MLB Postseason 2013

[Jim3k]

Looks like Gray got pied, too.

But the reporters' pie stories are wrong. Reddick hasn't used shaving cream since the first pie he threw last year. Shaving cream stings the eyes; whipping cream doesn't. The trainer now has a can of whipped cream hidden somewhere just for Reddick on these occasions.

[Olympic Fan]

Mattingly will soon be reviled like one Dusty Baker.

Mattingly was one of my two favorite players of the 1980s, but he deserves heat for walking Reed Johnson to pitch to Jason Heyward.

On the other hand, I listened to three MLB TV experts rip him for starting Greinke in Game Two. Their point is that Greinke is a lock in LA and that Mattingly should have used Ryu in Atlanta and opened in LA with Greinke, whose ERA is a full run better at home than on the road. I kept waiting for somebody to point out that Ryu has an even bigger home/road split -- more than 1.5 runs.

As a guy that's pulling for the Braves, I think the series is fairly well balanced at this point. The Dodgers did get the split in Atlanta, while the Braves got a split against LA's big two -- Kershaw and Greinke.

Now Atlanta gets to take on Ryu, who's tough, and probably Nolasco, who's pretty mediocre. Or Mattingly could elect to come back with Kershaw on short rest. Now THAT would open him up for criticism.

I guess we wait until after tonight's game to even consider that option. If Ryu beats the Braves, you come back with Nolasco to close it out. Even if he fails, you have a rested Kershaw for the decisive game five in Atlanta. If Nolasco gets the third win for the Dodgers, you have Kershaw set up to open the NLCS.

But if the Braves beat Ryu, that puts the pressure on Donnie M. Do you save Kershaw and risk losing the series Monday in LA with Nolasco -- your fourth best starter -- on the mound? Or do you pitch Kershaw on short rest Monday (knowing you'd get a rested Grienke for Game Five on Wednesday?).

Right now, it's supposed to be Ryu in Game three, Nolasco in Game four and Kershaw in Game Five ... we'll see if Mattingly sticks to that.

[sagegrouse]

I tuned in the LA-ATL game, and there was Chris Capuano, starting his third inning without having given up a hit. He has walked a few batters, but the Dodgers are ahead 10-4.

Wait a sec -- update -- there's a double play... And then a strike out -- three scoreless innings.

sagegrouse

[Jim3k]

I tuned in the LA-ATL game, and there was Chris Capuano, starting his third inning without having given up a hit. He has walked a few batters, but the Dodgers are ahead 10-4.

Wait a sec -- update -- there's a double play... And then a strike out -- three scoreless innings.

sagegrouse

Two nights ago Dan Otero pitched 1⅓ innings for the A's and didn't allow a hit.

Duke pitchers are having an impact.

[Olympic Fan]

Great for Chris to get the win ... I'm happy for him.

Bad for the Braves. They are in a tough situation -- they have to win two in a row to survive and advance.

Today's game against Nolasco is winnable.

But if it gets to game five in Atlanta, that's going to be against Kershaw and that's tough.

[jjasper0729]

I'm kind of hoping at this point that it becomes a Pittsburgh/Boston series. Replay the first one from 1903. If the Sox can win tonight, then that lets them set up the rotation again for the LCS because the tigers and a's will have to play at least one more game. So Lester can go in game one against either of those teams.

[tommy]

Mattingly was one of my two favorite players of the 1980s, but he deserves heat for walking Reed Johnson to pitch to Jason Heyward.

On the other hand, I listened to three MLB TV experts rip him for starting Greinke in Game Two. Their point is that Greinke is a lock in LA and that Mattingly should have used Ryu in Atlanta and opened in LA with Greinke, whose ERA is a full run better at home than on the road. I kept waiting for somebody to point out that Ryu has an even bigger home/road split -- more than 1.5 runs.

As a guy that's pulling for the Braves, I think the series is fairly well balanced at this point. The Dodgers did get the split in Atlanta, while the Braves got a split against LA's big two -- Kershaw and Greinke.

Now Atlanta gets to take on Ryu, who's tough, and probably Nolasco, who's pretty mediocre. Or Mattingly could elect to come back with Kershaw on short rest. Now THAT would open him up for criticism.

I guess we wait until after tonight's game to even consider that option. If Ryu beats the Braves, you come back with Nolasco to close it out. Even if he fails, you have a rested Kershaw for the decisive game five in Atlanta. If Nolasco gets the third win for the Dodgers, you have Kershaw set up to open the NLCS.

But if the Braves beat Ryu, that puts the pressure on Donnie M. Do you save Kershaw and risk losing the series Monday in LA with Nolasco -- your fourth best starter -- on the mound? Or do you pitch Kershaw on short rest Monday (knowing you'd get a rested Grienke for Game Five on Wednesday?).

Right now, it's supposed to be Ryu in Game three, Nolasco in Game four and Kershaw in Game Five ... we'll see if Mattingly sticks to that.

Admittedly, I don't know the Braves' roster well at all, and don't know what other options their manager had, but was it really the best choice to ask a 22 year old rookie, pitching in his first postseason game of his young career, to go on the road and pitch against a lineup as deep, powerful, and experienced as is the Dodgers', and expect success? Why not at least let your rookie get his feet wet at home in his first playoff start? Not surprising to me that the Dodgers lit him up yesterday.

[Duvall]

Admittedly, I don't know the Braves' roster well at all, and don't know what other options their manager had, but was it really the best choice to ask a 22 year old rookie, pitching in his first postseason game of his young career, to go on the road and pitch against a lineup as deep, powerful, and experienced as is the Dodgers', and expect success? Why not at least let your rookie get his feet wet at home in his first playoff start? Not surprising to me that the Dodgers lit him up yesterday.

Atlanta's rotation down the stretch had a combined one postseason start in their careers. Short of outfitting Tim Hudson with a bionic ankle I don't think they had much of a choice.

[Duvall]

Of course Kershaw will throw 250+ pitches in the Division Series so that his arm can be nice and dead for the Cardinals in the NLCS.

Make that 250+ pitches on short rest. Kershaw going in Game 4.

[weezie]

Welllsy....looks like it's "Bring Out Your Dead!" time in the Olde English D.

[Jim3k]

Welllsy....looks like it's "Bring Out Your Dead!" time in the Olde English D.

I hereby remain fingers crossed here for the Olde English Oaktown A's.

(Isn't there a Gothic type font which either of us could use? Mac for me; dunno about weezie.)

[Olympic Fan]

Is Mattingly nuts?

I can understand the case for starting Kershaw in Game 4 if the Dodgers were facing elimination. But this makes no sense, especially after his 124-pitch effort in Game one.

Does Mattingly not understand that the Braves series will be followed by a seven-game set with the Cards (possibly the Pirates)? And THAT series will be followed by a seven-game series with the Red Sox/A'S/Tigers/Blue Jays?

How many innings is going to ask Kershaw to pitch? And asking him to go on three-days rest FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HIS CAREER ... that makes no sense.

Pitch Nolasco and if you lose with him, come back with Kershaw in Game 5 ... but if Nolasco wins, you have the luxury of saving Kershaw to Game 1 of the NLCS.

It may work in the short term (and may not ... I've seen a lot of guys stumble on short rest for the first time). But even if it does work tonight against the Braves, in the long run, I suspect there will be a problem. The crazy thing is that it's all so unnecessary.

[throatybeard]

Mattingly is nuts, yes. I don't understand this for the life of me.

I was going to link the Fozzie Bear "Wacha Wacha" image macros, but the board can't handle the file size. Which is probably OK, because it probably isn't that funny to anyone who isn't in this neck of the woods. What I do know is that Wacha has lost no-hitters in consecutive starts after 26 and 22 outs, and won both starts.

Matheny has gotten some similar criticism for using Miller in relief and sending Lynn out to get killed by the Pirates in Game 2. But I can't figure out what LA is doing here. I suppose the answer is that Kershaw will pitch games three and seven of the NLCS?

[YmoBeThere]

Mattingly will soon be reviled like one Dusty Baker.

See above

[Duvall]

Dodgers' plan to have Kershaw get five outs in each inning probably ill-advised.

[Troublemaker]

If the Dodgers win the series, Kershaw can start Game 2 of the NLCS (Saturday) on 4 days rest. From their standpoint, the move was to (A) guarantee that Kershaw would start one of the first two games of the NLCS if they advanced; if he had won Game 5 in Atlanta, he couldn't start again until Game 3 of the NLCS. So they were thinking ahead with this move. Also (B) the Braves would have to beat Kershaw and Greinke instead of Nolasco and Kershaw, which to the Dodgers, probably seemed preferable.

All that said, I disagree with the move. I think teams should focus on one series at a time, first off. And I think most Braves backers were perfectly happy with what the Dodgers did, even though this means they don't get to face Nolasco and indeed have to beat Greinke a second time in the series to advance instead. It's just that the prospect of winning a hard-fought Game 4 only to go home to face Kershaw on full-rest dealing 8 or 9 innings of shutout ball loomed so large. I think Braves fans were very happy to see Kershaw on 3 days rest (since they have to win one game against him regardless).

I hope the Braves pull out this win so the discussion becomes a national topic tomorrow.

ETA: And as I type this, Uribe hits a 2-run homer.

[throatybeard]

I feel so bad for the Braves. What a way to go out.

One of my teams is gone. The other survived barely. If Pittsburgh messes up Waino on Wednesday, I'm on the Billy Beane bandwagon.

[YmoBeThere]

I'm an ABC'er, anyone but Cardinals.

[YmoBeThere]

I feel so bad for the Braves. What a way to go out.

One of my teams is gone. The other survived barely. If Pittsburgh messes up Waino on Wednesday, I'm on the Billy Beane bandwagon.

The Braves fans are used to it though.

[wilson]

The Braves fans are used to it though.

Yesterday was a beyond miserable day to be an Atlanta sports fan, even by our already abysmal standards. The Braves crashed out of the playoffs in predictable, yet still painful fashion, and the Falcons' season is all but over at this point after their would-be Super Bowl run has limped off to a 1-4 start, culminating in a particularly demoralizing home loss to the lowly Jets.
I'm excited for the sun to come up in a little while, because I'm pretty sure the pall of misery hanging over this city will actually be visible to the naked eye. That'll be interesting.