Looking at the Yankee SP Split, a few things caught my attention.

-Cole is a reverse splits guy this season. This isn't the case for most of his career. I'll have to look to see what he's doing well vs lefties or less well vs righties.
-Cortes was a reverse splits guy last season, but this year is very very good against lefties.
-Sevy is pretty even this year, but in the past lefties hit him.
-Tailon just kinda sucks. We better rock him.

amercer said:

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All this positivity makes me uncomfortable. Yankees were the best team in baseball for a long stretch of the season and literally no one is picking them.

Don't love it

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I get the trepidation but check that BAS (Battered Astro Syndrome) at the door. Whatever happens happens, but we have been the better team this year.

Not saying the Jankess don't have a punchers chance, because they obviously do. But if our pitching is on point this series and beyond, there's no one that can beat us

padres coulda shoulda won last night, but they didn't

anything can happen

amercer said:

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All this positivity makes me uncomfortable. Yankees were the best team in baseball for a long stretch of the season and literally no one is picking them.

Don't love it

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They were never the best team. Having the best record is a different thing altogether.

I think that's my point. Playoffs are a coin toss. 99% of people calling heads doesn't work out.

Will feel a lot better once the Astros win game one.

Farmer1906 said:

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amercer said:

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All this positivity makes me uncomfortable. Yankees were the best team in baseball for a long stretch of the season and literally no one is picking them.

Don't love it

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That team doesn't exist anymore.

Go look at the bullpen. It's gone.

They went 23-31 in July & Aug.

They snuck by the Guardians and their anemic offense.

But its the playoffs. Who the hell knows?

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In reality, you have to be careful with Judge and you can't put a low mistake to Stanton. Outside of that, you can be got, but you can handle them.

They've really only scored on HRs, so limit the walks.

amercer said:

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All this positivity makes me uncomfortable. Yankees were the best team in baseball for a long stretch of the season and literally no one is picking them.

Don't love it

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I think your overlooking the ramifications of playing a 5 game series with an already crap BP.

Also overlooking the Cole won't go until GM 3 and Cortez not until GM 4 and only one appearance for the series.

Having to play 5 games has decimated their pitching and this is a 7 game series.

Beat40 said:

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Farmer1906 said:

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amercer said:

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All this positivity makes me uncomfortable. Yankees were the best team in baseball for a long stretch of the season and literally no one is picking them.

Don't love it

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That team doesn't exist anymore.

Go look at the bullpen. It's gone.

They went 23-31 in July & Aug.

They snuck by the Guardians and their anemic offense.

But its the playoffs. Who the hell knows?

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In reality, you have to be careful with Judge and you can't put a low mistake to Stanton. Outside of that, you can be got, but you can handle them.

They've really only scored on HRs, so limit the walks.

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Yup strategy is pretty simple. Dodge around Judge and Stanton giving them nothing good to hit, limit walks, go after the remainder of their lineup

Anything can happen in the playoffs but I feel better about a 7 game series against Yankees than a 5 game series against the Mariners

Our hitters need to stay relaxed and not go full hero mode like they did in game 3

The Yankees pitching situation is interesting. They didn't use Luetge, Abreu, Castro or German at all in the ALDS. Holmes, Loaisiga and Peralta are probably all down tonight.

Trivino has always given us trouble so I imagine he is a big part of the strategy for them.

that's not going to ever change

bearkatag15 said:

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The Yankees pitching situation is interesting. They didn't use Luetge, Abreu, Castro or German at all in the ALDS. Holmes, Loaisiga and Peralta are probably all down tonight.

Trivino has always given us trouble so I imagine he is a big part of the strategy for them.

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Would only expect Loaisiga to be down. Relievers get used in back-to-back days all the time as long as their pitch count was around 15.

They have said they won't use Holmes in back to back days given his injury woes this year.

Plus I think he threw 2 innings last night.

EastCoastAgNc said:

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Stage is set pic.twitter.com/j6ZLo1j7QV

— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) October 19, 2022

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roof open tonight?

If we hit, we win.

It's really that simple. We always have at least 1 game we multiple guys struggling at the plate. Just cavtglst that turn into 2-3 games.

The Astros will announce their game two starter in the next couple of hours. I feel like there's a good chance they go with Lance McCullers Jr because I think they'd be more comfortable with Framber Valdez on short rest in a possible game seven

— Adam Spolane (@AdamSpolane) October 19, 2022

So back in 2019, I concocted a game for my wife and kids to play with me to help them follow along in the playoffs better. Everyone gets to pick 2 position players, 1 starting pitcher, and 1 reliever, and then you get points based on their peformances in the playoffs.

And let me just say it's worked marvelously, as last night one of my girls named 6 Astro starters while my wife could only name 4.

Anyway, thought I'd turn it loose on here to make things a bit more fun. No pressure to play or not. If you want to though, either PM your picks or reply to this message so it'll light up on my end. Picks are due before the first pitch - 6:37 p.m. tonight. If you edit your picks, you are DQed. It's pretty simple, but fun, and if I get enough entries I'll spreadsheet it up.

Send me your 2 batters, 1 starter, 1 reliever - only Astros, no Yankees

Batters (pick 2)
Single, walk, HBP, reach on an error: 1 point
Double: 2 points
Triple: 3 points
Home run: 4 points
Run scored: 3 points
RBI: 3 points
Stolen base: 2 points
Sacrifice bunt: 1 point
Game-winning RBI: 3-point bonus
Game-winning Run: 3-point bonus

Pitchers (pick 1 starter and 1 reliever)
Pitchers designated as starters for the contest: Verlander, Valdez, McCullers, Garcia, Javier, Urquidy
Everyone else is designated as a reliever, but you get credit if they wind up starting a game and vice versa.

Scoreless inning pitched (pitch at least 2/3rds of that inning): 1 point
Strikeout: 1 point
Hit/walk/HBP allowed: -0.5 points
Run allowed: -1 point
Unearned run allowed: no points lost
Credit for a hold: 3 points
Credit for a save: 3 points
Credit for a win: 5 points
Pitch a complete game: 5-point bonus
Pitch a complete-game shutout: 7-point bonus

Defense (for pitchers and hitters)
Commit an error in the field: -1 points
Commit an error that leads to a run: -3 points
Be part of a double play: 2 point bonus
Be part of a triple play: 3 point bonus
Throw a runner out at the plate: 3 point bonus

ESPN seems to think Boone might bump Cole up to Game 2 on 3 days rest so he can pitch twice.