MLB '24 Postseason thread

“America needed Yankees-Dodgers! It’ll be amazing! The big boys always show up! No small markets means compelling series! Think of ratings! RATINGS. Why won’t you think of the ratings!”

“It’s going four games, a complete loss for Fox.”

“Oh.”

 

That was Game 1.

 

Betts played 2nd in the minors.

 

I am still trying to understand Ohtani, with a shoulder injury, not even getting a strike thrown to him in the top of the first. That is pitching malpractice.

 

Sorry to keep comparing things, but this sure feels like 2012, when the Tigers -- who lived and died all season with the long ball -- went ice cold against the Giants, and no one could get Pablo Sandoval out, particularly Justin Verlander. The Yankees are a station-to-station team that needs extra base hits to score runs. Right now, they're hitting .186 as a team with two doubles and three homers.

The Yankees aren't getting enough baserunners. And when they do, they aren't getting them moving around the bases. When you're sending Giancarlo Stanton home, you're desperate.

However, it's not like the Dodgers are hitting that much better. Other than Freddie Freeman, nobody else is doing much with runners in scoring position. But they stole Game 1 with the grand slam and have never given New York any chance to shift the momentum.

 

Jazz Chisholm has become a "deeper character" with every passing season, from what I've seen. Just speaking for myself, I like his overall game a bit more each year.

 

Jazz is a worthy successor to Mickey Rivers in the stylin’ in pinstripes chair. (Which is a good thing).

 

I've only caught bits and pieces of this so far. But I certainly have the feeling that if things don't take a dramatic turn, this is going to hang over Aaron Judge's head for quite a while.

 

I’m more impressed now that the Mets won two against the Dodgers. They’re relentless and really fucking good.

 

I keep hearing Davis and Smoltz talk about how great the Yankees' offense was all season when all I can remember is that they were essentially Soto and Judge, and virtually nothing else, all year. And, when you have two generational players like that high in the order, you're going to win a fair share of games. Well, Judge was worth 11.7 oWAR this season, and Soto was 7.9. The Yankees offense as a whole? 30.8. That's not a lot left over.

And now Judge isn't hitting, so who exactly was supposed to step up?

Also, their approach last night was awful. Extremely passive. I know they work counts - the Dodgers do the same thing - but you're down 2-0, you've got to protect with two strikes sometimes, and you need to jump on a fastball early in the count somewhere.