These stratagems backfired. The Dodgers jumped all over the Mets Game One starter and cruised to a 9-0 win. The Yankees jumped out to an early lead on Cleveland, and rolled home as 5-2 winners. And the Dodgers' bullpen blew up in the second inning, giving up six early runs in a 7-3 Mets victory.
So the Mets and Dodgers are tied, and the Yankees lead Cleveland 1-0. Tonight the NL takes the day off and we get Game Two of the A.L.C.S. on TBS at 6:38 P.M. Central. The Yankees will be starting Gerrit Cole, who went 8-5 with a 3.41 ERA in 17 starts this year. Cleveland will respond with Tanner Bibee -- who made 31 starts for Cleveland this year, going 12-8 with a 3.47 ERA. So, for once, we'll get two normal starting pitchers -- and we'll see if that makes a difference.
Here is Cleveland's starting lineup:
ReplyDelete1. Steven Kwan, lf (.292, 14 HR's, 44 RBI's)
2. Kyle Manzardo, dh (.234, 5, 15 in 145 AB's)
3. Jose Ramirez, 3b (.279, 39, 118)
4. Josh Naylor, 1b (.243, 31, 108)
5. Lane Thomas, cf (.237, 15, 63)
6. Will Brennan, rf (.264, 8, 30)
7. Andres Gimenez, 2b (.252, 9, 63)
8. Bo Naylor, c (.201, 13, 39)
9. Brayan Rocchio, ss (.206, 8, 36)
Pitcher: Tanner Bibee (12-8, 3.47 ERA)
Here is New York's starting lineup:
ReplyDelete1. Gleyber Torres, 2b (.257, 15 HR's, 63 RBI's)
2. Juan Soto, rf (.288, 41, 109)
3. Aaron Judge, cf (.322, 58, 144)
4. Austin Wells, c (.229, 13, 55)
5. Giancarlo Stanton, dh (.233, 27, 72)
6. Jazz Chisholm, Jr., 3b (.256, 24, 73)
7. Anthony Volpe, ss (.243, 12, 60)
8. Anthony Rizzo, 1b (.228, 8, 35)
9. Alex Verdugo, lf (.233, 13, 61)
Pitcher: Gerrit Cole (8-5, 3.41 ERA)
It occurs to me that this will almost certainly be the last season in which John Sterling does play-by-play on the radio. He's already retired, but the Yankees brought him back for the playoffs. I have listened to him for over 30 years, and I always liked him, so I have dialed up the Yankees radio broadcast for this game.
ReplyDeleteThe Yankees score one run in the first, and two more in the second, and they lead 3-0 after two.
ReplyDeleteCleveland has already pulled their starter, so this will turn into a bullpen game for them.
ReplyDeleteYankees lead 3-0 after 3. FanGraphs says that the Yankees have an 82.0 percent chance of winning.
ReplyDeleteCleveland leads off the top of the fourth with a single by Josh Naylor. Lane Thomas hits a dribbler that is booted by the Yankee infield, so Cleveland has runners on first and second with no one out.
ReplyDeleteBrennan grounds out, and Gimenez walks, so Cleveland has the bases loaded with one out. At this point, Cleveland sends up David Fry to pinch hit for Bo Naylor.
ReplyDeleteCole v. Fry (bases loaded, one out):
ReplyDeletePitch 1: popped foul to third base
John Stirling: "How do you like that? They waste their best pinch hitter on one pitch."
That brings up Rocchio, the number-9 hitter. Cole, pitching aggressively now, quickly gets Rocchio into an 0-2 hole. But Rocchio digs in and fouls off a bunch of pitches, eventually working the count to 2-2. At this point, Cole throws a beautiful curve that freezes Rocchio -- striking him out and ending the inning. Yanks lead 3-0 after 3 1/2.
ReplyDeleteFox Sports is reporting that Tropicana Field in Tampa will not be ready for opening day on March 27 due to damage resulting from Hurricane Milton. I think the Tampa franchise should simply move to Oakland and become the Oakland Rays.
ReplyDeleteYankees lead 3-0 after 4. Fangraphs gives them an 84.3 percent chance of winning.
ReplyDeleteIn the top of the 5th, Cleveland gets on the board with two singles, a walk, and a sacrifice fly. That makes the score 3-1 with one out, and runners on first and third.
ReplyDeleteJose Ramirez steals second, and Cleveland has runners on second and third with one out. Lane Thomas comes to the plate.
ReplyDeleteThomas walks to load the bases. The Yankees replace Gerrit Cole with Clay Holmes (3-5, 3.14 ERA).
ReplyDeleteHolmes gets Brennan to ground out, which scores Manzardo. Yankees lead 3-2 with two out. Holmes then walks Gimenez to load the bases. That brings up Austin Hedges, who has replaced Bo Naylor behind the plate for Cleveland.
ReplyDeleteHolmes strikes out Hedges to end the inning. New York leads 3-2 after 4 1/2 innings.
ReplyDeleteFor the second inning in a row, Cleveland leaves the bases loaded.
DeleteCleveland is changing pitchers every inning, but I'm not going to make a point of it unless the Yankees do something.
ReplyDeleteThe Yanks go down 1-2-3. They lead 3-2 after 5. Fangraphs gives them a 66.5 percent chance of winning.
ReplyDeleteIn the bottom of the 6th, the Yankees get a run on a walk by Volpe and a double by Rizzo.
ReplyDeleteIn the bottom of the 7th, Aaron Judge -- who has famously struggled in the post-season throughout his career -- blasts a tremendous two-run homer to center field. The Yanks go up 6-2, and the huge crowd at Yankee Stadium is the happiest it has been in many years.
ReplyDeleteAfter 7, the Yanks lead 6-2. They have a 96.6 percent chance of winning.
ReplyDeleteIn John Stirling's honor, the Yankees are playing an old-school game that's going to finish well past 11 P.M. Eastern, despite the presence of the pitch clock.
ReplyDeleteThe Yankees lead 6-2 after 8. Fangraphs gives them a 98.8 percent chance of victory.
ReplyDeleteWith one out in the top of the 9th, Jose Ramirez drills a homer into the right field seats. The Yankees lead 6-3.
ReplyDeleteYankees win 6-3 and now lead the series two games to zero.
ReplyDelete