Blue Jays vs. Royals AL Championship Thread

[Jonn]

I expect Young to pitch well today so we need Dickey to be good. It would be nice to have a clean first and get some early runs. It feels like were trailing every game.

[puphood]

logic would say Estrada but I hope they go with Price in the Rogers Centre and set Estrada for game 6 in KC because of the bigger park.

[KingKat]

logic would say Estrada but I hope they go with Price in the Rogers Centre and set Estrada for game 6 in KC because of the bigger park.

 

The Dickey effect suppreses fly balls (that's basically what it is) so Estrada benefits in either scenario.

[CHRIS]

What I would really love to see tonight as a starting point is just a clean first inning from Dickey. A respectable line overall would be great, but surely a scoreless first isn't too much to ask.

[Terminator]

I suppose we'd be very reluctant on having Price pitch on short rest for game 5, but I'm also thinking it might be a better idea to have Estrada pitch at KC instead of here at RC with his HR vulnerability. Then again I guess KC as a team aren't that huge of a power threat... Price I think could benefit from pitching at home here with all the fan support instead of away at KC (I could see their fans retaliating with their own Price chants, and I feel Price may be quite mentally vulnerable right now). There's cons and benefits to both approaches but I'd guess they'll take the safer route routine wise and go with Estrada for game 5. But maybe the result tonight may factor into that decision also.

 

I wouldn't tinker with it. Let Estrada go Game 5 on his normal rest with the Dickey effect and then ride your best pitchers on the road in Games 6 and 7.

[RealAccountant]

They are a good team no doubt. I think we are the better team but the better team doesn't always win.

 

I disagree

 

I think they are the better team. We are more talented but they are more balanced and they have more experience as a team

[BigCecil]

I expect Young to pitch well today so we need Dickey to be good. It would be nice to have a clean first and get some early runs. It feels like were trailing every game.

 

Feels like that. I have a sick feeling on any ball hit to RF these days whether that's rational or not.

 

So do we just going to let the knee to the head move by Cueto go? Im sure he will argue he was just protecting himself from the slide.

[burlingtonbandit]

Feels like that. I have a sick feeling on any ball hit to RF these days whether that's rational or not.

 

So do we just going to let the knee to the head move by Cueto go? Im sure he will argue he was just protecting himself from the slide.

 

lol if you watch the replay with all the angles its pretty clear there isn't intent. Also he barely made contact. If Pillar or the Bluejays thought anything of it they would of said something by now...

[youngtea]

I wouldn't tinker with it. Let Estrada go Game 5 on his normal rest with the Dickey effect and then ride your best pitchers on the road in Games 6 and 7.

 

I would let Price pitch game 5 and Stroman game 6. Try to finish the series and not push it to a game 7 away.

 

Based on last game Estrada's fastball/ changeup doesn't really work well against the Royals.

[BlueJayWay]

Righties have hit .212/.280/.376 off Young in his career

[BigCecil]

lol if you watch the replay with all the angles its pretty clear there isn't intent. Also he barely made contact. If Pillar or the Bluejays thought anything of it they would of said something by now...

 

 

 

lol. Lots of different points of view on whether there was intent or not from lots of commentators looking at tape. I listened to Pillar comments on it. Tulo took issue with it.

 

That fact he barely made contact isn't the point. Ex: If someone goes up and in near the head with a pitch....does it have to actually hit them to be considered a material act someone might take umbrage with?

 

Nothing will or should happen from this but I thought it was an odd movement on Cueto's part.

[HERPDERP]

Don't let Chris Young fool you. All the Royals need is about 5 innings from him.

 

Last time we faced him he did OK

 

Our team has done s*** against him except for Martin and Navarro

http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/batvspitch/_/id/6073/chris-young

[Laika]

Chris Young is better than you think (article)

[nextyear]

Today's lineup. No surprises, Colabello is playing at 1st base (which is good).

 

I am looking forward to getting home in time for the first pitch at 4:07 pm. This will be just as nerve-wracking as yesterday's game.

 

[eastcoastjaysfan]

Does Smoak even get defensive-late innings 1B duties today after that horrendous display yesterday?

[Laika]

Does Smoak even get defensive-late innings 1B duties today after that horrendous display yesterday?

 

Pretty sure he did a similar misplay against Texas too. They shouldn't make decisions based on such tiny samples and recent memory, but who knows if Smoak is even better than Colabello. He has better hands but it wouldn't surprise me if Colabello has better range. Meh.

 

It's also annoying when they swap Smoak in and then he has to hit once before the end of the game. Because he isn't very good at hitting baseballs.

[reedjohnsonfan]

I wouldn't tinker with it. Let Estrada go Game 5 on his normal rest with the Dickey effect and then ride your best pitchers on the road in Games 6 and 7.

 

Exactly. If the Jays win the series will be going 6 minimum so both Estrada/Price get 1 more start. Price wouldn't be ready until game 2 of the world series but they weren't going to start him 3 times in a series anyways.

[G-Snarls]

[BigCecil]

Don't let Chris Young fool you. All the Royals need is about 5 innings from him.

 

Last time we faced him he did OK

 

Our team has done s*** against him except for Martin and Navarro

http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/batvspitch/_/id/6073/chris-young

 

We know. Some people thought we would hammer Volquez and we didn't. His Stat line was poor but all the players were talking about was the V and movement shaking their head. If they use last night's approach today we will be fine. The last thing we need in our heads is to over press early to score because we have convinced ourselves we can never get to their pen. One good AB at a time.

[FrozenRopes]

Saw this today :

 

http://i61.tinypic.com/14y4u39.jpg

[Terminator]

If the first pitch tomorrow (Estrada to Escobar) isn't a changeup in the dirt something in my office will be thrown.

[baubau]

Maybe it's me. But I feel like this team can and will win the next 3. Just feel good about it.

 

Mind you, the Royals are a good team and can shut me and my feelings up. They can choke on dick but they are good.

[ProfessionalAtBat]

Russell Martin looks defeated

[JFD]

derp

[KingKat]

Maybe it's me. But I feel like this team can and will win the next 3. Just feel good about it.

 

Mind you, the Royals are a good team and can shut me and my feelings up. They can choke on dick but they are good.

 

Estrada/Price/Stroman should mean they're in every game. If they solve Volquez tonight, I'm going to feel pretty optimistic about the rest of the series.

[labadee]

Voooollll-quezzzzzzz

vooolllll-quezzzz

voooollll-quezzzzz

 

...

 

You suck!

[intentional wok]

The worst part if the Jays do in fact bow out in the ALCS will be the Woe's Us Toronto Sports Fans vomit we'll have to endure. Like the Jays going to the final four should be undercut because of the pathetic Maple Leafs. It was the same s*** the last two years after the Raptors got bounced. Sure it was s***** that they lost but just enjoy a competitive club without comparing them to other clubs in other sports.

 

I seriously just cannot stand that sort of hand wringing.

[CHRIS]

My kingdom for a clean first inning from Estrada.

[EMK19]

Well, we can never count this team out from winning 3 straight at any point. They certainly have the talent to do it. It's not in the percentages though of course against a team as good and deep as the Royals, and even if we are able to do so it's going to be a real grind I'm sure.

 

Estrada, Price, and Stro will all need to pitch the game of their lives, they all really need to go 7 deep 2/3 runs or less each and keep us in the ballgame. They've figured out everyone from our pen so they really need to be minimized in use if at all possible. For all of our hitters to suddenly heat up at this time of the year 1-9 is way too much to ask (especially since a lot of those guys seem to be just running on empty at this point stamina wise) but hopefully we can at least be opportunistic when the chances do come up, that's all we can ask of them. More than anything, we can't give them free baserunners anymore through bad errors, Royals have punished us every single time by bringing those in.

 

If there is one bright side, for today's game at least, I've very seldomly seen a team explode for 10+ runs in one game repeat anything close to that performance in the following game; in other words, I think it's about time for their bats to cool down; they're due for a cold spell at this point methinks. Let's just hope that our offence is up for it facing Volquez for the second time.

 

Reversing the 3-1 deficit is a huge task and honestly I'm not expecting it, but I do expect us to show more fight and give us a few more ballgames. At the very least, take the series back to kansas city. That's all I ask. Let's make it a well fought series no matter how it ends up.

[BigCecil]

My kingdom for a clean first inning from Estrada.

 

Escobar having series of his life. Maddening. He isn't that good. We don't have anyone in our line up....yet....red hot like they are.