to defeat a prolific hitting team that was largely held in check by the Brewers pitchers.

 

Holding that team to 12 runs in 4 games is pretty impressive.

[tmwiese55]

One of the takeaways from the playoffs is going to be that the anemic Brewers offense squandered an opportunity to defeat a prolific hitting team that was largely held in check by the Brewers pitchers.

 

Holding that team to 12 runs in 4 games is pretty impressive.

 

And if not for the anemic offense it might've been less if his hand wasn't forced to pull Peralta. Which then led to not having Houser in the next game. Throw in no Williams/Suter too (though everyone has an injury or two). No reason to think Brewers pitching isn't totally legit and gives them a shot going forward.

[Fear The Chorizo]

It might still be a bit premature to write off the Dodgers - I believe ATL was up 3-1 in last year's NLCS, too. Still a big hill to climb - but the Dodgers can roll out Scherzer and Buehler for games 6-7 and it's the Braves who will likely see some key innings have to be pitched by guys who aren't near the top of their rotation early in games.

[BruisedCrew]

It might still be a bit premature to write off the Dodgers - I believe ATL was up 3-1 in last year's NLCS, too. Still a big hill to climb - but the Dodgers can roll out Scherzer and Buehler for games 6-7 and it's the Braves who will likely see some key innings have to be pitched by guys who aren't near the top of their rotation early in games.

 

I’m not writing off the Dodgers, but I think the Braves are showing that they are a much more formidable team than a lot of people expected.

[MillerParkSouth]

I think the Braves are toast. You can't lose a closeout game with your ace on the mound vs. the other team's bullpen, especially with Scherzer and Buehler on deck. and especially when the same team beat you in the LCS last year after being down 0-2 and 1-3.