Dodgers-Rays World Series

[Westheim]

Originally Posted by Déjà Bru

I imagine Kershaw will be the Dodgers' Game 7 starter, if the Series goes that far, but a poor performance in that game notwithstanding, I would say that he has dispelled the "Kershaw Postseason Curse" with his performances this year:

On two days' rest? That's begging for it. How many pitches did he throw? 86? 88? Too lazy to look, but I thought there's some room left for him.

[Déjà Bru]

Originally Posted by CBeisbol

You'll need to talk to the developers about that.


In can say that if your team is something like 0-4 and your opponents are something like 2-4 that's likely not an unreasonable outcome

That's probably it. I haven't tried it often enough to determine whether it is "successful much more than 1/3 of the time for it to be the right play." I would imagine that it requires a baserunner at 3B with high ratings in speed and stealing (maybe not so much baserunning in this case) paired with a pitcher who has low marks in holding runners. Also a catcher with low defensive skills.

[CBeisbol]

Originally Posted by Déjà Bru

That's probably it. I haven't tried it often enough to determine whether it is "successful much more than 1/3 of the time for it to be the right play." I would imagine that it requires a baserunner at 3B with high ratings in speed and stealing (maybe not so much baserunning in this case) paired with a pitcher who has low marks in holding runners. Also a catcher with low defensive skills.

It absolutely does not require those things.

Those things should lead to a higher success rate, I would think.

[Déjà Bru]

Originally Posted by CBeisbol

It absolutely does not require those things.

Those things should lead to a higher success rate, I would think.

That's what I meant to say, yes. That is the great thing about OOTPB; you could put Choi on 3B and try that play, fail 9 times out of 10, but the 10th time there would be the "Choi Miracle Steal." Just as IRL. But I believe those could be the factors to look for, for more successes in general.

Speaking of Buehler, you guys are probably right. Setting up Kershaw to pitch on two days rest just seems to smack of one of those nice ideas suddenly turning into a debacle that Dave Roberts would never live down. I would go with Buehler myself, given his dominating performance last Friday. Of course, that could still result in a debacle but one for which no one could blame anybody (except Buehler, of course).

[Brad K]

Interesting people are talking about Dodgers pitchers for the seventh game.

[CBeisbol]

Originally Posted by Brad K

Interesting people are talking about Dodgers pitchers for the seventh game.

I agree
We are interesting, aren't we?

(Never say I disagree with everything)

[Déjà Bru]

Originally Posted by CBeisbol

I agree
We are interesting, aren't we?

(Never say I disagree with everything)

Yes, Brad, please continue feeding us trolls!

[Westheim]

Originally Posted by thehef

Very true. However, had he been in position to backup home plate, he likely would've been more directly behind home plate, somewhat shaded to the third base side to align with where the throw from the Muncy was coming, and would not have been anywhere near where the ball actually ended up (much more towards the 1st base side of behind-the-plate foul territory) after deflecting off of Smiths' glove... Doubtful his failure to back up on the play made a difference.

Just watched Jomboy's piece with additional angles I either didn't see then or that weren't shown on the live broadcast, and this is exactly right. The throw comes from Muncy, so you'd back it up on the third base side of home plate.

The Dodgers would be champs by now if the ball hadn't hit the home plate ump's leg right in that 5-degree sector where it got far enough away from everybody for Arozarena to score.

[thehef]

Gonsolin is the game six starter, and Roberts is "saying" that with five days since he last pitched, he's the starter rather than the opener. Whether he means that, or is just trying to boost the kid's confidence before removing him after 5 batters, who knows?

As for a potential game 7, the plan all along (since advancing to the WS anyways) has been for Bueller to be the game 7 starter, if needed. No way Kershaw starts a game seven unless Bueller and Urias and several members of the bullpen are unavailable.

A Dodgers beat writer (Bill Plunkett, I think) was on the radio today saying that in previous postseasons, Mattingly and then Roberts were always asking (a willing) Kershaw to be superman (or something like that), starting games on 3 days rest, pitching deeper into games than he should, coming out of the bullpen in-between starts... He was saying that now, with Kershaw's age also a factor, they've learned their lesson and are simply asking him to do his job, and nothing more.

That said, I can envision a scenario where he comes into a game seven to start an inning and just pitch that one inning, maybe another inning if the first one is clean. But only if it's middle innings and the Dodgers have a lead of a few runs. I don't see them bringing him in to escape someone else's jam, or to close it out.

[thehef]

Originally Posted by Westheim

Just watched Jomboy's piece with additional angles I either didn't see then or that weren't shown on the live broadcast, and this is exactly right. The throw comes from Muncy, so you'd back it up on the third base side of home plate.

The Dodgers would be champs by now if the ball hadn't hit the home plate ump's leg right in that 5-degree sector where it got far enough away from everybody for Arozarena to score.

Perhaps. But that (Dodgers being champs now) would depend upon a) the Dodgers winning game 5, because had Smith caught the ball and tagged Arozarena, the game would've been tied, and to extra's we'd've gone... and b) Game 5 playing out just like it did - in a vacuum with the Dodgers winning - without regards to how anything from Game 4 might have affected how game 5 played out. Just as an example, both Roberts and Cash likely would've managed a bit differently in Game 5 if the series were 3-1 LA, instead of 2-2.

But ya, I would like to think that the momentum from an exciting extra-innings Game 4 win for Dodgers would've carried them to a Game 5 clincher. But, as we saw, similar momentum from the actual Game 4 Rays win did not help the Rays in Game 5.

We shall see...

[thehef]

Originally Posted by Déjà Bru

Speaking of Buehler, you guys are probably right. Setting up Kershaw to pitch on two days rest just seems to smack of one of those nice ideas suddenly turning into a debacle that Dave Roberts would never live down. I would go with Buehler myself, given his dominating performance last Friday. Of course, that could still result in a debacle but one for which no one could blame anybody (except Buehler, of course).

Don't be so sure. Dave Roberts has made enough questionable postseason moves over the last few years that even if the obvious correct move - in this case starting Bueller in a potential game seven - doesn't work out, he (Roberts) will get blamed for it

[Hrycaj]

Originally Posted by Westheim

Just watched Jomboy's piece with additional angles I either didn't see then or that weren't shown on the live broadcast, and this is exactly right. The throw comes from Muncy, so you'd back it up on the third base side of home plate.

The Dodgers would be champs by now if the ball hadn't hit the home plate ump's leg right in that 5-degree sector where it got far enough away from everybody for Arozarena to score.

Or the Braves would be in the World Series if they knew how to run the bases.

[Déjà Bru]

Originally Posted by thehef

...the game would've been tied, and to extra's we'd've gone...

Speaking of which, they did forgo that extra innings runner on 2B for this World Series, correct? Please tell me that is so. This may be the last World Series that we will NOT see that rule in effect.

[Hrycaj]

Originally Posted by Déjà Bru

Speaking of which, they did forgo that extra innings runner on 2B for this World Series, correct? Please tell me that is so. This may be the last World Series that we will NOT see that rule in effect.

Extra innings in the playoffs were back to "normal".

[Westheim]

Game 6!

I have donuts!

...

It can only get worse from here.

[Déjà Bru]

Originally Posted by Westheim

Game 6!

I have donuts!

...

It can only get worse from here.

I yearn for a Game 7 because, believe me, your donuts would be one of the highlights of this year. So would a climactic Game 7. So, go Rays!

[Westheim]

Ahomarena!!

He's sockin' 'em like Troy Greenway! (Raccoons insider )

[Déjà Bru]

Originally Posted by Westheim

Ahomarena!!

He's sockin' 'em like Troy Greenway! (Raccoons insider )

He must be an android or something.

[Westheim]

And then Randy goes on to spit on his own uniform.

Right on the logo, too!

[Westheim]

Ji-man Choi has no "weakness"!

All parts of him are equally chubby!

(noms donut entirely ignorant to the fact of having the same general body shape without the baseball talent)