Desired Opponent in Playoffs

[Kimmi]

Disagree. I'd rather face the sox than the stros

 

For the longest time, I believed the Astros were the team to beat.

 

I no longer believe that's the case.

[Kimmi]

The A's are only 1 back of the Stros now after being 11.5 back at one point. If the A's momentum continues you're facing the Stros.

 

Good game between the two teams last night.

[moonslav59]

The A's won on an overturned call in the bottom of the 9th and a Matt Olsen walk off HR in the 10th. These guys are for real.

 

The 'stros are in trouble.

[moonslav59]

For the longest time, I believed the Astros were the team to beat.

 

I no longer believe that's the case.

 

They've had their best players on the DL for the last month or two. All are coming back or just got back.

 

I wouldn't count them out just yet, but the A's are stomping and have been for months.

[Fan_since_Boggs]

Easy. I want the Yankees in the division round. A rested Sale will be there for games 1 and 5. The Yankees will blow their best pitcher in the wild card game (probably Severino).

 

Yankees fans should root for their team to lose in the wild card game to avoid being humiliated in the division round.

 

I remember 2009, I was rooting for the Red Sox to advance, but part of me was very happy when they were eliminated by the Angels. The Red Sox would have lost to the Yankees in the next round--the Red Sox weren't as good as the Yankees that year--and I didn't want to see the Yankees beat them. Likewise, Yankees fans will be much happier if the Yankees lose to the A's rather than get humiliated (again) in the division round against the Red Sox.

 

If the Red Sox and Yankees meet up in the playoffs, the Red Sox will face the Yankees with a 4 game head-to-head playoff winning streak. Of course, those 4 games go back to 2004, when the Yankees turned into the biggest choke artists and losers in the history of sports.

Edited August 18, 2018 by Fan_since_Boggs

[d-money]

It don’t matter to me. This team has to show up in the postseason. Need the pitching and the hitting to step up. They have already felt failure in the postseason. It’s time to step it up boys!!!

[d-money]

It don’t matter to me. This team has to show up in the postseason. Need the pitching and the hitting to step up. They have already felt failure in the postseason. It’s time to step it up boys!!!

[Dojji]

I don't honestly care. We have to be the favorite against any opponent right now. Let's just get there, figure out who we're facing, and hope to win one game at a time. Picking and choosing our opponent is arrogant, and if a team is strong, we'll wind up facing them eventually.

 

In other words, if the A's are hotter than hell and steamrolling opponents in September like they are right now, it doesn't matter if we encounter them in the DS or the CS, we'll still have to cool them off and find ways to win. Whoever is still alive, as long as we're in the playoff race, we're going to have to go through them and they through us. I don't think it matters when or where we meet them, especially because we almost have HFA locked up throughout the playoffs anyhow.

[d-money]

Carlos Correa has to be hurt for the astros. Back injuries are no joke and uncomfortable for a baseball player. He’s an exciting young player. Hope he recovers. He still doesn’t look the same.

[d-money]

Carlos Correa has to be hurt for the astros. Back injuries are no joke and uncomfortable for a baseball player. He’s an exciting young player. Hope he recovers. He still doesn’t look the same.

[vegasbob]

They've had their best players on the DL for the last month or two. All are coming back or just got back.

 

I wouldn't count them out just yet, but the A's are stomping and have been for months.

 

With 40+- games to go for both A's and Astros, reversion to the mean will kick back in somewhere over that period. The difference with the Yankees and Red Sox is that both teams continue at a very strong pace (.700+-) with the Yankees losses to the Sox, and the Rays series hurting them.

[Kimmi]

They've had their best players on the DL for the last month or two. All are coming back or just got back.

 

I wouldn't count them out just yet, but the A's are stomping and have been for months.

 

Oh I'm not counting them out at all. I believe they are a much better team than the As.

 

Up until very recently, I thought they were the best team in baseball and the team to beat. Now, I believe the Red Sox are that team, with the Astros following in a close 2nd. Once the Astros regain their health, they might once again become the team to beat.

[Kimmi]

Easy. I want the Yankees in the division round. A rested Sale will be there for games 1 and 5. The Yankees will blow their best pitcher in the wild card game (probably Severino).

 

Yankees fans should root for their team to lose in the wild card game to avoid being humiliated in the division round.

 

I remember 2009, I was rooting for the Red Sox to advance, but part of me was very happy when they were eliminated by the Angels. The Red Sox would have lost to the Yankees in the next round--the Red Sox weren't as good as the Yankees that year--and I didn't want to see the Yankees beat them. Likewise, Yankees fans will be much happier if the Yankees lose to the A's rather than get humiliated (again) in the division round against the Red Sox.

 

If the Red Sox and Yankees meet up in the playoffs, the Red Sox will face the Yankees with a 4 game head-to-head playoff winning streak. Of course, those 4 games go back to 2004, when the Yankees turned into the biggest choke artists and losers in the history of sports.

 

Ha. I love this.

[Station 13]

I don't care who we face, we have beaten every team and some. At Fenway this year we play absolutely great baseball, homefield throughout the entire playoff bodes well.

[moonslav59]

Oh I'm not counting them out at all. I believe they are a much better team than the As.

 

Up until very recently, I thought they were the best team in baseball and the team to beat. Now, I believe the Red Sox are that team, with the Astros following in a close 2nd. Once the Astros regain their health, they might once again become the team to beat.

 

It's like the Astros are the 2017 Red Sox.

 

2017> 2018 OPS (listed in order of most PAs in 2017)

 

.957> .857 Altuve

.889>.768 Springer

.827<.900 bregman>

.817> .714 Gurriel

.847> .724 Reddick

.907> .708 Gonzalez

.666> n/a Beltran

.941> .799 Correa

.759> .606 McCann

.767

.815> .690 Marisnick

 

 

 

 

[Kimmi]

I don't care who we face, we have beaten every team and some. At Fenway this year we play absolutely great baseball, homefield throughout the entire playoff bodes well.

 

The As have beaten us in both series played against them.

[S5Dewey]

deleted

[Kimmi]

It's like the Astros are the 2017 Red Sox.

 

2017> 2018 OPS (listed in order of most PAs in 2017)

 

.957> .857 Altuve

.889>.768 Springer

.827<.900 bregman>

.817> .714 Gurriel

.847> .724 Reddick

.907> .708 Gonzalez

.666> n/a Beltran

.941> .799 Correa

.759> .606 McCann

.767

.815> .690 Marisnick

 

 

Interesting.

 

Even with their injuries and their drop off from last year, the Astros have a +195 run differential. They are a very good team.

 

In contrast, the As have a +72 run differential. Still a very good team, but to have the same record as the Astros with such a disparity in run differential is one of baseball's quirky things.

 

That said, the As did make some improvements at the deadline. So, they have a good chance of continuing to beat that first have Pythagorean W-L percentage.

[Carbo-Diem]

Interesting.

 

Even with their injuries and their drop off from last year, the Astros have a +195 run differential. They are a very good team.

 

In contrast, the As have a +72 run differential. Still a very good team, but to have the same record as the Astros with such a disparity in run differential is one of baseball's quirky things.

That said, the As did make some improvements at the deadline. So, they have a good chance of continuing to beat that first have Pythagorean W-L percentage.

 

The smaller run differential might mean the A's are the more clutch team and have won a lot more close games. A big intangible in the playoffs.

[Kimmi]

The smaller run differential might mean the A's are the more clutch team and have won a lot more close games. A big intangible in the playoffs.

 

Oh Carbo, do not get me started.

 

The As have been the beneficiary of some good luck, while the Astros have been the victim of some bad luck.

[OH FOY]

1 Run in a win looks the same as 10 runs in a win, in Standings. Seattle is -31 in run differential, yet 18 games over .500 Angel are +41 and only 1 game over .500.

So who the hell knows.

Edited August 19, 2018 by OH FOY!

[Station 13]

Seattle won a bunch of 1 run games earlier. They been trash since we play them.

[OH FOY]

You think lasts nights game should have been a Run Differential of +3 runs, when we just got 4 hits? Game to game different. Just worry about standings, for me. Seattle just swept the Astros in a 4 game series last weekend, in Houston.

[harmony]

Seattle won a bunch of 1 run games earlier. They been trash since we play them.

To be precise, Seattle is 24-22 since the Mariners last played the Red Sox:

 

https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/SEA/2018-schedule-scores.shtml

 

After last night's walk-off balk, the Mariners are 31-16 (.660) in one-run games, the Athletics are 26-10 (.722) and the Red Sox are 19-10 (.655).

[Thunder]

The As have beaten us in both series played against them.

 

Only team we have a losing record against where the season series has been completed. Amazingly, the only other team we have a losing record against are the White Sox (1-2)

[d-money]

The As have beaten us in both series played against them.

 

That was April and may. We’re a much better team now.

[moonslav59]

That was April and may. We’re a much better team now.

 

So are they!

 

The A's were 9-10 when they took 2 of 3 from us at home. They went 8-10 after beating us. They then took 2 of 3 from us at Fenway in May. They finished May 8-6 after beating us. They were a near .500 team when the beat us twice.

 

We were 16-2 when we arrived in Oakland in May. I think we went 10-8 between the two series.

 

I think the A's have the second best record since May 31st at 46-21.

 

We are best at 49-19.

 

However, look at the two records since June 16th:

 

40-11 BOS

 

40-13 A's

 

One could argue that over the most recent third of a season, we have played about the same great ball as each other.

 

Edited August 19, 2018 by moonslav59

[harmony]

However, look at the two records since June 16th:

 

40-11 BOS

 

40-13 A's

 

One could argue that over the most recent third of a season, we have played about the same great ball as each other.

And one could argue that the Athletics have posted their record in a tougher division.

 

The other teams in Boston's division have a combined record of 231-261 (.470) while the other clubs in Oakland's division have a combined record of 263-234 (.529).

Edited August 19, 2018 by harmony

[moonslav59]

And one could argue that the Athletics have posted their record in a tougher division.

 

The other teams in Boston's division have a combined record of 231-261 (.470) while the other clubs in Oakland's division have a combined record of 263-234 (.529).

 

I'd call 'em even since mid June.

[Kimmi]

1 Run in a win looks the same as 10 runs in a win, in Standings. Seattle is -31 in run differential, yet 18 games over .500 Angel are +41 and only 1 game over .500.

So who the hell knows.

 

Seattle has been a very lucky team.

 

They have no business being in the race with Houston.