2019 NLDS - Nationals vs Dodgers - Gamethread

DeJesus Built My Hotrod

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Also, Pedro is suggesting that some of Roberts decisions may have been because he was told to make them by the analytics department or the GM. I would normally dismiss such talk but you wonder if Pedro and Dave hang out when they are in a City together. Or he could simply just be sticking up for a former teammate.
 

cannonball 1729

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Pedro was just saying that Kershaw needs to paint rather than go directly at hitters now that his stuff has diminished.

As a side note, it was often tough watching post-peak Pedro but its clear that his brilliant mind allowed him to extend his career for a few more years. Because he was on fumes by then in terms of stuff.
Yep - pointed out that the two pitches that got Kershaw burned were middle-of-the-plate, get-ahead-in-the-count pitches that Kershaw shouldn't be throwing anymore because his stuff no longer plays in the middle of the zone. (I think Pedro called them "cripple pitches." To go along with his description of Bueller's slider as a "Nazi slider.")
 

DennyDoyle'sBoil

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Roberts not handling the postgame very well. He's doing the best he can but none of it really makes sense. On Joe Kelly "I don't think anyone would be more effective. He looked great after 10 pitches." On Kershaw, he was asked whether analytics came into play and how he thought through Kershaw's issues in the postseason "honestly, that's a hard question for me to answer."
He might say more if he could. “Yeah, I know he has a 4+ ERA in the post season but the mound is still 60 feet 6 inches from the plate in October like it is in July and at some point your $31 million pitcher needs to get you some fucking outs, so go ask that asshole your questions.”
 

jon abbey

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I have thought that the AL champ would easily win the WS for a while now (partly after NY won 2 of 3 in LA late in the season pretty easily and partly their bullpens), and even more so now that the Dodgers are out. Go Rays!
 

jon abbey

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Also, Pedro is suggesting that some of Roberts decisions may have been because he was told to make them by the analytics department or the GM. I would normally dismiss such talk but you wonder if Pedro and Dave hang out when they are in a City together. Or he could simply just be sticking up for a former teammate.
I think most top teams do a lot of that now, I am certain the Dodgers do.
 

Al Zarilla

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Any details?
Pedro said with the stuff Kershaw has now, he needs to pitch around the strike zone and not throw anything near the center of the plate. Nothing earth shaking but he was so convincing explaining it that the other guys on the panel were leaning forward listening. The guy I thought of first that extended his career some years after losing a few mph on his fastball is CC Sabathia. Big lefty, similar pitcher. As far as managing, superstars don’t usually make good ones and Pedro probably doesn’t need the money, or the headaches.
 

brandonchristensen

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Pedro said with the stuff Kershaw has now, he needs to pitch around the strike zone and not throw anything near the center of the plate. Nothing earth shaking but he was so convincing explaining it that the other guys on the panel were leaning forward listening. The guy I thought of first that extended his career some years after losing a few mph on his fastball is CC Sabathia. Big lefty, similar pitcher. As far as managing, superstars don’t usually make good ones and Pedro probably doesn’t need the money, or the headaches.
Thanks!
 

DeJesus Built My Hotrod

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roberts dismissed the notion that analytics drove the decision. He basically said he trusted these guys and explicitly said analytics didn’t play a role in the Kershaw choice
IMHO he has to say that. The most likely answer is that Roberts mismanaged the pitching tonight. Even if the front office/analytics department were dictating the match-ups, we simply don't know if Roberts deviated from their plan.

Regardless, he is likely going to take a bullet and he is doing himself no favors blaming anyone else if he wants to work elsewhere.
 

jon abbey

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Watching LA shit their pants every offseason is one of life’s little pleasures.
They have won seven straight divisions now, and five of the seven years Kershaw has been in the final game where they are eliminated.
 

scottyno

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They have won seven straight divisions now, and five of the seven years Kershaw has been in the final game where they are eliminated.
He's also been on the mound for multiple series clinching games, both as a starter and out of the bullpen, that's kind of what's going to happen when you're your teams best pitcher for so long, they're going to use you as often as they can in a short series
 

jon abbey

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He's also been on the mound for multiple series clinching games, both as a starter and out of the bullpen, that's kind of what's going to happen when you're your teams best pitcher for so long, they're going to use you as often as they can in a short series
It's hard to defend his postseason track record, there is way too much failure in there. I don't know why he was in the mix tonight after Buehler pitched into the seventh but two HRs on three pitches in the 8th, including the longest HR of Soto's career so far (449 feet), shows what everyone thought in the game thread at the time, that he really shouldn't have been.
 

jon abbey

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FWIW, the Dodgers have won seven straight divisions and are 6-7 in playoff series, 33-33 in games. Kershaw has started 25 of those, LA has gone 13-12 in those games, and 2-5 in games he has come out of the pen (most had little to do with the outcome, tonight excepted).
 

joe dokes

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IMHO he has to say that. The most likely answer is that Roberts mismanaged the pitching tonight. Even if the front office/analytics department were dictating the match-ups, we simply don't know if Roberts deviated from their plan.
I thought he mismanaged their pitching last October, too.

We're on to Friedman.
 

Flunky

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One non-putrid team left to root for. I'm down for seeing Scherzer get a ring.
 

loshjott

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I was at Game 5 of the 2016 NLDS when Kershaw came out of the pen and shut down the Nats for the series clinching save. My lasting memory of that game was Dusty Baker double switching in the middle innings as if his life depended on it so in the bottom of the 9th 2 down with tying and winning runs on base Kershaw faced Wilmer Defoe in Rendon's spot in the order. With predictable results.

Last night (this morning) made up for that.

Dave Martinez has rightfully taken some heat in Natstown and elsewhere, but he's been solid this postseason, given the egregious state of his bullpen. Last night he was criticized for letting Strasburg hit with 2 on no out in the 5th, and they squandered that inning. But SS gave them 2 more shutout innings and allowed the fireworks that happened later to matter. The only big postseason mistake to me (so far...) was admittedly a huge one - starting Scherzer over Sras in the WC game.

On to St. Louis!
 

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I was at Game 5 of the 2016 NLDS when Kershaw came out of the pen and shut down the Nats for the series clinching save. My lasting memory of that game was Dusty Baker double switching in the middle innings as if his life depended on it so in the bottom of the 9th 2 down with tying and winning runs on base Kershaw faced Wilmer Defoe in Rendon's spot in the order. With predictable results.

Last night (this morning) made up for that.

Dave Martinez has rightfully taken some heat in Natstown and elsewhere, but he's been solid this postseason, given the egregious state of his bullpen. Last night he was criticized for letting Strasburg hit with 2 on no out in the 5th, and they squandered that inning. But SS gave them 2 more shutout innings and allowed the fireworks that happened later to matter. The only big postseason mistake to me (so far...) was admittedly a huge one - starting Scherzer over Sras in the WC game.

On to St. Louis!
There is no way he made that decision on his own. That was an Organizational decision.
 

DJnVa

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I still cannot bring myself to believe that Daniel Hudson is pitching high leverage innings in a MLB elimination game.
No one cares but me, but my alma mater and my area is pretty well represented in this postseason.

I went to ODU--we got Hudson, Verlander, and Yarbrough still alive and both Zimmerman and the now eliminated Chris Taylor played HS ball around here.
 

DJnVa

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If the Astros lose the three other teams left are worse than the Twins. Anything can happen but the Yankees are a huge favorites.
We honestly can't look at the Twins results against the Yankees as anything other than the Twins absolutely blow against them. The Twins could win 120 games and I'd pick them to lose to an 87 win Yankee team.
 

InstaFace

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I have thought that the AL champ would easily win the WS for a while now (partly after NY won 2 of 3 in LA late in the season pretty easily and partly their bullpens), and even more so now that the Dodgers are out. Go Rays!
Well, that clinches my rooting interests for tonight.

Connecticut Sun, obviously.
 

B H Kim

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The only big postseason mistake to me (so far...) was admittedly a huge one - starting Scherzer over Sras in the WC game.

On to St. Louis!
Intentionally walking Muncy in the ninth inning of game 2, bringing the potential winning run to the plate, was an even bigger mistake, in my opinion.

That said, I’m thrilled to see them finally win a series. I was a season ticket holder from 2005 through last year and was at each of the three game 5 NLDS losses. Notwithstanding the horrific ways those series ended, this one just felt different, even when they were behind late.
 

Ale Xander

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Joke that MFY will have 3 byes to a title (should Rays win tonight)

"Nice" Britton-esque move there, Dave, to keep Kenley in the holster until it didn't matter.
 

Van Everyman

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Sure but Paxton had an ERA of 6 against the Astros this year (2 GS, sss, etc.), Tanaka is who he is and Severino is always a wild card.

Plus, I think we can all assume that a best of 7 series will go at least four games.

I’d be a frustrated as anyone if the Yankees glide to a title without facing a serious opponent on the way – esp. after the heavy artillery the Sox has to face last year (tho fighting their way thru their injury luck has been super impressive). Still, seems a bit early to be writing the ‘Stros off.
 

CoffeeNerdness

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Also, why are the Rays all of a sudden a bye? They're pretty f'n good.

Only caught up on the Kershaw madness this AM. Man, were Ernie Johnson's calls super tepid or what. Dude is such a mediocre baseball play-by-play voice.
 

graignotcraig

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If the Astros win, they won’t have Verlander/Cole available again until Games 3-4 which drastically shrinks their biggest advantage
They'll have Verlander on normal rest Game 2, extra day rest Game 6. Cole normal rest Game 3 and 7. I think the lost advantage is slight at best. Greinke, Cole and Verlander are/were going to start six of the seven LCS games. The lost advantage would be their non-availability in the bullpen if the series goes seven.
 

loshjott

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No one cares but me, but my alma mater and my area is pretty well represented in this postseason.

I went to ODU--we got Hudson, Verlander, and Yarbrough still alive and both Zimmerman and the now eliminated Chris Taylor played HS ball around here.
Doolittle went to UVA also.
 

DonBuddinE6

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Nats-Yankees WS would mean a whole new life for the Damn Yankees musical & film.

(For those unfamiliar, Damn Yankees is about an underdog Washington baseball club beating the omnipotent Yankees, with a bit of help from Mephistopholes. Mickey Mantle was on the losing side in the movie.)
 

The Gray Eagle

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The subject line of today's Boston Globe 108 Stitches email:
"Joe Kelly helps prevent Dodgers from winning World Series again"
 

Al Zarilla

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Van Everyman

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Nats-Yankees WS would mean a whole new life for the Damn Yankees musical & film.

(For those unfamiliar, Damn Yankees is about an underdog Washington baseball club beating the omnipotent Yankees, with a bit of help from Mephistopholes. Mickey Mantle was on the losing side in the movie.)
Pretty sure Dan Duquette performed in some revival of this before he got the Orioles job, BTW
 

gingerbreadmann

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No one cares but me, but my alma mater and my area is pretty well represented in this postseason.

I went to ODU--we got Hudson, Verlander, and Yarbrough still alive and both Zimmerman and the now eliminated Chris Taylor played HS ball around here.
Ha, I generally loathe ODU (and especially loathe UVA) but it's nice to see the VA talent out there. It's fun to think about how dominant the Hampton Roads travel team with Zimmerman/Uptons/Reynolds/Wright must have been.
Speaking of pitching availability, why did the Cardinals leave Flaherty in for 6 innings, 104 pitches, when leading 13-0, then 13-1?
The announcers thought he wanted to go 5 for the win, then after he struggled mightily in the 5th, Yadier Molina (of course) assured Shildt in the dugout that he was good for another inning. So that was that. (Not that that really answers why)
 
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NJ_Sox_Fan

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What a colossal choke job on multiple fronts. Kershaw belongs nowhere near a late inning close playoff game. He is the worst clutch pitcher of all time among those pitchers who are actually really good pitchers.

And I have no idea what Roberts was doing. Love the man forever but how you stick with Kershaw for the 8th, or stick with Kelly for the 10th is beyond me. Let alone watching Kelly implode in the 10th and not having someone ready. Craziness.
 

colinfleminglit.com

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It will never happen, but Kershaw’s postseason performance history would keep him out of the Hall for me. October baseball is almost always an afterthought, at best, in HOF candidacy, when it ought to count for more. Joe Kelly, meanwhile, is the Puck of pitchers. He had exactly one magical interlude in him; that interlude was last October.
 

DeadlySplitter

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anyone else see Kershaw's comments postgame? not a good look, a broken man. "Everything people say [about me] is true right now about the postseason."

as far as HOF/October - you can't hold it against someone when getting to the playoffs is mostly otu of their control.
 

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anyone else see Kershaw's comments postgame? not a good look, a broken man. "Everything people say [about me] is true right now about the postseason."

as far as HOF/October - you can't hold it against someone when getting to the playoffs is mostly otu of their control.
Why is extreme honestly in an incredibly emotional time not a good look?