# MLB: The Playoffs **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** baseball-mlb\ **Created:** [October 2, 2023, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-the-playoffs/990989 "2023-10-02T04:45:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2023, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-the-playoffs/990989/161 "2023-10-24T03:28:31Z")
Rangers win the pennant for the first time since 2011! ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2023, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-the-playoffs/990989/162 "2023-10-24T03:29:59Z")
> [@Railer13](#): > > And the home team loses all seven games in the ALCS. > > I’ll be rooting for Arizona tomorrow, just because. Houston has the bizarre distinction of being the only team to lose a seven games series where the home team lost every game, and they’ve done it twice in five years. Adolis Garcia with 15 RBI in the series, an all time record for any playoff series type. ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2023, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-the-playoffs/990989/163 "2023-10-24T03:35:12Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Houston has the bizarre distinction of being the only team to lose a seven games series where the home team lost every game, and they’ve done it twice in five years. Yeah, and the last time they did it was in the 2019 World Series. Ask me how I remember that. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2023, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-the-playoffs/990989/164 "2023-10-24T03:44:38Z")
MLB must be praying that the Phillies win and that the Rangers morph into the Dodgers for the sake of the ratings. At least game 3 will be against a relatively weak Raiders vs Lions game, and one where Garoppolo is questionable to play. But yeah, bizarre the home team losing every game that series. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2023, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-the-playoffs/990989/165 "2023-10-24T13:18:31Z")
Does MLB really care if it’s the Rangers or the Astros? I would imagine what they always pray for is a seven game series. The LCS;s going seven games is highly profitable, and this is the first time since 2004 both of them have gone seven. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2023, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-the-playoffs/990989/166 "2023-10-24T13:34:32Z")
Only to the extent I think they could try to spin a re-match between the Phillies and the Astros. But certainly I think they care if it’s Philadelphia or Arizona. Beyond that, I rather doubt it. Of course they’d love a NY vs LA or something similar, but in the absence of that, larger markets preferable. From that standpoint, maybe slightly in favor of Houston, if only because a lot of people don’t like the Astros, but probably no large preference beyond that ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2023, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-the-playoffs/990989/167 "2023-10-25T03:26:15Z")
It’s Arizona vs Texas in the Series. Both teams won the last two games on the road, not an easy feat. Hoping the Series goes seven as well. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2023, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-the-playoffs/990989/168 "2023-10-25T03:32:44Z")
I don’t see where they said who the NLCS MVP was? I assume they’ll give it to Ketel Marte. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2023, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-the-playoffs/990989/169 "2023-10-25T03:39:05Z")
Awesome game 7! After too many years of the Loserbacks, it’s nice to have some success! ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2023, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-the-playoffs/990989/170 "2023-10-25T04:19:41Z")
Yeah it was Marte. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2023, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-the-playoffs/990989/171 "2023-10-25T05:16:43Z")
As WS games are now reseed rounds, Texas hosts 1-2 and 6-7. Boy, as a Jays fan, my bitterness at the Daulton Varsho trade is growing by the day. I have an unshakeable feeling that Lourdes Gurriel is going to go off and be World Series MVP. ---
**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 25, 2023, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-the-playoffs/990989/172 "2023-10-25T11:45:20Z")
KImbrel was the Diamondbacks MVP. ---
**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 25, 2023, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-the-playoffs/990989/173 "2023-10-25T13:33:53Z")
Going to be a weird series. I have moral objections to rooting for the AL under any circumstances, and supporting any team from Texas is just plain _wrong._ The alternative is Arizona. **Go, Rangers!!** ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2023, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-the-playoffs/990989/174 "2023-10-25T13:35:49Z")
I told you they’d blow it in the end. This is the price of being a Phillies fan. ---
**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 25, 2023, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-the-playoffs/990989/175 "2023-10-25T13:39:22Z")
Yes you were right. I didn’t think they could lose this. But they did. Unbelievable. I am sorry for your loss. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2023, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-the-playoffs/990989/176 "2023-10-25T13:44:47Z")
> [@Bullitt](#): > > I am sorry for your loss. Well, at least we can all rejoice that the Astros lost. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2023, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-the-playoffs/990989/177 "2023-10-25T13:49:58Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > I told you they’d blow it in the end. This is the price of being a Phillies fan. Perhaps you are being too harsh. First of all, anything can happen in the playoffs. Years ago, when Tony La Russa was managing the Cardinals, they were a wishy-washy team the entire season and only won the NL Central with an 83-79 record because the division was so weak. They ended up winning the World Series. Second of all, I think people have underestimated the Diamondbacks. With a week or two left in the season, the Cubs had a real chance of getting a wildcard spot based on a good second half record, so I really wanted to see what they could do in terms of shaking the playoff tree, so to speak. The Diamondbacks wrecked us. ---
**Author:** ![gnarator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gnarator/32/8266_2.png) [@gnarator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnarator)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2023, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-the-playoffs/990989/178 "2023-10-25T14:06:00Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Houston has the bizarre distinction of being the only team to lose a seven games series where the home team lost every game, and they’ve done it twice in five years. The Astros home record this year was 39-42, but they were an excellent 51-30 on the road. The Rangers were the opposite, going 50-31 at home and 40-41 on the road. Last year the Astros went 55-36 at home. Not sure what changed. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2023, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-the-playoffs/990989/179 "2023-10-25T14:06:12Z")
If you had told me that Zac Gallen would pitch 11 innings in NLCS, giving up 9 runs on 5 homers, with just 5 Ks against 4 BBs - and the Diamondbacks losing both games, I’d be gobsmacked that they would advance to the World Series. The rest of that pitching staff stepped all the way up. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2023, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-the-playoffs/990989/180 "2023-10-25T14:10:17Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > Well, at least we can all rejoice that the Astros lost. On that I can now say goodbye to the season and start thinking about the Phillies blowing it again next year. > [@Jasmine](#): > > Perhaps you are being too harsh. First of all, anything can happen in the playoffs. Years ago, when Tony La Russa was managing the Cardinals, they were a wishy-washy team the entire season and only won the NL Central with an 83-79 record because the division was so weak. They ended up winning the World Series. > > Second of all, I think people have underestimated the Diamondbacks. With a week or two left in the season, the Cubs had a real chance of getting a wildcard spot based on a good second half record, so I really wanted to see what they could do in terms of shaking the playoff tree, so to speak. The Diamondbacks wrecked us. All good points. But in this case it’s just the Phillies. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-the-playoffs/990989.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-the-playoffs/990989.md?page=10)