The argument may have been while he had the same fielders behind him (for the most part), his numbers are indeed different. Kershaw’s FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching) is lower than Greinke and there are some writers, who while don’t ONLY go by the Three True Outcomes, may feel that the lower FIP may ‘break a tie’ so to speak.
If it wasn’t October, this Yankee-Red Sox game wouldn’t even have been started.
One of the announcers brought up an interesting question: the forecast for Baltimore (where the Yankees close the season) calls for rain, rain, and rain. Maybe they’ll have to play a triple-header on Monday.
Weird, but the award is for the best pitcher in the league, and if he happened to pitch for two teams, well that’s how it is.
Am I crazy to believe that the Jays are making a big mistake in not making a serious push for the AL lead? They’ve basically ceded their 2 game lead over the Royals for the sake of a party and they’ve decided to shut down Price until the ALDS. It seems like that could hurt a poor road team in a close series against KC.
I think because he was comparing him to Arrieta who has mostly been a second half performance. I don’t remember exactly now, I think it was the best stretch of consecutive innings under a certain benchmark Era in 40 years or something, and the longest stretch of dominance by any of them this season. Go listen to the first 5 minutes of the podcast. I doing a piss poor job. It’s an interesting argument. Kershaw has better strikeout and walk numbers and better fip and War over the season than any of the candidates. Greinke has been the most consistent. Arrieta has recency and wins.
Kershaw pitched more innings and Greinke had fewer inherited runners score. He also never pitched a 4th time through the order and both Kershaw and Arrieta did. Dave Cameron wrote about that on fangraphs a few days ago. I am actually in favor of Greinke, but there is a good argument to be made for all three.
Dave Cameron thinking out loud about his NL Cy Young vote.
Thank you, Shawn Tolleson
They’re not a poor road team. Prior to Trade Week, they were. Since then they’re 17-8.
I’d like them to have home field too, and I am not totally sold on this shutting Price down thing, but they still have a one game lead (having the same record is effectively that) with three to go and plan on otherwise playing the regulars. Taking the second game of the doubleheader off made perfect sense and in retrospect, with the ridiculous rain delay, Thursday was not going to be a great day to risk injury either.
I will say that I would not be willing to risk injury for what amounts to an advantage in exactly one game that has maybe a 10% chance of ever actually happening. This scenario matters only if Toronto AND Kansas City make the ALCS AND it goes seven games AND you really believe Toronto is a substantially worse team on the road, which is a dubious claim, overall record be damned. It’s a pretty thin concern.
The Royals put up the same hangover lineup the day after they clinched as well. Give the starters a chance to go out and enjoy their moment - they earned it.
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Yankees and Orioles are postponed already. (As well as Philly and NY Mets.)
For anyone who cares, all games on MLB.TV are free games today.
Does anyone know if Postseason TV is being offered this year? I’m not finding how to sign up.
They scheduled a day/night doubleheadee for the Yankees vs. Orioles today, with the first game starting at noon. This is weirdly optimistic as it’s supposed to rain all day and into the late evening in Baltimore. Not to mention that the geounds must be thoroughly soaked already.
And apropos of nothing, Kevin Pillar as Superman last night in Tampa.
They have to go through the motions of trying to get in all games that can still matter for postseason positioning, and there’s very little time left. I expect a lot of people are quietly hoping the Astros lose in Arizona.
They don’t want to refund tickets except as a very last resort. Yes, that sometimes gets comical.
They are in progress in Baltimore, Orioles up by 2.
Yep, forecast changed completely overnight.
Scherzer needs 3 more outs for another no-hitter, against the Mets. If we can get him a Bobby Valentine disguise, maybe we can sneak him onto the Dodgers’ postseason roster.
And he did it. Wow. 17 strikeouts, including 9 of the last 10 batters.