FabulousFabregas

The 'best' teams seem to choke in the playoffs. Us last year, Blue Jays this year.

Astros vs. Rangers ALCS

This game:

We need to bolster our rotation/bullpen and get a 3B. Howie's a 2B despite playing other positions in a pinch before like 1B, 3B, and LF.

Incoming on Trout's Twitter: Long Beach !!!

Bring lots of lasagna for Sosh. He might make you the new GM.

Relievers. I didn't trust anybody in this last week outside of Joe Smith.

It was exciting to watch the last few weeks, but I'd say blue balls is the best way to describe the 2015 season. Nobody will remember this season since they ultimately failed in the end, if they had pulled it off it would have been something special, that's what's frustrating about it.

Yeah the Wednesday game is more brutal. That was a gimme game, we knew Texas would be tough.

"We tried to get some guys to match up, and some guys that were a little fresher. Guys that have really been throwing the ball well for us, and we couldn't get through the 7th inning. We had guys that we could use maybe shorter term, but we just couldn't get the ball to the plate in the 7th, and didn't make a couple plays in the field, and it ended up being a big inning for them." "This game's funny, I don't know if I've been prouder of a group of guys that I've had the privilege to manage and coach than the guys in that room this year. There were so many times when they could have just turned the page and said hey this isn't our year, we don't have the depth. A lot of things went on that they couldn't control." "They left their hearts on the field, it's an inspiring group."

Chuck posted some insight on here in regards to the politics that led to what happened.

Even look at last year, Dipoto deserves the credit for that team. At the trade deadline he bolstered the bullpen to make it so strong that the Angels were able to have great bullpen by committee games. It didn't take any skill from Scioscia to manage that bullpen, though he did use his skillset to start a rusty (and struggling) Josh Hamilton in all 3 games of the playoffs last year.

The manager also ran our GM out of town before the trade deadline where he easily could have made a move that pushed us over the hump, like he did in 2014 acquiring Huston Street. This manager has also only had one playoff team in 6 years, which would be unacceptable in any other major market.

In a playoff game, which this essentially was for us, you have to do whatever it takes, and in this case that means run out your best reliever before the game is out reach. Instead, he did not throw a single pitch, and Scioscia managed the bullpen like it was a July or August game.

Yep that would have helped. Smith didn't need to pitch 3 innings. If you pitch Smith 2 innings the game stays within reach and could have helped give us the momentum to mount a comeback, then you string together a 9th inning with the entire staff.

I would understand not bringing in Smith this early in an April-August game, but this is basically a playoff game for us. In games like this you even consider bringing in starters from the bullpen.

I would have had Smith out there to start the 7th if Richards had to go. But even starting without him, he STILL could have had Smith come in as the first guy to try and clean up the mess. Instead Smith will not have thrown a pitch in this game.

That's definitely something that'll be up for debate, but I still think even after that if Smith would have come in we would not have seen that meltdown.

I understand not bringing in Smith prior to the 7th, but if Smith came in in the 7th, he could have gotten us out of that jam and probably pitched the 8th as well, and this game would still be within reach. As far as who then pitches the 9th, in this scenario we actually could have gotten to a 9th with a chance, which is better than the situation we are currently in.

There's no point in holding back on your best reliever (or closer) in a game like, especially in the 7th when it was becoming clear that we were in danger of this becoming out of reach. In a game like this you do whatever it takes to keep your head above water, and holding back your best relief pitcher makes absolutely no sense.

Why didn't Scioscia go to Smith during the 7th, especially once we got in trouble?

How about the fact that Joe Smith will not pitch in this game?

How about his brilliant defensive shifts?

Right now might be a good time.