MLB 2018

[ronmac]

We're already paying OG Manny, thank you.

Not sure what "OG" means (Our Guy?), but are you referring to the "Manny-being-Manny" Manny? That's who I was thinking of.

[Gruno]

What a dirty jackass that guy is. Always has been. Will make a perfect Yankee. jk

QFT! Yes, the jab at the Yankees is also noted and included~

That type of action has no place in any sport. I never want to see anyone get hurt or end their career from an injury. I'm a long-time Packers fan. When Packer Charles Martin body slammed Chicago Bears quarterback Jim McMahon in the mid-80s, it pissed me off. McMahon was out for the season. That's just wrong.

I will always be a Dodgers fan, but I do not favor Machado's style.

[progeezer]

Regardless of whether or not Aguilar moved his foot fast enough or not (I actually agree that he didn't), if you look at replays and slow them down it's blatantly obvious that Machado DID NOT have to sweep Aguilar's leg with his left leg. That's how ACL injuries happen and it was infantile and typical Manny.

[Scott Bails]

Not sure what "OG" means (Our Guy?), but are you referring to the "Manny-being-Manny" Manny? That's who I was thinking of.

SMH....Original Gangsta, old man!

[DocProgger]

I thought about this a lot at 2 AM and I think the Brewers made the right move. You still at the very least have to pitch the bottom of the 14th, and the Dodgers are much more likely to score a run there with their top 3 than they were Grandal, the pitcher, and Taylor. If they're up a run, or even if they're the home team and can walk it off, I think the math changes. But knowing you'd have to at least face Turner and Muncy again I think tips the scales towards just pitching to Bellinger.

Not to mention, it isn't exactly guaranteed you get out of it...Guerra had already uncorked a couple of wild pitches (with no one on, but still), and Urias can still get a hit somehow. It's not like Bellinger was mashing up to that point. Guerra was pitching him carefully but missed his spot.

There are pros and cons to every move, and risks in every move. It's all about probability and risk management. To me, as an armchair manager with a near perfect record, pitching to a RP who has barely lifted a bat all season, even with the bases loaded, is less risky than pitching to Bellinger and even Grandal with a guy on 2B. The game is on the line right there--you don't get to the 14th if they score. But I get what they tried to do, they felt that Guerra could get the slumping Bellinger. It's a close call, but to me the less risky move is to pitch to the green RP.

Btw, does Machado have the funkiest looking Dumbo ears or what?

[JAMOOL]

I mean, you could probably calculate it. P(Bellinger hit) * P(Run scores in 14th with Grandal, Urias, & Taylor) vs. P(Urias hit OR walk) * P(wild pitch) + P(Run scores in 14th w/ top of Dodgers order). Something like that...you know what I mean. I would guess that walking them increases your chance of getting to the 14th but slightly decreases your overall win probability.

[DocProgger]

I mean, you could probably calculate it. P(Bellinger hit) * P(Run scores in 14th with Grandal, Urias, & Taylor) vs. P(Urias hit OR walk) * P(wild pitch) + P(Run scores in 14th w/ top of Dodgers order). Something like that...you know what I mean. I would guess that walking them increases your chance of getting to the 14th but slightly decreases your overall win probability.

If you get to the 14th, you have another inning to bat to add runs to win the game. If you don't get to the 14th, you have 0 chance of adding runs.
Urias btw literally had 1 AB all season, a K.

Anyway, It will be interesting to see if Kershaw can reverse his postseason failures in a big key game today.
I predict that Woodruff will have a key role in today's game for Mil.

Add---and Woodruff is already in the game after the starter Miley pitched to 1 batter. Wow.

[Poisoned Youth]

Not sure what "OG" means (Our Guy?), but are you referring to the "Manny-being-Manny" Manny? That's who I was thinking of.

SMH....Original Gangsta, old man!

Yep, I believe the Sox are still paying him 2M/yr of deferred salary.


Edit: Just checked. Apparently until 2026. LOL.

[NogbadTheBad]

Pedroia has never been the same since Machado took him out last season.

[progeezer]

OK, time to start watching game #5 now. Even with going back to Miller Park Friday, imo today's game is for all the marbles since I don't think either team will win both games in Milwaukee.

Back after my delayed 3 hours or more to either exult or start rationalizing "hey, they still had a great year".

[progeezer]

Hey, they still had a great year.

My minuscule solace is that MLB agreed with me and fined Dirty Manny.

[Gerhard]

I discovered that Brian Johnson isn't on the ALCS roster (he was on the ALDS), so that really limits the Sox starting pitching options for game 5 down to E-Rod, Joe Kelly, or Price on short rest.

Is Axl Rose available?

The NLCS is going just as I hoped. Brewers give the Dodgers false hope in LA then win games 6 and 7 in Milwaukee. Go True Blue Brew Crew!!

[progeezer]

Is Axl Rose available?

The NLCS is going just as I hoped. Brewers give the Dodgers false hope in LA then win games 6 and 7 in Milwaukee. Go True Blue Brew Crew!!

It's good to also have a "glass half full" guy!

[DocProgger]

Come on now, you know it's not over until that last bit o suds is drained from the keg. I've seen and attended enough of these over the years that anything really can happen in these bball postseasons.

82 Suds Series, Runnin Redbirds down 3-2 to Harvey's Wallbangers, come back home to win the last 2; 85 NLCS Cards spot Dodgers a 2-0 lead and come back to win 4 in a row w Ozzie hitting the unlikely Go Crazy HR in G5; 2004 NLCS Cards down 3-2 to Stros, back at Old Busch, Edmonds hits 12th inning GW walkoff HR in G6 and we go on to take NLCS 4-3; 2006 NLCS Cards down 3-2 to Mets and take 2 AT Shea to go to WS; and most amazingly the 2011 WS, Cards down 3-2 to Rangers, come back home to New Busch and win that incredible G6 on Freese walkoff HR in extras coming back twice from a pitch away from elimination, and then win the Series in G7. Those Game 6's are so intense, but if you win that one, the winds usually go out of the sails of the other team if you've got the home field advantage.

You guys just need to get Yelich going again.

[Jerjo]

Milwaukee bats are coooooold. They need to heat it up.

[ronmac]

Man, the last thing I want to see is a Red Sox/Dodgers World Series.

Can both teams lose?

[Poisoned Youth]

Helluva game last night.

Man, the last thing I want to see is a Red Sox/Dodgers World Series.

Can both teams lose?

You might get your wish tonight at least. Price is pitching. Sale isn't ready and will pitch game 6. The only other option is E-Rod and you might see both in that game.

[NogbadTheBad]

What a great game, two terrific plays from Benintendi for the final out and Mookie to get Kemp at 2nd. I think they got the interference call right but it's really hard to tell if his glove was in the crowd or not. It looks like the fans were leaning over the fence. Bradley has been huge in this series. Kimbrel seems to only be comfortable if he has bases full of Astros. Huge huge win.

[JAMOOL]

Mlwaukee is not necessarily in a bad position...bullpen is rested, no Kershaw, bats destined to heat up...I mean it's unlikely but the series ain't over

[ronmac]

You might get your wish tonight at least. Price is pitching. Sale isn't ready and will pitch game 6. The only other option is E-Rod and you might see both in that game.

We'll see about Sale. Seems to be some mystery.

Mlwaukee is not necessarily in a bad position...bullpen is rested, no Kershaw, bats destined to heat up...I mean it's unlikely but the series ain't over

It's never over until the final out.

The only thing that's likely is that something unlikely will happen.

[Dave (in MA)]

I think they got the interference call right but it's really hard to tell if his glove was in the crowd or not. It looks like the fans were leaning over the fence.

Well, let's have a look at the camera angle that would settle the matter.




As you can clearly see, the security guard thinks it's an out.

[ronmac]

I think the 'Stros got screwed by MLB not having cameras along the fence and by having an overweight 65-year-old umpire calling the play from 100 feet away. Why did they not call it a double?

[NogbadTheBad]

Because they think Mookie would have caught it.

[DocProgger]

The costs of both using Hader in consecutive games in non-high leverage situations and not walking Bellinger and pitching to the Dodgers relief P in the 13th in G4 to possibly win that one and put immense pressure on Kershaw down 3-1 both caught up to the Brewers in G5. With a "BP" game when you had a big high leverage inning, there was no Hader available, and things went south. LA has now seen many of these guys multiple times. Plus they finally in G5 started hitting for contact, advancing runners, and hitting to the opposite field instead of swinging for the fences and constantly whiffing with runners on.

[ronmac]

Because they think Mookie would have caught it.

If it was inconclusive to overrule it, how can it be conclusive that he would have caught it? They always claim that you cannot assume a double play on a botched infield play that only results in one out and, therefore, cannot be ruled an error.

Seems inconsistent.