|
Join Ben Diamond and others tonight for a live chat during the AL Wild Card game between the Yankees and Twins.
AL WC Game Chat: The calendar's flipped to October, Halloween decorations are out, leaves are changing colors, and, most importantly, playoff baseball is underway. Tonight's first Wild Card matchup is between the Yankees and Twins, so join us in talking about baseball and/or freaking out! Joining us are Ben Diamond (me!), Meg Rowley, Nick Stellini, and Andrew Gargano.
InsightsHound (St. Paul, Minnesota (go Twins!)): Have the Yankees done the Twins a favor by starting Aaron Hicks and DHing Jacoby Ellsbury? They seem to have really limited their bench use, given that they will PH for Ellsbury with someone they cannot use in the field.
AL WC Game Chat: You can make an argument that putting the best defense out there is important given that the Twins aren't really a feast-or-famine team, but yeah. I imagine Chase Headley may pinch hit for him at some point. We shall see. - Nick Stellini
Charlie Gebow (Arizona ): If the Twins make the LCS, what kind of liquor will MLB execs start shotgunning?
AL WC Game Chat: Let's imagine a fun scenario: Astros vs. Twins, Diamondbacks vs. Nationals in the LCS. Well, it would be fun for Team Chaos, but not for league revenue. Final answer: straight to tequila, and the cheap kind because they'll have to save money. -Ben Diamond
Mary (Texas): What is the in-game equivalent of receiving a 2,000 word text, and what is the likelihood of that occurring in this game?
AL WC Game Chat: I'm not sure of the exact form, but it almost certainly involves Marlins Man, the Judge's Chambers, and a belabored Max Kepler pun. --Meg Rowley
muffindan (New York): Severino looks way too amped, can Chad Green throw 9 innings?
AL WC Game Chat: Chad Green has one complete game in his career. It came in AA in 2015. So...maybe? -Andrew Gargano
scottski45 (Detroit): If the Yankees have to go the pen early, and this looks possible, who are we guessing gets first crack?
AL WC Game Chat: Yeah, Severino should be out of there now, unfortunately. Nerves are there, and understandably so. I'm guessing Green gives a couple of innings, buying time for the Yankees to get another starting pitcher warmed up. Probably Gray, if I had to guess. -BD
InsightsHound (MN): Bye bye Severino! Bad bad decision putting this on him after he got smacked around by the Twins last month.
AL WC Game Chat: I wouldn't call it a bad decision--he's quite easily their ace and, normally, one of the best pitchers in the American League. But he's too young, needed to get his nerves out and this isn't the right stage for that. Last time he got too hyped for a game, it was his first against the Red Sox a little over a month ago... ten runs allowed. He was much better the second time out. If the Yankees can come back, I trust him in a second start. But that's a big if. -BD
Alex (DC by way of Ohio): As an Indians fan is it rational for me to be more afraid of the Twins than Yankees considering the Twins seem to play the Indians well and Torii Hunter still haunts my dreams? Or should I hope for the Yankees?
AL WC Game Chat: It's not rational, but it is understandable. Playing division rivals in the playoffs feels worse because you're so familiar, and you're just sure that they know something about your team other guys don't. But the Twins are a much worse team than the Yankees. They ended the year with a .525 winning %, but their third order winning % was .502; the Yankees' was .653! That's... a lot better.
scottski45 (Detroit): I know this is ESPN and not TBS, but when does the first shutdown inning reference get made? First pitch of the B1?
AL WC Game Chat: The very second if and when Santana gets Gardner out - NS
InsightsHound (MN): Guess we're gonna see just how good this Yankee bullpen is.
AL WC Game Chat: As the fan of a team not in the playoffs, I have to admit this is exactly what I was hoping for, for precisely this reason -- Meg
muffindan (New York): Did Girardi leave Severino in way too long? After throwing so many balls with his fastball after the lead off home run he should've had Green ready immediately. I would've told him to be ready at first pitch
AL WC Game Chat: Managing in this environment is such a tricky thing. But yeah, leaving him in after the second homer was not ideal. Yankees were fortunate to escape with no more damage. -AG
scottski45 (Detroit): Anyone else find it funny that the kid with the 99 problems sign wasn't alive when that song was released?
AL WC Game Chat: /inserts '99 problems but age ain't one' joke -BD
InsightsHound (MN): This is like an English soccer crowd. Do they always beg this much?
AL WC Game Chat: I would love to see some sort of analysis on the psychology of fans of teams with good framing catchers. Are they inclined to just assume everything is a strike? Or are they perhaps more conscious of how the zone can be manipulated, but know it isn't always manipulated successfully? Basically, if Russell Carleton found a way to study that, I would read the heck out of that study.
InsightsHound (MN): Santana did not throw a changeup in that whole AB to Gregorius. Highly unusual for him vs. LH.
AL WC Game Chat: For those of you counting at home, Ervin Santana throws his changeup 22% of the time to lefties in 2017. He also throws his slider 21% of the time, and that's the pitch which Didi hit a home run on. Generally his best pitch, but it's MIA right now. Bad news for the Twins. -BD
Charlie Gebow (Arizona): Should I just take a nap now or...?
AL WC Game Chat: You'll never be able to sleep tonight if you do... Meg
scottski45 (Detroit): Well...That makes things interesting. If this becomes a bullpen game, hard to bet against the Yanks.
AL WC Game Chat: Considering this is a one-game series, I wouldn't be surprised if the Twins go with Berrios and the Yankees with Gray soon. Santana's up to 40 pitches in the inning, I can't imagine he goes past three. Make your pick between Berrios and Gray, I suppose, but the bullpen will probably play a larger role than anticipated as well. -BD
muffindan (New York): Is Didi the most clutch shortstop in Yankee History? I'll hang up and listen
AL WC Game Chat: Jerek Deter - N.S.
Mary (Texas): Why must the Yankees exist?
AL WC Game Chat: We find stories without antagonists disquieting. --Meg
matrueblood (Minnesota): Here's a question I ask myself often, but ask other people never: Is that whistle they play after strikeouts at the Stadium a reference to The Warriors?
AL WC Game Chat: I believe it's a P.C. Richard & Son jingle, but I like your idea better. -AG
bulls2327 (Btown): Is there anyone worth routing harder for than Buxton. I love this kid!
AL WC Game Chat: Well there's your answer...wow! -BD
Eddie (Ann Arbor): As a Yankee fan, do we want Ervin Santana to stay in the game?
AL WC Game Chat: If Ervin comes out, we're looking at Berrios pitching. He's only 23, so, like Severino, I could see the nerves getting to him. Then again, he could shut the Yankees down and okay Brett Gardner just hit a home run off Santana so you know the answer. -BD
InsightsHound (MN): Might be crazy but if the Twins score I would stay with Santana. Berrios a huge risk like Severino, and beyond that it gets rough quickly in the middle innings options.
AL WC Game Chat: As Ben said...Berrios could succumb to nerves like Severino, but he also probably gives Minnesota the best shot at shutting the Yankees down in the middle innings. Sometimes you have to roll the dice if you're the underdog. -AG
InsightsHound (MN): Just almost impossible to double up Buxton. Came closer than I figured.
AL WC Game Chat: And there's a steal without even drawing a throw. Right up there with Billy Hamilton with speed, it's a game changer. -BD
Ed (CT): What is Ervin Santana's beard???
AL WC Game Chat: Tidy. --Meg
Steveben (Ct): Does girardi regret taking less pitchers than usual?
AL WC Game Chat: It'll be interesting to see how he handles the latter innings with his two best relievers closed, but a 'one inning at a time' approach is probably the best one. He still has two rested starters, so I don't think he'll have trouble finding innings given the depth (even if there are less arms than usual). -BD
InsightsHound (MN): Oh crap. That was not a good sign at all from Berrios. Lucky Sanchez mistimed it a bit.
AL WC Game Chat: Same age as Sevy, and wild at times. Could very easily go the way of Severino if things don't break right early on. -BD
InsightsHound (MN): Oh crap. That was not a good sign at all from Berrios. Lucky Sanchez mistimed it a bit.
AL WC Game Chat: Same age as Sevy at 23, and wild at times. Could very easily go the way of Severino if things don't break right early on. -BD
Mary (Texas): This game will almost assuredly turn into Weird Baseball, so what needs to happen in it for it to become more noticeably weird at that point?
AL WC Game Chat: Now pitching for the Yankees, Ronald Torreyes. -AG
InsightsHound (MN): Well the silver lining of the Granite change is that he's one of the toughest to strike out in baseball, going against a team of ion cannons.
AL WC Game Chat: 93% contact rate in 107 PA this year. Still, losing Buxton :( -AG
AL WC Game Chat: Well, that's a wrap for tonight! Big thanks to all of you guys for joining us in a heck of a game, and we hope you'll be back tomorrow night for more when the Diamondbacks and Rockies battle it out for the NL Wild Card.
|
