Team is on full rest yet your best options for game 1 & 2 are Gio Gonzalez and Wade Miley. 2018 in a nutshell.

Either way, I hope the NLCS winner wins it all.

A lefty batting relief pitcher just hit a home run off Clayton Kershaw. Yup.

So much for the idea of Grandal being a defensive stabilizer for the Sox.

Can always rely on Kershaw wetting his pants in the playoffs. 

12 in a row for Milwaukee, hottest team hitting the post season since the 2005 White Sox closed it out on a 16-1 run.

Dodgers bloodied up the Sox part of the pen...Jeffress has definitely been shaky in the playoffs, but, then again, Jansen isn’t the same pitcher, either.   LA still in a good position to pick up Game 2, psychologically.

Hader is the one unique weapon in the postseason no team seems to have a counter for.

Thought Gio should have at least gone another inning or two. But I guess when you're rotation is like that and you have a lot of off days in the playoffs, you can sort of go with that Rays strategy of having an "opener" for an inning or two. Especially when your pen is that good.

19 minutes ago, soxfan2014 said:

Thought Gio should have at least gone another inning or two. But I guess when you're rotation is like that and you have a lot of off days in the playoffs, you can sort of go with that Rays strategy of having an "opener" for an inning or two. Especially when your pen is that good.

I gotta say, I know the guy replacing him homered, but I absolutely hated the move pulling Gio there. They burned through their bullpen, including Hader, so early, that when things got dicey at the end they didn't have Hader and now they won't have him in Game 2. They even pulled him right before what might have been an easy inning, with the pitcher's spot leading off. No one was on, he wasn't in trouble, and if he gave up another solo HR that isn't on its own going to kill the game. If they got Gio through 4 innings or longer, they might have only hung 1 inning on Hader, they might have had him available when guys got on in the 8th to come in and shut the door, or they might have limited his use so that he could also pitch tomorrow. Yeah they won this game, but they literally can't do the same thing with their best pitcher on Saturday. 

2 hours ago, Balta1701 said:

I gotta say, I know the guy replacing him homered, but I absolutely hated the move pulling Gio there. They burned through their bullpen, including Hader, so early, that when things got dicey at the end they didn't have Hader and now they won't have him in Game 2. They even pulled him right before what might have been an easy inning, with the pitcher's spot leading off. No one was on, he wasn't in trouble, and if he gave up another solo HR that isn't on its own going to kill the game. If they got Gio through 4 innings or longer, they might have only hung 1 inning on Hader, they might have had him available when guys got on in the 8th to come in and shut the door, or they might have limited his use so that he could also pitch tomorrow. Yeah they won this game, but they literally can't do the same thing with their best pitcher on Saturday. 

But that Woodruff homer also knocked Kershaw completely off his game, along with Grandal falling apart.

It was super-important for the underdog Brewers to score first and get the momentum on their side against the best pitcher in baseball.   It’s going to be easy to second guess if they lose a tight one today because they don’t have Hader available, but it was an understandable/calculated risk, especially because you don’t want to start off 0-1 at home.

While there’s pressure on Miley to go deeper today (not his forte), there’s also added pressure on Ryu to win for LA, and while he was really good this season, the playoffs are a completely different animal, and he’s buckled before in the postseason.

you can also go to Gonzalez out of the pen, potentially.

I think it’s safe to stop calling Kershaw the best pitcher in baseball now.

1 hour ago, caulfield12 said:

But that Woodruff homer also knocked Kershaw completely off his game, along with Grandal falling apart.

It was super-important for the underdog Brewers to score first and get the momentum on their side against the best pitcher in baseball.   It’s going to be easy to second guess if they lose a tight one today because they don’t have Hader available, but it was an understandable/calculated risk, especially because you don’t want to start off 0-1 at home.

While there’s pressure on Miley to go deeper today (not his forte), there’s also added pressure on Ryu to win for LA, and while he was really good this season, the playoffs are a completely different animal, and he’s buckled before in the postseason.

you can also go to Gonzalez out of the pen, potentially.

The Brewers didn't score first.

And if your plan as a manager is for your pitcher to come in out of the bullpen and hit a home run, I submit that you have a poor plan.

Brewers have that 05' Sox magic vibe to them.. they just ain't losing. Don't think they're beating Stros or Sawks but they'll be in the dance if they keep playing like this.

Edited October 13, 20187 yr by SoxAce

3 hours ago, Balta1701 said:

The Brewers didn't score first.

And if your plan as a manager is for your pitcher to come in out of the bullpen and hit a home run, I submit that you have a poor plan.

Okay, counter the 1-0 lead against one of the top 5 pitchers in baseball.

The story remains that the Woodruff homer off Kershaw is going to be seen as the defining moment of the series if the Brewers go on to win it.  As mentioned, they just have that unbeatable roll vibe going on right now.

What will be fascinating is to see if they can maintain it while awaiting the Red Sox/Astros winner, which everyone projects to go 6-7 games.

 

And I still believe today’s game will be tough to win as Jeffress (especially) and Knebel have been human in recent weeks.

Edited October 13, 20187 yr by caulfield12

If Arcia can play like this consistently and Woodruff becomes a solid middle of the rotation guy, the Cubs are pretty much going to have to go out and add Machado or Harper because counting on Darvish right now would be a fool’s errand.

19 minutes ago, SoxAce said:

Brewers have that 05' Sox magic vibe to them.. they just ain't losing. Don't think they're beating Stros or Sawks but they'll be in the dance if they keep playing like this.

Check that... 07' Rockies are a better comparison. Played out of their minds until the World Series... then got swept.

At least we can debate signing Moustakas again all offseason...Shaw has three more years of arbitration on his deal.

(Might as well send them Yolmer or Leury to complete their bench.)

Edited October 13, 20187 yr by caulfield12

29 minutes ago, caulfield12 said:

Okay, counter the 1-0 lead against one of the top 5 pitchers in baseball.

The story remains that the Woodruff homer off Kershaw is going to be seen as the defining moment of the series if the Brewers go on to win it.  As mentioned, they just have that unbeatable roll vibe going on right now.

What will be fascinating is to see if they can maintain it while awaiting the Red Sox/Astros winner, which everyone projects to go 6-7 games.

 

And I still believe today’s game will be tough to win as Jeffress (especially) and Knebel have been human in recent weeks.

Gosh it would have been nice if Hader were available right now, but as you told me Counsell gave the order for Woodruff to come out of the bullpen and hit a home run and that is the important thing yesterday, the home run hitting pitcher. 

30 minutes ago, Balta1701 said:

Gosh it would have been nice if Hader were available right now, but as you told me Counsell gave the order for Woodruff to come out of the bullpen and hit a home run and that is the important thing yesterday, the home run hitting pitcher. 

And they still have the lead...Woodruff, by the way, is an excellent hitting pitcher.  That was no fluke.  When Kershaw’s only at 89-92, anything is possible.

And can we have ONE outfielder with better overall skills than the Dodgers’ top 6-7 at that position?  Too much to ask?  It BETTER be Jimenez.

Edited October 13, 20187 yr by caulfield12

And there's the Dodgers lead where having Hader available could have won the game...

Three soft hits and a blown strike three call against Barnes.

Just another example of how fortunate the 2005 White Sox were to have almost every break go their way.  The margin of error against a team with as much talent as the Dodgers have is razor thin.

At any rate, Jansen has almost lost the closer’s spot at this point, far from over.

 

Edited October 13, 20187 yr by caulfield12

Not a good managed game by Council.

Well, we know MLB desperately wants to see the Dodgers/Red Sox (30 year anniversary of Gibson homer off Eck) or a rematch of last season, which would also be quite unique.

Dodgers finally cool off the Brewers. I wonder if any Brewers fans are actually upset. They did let one get away, but cmon. They were due to lose. I do think LA is in good shape to win the series but that's just me. Wouldn't mind seeing the Brewers win. I have some relatives up there.

19 hours ago, SoxAce said:

Not a good managed game by Council.

IMO, that game was decided during game 1 when he blew out Hader's arm. 

Jeffress made it close but harder available for 2 tomorrow.