MLB Playoff Games

[KJ Duke]

I'm not complaining since I bet against them, but why would you let David Price throw 50 pitches in a game 4 which you were winning big while removing your starter who was pitching well thru 5 innings with a low pitch count?

Then, Price comes in and isn't pitching well, but you keep him on the mound anyway thus making him unavailable at all for a deciding game 5. I thought he would pitch an inning, but he got in trouble and gave up a few runs and they just keep bringing him back out. Is there an explanation other than poor managing?

[Bronx Yankees]

Entirely agree. I don't understand that one at all. Who would you want to pitch a deciding Game 5: David Price or Marcus Stroman? With all due respect to Stroman, the choice is an easy one. Although he lost Game 1, Price has been a stud all season and didn't Toronto acquire him to start deciding playoff games (not to come out of the bullpen)? While I can understand that Toronto needed to win Game 4 to get to Game 5, do you still bring in Price in relief in the 5th inning when up 7-1? It would be one thing if they decided to start Price in Game 4 on short rest, or if Game 4 was close and Dickey was been knocked around. As long as Toronto had a big lead, I'd have tried to get by with Dickey and the bullpen and save Price for Game 5. (Disclaimer: I am rooting for Toronto, as I have three Blue Jays and only one Ranger on the my post-season team.)

Two other pitching decisions that probably are/were questionable to some extent:

1. I did not agree with Mattingly's decision in Game 1 to pull Kershaw in the 7th inning of a 1-0 game to bring in Pedro Baez.

2. I did not hear the Mets' reasoning for stating Matz yesterday instead of going with deGrom on short rest (the same rest that Kershaw had). While I think Matz will be a very solid pitcher for many years, he basically has a month of big league experience. Not that Syndergaard is an experienced vet, but he's been pitching longer in the majors and has pitched really well. If I was managing the Mets, I would have preferred deGrom/Synergaard over Matz/deGrom in Games 4-5, although maybe Collins had some compelling reason why he did not go that route.

Mike

[KJ Duke]

Run scores on lazy throw back to pitcher.
Craziness in Toronto if that is a game-decider ... does look like correct call.

[Yah Mule]

This is one of the craziest innings in baseball history. It's been going on for almost an hour and its still not over yet.

[Bronx Yankees]

Watching the bottom of the 7th inning, I am reminded that you never, ever, screw with with the baseball gods! Karma is a bitch.

Mike

[KJ Duke]

Elvis Andrus = Alex Gonzalez times three. Wow. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sR4r5QesGIg

That one came after the Bartman play while Elvis follows up the catcher's "knuckleball" play with 3 drops. Emotions sky high and someone cracks under pressure again!

[Greg Ambrosius]

That had to be one of the craziest games with one of the craziest innings in MLB history. You couldn't write that script.

Players are drained. Fans are drained. Canadians everywhere are drained. And Rangers' fans are heartbroken again with an impossible, improbable loss. Just amazing.

MLB has a Post-Season for the ages right now. It's grabbing the attention of even marginal baseball and sports fans right now. Good for the game. See, it can be pure and beautiful at the same time. Keep it rollin' boys.

NLDS should be "Must Watch TV". Expect best TV ratings in a decade or more. ALCS with Toronto now should also be a thriller. Bring it on.