September 2017 Game Thread

DeadlySplitter

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that 9th & 10th felt like a playoff game. you do wonder despite all the talk how they will enter the playoffs when they inevitably take the foot off the pedal.
 

Sad Sam Jones

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that 9th & 10th felt like a playoff game. you do wonder despite all the talk how they will enter the playoffs when they inevitably take the foot off the pedal.
But the amazing thing about this streak is they've seldom had to put the pedal to the medal… there have only been 3 or 4 close games, and they haven't had to overexert anyone. They've been using the bench and September call-ups and Tito is having to make sure all the relievers get their work in because the starters are going 6-7 innings every night. The vibe is that they're really just having fun, and fans are taking it more seriously than the players. They were one game – one inning – away from winning the team's first World Series in 68 years last year, and now that they're less than 3 weeks away from the playoffs, I don't think they're about to lose focus on the mission at hand. Tito was saying this week that they actually need some games like tonight's to feel some game situation pressure again.

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sean1562

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"We have been dominating so hard we have forgotten what a close game feels like". I like the Indians best team ever narrative much more than the dodgers one.
 

Sandwich Pick

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Yup, it's getting a little ridiculous. He had 12 homers through his first 24 games, and then he went into a four game "slump," and I think most folks figured it was bound to happen. Nope, he now has 6 in his last 6 games since the 4 game slide, and is at 18 homers through 34 games, along with 39 RBI's. OPS is 1.257. He's also sitting on a solid 26/26 K/BB rate. Kid is unreal.
Watching his AB, it's amazing how disciplined he is with his approach. That's as impressive as his hot steak.
 

E5 Yaz

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that 9th & 10th felt like a playoff game. you do wonder despite all the talk how they will enter the playoffs when they inevitably take the foot off the pedal.
Yeah, how will a team that blew a 3-1 WS lead last year and is managed by a guy who has the experience needed to avoid panic ever be motivated once the season ends?
 

trekfan55

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Yeah, how will a team that blew a 3-1 WS lead last year and is managed by a guy who has the experience needed to avoid panic ever be motivated once the season ends?
It's even more than that.

We all know about Playoff Tito and his abilities. He manged a team that was short 2 starting pitchers and his best hitting OF (and had to lose one in the 1st or 2nd inning because he couldn't stop his finger from bleeding after slicing it with a drone) and almost took home the WS against a stacked team.

I'm pretty sure that Tito will manage them well in the playoffs.
 

Green (Tongued) Monster

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Sorry to see the streak end, but I am enjoying listening to Harold Reynolds talk about how it was easier for the 1916 Giants to put together their 26 game unbeaten steak because starting pitchers pitched longer in 1916. uhhhh wut?

Too many people talking about whether or not Jemele Hill should be fired or not, but why not this clown?!?!

Tito press conference on now. I love that man.
 

jon abbey

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It's even more than that.

We all know about Playoff Tito and his abilities. He manged a team that was short 2 starting pitchers and his best hitting OF (and had to lose one in the 1st or 2nd inning because he couldn't stop his finger from bleeding after slicing it with a drone) and almost took home the WS against a stacked team.

I'm pretty sure that Tito will manage them well in the playoffs.
We all know anything can happen in postseason baseball, but it's hard for me to see anyone in the AL right now stopping them, especially if Miller is back and himself (and well-rested to boot).
 

johnmd20

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We all know anything can happen in postseason baseball, but it's hard for me to see anyone in the AL right now stopping them, especially if Miller is back and himself (and well-rested to boot).
This is really an odd statement. You don't think anyone could somehow beat Cleveland in three out of five games?
 

jon abbey

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I did start with a caveat, but they should go into the postseason as the most overwhelming AL favorites in a while, and I will be very very surprised if they don't at least make the World Series, assuming they have no crucial injuries before then. They have way more weapons than last year, and they rolled through the AL playoffs last year.

I don't know how that's even a mildly odd statement, unless you truly think that postseason baseball results are random, which I never have. I think the gap between them and the rest of the league this year is pretty big, plus they are peaking at the right time. They have the best personnel, no apparent holes, and the best manager.
 

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I did start with a caveat, but they should go into the postseason as the most overwhelming AL favorites in a while, and I will be very very surprised if they don't at least make the World Series, assuming they have no crucial injuries before then. They have way more weapons than last year, and they rolled through the AL playoffs last year.

I don't know how that's even a mildly odd statement, unless you truly think that postseason baseball results are random, which I never have. I think the gap between them and the rest of the league this year is pretty big, plus they are peaking at the right time. They have the best personnel, no apparent holes, and the best manager.
Prior to the streak, they were 7 1/2 games behind Houston. I think it's dangerous to project too much into one streak, no matter how amazing or awful. Houston isn't a good as they were for the first half of the season. The Dodgers aren't as good as they were or as bad as they were. And Cleveland is obviously very good, but I just don't see this huge gap that you do, especially in a short series. The rotation after Kluber and Carrasco has plenty of question marks.
 

jon abbey

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Certainly my perspective is colored by watching them steamroll NY in the Bronx a few weeks ago, we'll see soon enough.
 

sean1562

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More than our rotation? Bauer has been amazing for awhile now and so has clevinger. Would trust either of them more than I would trust porcello or erod, no question. The sox are a team that may have Doug fister as their number three starter. The gap between fister and Bauer/clevinger is pretty large in my eyes
 

canderson

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Prior to the streak, they were 7 1/2 games behind Houston. I think it's dangerous to project too much into one streak, no matter how amazing or awful. Houston isn't a good as they were for the first half of the season. The Dodgers aren't as good as they were or as bad as they were. And Cleveland is obviously very good, but I just don't see this huge gap that you do, especially in a short series. The rotation after Kluber and Carrasco has plenty of question marks.
Sale has a 4.25 ERA iirc since August 1 age career-wise his Septembers have pretty brutal. Boston's rotation isn't exactly screaming great depth.
 

Bob Montgomerys Helmet Hat

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Sale has a 4.25 ERA iirc since August 1 age career-wise his Septembers have pretty brutal. Boston's rotation isn't exactly screaming great depth.
Actually, it is screaming great depth. If Sale doesn't fix himself, what is doesn't scream is top of the rotation stopper.

Regardless, I made no claim about the Red Sox. I simply think that the idea that Cleveland is now an overwhelming AL favorite is as silly as a month ago when the Dodgers were unbeatable. Or a month before that when Houston was.
 

Cesar Crespo

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If there's anything to peaking early, the Indians and Dodgers may be guilty of doing such. The Rockies were pretty unbeatable in 2007 too.

edit: 2007 Rockies finished the year winning 14/15 and then winning their first 7 playoff games. We all know what happened next.
 

jon abbey

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I simply think that the idea that Cleveland is now an overwhelming AL favorite is as silly as a month ago when the Dodgers were unbeatable. Or a month before that when Houston was.
To me the difference is that Cleveland has already done it in the postseason and those other two teams haven't, but we'll see in a few weeks.
 

jon abbey

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Jim Palmer's career record of 0 grand slams allowed remains intact, as Clayton Kershaw allowed the first of his career tonight.
 

sean1562

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God damn the twins will never be able to beat the Yankees. Also judge def seems to be coming out of his second half slump
 

NYCSox

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God damn the twins will never be able to beat the Yankees. Also judge def seems to be coming out of his second half slump
If this sends the Twins into a downward spiral and gets the Angels in there instead it will be worth it (assuming the Sox hold on of course).
 

Sad Sam Jones

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The Indians defeat the Angels 4-1 for their 5th straight victory. If Houston loses tonight that would give Cleveland the longest active winning streak in the majors. They've won 27 of 28 games. If anyone was wondering about a possible hangover effect after the 22-game winning streak was snapped, there's your answer.

Francisco Lindor hit his 32nd home run of the season. Only Alex Rodriguez has had a bigger home run season by a shortstop at age 23 or younger (although A-Rod actually had 3 such seasons through age 23). Not bad for a kid whose power was considered his worst tool when he was drafted.

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canderson

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Cleveland is the first major league team to win 27 out of 28 games since the 1884 Providence Grays.

For that Grays team, Old Hoss Radbourn threw 73 complete games, starting 75 and winning 59.

He also threw 678 innings.
 
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sean1562

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Cleveland is the first major league team to win 27 out of 28 games since the 1884 Providence Grays.

For that Grays team, Old Hoss Radbourn threw 73 complete games, starting 75 and winning 59.

He also threw 678 innings.
19.1 bWAR!!!! But "only" 9.5 fWAR.

edit: I have never looked at all time single season bWAR records.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/WAR_pitch_season.shtml

top 24 are from waaaay back. Number 25 is a 20 year old Dwight Gooden. :( what a tragic career.
 

SemperFidelisSox

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Houston down 3-1 in the 9th.

The sooner Cleveland clinches the 1 seed the better off the Red Sox will be. If that final series vs Houston becomes meaningful in the AL east race, Houston will then have no incentive to push for that 1seed.

They then become an easier opponent as Hinch rests players and sets up his rotation.
 

E5 Yaz

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Second crushing loss in a row for Milwaukee. After blowing a one-run lead in the 8th and losing on a walkoff in Pittsburgh on Wednesday, they blow a one-run lead in the ninth against the Cubs with two out. In the bottom of the ninth, they load the bases with two out, but don't get the run across and lose in 10.

The Brewers had runners at first and second in the ninth with two out, but held the runner at third on a single to right rather than forcing the Cubs to make a play.

Colorado also lost, keeping the Rockies lead at one game -- but with Colorado on a three-game losing streak and the Brewers dropping both their games, the Cardinals are now just 1.5 back
 

OnWisc

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Second crushing loss in a row for Milwaukee. After blowing a one-run lead in the 8th and losing on a walkoff in Pittsburgh on Wednesday, they blow a one-run lead in the ninth against the Cubs with two out. In the bottom of the ninth, they load the bases with two out, but don't get the run across and lose in 10.

The Brewers had runners at first and second in the ninth with two out, but held the runner at third on a single to right rather than forcing the Cubs to make a play.

Colorado also lost, keeping the Rockies lead at one game -- but with Colorado on a three-game losing streak and the Brewers dropping both their games, the Cardinals are now just 1.5 back
That Brewers-Cubs game was the worst called game I can recall watching ever. And it went both ways. It was a constantly shifting amorphous strike zone that sometimes excluded the heart of the plate and other times included vast areas well off either side. Happy the Cubs won, but what should have been a riveting game throughout was mostly just an exercise in frustration as the arbitrary calls piled up.

Made us wonder whether an ump ever receives in-game feedback or some sort of heads-up if he's doing a spectacularly awful job, as was the case last night.
 

sean1562

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So where the hell did Matt Olson come from? Hit his 24th HR in his 57th game today. Hoskins, Judge, Olson, any other young breakout sluggers this year?
 

jon abbey

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So where the hell did Matt Olson come from? Hit his 24th HR in his 57th game today. Hoskins, Judge, Olson, any other young breakout sluggers this year?
Bellinger, of course. Devers had a run when he first came up, and Sanchez started last August and hasn't stopped.
 

Apisith

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So where the hell did Matt Olson come from? Hit his 24th HR in his 57th game today. Hoskins, Judge, Olson, any other young breakout sluggers this year?
That is a crazy pace then I did the math and realised that Bonds went a whole season at a quicker pace. Incredible.
 

simplicio

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The tigers are an absolute dumpster fire
Man, you aren't kidding. Already down against the Twins today, they're making a serious push to battle the San Francisco Sandovals for top pick next year.

The White Sox, Phillies, Giants and Tigers could all still hit 100 losses. Will any of them get there?
 

shawnrbu

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Maybe the Twins should opt for a bullpen game in the Gimmick Game on Tuesday.

J.D. Martinez hit a grand slam tonight. In 58 games with the D-Backs, he has 28 HR, 64 RBI and is slugging .756. Going to be fun to see where he lands in the NL MVP voting.
 

Lowrielicious

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Maybe the Twins should opt for a bullpen game in the Gimmick Game on Tuesday.

J.D. Martinez hit a grand slam tonight. In 58 games with the D-Backs, he has 28 HR, 64 RBI and is slugging .756. Going to be fun to see where he lands in the NL MVP voting.
And where he lands next year.
 

mauidano

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Man oh man, those Houston Astros can score some runs. Springer blows it open with a Grand Slam. You know that thing where a batter hits a home run with the bases loaded? Yeah, that thing the Red Sox are the ONLY team not to do this year.