2018 ALDS | Cleveland Indians vs. Houston Astros | Starts Oct. 5th

[The Wizard of Moz]

Haven't peeped any stats but I think we hit Verlander well, so literally basing my prediction on that.

Silly, I know. But fuck it. Going to be an absurdly hard fought and stressful series, I'll take the Tribe to move on though (to another extremely hard fought and stressful series in the ALCS)

Fuck the AL

It was all fun and games during the regular season with the AL Central meme, but now I want to transfer to the NL. The 5 best teams in baseball very well could be AL teams.

 

[Stark]

Honestly, I'm with @Derek on Houston being the best team in baseball. If we can get by them, I think anything can happen. Much rather play them in a five game series as well, because if we can swipe one of the first two in Houston, we can try to wrap things up at home.

 

[priceFTW]

Fuck the AL

It was all fun and games during the regular season with the AL Central meme, but now I want to transfer to the NL. The 5 best teams in baseball very well could be AL teams.

Once again, a Cleveland franchise gets unlucky in that there are historic teams playing during a three year window that in most three year windows would have yielded at least one title.

You had an all-time type Cubs team in 2016, an all-time hitting team in Houston last year, a very good wild card team in the Yankees, an all-time type team in the Dodgers even if we were to make it to the WS, an all-time type team in Houston again this year but this time via pitching with a bevy of talented bats that have perhaps underperformed, an all-time type team in Boston that has perhaps overachieved, a very good wildcard team in New York, a very, very good wildcard team in Oakland that would have won a division title in most years, and a very, very good Dodgers team and a very good Cubs team again.

Beating Houston then Boston/Yankees/Oakland and then one of Chicago or the Dodgers would be a monumental task.

 

[Chris]

Honestly, I'm with @Derek on Houston being the best team in baseball. If we can get by them, I think anything can happen. Much rather play them in a five game series as well, because if we can swipe one of the first two in Houston, we can try to wrap things up at home.

Agreed man. Its gonna be a tall order.

 

[Derek]

Once again, a Cleveland franchise gets unlucky in that there are historic teams playing during a three year window that in most three year windows would have yielded at least one title.

You had an all-time type Cubs team in 2016, an all-time hitting team in Houston last year, a very good wild card team in the Yankees, an all-time type team in the Dodgers even if we were to make it to the WS, an all-time type team in Houston again this year but this time via pitching with a bevy of talented bats that have perhaps underperformed, an all-time type team in Boston that has perhaps overachieved, a very good wildcard team in New York, a very, very good wildcard team in Oakland that would have won a division title in most years, and a very, very good Dodgers team and a very good Cubs team again.

Beating Houston then Boston/Yankees/Oakland and then one of Chicago or the Dodgers would be a monumental task.

Winning the World Series is always a monumental task, that's what makes it the most special of the major sports championships. Not only do you need to be great, you need to be lucky.

It's not really bad luck that there are so many great teams, there are always powers like this, it's just historically top heavy right now.

Honestly, our team last year was easily the best in the AL, but Kluber wasn't himself, Lindor/Jose had a bad week, and EE was out, so we went down in 5.

It's October, and even the best teams have a small margin for error.

 

[MGMT]

Not sure I can withstand this after what OSU/PSU just did to me.

Oh well. Here goes nothing. What a time to be an Indians fan.

 

[JDailey23]

Go Tribe!

 

[Kevalier]

Honestly, I'm with @Derek on Houston being the best team in baseball. If we can get by them, I think anything can happen. Much rather play them in a five game series as well, because if we can swipe one of the first two in Houston, we can try to wrap things up at home.

Completely agree. If anything, we’re fortunate that we only have to beat them three times instead of four as we would in the ALCS, and we would have more than likely had to go through them anyways to get to the World Series.

 

[Urban]

Honestly, our team last year was easily the best in the AL, but Kluber wasn't himself, Lindor/Jose had a bad week, and EE was out, so we went down in 5.

To piggyback off this: despite all the struggles in that series, the Indians were a Brett Gardner 12 pitch AB away from entering the 9th only down 1 run with Jose-EE-Santana due up vs. a slightly overworked Chapman.

 

[Kevalier]

The most crucial decision the organization faces is how to use Bauer. Based on how he’s looked since coming off the DL, I would prefer they start him Game 3. If they don’t start home for either Game 3 or 4, then Bieber needs to get the start for Game 4 with Bauer piggybacking off of him. They better not roll out a 3 man rotation again this postseason for the love of God.

 

[Derek]

The most crucial decision the organization faces is how to use Bauer. Based on how he’s looked since coming off the DL, I would prefer they start him Game 3. If they don’t start home for either Game 3 or 4, then Bieber needs to get the start for Game 4 with Bauer piggybacking off of him. They better not roll out a 3 man rotation again this postseason for the love of God.

I don't think it's that tough. Plan on pitching Bauer in game 4, but use him as a multi-inning reliever if you need him in the first 3 games.

If you do end up using him in relief, simply bump him back to game 5, and use Bieber in 4 with Carrasco and Kluber available in relief.

 

[sportscoach]

I don't think there will be an issue with who is starting, since its likely Kluber, Carrasco, Clev, Bieber/Bauer, Kluber. Then it will be whoever isn't starting game 4 is in the pen. If its do or die game 4, do we start Kluber on 4 days of rest or leave him to game 5?

 

[Derek]

I don't think there will be an issue with who is starting, since its likely Kluber, Carrasco, Clev, Bieber/Bauer, Kluber. Then it will be whoever isn't starting game 4 is in the pen. If its do or die game 4, do we start Kluber on 4 days of rest or leave him to game 5?

If game 4 is do or die, game 5 would be as well. Absolutely zero reason to pitch anyone on short rest this year.

 

[bob2the2nd]

If game 4 is do or die, game 5 would be as well. Absolutely zero reason to pitch anyone on short rest this year.

Yes of course the issue is if you lose game 4, there is no game 5.

Hopefully it doesnt come down to it but im perfectly okay pitching kluber on short rest.

 

[Derek]

Yes of course the issue is if you lose game 4, there is no game 5.

Hopefully it doesnt come down to it but im perfectly okay pitching kluber on short rest.

Instead of Bauer or Clevinger though? That doesn’t make any sense to me.

I’m not positive Kluber on full rest is better than Clev right now, and I know he’s not better than Bauer. So, I definitely wouldn’t value him on short rest over either.