Category Archives: Postseason 2015

Nov 01

World Series Game Five, 2015

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Here we go. Can the Mets stave off expulsion from the Series or will they succumb to the Royals and the incessant hitting machine that is their lineup?

Royals at Mets, 5:00PM PT, TV: Fox

The pitchers from Game One are matched up again. Edinson Volquez returns from attending his father’s funeral in the Dominican Republic to face Matt Harvey, who took the loss the first time these two righthanders met last week.

If you think the Royals are the latest edition of The Comeback Kids, you’re right: “Kansas City has now won six games this postseason after trailing by multiple runs.”

Oct 31

World Series Game Four, 2015

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Royals at Mets, 5:00PM PT, TV: Fox

(Insert pro forma rant about World Series games played at night in the Northeast)

Why can’t MLB at least schedule weekend World Series games during the day so the average eight, nine or ten-year old can watch them through the end of the game? Yeah, yeah, college football. Yeah, yeah, the NFL. Competing with those entities and expecting to win is done, guys. That ship has sailed. But real baseball fans are going to watch the Series, not Texas-San Antonio v. North Texas.

On to tonight’s game. The Mets send rookie lefthander Steven Matz to the hill to face Tall Chris Young, who pitched three shutout innings of relief in the fourteen-inning Game One. If the Mets win the Series is tied, if the Royals win they’ve got a 3-1 edge.

Oct 30

World Series Game Three, 2015

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Royals at Mets, 5:00PM PT, TV: Fox

Noah Syndergaard tries to stop the Royals and prevent them from taking a nearly-insurmountable three-zip lead and Yordano Ventura tries to throttle the Mets yet again in this Series. Syndergaard has made two starts in the postseason and pitched an inning of relief in the NLDS, running up a 1-1 record with a 2.77 ERA in 13 innings. Ventura has made four starts already in the postseason, going 0-1 with a 5.09 ERA. His first start contributed heavily to that high ERA, however: he went only 2 innings and gave up 4 hits and 3 runs.

Here’s an interesting statistic: In the NLDS and NLCS, Mets pitchers struck out 91 batters in 80 innings; they’ve only struck out 10 Royals in 21 1/3 innings in the World Series.

Oct 27

World Series Game One, 2015

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New Dodgers thread above.

Mets at Royals, 5:00PM PT, TV: Fox

What we know is that one of these teams is going to break a really long World Series victory drought (even longer than the Dodgers’). The Royals last won in 1985 and the Mets in 1986.

Two righthanders go against one another: Matt Harvey for the Mets and Edinson Volquez for the Royals. Harvey’s made two postseason starts and been good in both (2-0, 2.84 ERA, 4 BB, 16 Ks in 12 2/3 innings). Volquez has also made three postseason starts. He lost a game in the ALDS to the Astros and split two in the ALCS with the Jays. His cumulative stats in this postseason are 1-2, 4.32 ERA, 12 BB and 15 Ks in 16 2/3 innings.

Oct 23

ALCS Game Six, 2015

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If the Royals win they move on to the World Series against the Mets; if the Jays win they force a Game Seven tomorrow.

Blue Jays at Royals, 5:00PM PT, TV: FS1

The Jays ask David Price to win the most critical game yet in a week of them; in Game Two he was very good until the seventh inning when the wheels came off. The Royals counter with Yordano Ventura, who started Game Two against Price and gave up three runs in 5 1/3 innings and didn’t figure into the decision.

Oct 21

ALCS Game Five, NLCS Game Four, 2015

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American League game: Royals at Blue Jays, 1:00PM PT, TV: FS1

It’s an elimination game: down 3 games to 1, the Jays have to win or they’re done. This game is a rematch of pitchers from Game One: Edinson Volquez of the Royals and Marco Estrada of the Jays. Volquez is 1-1 with a 2.31 ERA in this postseason and went six scoreless innings against the Jays in Game One. Estrada is also 1-1 in the postseason with a 3.09 ERA. He went 5 1/3 innings against the Royals in Game One, giving up six hits and three runs.

National League game: Mets at Cubs, 5:00PM PT, TV: TBS

This one is also an elimination game: the Mets are one win away from going on the World Series. If the Cubs are to make the prediction in the movie “Back to the Future” come true, they have to win the next four games. The Mets send out lefty Steven Matz, making his first appearance in the NLCS after giving up three runs in five innings against the Dodgers in the NLDS. He’ll be opposed by Jason Hammel, also appearing for the first time in the NLCS after a short (four runs in three innings) outing against the Cardinals in the NLDS.

Oct 20

ALCS Game Four, NLCS Game Three, 2015

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AL Game: Royals at Blue Jays, 1:00PM PT, TV: FS1

Two ex-Mets, right-handers and ex-teammates go at one another this afternoon. R.A. Dickey trots out his knuckleball for the Jays and Chris Young for the Royals.

NL Game: Mets at Cubs, 5:00PM PT, TV: TBS

Two right-handers start against one another in Game Three of the NLCS too, but Jacob deGrom of the Mets has an extra year under his belt in the bigs. deGrom was Rookie of the Year last year; this season was Kyle Hendricks’ rookie one. deGrom was excellent in Game One of the NLDS and pitched well-enough-to-win in Game Five; Hendricks went 4 2/3 in Game Two of the Cubs’ NLDS win and was lifted after surrendering back-to-back home runs.

Oct 19

ALCS Game Three, 2015

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Kansas City at Toronto, 5:00PM PT, TV: FS1

The home team Jays hope Marcus Stroman can continue his good work in the postseason; he’s made two starts, struck out nine and posted a 3.46 ERA. Since they’re down 2-0 in the series, he’d better. The Royals ask Johnny Cueto to pitch like he did in Game Five of the ALDS (8 innings, 2 hits, 2 runs) rather than the way he did in Game Two (6 innings, 7 hits, 4 runs).

Oct 14

ALDS Games Five (really!), 2015

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ALDS Early game: Texas at Toronto 1:00PM PT, TV: FS1

This is a rematch of the starters from the 14-inning Game Two of the series: Cole Hamels for the Rangers and Marcus Stroman for the Blue Jays. Hamels gave up four runs (two earned) on six hits, striking out six and walking none in seven innings. Stroman also went seven innings, giving up four runs (three earned) on five hits, striking out five and walking two.

ALDS Late game: Houston at Kansas City, 5:00PM PT, TV: FS1

The Astros start Game One pitcher Collin McHugh. In that game he went six innings, gave up two runs on four hits, walked one and struck out one. The Jays send out Game Two starter Johnny Cueto, who had a rough start in that game but wound up going six innings, giving up seven hits and four runs while walking three and striking out five, retiring 12 of the last 14 batters he faced.