ALCS: Yankees vs Astros (Non-Yankees Fan Version)
- Thread starter DeadlySplitter
- Start date
Trying to decide what would bring me more joy; the MFY's blowing a 3-2 ALCS lead, or moving on to the WS and getting blitzkrieged by the Dodgers.
I'll take the latter, the only issue there is if they win it, I'll want to smash something expensive.
So, Go Astors.
I'll take the latter, the only issue there is if they win it, I'll want to smash something expensive.
So, Go Astors.
It's crazy to me that the Yankees' ability to go to the World Series is going to come down to whether CC Sabathia throws up another amazing start. We are entering Tuck Everlasting territory.
You don't think some team will offer him a few extra million if he puts in another strong postseason start against the best regular season offense? I would think some team that needs a veteran starter to shore-up the rotation in a season where they want to contend would offer him a little extra on the heels of a good outing.
All that said, I still hope Houston makes it academic.
No. Teams aren't that knee-jerk reactive. They have a full season and three solid playoff outings to evaluate. His market is set.
I understand your fears, and all of your points seem well-grounded. But, on the other hand, look at your posts earlier during night's game. You were utterly convinced we were going to see a total crushing of the Astors by the Yankmees. I didn't watch most of the game, b/c PBS beckoned, but from what I've read and seen this morning, that didn't happen. It does seem to depend a great deal on the fat man's performance. His experience stands him in good stead tonight. We can only hope that the Astors figure out how to tire him out. I know----the Yankees pen. But until last night, who would have expected such an inning from Robertson? Anything can happen.
It surprised me that CC is "only" 37. That's certainly long in the tooth for a pitcher but not quite as old as I'd expected given he's been around seemingly forever at this point (not quite Bartolo Colon yet). When he burst on the scene to win 17 games in 2001 for Cleveland (Colon was also on that team, of course) he was the youngest player in the majors.
Another of his teammates on that 2001 Cleveland team? Dave Roberts.
So how many seven-game series have had the first six games won by the home team? Of those, how many won game 7 as well?
I’m guessing Houston goes with their Game 3 lineup. Bregman up, Reddick down, Maybin (bleh) in left.
Is that just a LCS stat? 92 Pirates and 03 Sox are two I can think of that lost Game 7 after winning Game 6.
The home team won all 7 games in the 04 NLCS between the Cardinals and Astros.
Trying to think of a series where the home team won the first 6 games, but lost the 7th.
I'd really like to see 0-21 Reddick sitting, especially against the lefty. But he won't.
Reddick really shouldn't be in the lineup. He's not only not getting hits, but he looks checked out.
I don't think he's checked out, I think he's pressing way too hard. He's an intense dude, and once he started sucking, he's just dug deeper and deeper. Even Super Genius Bench Coach seems incapable of getting him to relax a bit.
MFY with the same lineup as Game 6:
Gardner, LF
Judge, RF
Gregorius, SS
Sanchez, C
Bird, 1B
Castro, 2B
Hicks, CF
Frazier, 3B
Headley, DH
Gardner, LF
Judge, RF
Gregorius, SS
Sanchez, C
Bird, 1B
Castro, 2B
Hicks, CF
Frazier, 3B
Headley, DH
Reddick moved down in the order to 9th. McCann up to 7th.
Springer CF
Bregman 3B
Altuve 2B
Correa SS
Gurriel 1B
Gattis DH
McCann C
Gonzalez LF
Reddick RF
The MLB at Bat app says the home team has never won every game in an ALCS that has gone 7 games. That needs to change tonight.
I really want to feel optimistic about tonight's game but I can't seem to do it. Sure, Houston has a great offense which put together a couple of impressive rallies against great pitchers (Severino, Robertson). They're playing at home. They've even got some good karma, since they're representing a city that went through a freaking hurricane. But in order to win, one of these things would have to happen:
1. CC has a poor start and Houston gets an early lead. I don't see it happening. All it will take is one squandered rally or a 1-run deficit and every Houston batter will start pressing, and CC will know how to exploit it.
2. Morton has a great start. Maybe he'll be the Astros' equivalent of a 2004 Derek Lowe, but much more likely he'll contain a couple of rallies but bleeders and bloops (or bombs) will get to him at some point.
3. Both starters keep their teams in the game (or are equally ineffective), and Houston wins the battle of the bullpens. Sigh...nothing's impossible, I guess.
Given the pitching match-ups and available bullpen options, Houston will need 9 innings of sustained minor miracles to win. It just doesn't seem likely to me, but to quote Millar, "Game 7, anything can happen."
1. CC has a poor start and Houston gets an early lead. I don't see it happening. All it will take is one squandered rally or a 1-run deficit and every Houston batter will start pressing, and CC will know how to exploit it.
2. Morton has a great start. Maybe he'll be the Astros' equivalent of a 2004 Derek Lowe, but much more likely he'll contain a couple of rallies but bleeders and bloops (or bombs) will get to him at some point.
3. Both starters keep their teams in the game (or are equally ineffective), and Houston wins the battle of the bullpens. Sigh...nothing's impossible, I guess.
Given the pitching match-ups and available bullpen options, Houston will need 9 innings of sustained minor miracles to win. It just doesn't seem likely to me, but to quote Millar, "Game 7, anything can happen."
Last edited:
they really creamed the ball in the 8th off Robertson. that has to raise some confidence at least to start the game. i'ts not like CC has been immortal, he was almost knocked out really early in ALDS Game 2.
CC is 10-0 with an ERA of 1.69 following Yankee losses this year, so he's been close to immortal in these situations. I'm actually happy that he's 10-0 rather than 10-1...somehow that makes it more likely that he'll lose tonight. (I tried to use similar logic to predict that the Sox would hit a grand slam in the playoffs after hitting zero all season, but that didn't pan out.)
There's never been an ALCS in which the home team won the first six games, until this year.
Edit: but the 2004 NLCS had all games won by the home team and no other NLCS had the opportunity.
I like the parallel of this stat to the one where no team down 3-0 had ever come back to force a game 7, let alone win it, before 2004. If you're going to be the first to achieve something through 6 games, might as well see it all the way through to 7.
Only if he can't find his cleats and an equipment guy runs to Modell's and buys a pair for him, then paints them black as they are not the ones he usually wears and he does not want to piss off his cleat sponsor.
Hope I got that story right...............
Is Houston going to bunt on CC, or are the going to honor the guy’s own self proclaimed unwritten rule? His stuff should be easy to bunt. Do it.
They're going to swinging bunt the guy, so he is uncertain about what is occurring.
They probably won't, and it's a travesty. They should do whatever they can to score runs and maybe even rattle CC. I'll never understand not taking advantage of weaknesses to gain an advantage.
How about kick him in the knee? (No need to answer. I know.) I'm just hoping that CC's craftiness is not a bottomless cup.
Excuse my naivety....
CC Sabathia and Charlie Morton have stupidly similar years:
CC: 14-5 - 148.2 IP - 3.69 ERA - 120 K - 50 BB - 1.27 WHIP and an ERA+ of 122
CM: 14-7 - 146.2 IP - 3.62 ERA - 163 K - 50 BB - 1.19 WHIP and an ERA+ of 109
At first glance, CM's numbers are better (mostly in K's)...how is his ERA+ that much worse than CC? Does New York make that much of a difference?
CC Sabathia and Charlie Morton have stupidly similar years:
CC: 14-5 - 148.2 IP - 3.69 ERA - 120 K - 50 BB - 1.27 WHIP and an ERA+ of 122
CM: 14-7 - 146.2 IP - 3.62 ERA - 163 K - 50 BB - 1.19 WHIP and an ERA+ of 109
At first glance, CM's numbers are better (mostly in K's)...how is his ERA+ that much worse than CC? Does New York make that much of a difference?