MLB Thread

[Carey]

Looked like those 2 runs were enough before Houston added insult to injury...except all that did was force the Astros to blow a 5 run lead with about another half of Game One left

[Danielg342]

Jeremy Pena with a "heart in mouth" moment for the Astros...that third out was more adventurous than it needed to be.

Edited October 29, 2022 by Danielg342

[Xeliou66]

Going to extra innings in Game 1, great catch by Castellanos to save the game there.

[Lady Whistleup]

Well the Phillies aren't the Yankees, that's for sure.

[Xeliou66]

Phillies win Game 1 in a thriller! Astros shit the bed, no excuse for losing after being up 5 with your ace on the mound. They just collapsed completely, no offense after the Tucker 3 run dinger, and Verlander didn’t pitch well. Phillies have all of the momentum now, very tough loss for the Astros.

[cambridgeguy]

Justin Verlander has started eight WS games in his career and his team has lost seven of them (and it's not like he was magnificent in all of them either).  That's surprisingly bad for a future first ballot HOF player.

[Carey]

Houston got lucky against Seattle in a game with Verlander pitching, and not so much for Game 1.  That is a bad loss for the AL Champs.  Usually they do the rallying when it comes to runs, and when they're up, it's usually over.

We'll see if it's more Philadelphia being a great team or Houston getting a "lucky bounce" since they got the benefit of playing a worn out Yankees team with a non-favorable League Championship Series schedule.

If Bryce Harper determines that they'd rather not fly back to Houston, looks like the series is over.  I did ponder them winning in 5 but ended up saying they'd go the distance with the goal being to pick the actual series winner.  I think the Astros can survive tonight, but if they don't (and the Phillies don't crumble due to something unfortunate), then the fall classic will not be coming back to Houston on Friday

[roamyn]

6 hours ago, cambridgeguy said:

Justin Verlander has started eight WS games in his career and his team has lost seven of them (and it's not like he was magnificent in all of them either).  That's surprisingly bad for a future first ballot HOF player.

Justin Verlander = David Price

Both are Cy Young regular season pitchers.  Both collapse in the Post (tho Price has pitched out of the pen, and done it well)

[estellasmum]

Just ugh:

https://www.nbcsports.com/philadelphia/phillies/astros-martin-maldonado-used-illegal-bat-world-series-vs-phillies

[Xeliou66]

Astros win Game 2 5-2, behind a strong start from Framber Valdez and an offensive burst in the 1st inning. Series tied at 1-1 as it moves to Philly.

[mojoween]

I was at the mall the other day and the sports store had a “The Judge Has Spoken Single Season Home Run record” shirt in the window, and I am currently wearing that shirt. I’m getting it on record now that if Pete Alonso hits 63 home runs next year I am going to lose my shit.

[nittany cougar]

10 hours ago, estellasmum said:

Just ugh:

https://www.nbcsports.com/philadelphia/phillies/astros-martin-maldonado-used-illegal-bat-world-series-vs-phillies

My understanding is that the bats were banned because they can splinter easily, not because they give a competitive advantage. It's hard to see how a shattered bat helps any player.

[cleo]

What makes no sense is the grandfathering in imo. If they're going to ban it bc of safety then ban it. Don't let some players use it and some not. 

A) I doubt the safety issue changes per player and B) players sharing bats is a thing that happens.

[morriss]

Houston had 3 doubles on the first 4 pitches...it's almost as if they knew what pitches were coming...🤣

[shoregirl]

2 hours ago, nittany cougar said:

My understanding is that the bats were banned because they can splinter easily, not because they give a competitive advantage. It's hard to see how a shattered bat helps any player.

I'm going to stay out of the particulars of this because I won't be unbiased but Astros players won't get the benefit of doubt no matter how innocent it is. That's the teams fault and they will have to live with it.

The Phillies did want they had to do and split in Houston . They lost game 2 in both Atlanta and San Diego. Tomorrow night will be crazy . I will be that the game and am so excited.

2 hours ago, cleo said:

What makes no sense is the grandfathering in imo. If they're going to ban it bc of safety then ban it. Don't let some players use it and some not. 

A) I doubt the safety issue changes per player and B) players sharing bats is a thing that happens.

That's what I don't get either. Does the bat splinter less because Pujuls is using it?

[Mittengirl]

6 hours ago, cleo said:

What makes no sense is the grandfathering in imo. If they're going to ban it bc of safety then ban it. Don't let some players use it and some not. 

I could see a one season grandfathering (depending on when the ban was introduced, end of season or beginning), to give players time to try out different bats and get used to new ones.  But, certainly not an “until you retire” clause.  That makes no sense. 

[Perfect Xero]

Yes, if it was a personal safety item like a helmet or mask it would make some sense, but a splintering bat is a safety issue for other players.

[cambridgeguy]

34 minutes ago, Perfect Xero said:

Yes, if it was a personal safety item like a helmet or mask it would make some sense, but a splintering bat is a safety issue for other players.

Oh, I'm sure if someone had been hurt by a shard of bat they would have instantly banned them.  But if it's only a small possibility?  Clearly an acceptable risk to MLB and the players association since they likely anticipated a lot of bitching from everyone using that equipment.

[AimingforYoko]

No Game 3 tonight.

[shoregirl]

22 minutes ago, AimingforYoko said:

No Game 3 tonight.

Everything gets pushed back a day including off day if it goes 7 games it will end on Sunday. It didn't look good all day wish they would have made the call earlier..like before I got to the stadium.

[Lantern7]

12 minutes ago, shoregirl said:

Everything gets pushed back a day including off day if it goes 7 games it will end on Sunday. It didn't look good all day wish they would have made the call earlier..like before I got to the stadium.

Dang. Sorry that you made the trip in vain.

I’ve been to one World Series game, Game 2, 1986 World Series. About 4-5 innings before my folks had to get home. It was a school night. We had Sunday season tickets, so our postseason seats were crap.

Edited November 1, 2022 by Lantern7

[cleo]

Smoltz is explaining why the crowd gets loud at different times. Like thank goodness, I could never have figured that out.

Why do they keep this guy?

I really like Joe Davis but he is better in the regular season with Orel. 

Edited November 2, 2022 by cleo

[Lady Whistleup]

The Phillies aren't the Yankees, that's for sure. They're going to give the Astros a very hard time every minute of every game.

[shoregirl]

That was worth the wait. The stadium was rocking. Home Runs from Harper, Bohm Marsh schwarber and Hoskins. It was amazing.

Edited November 2, 2022 by shoregirl

[Crs97]

Great game!

In non-WS news, 4 Guardians received Gold Gloves!  Love my team!

[KAOS Agent]

The commentators on the game had me rolling my eyes. Somehow I'm supposed to be impressed and sympathetic for Houston having to overcome the adversity of being known cheaters.

Or maybe I think they got away with it completely and wonder if they keep cheating since nothing happened the first time. They got a season of no fans as a buffer and never really got the true cheater experience. None of their players were punished at all. They kept their title of World Series Champions. Basically a couple of management guys lost their jobs for a season during which there was almost no baseball anyway and the team was fined $5 million. Boo hoo. Much adversity. How they must struggle to overcome such stiff penalties.

[Jane Tuesday]

7 hours ago, KAOS Agent said:

The commentators on the game had me rolling my eyes. Somehow I'm supposed to be impressed and sympathetic for Houston having to overcome the adversity of being known cheaters.

Or maybe I think they got away with it completely and wonder if they keep cheating since nothing happened the first time. They got a season of no fans as a buffer and never really got the true cheater experience. None of their players were punished at all. They kept their title of World Series Champions. Basically a couple of management guys lost their jobs for a season during which there was almost no baseball anyway and the team was fined $5 million. Boo hoo. Much adversity. How they must struggle to overcome such stiff penalties.

All of this. They seem to think winning is going to prove that they would have won anyway. All it makes me think is they've probably gotten better at it...

[Carey]

Quote

The Phillies aren't the Yankees, that's for sure. They're going to give the Astros a very hard time every minute of every game.

For real.  A nice bit of adversity for the AL Champs.  To be fair, while it was not the case for Game 3, Houston isn't San Diego.  They're close to it though, but I don't think 5 homers are going to be a regular occurrence.  Philadelphia can score, but going deep nearly a half dozen times might not happen again, nor do I think Houston will get shutout again.  Could see a home bagel though if there's a game on Sunday

[Xeliou66]

Astros finally get on the board as Alvarez is hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, interesting decision by the Phillies to go to their bullpen there.

And Bregman delivers with a 2 run double. Phillies are in a rough spot here and it looks like it was a mistake to pull Nola.

[twoods]

Blech, looks like the series will be tied 2-2. 

[Jane Tuesday]

This game is boring me, so....

WTF is the deal with Marsh's hair? Is it wet? Is it oiled? Does he just badly need a shower? 

I don't usually comment on the scraggly beards or ridiculous hairstyles, but that shit looks nasty.

[Carey]

Best of three barring something

[Carey]

A revenge game for what it's worth.  The Houston Astros tie the series 2-2 with the second no-hitter in the history of the fall classic!

[Lantern7]

It's crazy . . . World Series has been a thing since 1903, postseason has expanded a lot since then, and there have only been three no-hitters in playoff history. That's crazy. In other news, I fully expect @mojoween to dismiss the combined no-no.

Looking at ESPN.com . . . . Syndergaard pitches tomorrow? Really?!? Wouldn't the Game 1 starter have enough rest by now?

[mojoween]

Just now, Lantern7 said:

In other news, I fully expect @mojoween to dismiss the combined no-no.

It’s not a thing!  Ahem.

[Xeliou66]

Wow, Astros get a no hitter, only the second in World Series history!! Amazing stat, and the Phillies had been red hot coming into the game. Series tied at 2. 

1 minute ago, Lantern7 said:

It's crazy . . . World Series has been a thing since 1903, postseason has expanded a lot since then, and there have only been three no-hitters in playoff history. That's crazy. In other news, I fully expect @mojoween to dismiss the combined no-no.

Looking at ESPN.com . . . . Syndergaard pitches tomorrow? Really?!? Wouldn't the Game 1 starter have enough rest by now?

The Game 1 starter for the Phillies was Nola, he pitched tonight.

[NUguy514]

1 hour ago, Carey said:

A revenge game for what it's worth.  The Houston Astros tie the series 2-2 with the second no-hitter in the history of the fall classic!

[BlueSkies]

I read about the no hitter this morning.

Sorry to go off the discussion a little but by this time in the season I’m waiting for baseball to be done by the time the World Series arrives…. It’s too long imo 

[Danielg342]

37 minutes ago, BlueSkies said:

Sorry to go off the discussion a little but by this time in the season I’m waiting for baseball to be done by the time the World Series arrives…. It’s too long imo 

I agree. It's a problem all the major sports- even soccer- has. There are just too many games, and the cynic in me knows the situation won't change soon because the owners won't reduce the schedule out of fear that they'll lose money.

I remember reading a while ago about a player who suggested that the players would accept a shorter regular season schedule (say, 150 games) in order to have an extended playoff. Maybe, with a collective bargaining agreement coming up, it's time to look into that idea. 150 games is still a lot, but if it allows for a proper 16 team tournament that can end by the end of October, I'm in.

[Carey]

That's how I feel about NFL football.  At least this year & probably in 2 years.  Next year I might be "in better shape" to watch everything in full.  The league made it long because money is awesome so that's that.  I have had to pick my spots, passing up on early games since those teams may not be as good or bad as they finished product.

Here with baseball, it is long, though not as long as the NBA & NHL.  Speaking of which, and in comparison to the NFL, the early product isn't really going to match up with the later product.  Plus, with hoops/hockey postseason overlapping the first half of MLB, it's easy not to get burned out.  By the time summer hits, baseball is the only major sport on, and I'd be focused on summer.

I do get it, BlueSkies.  It is a long year.  And this year I watched more Major League Baseball than in the recent past.  I probably will not next year.

Of course, they'll be back to normal, where this time the fall classic will be over & done with.  In fact, if the 2023 World Series goes the distance, this Thursday a year from now will be the aftermath of the series

[xaxat]

I am tired of the oldsters (of which I am one) complaining that the last night's game by the Astros wasn't a real no hitter (I am looking at you Wilbon). Dusty and his staff made the right choices because the Phillies scored NO  runs.

You win a lot of games when you do that.

Edited November 3, 2022 by xaxat

[Xeliou66]

1 hour ago, xaxat said:

I am tired of the oldsters (of which I am one) complaining that the last night's game by the Astros wasn't a real no hitter (I am looking at you Wilbon). Dusty and his staff made the right choices because the Phillies scored NO  runs.

You win a lot of games when you do that.

Agreed, just because multiple pitchers combined to throw the no hitter doesn’t mean it’s not a “real” no hitter, sometimes the “old school” MLB people really get on my nerves with their obsession with “unwritten rules“ and stuff like that, and I think these cranky old geezers turn people off of baseball in general.

[mojoween]

Cranky old geezer here!  But I’m ok with that.

Phillies throwbacks look sweet.

[Xeliou66]

Astros score before they record an out and are up 1-0. The Phillies really need a win tonight before the series goes back to Houston. 

[mojoween]

8 minutes ago, Xeliou66 said:

Astros score before they record an out and are up 1-0. The Phillies really need a win tonight before the series goes back to Houston. 

Kyle Schwarber says I got you, fam.

[Carey]

Time to boot Verlander, I believe

[Xeliou66]

Pena with a solo shot puts the Astros up 2-1.

[Jane Tuesday]

2 hours ago, Xeliou66 said:

just because multiple pitchers combined to throw the no hitter doesn’t mean it’s not a “real” no hitter,

Isn't that usually called a "combined no hitter", then? 

Call me an oldster if you want, but I think it's an important distinction. When I heard "no hitter" this morning - I couldn't watch to the end - I assumed it was by one pitcher. No hitters, perfect games, shutouts... those have always been individual achievements. 

I don't think it diminishes the Astros accomplishment to say it was a combined no hitter, because it was. In fact, it could be argued it's more impressive to have multiple pitchers excel and Dusty perfectly deploy them as needed, rather than having one guy who's hot at the right time. 

Edited November 4, 2022 by Jane Tuesday

[Carey]

Pretty decent Game 5.  With the Astros one win away from the title (3-2 World Series lead), both teams travel back to Houston.  It's not over for Philly, but they will have to win both of their road games in order to capture their first title in 14 years & Harper first outright

[Xeliou66]

Astros win it 3-2, good game, Verlander finally pitches a good World Series game. Astros have a clear cut advantage now, as the series goes back to Houston. The Phillies hitting has cooled off and the Astros have a deeper and more complete team IMO.