Running 2017 MLB postseason thread

You've got have your head buried in the sand to not believe these balls are not juiced.

 

Seriously. I'm dropping it. It was a weird argument.

 

Yep.

One big thing that made last night a lot better action was the low number of strikeouts especially by the Astros (six). They strike out the least of any team in MLB, by a lot, which is pretty crazy when coupled with being second in HRs. In the fifth inning, Kershaw threw a total of 10 two-strike, two-out pitches to Springer and Bregman. They fouled off or took every one and both walked to force him out of the game.

Those two ABs were the turning point.

 

Smoltz used the analogy that it was like a football game where the last team with the ball was going to win

 

I always felt like fouling off two-strike pitches over and over again was the key to the late 1990s/early 2000s Yankee dynasty. Paul O'Neill pissed you off long enough to give in and let him dump one into left field for an RBI single.

They were maddening when you were rooting against them.

 

No it wasn't.

I was just saying a Houston win was going to feel unfulfilling because I wanted to keep seeing each team answer. I didn't want it to end because it was so damn entertaining.

 

It always feels that way until about half the time they don't.

 

Agree completely. Kershaw (and just about every other pitcher) couldn't throw a strike three pitch all night. Of course, many of the big hits were first-pitch swings, including the game-winner.

I guess I picked the right time to (finally!) have a night off work and finally get to see a World Series game. As much as I like the drama of a pitchers' duel, Home Run Derby is lots of fun to watch.

 

Oh, and someone on this thread (bigpern?) said he was trying to convert his wife to watching baseball.

I'm in the same boat, and I did get her to watch a couple of the late innings with me (it helps we're in Pacific time). Although most of her comments were complaints about bushy beards and wonderment at Gurriel's Flock of Seagulls-ish haircut.

 

Though the last time we had these conversations it was the players who were juiced and we all looked / felt foolish afterwards.

 

Not all of us.

 

Do any of you really believe last night was one of the best World Series games ever? That was so hard to watch and bad pitching doesn't equal great baseball just because there are a bunch of home runs hit.