MLB

2012 MLB Playoffs: 10/11/12

189 Comments

Noon: SF (Cain) @ Cincinnati (Latos) [Game 5. Series tied 2-2]
3:00 PM St. Louis (Lohse) @ Washington (Detwiler) [Game 4. StL leads 2-1]
6:30 PM Baltimore (Saunders) @ New York (Hughes) [Game 4. NYY leads 2-1]
8:30 PM Detroit (Verlander) @ Oakland (Parker) [Game 5. Series tied 2-2]

189 thoughts on “2012 MLB Playoffs: 10/11/12”

  4. Game 5 of a possible miracle comeback by the Giants, and it starts at 10 a.m. SF time. Nice.

  12. So cool - the Reds radio guys just talked to Jon Miller from the SF feed. You could clearly hear Miller. I imagined it like when TV characters reach across the split screen.

  15. Giants flashing the leather all over the place. Reds have had plenty of chances, but the Giants keep surviving.

    2. I think it's hilarious that the Gameday graphic of reds stadium looks like the place is half empty because a bunch of virtual fans are wearing red.

  17. w00t! a cold beer and a baseball game before bed time. Mags, I was in Belfast this evening and stopped in to the bookmaker no word on odds for the WS yet.

  24. Wow. This is the first time a team won three consecutive road games while facing elimination, correct? Also, the Reds outscored the Giants 22-18 in the series.

    1. In the postseason? Maybe. The current DS setup was used from 1995-1998 for the DS and 1969-1984 for the LCS. I'm guessing it's happened before.

      1. I may have missed a series, but I didn't see any road team winning the final three games for the series with a 2-3 setup.

    2. I'd be more impressed if it was the first time a team had ever had a road sweep. HFA in baseball is not all it's cracked up to be.

    3. I heard that only three teams before these Gints came back to play a fifth game after losing the first two at home. Only the 2001 Yankees won their series (Because Jeremy Giambi didn't slide). Only the 1984 (or thereabouts) Brewers had to play the fifth game on the road.

        1. Going back:
          2012 Giants (Beat Reds 3-2)
          2010 Twins (swept by NYY)
          2008 Angels (lost to BoSox 3-1)
          2007 Phillies (swept by Rox)
          2006 Padres (lost to Cards 3-1)
          2006 Twins (swept by As)
          2004 Angels (swept by BoSox)
          2002 DBacks (swept by Cards)
          2001 Yanks (won over As)
          2001 Astros (swept by Atlanta)
          2000 Sox (swept by Ms)
          1997 Ms (Lost to Os 3-1)
          1996 Dodgers (swept by Atlanta)
          1995 Rox (lost to Atlanta 3-1)
          1996 Dodgers (swept by Reds)
          1984 Royals (swept by Tigers)
          1981 Brewers (lost to Yankees 3-2)
          1981 Royals (Swept by As)
          1979 Reds (Swept by Pirates)
          1978 Phillies (Lost to Dodgers 3-1)
          1976 Phillies (Swept by Reds)
          1974 Pirates (Lost 3-1 to Dodgers)
          1970 Twins (Swept by Os)
          1970 Pirates (Swept by Reds)

          And I'll stop there. No 5-game series played after 1984 until 1995.
          1970-1984 is fifteen years, two LCS each, plus four LDS in 1984: 34 series, 9 teams lost first two at home
          1995-2012 is 18 years, four LDS each year: 72 series, 15 teams lost first two at home. So, about 20-25% of series.

          1. Considering that all the teams are pretty evenly matched (supported by ~25% of the away teams winning the first two games of the series), we would expect about 1 in 8 teams to come back when they are down 0-2. That'd be 3 teams out of 24, and now there have been 2, not really remarkable one way or another.

  33. The last four games have featured three walkoffs. In the other game, the go-ahead run was at the plate for the final two plate appearances.

  35. I think the reaction of the Cardinals bullpen is the best part. They all see the ball coming right at them and none of them even flinch.

  36. Joe Girardi is such an unlikably obnoxious human being. He might rival LaRussa for smugness.

      1. He could scrape by allowing 3 runs in 5 innings while pitching around 9 baserunners and get the win causing the Twins to sign him to a 2 year, $12 million deal this offseason?

      1. Obviously the Jeter strikeout had the Yankees reeling. Defeat the captain, defeat the team.

  51. Only Jeter could go apeshit about getting called out on a pitch right down the middle.

  52. So if the Orioles win this thing, every DS goes to the full five games. Has that ever happened?*

    * - yes, I could search this, but I'm on Easy Bake Oven duty with my daughter

    1. Last year was one game short of the maximum. That's also the closest it's ever been. I see a few that were two games short.

      1. And I'll say the same thing I said last year: it's a lot more likely when the Twins aren't in the DS because it takes away a guaranteed sweep.

    3. In 2009 and 2007, they were one game over the minimum. Just more proof the Yankees or Red Sox winning is bad for baseball.

      1. And if all series don't go to 5 games, it will have been the Yankees that effed it up! QED

  53. After his "performance" in 2009, I still can't believe Luis Ayala is still in the majors.

  54. Will Girardi pinch hit for Arod? Then pinch hit for his pinch hitter? That would be pure genius!

    Also, hi everybody!

  55. Wow. I thought for sure they'd walk Arod. I guess neither manager thinks much of his clutchiness.

  58. This Yanks-O's series reminds me of a Wolves playoff series in the late 90s (was it against the Blazers) where they got swept 3-0 but were trailing for about 4 minutes total in the series in the fourth quarter.

    1. Who plays SS now for the Yanks now that RAÚL IBAÑEZ didn't score?
      If Jeter goes to SS, Yanks lose DH and RAÚL IBAÑEZ.

    1. Yeah, his home run prowess didn't count for much when he wasn't given a fastball right down the middle.

      1. Three-pitch inning, three pitch inning, three pitch inning, three pitch inning, three pitch inning....

  66. If the Os get out of this inning, Lew Ford is due up fifth in the 11th.
    If RAÚL IBAÑEZ can be last night's hero, why not Lew?

  70. Holy crap. I never knew there was an ump right there during the Maier debacle.

    ROBOT UMPS NOW!

    1. Yeah, it was a really bad call considering the ump should have clearly seen how far he reached over the wall.

      1. Yup, Mauer with Pauer's single snapped his bat in half and the barrel went all the way to the mound hitting Joba in the back/elbow.

        1. David Phelps celebrated his 26th birthday on Tuesday! Happy birthday, David! If you let Wieters score, it's Joba's loss, not yours.

  72. Phelps's terrible pick-off throw there was a balk. He didn't lift his back leg off the rubber before the move.

  78. This has been a pretty good week to spend my last week unemployed. I've been able to sit around beginning around noon and just watch baseball for 12 hours a day.

    1. If not for the playoffs, my unemployment would have ended with me an emotional wreck. But I have no job (yet). Second interview for one job tomorrow. It's not the greatest, but it's work.

      1. Good luck. This will be my first full-time gig since I started law school three years ago, but I stopped working part-time in June, so it'll be good to start pulling my weight again (although having Sheenie as a sugar-momma isn't the worst thing in the world!).

  88. And there's the stat from Smoltz I dread hearing:
    Yanks 4-0 in last 4 ALDS's against the Twins
    Yanks 0-5 in last 4 ALDS's against all other teams

    2. It's either Verlander or Valverde. I think everyone would take Verlander until his arm falls off.

    1. That was the takeaway from the game I went to a couple weeks ago. There's no one I'd rather have pitching for me given a one game, winner take all situation.

      1. Not even Pedro in his prime?

        What? No, I'm not still irked for whatever strange reason that someone picked Josh Beckett over him for Game 7.

          2. Right, it was just what popped into my head at the time. I think I would pick Strasburg if I only needed six innings.

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