# MLB: October 2017 — Welcome to the Postseason **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [October 1, 2017, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-october-2017-welcome-to-the-postseason/797735 "2017-10-01T15:14:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Oredigger77](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oredigger77/32/3181_2.png) [@Oredigger77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oredigger77)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2017, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-october-2017-welcome-to-the-postseason/797735/81 "2017-10-07T14:46:42Z")
In the late game the Dodgers won one they had pretty easily. Despite a relatively ugly ERA Kershaw pitched well and he was certainly provided coverage for his 4 bad pitches by the offense. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2017, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-october-2017-welcome-to-the-postseason/797735/82 "2017-10-07T14:48:07Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > Yankees’ management should get some blame. > > The Yankees have been burned twice in two games by Jay Bruce home runs (he drove in three of the Indians’ four runs in the opener). Back when Bruce was on the trade/giveaway market, it was reported that the Mets had a potential deal with the Yankees, who balked at paying Bruce’s remaining salary for the season. So the Indians got him instead. > > _"The Indians’ Twitter account produced this gem: “Jay Bruce is on our team because our owner wrote a check that competitors for Jay wouldn’t.”_ > > [http://nypost.com/2017/10/05/bruce-m…ake-with-mets/](http://nypost.com/2017/10/05/bruce-makes-yanks-pay-for-trade-they-couldnt-make-with-mets/) > > Whatever his faults (and they were considerable), I can’t imagine George Steinbrenner cheaping out on a Bruce deal over a relatively insignificant amount of money. It’d be ironic if that blunder costs N.Y. the series. By all the local reporting, it wasn’t cash it was prospects. That and Yanks were expecting Holliday back anyway. It is not as if the Yanks didn’t move at the trade deadline. They brought in some good pieces, silly to kill them for not picking up a questionable player like Bruce, who sure as shit is killing us but who knew? ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2017, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-october-2017-welcome-to-the-postseason/797735/83 "2017-10-07T14:52:58Z")
\*Outstanding \*performances by Sale, Kluber, and Kershaw. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2017, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-october-2017-welcome-to-the-postseason/797735/84 "2017-10-07T16:03:34Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > \*Outstanding \*performances by Sale, Kluber, and Kershaw. :rolleyes: Amidst all that excellent pitching, that Cubs - Nats game was just filled with awfulness. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2017, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-october-2017-welcome-to-the-postseason/797735/85 "2017-10-07T18:22:51Z")
> [@Oredigger77](#): > > In the late game the Dodgers won one they had pretty easily. Despite a relatively ugly ERA Kershaw pitched well and he was certainly provided coverage for his 4 bad pitches by the offense. If the L.A. lineup that we saw in July and August returns, then Kershaw doesn’t have to be great, he can just be okay. In years past, the Dodgers leaned a lot on Kershaw to have big, big games. It would good if Kershaw could enter a game confident of getting some good run support. The reason I’ve been betting against L.A. is I thought that their lineup had lost its swagger and was not scoring against good teams. Last night was a really good sign for Dodger Blue nation. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2017, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-october-2017-welcome-to-the-postseason/797735/86 "2017-10-07T18:32:51Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Boston just intentionally walked Jose Altuve in the fourth inning to pitch to an All-Star who hit a home run previously in this game. That’s not respect, it’s terror. > Skill always wins out. You do not win 11 or 12 playoff games by luck. The team that wins the World Series will invariably have outplayed all the other playoff teams in the playoffs. The team that wasn’t the best in the regular season outplaying the team that was is not “luck” the way a coin flip is. If at some point in the year a 5th place team sweeps a first place team in a 4-game series, that is not “luck” the way a roll of the dice is. They almost certainly played better in those four games. Well sure, but even mediocre teams can have dazzling hot streaks during the season. What you’re saying is that ‘skill winning out’ = being a team in the top 1/3 in the first 162 games that has its hot streak at just the right time, during those last 20 games or fewer. But I come back to my original point: you’re the one who’s saying that the differences in skill levels of the eight teams that are left after the wild-card games are so minute that the team that you regard as the best of the bunch, going in, has only a slightly better chance of winning by playing baseball than they would by flipping coins. So are the Final Eight really that close to tit-for-tat, talentwise, or is it the structure of the playoffs? ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2017, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-october-2017-welcome-to-the-postseason/797735/87 "2017-10-07T19:33:22Z")
> [@DSYoungEsq](#): > > Amidst all that excellent pitching, that Cubs - Nats game was just filled with awfulness. 😛 And Jacques Jones, either the hitting coach or assistant hitting coach for the Nats, has been suspended for a legal issue. That happened right before game one. Coincidentally, Jones was an outfielder for the Cubs when Dusty Baker managed the team. I haven’t crunched the numbers (so to speak), but I wonder how many ex-Cubs are now on Major League coaching staffs. ---
**Author:** ![jaycat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat/32/3015_2.png) [@jaycat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jaycat)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2017, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-october-2017-welcome-to-the-postseason/797735/88 "2017-10-08T01:10:11Z")
Nats continued to look dead in the water til they broke out for 5 runs in the 8th, on a mammoth blast by Bryce, then Zimmerman followed with a 3-run shot. Dusty seemed to make all the right moves tonight as well. Hope lives on… ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2017, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-october-2017-welcome-to-the-postseason/797735/89 "2017-10-08T01:30:43Z")
> [@jaycat](#): > > Nats continued to look dead in the water til they broke out for 5 runs in the 8th, on a mammoth blast by Bryce, then Zimmerman followed with a 3-run shot. > > Dusty seemed to make all the right moves tonight as well. > > Hope lives on… Not to pee on your parade, but there were really no special moves for Dusty to make. Gio pitched just well enough to hand it over to mid-relief, and the pen did its job. But more importantly, Harp versus Edwards Jr. was the nightmare match-up for the Cubs. The Cubs won’t win any series easily – they’ll only win if it goes to a fifth and decisive game. But I think they’ll find a way to stretch it to five and win in the final innings of that decisive game. ---
**Author:** ![jaycat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat/32/3015_2.png) [@jaycat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jaycat)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2017, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-october-2017-welcome-to-the-postseason/797735/90 "2017-10-08T02:21:50Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > Not to pee on your parade, but there were really no special moves for Dusty to make. Gio pitched just well enough to hand it over to mid-relief, and the pen did its job. But more importantly, Harp versus Edwards Jr. was the nightmare match-up for the Cubs. The Cubs won’t win any series easily – they’ll only win if it goes to a fifth and decisive game. But I think they’ll find a way to stretch it to five and win in the final innings of that decisive game. I thought he did pretty well. I cringed when he put in Solis but he pitched ok. (I would have left Albers in.) Same with Perez. ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2017, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-october-2017-welcome-to-the-postseason/797735/91 "2017-10-08T04:10:20Z")
Dammit. Two nights in a row. Right before I was going to go to bed last night, comfortable with the Dodger lead, Kershaw gives up back-to-backs. Tonight, same situation, Morrow gives up a three-run shot. Of course, it worked out last night, but… ---
**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2017, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-october-2017-welcome-to-the-postseason/797735/92 "2017-10-08T05:40:08Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > Jesus, rarely have I seen the ball bounce for one team the way it did for Cleveland. Every fucking close play went their way. I don’t know for sure if the fake hit by pitch would have been overturned, but it should have been reviewed. You must have turned the game on after the first inning. The call on Encarnacion was certainly a close play and was overturned. I don’t know on what grounds the Yankees challenged, but the announcers kept saying he was off the base before calling time-out which was not true, and the glove wasn’t even on him at the time. It’s possible he was off the base between his feet being on it, but you can’t really tell that either and the announcers never even mentioned that. The pickoff challenge was definitely correct. That one was easy to tell on one of the angles. And how are you sure enough to call it a “fake hit by pitch” but not know if it would be overturned? I’ve looked at it in super slow motion and the ball probably does hit the bat, but it might well have hit the hand or both. You just can’t tell. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2017, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-october-2017-welcome-to-the-postseason/797735/93 "2017-10-08T14:48:24Z")
The ball hit the knob of the bat and it would have been overturned on review. It couldn’t have been any clearer; the ball hit the knob and dropped a few inches into Sanchez’s glove. Had a 97mph fastball hit the batter’s hand with enough force to change it’s trajectory, he would have been in obvious pain. It’s absurd to pretend otherwise. ETA: You might be right on the Encarnacion play. I certainly didn’t see him come off the bag when the tag was applied. It’s possible that the review team had a different angle, but it’s hard to believe it would be enough to overturn the call. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2017, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-october-2017-welcome-to-the-postseason/797735/94 "2017-10-08T14:57:48Z")
Whoops, scratch that. I thought he was called out for being off the base after he fell over and called time. You can clearly see in the replay that his right foot is off the base and his left steps on Gregorius’s glove before coming back on the bag. Out. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2017, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-october-2017-welcome-to-the-postseason/797735/95 "2017-10-08T15:59:02Z")
> [@Superdude](#): > > And Jacques Jones, either the hitting coach or assistant hitting coach for the Nats, has been suspended for a legal issue. That happened right before game one. Allegedly he posted revenge porn photos of his ex. Not cool, dude. ---
**Author:** ![Oredigger77](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oredigger77/32/3181_2.png) [@Oredigger77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oredigger77)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2017, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-october-2017-welcome-to-the-postseason/797735/96 "2017-10-08T17:39:36Z")
> [@Asimovian](#): > > Dammit. Two nights in a row. Right before I was going to go to bed last night, comfortable with the Dodger lead, Kershaw gives up back-to-backs. Tonight, same situation, Morrow gives up a three-run shot. > > Of course, it worked out last night, but… Ya, for having major leads the games have been more stress-inducing then the should be.I think it’s because during the losing streak the Dodgers have me programmed to think the worst of them and the D-bags are really good. I’d really like this series to end tomorrow night but beating Grenkie in Arizona is going to be a tough one. ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2017, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-october-2017-welcome-to-the-postseason/797735/97 "2017-10-08T18:13:57Z")
> [@Oredigger77](#): > > Ya, for having major leads the games have been more stress-inducing then the should be.I think it’s because during the losing streak the Dodgers have me programmed to think the worst of them and the D-bags are really good. I’d really like this series to end tomorrow night but beating Grenkie in Arizona is going to be a tough one. I wound up staying up to watch the end of last night’s game. I am not very good at post-midnight baseball, but I’ll get used to it if it means the Dodgers going all the way. My guess is that both Greinke and Darvish are on their games tomorrow, and that it winds up being a relatively low-scoring affair that comes down to a bullpen mistake. May it work in our favor. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2017, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-october-2017-welcome-to-the-postseason/797735/98 "2017-10-08T19:07:58Z")
Won’t the Red Sox ever learn? Have anyone else pitch the first inning, _then_ bring Fister in. He’s great (well, generally OK) from the second inning\* on. \*or maybe the third inning. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2017, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-october-2017-welcome-to-the-postseason/797735/99 "2017-10-09T02:58:56Z")
Holy shit! More Yankees baseball. Yay! ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2017, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-october-2017-welcome-to-the-postseason/797735/100 "2017-10-09T03:06:41Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > Holy shit! More Yankees baseball. Yay! Whew! That was a squeaker to be sure. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-october-2017-welcome-to-the-postseason/797735.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-october-2017-welcome-to-the-postseason/797735.md?page=6)