The Official 2021 ALCS Thread

[Bellhorn04]

Is this Dodger team better than last season?

 

Last year the Braves took them to game seven of the NLDS with a staff largely armed by inexperienced rookies.

 

Statistically, no, this Dodger team isn't any better than last season's.

 

However, I have a feeling they are going to steamroll the Braves this time around.

[jad]

If they have their own discretion, they need to know not to end the season on a 50/50 call.

 

So you're saying that the umpires should make calls one way during regular games, but on season ending games they should make different calls? And on 50/50 potentially game-ending calls, they should do what? Like with a potential winning run crossing the plate, ALWAYS call out in order not to end the season on a close call? (and if it were the tying run, of course, ALWAYS call safe).

Edited October 16, 2021 by jad

[jad]

So maybe on the Renfroe call, the umps should huddle (as Rays fans insist), and determine how many bases the runner would get, so, say, ... wait ... clearly the guy would have tried for home but in the umpires' collective judgment, because of Renfroe's arm, he would have been out, then Vaz throws to third and HOLY CRAP! DOUBLE-PLAY!

 

The point is, the umps charge is to follow the rule-book. Not to second-guess what happens or should happen or what's going on in players' minds or how the fans will react or what 'fairness' is.

[notin]

We now are hearing the same crap all over again. " Why , even if we lose , we had a great year. Exceeded expectations. " We heard it before the regular season ended , before the play in game and before the ALDS. When the Sox win this and go to the Fall Classic , we will hear it again.

 

Point?

[notin]

That was clearly a check swing by any definition that I have ever heard. Not suggesting there was anything devious going on. Just a terrible call by the first base ump. They make quite a few mistakes in almost every game , but this was a very bad time for it.

 

Problem is, there is no rule defining when it is a swing. Most umpires just look to see if the head of the bat crosses the front of home plate as their criteria, but that's not the rule. Much like many things in baseball that we think of as "rules", most of them are simply umpire discretion. Like in the 2008 ALDS Sox vs the Angels, when the Angels tried to score the go ahead run via squeeze play and Varitek ran Reggie Willits back to third and tagged him amidst a fall/diveg, and then in the process dropped the ball. But the umpires ruled Willets out anyway. Why? Because there is no rule that says if the fielder drops the ball during a tag play that the runner is safe. And there is no rule that says the runner is out if the balls is dropped. Control of the baseball in this case is 100% umpire discretion.

 

The same goes with the nearly impossible call of check swings. All a swing is per the rule book is an attempt to offer at a pitch that is not a bunt. Did Flores offer at the pitch?

 

Not to mention these calls are made from 90-100 feet away by an umpire trying to judge the distance for a bat traveling some 75-80 mph for maybe a fifth of a second.

 

I've seen calls before I did not agree with. Heck, I did not agree Flores swung. But that doesn't mean they were bad calls that violated the rules of the game...

[Dalas21000]

Why does Cora keep going back to Sale...Especially Game 1 ALCS...Evaldi should have been a clear Game 1 starter, Pivetta Game 2, Sale maybe Game 3 starter....ride the hot hands Cora....Evaldi and Pivetta your best 2 pitchers right now

[Dalas21000]

Starting pitchers that is***

[dgalehouse]

The Red Sox lineup is relentless. Constant pressure on the pitcher. Very few easy innings . I don't think the Astros have the answer.

[YastrzemskI]

And just like that we are all tied up 1-1 headed back to Boston. Fenway Park is ready to rock!

[Nick]

The Danny Santana decision also just blew my mind. I understand the logic. Kendall Gravement shuts down righties and isn’t great against lefties. Santana is a switch hitter, and Hunter Renfroe is a righty. But splits are not in a vacuum. We’re still talking about Danny Santana, who has quite literally been one of the worst major-league hitters for the better part of a decade. Even if you insist on pinch hitting a lefty, use Travis Shaw there instead of with two outs. If Santana is on the roster to run and play defense in a pinch, then sure. But if that spot is even being considered for offensive purposes, he shouldn’t be there. And even if he had a good at bat, it ended in a strikeout. Santana just cannot hit unless it’s a blow out. Full stop.

 

Per Overthemonster....I couldn't agree more.

[d-money]

Gonna have to outslug the stros and get timely outs. That’s how i see us winning the series.

[oldtimer]

The Sox spread their offense more and build up a solid lead for Nate. We didn't do much later in the game against the better arms but we got a split at their park which is a good start. Back to Fenway where fan support will be tremendous. Make no mistake, the Astros lineup is tough and capable of exploiting any weak pitching performances. We will need to get contributions up and down the lineup to take this series. it's probably Pivetta coming up for game 3.

[Elktonnick]

I understood why Cora used Hernandez in the 9th but please my blood pressure can't take the drama. Hernandez is incapable of throwing a clean inning. Save for when you are 10 or more runs down or better still find a way to get him off the roster.

[YastrzemskI]

I understood why Cora used Hernandez in the 9th but please my blood pressure can't take the drama. Hernandez is incapable of throwing a clean inning. Save for when you are 10 or more runs down or better still find a way to get him off the roster.

 

We were up six to start the inning. He gave up two runs and we still won 9-5 so what was there to worry about? The tying run never even came up to the plate so why the nerves?

[d-money]

One thing i notice about the dodgers is just how better they’re offensively than their counterparts in the NL. I mean the giants where just pathetic offensively and the Braves look terrible. That won’t be the case if they advance and face either the Red Sox or Stros.

[d-money]

The Sox spread their offense more and build up a solid lead for Nate. We didn't do much later in the game against the better arms but we got a split at their park which is a good start. Back to Fenway where fan support will be tremendous. Make no mistake, the Astros lineup is tough and capable of exploiting any weak pitching performances. We will need to get contributions up and down the lineup to take this series. it's probably Pivetta coming up for game 3.

 

I think it’s gonna be ERod. I hope not.

[YastrzemskI]

One thing i notice about the dodgers is just how better they’re offensively than their counterparts in the NL. I mean the giants where just pathetic offensively and the Braves look terrible. That won’t be the case if they advance and face either the Red Sox or Stros.

 

Well the Dodgers made some mistakes tonight and lost 3-2. Turner got caught in a rundown in the 9th to end the inning and the Braves walked it off. So much for the Dodgers just cruising like everyone says.

[moonslav59]

Well the Dodgers made some mistakes tonight and lost 3-2. Turner got caught in a rundown in the 9th to end the inning and the Braves walked it off. So much for the Dodgers just cruising like everyone says.

 

Baseball is a game that has no guarantees.

 

[Kman]

Why does Cora keep going back to Sale...Especially Game 1 ALCS...Evaldi should have been a clear Game 1 starter, Pivetta Game 2, Sale maybe Game 3 starter....ride the hot hands Cora....Evaldi and Pivetta your best 2 pitchers right now

 

Because the Red Sox are not going to win the whole thing with one really solid starting pitcher and Sale has the pedigree to be not just good but spectacular if they can get him right. He wasn't right in game one but he did show a flash of what he could do striking out Altuve ...that sequence was the best he has looked to me. I think Pivetta and Houck are being ultilized in a very good way pitching multiple innings in relief but both of them get exposed going even two times through a batting order especially against play off teams.

[jacksonianmarch]

Don’t tell the Sox they don’t have the arms, they’ll just beat you into submission. This is lining up a la 2013 again. They’re not a great team on paper, but they’re bludgeoning teams with their bats. They’ve got one reliable starting pitcher. They run into a deep Astros team who lose their ace the game before this series and lose their #3 today (Garcia hurt his knee). Fate couldn’t be drifting further in their favor. Heck, Cora decided to tempt it with his “hold my beer” moment in starting Sale game 1, yet they still come out of Houston with hone field. Not even sure what to believe anymore. Pitching wins titles? That’s utter ******** now. Slug your way to titles, pitching be damned!

[moonslav59]

Don’t tell the Sox they don’t have the arms, they’ll just beat you into submission. This is lining up a la 2013 again. They’re not a great team on paper, but they’re bludgeoning teams with their bats. They’ve got one reliable starting pitcher. They run into a deep Astros team who lose their ace the game before this series and lose their #3 today (Garcia hurt his knee). Fate couldn’t be drifting further in their favor. Heck, Cora decided to tempt it with his “hold my beer” moment in starting Sale game 1, yet they still come out of Houston with hone field. Not even sure what to believe anymore. Pitching wins titles? That’s utter ******** now. Slug your way to titles, pitching be damned!

 

Would you stop with the not good on paper mantra?

 

Sure, I agree on the pitching being highly suspect on paper, but the line-up is for real.

 

There really were not that many career high or outlier years.

[jacksonianmarch]

Your pitching sucks and you had no down or injury plagued years in your lineup. That’s rare.

[jacksonianmarch]

Also defense blows and baserunning sucks

[d-money]

Well the Dodgers made some mistakes tonight and lost 3-2. Turner got caught in a rundown in the 9th to end the inning and the Braves walked it off. So much for the Dodgers just cruising like everyone says.

 

True but i don’t see how the Braves win that series if they don’t hit more often. Giants pitching was outstanding and they’re going home cause they couldn’t hit.

[d-money]

Would you stop with the not good on paper mantra?

 

Sure, I agree on the pitching being highly suspect on paper, but the line-up is for real.

 

There really were not that many career high or outlier years.

 

Eovaldi is a gamer. Also Pivetta has shown some heart.

[moonslav59]

Eovaldi is a gamer. Also Pivetta has shown some heart.

 

So has Whitlock and Houck.

 

I know you have no faith in ERod, but the guy is a winner. (Not saying his next game is a good one, but I think there is a good chance it will be good enough,)

 

Some other pen arm might step up and deliver, next. It's been our history, this year- rotating go-to pen arms.

[moonslav59]

Also defense blows and baserunning sucks

 

No argument there, but the offense is no joke and no fluke.

[moonslav59]

Your pitching sucks and you had no down or injury plagued years in your lineup. That’s rare.

 

That's just not true.

 

Vaz had a near .800 OPS from 2019-2020. He dropped 150 points.

 

You can say JD's age led to his decline, but it was a decline. (No, don't pull the 60 game 2020 season crap on us.)

 

Arroyo was hurt a lot- expected but still...

 

Kike missed time and then the COVID thing hit him and many others - all at once.

 

Verdugo had a down year, at an age when you'd have expected further growth.

 

Bogey is in peak prime but did not have a career year and played hurt for a big chunk ofthe year.

 

Devers is on the rise, in terms of age progression, but took a step back from his career high a couple years back.

 

I'm not making excuses. We had some big years from some of these guys and biggest from Renfroe and Kike, but we also assembled a roster of players not known for injury (except Arroyo), unlike your Yankee GM.

 

Give our offense the props it deserves. It is good on paper and became great when we added Schwarber. Just admit it.

[jacksonianmarch]

That's just not true.

 

Vaz had a near .800 OPS from 2019-2020. He dropped 150 points.

 

You can say JD's age led to his decline, but it was a decline. (No, don't pull the 60 game 2020 season crap on us.)

 

Arroyo was hurt a lot- expected but still...

 

Kike missed time and then the COVID thing hit him and many others - all at once.

 

Verdugo had a down year, at an age when you'd have expected further growth.

 

Bogey is in peak prime but did not have a career year and played hurt for a big chunk ofthe year.

 

Devers is on the rise, in terms of age progression, but took a step back from his career high a couple years back.

 

I'm not making excuses. We had some big years from some of these guys and biggest from Renfroe and Kike, but we also assembled a roster of players not known for injury (except Arroyo), unlike your Yankee GM.

 

Give our offense the props it deserves. It is good on paper and became great when we added Schwarber. Just admit it.

 

Your offense is damn good. I am also wondering if the Sox have some Jedi master healing their players with the force. Schwarber, known to be a chronic IL inhabitor, comes over injured, gets injured recovering from the first injury then returns faster than anticipated from the first injury and avoids the IL thereafter.

[jacksonianmarch]

JD was one of the worst players in all of baseball last year and he rebounded to being very good. Maybe not near his peak, but that’s a big turnaround.

 

Renfroe had a career year

 

Devers continued to rake

 

Bogaerts continued to rake

 

Vaz wasn’t far off career averages

 

Kike had a career year

 

Schwarber is having a career year

 

Arroyo sucks and has always sucked, so trailing off second half isn’t surprising

 

You don’t know what Verdugo is long term, this could be his peak or he could get better

 

Overall your lineup either performed near career norms or well above and stayed pretty healthy.