Houston beat Seattle 4-2 yesterday, so the Astros are up 2-0 and probably on their way to the ALCS for the sixth year in a row. That accomplishment won't get a lot of attention, but it should -- I don't think any other AL team has done that.
Meanwhile, we have three games today:
National League
Atlanta at Philadelphia (3:37 P.M. CDT) (Fox Sports One) (series tied 1-1)
Los Angeles at San Diego (7:37 P.M. CDT) (Fox Sports One) (series tied 1-1)
American League
Cleveland at New York (12:07 P.M. CDT) (TBS) (New York leads 1-0)
It's a beautiful day for baseball in the Bronx, the Yankees have a happy and vocal crowd, and TBS has Bob Costas on the call. What's not to like?
ReplyDeleteAgree. It was a terrific TV program.
DeleteIn the bottom of the first, with one on and two out, Giancarlo Stanton thought he had drawn a walk. But what he thought was a fourth ball was called a strike. So Stanton hits the next pitch into the right field seats for a home run. Yanks lead 2-0 after 1.
ReplyDeleteIn the top of the 4th, Cleveland rallies with a single, a walk, and another single -- all with two outs. Yankees lead 2-1.
ReplyDeleteWith the bases loaded for Cleveland and two out, Myles Straw bounces a hit up the middle. The Yankee pitcher, Nestor Cortes, pulled off balance by his pitch, reaches up and snatches the ball, only to fall to the ground. While seated on the mound, Cortes bounces a throw over to first, beating Straw and ending the inning. Yankees lead 2-1 after 4.
ReplyDeleteIn the top of the 5th, Amed Rosario homers to center, and the game is tied at 2.
ReplyDeleteLou Trivino comes in to pitch the 6th inning for the Yankees, and the Yankees now have a batter of Lou Trivino (pitching) and Jose Trevino (catching). Does Bob Costas comment on the coincidence of these names? Of course he does.
ReplyDeleteStill tied at 2-all going into the bottom of the 8th, and we're basically waiting for another homer at this point.
ReplyDeleteYankees get men on first and second with two outs. In what strikes me as an insane move, the Yankees send in a pinch runner for Stanton. We could be here for many more innings, and you don't need a pinch runner for a home run. Anyway, with one out and two on, Oswaldo Cabrera comes up -- and of course he strikes out. That brings up Isiah Kiner-Falefa, a shortstop who batted .261 with 4 homers this year. Will he be swinging for the fences? You betcha.
ReplyDeleteKiner-Felefa walks, and the bases are loaded with two out. Now the Yankees actually could score, because modern pitchers are fully capable of walking someone with the bases loaded. Cleveland pulls James Karinchak, and brings in Emmanuel Clase, their closer. Clase was 3-4 in the regular season, with ERA of 1.36, 32 walks, 172 strikeouts, and 42 saves. He led the league in both appearances and saves. There's no point in saving him for next year; Cleveland needs an out now.
ReplyDeleteThe Yankee batter is Kyle Higashioka, the backup catcher. He entered the game after the Yankees batted for Jose Trevino a few innings ago.
ReplyDeleteClase v. Higashioka, bases loaded, two out
ReplyDeletePitch 1: swinging strike (0-1)
Pitch 2: swinging strike (0-2)
Pitch 3: Higashioka, who had looked completely overmatched, whacks a solid liner. But the ball goes straight to the third baseman for the third out. Still 2-2 after 8.
In the top of the 10th, Jose Ramirez leads off with a high pop to left. Because of the shift, no one can reach it, and it falls in for a hit. Josh Donaldson, the third baseman, tries to get Ramirez at second, but throws the ball away, and Ramirez trots to third. So Cleveland has the lead run on third base with no one out.
ReplyDeleteWith no one out and and man on third, Oscar Gonzalez does not strike out. He bloops a soft fly into short right, and no one can reach it. Ramirez scores, and Cleveland leads 3-2 in the top of the 10th. Yankee Stadium is silent.
ReplyDeleteAnd now Cleveland blows it open with a ringing double to center by Josh Naylor. Gonzalez scores to make it 4-2. The Yankees scores 2 runs in the first, and zero runs in the other eight innings, and that is going to cost them.
ReplyDeleteHURRAH!
ReplyDeleteClase mows down the Yankees in the 10th, and Cleveland wins 4-2. This series is tied 1-1.
ReplyDeleteOnly the Astros could win the first two games at home, and they needed a miracle in Game One.
ReplyDelete