MLB 2019

3-23 is the record for teams that lose the first two home games. Houston traded for Grienke, and for as great a pitcher that he’s been, it’s put up or shut up time. Hard to see Nats train slowing down at this point, but lose Game 3 and it gets interesting.

 

I think the bigger concern is the Astros offense. If they had gotten a couple clutch hits in the early innings to put more runs on the board, it would have switched the pressure from the Astros staff to the Nats batters (though it doesn't seem like anything is stopping them from getting their own clutch hits - [if I remember correctly] 30+ runs scored with two outs in the playoffs!).

 

The Nats are just flat out executing every phase of the game right now. They’re exposing the weaknesses of every post season opponent they’ve played so far. Momentum is a fickle thing in sports, but I don’t see Houston preventing the inevitable. The one player that has really caught my attention is their 3rd baseman, Anthony Rendon. He’s done it all, but his glove work and pinpoint arm have stood out to me. Soto is amazing for a 20 year old, but Rendon is BALLPLAYER.

 

Urquidry w/huge boost start for Astros, and they’ve begun to hit, Uncle Mo has shifted completely. However, there is a baseball saying that ‘momentum lasts as long as the next day’s starting pitcher’. Scherzer must come up big, because it’s must win time for Washington.

 

Indeed it has!
Time for Scherzer and Strasburg to earn their money, but it won't matter if the Nats don't resume hitting. Houston has found something, and they're riding it. Now it's a best 2 out of 3, and they're for sure going back to Texas.
Just one of the many reasons I love baseball.
Unpredictable to the end.
And...
The home field advantage means less than in any other sport.

 

Imagine having tix to last night’s Game 5, you were busy yesterday and had no idea Scherzer was scratched, you get in your seat and Joe Ross is warming up....

Cole was dominant, so it might not of mattered if Scherzer pitched. Now it’s up to Strasburg to get it to Game 7.

 

Literally was venting on this thread, when Rendon’s bomb made it mute. Have no horse in this race, but that was the worst WS call since Don Denkinger (Sorry @jumpkutz @stlouisbrad for mentioning it). Not sure what pissed me off more:

A) The call itself, Turner was in the middle of the bag (he might of been safe even if 1st baseman caught it). So ump rewarded a crap throw to first by the pitcher.

B) The umpires taking all that time w/Headphones on with New York (They WEREN’T delaying the game to possibly overturn it, but to log it in as a protested game, WTF??) So the Nats brilliant Steven Strasburg was sitting an extra amount of time for no reason.

C) The typical holier-then-thou umpires that get away with murder. Dave Martinez was mad, but it was the 3rd base umpire’s remark (no doubt a snide one) that set Martinez off.

D) Joe Torre to LIE thru his teeth and say the call was right. Honestly, lost a ton of respect for him last night. He was either lying or being a complete idiot.

E) All of the Above

6 games, 6 road team wins. Nats need to get early lead, I think Cole will relieve Grienke.

 

My complaint with the call is not with the umpires it’s with MLB. By the letter of the law the umpires made the correct call but the rule is crap because in getting the call technically correct the umpires made a crap call. A right handed batter coming out of the batters box on a play like that is going to run to the center of the bag more often than not (like nearly 100% of the time) which sits in the field of play. If that play is at any other base it’s simply an error but because it’s at first base the defense is rewarded for making a poor throw with an out & preventing the runner from advancing.

That said, full credit to Washington for the gut check performance they put in last night.

 

Just WOW to Washington! I remember a lot of really good World Series but from a sheer living on the edge perspective I can’t recall any team refusing to quit like this Nationals team. I really thought Greinke had this game locked down but even that pitching performance couldn’t put the Nats away.

 

Spot on Barry, what heart, grit, and clutch hitting from Nats.

AJ Hinch will be thinking about this one for awhile. All Buck & Smoltz were talking about is why Cole didn’t come in. Bigger question is why take Greinke out after only 80 pitches?? He was dealing. Kendrick had walked and hit into a double-play his two previous at bats, and you take him out and bring in a guy who gave up a dinger the night before?

 

Thank God I don't have to listen to Buck and Smoltz for a long time!

Congratulations to the Nationals for a well deserved championship. They outplayed the Astros in Houston, getting all the clutch hits and making the clutch pitches.

I also wondered about pulling Greinke when he really only made one bad pitch to Rendon and subsequently walked Soto (which isn't always a bad idea). But I didn't get too upset (at first) because it was the 7th inning and the full bullpen complement was available. I feel for Harris though - he was outstanding all through the playoffs, but simply ran out of gas.

The most baffling thing to me is not that the Nationals shut down the Astros in Houston. It didn't matter where they played, it was who they played - Scherzer and Strasburg could have done that in Antarctica. It was that the Nationals offense was so much better in Houston. Yes the Astros pitched Cole in game 5, but to only allow a single run in each game in Washington? The Astros bullpen pitched 10.1 innings in DC, giving up 1 run on 5 hits with 13 Ks but tanked at home. No idea why or how the Nationals got so locked in at Minute Maid.

 

Congratulations to the Nationals and their long-suffering fans. Sorry Evan. Like AH-nold, they’ll be back.
Cardinal pitchers, catchers and Yadi report to Jupiter February 12th.