World Series Game 5: It's a Best of Three

SoxFanInCali

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For all he talk about home-field advantage, both teams are 1-1 at home in the series.

Kershaw goes in game 5 in Houston, but everyone knows that Verlander is going in game 6 in LA. Suddenly home field looks less important than matchups.

Has Houston's momentum been reversed? Does momentum in a short series really exist?

How about we just watch and see which of these great teams can win twice first...
 
jon abbey

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Kershaw and Keuchel have hilariously similar stats this postseason:

Kershaw: 4 starts, 24.1 IP, 2.96 ERA, 27/5 K/BB
Keuchel: 4 starts, 24 IP, 3.00 ERA, 28/6 K/BB
 
SoxFanInCali

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In the game 1 start, both pitchers benefitted from some low pitches being called strikes, but it may have been a bigger thing for the sinkerball-pitching Keuchel. How the game is called could be huge, as I think Keuchel needs the expanded strike zone a bit more than Kershaw does.
 
staz

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I think Kershaw's floor and ceiling are both higher than Keuchel's, but there's such a broad overlap of the range of possible outcomes that the first 6 innings are complete tossup. Looks like this one will be decided by the pens again. /Captain Obvious
 
NYCSox

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Houston almost has to treat this as an elimination game. They are probably doomed if they go down 3-2 with the last two in LA.
 
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It looks like the bullpen for Houston will be Devenski and Harris, both of whom where fine yesterday, and Peacock. We know about Giles, Musgrove is no better, and neither Liriano nor Gregerson has pitched yet in the WS, a good indication of where they stand.
Hinch is going to be very patient with Keuchel today and Verlander Tuesday.
 
Ale Xander

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Big game for Houston. they can't afford to give Dodgers 2 chances at walk-off wins with the Dodgers advantage at the back end of the bullpen. (game 2 was an outlier)
 
Zupcic Fan

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I think this game tonight might be more of a must win game for the Dodgers than it is for Houston. If Kershaw loses tonight, then they have to face Verlander in game 6 and get a who knows what from Darvish in game 7. It's really kind of a must win game for both teams. Should be great.
 
joyofsox

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glasspusher said:
Have any of the WS games so far had a tight strike zone? Most of them have seemed on the wide side. Game 2?
Click to expand...
Bill Miller will be behind the plate tonight.

From "Major League Umpires' Performance, 2007-2010", by Andy Goldblatt:
"Miller has an expansive strike zone that strongly favors pitchers. ... His four-year K/BB is second only to Doug Eddings in favor of pitchers. ... He's one of the best umpires to have behind the plate if you crave a pitching duel."

I don't know if that has changed. In 2016, SI had an article that said Miller "threw a baseball in the direction of Bryce Harper last season after ejecting him, and made two egregiously bad strike calls in 2012 before ejecting Brett Lawrie". And John Farrell is not a fan.
 
staz

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Zupcic Fan said:
I think this game tonight might be more of a must win game for the Dodgers than it is for Houston. If Kershaw loses tonight, then they have to face Verlander in game 6 and get a who knows what from Darvish in game 7. It's really kind of a must win game for both teams. Should be great.
Click to expand...
On 3 days rest, Kershaw would likely pitch some innings in G7 as well.
 
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joyofsox said:
Bill Miller will be behind the plate tonight.

From "Major League Umpires' Performance, 2007-2010", by Andy Goldblatt:
"Miller has an expansive strike zone that strongly favors pitchers. ... His four-year K/BB is second only to Doug Eddings in favor of pitchers. ... He's one of the best umpires to have behind the plate if you crave a pitching duel."

I don't know if that has changed. In 2016, SI had an article that said Miller "threw a baseball in the direction of Bryce Harper last season after ejecting him, and made two egregiously bad strike calls in 2012 before ejecting Brett Lawrie". And John Farrell is not a fan.
Click to expand...
Similar comments from Buster.
Buster Olney: Game 5 home plate umpire Bill Miller is the second-most prolific K caller among all of his brethren. Calls Strike 3 more than anybody else.
 
Remagellan

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I think the ump’s expansive strike zone is a big advantage for the Astros. They’re more aggressive at the plate, and they need Keuchel to go deeper in the game than the Dodgers do with Kershaw because of the relative depth of their pens.
 
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