Fan Interference

Prof: We had two games last night! Who reigned supreme? Let’s find out.

Scouts:  Boston won again, so we have yet another reaction gif in today’s header.  Additionally, as is becoming tradition, during the playoffs, since we have fewer games, we are selecting songs from artists that don’t have quite as deep selections.

 

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ALCS Game 3 – Houston Astros vs Boston Red Sox

Prof: During this game, the Boston media came out with a story claiming that Houston has been cheating their way through the postseason. I don’t claim to know how true that could be, but when the same media outlets also breathlessly report about the Red Sox relievers with hints of pine tar I’ll appreciate it more. Also, and this is my own bias here, if noted drone enthusiast Trevor Bauer is happy about a thing, I hate it. I’m sure we’ll find out more about this scandal in the days to come.

 

Anyway. The real drama was out on the diamond. The Red Sox and Astros were basically playing chicken with each other all night, with Boston one run up on them until the disastrous eighth inning, when Roberto Osuna came out to the bump. (Side note – how sad is it that I can’t even say ‘everyone’s favorite swept-under-the-rug-domestic violence-y relief pitcher’ because there’s been so many?) A couple of bad pitch selections clogged up the basepath a little, but then Osuna hit Brock Holt with a pitch, and hit Mitch Moreland with a pitch which cause Steve Pearce to score and stacked the bases. Then Jackie Bradley Jr. showed up, and away they went. A grand salami for the Boston center fielder, and suddenly the game was a run away. David Ortiz, watching as an analyst, lost his cool:

Final: Astros 2, Red Sox 8

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NLCS Game 4 – Milwaukee Brewers vs Los Angeles Dodgers

 

Scouts: My mother texted me last night all kinds of worked up, because Manny Machado apparently said before the game that being “Johnny Hustle” wasn’t his “cup of tea“.  She was especially pissed that Alex Rodriguez and David Ortiz backed him up.  Machado decided to go out and further alienate people when he clipped the back leg of Jesus Aguilar while jogging out a ground-out in the 10th inning.  This was the second game in a row Machado has run afoul due to what has been perceived as a dirty play, after having a pair of slides into second called into question the day before.  Christian Yelich decided to say something about it, and the bases cleared.  Unfortunately, this simply is the way the game is played these days.  Everyone swings from the heels, and no one hustles out a play.  The times they are a changin’.

 

Sadly, all the drama revolving around Machado detracted from quite the exciting baseball game.  The game went 13 innings, and ended in a 2-1 win for LA when Cody Bellinger, who had already saved the game with a pretty nifty catch 3 innings prior, picked up a two-out RBI single, scoring, you guessed it, Manny Machado.  The win tied the series at two.

While Jesus Aguilar and Machado appeared to make up during the game, hugging in the 13th, however other members were not quite so forgiving.  After the game, Yelich had the following to say: 

“He’s a player that has a history of those types of incidents,” Milwaukee slugger Christian Yelich said. “One time is an accident. Repeated over and over and over again, you’re just a dirty player. It’s a dirty play by a dirty player, and that’s what it is. I have a lot of respect for him as a player, but you can’t respect someone who plays the game like that.”

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Tonight:

Clayton Kershaw will face off against Wade Miley at 5:05 EST in LA: The series is now tied at two and this game will be an incredibly important game before the teams head back to Milwaulkee.

Meanwhile, in Boston, the Astros will trot out Charlie Morton, while Boston will drop in Rick Porcello.  It will be crucial for Houston to pick up a win to keep from falling too far back as Boston has a 2-1 game advantage.