Tuesday, October 11, 2022

MLB Playoffs

By a method that would make no sense even if I explained it to you, MLB has eliminated 22 of its 30 teams, and we are left with the following best-of-five matchups for the quarter-finals (teams with home field advantage listed first):

National League:
Los Angeles (111-51) v. San Diego (89-73)
Atlanta (101-61) v. Philadelphia (87-75)

American League:
Houston (106-56) v. Seattle (90-72)
New York (99-63) v. Cleveland (92-70)

Of course, we don't need a playoff to know if the Dodgers are better than the Padres, the Braves are better than the Phillies, or the Astros are better than the Mariners.  In each cases, these teams were in the same division, and played the same schedule, and in each case, there was a huge gap between the teams at the end of the season.  So we know which team is better, but MLB has decided to have a playoff anyway.  It starts today, with all four matchups in action.

26 comments:

  1. In the bottom of the third, in Atlanta, the Phillies lead the Braves 4-1.

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  2. I may just root for chaos in these playoffs. MLB would get what it deserves if the World Series featured the Phillies and the Mariners.

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  3. Team Chaos is off to a good start. The Phillies beat the Braves 7-6, and the Mariners are leading the Astros 6-2 after 3 1/2 innings.

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  4. Yuli Gurriel leads off the bottom of the 4th with a home run, and the Mariners now lead 6-3. The big story so far is that Houston's ace -- Justin Verlander -- has given up 6 runs in only 4 innings.

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  5. In the top of the 7th, Eugenio Suarez whacks a home run into Houston's short left field. The M's lead 7-3.

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  6. The Astros went to the ALCS in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021. They won 106 games this year. It would be a huge upset if they don't make it.

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  7. The Braves went to the NLCS in 2020 and 2021. They won 101 games this year. It would be a huge upset if they didn't make it.

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  8. On the other hand, the Braves and Dodgers are trying to meet each other in the NLCS for the third straight year. I don't think that's ever happened before.

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  9. The Dodgers went to the NLCS in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, and 2021. Since 2015, the only team to beat the Dodgers in the Divisional Series was the 2019 Washington Nationals.

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  10. As for the Yankees, they last won the pennant in 2009. Since then, they went to the ALCS in 2010, 2012, 2017, and 2019, but lost every time. In 17 and 19, they lost to the Astros.

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  11. Here are the last 10 winners of the World Series:

    2012: San Francisco
    2013: Boston
    2014: San Francisco
    2015: Kansas City
    2016: Chicago Cubs
    2017: Houston
    2018: Boston
    2019: Washington
    2020: Los Angeles Dodgers
    2021: Atlanta

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    Replies
    1. I am not going to say whom I'm rooting for, in hopes that it helps them win.

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  12. Alex Bregman hits a two-run homer in the bottom of the 8th, and the M's now lead 7-5.

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  13. So here's what happens in the Bottom of the 9th:

    Paul Sewald (2.65 ERA, 20 saves) comes in to pitch for Seattle
    1. Christian Vazquez grounds out to short
    2. Pinch-hitter David Hensley is hit by pitch (Jake Meyers comes in to run for Hensley)
    3. Jose Altuve strikes out
    4. Jeremy Pena singles to center on a 1-2 pitch. Meyers to second.
    Robbie Ray (12-12 in 32 starts, 3.71 ERA) replaces Sewald for the Mariners
    5. Yordan Alvarez BLASTS A HOME RUN TO RIGHT. ASTROS WIN 8-7!!!

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  14. What a great team the Astros have. They are one of the best teams in baseball history. Every year, when we get to October, I'm just so proud that the Nats managed to beat the Astros.

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  15. Next up: the Yankees host Cleveland.

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  16. Again, the Astros are trying to reach the ALCS for the SIXTH YEAR IN A ROW.

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  17. Bob Costas is doing the Yankees/Cleveland game on TBS. That's good to hear.

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  18. In the top of the 3d, Steven Kwan homers to right to give Cleveland a 1-0 lead.

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  19. In the bottom of the 3d, Harrison Bader homers to tie the game at 1.

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  20. In the bottom of the 5th, the Yankees scratch out another run. They lead 2-1 going into the bottom of the 6th.

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  21. Somebody on Twitter commented that watching your team in the baseball playoffs is like watching a loved one trying to defuse a bomb. Usually, at some point, the bomb goes off -- like it did for the Mariners today. But if you can make it all the way to the end -- like the Nats in 2019 -- it is enormously satisfying.

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  22. Anthony Rizzo blasts a two-run homer to right that scores Judge, and the Yanks lead 4-1 in the bottom of the 6th.

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  23. I know I said earlier that I was tempted to root for chaos, but I would really like another playoff between the Astros and the Yankees.

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  24. Gerrit Cole comes out after pitching 6 1/3 innings for the Yankees. He leaves a man on first base with one out. Yankees still lead 4-1.

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  25. The Yankees win 4-1 and take a 1-0 lead.

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