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Post by kaybli on Oct 26, 2024 12:26:30 GMT -5
Like I said before, Champions get tested. Let's see what we're made of! Let's go Yankees! Let's go Rodon!
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Post by chiyankee on Oct 26, 2024 13:14:20 GMT -5
We need more from a certain superstar.
We need to play better defense.
We need some more hits with RISP
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Post by inger on Oct 26, 2024 13:59:20 GMT -5
We need more from a certain superstar. We need to play better defense. We need some more hits with RISP Your wish shall be the Yankees’ command… |
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Post by chiyankee on Oct 26, 2024 15:52:41 GMT -5
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Post by chiyankee on Oct 26, 2024 15:58:44 GMT -5
Jazz needs to get on first base more often.
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Post by JEGnj on Oct 26, 2024 17:14:50 GMT -5
Shake off last night. Tie it up 1-1 and back to the Bronx.
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Post by qwik3457bb on Oct 26, 2024 17:38:43 GMT -5
We need more from a certain superstar. We need to play better defense. We need some more hits with RISP Uhhh...yeah. All of this. |
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Post by qwik3457bb on Oct 26, 2024 17:39:08 GMT -5
The Dodgers look to double their lead to 2-0 in the World Series by sending current ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto to the mound. The big money free agent rookie signee from Japan was terrific in his first 13 starts, the last of the 13 being against the Yanks at the Stadium in June. I recapped his career to that point for the game thread for that game, so no need to re-hash. In that start against the Yanks, Yamamoto shut the Yanks down cold for 7 innings, allowing just 2 hits and 2 BB with 7 K’s, and the Dodgers held on after he left for a 2-1 win. But in winning that game, Yamamoto threw harder than usual. He came into that game averaging about 95 on his fastball, and in that start against the Yanks, he threw 54 four-seamers and 8 sinkers. Of the sinkers, five were 98. Of the four-seamers, 33 were 97 mph, and 12 were 98; he averaged 97 on both pitches, 2 mph above his season’s average. I don’t know if throwing consistently much harder against the Yankees played a role, but his next start had to be pushed back 2-3 days, and when he started against the Royals, he had to be taken out of the game after just 2 innings and 28 pitches with what was then described as tightness in his right biceps. A week later, that was changed to tightness in his right shoulder. He was on the IL for almost two months and came back in late August to make two rehab starts at AAA. On September 10th, the Dodgers activated Yamamoto, and he went on to make four brief starts down the stretch. Two good 4-inning starts followed by a poor 3-inning start and an OK 5-inning start. He was 1-0 in the 4 starts with an ERA of 3.38, but more importantly, in 16 innings, he’d struck out 21 and walked 5, so the Dodgers put him back into the rotation for the post-season.
He struggled in game 1 of the ALDS against the Padres, allowed 5 hits, 5 earned runs, 1 HR and 2 BB, while striking out just 2 in just 3 innings, leaving the Dodgers in a 5-3 hole when he was lifted; the Dodgers rallied and won 7-5. In game 5, he matched up against Yu Darvish and was brilliant, going 5 shutout innings, allowing just 2 hits and a BB, striking out 2, and the Dodgers held on for a 2-0 win, winning the series. Against the Mets in game 4 of the NLCS, he pitched well, but didn’t make it through 5 innings, lasting 4 1/3, allowing 4 hits, 2 earned runs, 1 HR, 1 BB and striking out 8. He left the game with the Dodgers holding a 3-run lead, and they poured it on to win 10-2. On the regular season, Yamamoto was 7-2 with a 3.00 ERA in 18 starts. In 90 innings, he allowed 78 hits, 32 runs, 30 earned, just 7 HR, and 22 BB, while striking out 105. His WHIP for the season was an excellent 1.111. If Yamamoto had enough innings to qualify, he’d have been 5th in the NL in ERA, 7th in WHIP, 10th in fewest H/9 innings, 5th fewest HR per 9, 10th in fewest BB per 9, and 4th in K/9 innings, and 5th in K/BB ratio. In sum, Yamamoto essentially had half a season that would’ve landed him in the top 5 in the Cy Young voting. In the playoffs, he’s 1-0 with 2 no-decisions in 3 starts. He's thrown 12 1/3 innings, allowing 11 hits, 7 runs (earned), 2 HR, 4 BB and struck out 11. His ERA is 5.11; his WHIP is 1.216. The start he made against the Yankees in June is the only time he’s faced him before tonight. It’s just one game, but his ERA against the Yanks is 0.00; the WHIP is 0.571 and the team quadruple slash line against him in just 25 batters is .087/.160/.130/.290.
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Post by qwik3457bb on Oct 26, 2024 17:40:41 GMT -5
Repertoire: What Yamamoto was throwing in the regular season doesn’t matter much; it seems to me what he’s throwing and how he’s throwing in the playoffs matters more. Even in the last 4 regular season starts, what he was throwing doesn’t matter all that much either, as he was using it as a short spring training to get ready for the post-season. But what he’s throwing in his three playoff starts matters, because we can be sure he was giving the Dodgers the best he had each time out.
In his three playoff starts, Yamamoto has thrown 60, 63 and 73 pitches, so it looks like the Dodgers are trying to stretch him out slowly at “full speed”. Of the 196 pitches, the mix is: 86 4-seamers (44%) averaging 95.8 (I should note that he averaged 95.5 in the first game against San Diego, and 95.0 in game 4 against the Mets, but humped up to an average of 96.7 in the deciding game 5 against the Padres.), 33 splitters (17%) averaging 91.7 (threw them hard in the game 1 against the Padres than in game 5, slowed them down further in his game against the Mets). 34 curves (17%) averaging 77.8 (again, slowing down slightly from start to start). 25 sliders (13%) averaging 86.2 (he used more than twice as many sliders against the Mets than the Padres, and dropped the velocity against the Mets by 2 mph as well for more break), 17 cutters (9%) averaging 92.0 (again doubling their use vs. the Mets, and again cutting the velocity by about 2 mph for more break), and one lonely little sinker against Mets, with huge tail at 91.3, probably a waste pitch. In general, in these three games, the velocity was higher on all pitches except the curve vs. the Padres, it was down on all pitches except the splitter against the Mets. His spin rate was up on all his pitches especially his splitter, giving it more tail in on righties and away from lefties. He got better rise and run on the FB vs. the Metes but less drop on the slider and curve.
Yamamoto’s average exit velocity on 45 balls in play in the three games was 89.8, above his season average of 88.4. He had just 5 swings and misses in 60 pitches in game 1 of the NLDS, 4 whiffs on 63 pitches in game 5, and 16 whiffs in 73 pitches against the Mets. All told 25 whiffs on 196 pitches. He had 6, 8, and 12 called strikes, and his CSW numbers were 18, 19 and 38, for a total of 26.0% well below his season average of 30.4%. He’s being pulled more, but it’s almost all on the ground. His groundball rate is near 60% in the 3 playoff starts and his line drive rate is below 10% a very low figure. He’s been lucky with BABIP so far, but not in strand rate and HR/FB percentage, mainly because he’s allowed 2 HR with few flyballs. I can’t find playoff run values where I usually look for them.
It seems that Yamamoto traded some velocity for spin and movement except in the elimination game 5 against the Padres, where he humped his FB up to a 97 average and threw 5 great innings. What he’ll do tonight with a 1-0 lead in the series…I don’t know. Probably try to pitch the Yanks the way he pitched them at the Stadium in June, if he can.
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Post by qwik3457bb on Oct 26, 2024 17:43:21 GMT -5
Playing the Name Game: There just isn’t one here. No other Yoshinobus and just one other Yamamoto: Jordan. I put all that info here, including a brief blurb about Japanese Imperial Navy Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto:
First Yamamoto Name Game in June
Thinking that the Yanks would try to "kill" Yamamoto tonight before he "kills" them, I tried looking up what was happening in MLB on the day Admiral Yamamoto was killed by U.S. Navy fighter planes April 18, 1943, (Oh, Ugh! That’s awful.  For that one, I ban myself from the game thread for 1 minute and 49 seconds...),
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Post by qwik3457bb on Oct 26, 2024 17:45:40 GMT -5
…OK, I’m back….
but no MLB players were born or died on that day, and, believe it or not, 81 years ago, the season didn’t start until well into April, April 22nd in fact, a couple of days after that date. So, I’m at a loss for ideas here.
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Post by qwik3457bb on Oct 26, 2024 17:46:54 GMT -5
Carlos Rodon will try to even up the series for the Yanks today. Rodon was 16-9 in the regular season with an ERA of 3.96. He was healthy enough to make 32 starts, and managed to top 175 innings for just the 2nd time in his 10 year career. He allowed 157 hits, 81 runs, 77 earned, 31 HRs, 57 BB and 195 K’s, with a WHIP of 1.223. I’ve been mentioning how he was high in the league leaders for wins, K’s and K per 9 innings, but also near the very top in HR allowed and HR allowed per 9 innings. In his three playoff starts, he came out like a ball of fire in game 2 against the Royals, but punched himself out by the 4th inning, getting knocked out allowing 4 runs in 3 2/3 and taking the loss. In game 1 of the ALCS against the Guardians, he maintained his poise and command, and threw 6 brilliant innings of 1 run ball, allowing just 3 hits including a solo HR and struck out 9, getting the W in a 5-2 Yankees win. In game 5, he was solid, but lasted just 4 2/3 innings, giving up 5 hits, 2 runs (earned), 0 HR, 1 BB and struck out 6, getting a no-decision in the Yanks’ series-clinching 5-2 win. For the three starts combined, Rodon is 1-1 with an ERA of 4.40. In 14 1/3 innings, he’s allowed 15 hits, 7 runs (earned), 2 HR, just 1 BB and struck out 22. The Yanks need him to go at least 5 and give up no more than 2-3 runs.
Against the Dodgers in his career, Rodon has done OK, considering the Dodgers have won their division every year but one since Carlos got the majors. In 5 starts, he’s 1-2 with a 4.50 ERA. In 28 innings, he’s allowed 23 hits, 14 runs (earned), 6 HR, 14 BB and struck out 26. His WHIP against LA is a mediocre 1.321, and their team quadruple slash line against him is .226/.319/.480/.799. Too many homers, as usual. In the postseason for his whole career, Rodon is now 1-2 with an ERA of 5.82. In 4 starts and 1 relief appearance, he’s pitched 17 innings, allowing 19 hits, 11 runs (earned), 2 HR, and 5 walks, but has struck out 25. His WHIP in the postseason is a poor 1.412. This is his first postseason start against the Dodgers and his first start in a World Series game.
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Post by qwik3457bb on Oct 26, 2024 17:48:30 GMT -5
Yankees' lineup vs. Yamamoto:
1. Torres (2B) is 0-2 with 1 BB and 1 K
2. Soto (RF) hasn’t faced Yamamoto
3. Judge (CF) is 1-2 with 1 double and 1 BB
4. Stanton (DH) is 0-3 with 2 K
5. Chisholm (3B) is 1-4 with a solo HR
6. Rizzo (1B) is 0-3
7. Volpe (SS) is 0-3 with 1 K
8. Wells (C) has never faced Yamamoto
9. Verdugo (LF) is 0-3 with 1 K.
On the bench: Grisham is 1-2; Trevino is 0-2 with a K
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Dodgers’ lineup vs. Rodon (They moved righties Teoscar Hernandez and Edman up, dropped lefties Freeman and Muncy down, and benched Lux for Rojas.):
1. Ohtani (DH) is 1-3 with a 3-run HR, 3 BB and 1 K
2. Betts (RF) is 1-19 with a double, 1 BB and 4 K
3. T. Hernandez (LF) is 1-9 with 3 K
4. Freeman (1B) is 1-7 with a solo HR, 2 BB and 1 K
5. Edman (SS) is 2-6 with a solo HR and a K
6. E. Hernandez (CF) is 3-6, the three hits are ALL solo HRs (!!), 1 BB and 1 K
7. Muncy (3B) is 0-4 with 1 BB and 1 K
8. Smith (C) is 1-8 with 1 double, 1 BB and 2 K
9. Rojas (2B) is 1-4 with 1 double
On the Bench: Taylor is 5-9 with 2 doubles, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 BB and 1 K (surprised Roberts isn’t giving him a look, maybe at 3rd for Muncy); Barnes is 0-6 with 1 BB, 2 K and 1 GIDP
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Post by qwik3457bb on Oct 26, 2024 17:50:09 GMT -5
In the World Series game 1 yesterday: the Yanks nearly stole the game from the Dodgers in LA, if not for a few poor defensive plays and one poor managing decision by Boone. Staters Cole and Flaherty traded zeros for the first 4 ½ innings, but the Dodgers broke through in the 5th on a double to the RF corner by Kike Hernandez that Soto tried to make a late lunging catch for, couldn’t catch up to it, and it bounced around for a 1-out triple. Had he played it conservatively, he probably would’ve been able to hold it to a double. Will Smith got enough of a pitch to hit a fly to Soto in medium right, and Hernandez tagged and beat Soto's throw home to give the Dodgers a 1-0 lead. The Yanks answered in the 6th when Soto lead off with a line single to deep right center, and after Judge struck out, Stanton hit a moon shot just to the fair side of the LF foul pole to give the Yanks a 2-1 lead. The Yanks then got two on with two out, and nearly added to their lead when Wells hit a hard grounder up the middle, but Edman dove to his left to grab it. He didn’t have a play, but it kept Chisholm from scoring and Banda K’d Verdugo to keep it a 2-1 game. The Dodgers equalized in the 8th when Ohtani hit a 1-out double off the top of the wall in right center, and the throw back in short-hopped Gleyber Torres and got away from him for what was eventually scored an error on the throw by Soto, allowing Ohtani to get to 3rd. Weaver came in to try to save the lead, but Betts lined a pitch to pretty deep left center; Judge went back and caught up to it, but had no play on Ohtani, and the game was tied. The Yanks nearly took the lead in the 9th when Torres doubled to deep left center; it looked like he’d homered at first, but it was clear that a fan reached out over the wall to catch it, preventing the ball from staying in play, and the ump swiftly ruled fan interference (correctly) and placed Torres at 2nd with a ground-rule double. After an IBB to Soto, Judge struck out again in a key spot, and it stayed 2-2. Weaver got the Dodgers 1-2-3 in the 9th, and the game went to extra innings.
In the top of the 10th, the Yanks broke through on Dodgers’ closer Treinen. Chisholm lined a 1-out single to right and after he stole 2nd, LA gave Rizzo a free pass. While Volpe was batting, Chisholm stole 3rd, forcing the Dodgers to pull the infield to try and cut off the go-ahead run. Volpe hit a sharp grounder to the left of 2nd that was probably a 6-6-3 DP ball if the infield was at double play depth, but Edman had to dive to grab it and by the time he pulled himself together to make a play, it was too late to double up Volpe, and they had to settle for the force on Rizzo as Chisholm came flying home with the go-ahead run. Volpe then stole 2nd, but Wells was caught looking. In the bottom of the 10th, the Yanks went to Jake Cousins and his killer slider to try to close it out, but after getting a fly to fair deep right by Smith, he made a the terrible mistake of not challenging Lux, and walked him on 5 pitches. Edman hit a grounder to the right of 2nd, and Cabrera couldn’t handle. A tough play with an XBA of .420, but a good 2nd baseman gets at least a force on that one. Cabrera got nothing on that play and it went as an infield single, putting runners at 1st and 2nd with and 1 out, and Boone couldn’t wait any longer, he had to bring a lefty for Ohtani. Faced with the choice of Tim Hill, who allows contact but who had pitched well for the Yanks in the regular season and had seen plenty of good playoff innings already, and Nestor Cortes, who hadn’t pitched in a month or more but had very good records against both Ohtani and Betts, Boone made the 2nd big mistake of bringing in Cortes. Ohtani went after the first pitch, a FB above and inside of middle, and was late and under, hitting a foul pop near the kick wall corner in foul ground behind 3rd. Verdugo came racing in and over and made a tremendous full-speed running catch, but his momentum forced him to tumble into the stands, which, by rule, awarded the runners a base, moving them up to 2nd and 3rd with 2 down. Boone made the “book” move and walked the righty Betts to pitch to the lefty Freeman, and it immediately backfired catastrophically: one first pitch FB thigh-high on the inside corner later, right in the infamous “drop the bat happy zone” for lefty power hitters, and Freeman hit a near-ultimate HR, a walk-off grand slam in a World Series game, bringing a team from behind to win. Yanks go from one out away from a tough, hard-earned win against a tough team in their park and taking back the homefield advantage in the first game of the series to down in the Series, 1-0. Sigh. So many things went right for them last night, and they still made enough mistakes to lose.
And, at 8:08 pm at Dodgers Stadium, it’s Rodon vs. Yamamoto. See you then.
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Post by JEGnj on Oct 26, 2024 18:14:42 GMT -5
I hope they come out swinging because I'm not feeling confident.
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For that one, I ban myself from the game thread for 1 minute and 49 seconds...),