Seth Lugo vs Zach Eflin

Famous last words, but I think the offense shows up today. Hopefully Eflin and the pen show up too.

I mean we have to score a run today, right???

I'm really not a big "gotta manufacture a run!" person given how modern baseball works but the first time someone is on 3rd with less than two outs they gotta try to bunt him in just to something go through the hoop (unless they're already down by several runs)

Gotta score at least one to have a chance at winning.

I'm really not a big "gotta manufacture a run!" person given how modern baseball works but the first time someone is on 3rd with less than two outs they gotta try to bunt him in just to something go through the hoop (unless they're already down by several runs)

 

In the playoffs all bets are off. Runs are at a premium. Get that run in however you can.

I guess the lineup decisions are Mountcastle/O'Hearn at 1B/DH or O'Hearn/Kjerstad, and Urias/Westburg at 3B/2B or Westburg/Holliday.  I think they'll go with choice #1 for both.

Holliday shouldn't see an AB in the playoffs. 

When the plate ump makes it blatantly obvious in the first inning that pitchers don't have to leave anything in the meat of the zone, I think it would be smart to adapt a little. Can't wait for meatballs that aren't coming and then have to chase with 2 strikes.

O'Hearn replaces McCann and otherwise I'd use the same hitters as yesterday.  Move O'Hearn to the middle and Rutschman to the bottom third (preferably 9th but I can't imagine them even batting him as low as 7th).

When the plate ump makes it blatantly obvious in the first inning that pitchers don't have to leave anything in the meat of the zone, I think it would be smart to adapt a little. Can't wait for meatballs that aren't coming and then have to chase with 2 strikes.

 

They did.  After the first inning when anything remotely close was being called a strike they started swinging early and often. 

We swung at too many balls that were not even borderline. Horrible ABs yesterday for the most part. I wont hear the ump defense for their poor approach and swing decisions yesterday

Btw these umps are the "choosen ones". They have to find a way to get automated strike zone implemented sooner rather than later. They can already get the balls on and off the plate accurately in real time. At minimum there needs to be a challenge system for the horizontal strike zone implemented for '25

We swung at too many balls that were not even borderline. Horrible ABs yesterday for the most part. I wont hear the ump defense for their poor approach and swing decisions yesterday

 

You'll hear it from me.  Pitches two balls outside, inside, and high were being called strikes.  We didn't get a low strike called against us until Adley in the 9th, but Burnes got a couple low calls.  It was as big of a strike zone as I recall all season long.

 

If you have to cover an extra 3 or 4 inches, then breaking stuff and changeups that start a ball outside are going to look laughably unhittable by the time they finish breaking but you had to start swinging sooner b/c that's a strike if its a fastball.  

 

Burnes was going to be great even with a normal strike zone yesterday, he was living on the black and not really making much useof the extra space he was being given.  But Ragans was getting calls further outside the zone.  Maybe if it was an honest strike zone he'd have been able to bring it in and still have success just like Burnes, he seemed in complete control, but he never had to try because of the ump.

O'Hearn replaces McCann and otherwise I'd use the same hitters as yesterday. Move O'Hearn to the middle and Rutschman to the bottom third (preferably 9th but I can't imagine them even batting him as low as 7th).

Sounds like a good lineup to me

Gotta drop Adley to the seven spot.

To say that He is struggling is an understatement.

FWIW, the ump scorecard page gave yesterday's ump a very good score overall. 

FWIW, the ump scorecard page gave yesterday's ump a very good score overall. 

 

I'd say it was consistent.  But he called several pitches well outside the zone early.  O's started swinging at those pitches after that.

You'll hear it from me. Pitches two balls outside, inside, and high were being called strikes. We didn't get a low strike called against us until Adley in the 9th, but Burnes got a couple low calls. It was as big of a strike zone as I recall all season long.

If you have to cover an extra 3 or 4 inches, then breaking stuff and changeups that start a ball outside are going to look laughably unhittable by the time they finish breaking but you had to start swinging sooner b/c that's a strike if its a fastball.

Burnes was going to be great even with a normal strike zone yesterday, he was living on the black and not really making much useof the extra space he was being given. But Ragans was getting calls further outside the zone. Maybe if it was an honest strike zone he'd have been able to bring it in and still have success just like Burnes, he seemed in complete control, but he never had to try because of the ump.

His strike zone was not Eric Gregg 1997 Braves-Marlins. It wasnt egregious. Regardless, there were times where we got into a favorable count and still had horrible ABs. Tony swung at clear ball 4 and ball 5 in one AB. In the AB in the 8th he worked a 2-0 count and then took a horrible swing at a pithers pitch in a hitters count and grounded weakly to Witt. McCanns first AB he works the count full and swings at strike 3 in his eyes. His 2nd AB he flails at 2 pitches not even close. Cowser it felt like swung at every first pitch. Mounty dont even get me started on that guy. Ced and Westy had good ABs. Gunnar wasnt horrible. Thats it

His strike zone was not Eric Gregg 1997 Braves-Marlins. It wasnt egregious. Regardless, there were times where we got into a favorable count and still had horrible ABs. Tony swung at clear ball 4 and ball 5 in one AB. In the AB in the 8th he worked a 2-0 count and then took a horrible swing at a pithers pitch in a hitters count and grounded weakly to Witt. McCanns first AB he works the count full and swings at strike 3 in his eyes. His 2nd AB he flails at 2 pitches not even close. Cowser it felt like swung at every first pitch. Mounty dont even get me started on that guy. Ced and Westy had good ABs. Gunnar wasnt horrible. Thats it

 

Don't think it was all on the ump, but its a lot easier to have good at bats when you know the zone is being called honestly and it wasn't.  It was shown to them that it'd be much bigger than usual in the first inning and they had to adjust to cover more.  They chased some in hitters counts and made some other mistakes, but the ump made it harder than usual.

FWIW, the ump scorecard page gave yesterday's ump a very good score overall.

Im not sure if the umpscorecard gives the umps a buffer zone like MLB does or not. MLB has a thing where the ump can miss a pitch if its within a certain zone close to the actual zone and they dont get dinged for it.