Who starts in wild card?

[RealAccountant]

The problem with Stroman is the amount of contact he gives up. The Orioles could easily hit a couple of dingers of him.

 

Where as Liriano right away you take Chris Davis out of the game. Orioles have an ops less than 700 against lhp. It's honestly a no brain decision to start Stroman against a steam that is probably his worst matchup based on qualitative factors

[BlueJays]

It should be Liriano.

[FrozenRopes]

Marco or Liriano, I go Marco

[KingKat]

So who on the Blue Jays is the best pitcher?

 

It's Sanchez and had things not gone down to the wire, it would have been his start with Dickey pitching today. The wrinkle here is that Baltimore is really bad against lefties so maybe the best plan B is to throw a lefty out there.

[Stangstag]

It's Sanchez and had things not gone down to the wire, it would have been his start with Dickey pitching today. The wrinkle here is that Baltimore is really bad against lefties so maybe the best plan B is to throw a lefty out there.

 

Yeah i'd have either Liriano or Happ start. Stroman has pretty bad numbers against the Os this year.

[mellowgold]

Happ won't be ready since he just pitched on Saturday. It's gotta be Liriano. Dude has been awesome lately and completely dominated the O's just a few days ago. Things really get interesting if they get to the ALDS when you can go with Happ on regular rest, Estrada with an extra day's rest, or a well-rested Stroman in game 1. Throw Sanchez into the mix in game 2, who would be on regular rest at that point.

[AdamLindsMom]

I'm on the Liriano train but I don't feel like it will be him.

[mellowgold]

Yeah I have a feeling it will be Stroman, which is a little dicey.

[EdwinsParrot]

gibby loves his vets, ill be surprised if its not liriano

 

not to mention he's pitched well lately

[Grant77]

gibby loves his vets, ill be surprised if its not liriano

 

not to mention he's pitched well lately

 

He loves Stroman too and sees him as the staff ace.

[harvey16]

I'd go with Lariano. Baltimore is terrible vs Lefties and Larioano has had success in the postseason and has the experience. Lariano is 1-0 with a 3.48 ERA in 3 postseason starts including a wild card game win with the Pirates in 2013. It's a no brainer IMO.

[Terminator]

Who will Baltimore throw?

[ILikeSoccerandBaseball09]

Who will Baltimore throw?

 

 

Tillman or Jiminez

[goldbug103]

I'd go with Lariano. Baltimore is terrible vs Lefties and Larioano has had success in the postseason and has the experience. Lariano is 1-0 with a 3.48 ERA in 3 postseason starts. It's a no brainer IMO.

 

In response to Liriano over Stroman being a no-brainer, Gibby does not have a fully functioning brain. As such, he'll go with hard contact and Stroman.

[mellowgold]

Who will Baltimore throw?

 

Would be tough to not throw Ubaldo after he made the Jays look like little leaguers on Thursday but Tillman has a good chance too.

[harvey16]

Who will Baltimore throw?

 

I would imagine it will be Tillman. He's been their most consistent starter all year. Outside chance they could start Jiminez. He's been lights out lately and has had success against the Jays.

[Pinkfloid]

Simply based on intuition I'd wager Liriano starts with both Stroman and Happ available as middle relief if need be. Looked like Happ was having a serious conversation with Walker midway through the celebrations today...Happ looked dead serious - could be he was being asked/told to be ready on short rest. Liriano starting gives us a couple of good options from the pen then, both a lefty and righty.

[Caper]

Crazy thoughts from a rambling mind.

 

Of any current or former Jays pitchers from, lets say, the last 10 years, who would horrify you the most to find out they were starting the WC game?

[Terminator]

I would imagine it will be Tillman. He's been their most consistent starter all year. Outside chance they could start Jiminez. He's been lights out lately and has had success against the Jays.

 

Goes without saying but either starter will be on a really short leash even if pitching well as I imagine Showalter will go to his excellent bullpen asap.

 

Looks like Gibbons will choose between Liriano and Stroman. I hope whoever doesn't start is in the bullpen read to go at the first sign of trouble.

[admin]

And Baltimore has roughed up Stro all year. I'm now thinking Liriano. He just shut then down in to the 7th his last game with 10Ks. He's a veteran, has pitched in the postseason and probably less likely to get rattled with the game pressure.

 

I'd go Liriano, but I have a hard time believing they'll put the 'new guy' in. He has a 2.15ERA in his last 8 outings (6 starts). And his walk rate, which was his issue, has been superb. Either way, no matter who is in, and we lose, you're going to have a ton of people saying, "Why would they start xxxxxx! They should have started yyyyyyy!"

[Dick_Pole]

Crazy thoughts from a rambling mind.

 

Of any current or former Jays pitchers from, lets say, the last 10 years, who would horrify you the most to find out they were starting the WC game?

 

You're going to have to put some limits on that, like someone who has pitched at least 30 starts for the team. Because every crappy pitcher from Alvarez to Zambrano currently qualifies under this definition and all of us could ring off at least a dozen equally horrifying names.

[admin]

Would be tough to not throw Ubaldo after he made the Jays look like little leaguers on Thursday but Tillman has a good chance too.

 

Jays playing the long con. Looked terrible on purpose soe Baltimore starts him for the WC.

[Caper]

You're going to have to put some limits on that, like someone who has pitched at least 30 starts for the team. Because every crappy pitcher from Alvarez to Zambrano currently qualifies under this definition and all of us could ring off at least a dozen equally horrifying names.

 

If you pitched more then 50 innings for the jays in the last 10 years you are in.

[Dick_Pole]

So consensus leans toward Liriano.

 

I'd go Liriano, but I have a hard time believing they'll put the 'new guy' in. He has a 2.15ERA in his last 8 outings (6 starts). And his walk rate, which was his issue, has been superb. Either way, no matter who is in, and we lose, you're going to have a ton of people saying, "Why would they start xxxxxx! They should have started yyyyyyy!"

 

I'm not sure about that, calling him the "new guy". Liriano is the poor man's Price this year. And Price would have been the obvious choice last year if the Jays were in the wild card game. Now granted Liriano isn't quite the name and doesn't have nearly the success of Price but he is the most veteran and by many accounts most successful starter with the most playoff experience this team has.

 

Liriano is a sensible choice. If he walks 5 through 2 and they leave him in there to stink it up, then sure, I'm going to question it. But there's no reason going into this game, given Liriano's recent performance and the need to neutralize someone like Chris Davis, that this is a bad choice. I wouldn't second-guess Gibbons on that one, even if other people would should the team lose.

[ILikeSoccerandBaseball09]

The O's have an 83 wRC+ against lefties, 27th in MLB

 

 

They have a 107 wRC+ against righties, 5th in MLB

 

 

 

 

Liriano boys, Liriano.

[L54]

Goes without saying but either starter will be on a really short leash even if pitching well as I imagine Showalter will go to his excellent bullpen asap.

 

Looks like Gibbons will choose between Liriano and Stroman. I hope whoever doesn't start is in the bullpen read to go at the first sign of trouble.

 

I agree with this. Whichever doesn't start should be ready to go. I'd start Liriano and look to get 4-5 out of him. Hopefully Stroman can bridge into the 7th where you have Biagini, Cecil, Grilli and Osuna ready to go based on matchups.

[Terminator]

I'd go Liriano, but I have a hard time believing they'll put the 'new guy' in. He has a 2.15ERA in his last 8 outings (6 starts). And his walk rate, which was his issue, has been superb. Either way, no matter who is in, and we lose, you're going to have a ton of people saying, "Why would they start xxxxxx! They should have started yyyyyyy!"

 

Seems like most think Liriano would be the better choice over Stroman but I just can't decide between him or Stroman. Stroman has been good since the All-Star break.

 

If it were up to me I'd put Stroman in and let him face the lineup twice. Then Liriano for 2 innings. Then Biagini, Grilli and Cecil as necessary until Osuna. Something like that.

[Terminator]

The O's have an 83 wRC+ against lefties, 27th in MLB

 

 

They have a 107 wRC+ against righties, 5th in MLB

 

 

 

 

Liriano boys, Liriano.

 

I didn't realize this. I'd probably go Liriano then. I wonder why this is though, they aren't particularly left-handed or anything. Kim and Davis are the only two that come to mind.

[ILikeSoccerandBaseball09]

Seems like most think Liriano would be the better choice over Stroman but I just can't decide between him or Stroman. Stroman has been good since the All-Star break.

 

If it were up to me I'd put Stroman in and let him face the lineup twice. Then Liriano for 2 innings. Then Biagini, Grilli and Cecil as necessary until Osuna. Something like that.

 

Stroman has a 5+ERA against the O's. O's aren't good against lefties either

[Caper]

Seems like most think Liriano would be the better choice over Stroman but I just can't decide between him or Stroman. Stroman has been good since the All-Star break.

 

 

I think the deciding factor for me is Stroman offers the additional satisfaction of being able to watch Keith Law's twitter feed, if he goes out and throws a gem.