MLB Postseason GDT

[zambonir]

Nats down 3-1 to the Brewers after 4. You hate to see it.

(But I'm sure three runs isn't gonna win this game.)

[mdougherty12]

Strasburg relieving Scherzer to start the 6th, still 3-1 Brewers.

[phillychuck]

It's a shame Yelich got hurt, but they've been playing great without him.

[zambonir]

it will be a bigger shame next round. but it's also a shame as a Phillies phan, like, they played .750 ball without him but we couldn't get over losing Cutch.

The Brewers are our alternate reality team in a lot of ways.

[zambonir]

Wow. Hader not getting it done, Soto clutch hit with bases loaded was gonna tie it but a misplay makes it 4-3 Nats with just three outs to go. Only good part is they got Soto on the bases.

It's the baseball playoffs though, I gotta believe there's another blown save ahead.

[phillychuck]

I gotta believe there's another blown save ahead.

Not in this game.

[zambonir]

Nope.

Well, in a way, seeing the 89-win, .500 run differential, missing-their-best-player, no-name starting pitchers Brewers make a run wouldn't have made me feel any better about the Phillies, whereas the Nats showed they were better than us time and again.

[Philsmania]

The Brewers are our alternate reality team in a lot of ways.

Like the Marlins were in 2003 and the Astros were in 2004-05, as I recall.

[zambonir]

Well, I'm glad this wasn't our reality I guess! Gotta feel bad for that kid, would basically be like if Haseley had made that error for us

[mdougherty12]

4-0 Tampa Bay in the middle of the 3rd inning on 3 HRs from the Ray's. Phormer Phil Charlie Morton on the hill for the Ray's.

[zambonir]

Rays already doing a pinch-hit and defensive change. AL baseball.

A's just got a lead-off error - all the way to third base. 4-1 w/ the no-out sacrifice fly.

[zambonir]

Announcers talking about A's being 1-10 with runners in scoring position and how you can't play for one run because hits and runs are just so hard to come by. So it's all about homers. That's the thing about the 3TO - it's not just a hitting philosophy, or because of the ball, it is something the new bullpens have helped create.

[Philsmania]

Rays already doing a pinch-hit and defensive change. AL baseball.

I remember when that was NL baseball, back when the NL won more ASG's & WS's. Now look at what league always wins the ASG and usually the WS.

[zambonir]

Honestly I can't claim to remember at this point but are you saying NL teams used to pinch-hit for position players earlier and more frequently? Of course this is also a playoff quirk (and a wild card/NLDS quirk) when you don't need as many starting pitchers on the 25.

I imagine the DH has always been an advantage for the AL come World Series time. They have a better bat off the bench, and their pitchers are used to getting 4-5 more difficult outs per game. The NL get some advantage playing by NL rules in those games but maybe not enough of one.

[zambonir]

Well, nobody (including me) started an DS thread so I figure keep this one going.

I really thought the Nats might take a 2-1 lead tonight. But Dodgers had other ideas and then some. Now up 10-4.

If NLCS ended up being Braves-Nats I think I'd probably want to fire our GM too.

Meanwhile Astros and Cardinals both have closer questions, because it's closers in the playoffs.

[Philsmania]

Martinez was getting a lot of praise for his outside the box thinking using his star starting pitchers out of the bullpen in between starts but it backfired last night as Corbin got rocked. When the Nats started to rally in the bottom of the 6th, it looked like that game might turn into what Harry would have called "a wild one" but Kendrick's baserunning gaffe may have shortcircuited it.

Two oldheads in that game...Russell Martin, the Phillies faced him with the Dodgers in both the 2008 and 2009 NLCS and Howie Kendrick, I guess you can say that Nats go the better of that deadline deal as he has turned into a really good extra man when healthy.

[andyb]

It has been necessity as much as innovation for Martinez. I think it is now standard to not have your starters throw on the 3rd day between starts (like they do in the regular season) so they can throw 1 inning in the playoffs between starts. Corbin is more of a feel pitcher, so maybe it is more difficult for him than the power pitchers.

Nats still do have Scherzer and Strasburg lined up. Traditional 110-pitch 7-inning starts is probably what they need. I would trust Hudson and Doolittle for the last 2 innings but everything in the bullpen beyond that might as well be the Phillies bullpen at this point.

[zambonir]

And the Cardinals and Astros closers may as well be Hector Neris at the moment! (Though I see the Astros have other issues today, not that they are in trouble overall.)

[zambonir]

Verlander on three days rest already has Houston in a 3-0 hole after 1 inning.

Seems like every manager throws out the data when it comes to aces and short rest in the playofss. I guess the question - as with Nola for us last month - is not whether the ace pitches worse than usual (he does) but if that's still better than the guy you'd pitch instead.

[mdougherty12]

The other option tonight for Houston was Jose Urquidy, who has ended up pitching in relief. Urquidy had solid numbers in his brief MLB stint, though he only had 41 career big league innings at the start of the playoffs.