Post by Commissioner Erick on Feb 10, 2019 18:29:07 GMT -5
Cleveland Indians vs Texas Rangers
The Cleveland Indians continued their dominant season, rolling the A's in the ALDS. Cleveland started off relatively slowly, losing Game 1 and struggling in Games 2 and 3, before picking up steam and winning Games 4 and 5. The Texas Rangers continued their strong run, coming back from a 3-2 series deficit, a 4-2 seventh inning deficit in Game 6, and a 3-2 ninth inning deficit in Game 7 to persevere. Cleveland is one of the best teams in the PBA era, while the Texas Rangers have never been in a playoff series that didn't go the distance.
Rangers Hitting versus Indians Pitching:
Cleveland answered a lot of questions about its staff during its ALDS strangling of Oakland. Jose Quintana stepped up to win Game 4 and work to a 2.70 ERA and 0.82 WHIP in 13.2 innings. That was expected somewhat as Quintana is a strong, veteran pitcher with a track record of success.
The other two starters were even more impressive. Robbie Ray allowed just two runs in 6 innings, striking out six and walking nobody. Robert Stephenson was lit up in one start but came back to pitch a one-hitter, when he shut down the A's on a one-run Complete Game. Those starts give confidence that even should Cleveland's offense slow down, they'll have the arms to limit Texas' offense.
Cleveland's bullpen was expectedly brilliant in the ALDS, posting a 1.50 ERA even with Andrew Miller giving up a pair of runs and Mark Melancon issuing one. The unit struck out 23 batters in 18 innings and turned in 9 shutout frames in a pivotal Game 3 win. Cleveland showed that even if you go deeper into their pen, they have the goods to deliver.
Cleveland carries a bunch of lefties, both in their rotation and in their pen. The Texas Rangers will be used to that somewhat, besting a Rays team replete with left-handed starters. Texas struggled as a result of that fact as they were held to a .608 OPS in the ALDS and required Kyle Lewis' Game 7 heroics to advance.
While everyone had a few individual moments, Texas' lefties mostly struggled in the ALDS. Kyle Seager, Ryan O'Hearn, Rougned Odor, and David Peralta each had on-base percentages of .241 or lower. Most alarming was Paul Goldschmidt's rough series. Goldschmidt had a .433 OPS in the round and was a complete non-factor. If Goldschmidt isn't mashing lefties, then Texas will struggle to score this round. Quintana and Ray will have a platoon advantage, and with Lyons and Miller in the bullpen, Cleveland will be able to press their advantage later in games.
Goldschmidt should be better, and Stephenson still has to prove he can have great games against better offenses than Oakland. After all he was lit up in Game 2. But if the Rangers struggled with Bumgarner, Matz, and Snell, Quintana is the same class of pitcher.
Indians Hitting versus Rangers Pitching:
Cleveland didn't have a dominant series against the Athletics, and some of their hitters struggled badly, namely Mike Papi. Only Nicholas Castellanos had a breakout series. However, that's in line with Cleveland-s strength—the sheer depth of talent they have top to bottom. Addison Russell carried them during the season, Mike Papi was a surprise standout rookie, and Sam Travis made things happen from the top of the lineup. Even with that trio struggling, Cleveland found enough offense to win.
Evan Skoug had a coming-out party with three home runs in the ALDS, really showcasing himself as a young star. His success is crucial as he's one of only two pure-lefties Cleveland will throw out. When he's on, he's able to punish righties who would otherwise have the platoon advantage more often than not. In fact, thanks to Skoug, Cleveland had a .796 OPS against Oakland righties. They hit for a .328 in a paltry sample against Oakland lefties.
Cleveland has shown they can handle righties, and despite the poor showing in a tiny sample, lefties as well. They'll need quality in order to beat them.
Texas has some quality arms, though they're in a bit of a pickle at the start of this series. Rick Porcello has been pitching through a sprained ankle doctors say isn't fully healed yet. He didn't pitch well on it in Game 2 of the ALDS, but pitched a gem in Game 5, going 7 shutout innings. Cleveland used a three-man staff in the ALDS, but Marcus Stroman and Mitch Keller are fatigued heading into the series.
Porcello is an important pitcher for Texas as Porcello's contact-oriented approach may still generate strikeouts against a lineup like Cleveland's that will swing and miss. The hope is that Porcello's ability to paint and dart keeps Cleveland from generating the power and loud contact that fuels its offense.
If he can't go, Texas may have to push someone on short rest, or rely on Shelby Miller's 6.08 ERA. It's a real bind they're in.
Once Stroman is rested, he should be someone Clayton Piper can count on. He made three starts in the ALDS and got better every game, culminating in a no-walk, 10-strikeout, 7-inning masterpiece in Game 7 where he allowed just a pair of runs in Cleveland's victory. Stroman has excellent stuff, keeps the ball on the ground, and puts the ball where he wants to. It may be the recipe to limit Cleveland's offense.
Mitch Keller is a wild card for Texas. He looked great in Game 3 and struggled badly in Game 6. Thankfully for Texas, the team's manager-bot pulled Keller before he could implode and Texas was able to secure a resounding comeback win. Keller is a pitcher who mostly pitches to contact, but he doesn't have quite the command of Porcello. He limits home runs, so that will help against a power-laden Indians offense, but his inability to strike people out makes him vulnerable to an Indians team that doesn't just rely on brute power. One can see Keller succeeding against Giancarlo Stanton and J.D. Martinez lower in Cleveland's order, but struggling against hitters like Russell in the middle.
Texas has a championship-caliber bullpen and their key relievers sure showed it against Tampa Bay. The numbers over the whole series are pedestrian, but Texas leaned hard on its pen with its back against the wall. In Game 6, the bullpen went 7 shutout innings to keep the series alive. Bruce Rondon went 2.2 shutout innings to save the season after Keller struggled, allowing Texas time to come back and win 5-4.
In Game 7, Matt Bush allowed an eighth-inning home run to Brad Miller allowing Tampa Bay to take the lead. Alex Claudio, the Rangers closer, came on afterwards to work 3 shutout innings, once again giving Texas time to tie up, then take the lead to win the series. Claudio has a 0.81 ERA in 22.1 playoff innings, and is one of the best postseason relievers in the PBA.
Season Series:
Cleveland overturned a history where they've struggled against Texas by going 5-2 against them this year.
Cleveland won the first two games of the season in Texas 6-1 and 4-1 as Corey Kluber and Carlos Carrasco shut down Texas. A third game was rained out, resulting in their second series being a five-game set in late June into early July.
They split the first two games of the series in Cleveland. Texas blew up Robert Stephenson in the first game in a 13-6 win, while Corey Kluber was sharp in the second game, a 4-3 win for Cleveland. Cleveland won the middle game in an exciting affair. It was 2-2 heading into the bottom of the eighth, when J.D. Martinez hit an RBI single off Keona Kela in the eighth inning to make it 3-2 Cleveland. With two outs in the ninth, Francisco Mejia singled to tie the game. Sam Travis came up with a man on in the ninth and hit a two-run home run off Alex Claudio for a walk-off win and one of three blown saves for Claudio this year.
Jose Quintana pitched well in the fourth game of the set, but Rick Porcello didn't allow a run in 5.2 innings. Mejia hit two home runs and Texas' bullpen completed the shutout. In the finale, Cleveland beat up Shelby Miller, Adonis Medina, and Josh Staumont in a 14-5 blowout. Addison Russell hit a grand slam and had six RBIs in the win.
Deciding Questions:
Will Texas' pitchers outside of Stroman be able to limit Cleveland's offense?
Will Texas' lefties be able to produce against Robbie Ray? It may be necessary to steal the series.
Against Texas' predominantly righty staff, will Cleveland's predominantly right-handed offense get stymied?
Prediction: Texas will need to get to Ray in Game 3 to win the series, and I think they'll be able to do it. But with Texas' fatigued rotation, I'm not sure they'll be able to hold up as the series continues. Indians in 6.
The Cleveland Indians continued their dominant season, rolling the A's in the ALDS. Cleveland started off relatively slowly, losing Game 1 and struggling in Games 2 and 3, before picking up steam and winning Games 4 and 5. The Texas Rangers continued their strong run, coming back from a 3-2 series deficit, a 4-2 seventh inning deficit in Game 6, and a 3-2 ninth inning deficit in Game 7 to persevere. Cleveland is one of the best teams in the PBA era, while the Texas Rangers have never been in a playoff series that didn't go the distance.
Rangers Hitting versus Indians Pitching:
Cleveland answered a lot of questions about its staff during its ALDS strangling of Oakland. Jose Quintana stepped up to win Game 4 and work to a 2.70 ERA and 0.82 WHIP in 13.2 innings. That was expected somewhat as Quintana is a strong, veteran pitcher with a track record of success.
The other two starters were even more impressive. Robbie Ray allowed just two runs in 6 innings, striking out six and walking nobody. Robert Stephenson was lit up in one start but came back to pitch a one-hitter, when he shut down the A's on a one-run Complete Game. Those starts give confidence that even should Cleveland's offense slow down, they'll have the arms to limit Texas' offense.
Cleveland's bullpen was expectedly brilliant in the ALDS, posting a 1.50 ERA even with Andrew Miller giving up a pair of runs and Mark Melancon issuing one. The unit struck out 23 batters in 18 innings and turned in 9 shutout frames in a pivotal Game 3 win. Cleveland showed that even if you go deeper into their pen, they have the goods to deliver.
Cleveland carries a bunch of lefties, both in their rotation and in their pen. The Texas Rangers will be used to that somewhat, besting a Rays team replete with left-handed starters. Texas struggled as a result of that fact as they were held to a .608 OPS in the ALDS and required Kyle Lewis' Game 7 heroics to advance.
While everyone had a few individual moments, Texas' lefties mostly struggled in the ALDS. Kyle Seager, Ryan O'Hearn, Rougned Odor, and David Peralta each had on-base percentages of .241 or lower. Most alarming was Paul Goldschmidt's rough series. Goldschmidt had a .433 OPS in the round and was a complete non-factor. If Goldschmidt isn't mashing lefties, then Texas will struggle to score this round. Quintana and Ray will have a platoon advantage, and with Lyons and Miller in the bullpen, Cleveland will be able to press their advantage later in games.
Goldschmidt should be better, and Stephenson still has to prove he can have great games against better offenses than Oakland. After all he was lit up in Game 2. But if the Rangers struggled with Bumgarner, Matz, and Snell, Quintana is the same class of pitcher.
Indians Hitting versus Rangers Pitching:
Cleveland didn't have a dominant series against the Athletics, and some of their hitters struggled badly, namely Mike Papi. Only Nicholas Castellanos had a breakout series. However, that's in line with Cleveland-s strength—the sheer depth of talent they have top to bottom. Addison Russell carried them during the season, Mike Papi was a surprise standout rookie, and Sam Travis made things happen from the top of the lineup. Even with that trio struggling, Cleveland found enough offense to win.
Evan Skoug had a coming-out party with three home runs in the ALDS, really showcasing himself as a young star. His success is crucial as he's one of only two pure-lefties Cleveland will throw out. When he's on, he's able to punish righties who would otherwise have the platoon advantage more often than not. In fact, thanks to Skoug, Cleveland had a .796 OPS against Oakland righties. They hit for a .328 in a paltry sample against Oakland lefties.
Cleveland has shown they can handle righties, and despite the poor showing in a tiny sample, lefties as well. They'll need quality in order to beat them.
Texas has some quality arms, though they're in a bit of a pickle at the start of this series. Rick Porcello has been pitching through a sprained ankle doctors say isn't fully healed yet. He didn't pitch well on it in Game 2 of the ALDS, but pitched a gem in Game 5, going 7 shutout innings. Cleveland used a three-man staff in the ALDS, but Marcus Stroman and Mitch Keller are fatigued heading into the series.
Porcello is an important pitcher for Texas as Porcello's contact-oriented approach may still generate strikeouts against a lineup like Cleveland's that will swing and miss. The hope is that Porcello's ability to paint and dart keeps Cleveland from generating the power and loud contact that fuels its offense.
If he can't go, Texas may have to push someone on short rest, or rely on Shelby Miller's 6.08 ERA. It's a real bind they're in.
Once Stroman is rested, he should be someone Clayton Piper can count on. He made three starts in the ALDS and got better every game, culminating in a no-walk, 10-strikeout, 7-inning masterpiece in Game 7 where he allowed just a pair of runs in Cleveland's victory. Stroman has excellent stuff, keeps the ball on the ground, and puts the ball where he wants to. It may be the recipe to limit Cleveland's offense.
Mitch Keller is a wild card for Texas. He looked great in Game 3 and struggled badly in Game 6. Thankfully for Texas, the team's manager-bot pulled Keller before he could implode and Texas was able to secure a resounding comeback win. Keller is a pitcher who mostly pitches to contact, but he doesn't have quite the command of Porcello. He limits home runs, so that will help against a power-laden Indians offense, but his inability to strike people out makes him vulnerable to an Indians team that doesn't just rely on brute power. One can see Keller succeeding against Giancarlo Stanton and J.D. Martinez lower in Cleveland's order, but struggling against hitters like Russell in the middle.
Texas has a championship-caliber bullpen and their key relievers sure showed it against Tampa Bay. The numbers over the whole series are pedestrian, but Texas leaned hard on its pen with its back against the wall. In Game 6, the bullpen went 7 shutout innings to keep the series alive. Bruce Rondon went 2.2 shutout innings to save the season after Keller struggled, allowing Texas time to come back and win 5-4.
In Game 7, Matt Bush allowed an eighth-inning home run to Brad Miller allowing Tampa Bay to take the lead. Alex Claudio, the Rangers closer, came on afterwards to work 3 shutout innings, once again giving Texas time to tie up, then take the lead to win the series. Claudio has a 0.81 ERA in 22.1 playoff innings, and is one of the best postseason relievers in the PBA.
Season Series:
Cleveland overturned a history where they've struggled against Texas by going 5-2 against them this year.
Cleveland won the first two games of the season in Texas 6-1 and 4-1 as Corey Kluber and Carlos Carrasco shut down Texas. A third game was rained out, resulting in their second series being a five-game set in late June into early July.
They split the first two games of the series in Cleveland. Texas blew up Robert Stephenson in the first game in a 13-6 win, while Corey Kluber was sharp in the second game, a 4-3 win for Cleveland. Cleveland won the middle game in an exciting affair. It was 2-2 heading into the bottom of the eighth, when J.D. Martinez hit an RBI single off Keona Kela in the eighth inning to make it 3-2 Cleveland. With two outs in the ninth, Francisco Mejia singled to tie the game. Sam Travis came up with a man on in the ninth and hit a two-run home run off Alex Claudio for a walk-off win and one of three blown saves for Claudio this year.
Jose Quintana pitched well in the fourth game of the set, but Rick Porcello didn't allow a run in 5.2 innings. Mejia hit two home runs and Texas' bullpen completed the shutout. In the finale, Cleveland beat up Shelby Miller, Adonis Medina, and Josh Staumont in a 14-5 blowout. Addison Russell hit a grand slam and had six RBIs in the win.
Deciding Questions:
Will Texas' pitchers outside of Stroman be able to limit Cleveland's offense?
Will Texas' lefties be able to produce against Robbie Ray? It may be necessary to steal the series.
Against Texas' predominantly righty staff, will Cleveland's predominantly right-handed offense get stymied?
Prediction: Texas will need to get to Ray in Game 3 to win the series, and I think they'll be able to do it. But with Texas' fatigued rotation, I'm not sure they'll be able to hold up as the series continues. Indians in 6.