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Oct 2023
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Oct 2023
Nov 2023
zambonir
Oct '23
Aquapong

Might be worth trying against Strider but I don't imagine Cave would do any better. Rojas isn't in the line-up for his bat. And Marsh was really good in LF tonight. Cave's not as good.

Thomson already said Suarez is starting. He could change his mind before he has to make it official but I reckon he trusts him enough to face those righties one time.

Seranthony will be available. Strahm too. Maybe not Kerkering (due to his lack of experience pitching back-to-backs as well as in general). Lorenzen was warming up tonight though I don't imagine he's a preference.

Hard for Soto or Sanchez to get in a game where they might have to face a big righty (Soto because he's not good Sanchez because he hasn't been relieving. But if they need two innings in the middle, maybe.)

Docs
Oct '23

Lorenzen pitched the ninth.

I think it would be interesting to start a reliever to go through the first, then ranger could face the top of the lineup for the first time in the fourth and possibly pitch the fifth and sixth innings too. Rob lied to ranger before game two it’s possible he is lying to us now!

zambonir
Oct '23

yeah I was at the game but my 81 year-old Dad with a two-hour drive ahead of him decided not to stay for the celebratory end so I missed him actually pitching.

I agree. But there's a hard deadline tomorrow fairly early in the day, not possible to actually trick the Braves.

andyb
Oct '23

I would not be shocked if they had Walker ready to start the 3rd or 4th inning if they decide it is a short outing for Suarez. Make them pinch hit for Pillar early so a LHP can face him later. Walker and Sanchez are there for a reason and one of them being a bridge to the 6th or 7th inning is very possible tomorrow.

zambonir
Oct '23

DBacks romp. Geez. Phillies still not there yet but I didn't even put NLCS Games 1 and 2 on my calendar (I have tickets for "home game 1").

andyb
Oct '23
zambonir

Not to think too far ahead, but the Phillies, Texas, and Houston are all 90-72. Phillies got swept by Texas to open the year but won the Houston series 2-1. Not sure if division champ status would give Houston an edge in that home field tie-breaker.

bkox
Oct '23

T-Mac tweeted earlier that we would have home field against Houston.

zambonir
Oct '23
andyb

Yeah I don't want to think too far ahead either but the tiebreaker - somewhat incredibly IMO but I guess it's easy to do now with the current schedule - is head-to-head. Turns out it would have been nice to win one of those games in the Mets doubleheader. If it was our team that had won its division and it counted for nothing against the Astros I know I wouldn't like it. Also the NL won the dang All-Star game! :slight_smile:

Austinfan
Oct '23

Why wouldn't you start Ranger? It's not like he had a bad outing last game, or when healthy, a bad season.
He's rested and should be able to give you 5 innings.

andyb
Oct '23

They are going to start him because they can do mostly a bullpen game behind him and he has earned it.

There could be baseball reasons to not start him though if you really wanted to get 6 or 7 innings out of 2 non-short relievers. In that scenario you might have Walker start (for which he is only suited) and then Ranger relieve the second time around the lineup. That would get you into the later innings where you could finish with the short relievers (and not even need Seranthony and Kerkering).

zambonir
Oct '23
Austinfan

No one is saying not to start Ranger; if you use an opener he's still the starter. And it's certainly possible they were so conservative with him in Game 1 to preserve the possibility of pitching him in relief again, which is no longer a consideration. But with another potential off-day tomorrow plus the chance to close it out they can also still afford to empty the bullpen.

RHBs hit him much better, and both Albies and Riley have an OPS over 1.000 against LHP (Acuna is actually slightly below that but not by much). Ozuna is .980. Even Murphy is close to .900. The odds of him going twice through the order are low.

But of course it would also be managerial malpractice if you put the untested Kerkering or the still-not-completely-trusted Seranthony into the 1st inning and they gave up runs. Let alone Walker who doesn't even get lefties out especially well and has a 7.04 first inning ERA. He should probably not pitch in this series but will maybe get his chance next round.

It will once again be hard to use Sanchez or Soto unless there's a slot against the bottom of the order so it would be nice for Ranger to face Olson twice. But not getting Olson out in Game 1 is what ultimately led to him coming out.

VoteForKalas
Oct '23

I do really like Suarez and he pitched well in Game 1, but I am concerned now that they've seen his stuff so recently that he may not be as effective.

David_Criss
Oct '23

Sanchez, Suarez and Walker let them each throw a couple innings and get the W tonight

Austinfan
Oct '23
VoteForKalas

If he has a good change up RHs aren't as big a problem, one reason I think Sanchez, if he had more experience, would be a good choice.

zambonir
Oct '23

I'd like to see what Sanchez can do. But that is probably more of a question if there's a next round (i.e. who's the 4th starter, him or Walker?).

Can't picture Walker facing this line-up without allowing 3-4 runs in two innings. He had a 6.00 ERA with a .982 OPS against them this year.

Callison
Oct '23

Here's hoping for a repeat of the first game when the stars aligned and the Phils shut out the Braves. All the Phils need to do is beat one of the best pitchers in MLB. The Phils lefties will need their best game at the plate.

With the score at 10 - 2 in the 8th, I was surely disappointed to see Kerkering used. Not as dominant as he has been, but still very strong. But that was a spot for a pitcher that you won't need today and the Phils have several collecting dust. Get Lorenzen some post season PT in the 9th, sure, but there he went walking somebody with an 8 run lead... just a reminder that he NEEDS a big lead. Take a look at the arms on Lorenzen - looks like he's put in serious time in the weight room.

Saw a sign on TV something like, "Lookout, Spencer! It's gonna be even louder tomorrow!" You gotta really believe to make that sign before the game... but CBP is just full of believers. Here's hoping they make the difference.

IMHO, Rojas is still getting torn up with high pitches. Kevin Long has shown he can teach hitting and soon he'll get Rojas to start taking more of those. Rojas could lead off some day after Schwarbs retires. Long actually got some TV face time, which he's EARNED - see Stott, Marsh.

Austinfan
Oct '23

I don't care if Rojas strikes out every PA.
The difference he makes in CF is crucial to a pitching staff.
Not giving extra PAs goes a long way in preventing big innings by the opposition.

andyb
Oct '23

If Marsh is in the game I could see Rojas being pinch hit for with Cave in a late game situation. Not sure Cave will get any starts but probably something to watch if we face a high velocity RHP and Rojas continues to slump.

I love Rojas as a player. He is just a little overmatched and we do have 3 different CF (Rojas, Pache, Marsh in descending order of defensive talent).

The reality is that Cave is probably a better hitter against RHP in any large sample. That does not mean he is good and will play a lot. It just means there are situations where Rob should consider it.