World Series pre-GDT Discussion - JAYS vs. Dodgers

[GoBlue41]

Just curious what you all think about this hypothetical. 
 

Lets say that you are traveling from a long distance for the World Series and you can only attend Games 1 & 2 or Games 6 & 7. Which one do you choose? 
With 1 & 2 you are guaranteed to see 2 games. Games 6 & 7 may never happen and you may never see a game, but if they do happen, you could end up seeing the series winner! What one would you choose? 
 

Still can't believe I'm posting in a World Series thread! This is incredible! 

[G-Snarls]

7 minutes ago, GoBlue41 said:

Just curious what you all think about this hypothetical. 
 

Lets say that you are traveling from a long distance for the World Series and you can only attend Games 1 & 2 or Games 6 & 7. Which one do you choose? 
With 1 & 2 you are guaranteed to see 2 games. Games 6 & 7 may never happen and you may never see a game, but if they do happen, you could end up seeing the series winner! What one would you choose? 
 

Still can't believe I'm posting in a World Series thread! This is incredible! 

I've debated this many times 

There's something special about game 1 and it's guaranteed so I've always gone to the first 2. 

[G-Snarls]

It's a lot of off days even for a team that had to play a 7 game CS

[hanton]

Just now, G-Snarls said:

It's a lot of off days even for a team that had to play a 7 game CS

willing to bet they come out a little flat in gm1, we need to get on Snell early

[Anal Hershiser]

4 hours ago, Masterbather said:

Can we just freeze time and never have to play this series?

You lose every WS you don't play

[Spanky__99]

2 hours ago, Waylanderz said:

Crazy idea but how about Heineman?  IKF as emergency catcher.  

No way dude, lol.

[Terminator]

 

[Anal Hershiser]

8 minutes ago, Spanky__99 said:

No way dude, lol.

Imagine losing a WS game due to not rostering a MLB backup catcher

[Anal Hershiser]

2 hours ago, Waylanderz said:

Crazy idea but how about Heineman?  IKF as emergency catcher.  

This is not a videogame

[RobinThicc]

This series will go the distance. Jays in 7! 

[GoBlue41]

26 minutes ago, RobinThicc said:

This series will go the distance. Jays in 7! 

From your lips to God's ears!! 

[Rafters]

Varsho was a MLB catcher his first couple seasons. In an absolute emergency situation you could always put Straw in center and Varsho behind the plate 

[Anal Hershiser]

50 minutes ago, Rafters said:

Varsho was a MLB catcher his first couple seasons. In an absolute emergency situation you could always put Straw in center and Varsho behind the plate 

I know it would be nice to have an extra bench player since we aren't using Heineman so long as Kirk is healthy, but you have to have an active MLB catcher on the roster just in case

It's like not having a back up goalkeeper on your bench in a World Cup soccer game

[sliderguy35]

i think the biggest hill the jays will have to climb going into this series is their relief pitching vs the dodgers' lineup. the dodgers obviously have a deep lineup but one of their defining features is that they had the 3rd lowest chase rate in the league. 

the blue jays bullpen gets a ton of swing and miss, but they do so by working mostly outside of the strike zone. they have the lowest Zone % of any bullpen in baseball by over a full percentage point and were bottom 10 in the league in both First-Pitch Strike % and BB%. if they're playing in a bunch of close games this series, the late game advantage is going to be on the dodger's side.

that being said, im pretty confident the jays will be able to hit in this series. the brewers got held to a ridiculously unlucky .167 BABIP despite the fact that they had a higher line drive rate than the mariners & a higher hard-hit rate than both the mariners & blue jays in the LCS. it'll probably just come down to if the jays can slug their way to where the bullpen weakness doesn't matter as much

 

[Jimcanuck]

9 hours ago, Rafters said:

Varsho was a MLB catcher his first couple seasons. In an absolute emergency situation you could always put Straw in center and Varsho behind the plate 

Varsho is so far removed from being a catcher, you are likely looking at cross-ups, passed balls, and steals galore.  Same for IKF.

[Omar]

So the Dodgers have much lauded pre series scouting of their opponents. If as sliderguy pointed out that the Brewers had a higher line drive rate than either ALCS team that is worrisome. Perhaps they won't have as good of a book on the Jays being in a different league. 

One thing I noticed in the ALCS was Naylor's positioning was uncanny. He seemed to rob us of line drives every game. The Jays are going to need every edge they can find. Hopefully the Dodgers book on us won't be as perceptive.

[Terminator]

As was mentioned previously, four times has a Game 7 LCS winner faced off against an LCS sweep. All 4 times, the Game 7 winning team won.

SSS but hopefully the time off makes the Dodgers rusty and the Jays come out and win the first two before the Dodgers know what hit them.

[Big_Walleye]

It looks like the Dodgers might get Tanner Scott and his sore a$$ back for this series.  He wasn't very good for the Dodgers this year but 4.0 war last year and 3.9 in 2023.  Like Dave Roberts needs any more weapons.

If he's rostered I wonder if he slots back in at closer?

[SeranthonySantander]

9 minutes ago, Big_Walleye said:

It looks like the Dodgers might get Tanner Scott and his sore a$$ back for this series.  He wasn't very good for the Dodgers this year but 4.0 war last year and 3.9 in 2023.  Like Dave Roberts needs any more weapons.

If he's rostered I wonder if he slots back in at closer?

Doubt it.  He might get innings in an emergency.  

[hanton]

32 minutes ago, Big_Walleye said:

It looks like the Dodgers might get Tanner Scott and his sore a$$ back for this series.  He wasn't very good for the Dodgers this year but 4.0 war last year and 3.9 in 2023.  Like Dave Roberts needs any more weapons.

If he's rostered I wonder if he slots back in at closer?

No

[L54]

1 hour ago, sliderguy35 said:

i think the biggest hill the jays will have to climb going into this series is their relief pitching vs the dodgers' lineup. the dodgers obviously have a deep lineup but one of their defining features is that they had the 3rd lowest chase rate in the league. 

the blue jays bullpen gets a ton of swing and miss, but they do so by working mostly outside of the strike zone. they have the lowest Zone % of any bullpen in baseball by over a full percentage point and were bottom 10 in the league in both First-Pitch Strike % and BB%. if they're playing in a bunch of close games this series, the late game advantage is going to be on the dodger's side.

that being said, im pretty confident the jays will be able to hit in this series. the brewers got held to a ridiculously unlucky .167 BABIP despite the fact that they had a higher line drive rate than the mariners & a higher hard-hit rate than both the mariners & blue jays in the LCS. it'll probably just come down to if the jays can slug their way to where the bullpen weakness doesn't matter as much

 

I’m confident they’ll be able to handle the Dodger staff as well. They’ve beat elite pitching all season including the post season. The series will hinge on the Jays pitching and like you said more precisely probably the bullpen. We can’t have Louie Varland giving up bombs to Muncy in games two, four and five 

[ComeTogether]

Hope this continues 

 

 

[Doubleplay21]

The question is whether Bo plays in the field or as DH. There is no way he is missing this World Series 

[Stangstag]

2 hours ago, Jimcanuck said:

Varsho is so far removed from being a catcher, you are likely looking at cross-ups, passed balls, and steals galore.  Same for IKF.

Yeah he hasn’t practiced with this pitching staff at all either. Reckless move to have him as the only backup 

[glory]

Little should absolutely not be used in this series. The Dodgers are not going to chase his junk in the dirt. Hopefully, Fluharty has surpassed him on the depth chart and is used for the big spots against LHB. 

When it comes to the pen, only thing certain is that Hoffman is the closer and Varland is about to have 7 appearances in 9 days. Everything else will depend on the situation. 

[Governator]

1 hour ago, ComeTogether said:

Hope this continues 

 

 

 

I hate to be that guy, but anything to do with the Astros success of 2017 needs an enormous asterisk, that includes Springer's success.

[philly30]

28 minutes ago, glory said:

Little should absolutely not be used in this series. The Dodgers are not going to chase his junk in the dirt. Hopefully, Fluharty has surpassed him on the depth chart and is used for the big spots against LHB. 

When it comes to the pen, only thing certain is that Hoffman is the closer and Varland is about to have 7 appearances in 9 days. Everything else will depend on the situation. 

That guy has caused me more heartburn in the lat 2 years than anyone

[G-Snarls]

1 hour ago, Doubleplay21 said:

The question is whether Bo plays in the field or as DH. There is no way he is missing this World Series 

Tough call on how to use him best when both he and Springer have lower limb injuries now. But damn you need them both in the lineup somehow. 

[G-Snarls]

40 minutes ago, Governator said:

 

I hate to be that guy, but anything to do with the Astros success of 2017 needs an enormous asterisk, that includes Springer's success.

For the sake of curiosity only, two of his five home runs that WS were hit in Houston; three were hit in Los Angeles. Do we know if they were accomplishing cheating by stealing signals during road games or not?

Springer is just a good hitter. So are Altuve and Bregman. As much as I hate how they did it, the cheating can only help so much.  

[Governator]

8 minutes ago, G-Snarls said:

For the sake of curiosity only, two of his five home runs that WS were hit in Houston; three were hit in Los Angeles. Do we know if they were accomplishing cheating by stealing signals during road games or not?

Springer is just a good hitter. So are Altuve and Bregman. As much as I hate how they did it, the cheating can only help so much.  

 

The writing is on the wall, doesn't matter how we try to justify it.