Category Archives: Postseason 2018

Oct 08

NLDS Game Four, 2018

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The NL has only one divisional series still going. Game Four will be played between the Dodgers and Braves at Sun Trust Field at 1:30 PM PDT and will be televised by FS1.

The Dodgers ask Rich Hill (11-5, 3.66 ERA) to finish the Braves off without a need for a Game Five. The Braves send Mike Foltynewicz (13-10, 2.85 ERA in the regular season), who lost Game One of this series on October 4, going just two innings and giving up three hits and four earned runs including two homers. Hill will make his first start of this postseason; in last year’s playoffs he made four starts and posted a 2.55 ERA with no decisions in 17 2/3 innings.

How did Kiké get his groove on at the plate?

Dodgers’ history on October 8 has ups and downs. Don Larsen pitched his perfect game on this date in 1956, but three years later the Dodgers beat the Chicago White Sox in Game Six of the World Series to win it. The Braves lost Game Two of the 1948 World Series on this date.

Lineups when available.

Dodgers lineup:


Braves lineup:


Oct 08

ALDS Games Three, 2018

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The early game will be played at Progressive Field (formerly The Jake) in Cleveland between the Astros and the Indians at 10:30 AM PDT. It will be shown on TBS.

The Astros send LHP Dallas Keuchel (12-11, 3.74 ERA) to the hill to try to sweep the series. The Indians ask RHP Mike Clevinger (13-8, 3.02 ERA) to stop them. Keuchel is 4-2 with a 3.24 ERA in eight career postseason starts for the Astros. Clevinger has made six postseason appearances, going seven innings in 2016 & 2017 with a 6.43 ERA.

The Indians beat the Braves on this date in 1948 as seen in the NLDS post below, but they also beat the Yankees in the ALDS in 2007 to advance to the ALCS for the first time since 1995. The Astros beat the Mets 1-0 in Game One of the 1986 NLCS behind Mike Scott.

Lineups when available.

In the late game the Red Sox and Yankees face off in Game Three of their series. Each team has won one game. It will be played at Yankee Stadium at 4:40 PM PDT and shown on TBS.

The Sox send out mid-season acquisition (and former Yankee/Dodger) RHP Nathan Eovaldi (6-7, 3.81, but 3-3 and 3.33 ERA with the Red Sox) to do battle with the Yankees’ Luis Severino (19-8, 3.39 ERA). Eovaldi has pitched 16 innings against the Yankees since he’s been with the Sox and has yet to give up a run to them. RHP Severino started the Wild Card Game and walked four while striking out seven in four shutout innings. He’s made five starts against the Red Sox this season, most recently on September 19 when he gave up just one run in seven innings. That gave him a 3.56 ERA for the year against the Boston team.

The Red Sox haven’t played much on October 8. In fact, the only notable thing they’ve done on this date was to pitch Ken Brett against the Cardinals in the 1967 World Series, which was only of interest because he was just 19 years old at the time, thus the youngest player ever to pitch in a World Series. The Yankees have frequently played on October 8. As noted in the NLDS post, Don Larsen pitched his perfect game against the Dodgers 62 years ago on this date. They also lost an ALDS Game Five thriller to the Mariners in 1995 on October 8 and lost to the Indians in Game Four of the ALDS in 2007, which cost Joe Torre his managerial job.

Lineups when available.

Oct 07

NLDS Games Three

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The Brewers at Rockies play the early game today at 1:37 PM PDT. It will be televised on MLBN.

The Brewers send LHP Wade Miley (5-2, 2.57 ERA) to the mound in Coors Field to face the Rockies’ German Márquez (14-11, 3.77 ERA). Miley made 16 regular-season starts and never allowed more than three earned runs in any of them. Márquez has a string of seven consecutive quality starts at home since July; he had a 1.90 ERA during that stretch.

Brewers lineup:


Rockies lineup:


It’s the Dodgers at Braves in the second game of the day at 5:07 PM PDT on FS1. Both pitchers will be making the first postseason starts of their respective careers: the Dodgers send their rookie RHP Walker Buehler to the Sun Trust Park mound to face LHP Sean Newcomb (12-9, 3.90 ERA). Buehler threw 6 2/3 innings against the Rockies in last week’s tiebreaker against the Rockies, while Newcomb threw two scoreless relief innings in Game One on Thursday. Each pitcher faced the other team once during the regular season. Buehler gave up one run in 5 1/3 innings against the Braves on June 8, while Newcomb nearly no-hit the Dodgers on July 29, giving up a two-out single to Chris Taylor.

Dodgers history is mixed for October 7th past. Braves history is shorter but happier for the same date.

Lineups when available.
Dodgers lineup:


Braves lineup:


Oct 06

ALDS Games Two, 2018

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The first game today is Indians at Astros, 1:37 PDT, TV: TBS. The Astros lead the series 1-0.

The Indians send RHP Carlos Carrasco (17-10, 3.38 ERA) to the mound to try to stop the Astros’ juggernaut. He’ll face Houston’s RHP Gerrit Cole (15-5, 2.88 ERA). In his career Cole is 1-2 with a 3.94 ERA in the postseason, all with the Pirates. Carrasco is 0-0 with 5 2/3 innings of shutout ball in the postseason, against the Yankees in 2017.

Indians lineup:


Astros lineup:


The second game today is Yankees at Red Sox, 5:15 PM PDT, TV: TBS. The Red Sox lead the series 1-0.

The Yankees send RHP Masahiro Tanaka (12-6, 3.75 ERA) to the mound in Fenway Park. He’ll face the Red Sox’ LHP David Price (16-7, 3.58 ERA). Tanaka is 2-2 with a 1.44 ERA in the postseason and is coming in cold; in his last two starts he gave up eight earned runs in eight innings. Additionally he had a 7.58 ERA against the Red Sox this season. Price has been on a roll, going 6-1 with a 2.25 ERA since the All Star break, but he’s got to overcome the memory of his postseason career (2-8, 5.03 ERA).

Lineups when available.

Oct 05

NLDS Games Two, 2018

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Rockies at Brewers, 1:15 PM PDT, TV: FS1

The Rockies send LHP Tyler Anderson (7-9, 4.55 ERA) to the hill at Miller Park to face the Brewers’ RHP Jhoulys Chacin (15-8, 3.50 ERA). The Brewers hammered Anderson back on August 4, when he went just four innings and gave up seven runs including three homers. He made five starts in September and had a 3.25 ERA to show for them. This will be Chacin’s first postseason appearance and his first time ever pitching on only three days rest.

Lineups when available.

Rockies:


Brewers:


Braves at Dodgers, 6:37 PM PDT, TV: FS1

Lefty Clayton Kershaw (9-5, 2.73 ERA) takes the mound for the Dodgers against the Braves’ Aníbal Sanchez (7-6, 2.83 ERA). Kershaw spent time on the DL for the third straight season and his velocity has dropped a couple of miles per hour from what it once was, but he’s still one of the best pitchers in the league. He beat Atlanta on July 27, going 7 2/3 innings and giving up one run on six hits. Sanchez had the best year he’s had in ERA terms since 2013. He beat the Dodgers June 9 and lost to them July 26.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic covers the Kershaw/Ryu Game One start story.

Oh, doctor! On October 5, 1947 Al Gionfriddo of the Dodgers robbed the Yankee Clipper Joe DiMaggio of a home run in Game Six of the World Series.

Lineups when available.

Dodgers:


Braves:


Oct 05

ALDS Games One, 2018

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The early game is really early: Indians at Astros, 11:05 AM PDT, TV: TBS

The Indians send their 20-game winner Corey Kluber (20-7, 2.89 ERA) to the mound in Minute Maid Park to face the Astros and their right-handed ace Justin Verlander (16-9, 2.52 ERA).

Lineups when available.
Indians:


Astros:


The late game is scheduled for prime time on the East Coast, of course, since it’s the Yankees at Red Sox, 4:30 PM PDT, TV: TBS

The Yankees send lefty J.A. Happ (17-6, 3.65 ERA) to the Fenway Park hill to face the Red Sox’ own lefty, Chris Sale (12-4, 2.11 ERA). The Yankees got Happ on July 26 from the Blue Jays where he’d been 10-6. Notice he has yet to lose a game in Yankee pinstripes. Sale came to the Red Sox after the 2016 season. He lost two ALDS starts last year to the Astros.

Lineups when available.

Yankees:


Red Sox:


Oct 04

NLDS Game One, 2018

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The Rockies and Brewers play the early game on Day One of the NL Division Series, while the Braves and Dodgers play the late game.

I’m not going to fiddle with four teams’ historical facts from this date. You’re welcome to look at the following link: Today in baseball history.

Rockies at Brewers, 2:07 PM PDT, TV: FS1

The Rockies call upon RHP Antonio Senzatela (6-6, 4.38 ERA) to start Game One. The Brewers are going with the “opener” concept, starting a reliever and going from there.

“We really think when we’re going to put together our pitching staff for this series, every one of the guys we’re adding is going to pitch significant innings in the series,” Counsell said.

The team has not yet announced who that first pitcher is going to be.

Lineups when available.

Brewers:


Rockies:


Braves at Dodgers, 5:37 PM PDT, TV: MLBN, MLBN-INT

The Braves will start RHP Mike Foltynewicz (13-10, 2.85 ERA) in their first postseason game since 2013. He started one game against the Dodgers this year, going five innings, giving up six hits and four runs and taking the loss. Two of the runs were knocked in by Clayton Kershaw, who got a single and three walks in 7 2/3 innings in that game.

The Dodgers give the ball to LHP Hyun-Jin Ryu (7-3, 1.97 ERA). Picking Ryu to start Game One may have surprised some people, but he’s been lights-out since coming back from a groin injury in August, making nine starts and posting a 1.88 ERA over that stretch. He also has a 2.81 ERA in three post-season starts as well as a history of big game performances in Korea, the Olympics (in the gold medal game against Cuba in 2008 he pitched 8​1⁄3 innings, allowing two earned runs in a 3–2 victory) and the Asian Games (gold medalist in 2010). Here’s more on the decision from The Athletic. And here’s Sports Illustrated’s preview of the Braves–Dodgers series. The LA Times has five stories about the playoffs, from Plaschke’s “They must win the Series this year” to Dylan Hernandez’s “Kershaw got the shaft,” as well as the omission of Stripling from the 25-man NLDS roster and Madson’s appearance there.

Lineups when available.

Braves:


Dodgers:


Oct 03

AL Wild Card Game, 2018

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As at Yankees, 5:08 PM PDT, TV: TBS

The As are making a virtue of necessity by planning to “bullpen” this game, using a multitude of pitchers. This strategy is supposedly different from a bullpen game in which relief pitchers are used in 1- or 2-inning stints, but I’m not entirely sure how. As manager Bob Melvin “…noted the distinction between a ‘bullpen game’ — using a series of relievers in 1- and 2-inning stints — and using Hendriks as an opener before turning to a traditional starter for multiple innings, in the role the pioneering Tampa Bay Rays call ‘the bulk guy.’

It will be RHP Liam Hendriks, then, who starts for the As. He’s 0-1 with a 4.13 ERA in 24 innings this season and has made 8 appearances in the “opener” role. He’ll face the Yankees’ more traditional starter RHP Luis Severíno (19-8, 3.39 ERA). He started last year’s Wild Card Game against the Twins and got knocked out early, giving up three runs and two homers.

Today in As history:

  • 1924 At Philadelphia’s Baker Bowl, the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro National League beat the Eastern Colored League’s Hilldale Giants (PA), 6-2, in the opening game of the first Colored World Series. The ten-game event, in which KC will capture the crown, winning five games to 4 with one tie, features games played in Chicago, Kansas City, and Baltimore.
  • 1965 At Metropolitan Stadium, Angels’ first baseman Vic Power (Pellot) ends his 12-year major league career going 1-for-5 with an RBI single in a 5-2 loss to the Twins. The .284 career hitter will have the distinction of being the last active player to have worn a Philadelphia A’s uniform (1954).
  • 1976 On the last day of the season, Kansas City’s George Brett and Hal McRae and Minnesota’s Rod Carew are separated by .001 for the batting title. Brett, who goes 3-for-4 , edges his Royals teammate (.333 vs .332) for the American League crown with the deciding hit, an inside-the-park home run, being a misplayed line drive, leading McRae to believe the lack of effort was intentional.
  • 1993 Eighty-three year-old Mel Harder throws the ceremonial ‘last’ pitch at Cleveland Municipal Stadium. As a member of the 1932 Indian squad, he also had thrown the first pitch as the team’s starting pitcher in the ballpark’s inaugural game, a 1-0 defeat to Lefty Grove and the A’s.
  • 2012 In the final game of the season with the AL West title on the line, Ranger’s center fielder Josh Hamilton’s fourth inning-error opens the floodgates that allow the A’s to erase a five-run deficit when they score six times en route to their 12-5 victory at the Oakland Coliseum. The Texas loss puts the team into the new one-game AL Wild Card contest against Baltimore.

Today in Yankee’s history:

  • 1947 In Game 4 of the Fall Classic, Bill Bevens comes within one out from pitching the first no-hitter in World Series history. The Yankee hurler loses his claim to fame and the game when Cookie Lavagetto, pinch-hitting for Eddie Stanky, hits a two-out ninth-inning double, giving the Dodgers a 3-2 improbable victory.
  • 1948 After taking his position in center field in the bottom of the eighth inning at Fenway Park, Joe DiMaggio, is removed from the game by Yankee manager Bucky Harris. As the superstar of their hated rivals limps off the field, the enthusiastic Red Sox crowd of 35,000 gives Joltin’ Joe a lengthy and loud standing ovation, a gesture he will later refer to as one of the greatest thrills of his career.
  • 1995 The Yankees, 9-6 victors over the Mariners in the Bronx, and the Rockies, dropping a 5-4 decision to the Braves in Colorado, become the first clubs to participate in the postseason not having been a first-place team. The two wild-card clubs will not advance further in the playoffs, both losing their three-out-of-five divisional series.
  • 2009 Needing only a win or a Colorado loss for the past week, the Dodgers finally clinch the National League West title with a 5-0 victory over the wild-card Rockies. Joe Torre, who will be managing in the postseason for the 14th consecutive season, has won thirteen divisional titles, including ten with the Yankees, one with the Braves, and now his second with LA.
  • 2010 The Rays, entering the final day of the season tied with the Yankees, win their second AL East crown when their rivals lose to Boston. With the title not in jeopardy, even with a loss due to their overall record against New York this season, Tampa Bay rallies for a 3-2 victory over Kansas City in 12 innings to take the division by a game.
  • 2013 Alex Rodriguez announces he has filed a lawsuit in the New York State Supreme Court, accusing Major League Baseball and Commissioner Bud Selig of pursuing “vigilante justice” as part of a “witch hunt” in an effort to “destroy” his reputation and career. On August 5, the Yankees star was given a 211-game suspension for alleged violations of baseball’s drug agreement.
  • 2015 In the nightcap of a Citi Field twin bill, Max Scherzer throws his second no-hitter of the season when the Nationals beat the first-place Mets, 2-0. The 31 year-old National right-hander becomes the fifth pitcher to hurl two no-hitters in the same regular season, joining Nolan Ryan (1973 Angel), Virgil Trucks (1952 Tigers), Allie Reynolds (1951Yankees), and Johnny Vander Meer (1938 Reds), who also accomplished the feat.

As lineup:


Yankees lineup:


Oct 02

NL Wild Card Game, 2018

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Rockies at Cubs, 5:08 PM PDT, TV: ESPN

The Cubs at least got to sleep in their own beds after losing their tiebreaker game to the Brewers yesterday. After losing yesterday’s tiebreaker to the Dodgers, the Rockies had to get on an airplane and fly to Chicago from Los Angeles, after flying from Denver to LA Sunday night.

The visiting Rockies send LHP Kyle Freeland (17-7, 2.85 ERA) to the mound for his third career start against the Cubs. He’ll face LHP Jon Lester (18-6, 3.32 ERA), who will be making his 22nd postseason appearance and second Wild Card Game start.

Today in Cubs’ history:

  • 1932 The Yankees win their 12th consecutive World Series game and sweep the Fall Classic for the third time. At Wrigley Field, the Bronx Bombers bang out 19 hits as they club the Cubs, 13-6.
  • 1940 The Sullivans become the first father and son to have played in a World Series when Billy Jr. is the Tigers backstop in Game 1 of the Fall Classic at Crosley Field. The Detroit catcher’s dad, Bill Sr., appeared in the postseason in 1906, playing the same position for the White Sox when he went 0-for-21 in the Hitless Wonders’ six-game triumph over the Cubs.
  • 1952 Carl Erskine strikes out 14 Yankees in Game 3 to establish a new World Series mark. The Dodger hurler’s performance bests the record of A’s Howard Ehmke, who struck out 13 Cubs in Game 1 of 1929 Fall Classic.
  • 2001 Slugging Sammy Sosa becomes the first player in baseball history to slug 60 home runs in three seasons. The Cubs’ outfielder connects off Lance Davis in the first inning of the team’s 5-4 loss to Cincinnati at Wrigley Field to reach the milestone.
  • 2006 Chicago’s veep and GM Jim Hendry announces that the Cubs have declined to renew Dusty Baker’s contract to return as the team’s manager. During his four-year reign in the northside dugout, the 57-year-old skipper compiled a 322-326 record, including a 66-96 campaign last season.
  • 2012 In a matchup of 100-loss teams, only the second occurrence in major league history, the Astros (55-105) beat the Cubs (60-100) at Wrigley Field, 3-0. In 1962, the woeful 58-101 Chicago club played host to the expansion Mets, sporting a 39-118 record en route to setting the all-time modern era record for futility.

The Rockies have made four previous post-season appearances, none on October 1.

Cubs’ lineup:


Rockies’ lineup: