[Official] Astros vs. Yankees ALCS

Tanka's ERA is like 4.45 in the regular season. It's not like he is a dominate pitcher. Great teams make adjustments... and I think we do tonight.

 

I'm usually a positive poster on the Astros but in this pitching set up I keep thinking about the worst case scenario. I would think we all agree in an elimination game we'd want either Verlander or Cole pitching. Game 5 can't be an elimination game for Houston but game 6 can be and we're giving that game to the bullpen. Astros win today and I'm all for Verlander pitching Friday to close this out.

 

It’s a 3 at Yankee stadium but I still think we should get to him

 

He has a 1.32 ERA over 7 career playoff starts, though. (src) Not to be taken lightly. That said, the Astros ought to be able to adjust. He doesn't look unhittable. The Astros have gotten better at the plate with each game since they shat the bed against him in Game 1. Gotta draw blood early if at all possible.

 

Past prime Biggio... ultra-prime Berkman having likely the most dominant season of his career (in his first full year, nonetheless).

But yes, the late 90's team playoff failures carried over to this team. Wasn't till 2004 where Berkman was fully ensconced as the best hitter when the tide started to turn. Berkman's playoff numbers as an Astro are extremely impressive/often overlooked thanks to guys like Beltran, Kent's walkoff, Burke's walkoff, Pujols HR, Lidge meltdown.

 

I think everyone thinks that’s Hinch’s plan... Hinch isn’t tipping his pitch yet. Verlander game 5 is the plan until it’s not.

We lose today and the plan changes.

 

We most likely split these last two games there. Zack and JV...plus our bats will come alive sooner or later.

The Astros stand a decent chance of winning tonight....

The Yankees came in hot, and since then we've imposed our will on them.

This series is right where we want it.

 

Get this win tonight and it will make our road to the World Series that much easier. Oh, I forgot the road is home.

Go Astros!

 

Let’s gooooooo!!!!!!! I’m ready

 

I'm worried about Grienkie and his anxiety. There is a reason why he has a no trade clause to the Yankees. Look at his era in Yankee stadium. He has a 9.74 era with 5 starts. Scary.

 

Time for Greinke to show everyone this isn't just the Verlander-Cole show.

 

It's Greinke, Verlander, Bullpen, Cole. Barring injuries or something else really weird, nothing is going to change that, regardless of how these games play out. Everything lines up perfectly for the Astros as-is and the rainout was super-helpful by getting Verlander to Friday, meaning he could pitch Game 2 of the World Series. Astros aren't going to push Verlander back and increase their chances of being down 3-2 and also screw up that World Series rotation. They aren't going to push a bullpen game forward to game 5 because they are scared of using them in game 6. And Cole isn't pitching on 3 days' rest to pitch a game 6 if they are down, given they'd still need him for game 7. There's simply no benefit to the Astros to mess with any of these things. Fans may make crazy decisions out of fear of the worst, but I promise you the Astros are not scared of using Verlander in Game 5 or the bullpen in game 6.

 

I can’t believe no one has pointed out the obvious benefit of JV pitching Game 5. If he pitches Friday he can pitch Game 2 of the WS. If he pitches Game 6 Saturday then he can’t go until Game 3, which means Greinke pitches Game 2. Also, we want Greinke pitching in the NL Park in Game 3. Pitching JV in Game 5 also gives you a much better chance to win a game in a hostile environment. Also, if JV is held until Saturday and you lose Games 4 and 5 then Greinke is pitching Game 1 of the WS since Cole will have to go in Game 7. This is very much about trying to win the ALCS as soon as possible and avoid a Game 7, and to set up the pitching for the WS.

It’s really not even debatable.

 

People need to stop making up bizarre reasons for things. Greinke also has a no-trade clause to the Padres, Angels, Reds, Rockies, Tigers, Cardinals, Dodgers, and a bunch of other teams. Players use partial no-trade clauses for all sorts of reasons, and one of them is to make it a full no-trade-clause by trying to list all the teams you think are most likely to trade for you. Yankees and Red Sox are almost certainly two of those. He's pitched all over MLB - pretty sure anxiety is not stopping him.

 

Well he definitely has anxiety issues if you see any of his interviews it's glaringly obvious and he has a 9.75 era in the Bronx with 5 games as a sample size and his post season era in general is bad so that is enough for me to worry. It seems like extra loud environments found in post season games gets to him.

Anyways, the way I see it, there is more pressure on the Yankees today because they know this is one of the few games if the only one where they have the pitching advantage. It would be more devistating for them to lose this game because then they would have to sweep Verlander and Cole.

 

I wasn’t really all that disappointed with Greinke’s last outing, but I really want to see him shut down the Yankees here. The Astros got him to have a 3rd hammer in the postseason, he definitely has not been that.

Hopefully Astros hitters adjust and get to Tanaka as well. They haven’t really had a breakout game yet and I think they’re due.

 

LOL. He's a hall-of-fame pitcher that excelled in MLB for something like 15 years. Pretty sure he has won a lot of games in loud environments. He's on the autism spectrum and doesn't particularly like talking to people - that has nothing to with pitching.

 

Well he's 3-6 in the postseason with a almost 5 era and has a 9.75 era in the Bronx for his career. Those are some troubling numbers.

 

He has a 4.58 ERA in his posteason career with a 1.148WHIP.

His first start at Yankee stadium was as a 21 year old and he posted a 5.80 ERA that year. That also includes once out of the bullpen where he failed to get an out. Since becoming an established MLB starter. One bad and one good.