Official MLB Playoff Thread

[Blarg]

21 minutes ago, Inside Pitch said:

Buck NoBritton blew the game!!!

Do you mean Buck Blowwater? 

[Blarg]

11 hours ago, Oz27 said:

This will sound like hyperbole but that was the worst managerial decision I've ever seen. I can't recall something so nonsensical ever.

 

1 hour ago, HALOS23 said:

Interestly enough, Bautista is 3-38 lifetime vs Ubaldo.

So I guess Oz is against going with stats in that situation and just bringing in a closer, regardless. You know, managing old school. 

[AngelsLakersFan]

34 minutes ago, Blarg said:

 

So I guess Oz is against going with stats in that situation and just bringing in a closer, regardless. You know, managing old school. 

The 0.47 era on the season is a bit of a better sample than just 38 at bats spread out over the last 6 or so years.

[Blarg]

So if Britton pitches that inning,  the Jay's don't score,  do you leave him in for the next five innings while the O's squander more opportunities to win? 

Baltimore had not scored since the 4th inning. At some point it isn't on the relief corps or manager when your offense goes 7 scoreless. 

[arch stanton]

Maybe the O's don't score but at least by using Britton for an inning or two you're giving them every opportunity

[Troll Daddy]

Destiny prefers a Rangers vs Blue Jays matchup

 

[m0nkey]

Britton did better against righties this year than against lefties (small sample size)

.155/.211/.199 vs righties and .185/.254/.241 vs lefties

[arch stanton]

When you consider that only the best lefties will be allowed to face him that's pretty impressive anyway.

[Blarg]

53 minutes ago, arch stanton said:

Maybe the O's don't score but at least by using Britton for an inning or two you're giving them every opportunity

Which inning? 7th,8th,9th,10th,11th? Tillman was done basically after 4. 

The 9th was high leverage with 2 men on and Showalter didn't bring in Britton then. Was that a mistake that just happened to work in his favor? Would there be second guessing if he burns his closer then? It's just as volatile situation with 2 on,  no out and Bautista at the plate. 

You guys can flap your gums all you want but Showalter played the stat odds and won the 9th but lost the 11th. Had he went with his best pitcher in high leverage and brought Britton in the 9th he sure as shit isn't pitching the 11th.

The offense lost this game. 

[arch stanton]

1 minute ago, Blarg said:

Which inning? 7th,8th,9th,10th,11th? Tillman was done basically after 4. 

The 9th was high leverage with 2 men on and Showalter didn't bring in Britton then. Was that a mistake that just happened to work in his favor? Would there be second guessing if he burns his closer then? It's just as volatile situation with 2 on,  no out and Bautista at the plate. 

You guys can flap your gums all you want but Showalter played the stat odds and won the 9th but lost the 11th. Had he went with his best pitcher in high leverage and brought Britton in the 9th he sure as shit isn't pitching the 11th.

The offense list this game. 

I've already posted what I would have done. I would have used him in the 9th and into the 10th to face the Jays 2 through 8 at least. If you do that you have 2 more innings before you feel compelled to use Jimenez. I get that managers like to save the closer in road games but I feel like someone as dominant as Britton was this year should have been used to match up against the heart of their lineup.

[nando714]

Let's go Giants!!!

[Angel Oracle]

There's arguments for both Jimenez and Britton in the 11th inning.

The real question is, What was THAT Jimenez?    You looked like a AAA pitcher with the season on the line.

Is he just one of those guys who can't adapt to pitching in relief after starting all season?

Three batters, three reaching base?  Really? Really? Really?

 

[Blarg]

1 hour ago, arch stanton said:

I've already posted what I would have done. I would have used him in the 9th and into the 10th to face the Jays 2 through 8 at least. If you do that you have 2 more innings before you feel compelled to use Jimenez. I get that managers like to save the closer in road games but I feel like someone as dominant as Britton was this year should have been used to match up against the heart of their lineup.

Yeah but that heart comes up no less than every three innings regardless. Showalter never was in position to win that game with the offense pulling a 2014 Angels playoff performance. 

[arch stanton]

2 innings from Britton give him 2 more innings to look for a home run from the most prolific home run team in baseball playing in one of the most prolific home run parks in baseball. It would be hard for me to head home knowing I left a historically great relief pitcher sitting in the pen with Donaldson Encarnacion, and company coming to bat.

[Angel Oracle]

Tillman has sure regressed from when he had emerged as just about an elite starter.

His lack of ability to make it to even 5 innings was crucial.

[Oz27]

6 hours ago, Blarg said:

 

So I guess Oz is against going with stats in that situation and just bringing in a closer, regardless. You know, managing old school. 

Hahahahahahahahahahaha oh man this is ridiculous. Head to head splits, spread out over many years, are so damn worthless. It is insane to argue that as a reason to use a terrible pitcher over an extremely good one.

I'm in favour of using good stats, like every one that says Britton is really really excellent and Jimenez isn't. 

[Angel Oracle]

7 hours ago, Blarg said:

Do you mean Buck Blowwater? 

Few are his peer with fundamentals coaching.

That though contrasts with his post-season record, which isn't very good.   He tends to over manage.

[Blarg]

6 hours ago, arch stanton said:

2 innings from Britton give him 2 more innings to look for a home run from the most prolific home run team in baseball playing in one of the most prolific home run parks in baseball. It would be hard for me to head home knowing I left a historically great relief pitcher sitting in the pen with Donaldson Encarnacion, and company coming to bat.

Then Britton should have been in there for the 9th inning that looked like a train wreck in progress with Mr bat flip Bautista up with 2 on and no outs. Instead Showalter kept his cool and held out for a lead that never came. 

The Orioles did get those two extra innings in the 10th and 11th and that home run hitting team couldn't put a couple singles and a bunt together to scratch out one run. How many damn innings over 7 did they need to put one runner across the plate?  

At some point it's just on the players. 

[AngelsLakersFan]

8 hours ago, Blarg said:

So if Britton pitches that inning,  the Jay's don't score,  do you leave him in for the next five innings while the O's squander more opportunities to win? 

Baltimore had not scored since the 4th inning. At some point it isn't on the relief corps or manager when your offense goes 7 scoreless. 

Saying that every decision was going to lead to a bad outcome (something you can't even know) doesn't excuse poor decision making. Bringing in Britton was more likely to extend the game for the O's and in turn increase their chances of winning.

[AngelsLakersFan]

1 minute ago, Vladdylonglegs said:

Haha MLB sucks so bad at replays. Always having the backs of the umps on the field. Probably one of the worst blown replay calls in sports history.

You think so? I thought he was safe but I had a feeling they would come back 'call stands' since I wasn't more than 90% sure about it.

[the dude abides]

Awful call.

[Ace-Of-Diamonds]

39 minutes ago, captain howdy said:

Awful call.

I thought he came off the bag for a split second when the front leg left the bag before the back leg made contact with it. It was really close though and I can not be completely sure. Not enough evidence to overturn IMO.

[Ace-Of-Diamonds]

Granderson earned his pay for today with that running catch into the CF wall.

[AngelsLakersFan]

19 minutes ago, Ace-Of-Diamonds said:

Granderson earned his pay for today with that running catch into the CF wall.

Amazing catch for an aging outfielder

[Oz27]

37 minutes ago, AngelsLakersFan said:

Amazing catch for an aging outfielder

The expected batting average on that play, using Statcast data, was .971.

https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/gamefeed?game_pk=487596&type=pitch_velocity&chart_type=description&inning=&count=&batter_hand=&pitcher_hand=&filter=