2018 NLCS - Los Angeles Dodgers vs Milwaukee Brewers

I doubt you could find a better snapshot of what was both great and disastrous about The Way Things Used to Be than Luis Tiant and the '75 Series. I feel very fortunate to have seen his opening-game win (a CG five-hit shutout) and, maybe even more so, his improbable CG win in game 4, where he was left out there for 9 hits, 4 walks, and 4 runs, against the Big Red Machine, no less, and the Red Sox won 5-4. No pitch count, but I bet he threw 130 pitches at least. Roger Angell wrote very well about those games, and there was also the Sports Illustrated account, probably by Ron Firmite--I was rooting for the Reds, but there was something indelible and thrilling about what Tiant did, and I can still picture him out there. I think it's too bad you probably won't get to see anything like that again--certainly not the 5-4 win.

The cost? They threw him out again for Game 6--yes, that Game 6 (there'd been a few days' worth of rain postponements)--and left him in for 7 innings of 11 hits, 2 walks, and 6 runs. Insane. Boston lost, and you know the rest. That would never happen again. Thankfully.

Something lost, something gained.

Um, minor correction--Boston won game 6. Some guy hit a home run, I think. But the point about Tiant stands.

What Counsell's doing here isn't some gimmicky underdog strategy like the full-court press or going for it on every 4th down, it's a function of how this team is built, which in itself is a function of Milwaukee's small-market payroll and a smarter front office. They came into the year with money to spend and a obvious need for a frontline starter, and instead spent their money on Cain and two SPs that weren't really on anyone's radar (Chacin and Gallardo). They then dealt four of their big prospects (including their #1 guy!) for Yelich, something which a "rebuilding" team doesn't often do. They came into the season with up to six potential starting outfielders, not dealing any of them because they didn't receive an acceptable offer (rumor was that nobody was willing to offer much, figuring that Milwaukee was desperate to offload their logjam). During the season they traded for two middle infielders they didn't really need, and picked up Soria despite having a bullpen that was already stacked. That's just been their MO, pick up value any time you can, don't sell low, and ask players to move around to accommodate. Hence Braun at 1B, Thames in the outfield, Shaw at 2B, like 9 different guys starting games...some of this didn't really work out, but that's the beauty of the regular season, you have time to figure it out.

So yeah, they get into the playoffs with a pretty great team, albeit one with a weird roster that's like, 3-4 closers and 7 #3 starters. Counsell's just doing what every good manager ought to do, play to your team's strengths, which in this case is not just getting your lockdown relievers in for as many innings as you can, and also the fact that your starters are fairly interchangeable, so there's no reason to leave anyone out there to the point where they become less effective. The Miley/Woodruff thing is not something a traditionally-built playoff team could really pull off. For most teams, losing your Game 1 starter to injury would be devastating...for Milwaukee, it doesn't really matter at all. If Milwaukee had pursued someone like Arrieta they might not have to rely on 'gimmicky' stuff like this but they also might not have even made the playoffs in the first place. Like yeah, getting a 5 WAR season out of a guy making $22M is a bargain, but a better bargain is picking up 3-4 dudes off the scrapheap who can combine for that and don't hamstring your payroll later on. You just have to figure out how to field a team out of those guys.

Okay. I don't have anything else to add to what I wrote above...You're a Brewers fan, so obviously you know their situation much better than I do.

apropos of nothing i'm really glad to see Austin Barnes getting the nod after Grandal's abominable performance in gm 2. i really like his demeanor on both O and D

even if tonight’s game is just a normal nine-inning affair, it will end at midnight eastern. smh

yes i am an eastern time chauvinist, no i do not care about dodger fans and their friday work schedules

Tiant threw 155 pitches in Game 4. (Looked it up.)

Yikes. Where did you find that, Tim? Nothing on Baseball Reference, unless I'm missing it.

xxpost yeah they have the good weather already

Ha

Big papi licked a bat

ugh back to Fox

I'm listening to Uecker on the mlb.tv radio feed. He's VERY excited about this bottom of the first.

Well this is very nice

Is frogbs at the game?

well indeed

Oh my god Miley almost made it 6-1

No I went to Game 2 lol

Great game so far. You should have heard Dodgers fan today, saying it's in the bag

yes i am an eastern time chauvinist, no i do not care about dodger fans and their friday work schedules

East coast people are funny. The 5 PM or later start time on the West Coast will never change

Ryu is either tipping his pitches or the Brewers got a great scouting report. Ripping three doubles on three pitches is unreal.

Fucken machado

Fucken right

I think the crowd is way into his head. (Good.)

big gamble w Knebel here

Yeah I don’t agree with that. Take out Knebel, you need him for Game 7 and Haders going two. If Santana got a hot it’s effectively game over.

Manny Machado Denies Playing Dirty After Late Slide Into Pitcher’s Mound https://t.co/H3qWnREEcV pic.twitter.com/gV4lmEX0c0

— Onion Sports Network (@OnionSports) October 20, 2018

See that’s the Jeffress I remember

I hope he pitches the eighth

Aguilar is awesome there's no words.

I would not have run there

That's why Aguilar is awesome.

They can't overturn that, good

That is big

Yeah I think he might have been out but oh well

Maaan not having to use Hader would be awesome

I'm so happy right now

Is that Marlins’ Man wife? Cause this is ridiculous.

Perfect

Dozier is garbage.

That’s one earned run on Machado.

can't stop looking at that huge zit on Burnes' neck

oh shit he's got one on each side of his neck, he's a frankenpitcher

as y'all can see I'm focused on the important things

😁

xpost check what I wrote 7 posts before ha

Why the fuck was Smoltz talking about sleep

Not using Hader feels huge. Game 7 gonna be nuts

verducci had the most insightful comment of the game in like 30 seconds of total airtime

What did insightfully say?

Game 7s gonna be good

Any sox fans btw? Haha

What did he insightfully say
xp