MLB 2019 Season: Shipping Up To Boston

stringertom

Bionic Poster
I'll tell you what, taking 3 in a row against Boston is sure making me feel a lot better after how down I was after making no moves at the deadline and seeing Houston soar into immediate favorites.
The injuries keep coming though...Encarcion is out 3-5 weeks and Hicks needs an MRI to determine how bad his elbow is from a throw he made last night.

We’re way ahead of Boston but Tampa is closer at 8 games back.
 

T1000

Legend
Don’t look now but the Mets are 2.5 back of Washington and Philly for a wild card. 2 against Miami at home and 3 against Washington at home this weekend. If they pull off a wild card it’ll be the 3rd miracle second half run in 5 years.
 
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victorcruz

Hall of Fame
Mets with a dramatic comeback to win. Shades of 2015 against the Nats :cool: And they ripped off Conforto's jersey after the walkoff :-D Much love to Todd Frazier for the game tying HR, not a fan of his but he came up huge. It appears they own the Nats closer.

I know I gave up on them earlier, had many meltdowns over them... so I feel like an azz saying this : YA GOTTA BELIEVE
 

MeatTornado

Talk Tennis Guru
Had the Nats held on I feel like they would've won the series. But now they'd got to be so deflated that I bet the Mets are going to sweep them.

Not to be overly dramatic, but that 9th inning could've potentially saved the Mets season.

Also, that's some straight up terrible managing to let your closer stay in after 4 straight hits to tie the ballgame, 5 overall and another reliever ready to go. He didn't have it tonight and needed to be pulled 2 or 3 batters earlier.
 

T1000

Legend
Had the Nats held on I feel like they would've won the series. But now they'd got to be so deflated that I bet the Mets are going to sweep them.

Not to be overly dramatic, but that 9th inning could've potentially saved the Mets season.

Also, that's some straight up terrible managing to let your closer stay in after 4 straight hits to tie the ballgame, 5 overall and another reliever ready to go. He didn't have it tonight and needed to be pulled 2 or 3 batters earlier.

That’s what happened in 2015. They played two series, one in ny in beginning of August and one in Washington on Labor Day. Mets swept both after walking off the first of 6 games in the 12th (Wilmer Flores day) and won all six games. Those 6 wins basically decided the division. This year the two series are a week later and the first one ends pretty close to the 2015 game. Wouldn’t surprise me if the same thing happened. Also the nats now have to beat Thor and deGrom so not looking good.

@victorcruz i wouldn’t feel bad. This a is a different team from before the break. Wilson and Avilan have taken a ton of pressure off Lugo so now we have three good relievers. Familia has started to pitch better as a result. If Diaz can pitch close to how he did in 2017 we will have the best rotation + bullpen in baseball. Micky also has to play Davis everyday due to injuries and what do you know he’s actually a pretty good hitter like the advanced stats say. We’ve had the talent to compete for a World Series the team just never put it together until now.
 

victorcruz

Hall of Fame
Freaking Mets... it's been 20 years and they still can't beat the Braves in big spots. They have had a million chances the last 2 nights but of course, they can't get the big hit except to tie it (deGrom and Polar Bear). Actually Pete gave them the lead but Wheeler promptly gives it back up. They can't get swept, have to win today sigh.
 

T1000

Legend
Mets rebound last night after a potentially season ending sweep by the Cubs. Really tough schedule to end the year I don’t think they will make the wild card unfortunately.

A’s would be my betting pick to win the AL pennant. They have a ton of starting pitching they can use to fix the bullpen. 4 of Luzardo, Manaea, Fiers, Roark, Anderson, Bassitt, and Bailey would start and two would go to the bullpen to help out Hendriks. Another top SP prospect Puk is already in the bullpen. I love their offense, they string together hits to create rallies instead of relying on homeruns. They’re also deep and their recent callup Seth Brown is raking. I think they have the most complete team among the AL playoff hopefuls (Yankees, Rays, Twins, Indians, Astros, Sox). I still believe the Yankees and Astros are the favorites but if I had a chance to put money on one of the teams given their current odds it would be the A’s.

NL I think the Braves have a real shot at beating the Dodgers. They have been slumping offensively recently but if they can turn it back on watch out. I don’t think anyone else really has a shot.

In news Rays minor league pitcher Blake Bivens lost his wife, 1 year old child; and mother in law in a triple homicide. I hope he’s somehow able to find peace after losing everything. Tyler Skaggs’ death was caused by accidental overdose involving painkillers and alcohol. This must be at the top of the list of things the family didn’t want to hear. Hopefully the whys and hows are resolved quickly so the family can have some closure.
 

T1000

Legend
3 weeks left. Yankees Twins (almost) and Astros will win their divisions. Tampa Oakland and Cleveland are fighting it out for the last wild card. Cleveland could catch Minnesota but 5.5 games in 3 weeks is really tough.

Atlanta and LA have their divisions won. St Louis is pulling away 4.5 up now. Washington looks comfortable at the 1st wild card (3 up on 2nd WC 4.5 up on first one out). Cubs are holding onto the 2nd WC but 3 teams (Milwaukee Philadelphia Arizona) are 2 or less games back. Mets are 4 back and host the Dodgers this weekend so they could be finished soon.
 

T1000

Legend
Mets beat the Diamondbacks last night 9-0 (9 runs 11 hits). For those that don’t get the significance, yesterday was 9/11 and back in 2001 the Mets played the first sporting event in NYC on September 20th since the attacks. The Mets always do a ceremony before the game with the first responders and their families. The Mets wore FDNY and NYPD caps for that game and this year they wanted to do it but MLB said no. So Alonso bought everyone custom cleats commemorating the event and the Mets wore them during the game. Everyone can wear 42 on April 15 but the Mets can’t wear NYPD/FDNY hats on 9/11, makes sense.

2 games behind the cubs and brewers for the second wild card. They have one vs Arizona, 3 vs Dodgers, 3 at Colorado, 3 at Cincinnati, 4 vs Miami, and 3 vs Atlanta to finish the year. If they can go 7-3 for the middle stretch and 3-3 for the Dodgers/Braves they have a good shot at getting a wild card.
 

stringertom

Bionic Poster
Mets beat the Diamondbacks last night 9-0 (9 runs 11 hits). For those that don’t get the significance, yesterday was 9/11 and back in 2001 the Mets played the first sporting event in NYC on September 20th since the attacks. The Mets always do a ceremony before the game with the first responders and their families. The Mets wore FDNY and NYPD caps for that game and this year they wanted to do it but MLB said no. So Alonso bought everyone custom cleats commemorating the event and the Mets wore them during the game. Everyone can wear 42 on April 15 but the Mets can’t wear NYPD/FDNY hats on 9/11, makes sense.

2 games behind the cubs and brewers for the second wild card. They have one vs Arizona, 3 vs Dodgers, 3 at Colorado, 3 at Cincinnati, 4 vs Miami, and 3 vs Atlanta to finish the year. If they can go 7-3 for the middle stretch and 3-3 for the Dodgers/Braves they have a good shot at getting a wild card.
What was with the football scores in Houston when Oakland visited? Total wack!

Yankees blew a chance (L 12-11 to Tigers from 6-0 early) to pull a game ahead for HFA on the visiting Raiders beat the Texans 21-7.
 

T1000

Legend
40/40 watch

Ronald Acuna JR has 39 homeruns and 36 stolen bases after hitting a homer and stealing two bases last night. This is his first full season. I’m not sure a 40/40 season has ever been done in someone’s first full season. The Braves have 14-16 games left so he should get it.
 

stringertom

Bionic Poster
40/40 watch

Ronald Acuna JR has 39 homeruns and 36 stolen bases after hitting a homer and stealing two bases last night. This is his first full season. I’m not sure a 40/40 season has ever been done in someone’s first full season. The Braves have 14-16 games left so he should get it.
That’s an easy one to check...there are only 4 members of the club! Bonds and Soriano did it much later in their careers. ARod and Canseco were both in their third full seasons.
 

Federer and Del Potro

Talk Tennis Guru
It's getting close to that time of year again as an Oakland fan. Team looks really good, getting hot at the right time, but going to be in that vaunted 1 game playoff again. It is excruciatingly painful to follow the team for 162 long games only for it all to end on 1 night in October.

I think they're pretty firmly planted into the WC. 3 games up on the flailing Indians at the moment and have probably the easiest remaining schedule of the 3 vying for two spots. Taking 3 out of 4 in Houston all but solidified their spot in the playoffs barring a massive collapse.

Think it's going to be against the Rays, location TBD as they're neck and neck right now. Though the Rays have a very hard remaining schedule.

I feel like if the Athletics survived that one game playoff they'd really have a chance to make a run. They don't have the talent of the Yankees/Astros, obviously, but they're really scrappy. Chapman/Olson are basically the Bryant/Rizzo to our team. Our pitching staff is pretty good. Bullpen outside of Hendricks is abhorrent. We have something like 30 blown leads after the 7th inning this year - incredible we have the record we do with that pall hanging over us. Blake Treinen has regressed big time, and Khris Davis is not having a year like he has in the past.


Really do think though if we can get out of 1 gm playoff we can be competitive the rest of the way - even if ESPN does like to pretend we don't exist.
 

MeatTornado

Talk Tennis Guru
It's getting close to that time of year again as an Oakland fan. Team looks really good, getting hot at the right time, but going to be in that vaunted 1 game playoff again. It is excruciatingly painful to follow the team for 162 long games only for it all to end on 1 night in October.

I think they're pretty firmly planted into the WC. 3 games up on the flailing Indians at the moment and have probably the easiest remaining schedule of the 3 vying for two spots. Taking 3 out of 4 in Houston all but solidified their spot in the playoffs barring a massive collapse.

Think it's going to be against the Rays, location TBD as they're neck and neck right now. Though the Rays have a very hard remaining schedule.

I feel like if the Athletics survived that one game playoff they'd really have a chance to make a run. They don't have the talent of the Yankees/Astros, obviously, but they're really scrappy. Chapman/Olson are basically the Bryant/Rizzo to our team. Our pitching staff is pretty good. Bullpen outside of Hendricks is abhorrent. We have something like 30 blown leads after the 7th inning this year - incredible we have the record we do with that pall hanging over us. Blake Treinen has regressed big time, and Khris Davis is not having a year like he has in the past.


Really do think though if we can get out of 1 gm playoff we can be competitive the rest of the way - even if ESPN does like to pretend we don't exist.
I'll say this as a Yankee fan; I want absolutely no part of Oakland in a potential DS. I'm always uneasy in the Coliseum, so I'll be rooting for Tampa to secure the 2nd spot and then win the WC game.

Right now Yankee fans are all focused on getting the #1 seed for home field in a potential ALCS with Houston. But I think best case scenario would actually be Houston finishing as the #1 seed and Oakland winning the Wild Card. Because I think you guys could actually beat them in a short series (super low odds, but higher than anyone else imo. Just no more giving up 20 runs a game!). I have a better feeling about you guys pulling that off than Minnesota's chances if Houston finishes #2. Call it a gut feeling.

But really I'm just relieved to not have to deal with the WC stress for a change. After back-to-back years, and 3 of the last 5, I'm sick of the 1 game anxiety.
 

Federer and Del Potro

Talk Tennis Guru
I'll say this as a Yankee fan; I want absolutely no part of Oakland in a potential DS. I'm always uneasy in the Coliseum, so I'll be rooting for Tampa to secure the 2nd spot and then win the WC game.

Right now Yankee fans are all focused on getting the #1 seed for home field in a potential ALCS with Houston. But I think best case scenario would actually be Houston finishing as the #1 seed and Oakland winning the Wild Card. Because I think you guys could actually beat them in a short series (super low odds, but higher than anyone else imo. Just no more giving up 20 runs a game!). I have a better feeling about you guys pulling that off than Minnesota's chances if Houston finishes #2. Call it a gut feeling.

But really I'm just relieved to not have to deal with the WC stress for a change. After back-to-back years, and 3 of the last 5, I'm sick of the 1 game anxiety.

Hey we only lost 15-0 it was them that gave up 21. ;)
 

stringertom

Bionic Poster
He’s back! Severino look sharp in his four inning limited pitch count return. He reached almost 99mph on his fastball. 12 of his 67 pitches were vs Angels leadoff hitter Goodwin (BB). After that, he gave up just one more walk and two singles in his outing, striking out 4 batters. The Yankees cruised to an 8-0 shutout,

His successful outing was however muted by news than an MRI revealed Dellin Betances tore his Achilles’ tendon during his season debut over the weekend.
 

MeatTornado

Talk Tennis Guru
He’s back! Severino look sharp in his four inning limited pitch count return. He reached almost 99mph on his fastball. 12 of his 67 pitches were vs Angels leadoff hitter Goodwin (BB). After that, he gave up just one more walk and two singles in his outing, striking out 4 batters. The Yankees cruised to an 8-0 shutout,

His successful outing was however muted by news than an MRI revealed Dellin Betances tore his Achilles’ tendon during his season debut over the weekend.
The injury situation has gone from depressing to funny to infuriating to back to funny again to now I don't even know what.

The dude tore it hopping on the mound after a strikeout, smh.
 

stringertom

Bionic Poster
The injury situation has gone from depressing to funny to infuriating to back to funny again to now I don't even know what.

The dude tore it hopping on the mound after a strikeout, smh.
He should take up football and join the likes of Bill Gramattica, Stephen Tulloch, Lamarr Houston and Gus Frerotte in the NFL pantheon of stupid celebrants ending up hurt.
 

jhick

Hall of Fame
My hometown Twins set a major league record with 5 players with 30+ home runs. And Sano did it after missing a number of games due to injury this season.
 

stringertom

Bionic Poster
My hometown Twins set a major league record with 5 players with 30+ home runs. And Sano did it after missing a number of games due to injury this season.
Yes, they shattered the club season record total hit by The Bronx Bombers just last year, which this year’s crew has already surpassed so the three top totals by MLB teams have been hit the last two seasons. Their IL list has limited their 30-HR club to just 2 hitters but they have six more with 20 or more.

Your catcher Mitch Garver has the same 30 dingers as Sano but in 9 less games played.
 

T1000

Legend
Yankees clinch the AL East. They join the Dodgers as the only teams to clinch their division (Braves and Astros have clinched playoff berth). They also lose German for the year and probably 30ish games next year after he slapped his gf in front of someone from the commissioners office.

Acuna hit homerun #40 yesterday afternoon off Nola. He’s at 37 stolen bases. Youngest to reach 40/30 and a chance to get 40/40 in his first full season.
 

stringertom

Bionic Poster
Yankees clinch the AL East. They join the Dodgers as the only teams to clinch their division (Braves and Astros have clinched playoff berth). They also lose German for the year and probably 30ish games next year after he slapped his gf in front of someone from the commissioners office.

Acuna hit homerun #40 yesterday afternoon off Nola. He’s at 37 stolen bases. Youngest to reach 40/30 and a chance to get 40/40 in his first full season.
The tweet about an MLB official witnessing the German violence has been debunked. Apparently the incident occurred in private and at home.

Just another unavailability for NYY but an avoidable one if the usually carefree pitcher had kept his cool and respected the opposite sex.
 

stringertom

Bionic Poster
Aaron Bleeping Boone just etched his name in MLB history...first manager to get 100 wins in his first two seasons at the helm.
 

T1000

Legend
More history made last night. Rookie of the Year Pete Alonso hit homerun number 50 last night. 30th player in mlb history to hit 50, 2nd rookie, 1st Met, and fastest ever to 50. Also has the 3rd most rbis by an NL rookie (115, 4 behind 2nd and 15 behind 1st with 9 games left).

Degrom continued his late push to win the cy young for a second year in a row. He has a 2.51 era (2nd in NL), 0.99 whip (1st), and 248 ks in 197 innings (1st). Take out his awful first month and he has a 2.10 era, 0.93 whip, 205 ks in 171 innings. In the second half he has a 1.55 era, 0.86 whip, and 110 ks in 87 innings. He’s first in the NL in WAR (fangraphs) and 2nd in FIP, xFIP, and SIERA. Scherzer is 1st in those three but has missed significant time due to injury (26 starts vs 31). Strasburg has put together a very strong year and imo is the only threat to deGrom but deGrom should repeat
 

MeatTornado

Talk Tennis Guru
No one will be shipping up to Boston this October. Happy trails, Sox!
6BWzh3o.gif
 

Federer and Del Potro

Talk Tennis Guru
Not sure how I feel about the Rays. The offense went completely numb to finish out the season - glad they saw their way through at all much less securing home field. Morton is a really good pitcher but so is Manaea who I think will get the nod for the game.

I think it will be a low scoring game. In that case I am extremely weary of the Athletics bullpen who has surrendered the lead 31 times after the 7th inning this year. Incredible they had the record they did with that pall hanging over them.

Regardless I do not think beating the Astros is doable. That rotation is just too good. But you never know I guess. Given the underrated animosity between Houston and Oakland, I'd almost rather lose to the Rays if they had to lose.

But...the Athletics have to win one of these damn deciders for a change. I think it's 9 losses in a row in series deciding playoff games.
 

victorcruz

Hall of Fame
First off I wanna say thank you Pete Alonzo. Great season, appreciate the interest you helped bring the Mets. And I hope they fix the balls so your record stays for longer than 2 years :laughing:

Next, don't understand the Cubs. This manager brought them something they couldn't do in forever... winning it all. Is he full of himself and reinvents the wheel? Absolutely, but that's a small price to pay. It really is a what have you done for me lately league lol. That being said, hope he replaces this moron Mickey Callaway. Did Mickey get dealt a bad hand with a garbage bullpen? Yes of course, but he's clueless in tactics... which is necessary in the NL.

Let's go Twins, A's or Rays in the AL. And let's go ... Milwaukee in the NL? I really don't know, dislike the rest of the teams.
 

T1000

Legend
Wild card games
Tuesday MIL at WAS
Wednesday Tampa at OAK

DS
Thursday NLDS game 1 wild card at LA and St Louis at ATL
Friday NLDS game 2
ALDS game 1 wild card at Houston and MIN at NYY

Playoff predictions
Milwaukee and Oakland win the wild cards

ALDS/NLDS
Astros 3 A’s 2
Yankees 3 Twins 1
Cardinals 3 Braves 2
Dodgers 3 Brewers 0

ALCS/NLCS
Astros 4 Yankees 3 MVP Bregman
Cardinals 4 Dodgers 3 MVP Dejong

World Series
Astros 4 Cardinals 2 MVP Verlander

Regular season award predictions
MVP - Bregman and Bellinger
Cy Young - Verlander and deGrom
Rookie - Alvarez and Alonso
Relief - Hendriks and Yates
Manager - Boone and Shildt
 

hollywood9826

Hall of Fame
Counsell's job with the Brewers this year was special. That guy does what has to be done to win the games. I like MIL in a 1 gamer vs WAS.
I really don't know much about OAK but TB has been skidding. OAK victory

I say Braves vs Dodgers in NLCS with dodgers winning in 5 MVP Muncy
Astros over Yankees in 6 MVP wife beater relief pitcher saves guy osuna

Dodgers over Astros in 7 to win the series MVP Walker Bueller :)

I'm in agreeance with T1000 on his regular season awards winners except I like Counsell for NL manager.
 

stringertom

Bionic Poster
Counsell's job with the Brewers this year was special. That guy does what has to be done to win the games. I like MIL in a 1 gamer vs WAS.
I really don't know much about OAK but TB has been skidding. OAK victory

I say Braves vs Dodgers in NLCS with dodgers winning in 5 MVP Muncy
Astros over Yankees in 6 MVP wife beater relief pitcher saves guy osuna

Dodgers over Astros in 7 to win the series MVP Walker Bueller :)

I'm in agreeance with T1000 on his regular season awards winners except I like Counsell for NL manager.
Tampa was 7-3 in their last 10, including making the Yankees tap out for best record. Oakland was 6-4.
 

stringertom

Bionic Poster
First off I wanna say thank you Pete Alonzo. Great season, appreciate the interest you helped bring the Mets. And I hope they fix the balls so your record stays for longer than 2 years :laughing:

Next, don't understand the Cubs. This manager brought them something they couldn't do in forever... winning it all. Is he full of himself and reinvents the wheel? Absolutely, but that's a small price to pay. It really is a what have you done for me lately league lol. That being said, hope he replaces this moron Mickey Callaway. Did Mickey get dealt a bad hand with a garbage bullpen? Yes of course, but he's clueless in tactics... which is necessary in the NL.

Let's go Twins, A's or Rays in the AL. And let's go ... Milwaukee in the NL? I really don't know, dislike the rest of the teams.
Maddon will be the Angels next manager after their firing of Brad Ausmus just a year into his stint on the job. Maddon was in the Angels organization for 30 years before heading to Tampa and still owns a home in Long Beach.
 

hollywood9826

Hall of Fame
Tampa was 7-3 in their last 10, including making the Yankees tap out for best record. Oakland was 6-4.

Maybe they righted the ship then. It just felt to me they started the season like gangbusters and slid down a bit. OAK start of season not much was said about them.
Again I really don't much about them except they the C(Kh)hris Davis that can actually hit. At the end of the day I guess I don't know much about anything.
 

stringertom

Bionic Poster
Maybe they righted the ship then. It just felt to me they started the season like gangbusters and slid down a bit. OAK start of season not much was said about them.
Again I really don't much about them except they the C(Kh)hris Davis that can actually hit. At the end of the day I guess I don't know much about anything.
Davis was a bust this year, dropping to 24 dingers (down 50%) and a K/HR ratio over 6. The team stats were middle of the pack with only HRs as a category better than fifth in the league (4th with 257).

Tampa was not much better so this game will probably be decided on the mound. I like Morton to keep the A’s in check and move along to face Houston.
 

Federer and Del Potro

Talk Tennis Guru
Davis was a bust this year, dropping to 24 dingers (down 50%) and a K/HR ratio over 6. The team stats were middle of the pack with only HRs as a category better than fifth in the league (4th with 257).

Tampa was not much better so this game will probably be decided on the mound. I like Morton to keep the A’s in check and move along to face Houston.
They’ve got Chapman Olson and Semien who can rake though. Davis was carrying around an injury for large portions of the year.

Manaea has been just as good as Morton.

It’s a true toss up game. I expect a low scoring affair.

Bullpens could be key. Athletics bullpen blowing a lead wouldn’t surprise me.

Of course the winner would do well to even take a gm off absurdly stacked Houston
 
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stringertom

Bionic Poster
They’ve got Chapman Olson and Semien who can rake though. Davis was carrying around an injury for large portions of the year.

Manaea has been just as good as Morton.

It’s a true toss up game. I expect a low scoring affair.

Bullpens could be key. Athletics bullpen blowing a lead wouldn’t surprise me.

Of course the winner would do well to even take a gm off absurdly stacked Houston
Manaea has been unhittable since returning from shoulder surgery but it will be his first postseason experience IF Melvin taps him to start. TBD.

A’s strength is depth of the SP but this is moot in a 1-game scenario. It’s quite a turnaround from 2018, when Melvin inserted Hendriks as a starter, only to see The Judge gavel that choice down with a 2-run big fly in the first inning.

Oakland is favored (-145) but I still like Morton’s proven postseason success to be the key. O/U is 7, which is about right. Probably a 4-3 or 5-2 final.
 
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Federer and Del Potro

Talk Tennis Guru
Manaea has been unhittable since returning from shoulder surgery but it will be his postseason experience IF Melvin taps him to start. TBD.

A’s strength is depth of the SP but this is moot in a 1-game scenario. It’s quite a turnaround from 2018, when Melvin inserted Hendriks as a starter, only to see The Judge gavel that choice down with a 2-run big fly in the first inning.

Oakland is favored (-145) but I still like Morton’s proven postseason success to be the key. O/U is 7, which is about right. Probably a 4-3 or 5-2 final.

Yeah saw it’s TBD Melvin has historically made some dubious SP decisions in postseason but I think he will go with Manaea especially since Fiers looked banged up his last start.

I really don’t know how to feel about it. Morton is a guy Oakland saw plenty when he was a Stro.

Should be a good one. End of the day anything can happen in 1 gm
 

hollywood9826

Hall of Fame
They announced Manaea is going.

6 days rest for Manea 7 for Morton. Sometimes that screws with guys in the first few innings. Although Manea hasn't built an entire seasons worth of routine up having only been back a month and Morton has been around the block.
 

Big_Dangerous

Talk Tennis Guru
I'll throw my hat into this ring. :cool:

AL: Astros (West winners), Red Sox (East winners) Indians (Central winners) Wild Cards: Evil Empire (Yankees) and LA Angels
NL: Phillies (East winners), Brewers (Central winners) Rockies (West winners) Wild Cards: Braves and Cubs

MVP: Alex Bregman, Nolan Arenado
Cy Young: Gerrit Cole, Aaron Nola
ROY: Vlad Guerrero Jr., Victor Robles

Lol, well I got my hometown favs right, I think Bregman might actually win MVP over Trout at this point.

AL ROY has to go to Thordan Alvarez with what he's done since being called up in June.
NL ROY: Clearly Ronald Acuna Jr. has that one locked up with his tremendous year

Cy Young winners: Cole gave it a good ride, but I suspect Verlander will just eek him out for it. NL is most likely going to be Strasburg or Ryu.
 

Big_Dangerous

Talk Tennis Guru
Manaea has been unhittable since returning from shoulder surgery but it will be his first postseason experience IF Melvin taps him to start. TBD.

A’s strength is depth of the SP but this is moot in a 1-game scenario. It’s quite a turnaround from 2018, when Melvin inserted Hendriks as a starter, only to see The Judge gavel that choice down with a 2-run big fly in the first inning.

Oakland is favored (-145) but I still like Morton’s proven postseason success to be the key. O/U is 7, which is about right. Probably a 4-3 or 5-2 final.

Either way, the Astros are in a great position to face the winner of this one. :cool:
 

stringertom

Bionic Poster
They announced Manaea is going.

6 days rest for Manea 7 for Morton. Sometimes that screws with guys in the first few innings. Although Manea hasn't built an entire seasons worth of routine up having only been back a month and Morton has been around the block.
Is Manaea still on a pitch count? Rays’ batters need to work the count so his lower velocity (peak fastball now low 90s) shows up (mid 80s in later innings) and negates his changeup/slider secondary pitches.
 

stringertom

Bionic Poster
Either way, the Astros are in a great position to face the winner of this one. :cool:
Since the change to the one-game WC format, the #1 seed teams have won 58% (8-6) of the division series vs the WC winner. Two of the six WCs to win A/NLDS have made the World Series, both in 2014 when San Francisco beat Kansas City in the first all-WC World Series since the first one in 2002, the all-California WS won by Anaheim over San Francisco.

Before the addition of a second WC, from 1995-2011 the WCs won more than half of the 34 total A/NLDS. Astros have a 10% better chance of reaching ALCS under the present format.

The Astros probably would prefer to see Oakland advance in order to avoid playing in that white elephant in St. Petersburg and they roughed up probable A’s Game 1 starter Mike Fiers in his last start vs Houston. Tampa’s probable Games 1&2 pitching by committee due to all their injuries might baffle them into a little complacency and stealing one on the road is UUUGGGEEE in B3o5.
 
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