Browns fall apart in the second half, lose to the Jets, 31-28
October 30, 2016The Flying Five is back : While We’re Waiting
October 31, 2016The Chicago Cubs gave the Indians a dose of their own medicine Sunday night, winning Game 5 of the World Series and bringing their World Series hopes back to life. The Cubs were able to jump out to an early lead and ride their star bullpen arm to the victory, forcing the series to return to Cleveland with the Indians up, 3-2.
This was a great game, and rather than talk big picture, it may be more fun to go inning by inning.
First
Jon Lester struck out the side and did it rather easily. When you are seconds away from swallowing your own heart due to nerves, this is the type of inning that can be a major health risk.
Luckily Trevor Bauer and his Frankenstein hand calmed the nerves a bit with two quick strikeouts. Anthony Rizzo followed with a ball he hit so hard everyone watching perked up like a dog when someone knocks on your door. The ball sailed foul and Bauer got him to fly out to end the inning.
Second
If you’re in the business of hyper-analyzing every moment of a baseball game, the start of the second inning looked like an obvious sign the Baseball Gods were out to smite the Tribe. Look at this stupid play. Look at it. That stuff doesn’t happen to Cleveland teams. That dumb idiot dropped the ball and some other guy flailed his hands around like he was swatting at a bee and caught it. I hate you both.
https://twitter.com/cjzero/status/792889081092976640
Luckily right after that, Jose Ramirez mashed a home run and gave everyone a reason to retweet this:
Jose Ramirez is a potato
— A.J. (@TheSmithuation_) August 8, 2015
Bauer cruised through the bottom of the inning and the Tribe looked to be following a familiar script of scratching out an early lead and letting the bullpen suck the life out of the room like an opening bad that plays for over an hour.
Third
In the top of the third inning Trevor Bauer gave his best effort in the batter’s box, seeing seven pitches. The tides appeared to be turning, as the Indians had an early lead and suddenly were forcing Lester to labor a bit.
Then THIS stupid thing happened. Why would you catch a baseball this way? Heyward probably pretended to shoot web out of his hands like he was Spiderman after this.
Maybe he didn't *need* to climb the wall, but that was a heck of a catch by Jason Heyward https://t.co/IPktUUaQUv pic.twitter.com/Kc9zyLSK4V
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) October 31, 2016
Sweet parkour move, dude.
Bauer flares a pitch down RF line, into foul ground. Heyward climbs brick wall, hangs and reaches back to make insane catch. Bauer smiling.
— Jordan Bastian (@MLBastian) October 31, 2016
Yes, it was an insane catch. Because you’d have to be insane to catch it like that. It’s like he got tired before the ball fell so he leaned against the wall to catch his breath.
Fourth
And then the wheels started to fall off for Trevor Bauer. Kris Bryant led off the inning with a game-tying home run. Anthony Rizzo hit a double. And then Ben Zobrist got his Royals stink on the inning with a single to move Rizzo to third. Zobrists’ mere presence on base made more Royalsy things start to happen. Addison Russell hit a weak dribbler that Jose Ramirez was unable to handle to score Rizzo. Javier Baez followed with a bunt single that moved Zobrist to third, who brought his dumb Royalsy luck full circle, scoring on a David Ross sacrifice fly.
Bauer exited the game after striking out Jon Lester to end the fourth. He and his Frankenstein hand went four innings, striking out seven, allowing three runs. His final stats for the World Series were two starts, 7 2/3 innings pitched with five earned runs and nine strikeouts. While the Tribe had few options, and certainly none that provided an obvious upgrade, it’s still hard not to wonder if they couldn’t have gotten more by going in a different direction. Bauer literally had to leave a start just a few days ago because he was spraying blood around the mound like it was a Gallagher show. But again, few better options existed, and Terry Francona has had the Midas touch the entire series.
Fifth
The Tribe looked to answer in the top of the fifth, as Carlos Santana led-off with a double and Jose Ramirez moved him to third with a ground-out. Unfortunately, the strike-zone suddenly shape shifted during Brandon Guyer’s at-bat, ending in a strike-out.
Both of these were called strikes during Guyer's at-bat. How? pic.twitter.com/bb5z8WvjTN
— Josh Poloha (@JorshP) October 31, 2016
It looks like those strike calls just washed up on the shore of Strike Zone island and the locals took pity and let them in.
Sixth
The Tribe was able to add a run in the sixth, as Rajai Davis singled, stole second, and scored on a single by Francisco Lindor. Linder was then thrown out trying to steal second. Shaw entered to strike out the side in the bottom of the sixth, and it looked like the Tribe might have some momentum.
Seventh
Momentum, meet Aroldis Chapman. Chapman throws almost as many miles per hour as years since the Cubs last won a World Series. You know when you fake throw a tennis ball and your dog chases it like an idiot? I guarantee Chapman could get guys to do that if he just held on to the baseball and didn’t throw it. He entered after Mike Napoli singled and then took second on a wild pitch. After striking out Jose Ramirez, Chapman hit Brandon Guyer with a pitch and then got Roberto Perez to ground to second.
Eighth
After a Yan Gomes strikeout, Rajai Davis entered to face Chapman. Davis ripped a grounder to first base, but Anthony Rizzo was able to make the diving stop and…CHAPMAN YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO COVER FIRST BASE WHY ARE YOU STILL ON THE MOUND? Davis reached first base safely because Chapman didn’t even make an effort to get to first for the out. Davis immediately stole second to get in scoring position, but Jason Kipnis put forth an at bat so embarrassing, people actually forgot about Champman’s awful neck tattoos for a moment. After Kipnis’ strikeout, Davis stole third to put himself in even scorier position for Francisco Lindor. Unfortunately, some hilarious prankster glued Lindor’s bat to his shoulder, and he was unable to offer at any of the three strikes thrown by Chapman.
Ninth
The middle of the order was unable to do much against Chapman in the ninth, as a Napoli grounder, Carlos Santana fly out, and Jose Ramirez strikeout ended the game.
The Tribe put up a fight, and had plenty of chances to win. Bauer’s Frankenstein hand wasn’t good, but certainly didn’t put the game out of reach. Unfortunately, the offense just wasn’t able to capitalize on a few good opportunities.
The Indians return home Tuesday night, with two chances to close the series out and end the year as champions.
Last Note:
I understand the frustration, but I implore Tribe fans to back off the constant complaints of Joe Buck and other national commentators focusing on the Cubs. The Cubs haven’t won in 108 years. They are in one of the largest cities in the country. They have history, and celebrities, and a cool ballpark, and Wrigleyville. They’re the more compelling story. They just watched us celebrate, the more fun angle here is for the Cubs to win, and that’s OK.
But the memes and complaining don’t make us lovable. They don’t make people want to cheer for us. And they take away from some real criticisms like a strike zone that has gone in favor of the Cubs for most of the series.
We can enjoy this run. We don’t need Joe Buck to enjoy it. Cleveland has never been a city to attract tourists, and I damn sure don’t care to invite them to our victory parades, now. See you Tuesday.
88 Comments
crap, am I that guy? Yep, guess so.
Do we get bonus Rajai tacos after last night?
I think “more cameras” = “more shots of him being him”
Shallow TV producers and directors gathering shallow shots for a shallow program consumed by shallow viewers. I hate this phrase, but “it is what it is.”
Admittedly, I’m generally apt, to a fault, to give people the benefit of the doubt (if I like them).
I agree. the real Dawg Pound ate actual dog biscuits and threw the ones not consumed at John Elway’s helmet.
i haven’t seen such on the field since the team came back.
team has made money on the concept though.
if only there were an article today that allowed BOTH Indians and Browns topics to be combined. ah well.
Patience. We’ll make our way over there eventually.
I am prepared to take one for the team, if necessary.
Y’all can stay here and push this one over 100+ comments. I just found it humorous 🙂
I admit, I have participated in bog biscuit shenanigans in the previous iteration of the Pound.
We all reach there eventually https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/c3cb0bc8fd2b4ea6155ad2691ddd6057cef8182dbb8c560e404eaf9e02a0fca2.jpg
for sure. And more over, convinced that both the TNT and Fox production teams order camera people to find Lindor for his reactions.
With that beard maybe they would … hmmm …
It’ll be like a modern day Cool Hand Luke. No man can eat 100 Lindor tacos!
As I’ve recently advised Garry, I would implore you to first get your affairs in order first before you dive in.
Somebody explain to me why Joe Madden pitching his best reliever for 8 outs is being reported among the mainstream sports media as BRILLIANT.
Facing elimination, it’s the only choice he had.
Joe was so excited about the Cubs winning he thought Napoli was on second base after his single.
They don’t even let you smuggle kegs in dog-houses anymore. HBT… curse you and your family-friendly marketing!!!
Thank you! I was just about to make a comment about this. It was a desperate move, and any other choice would have been stupid.
Fortunately Savannah doesn’t have 100 Taco Bells. Or 50. Or 10. Or 5.
We have 2.
That’s why I’m supplementing my seemingly paltry offering with extra hot sauce.
I feel bad for the guy who had to clean up the booth last night after Joe Buckgasmed when the Cubs won.
I’m pretty sure RGB had the 100th comment the other day on his trade-JT trolling posts… because of course he would.
Well, yeah.
JT watch at 11 hours 15 minutes and counting…
Probably for the same reason that Francona keeps getting props for his bullpen use. Madden could have pinch hit for Chapman, especially with a runner on 2nd, but he didn’t and it worked out. Nothing to see here, move along.
Certainly. I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a dedicated camera – which can also go to a kid’s head a bit.
The HBT is dealing…
http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/17935817/new-england-patriots-trade-jamie-collins-cleveland-browns-draft-pick
A third-round pick for Jamie Collins. He’s a FA after this season. So, if the Moneyballers don’t re-sign him, they just flushed a draft pick, because there is no way in hell they are going to pay him franchise tag money.
They’ll also need to pay another certain FA WR this season.
We’ll soon see how skinflint our Moneyballers are.
Speaking of dealing, is JT still on the roster?
The least they should have done is have someone warmed up and ready to go when the 4th began. Bauer had give us 3 good innings, but was now going to see the big hitters for a second time. I can understand keeping him in after the homer, but after Rizzo drilled the next pitch to the wall in right, it was time to get him out of there. No reason to leave all those arms in the bullpen.
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/4tvAjX5ACPo/hqdefault.jpg
I love the Little Cowboy and refuse to part with him!
I don’t know how in the heck we kept getting thrown out on the basepaths with the leads we were getting. Lindor didn’t swing the bat once in the 8th inning. He watched 5 pitches some of which looked the same. We have the tying run on third there grrr.
What are they going to do Tuesday if they need him?
Kids be eating razors
more or less hazardous than letting your kids watch Browns games?
He’s an UFA, what do they care if his arm falls off in a couple weeks?
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My problem wasn’t him taking a close pitch for strike three. It was that the SAME pitch was called a ball TWICE earlier in the same AB, and then got him rung up. Like, if there isn’t any consistency from pitch-to-pitch, let alone AB to AB, what chance does a hitter have?
One side has Lindor-Cam, and the other has Schwarber-Cam. It’s only fair. /s
What’s strange to me is how it’s overlooked that he pulled a pitcher having a pretty good game to put in a kid reliever who looked terrified and whom the Indians had already touched up once in the series. That the rest of the inning was even tense was due to Edwards coming in and peeing down his leg to begin with.
So, yeah, maybe bringing in Chapman was the “smart” move but it followed what was a pretty dumb move just before.
Yeah, he’s tonight’s starter. Gonna be throwing a lot of breaking pitches.
Every inning that goes by without the Cubs leading will make their swings longer and longer.