THERE'S ONLY ONE POSTSEASON (thread for 2019)

maybe if they put "Senators" on it...

Normally I'd be dead-set against starting Verlander on short rest when you've got Wiley, but just looked up Wiley's game logs and he was brutal in September (having a very good season before that). I imagine that's driving the decision more than anything.

There was one good start in there, but three times he didn't record a fourth out: 1.1 IP, 16 runs.

also, they'll have cole on regular rest if there's a game 5

Houston's obv gonna take this but would luv luv luv a game 5 and Greinke having to go game 1 in ALCS

i'm rooting for whatever kills the Bronx Moloch fastest

climate change, I'm afraid

re Verlander and rest

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/instagraphs/considering-justin-verlander-on-short-rest/

Whatever happened to Houston's LR/spot-starter situation guys like Peacock & Devenski? Surprised to hear they are worried about SP depth...

they lost 60% of their 2018 rotation -- morton/keuchel to free agency, mccullers to injury. that's kind of tough to replace (not that it isn't their own fault for letting the first two walk)

Five years ago today @SamMillerBB said this on @EWPod, and all who listened were forever changed. pic.twitter.com/6FanOXbxQK

— Ryan Thibodaux (@NotMrTibbs) October 8, 2019

yes, the Slog to Rigor Mortis that launched a commemorative beer cozy i think

Tells you how closely I'm paying attention--didn't realize Miley had pitched (poorly) in relief in game 3. So he'd already been banished from consideration.

miley got absolutely pummeled in september -- 16.68 ERA, WHIP over 3 in five starts

Couple years ago I spot-checked a bunch of 1960s starters. Most showed a TTO effect. League numbers were also evidence of a TTO effect. I know when data meets the opinion of former player, it has no chance, but... https://t.co/z8ktcwfh4y

— Joe Sheehan (@joe_sheehan) October 8, 2019

smoltz's career splits:
first time .228/.290/.342
second .237/.291/.351
third .241/.298/.382

maddux
first .242/.283/.346
second .247/.284/.353
third .264/.304/.380
fourth (!) .248/.303/.356

glavine
first .245/.310/.359
second .255/.314/.378
third .269/.328/.395

but those guys are, of course, all hall of famers

yeah, not quite as extreme as "Nolan Ryan threw 300 innings! Why don't youse?" but...

i think there's maybe a little something to what smoltz is saying -- if you're going through the order fewer times/not pitching 300 innings, you likely don't need to rely on or develop your third- or fourth-best pitches as much. but being a hall of famer, he probably thinks that having four plus pitches is much easier than it really is

Lindbergh suggested on the EW podcast today that it seems the ball isn't carrying as well in the PS? I've seen a couple warning-track flies that seemed to die en route.

“Ji-Man Choi!” chant breaking out rn in the parking lots outside Tropicana Field. What a time.

— Josh Tolentino (@JCTSports) October 8, 2019

you hate to see it

Two perfect throws.

you KNOW if TB wins this series they're gonna lose 4 straight to the Stanks

kinda why I can’t get excited about TB winning this

same reason I want the Dodgers coming out of the NL: keep your eye on the Death Star

I got in 30 mins ago. Did Verlander have nothing? Velocity, location?

Fastballs were around 95.

couldn't locate

Girardi observed he was actually throwing harder than last start, calling it "forced velocity"

only four walks, but the astros have thrown almost twice as many pitches

also, tommy pham

The Astros had their chances in the ninth, but Snell was filthy out of the pen.

Those relay throws to nail Altuve at the plate earlier in the game were sick. It was looking like a big inning but the Rays crushed it.

i love watching the Rays win with their bizarro pitching antics.

Tampa Bay is kind of like that 1985 Toronto team, which had a bunch of cast-offs from other teams like Rance Mulliniks, Ernie Whitt and Bill Caudill. Cleanup hitter was a Rule 5 guy (George Bell.)

— Bill James Online (@billjamesonline) October 9, 2019

Most of the core guys on the Jays weren't castoffs, they were drafted and developed in their system (Stieb, Barfield, Moseby ...). These Rays were built more through trades.

I don't know anything about the Rays...are acquired-through-trades and cast-offs mutually exclusive? Stieb, Barfield, Moseby, and Fernandez were all homegrown, for sure. The key cast-offs were Bell, Doyle Alexander, Dennis Lamp (11-0 in middle relief, even got an MVP vote or two...a lot of luck), the catching platoon, and--I don't why James mentioned Caudill, who lost his job mid-season--Henke.

Doesn't every successful team have a few key cast-offs, though? I basically agree with you--the '85 Jays don't seem all that noteworthy as a patchwork team.

Bell and Whitt were Rule 5 players, but they were part of the same core of guys who were with the team for years before they finally won the division in '85. Nobody at the time would have said that the Jays were a team of castoffs.

The Rays are more of a constantly evolving rotation of players (they fielded over 70 players this year) and roles for those players. Most of them have been with the team for a short time.

Every successful team has castoffs and reclamation projects, but I don't really get James' comparison.

Pham hit a changeup that didn't change in the first

a couple of those hits were bounced thru the infield

not the Wendle double tho

Ex-Pirate vs. Ex-Pirate

So the home team has led the scoring 23-7 in HOU-TB. I wonder what the greatest margin is in 5- (and 7-)game series that went the limit. I'd look at series where the home team won every game first (1960 and 1991 WS?).

ok my bad, the home team did not win every game in '60

and '91 had mostly close games -- runs margin was 35-18 cuz of one blowout

5 seconds.

It took 5 seconds for Altuve to get home after Kiermaier got the ball... and 4.8 seconds for the Rays to make two perfect throws.

On the coolest relay you maybe have ever seen:https://t.co/B5Y30PGa1Y pic.twitter.com/I0lxlb6Vde

— Mike Petriello (@mike_petriello) October 9, 2019

does altuve kinda stutterstep going toward the tag @ 3B or am i imagining things

#OTD 1972 Billy Martin at His Fiery Best.#Oakland #Athletics #tigers #Detroit #1970s #mlbpostseason pic.twitter.com/eSR2aQomg3

— Tom's Old Days (@sigg20) October 9, 2019

I was watching--will never forget it.

The #Braves have lost nine consecutive playoff series.

An L today would tie the Cubs (from 1910-1998) for the longest streak of postseason series Ls in MLB history pic.twitter.com/18sDCGIrTu

— Baseball Reference (@baseball_ref) October 9, 2019

Card first blood

action in the bullpen

ed man