WEBVTT 1 00:00:21.519 --> 00:00:24.600 Hello, and welcome to Backflips and Nerds, the Baseball podcast 2 00:00:24.719 --> 00:00:30.320 with a British twist. Playoffs, talking about playoffs. We're talking 3 00:00:30.320 --> 00:00:34.280 about playoffs and joining me the pleasure of talking playoffs 4 00:00:34.359 --> 00:00:36.759 is Darius Austin. It's a two man point today, Darius. 5 00:00:37.039 --> 00:00:38.439 Are you excited for the playoffs? 6 00:00:39.520 --> 00:00:43.079 I'm very excited. I've been consuming playoffs. I'm delighted that 7 00:00:43.159 --> 00:00:45.719 you've brought that out after having to wait all season 8 00:00:46.320 --> 00:00:49.320 to unleash it. Obviously that was the highlight of your 9 00:00:49.399 --> 00:00:52.840 year just getting to use that phrase. So, yeah, it's 10 00:00:52.880 --> 00:00:56.200 been good so far. It's rare, not every day you 11 00:00:56.240 --> 00:00:58.799 get to bring that one out. And yeah, looking forward 12 00:00:58.799 --> 00:01:01.479 to what is feels like a open playoff field this year. 13 00:01:02.399 --> 00:01:05.560 It does. Yeah, it's fun that. Yeah, this I always 14 00:01:05.560 --> 00:01:09.159 feel like these first few games in the in the 15 00:01:09.200 --> 00:01:11.040 World Card Round, the vision around the best for us, right, 16 00:01:11.079 --> 00:01:13.760 because you get so much more viewable baseball at a 17 00:01:13.760 --> 00:01:17.359 polite hour that we can watch, which is fun. And yeah, 18 00:01:17.359 --> 00:01:19.359 well I always forget, well not always, but it's easy 19 00:01:19.400 --> 00:01:21.959 to forget how much fun the World Card Round is. Well, 20 00:01:22.079 --> 00:01:25.200 every game has so much jeopardy involved in it, you know, 21 00:01:25.239 --> 00:01:28.000 I understand that the best form of baseballs across seven 22 00:01:28.159 --> 00:01:30.079 or preferably one hundred and sixty two games. But there 23 00:01:30.120 --> 00:01:32.959 is something about a three game series where like you 24 00:01:33.040 --> 00:01:34.799 lose and your immediately on the brink of elimination that 25 00:01:34.879 --> 00:01:36.200 makes it quite fun, isn't there. 26 00:01:37.719 --> 00:01:41.560 Yeah, definitely, it's sort of every every moment laden with tension. 27 00:01:41.760 --> 00:01:44.959 We've had really really close games. Both the games I 28 00:01:45.000 --> 00:01:50.000 watched yesterday, the Tigers Guards and the Cubs Padres were 29 00:01:50.159 --> 00:01:53.680 really tight games through to the end, so high tension, 30 00:01:54.239 --> 00:01:56.799 you know, ninth inning. I didn't watch the Red Sox 31 00:01:56.920 --> 00:01:59.239 Yankees live, but you know, Chapman really had to dig 32 00:01:59.280 --> 00:02:02.239 himself out of a whole in that as well. So yeah, 33 00:02:02.359 --> 00:02:04.439 really really high leverage stuff all the way through, and 34 00:02:04.480 --> 00:02:07.200 some really excellent starting pitcher performances. I'm sure we'll get 35 00:02:07.200 --> 00:02:08.560 on to some of that in a bit, but good 36 00:02:08.560 --> 00:02:13.199 to see sort of after the trends in baseball lately 37 00:02:13.240 --> 00:02:15.439 towards you know, let's go to the ballpend early. It's 38 00:02:15.439 --> 00:02:18.199 been great to see some big game starts from some 39 00:02:18.280 --> 00:02:19.199 of the aces in the game. 40 00:02:19.879 --> 00:02:22.400 A turn of the workhorse. Yeah, we can get into that, 41 00:02:22.479 --> 00:02:23.840 but that was that was fun to see. A good 42 00:02:23.879 --> 00:02:26.400 day to kick off the playoffs. We're going to get 43 00:02:26.400 --> 00:02:28.879 into some of the teams that are involved, some of 44 00:02:28.879 --> 00:02:31.280 the teams we are excited to see. Some teams we're 45 00:02:31.319 --> 00:02:33.280 routing four, maybe someon we're rooting against. I don't think 46 00:02:33.280 --> 00:02:36.840 we're going to do our usual playoff preview, partly because 47 00:02:37.199 --> 00:02:40.199 we're ready two days in. As I speak now, the 48 00:02:40.319 --> 00:02:42.879 Guardians and Tigers are playing Game two, So in a 49 00:02:42.919 --> 00:02:45.360 matter of hours, the Guardians may well be eliminated from 50 00:02:45.400 --> 00:02:47.879 baseball to get from the playoffs all together. So we 51 00:02:47.919 --> 00:02:50.039 won't do that, but we will talk a little bit about, Yeah, 52 00:02:50.039 --> 00:02:52.120 some of the key protagonists who were excited to see 53 00:02:52.879 --> 00:02:56.560 it take part in the playoffs this year. But obviously 54 00:02:56.560 --> 00:02:58.000 we have to start with the big news of the week, 55 00:02:58.280 --> 00:03:01.759 which is the Rocky getting rid of Bill Schmidt, their 56 00:03:01.759 --> 00:03:04.120 general manager at a jaking We're not going to talk 57 00:03:04.120 --> 00:03:07.319 about that, but a good move from the Rockies to 58 00:03:07.360 --> 00:03:11.800 finally move on from their pungent general manager who's not 59 00:03:11.800 --> 00:03:13.439 been doing a great job there, Bull Shmidt. Anyway, let's 60 00:03:13.439 --> 00:03:19.199 talk playoffs. Let's start off. I guess with the teams 61 00:03:19.199 --> 00:03:22.080 that didn't make it, in a couple notable ones. I 62 00:03:22.080 --> 00:03:25.039 think we're going to cover to kick off. Maybe we'll 63 00:03:25.080 --> 00:03:27.199 start with the Astros and then we can dive into 64 00:03:27.599 --> 00:03:30.879 the poor old New York Mets. But I personally didn't 65 00:03:30.879 --> 00:03:32.599 see the Astros missing playoffs this year. I think in 66 00:03:32.639 --> 00:03:34.879 our pre season preview, both the A team and B 67 00:03:34.960 --> 00:03:37.719 team had the Astros, you know, cruising back into the playoffs, 68 00:03:37.759 --> 00:03:41.000 if not back to another division title. And it felt 69 00:03:41.000 --> 00:03:42.680 like for most of the year they very much had 70 00:03:42.680 --> 00:03:46.039 that under control. But it just started to drift away 71 00:03:46.039 --> 00:03:48.599 from them in August and that sort of expected bounce 72 00:03:48.639 --> 00:03:50.879 back in September neferent materialized and they ended up on 73 00:03:50.879 --> 00:03:54.199 the outside looking in. Were you surprised, Darius? Was this 74 00:03:54.280 --> 00:03:56.599 team simply not good enough? Or is this a massive 75 00:03:56.599 --> 00:03:58.919 missed opportunity for a team that we've become so accustomed 76 00:03:58.960 --> 00:04:00.479 to seeing an tay. 77 00:04:00.360 --> 00:04:04.439 That I obviously was on record saying that the Astros 78 00:04:04.439 --> 00:04:06.319 were not going to win the division this year, So 79 00:04:06.840 --> 00:04:11.000 I wasn't hugely surprised that the Mariners did it. I mean, 80 00:04:11.039 --> 00:04:13.319 I was surprised that the Mariners sort of actually did 81 00:04:13.319 --> 00:04:15.479 something at the trade deadline, and you know, they did 82 00:04:15.520 --> 00:04:17.839 push them chips in, and to be fair to them, 83 00:04:17.839 --> 00:04:20.079 they played very good baseball downe the stretch. I think 84 00:04:20.079 --> 00:04:22.759 that was a big factor. This wasn't like some of 85 00:04:22.759 --> 00:04:24.600 the other collapses that will talk about in a minute. 86 00:04:24.600 --> 00:04:28.639 I think this was heavily on. Yeah, seat, I played 87 00:04:28.720 --> 00:04:31.600 really good baseball in September and they won the matchups 88 00:04:31.639 --> 00:04:34.519 they had to win. And also I think you just 89 00:04:34.600 --> 00:04:37.959 have to look at the injuries the Astros had. You know, 90 00:04:38.000 --> 00:04:40.360 you're done being down for quite a big chunk of 91 00:04:40.360 --> 00:04:43.480 the year. Jeremy Pena, a couple of ile stones that 92 00:04:43.560 --> 00:04:46.759 really hurt them. The injuries and the rotation they had 93 00:04:46.759 --> 00:04:49.199 as well. It was you know, Valdez and Brown and 94 00:04:49.240 --> 00:04:52.439 then who is starting this game now, Jason Alexander. I mean, 95 00:04:52.480 --> 00:04:55.920 what is happening here? So it was not the Astros 96 00:04:55.920 --> 00:04:58.839 we've seen in the past. This team is aging a bit. 97 00:05:00.120 --> 00:05:03.920 Al Tuvey had the weird outfield experiment and bounced around. 98 00:05:04.199 --> 00:05:07.040 You know, he had a decent season, but with them 99 00:05:07.079 --> 00:05:09.439 trading awa attacker as well, this was not the strength 100 00:05:09.480 --> 00:05:12.160 that we've seen in the past. So a bit surprising 101 00:05:12.199 --> 00:05:15.519 to see them completely drop it all together. But I 102 00:05:15.560 --> 00:05:17.399 think when you look at their underlying numbers, when you 103 00:05:17.439 --> 00:05:19.160 look at what that roster looked like at the end 104 00:05:19.160 --> 00:05:22.079 of the season. I don't think we should necessarily be 105 00:05:22.160 --> 00:05:24.480 saying this is a massive shot that this team isn't 106 00:05:24.519 --> 00:05:27.240 the playoffs. I think they were pretty fringy to begin with, 107 00:05:28.120 --> 00:05:33.519 and yeah, I think probably we got better teams in 108 00:05:33.120 --> 00:05:35.720 in the aggregate once you look at the big. 109 00:05:35.519 --> 00:05:41.040 Picture, Yeah, it feels like it just never really felt 110 00:05:41.040 --> 00:05:43.399 like the Houston Astros evolved this season. I think injuries 111 00:05:43.439 --> 00:05:44.439 had a big part to play in it, and I 112 00:05:44.439 --> 00:05:47.879 think they probably will bounce back next year, assuming better health. 113 00:05:47.959 --> 00:05:50.600 But the Christian Walker sign didn't really pan out. Did. 114 00:05:50.600 --> 00:05:52.240 I don't think he had a very good first season 115 00:05:52.480 --> 00:05:54.639 in Houston. We sort of talked a lot about the 116 00:05:54.680 --> 00:05:56.199 depth of that rotation at the start of the year, 117 00:05:56.199 --> 00:06:00.240 but it actually bottomed out pretty quickly. And yeah, some 118 00:06:00.319 --> 00:06:02.199 of the guys you'd expect to be dominant, like Frownber, 119 00:06:02.279 --> 00:06:05.120 was strugling towards the end of the year. So yeah, 120 00:06:05.160 --> 00:06:07.240 maybe not a huge shock that they weren't able to 121 00:06:07.560 --> 00:06:09.160 get in there, although I do think, you know, eighty 122 00:06:09.199 --> 00:06:13.480 seven wins in a three wild card league feels like 123 00:06:13.519 --> 00:06:15.639 it would usually be enough to at least grab you 124 00:06:15.639 --> 00:06:17.240 one of those spots. I mean, you know, in the 125 00:06:17.279 --> 00:06:20.279 National League, Reds made it in with eighty three, so 126 00:06:20.319 --> 00:06:22.480 maybe there was also an element of bad luck that 127 00:06:22.560 --> 00:06:24.759 it was just a pretty strong AL World Card field 128 00:06:24.759 --> 00:06:26.800 in the end obviously ended up with the same number 129 00:06:26.800 --> 00:06:29.160 of wins to Tigers, but missed out on the tiebreaker. 130 00:06:29.199 --> 00:06:31.720 But yeah, a shock not to see them in the 131 00:06:31.720 --> 00:06:33.560 playoffs because I don't know how many years in a 132 00:06:33.639 --> 00:06:35.920 row it would have been, but it feels like seven 133 00:06:36.000 --> 00:06:39.319 or eight at this point that they've been playing postseason baseball, 134 00:06:39.360 --> 00:06:40.920 so that's yeah, somewhat surprising. 135 00:06:42.839 --> 00:06:45.240 Yeah, I think after they came out of that rebuild, 136 00:06:45.319 --> 00:06:49.759 I think they've made the playoffs every year since until now. 137 00:06:50.120 --> 00:06:53.319 I can't remember exactly how many years that was, but yeah, 138 00:06:53.519 --> 00:06:56.560 it must have been about about eight. I think it was. 139 00:06:56.560 --> 00:06:59.040 Four straight Alcyes appearances at one point too, like they 140 00:06:59.079 --> 00:07:01.040 could just pencil them in for a while to be 141 00:07:01.160 --> 00:07:04.279 in there in the ALCS playing someone. So yeah, changing 142 00:07:04.279 --> 00:07:06.079 of the guard in the AL West. And I think 143 00:07:06.079 --> 00:07:07.560 we're going to talk about the Mariners a little bit 144 00:07:07.639 --> 00:07:10.399 later on what we definitely are, but an amazing season 145 00:07:10.399 --> 00:07:12.199 for them that we'll get onto in a well deserved 146 00:07:12.240 --> 00:07:15.680 division title. Now then the other big collapse and this 147 00:07:15.720 --> 00:07:19.319 one really was a collapse the New York Mets. Where 148 00:07:19.319 --> 00:07:22.040 did it all go wrong for them? I mean a 149 00:07:22.120 --> 00:07:26.240 litany of issues that besieged this team, But at one point, 150 00:07:26.279 --> 00:07:28.160 fairly far into the season, in May, I think the 151 00:07:28.279 --> 00:07:30.040 Mets had the best record in baseball right, and they 152 00:07:30.040 --> 00:07:33.079 were looking like being World Series contenders. You know, you 153 00:07:33.120 --> 00:07:36.040 always had question marks about that rotation when Clay Holmes 154 00:07:36.079 --> 00:07:37.839 was the ace, but it felt like the lineup was 155 00:07:37.879 --> 00:07:41.360 really strong. They had enough pitching depth, the bullpen was solid. 156 00:07:41.360 --> 00:07:42.720 This was going to be a team that would compete 157 00:07:42.720 --> 00:07:46.199 with a Phillies for that division title. Instead, they just 158 00:07:46.600 --> 00:07:50.240 slowly but surely crumbled. And yeah, getting picked to the 159 00:07:50.279 --> 00:07:53.360 post and last year of the season, losing to the Marlins, 160 00:07:53.360 --> 00:07:55.160 of all teams must have been pretty hard to swallow. 161 00:07:55.160 --> 00:07:56.279 I mean, I say the Marlins of all teams. The 162 00:07:56.279 --> 00:07:57.920 Marlins ended up four games back of the Mets, which 163 00:07:57.920 --> 00:08:00.959 is remarkable in itself. But yeah, this is an utter 164 00:08:01.000 --> 00:08:03.720 catastrophe for the Mets, isn't it? What happened? 165 00:08:05.079 --> 00:08:07.680 Yeah, it's funny that it's the miners. I think I 166 00:08:07.720 --> 00:08:10.839 heard un effectively wild that the Mets have lost a 167 00:08:10.839 --> 00:08:13.480 playoff spot on the last day of the season. Four 168 00:08:13.519 --> 00:08:15.360 times in the last twenty eight years, and three of 169 00:08:15.399 --> 00:08:20.279 those four times it's been because of the Marlins. There's 170 00:08:20.319 --> 00:08:22.279 something about this. The Marlins are just like, we are 171 00:08:22.439 --> 00:08:25.480 up for this. Now we're eliminating the Mets from the playoffs. 172 00:08:25.480 --> 00:08:29.360 That is our jam. So I guess you might have thought, oh, 173 00:08:29.360 --> 00:08:30.680 this is all right for the Mets. What they've got 174 00:08:30.720 --> 00:08:32.399 to do is beat the Marlins. But maybe not the 175 00:08:32.399 --> 00:08:35.759 best opponent for them to have. I think we talked 176 00:08:35.799 --> 00:08:37.919 about the pitching and how that fell apart. I mean, 177 00:08:37.960 --> 00:08:40.080 it's not ideal when the guy who was supposed to 178 00:08:40.080 --> 00:08:42.360 be your ace ends up getting demoted to triple A 179 00:08:42.480 --> 00:08:46.799 because he's pitching so badly. You know. Noman McLain or 180 00:08:46.840 --> 00:08:49.480 credit to him, came up and formed fantastically, and I'm 181 00:08:49.519 --> 00:08:51.320 sure the Mets would have been looking at him as, 182 00:08:51.440 --> 00:08:53.639 you know, maybe their ace if they had made it 183 00:08:53.639 --> 00:08:56.519 into the playoffs. But when you have to say, let's 184 00:08:56.519 --> 00:09:00.480 give the ball to three completely unproven rookies down the 185 00:09:00.559 --> 00:09:02.759 last couple of months of the season, I think that 186 00:09:02.799 --> 00:09:05.919 really speaks to what went wrong on the pitching side. 187 00:09:06.080 --> 00:09:08.080 They also did really try at the deadline, I think, 188 00:09:08.120 --> 00:09:11.080 to strengthen that ballpen and it just went horribly horribly wrong. 189 00:09:11.120 --> 00:09:13.399 You know, Ryan healed, he had the worst stretch of 190 00:09:13.440 --> 00:09:15.840 his career probably as soon as he puts on a 191 00:09:15.879 --> 00:09:19.039 Mets uniform. So you can't say that they didn't try 192 00:09:19.080 --> 00:09:22.039 to strengthen that side of things. It just didn't work 193 00:09:22.080 --> 00:09:25.279 out real well for them. They were also spectacularly on clutch. 194 00:09:25.320 --> 00:09:27.960 I think the lineup was good from a you know, 195 00:09:28.000 --> 00:09:30.519 if you look at everybody's individual stats, but they didn't 196 00:09:30.559 --> 00:09:34.279 really score the number of runs you would expect from 197 00:09:34.360 --> 00:09:38.200 that collection of talent. So yeah, I don't think you 198 00:09:38.200 --> 00:09:41.080 can blame Juan Soto had an unbelievable season, especially in 199 00:09:41.080 --> 00:09:43.360 the second half. You can't blame Francisco Lindor, you know, 200 00:09:44.240 --> 00:09:47.919 thirty thirty year, I believe doing Lindor things, Pete Alonso 201 00:09:48.039 --> 00:09:50.159 bringing the homers. You know, they were all there. They're 202 00:09:50.159 --> 00:09:53.240 all hitting. It just didn't quite come together on the 203 00:09:53.240 --> 00:09:57.519 pitching side. They're getting a bit old, not the best defensively, 204 00:09:57.960 --> 00:09:59.639 And I think you just have to say that even 205 00:09:59.720 --> 00:10:01.519 through all that, it was right there for them. You know, 206 00:10:01.759 --> 00:10:03.519 it's not like they had to win a lot of games. 207 00:10:03.759 --> 00:10:06.519 Eighty four wins was all it took. The bar was 208 00:10:06.559 --> 00:10:10.120 pretty low and they couldn't manage it. So fair play 209 00:10:10.200 --> 00:10:12.320 to the Reds for hanging around in there. But I 210 00:10:12.360 --> 00:10:14.240 think if you were the Mets and somebody had said 211 00:10:14.240 --> 00:10:15.759 to you at the start of the year, you need 212 00:10:15.799 --> 00:10:17.559 eighty four wins to get into the playoffs, they would 213 00:10:17.600 --> 00:10:20.200 have been like, yeah, one hundred, no problem, We're doing that. 214 00:10:20.960 --> 00:10:23.039 Yeah. Well, most people were penciling them for ninety four, right, 215 00:10:23.080 --> 00:10:25.720 and a fight for the title. I mean, yeah, it 216 00:10:25.759 --> 00:10:27.720 just constantly felt like the Reds are going to fade away, 217 00:10:27.720 --> 00:10:30.120 the Mets will pull away, and always so close to 218 00:10:30.159 --> 00:10:31.639 the end of the season. It got the more confident 219 00:10:31.679 --> 00:10:33.039 you were, like that, it's just going to take a 220 00:10:33.080 --> 00:10:35.039 few wins here or there, they'll pull away, going to 221 00:10:35.120 --> 00:10:37.159 it's going to happen. And maybe the Mets themselves fell 222 00:10:37.159 --> 00:10:40.080 into that trap of like just assuming that that World 223 00:10:40.080 --> 00:10:42.759 card spot was there for them and it wasn't. And yeah, 224 00:10:42.840 --> 00:10:44.399 those those couple of losses tots the end of the 225 00:10:44.399 --> 00:10:47.919 season obviously proved massively important, but I mean any win 226 00:10:48.000 --> 00:10:49.799 across the course of the season would have got them in. 227 00:10:49.840 --> 00:10:51.919 So that's that's the painful part of it. Did they 228 00:10:52.000 --> 00:10:53.799 leave it too late to call up those young pictures. 229 00:10:53.600 --> 00:10:56.080 That's what I wondered, obviously, that they had so many 230 00:10:56.120 --> 00:10:57.720 issues with the rotation, but it did seem they were 231 00:10:57.720 --> 00:11:00.159 hesitant to call up some of those top guys who 232 00:11:00.159 --> 00:11:03.279 actually looked really good. Mclaimed Tom even Sproke. I think 233 00:11:03.039 --> 00:11:05.399 that decent in his short time in the major leagues. 234 00:11:05.799 --> 00:11:07.480 You know, should they have brought those guys up earlier 235 00:11:07.639 --> 00:11:10.360 and have more faith or you know, was it very 236 00:11:10.440 --> 00:11:12.639 much it's an emergency, let's just see what they've got. 237 00:11:12.639 --> 00:11:15.039 And actually they were more ready than the Mets anticipated. 238 00:11:16.480 --> 00:11:17.879 Yeah, I think they might have been a bit of 239 00:11:17.879 --> 00:11:20.360 a victim of that start. As you said, I think 240 00:11:20.399 --> 00:11:23.159 they might have just been set out so far ahead, 241 00:11:23.440 --> 00:11:26.480 and there was perhaps a little bit of temptation to say, 242 00:11:26.679 --> 00:11:28.120 you know, we don't want to start the clock on 243 00:11:28.159 --> 00:11:30.759 these guys. Maybe we think they're leading a little more time. 244 00:11:30.919 --> 00:11:34.559 Maybe we just you know, want to wait and yeah, 245 00:11:34.960 --> 00:11:37.600 we'll use them next season and you know, get an 246 00:11:37.639 --> 00:11:40.480 extra year of control. I guess there probably was that 247 00:11:40.559 --> 00:11:43.159 temptation with where they were in the standings. I'm sure 248 00:11:43.159 --> 00:11:45.039 if you'd said to David Stearns in June, do you 249 00:11:45.120 --> 00:11:49.320 need these guys? He would have said no, And yeah, 250 00:11:49.399 --> 00:11:52.159 so at the point they did need them, I think, 251 00:11:52.279 --> 00:11:54.000 you know, they made that move, and they made that 252 00:11:54.080 --> 00:11:55.799 move on all three of them as well, which is 253 00:11:55.799 --> 00:11:57.960 probably a lot more aggressive than a lot of teams 254 00:11:58.000 --> 00:12:01.919 would be. But yeah, you could you could easily argue that, 255 00:12:01.960 --> 00:12:04.679 certainly if they'd had another two or three starts from 256 00:12:04.720 --> 00:12:07.519 McLain and then they would have got that that win 257 00:12:07.639 --> 00:12:10.440 they needed that. The margins are easy to see when 258 00:12:10.440 --> 00:12:12.639 it's the end of the season and the full picture 259 00:12:12.679 --> 00:12:13.120 is then. 260 00:12:15.399 --> 00:12:18.600 It is. Yeah. Well, unfortunately for the Mets Masters, that's 261 00:12:18.600 --> 00:12:20.919 the last we're going to talk about them this season. Unfortunately, 262 00:12:20.960 --> 00:12:23.559 that's that's Curtains. But let's talk about some of the 263 00:12:23.559 --> 00:12:26.080 teams that did make it in then. And as mentioned, 264 00:12:26.120 --> 00:12:27.840 we're not necessarily going to go series by series here, 265 00:12:27.840 --> 00:12:29.600 but we'll try and touch on on a few of 266 00:12:29.639 --> 00:12:32.840 these teams. Let's let's start, I guess with a team 267 00:12:32.840 --> 00:12:35.759 that you're not necessarily rooting for. We can get to 268 00:12:35.799 --> 00:12:38.159 that later, but so a team that you're excited to 269 00:12:38.279 --> 00:12:41.159 watch or have got question marks about or keeping a 270 00:12:41.240 --> 00:12:43.159 close eye on, whether that be in this World card 271 00:12:43.240 --> 00:12:47.600 round or lurking in that divisional round waiting for them. 272 00:12:48.399 --> 00:12:52.360 I'm very interested in in the Cubs. I think the 273 00:12:52.440 --> 00:12:56.720 lineup has been excellent at points in the season, and 274 00:12:56.759 --> 00:13:01.799 then you know, we've seen the PCA collapse. Saya Suki 275 00:13:01.840 --> 00:13:06.080 had a real swoon before sort of coming around late 276 00:13:06.120 --> 00:13:08.000 in the year and then hit a home run in 277 00:13:08.039 --> 00:13:11.720 the first game against the Padres, so maybe he's coming around. 278 00:13:11.799 --> 00:13:13.799 You know. I think this lineup could be really, really 279 00:13:13.879 --> 00:13:17.039 dangerous if they can sort of all get clicking again 280 00:13:17.080 --> 00:13:19.720 at the right time, and then it's just a case of, yeah, 281 00:13:19.759 --> 00:13:23.879 can they string enough pitching together to keep the runs 282 00:13:23.879 --> 00:13:26.200 off the board, Because it would not shock me at 283 00:13:26.200 --> 00:13:29.279 all if the Cubs lineup made a run in this 284 00:13:29.360 --> 00:13:32.879 playoffs and they ended up being the most fearsome unit. 285 00:13:32.919 --> 00:13:34.879 I think they're right up there with the Yankees and 286 00:13:34.879 --> 00:13:39.559 the Dodgers as the most dangerous. So yeah, there's definitely 287 00:13:39.600 --> 00:13:44.600 some concerns there. We've seen the vulnerabilities that Cramstrong in 288 00:13:44.639 --> 00:13:48.519 particular has, and maybe other teams will find that easy 289 00:13:48.559 --> 00:13:51.840 to exploit. But they're a very good team defensively. Love 290 00:13:52.159 --> 00:13:54.440 a lot of the bats in that lineup, and it's 291 00:13:54.519 --> 00:13:57.039 just a case of, you know, can they do maybe 292 00:13:57.200 --> 00:13:58.840 like what the Rangers did a couple of years ago 293 00:13:58.879 --> 00:14:00.960 when you look at the stuff, you look at the 294 00:14:00.960 --> 00:14:03.080 ballpen especially and say, well, this is not going to 295 00:14:03.120 --> 00:14:06.039 cut it. And sometimes in the playoffs it just happens. 296 00:14:06.039 --> 00:14:07.960 You know, everybody gets hot at the right time and 297 00:14:08.080 --> 00:14:12.159 you end up putting it together. And I think another 298 00:14:12.200 --> 00:14:14.039 comp with that range of team was that they did 299 00:14:14.039 --> 00:14:18.559 have a really fantastic lineup that season. So I'm interested 300 00:14:18.600 --> 00:14:22.360 in the Cubs. They've got a lead on the Padres 301 00:14:22.360 --> 00:14:24.240 already by the time people hear this, but they may 302 00:14:24.279 --> 00:14:27.000 well already be in the next round, so I think 303 00:14:27.000 --> 00:14:28.399 there definitely wants to watch for me. 304 00:14:30.120 --> 00:14:32.279 Yeah, that first game felt big for them to get 305 00:14:32.279 --> 00:14:34.639 that win. It was their first playoff win I think 306 00:14:34.679 --> 00:14:37.919 since twenty seventeen, which is crazy to say because it 307 00:14:37.919 --> 00:14:40.960 feels like they've never you know, tanked in that period 308 00:14:40.960 --> 00:14:43.039 of been terrible, but they just, you know, constantly have 309 00:14:43.120 --> 00:14:45.159 been hovering with the playoffs and when they have gotten 310 00:14:45.200 --> 00:14:48.559 in have been unlucky or bad in the World Card round. 311 00:14:48.799 --> 00:14:50.559 And so good to see them get that win on 312 00:14:50.559 --> 00:14:52.320 the board. I think that was big and hopefully they 313 00:14:52.399 --> 00:14:55.039 can convert it against I mean a Padres team that 314 00:14:55.120 --> 00:14:57.559 is also very fun. I wouldn't hate seeing them progress 315 00:14:57.720 --> 00:15:00.120 through the playoffs. But something about I think playf it's 316 00:15:00.159 --> 00:15:02.480 what A really feeled. It just feels quite right. So 317 00:15:03.080 --> 00:15:05.279 I'll be interested to see, yeah, how far the clubs 318 00:15:05.320 --> 00:15:07.720 can go. I mean, they never really had a chance 319 00:15:07.720 --> 00:15:09.480 of catching the Brewers in the end, but that if 320 00:15:09.480 --> 00:15:11.320 those two teams meet, that feels like it would be 321 00:15:11.559 --> 00:15:13.320 a good series to keep an eye on as well. 322 00:15:15.360 --> 00:15:17.480 I'm interested to see another team in the World Cals 323 00:15:17.559 --> 00:15:19.360 Series wh've got a one noer leading and maybe you 324 00:15:19.360 --> 00:15:21.559 can close it up today. The Detroit Tigers. I think 325 00:15:21.600 --> 00:15:24.039 we probably should have talked about them in our section 326 00:15:24.080 --> 00:15:25.879 on teams that missed the playoffs, and Tigers obviously did 327 00:15:25.879 --> 00:15:28.840 make it in, but my god, did they make it hard? 328 00:15:28.879 --> 00:15:31.799 Didn't for themselves? Didn't they? They blew a fifteen and 329 00:15:31.840 --> 00:15:36.960 a half game division league, which feels almost impossible, and 330 00:15:37.000 --> 00:15:38.919 it just felt like all the momentum was failing from them, 331 00:15:38.919 --> 00:15:40.960 and I honestly, I think to just get into the 332 00:15:40.960 --> 00:15:43.159 playoffs must have felt like such a relief, because it 333 00:15:43.200 --> 00:15:44.759 would have gone down as one of the all time 334 00:15:45.200 --> 00:15:47.639 great collapses if they missed out on the postseason altogether. 335 00:15:48.360 --> 00:15:50.279 But they sneak in, and of course the way that 336 00:15:50.360 --> 00:15:52.559 it ends up working out. They play the Guardians in 337 00:15:52.559 --> 00:15:54.759 the first round, the team that snuck up and pit 338 00:15:54.840 --> 00:15:56.799 them to first place in the end, as the Guardians 339 00:15:56.840 --> 00:16:00.679 just always do negative run differential ale sex title. That's 340 00:16:00.759 --> 00:16:04.440 just the Cleveland Guardian's way, isn't it. In that series, 341 00:16:04.480 --> 00:16:06.639 I mean, it's Jesus going to be a low scoring 342 00:16:06.679 --> 00:16:08.159 series and the look of things, and these are two 343 00:16:08.240 --> 00:16:10.799 teams that have both struggled to score runs at different 344 00:16:10.799 --> 00:16:12.320 times this year. But if the Tigers, I feel like, 345 00:16:12.360 --> 00:16:15.080 can get through this, they maybe have the ingredients of 346 00:16:15.080 --> 00:16:16.679 a team that can go on a bit of a run. 347 00:16:16.759 --> 00:16:18.559 We saw that last year in October right where they 348 00:16:18.679 --> 00:16:21.240 suddenly started clicking with Scooba and the mound last night 349 00:16:21.440 --> 00:16:23.879 was at fourteen punch outs over seven and something innings. 350 00:16:24.320 --> 00:16:26.440 He is good enough to win any game for them, 351 00:16:26.480 --> 00:16:28.080 and that counts for a lot in the playoffs. And 352 00:16:28.120 --> 00:16:32.440 I think that bullpen looks good. The lineup has scuffled 353 00:16:32.440 --> 00:16:34.679 for a long time, but there's enough guys in there 354 00:16:34.759 --> 00:16:37.559 that you can maybe squint and see production. But yeah, 355 00:16:37.600 --> 00:16:39.080 some of the guys who started the year so hot 356 00:16:39.120 --> 00:16:42.720 have tailed off. But again, another team that just feels 357 00:16:42.759 --> 00:16:45.080 like now that they've got in. It's a huge sigh 358 00:16:45.080 --> 00:16:48.080 of relief. Can they convert that into a reasonable October 359 00:16:48.159 --> 00:16:52.639 run and takes momentum into into the next round. We'll see. 360 00:16:52.639 --> 00:16:54.039 I think you were going to talk about the Guardians 361 00:16:54.039 --> 00:16:56.799 and their pitiful run scoring, won't you. But yeah, they 362 00:16:56.799 --> 00:16:58.080 need to get their bat together quite quickly. 363 00:16:59.759 --> 00:17:02.720 Yeah, I mean, how is it the Guardians again? Like 364 00:17:02.960 --> 00:17:06.640 this team just will not go away. It doesn't seem 365 00:17:06.640 --> 00:17:11.599 to matter what the roster looks like. And not that 366 00:17:11.680 --> 00:17:13.440 long ago, you know, you sort of thought, oh, finally, 367 00:17:13.839 --> 00:17:16.319 the Guardians are just going to have like a seventy 368 00:17:16.359 --> 00:17:18.119 seven win season and they're not going to be any 369 00:17:18.119 --> 00:17:18.880 win in the playoffs. 370 00:17:18.920 --> 00:17:19.519 This is the year. 371 00:17:19.880 --> 00:17:21.920 We don't have to deal with this. And then they 372 00:17:21.960 --> 00:17:26.759 put off the most improbable comeback in MLB history, and 373 00:17:27.440 --> 00:17:30.759 without seemingly actually getting any better at scoring runs, just 374 00:17:30.759 --> 00:17:34.960 by conjuring up this impossible pitching stretch. I think they 375 00:17:36.000 --> 00:17:38.240 were one short of the all time record for most 376 00:17:38.279 --> 00:17:42.960 consecutive starts with two or fewer runs allowed. Of nineteen 377 00:17:43.160 --> 00:17:45.559 they put together in September, I think it was like 378 00:17:45.640 --> 00:17:48.960 the nineteen fifteen White Sox with the last team to 379 00:17:49.000 --> 00:17:53.160 be that they got twenty. They missed that well exactly. Yeah, 380 00:17:53.559 --> 00:17:55.279 dead ball times we have to roll back to to 381 00:17:55.880 --> 00:17:59.039 limit runs like this Guardians team did in September. So yeah, 382 00:17:59.079 --> 00:18:01.319 I mean, fair play to them. They've done it again. 383 00:18:01.400 --> 00:18:04.680 With the old pitching factory over there. It seems you 384 00:18:04.759 --> 00:18:07.920 still don't feel like they've quite got you know, some 385 00:18:07.960 --> 00:18:10.720 of those rotations of old But Gavin Williams has really 386 00:18:10.720 --> 00:18:13.279 come around. Tanner Biby's pitch really well lately. I believe 387 00:18:13.319 --> 00:18:17.799 he's pitching really well again right now. And then I 388 00:18:17.839 --> 00:18:21.240 almost thought last night that they were going to Guardians 389 00:18:21.279 --> 00:18:25.279 their way past Scooball, who looked absolutely dominant. You know, 390 00:18:25.359 --> 00:18:27.200 they could barely get a ball out of the infield. 391 00:18:27.240 --> 00:18:29.519 I think Kyle Manzade was the only to hit the 392 00:18:29.519 --> 00:18:33.000 ball out of the infield, and the run they did 393 00:18:33.039 --> 00:18:35.759 score was just ludicrous. I think it was like a 394 00:18:35.799 --> 00:18:39.279 forty eight mile per hour slow chopper that you know, 395 00:18:39.359 --> 00:18:42.680 the second baseman couldn't make a play on in time. 396 00:18:42.880 --> 00:18:46.000 And then a little blue hit that sort of just 397 00:18:46.119 --> 00:18:50.039 looped over Scooball's head to get the run to come in, 398 00:18:50.160 --> 00:18:52.440 and I was just like, the how are they doing this? 399 00:18:52.559 --> 00:18:56.839 Like this is the most guardian thing I've ever seen. Fortunately, 400 00:18:56.920 --> 00:18:59.720 the Tigers did eventually manage to close it out despite 401 00:18:59.720 --> 00:19:02.960