That’s cool. Never wash the ball.
View: https://twitter.com/shesta_hof/status/1189920951053508610?s=21
View: https://twitter.com/shesta_hof/status/1189920951053508610?s=21
2019 WS - Nationals vs. Astros - Gamethread
- Thread starter DeadlySplitter
- Start date
Ryan Zimmerman, in what was likely his final at bat in a Nationals uniform during the Wild Card game, breaks his bat on a single against Josh Hader.
I'm willing to bet if the bat doesn't break, he's flying out
To me, this was the whole season right here. Bottom 8, two away, man on 1st. Hader pitching
View: https://youtu.be/qYatAFykXPQ?t=339
This is exactly why I love baseball. It's not over until its over.
We all know this story, we've all seen it play out, but it's so much better in retrospect
I'm willing to bet if the bat doesn't break, he's flying out
To me, this was the whole season right here. Bottom 8, two away, man on 1st. Hader pitching
View: https://youtu.be/qYatAFykXPQ?t=339
This is exactly why I love baseball. It's not over until its over.
We all know this story, we've all seen it play out, but it's so much better in retrospect
Tried to see if I could grab some champions merchandise at the Kohl’s and Target near my house.
Sold out.
Sold out.
Saw a temporary stand set up in Union Station earlier today with big signs saying “Official World Series Merchandise.” The shirts they were selling (with “Washington Baseball Team World Champions” across the front) led me to question the accuracy of the signs.
Last night Zimmerman said he's not close to quitting and they would need to rip the shirt off his back. Would be surprising if the $18m team option for 2020 got picked up (there is a $2m buy out according to b-ref). So cool that he was the very first draft pick by the Nats and 15 years later he hit their first ever WS HR.
Strasburg has 72 hours after the end of the WS to opt out, is that right? That would mean ~11:30pm ET on Saturday if that's the case. That's the day of the parade. I wonder if he keeps his decision mum until those festivities are done.
This seems a bit dickish. I'm sure his teammates felt great about that.
Eating a gyro at a little greek spot and an old woman chatted me up about the Nats winning.
She said she used to be the biggest Washington Senators fan and was devastated when they left. She got a little choked up talking about how happy she is that DC finally won a World Series. Cool moment.
She said she used to be the biggest Washington Senators fan and was devastated when they left. She got a little choked up talking about how happy she is that DC finally won a World Series. Cool moment.
Hi, I am here to eat crow. I thought Yankees/Astros was the world series because I couldn't imagine another team in baseball beating either one of those two. I was wrong.
How about Soto running his mouth in the box, to the catcher, shit-eating grin on his face, after the bad call ran the count to 3-1? That's what's going to stick with me from this year's post-season.
They also lost their center to injury the game before and had no inside presence, which is why LA got a jillion free throws and won the game at the charity stripe. That and the typical shitty NBA officiating that makes it feel like the outcomes are always predetermined in that league.
I think the Nationals were the only NL team I could see beating them - couldn't imagine the Braves, Brewers, Cardinals, or Dodgers doing it. Specifically because Scherzer/Strasburg is one heck of a 1-2 punch
The major talking point today on tv and talk radio was the decision to pull Greinke. I don’t get it. He had just given up a homerun and a walk and was at 80 pitches. The decision that really needs to be questioned is going to Harris instead of Cole.
He had been dealing up to that point and had thrown 15 more pitches in another postseason outing. It's probably splitting hairs, but he may have been the better option than a guy who had been a little shaky and a guy who would have been pitching on short rest. Either way, the Nats seemed like a team of destiny so the decision may not have mattered. It'll always be one of those things Astros talk about, like people still talk about Buckner being on the field for the end of Game 6 instead of going to a guy with two functional knees and a better defensive reputation. I feel like every postseason series that doesn't involve a beatdown that resembles every Yankees-Twins series has plenty of those moments.
I slammed the move live, but I definitely backtracked looking at all the stats last night. Kendrick just had an all-time clutch moment.
Hinch talked about pulling him one batter too early than too late. they were thrilled he went as long as he did this time after his prior October starts, so while 80 pitches looks like wow, way too early, the Astros probably thought he was closer to being on fumes. whether that's treating him with too much kiddy gloves is up for debate.
Cole probably needed a clean inning. I don't get why they decided he would only go if they were ahead, though.
Hinch talked about pulling him one batter too early than too late. they were thrilled he went as long as he did this time after his prior October starts, so while 80 pitches looks like wow, way too early, the Astros probably thought he was closer to being on fumes. whether that's treating him with too much kiddy gloves is up for debate.
Cole probably needed a clean inning. I don't get why they decided he would only go if they were ahead, though.
He left out "Me and my family are really going to miss all of you wonderful people when I sign with the Yankees for more money than we could spend in 200 lifetimes. But hey; once again, THANKS!!"
Cole could have had a clean inning after Rendon's HR before the walk to Soto. Hinch maybe actually did pull him one batter too late.
But Soto has hit Cole -- home runs in Game 1 and 5. I think that was the one guy they'd try to keep him away from.
Because it didn't work so therefore someone must have made a completely terrible decision, it can't be as simple as a good hitter hit a great pitch and got a little lucky on the result. No matter what Hinch did, if it didn't work, the same hot take people would be bashing it.
Team Boras doesn’t get many merchandising opportunities, so I’m sure you’re correct.
Same thing I've been telling people all day. Pulling Greinke was the right move. How many times has a pitcher been removed after giving up a HR followed by a walk? Hinch's plan was to use Cole as his ninth inning closer a la Sale last year for the Sox. In reality, he was looking at an eight inning game. Do you really want to bring in someone not used to a relief role on two day's rest with the tying run at first? You have to go with experience in that situation.
The problem was, his plan would have worked perfectly had Harris been able to get out of the inning with a one run lead. But as Mike Tyson said "Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face."
I said it before the game and during the game, I was surprised they used Harris last night, especially once Greinke got that deep. If you aren't going to use Cole in the middle of an inning, then once the 7th starts, you need Osuna ready to come in if Greinke gets in a jam, and you have Cole behind him to finish it. I think it was a tricky situation for Hinch but going to Harris was a mistake.
The home run Harris gave up to Rendon the night before was even more a freak occurrence than the Kendrick one, 353 pop up to left center that's literally an out 99% of the time, he just got terribly unlucky at the worst times after a fabulous season. I can see an argument for Cole, though I wouldn't have brought him in with a runner on mid inning, but there's no way you can call going to your fireman in that spot a terrible mistake.
I mostly agree with this. Pulling Grinke and going to Harris is fine. Then, once Osuna is in the game staying with him through the 8th is fine.
I do think that bringing in Smith for the 9th instead of Cole can be criticized though. It was only 4-2. You’ve got a great offense. And the Nats bullpen is the Nats bullpen.
That 9th should have been pitched by whoever they thought most likely to put up a zero. I have to think that’s Cole.
The bolded part is why so many underestimated the Nats, in general. At that point in the game either Doolittle or Hudson (both of whom were rested and pitching very well) would be pitching then you could bring in Sanchez for extras. The Nats have some poor relievers, yes, but they would not have seen the mound unless it went 18 innings.
100% agreed with this, Hinch's logic that he was only going to use Cole late if they were ahead doesn't really make any sense, if he's available and you think he's your best option then he has to get in that game at some point.
I'm with this 100%. Leaving Cole out was frankly nearly as bad as not pulling Pedro.
I mean, I hated using him in the moment, but it was a real fuck you.
Forget where I read it, but the quotes from Cole made it seem like he was in the bullpen with the express intent of pitching the 9th. Never mind bringing him into the game in the middle of an inning, I question whether he would have been prepared (mentally or otherwise) to pitch earlier than the 9th inning.
For all the crap David Price has gotten from Boston fans in his time here, he looked like he was absolutely prepared last October to pitch in any situation he was called upon.
For all the crap David Price has gotten from Boston fans in his time here, he looked like he was absolutely prepared last October to pitch in any situation he was called upon.
Reflecting some more, Rizzo's strategy of building the roster around dominant starting pitching and Martinez's trust in, and smart use of, those starters throughout the post season was really the key. Scherzer and Corbin struggled early in games how many times? Me and thousands of others were yelling to yank them but generally Martinez didn't over manage, realized what his options were, and trusted them to settle down. It almost always worked. And of course getting brilliant relief work from Corbin, Strasburg (3 IP in WC game) and even an inning from Scherzer was critical. Not to mention Sanchez's brilliant NLCS game 1 outing. The ~$500M rotation did its job.
I was really impressed by Martinez resisting the tendency to over manage in these pressure filled situations.
I was really impressed by Martinez resisting the tendency to over manage in these pressure filled situations.
I never have understood that move except as a fuck you. It was a weird little outing, sandwiched between dusting Matsui in ALCS5 and digging deep to deal in WS3.
My copy of "Francona" isn't handy right now, but I finally got to read it over the summer and I think he explained it as needing Pedro for just one inning because the bullpen was gassed.
One thing about reserving Cole for the ninth though... It seems like everyone knew the plan which makes me think that this may have been some gamemanship on Hinch's part in basically telling everyone that this is an eight inning game and trying to push the Nats into making a desperation move in the later innings. What doesn't make sense though is why he didn't have Cole pitch the ninth even if they were down. Bottom line is the Astros didn't score after the Nats took the lead so any pitching changes after Kendrick's homer were superfluous.
Maybe. In practice, though, I think the batters (and the pitchers) take a much different approach in a two-run game than a 6-2 laugher.
Except, if you're the Astros, you still need baserunners. The psychology is a little different when you jump from two runs (up or down) and four runs. But the Astros had one baserunner in the last three innings so it was still, at worst, a two-run ballgame for seven batters.
Astros didn't score after the 5th, when it was still 2-0.
Another key to this series is how abysmally bad the Astros offense was in the mid and late innings in 3 of the 4 losses. They scored 2 late in Game 1.
Another key to this series is how abysmally bad the Astros offense was in the mid and late innings in 3 of the 4 losses. They scored 2 late in Game 1.
yea they just got beat. you can second guess all you want but the Nationals team was dominant in the late innings. They saw Cora use the starter strategy and they have such a strong rotation they made it work. Being able to use a pitcher of Patrick Corbin's stature in late innings was huge.
In a way the Scherzer injury may have helped them, because it allowed them to double-down on Game 7 (Scherzer/Corbin) in a way they couldn't have done if Scherzer had gone in Game 5.
I think it was only 13 or 14. that's nothing in the NBA. That was one my favorite runs in the history of Boston playoff sports. No it didn't result in victory but they beat two favored teams- Cavs and Magic and took the favored stinking Lakers to 7 games missing Kendrick Perkins.
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