2018 ALCS - Houston Astros vs Boston Red Sox

agreed but Kimbrel does seem pretty lost out there now, i mean when he's missing he's missing wide and far and it was luck that won that game for Boston.

Sure, his breaking ball isn't working for him at all and he's walking too many people ... but if a star hitter was looking lost at the plate, would he suggest benching him? We just saw this in the NLCS with Bellinger, did anyone think he shouldn't be playing? How many times did A-Rod look terrible in a series and the statheads turned out en masse to complain that he was being treated unfairly?

Kenley Jansen didn't pitch well during last year's playoffs and maybe he was just overworked or whatever, but it didn't change the fact that he was their best reliever and you just have to hope that your best players deliver when it counts (within reason).

"Riding the hot hand" (or whatever Law's alternate strategy is, because it's not like Boston has a lights out bullpen) is just as silly as ignoring the "proven closer". They had David Price warming up in the eighth to bail out Kimbrel if needed!

Maybe I missed Law's tweet after Kershaw's disastrous G1 of the NLCS where he said that the Dodgers should stop treating him like the proven ace.

Hahaha, I just saw Law's Kershaw tweet posted on the NLCS thread a little while ago. So yeah, apparently Law can't keep his own opinions straight.

i think the importance of closers is pretty overstated and if this guy has been scuffling to the point that he's almost losing games maybe they should reconsider his role! in the second half his ERA was well over 4, and w/15 walks in 21.2 IP....

i think w/a team like Houston you can't afford to get too sloppy. i mean i don't have an answer per se, Boston's pen is somewhat uninspired agreed. but i also think w/closers if they're showing struggles in the limited role they have it's kind of like a kicker who's missing field goals at crucial points in the games, they should have a shorter leash than other players. it's tough, since CK has shown he's ridiculously dominant when he's on.

Closers do seem to be the most easily replaced players, eg Astros last year.

Those two Law tweets, the Kimbrel and the Kershaw, are laughable taken together. (The Kershaw is another version of the announcer who enthusiastically relays that such-and-such has just set a new postseason mark for whatever--it conveniently ignores that Kershaw has now had 22 postseason starts.)

Here's the answer, everybody--let me now tell you what the question is.

i bow to the arbiter of the laughable

keith law is an idiot.

Jeff Sullivan has a warm take

https://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/the-fan-interference-call-was-probably-good/

Posnanski has a real detailed look at the interference play, with screenshots and Zapruder-like close-ups. Haven't had time to read it yet. It's behind the paywall, but here's his verdict:

And that brings us back to the beginning: Sometimes rules in sports are necessary even if they are unsatisfying. I think of the Kevin Bacon line in "A Few Good Men:" "I don't think your clients belong in jail, but I don't get to make that decision."

I don't think Altuve should have been called out, I don't think those fans should feel like they did anything wrong, and I don't think you can take away the very real possibility that Mookie Betts would have made that catch.

I don't get to make that decision. There's a rule. It was fan interference. As crazy as it sounds, Country Joe West got it right.

Here's the key photo for him--he's focused on the guy in gray, saying "I feel pretty sure he's ever so slightly out in the field of play. It's interference."

https://heardjustwhatiseen.files.wordpress.com/2018/10/posnanski.jpg?w=450

i think the call could have legitimately gone either way. but regardless of the legality, i feel like mookie was going to make the catch. because he's mookie. i'd probably feel differently if it had been nelson cruz in right field

All of that can be prevented with good camera placement, that the review system didn't think that such a situation would occur is kinda nuts.

in that fangraphs thing they show a good angle that was blocked by a security guard.

yeah, there should be coverage with a better angle than that.

i think it's reasonable to put your hand in the way rather than letting the ball hit you in the stomach

the fans were very much not doing this, they were trying to catch the ball as if they were in the game

hey fuckfaces you're not in the game! look i know you're in the very front row of the bleachers so you feel you are entitled to absolutely every fucking thing but would it kill you to get out of the way of the actual players? the ones who are like, so good at playing baseball that you paid through the nose to see them?? the ones who would make amazing catches if you would just GET OUT THE FUCKING WAY??

if they're the hated visitors?

My confidence level in Price tonight is at least 7%. But I'd love to be surprised.

well the Reagan/Bush '84 hat didn't help. between those guys and Osuna I'm kind of ready to hate the stros at this point tbh

xpost ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

"A very graphic metaphor by A.J. Hinch there..."--that made me laugh.

i wonder if they sell the r/b caps in the team store

btw if anyone has a feed that doesnt suck that'd be great

coming in great on mobdro app

morbro app

price’s beard is so bad

Now I kinda want the Astros fans to rob a catch from Mookie again, that's the perverse effect of Sox Nation on how I enjoy the game.

Ex-Tiger > ex-Tiger

googleassistant: more shit u don't need

chris guccione strikes

Bregman is the shortest 6 feet dude i've ever seen.

I thought that pitch by Verlander was borderline...Maldonado jerked it up--maybe a strike, but I didn't think it was as clear-cut as the announcers did. Loved Verlander's death-stare at the umpire.

maldonado did a poor job framing, but the strike zone tbs has had it as a clear strike

I won't lie: there's a big part of me right now thinking "Quit while you're ahead and get Price out of there." With some help from the ump, he looks good.

Brillant at-bat by Gurriel.

Next item on the pace of play programme: timeouts while Price is pitching.

It was. (x-post)

Think I'd take Price out now--the Guriel AB drove his pitch count up, short rest, the bullpen pitches last night, he's living on borrowed time. He's been great, and if you move on, he's got something to build on. I know he's got the bottom of the lineup coming up--that's the once conceivable rationale I can see for sending him out for the fifth.

"one," not "once"

He a horse tho.

RIP

Whoa!

shit

is price coming back in for the 6th? what could go wrong?

His beard, as mookie pointed out.

(xpost) "David, you get one baserunner..."

hahaha Mookie

Astros can't catch a break

Can we skip to Kimbrel allowing two walks?

Good we need drama.

Lol @ VHS