# MLB Playoffs 2018: Who Wins It All? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [September 30, 2018, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-playoffs-2018-who-wins-it-all/822203 "2018-09-30T04:36:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 14
**Author:** ![Covfefe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ee7513/32.png) [@Covfefe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Covfefe)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2018, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-playoffs-2018-who-wins-it-all/822203/261 "2018-10-21T06:25:59Z")
> [@Sunny\_Daze](#): > > I am very happy right now. Deep in the heart of Giants country, I have to keep my true love secret, but very, very happy! 😃 I always refer to that team as the Glints. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2018, 9:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-playoffs-2018-who-wins-it-all/822203/262 "2018-10-21T09:17:44Z")
> [@Bullitt](#): > > Yes, game 7s are great, and this should be a good one! Terrible game. Terrible outcome! 🙂 The Brewers were supposed to win. ☹ Is anyone second-guessing Craig Counsell’s moves in the game? I just did a quick search and did not find any. > [@Sunny\_Daze](#): > > I am very happy right now. Deep in the heart of Giants country, I have to keep my true love secret, but very, very happy! 😃 Where are you? I need to visit and say hello! 😃 My two favorite teams are the Giants, and whoever’s playing the Dodgers. If the Dodgers’ bats wake up (continue waking up), this will be a good series. Good luck to you and the Dodger fans out there. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2018, 9:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-playoffs-2018-who-wins-it-all/822203/263 "2018-10-21T09:35:42Z")
Laurence Leavy, Marlins Man, was there again. He was at Game 6, too. More importantly his date was there again too. [He has a Wikipedia page](https://goo.gl/R18YwS). > [@](#): > > In a 2017 interview, Leavy said he had attended 27 Super Bowls, 94 World Series games, 90 NBA Finals games, and “hundreds and hundreds of basketball and baseball playoffs games” to date. In [this July 2018 Washington Post article](https://goo.gl/uuz8XS), the author… > [@](#): > > asked Leavy what people should get out of Marlins Man. What does his character teach people? “We’re all on the same team,” he said. “We’re Americans. We have more in common than what divides us. We’re all sports fans.” ---
**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 21, 2018, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-playoffs-2018-who-wins-it-all/822203/264 "2018-10-21T13:42:38Z")
> [@Bullitt](#): > > Terrible game. Terrible outcome! 🙂 The Brewers were supposed to win. ☹ Is anyone second-guessing Craig Counsell’s moves in the game? I just did a quick search and did not find any. > > Where are you? I need to visit and say hello! 😃 My two favorite teams are the Giants, and whoever’s playing the Dodgers. > > If the Dodgers’ bats wake up (continue waking up), this will be a good series. Good luck to you and the Dodger fans out there. Here’s an article in which one writer seems to be arguing what I argued earlier in the thread, which is that by using the relievers so early and often in games one and two, the Dodgers got better looks at them toward the back end of the series. I’ll concede that the jury is probably out on that one, but that was my concern as far back as games 1 and 2. > **[Brewers’ bullpen runs out of gas in Game 7 loss to Dodgers](https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/brewers-bullpen-runs-out-of-gas-in-game-7-loss-to-dodgers/)** > > MILWAUKEE (AP) — Craig Counsell and the Milwaukee Brewers relied on their bullpen all season long. Those hard-throwing relievers finally ran out of gas in the NL Championship Series. Josh Hader was brilliant as usual, but Jeremy Jeffress was... ---
**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 21, 2018, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-playoffs-2018-who-wins-it-all/822203/265 "2018-10-21T13:51:09Z")
I think the Sox have to be favored, but with the kinds of talent that the Dodgers have in their lineup and rotation, they’ve definitely a force to be reckoned with. As someone else mentioned earlier, I think the potential problem for the Dodgers is the reliance on the big hit. If they were better at manufacturing runs, I’d say the odds were 50/50 - maybe even slightly north of that. But Boston’s an offensive machine and while I concede I haven’t watched nearly as much baseball in recent months to have a truly informed opinion, it seems Boston is better at just getting runners to advance and getting runners across the plate, however it gets done. What’s amazing is that Sox are this potent without David Ortiz. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2018, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-playoffs-2018-who-wins-it-all/822203/266 "2018-10-21T14:15:13Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > Here’s an article in which one writer seems to be arguing what I argued earlier in the thread, which is that by using the relievers so early and often in games one and two, the Dodgers got better looks at them toward the back end of the series. I’ll concede that the jury is probably out on that one, but that was my concern as far back as games 1 and 2. > > [https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/brewers-bullpen-runs-out-of-gas-in-game-7-loss-to-dodgers/](https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/brewers-bullpen-runs-out-of-gas-in-game-7-loss-to-dodgers/) Yes! Smoltzie was saying that too at the beginning of this series… Even against the venerable Josh Hader, by last night LA was starting to hit doubles against him. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2018, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-playoffs-2018-who-wins-it-all/822203/267 "2018-10-21T14:16:56Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > I think the Sox have to be favored… Yes, here you go: Boston -135, Los Angeles +115. > **[2018 World Series odds: Red Sox open as favorites to defeat Dodgers in Fall...](https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/2018-world-series-odds-red-sox-open-as-favorites-to-defeat-dodgers-in-fall-classic/)** > > The Red Sox are the early favorites among the bookmakers ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2018, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-playoffs-2018-who-wins-it-all/822203/268 "2018-10-21T16:00:03Z")
The Dodgers are a much better team than I think people realize. They haven’t won all these games the last few years by rolling dice. I like Boston to win but I wouldn’t bet anything on them I wouldn’t want to lose. ---
**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 21, 2018, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-playoffs-2018-who-wins-it-all/822203/269 "2018-10-21T17:41:19Z")
I hold the key to the World Series. Yes, me personally. This started back in August, when the Red Sox had built a few games cushion over the second-place Yankees, but N.Y. was coming in for a series at Fenway, and I had a bad feeling about it - so I didn’t tune in or keep track of the games until the series was over. To my surprise and gratification, the Red Sox swept the Yanks and took control of the division. Fast forward to the division series. After a somewhat shaky Red Sox win that I didn’t watch, N.Y. won game two with me tuning in, and I again had a bad feeling, so skipped the remaining games, not wanting to experience the ravening Bronxian hordes exulting in victory. When I came up for air again, Boston had triumphed. Similarly, every game I didn’t watch against Houston, the Astros lost (and vice versa). So here we are. If I don’t watch any of the games against L.A., the Red Sox are sure to beat the Dodgers. I’ll be accepting payment in advance from Dodger fans to watch all the games - PayPal or bitcoin are fine. 🙂 ---
**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 21, 2018, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-playoffs-2018-who-wins-it-all/822203/270 "2018-10-21T23:26:35Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > The Dodgers are a much better team than I think people realize. They haven’t won all these games the last few years by rolling dice. I like Boston to win but I wouldn’t bet anything on them I wouldn’t want to lose. Oh don’t get me wrong, the Dodgers have a chance, especially with their pitching staff. It’s possible that they’re locked in and Boston just freezes up. But Boston won 108 games and they did so in a division that, let’s face it, is far more competitive than the NL West. Moreover, the way that Boston wins and the way that LA wins leads me to believe that this is Boston’s series to lose. And at the risk of starting something we didn’t quite finish a few years ago, Fenway park takes some getting used to. It’s not a comfortable environment for postseason teams to visit. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2018, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-playoffs-2018-who-wins-it-all/822203/271 "2018-10-21T23:55:49Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > Oh don’t get me wrong, the Dodgers have a chance… LOL. The Dodgers “have a chance.” Quite a concession there. The Dodgers’ run differential was third in the Majors this year, and only about 30 behind Boston’s. Based run differential, their XW-L was 102-61 games, while Boston’s was 103-59. I think Boston is an outstanding team, and if I were betting money, I’d probably put it on the Red Sox. But anyone who thinks this is a lop-sided series might be in for something of a surprise. And what is it about some Red Sox and Yankee fans that seems to attribute some sort of mystical quality to playing in those ballparks? Sure, having a rabid home crowd is often something of an advantage, but I think that the Dodgers will probably be able to overcome their fears and the curse of the Green Monster and whatever other imaginary advantages that Fenway Park might have, and put on a decent display of baseball. ---
**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 22, 2018, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-playoffs-2018-who-wins-it-all/822203/272 "2018-10-22T00:23:51Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > LOL. > > The Dodgers “have a chance.” Quite a concession there. > > The Dodgers’ run differential was third in the Majors this year, and only about 30 behind Boston’s. Based run differential, their XW-L was 102-61 games, while Boston’s was 103-59. > > I think Boston is an outstanding team, and if I were betting money, I’d probably put it on the Red Sox. But anyone who thinks this is a lop-sided series might be in for something of a surprise. And what is it about some Red Sox and Yankee fans that seems to attribute some sort of mystical quality to playing in those ballparks? Sure, having a rabid home crowd is often something of an advantage, but I think that the Dodgers will probably be able to overcome their fears and the curse of the Green Monster and whatever other imaginary advantages that Fenway Park might have, and put on a decent display of baseball. Has nothing to do with home fans; it’s the dimensions and having players, especially pitchers, feeling comfortable playing them. Besides, if you’ve ever been to Fenway, you’d realize that unlike other ‘paaahks’ the fans are much more of a presence. It’s an intimidating place to play, much more so than Yankee Stadium. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2018, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-playoffs-2018-who-wins-it-all/822203/273 "2018-10-22T00:31:36Z")
Somehow I don’t think Kershaw, Turner, Puis et al are going to be all that intimidated. Roberts certainly isn’t. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2018, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-playoffs-2018-who-wins-it-all/822203/274 "2018-10-22T00:41:12Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > Has nothing to do with home fans; it’s the dimensions and having players, especially pitchers, feeling comfortable playing them. I wasn’t just talking about the fans. Sure, Fenway is built a little differently, but for 99 percent of Major League players, 99 percent of the time, that’s pretty much a non-issue. When a ball is smacked on a high line-drive to left, a left-fielder without too much experience might have a little trouble playing the rebound, but that’s really about it. > [@asahi](#): > > Besides, if you’ve ever been to Fenway, you’d realize that unlike other ‘paaahks’ the fans are much more of a presence. It’s an intimidating place to play, much more so than Yankee Stadium. I’ve been to Fenway, and seen and heard the crowds. They certainly love their baseball there, and they can definitely get loud. As for whether the players themselves find that intimidating, I can’t really talk with much authority about that, never having played in front of a Fenway Park crowd. If you have played baseball in front of a full-house Fenway crowd, I’ll have to concede that you are better qualified than I am to opine on that matter. Because what might seem intimidating to a non-pro sports fan sitting in the bleachers with a hot dog and a beer is not necessarily the same thing that feels intimidating to actual, real-life professional baseball players. ---
**Author:** ![Chingon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chingon/32/17645_2.png) [@Chingon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chingon)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2018, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-playoffs-2018-who-wins-it-all/822203/275 "2018-10-22T00:53:20Z")
If Fenway was such an overwhelming impediment for other teams in the postseason, then why did we have to hear Boston fans whine about being cursed for almost a century? ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2018, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-playoffs-2018-who-wins-it-all/822203/276 "2018-10-22T01:24:25Z")
the newer fenway I think he means …. go dodgers! ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2018, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-playoffs-2018-who-wins-it-all/822203/277 "2018-10-22T03:21:02Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > If they were better at manufacturing runs, What does this mean? > [@mhendo](#): > > But anyone who thinks this is a lop-sided series might be in for something of a surprise. It could even be lopsided for the Dodgers. I’d estimate the chances of a lopsided Red Sox win is slightly better than a Dodgers lopsided win. The Red Sox are rightly favored. But who knows in a 7-game series? The gap isn’t large. ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2018, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-playoffs-2018-who-wins-it-all/822203/278 "2018-10-22T13:11:52Z")
This is going to be a fun series. I think Houston is a stronger team than LA, and the Sox took care of them despite getting only 4 innings from their ace (Sale) and a closer who refuses to do it the easy way. But anything can happen in the WS. Alex Cora has confirmed that Mookie Betts will play 2B in LA so that JD Martinez can play RF and stay in the lineup. The defense will obviously be much weaker with that strategy, but I get that you need JD’s bat. And I can picture it now - Mookie trying to turn a double play with MLB’s whiniest, dirtiest player barreling into second base. If the Yankees had advanced to the WS, I would \*almost \*consider rooting for them just so Manny Machado doesn’t get a ring. **Jackmannii** , just go ahead and keep that television unplugged for the next week and a half. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2018, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-playoffs-2018-who-wins-it-all/822203/279 "2018-10-22T15:17:18Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > The Dodgers are a much better team than I think people realize. They haven’t won all these games the last few years by rolling dice. I like Boston to win but I wouldn’t bet anything on them I wouldn’t want to lose. The Dodgers are very strong. Ever since Magic and others bought the team, they’ve been building well. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2018, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-playoffs-2018-who-wins-it-all/822203/280 "2018-10-22T16:39:38Z")
> [@Yookeroo](#): > > What does this mean? Yeah, the Dodgers scored over 800 runs this year. They were one of only 5 teams to do that, and the only NL team. Now, I’m not sure if they “manufactured” those runs or not. I admit that I’m not very good at understanding these technical baseball terms, so I’m still trying to work out the difference between “scoring” runs and “manufacturing” runs. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-playoffs-2018-who-wins-it-all/822203.md?page=13) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-playoffs-2018-who-wins-it-all/822203.md?page=15)