Prof: Congrats are in order for one team while another lives to fight another day. Read on to see our recaps of these very important games.
Astros 4, Yankees 1 (ALCS Game 3, Houston leads 2-1) – Prof: Gerrit Cole did what he was supposed to do, even without his best stuff. But even in half measures, Cole is an unstoppable force. Of course, he had help from the Littlest Second Baseman Who Could. That’s right, Jose Altuve held it down for his teammates, a solo homer in the first inning that ignited the fire. Not to be outdone, Josh Reddick also hit a solo dinger the next inning. Houston now takes the lead on the road, but it’s up for grabs. Tomorrow night is game four and we will see what New York has in store for their western rivals.
Cardinals 4, Nationals 7 (NLCS Game 4, Washington wins series 4-0) – Scouts: They may not have been the best team in the NL entering the playoffs, but they were certainly the best team in the NL throughout the playoffs. The Nats completed their sweep of the Cardinals and wasted no time in doing so. Washington got to Dakota Hudson immediately, who exited the game after recording just a single out and allowing 7 runs, 4 earned. By the time it was all over, he had a 108 ERA. Washington played small ball to big effect. The 7 runs all came as a result of singles, doubles, sac flies, some dropped balls, some miscommunications, and even a sac bunt thrown in the mix for good measure. On the other side of things, Patrick Corbin was able to earn a little bit of redemption. Over 13 innings int he post season, Corbin has given up 11 hits and 11 earned runs, and was 0-2 coming into the game. And while Corbin did allow 4 runs on 4 hits over 5, he also racked up 12 strikeouts and was able to make the 7 run gift in the first inning last long enough to turn the keys over to the pen, which made short work of the rest of the game. Now, the Nats get to go home and wait. The Al series is guaranteed to play two additional games, and that’s only if Houston sweeps out the rest of the way. The big question is will the break cool off the hottest team in baseball, or will they be able to hold onto the lightning they’ve captured the past few weeks?
Fan Interference 
Congrats to Someguy & the Nats! Hope you win the next series also.
I saw the term Bryceless used on yesterday’s post and I’m sure someone smarter than me will come up with a meme spinning of the MasterCard “Priceless” commercials using Bryceless.
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I keep hearing rumors that people actually saw the Cardinals during this past week, but nobody seems to be able to prove it.
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Many of the professional sports teams that play inside the DC city limits have bonded over social media and openly root for each other. We’ve seen Nats like Max Scherzer firing up the crowd before Caps’ playoff games, the Caps drunkenly celebrating their Stanley Cup win at a Nats game, and the Nats having Elena Delle Donne of the newly crowned WNBA champion Washington Mystics throw out the first pitch before last night’s game. Even the Wizards, with no success of their own to celebrate, have gotten in on the fan-boy athlete bro (and sister) fest, and while the football team has generally been absent from the good times, who cares?
Anyway, here’s Caps’ play-by-play announcer John Walton with his signature call from a random seat in the upper deck when the game ended last night:
He pretty much captured the energy of the city and the area with that.
The Nats get a week off now to rest up and hopefully not lose their momentum. The World Series is going to be tough, regardless of who they face, and a Nats’ loss won’t surprise anyone. That said, their starting pitching is good enough to match up with either team, and the week off gives them time to set their rotation however they wish. Personally, I’d go with Scherzer, Sanchez, Strasburg, Corbin, Scherzer, Sanchez, Strasburg, but they’re not paying me to manage, and it’s not my decision.
The bullpen will be the area that everyone focuses on as the Nats’ weakness, and while it’s still the weakest part of their team, we’re staring to see Tanner Rainey emerge as a viable 7th inning guy. I believe he’s got the stuff (100 mph fastball and wipeout slider) to be a closer someday, but right now he can get too amped up and overthrow his slider, and his fastball is still a bit too straight, but it gives the Nats a third option after Doolittle and Hudson.
Up to four games in the AL park means four times for the Nats to use a DH, too, and they’ve got plenty of legitimate choices there.
I’m not predicting a Nats’ win in the World Series, and I don’t think anyone will predict one, but this team is now 82-40 since May 24, including playoffs, so I think they’ve got the stuff to make it a long series, at least.
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I mentioned in the comments in yesterday’s post that yesterday was Ted Lerner’s birthday.
Related Fun fact: Today, October 16, is Bryce Harper’s birthday, and Bryce Harper has never played a Major League Baseball game on his birthday.
Another fun fact: Friday, October 25, is the date on which Game 3 of the World Series is scheduled to be played. It is also Juan Soto’s 21st birthday, and barring injury, he will play baseball on his birthday.
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Big congrats to Someguy! I hope your boys go all the way and win it all. Houston has won recently and no one wants the Evil Empire to win.
And then there’s this:
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
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The Cards:
Hit .130 for the series, a record low for a best of 7 series
Slugged .179 for the series, a record low for a best of 7 series
Never led in any of the four games, only the 7th time that’s happened in a best of 7 series
Struck out 36.1% of the at bats, a record high in a best of 7 series
Yikes
I hearby demand the Astros be the other WS team and that every starting pitcher has his best stuff every game.
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To clarify, let’s have amazing pitching duels, Scherzer/Strasburg/Corbin/Sanchez vs Cole/Verlander/Greinke all in top form, please.
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Yes, please.
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Do you think Scherzer would be chomping at the bit to go head to head with Verlander?
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Yes, and I would love to see it.
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