Goldschmidt and Arenado failed when it mattered most. Instead of being guys with great careers who haven’t had much of a shot at the postseason, they are now clearly labeled as Mr. May and Mr. July: players who disappear when the stakes are raised. The good news is that they still have plenty of time in their careers to rectify that.
Game 1 was a disaster and for all the criticism of Marmol, his moves were working perfectly until the second batter of the 9th. Helsley was dominant getting the final two outs of the 8th, then struck out the leadoff batter in the 9th, gave up a bloop hit and then the wheels came off. The big mistakes were infield positioning and for not pulling Helsley after the second walk.
One side note: I like the new wild card format. Yes, this is coming from the guy who hates every recent change that has been made to the game. I still hate the DH and the extra inning rule, though.
Goldy and Arenado definitely shit the bed. All they needed to do was come through once each and the series could be flipped. Game 2 was just sitting there waiting to be won, and they blew it. But there is still time, especially with each of them sticking around. The thing about Goldy was usually he starts slow and finishes strong, but this year it was the opposite.
I wouldn't have gone to Helsley for a 5 out save with such a loaded pen. Once he got into trouble, he had to pull him. Remember what I said about having a quick hook before the series with Waino; that applied to all pitchers. Helsley isn't a wild pitcher and clearly the jammed finger was affecting him in the ninth, so that was a huge mistake.
While I would have wanted Quintana to at least finish the sixth, I know the sabes suggest otherwise. But he was making Schwarber and Harper look silly. If he goes six, Helsley doesn't have to get 5 outs... maybe.
I also love the new format. Extra days off are overrated. Weekend series. Boom. Play or leave. Good stuff.
Goldschmidt and Arenado failed when it mattered most. Instead of being guys with great careers who haven’t had much of a shot at the postseason, they are now clearly labeled as Mr. May and Mr. July: players who disappear when the stakes are raised. The good news is that they still have plenty of time in their careers to rectify that.
Game 1 was a disaster and for all the criticism of Marmol, his moves were working perfectly until the second batter of the 9th. Helsley was dominant getting the final two outs of the 8th, then struck out the leadoff batter in the 9th, gave up a bloop hit and then the wheels came off. The big mistakes were infield positioning and for not pulling Helsley after the second walk.
One side note: I like the new wild card format. Yes, this is coming from the guy who hates every recent change that has been made to the game. I still hate the DH and the extra inning rule, though.
Goldy and Arenado definitely shit the bed. All they needed to do was come through once each and the series could be flipped. Game 2 was just sitting there waiting to be won, and they blew it. But there is still time, especially with each of them sticking around. The thing about Goldy was usually he starts slow and finishes strong, but this year it was the opposite.
I wouldn't have gone to Helsley for a 5 out save with such a loaded pen. Once he got into trouble, he had to pull him. Remember what I said about having a quick hook before the series with Waino; that applied to all pitchers. Helsley isn't a wild pitcher and clearly the jammed finger was affecting him in the ninth, so that was a huge mistake.
While I would have wanted Quintana to at least finish the sixth, I know the sabes suggest otherwise. But he was making Schwarber and Harper look silly. If he goes six, Helsley doesn't have to get 5 outs... maybe.
I also love the new format. Extra days off are overrated. Weekend series. Boom. Play or leave. Good stuff.