Have the Astros found their moment?
It’s a two-game Thursday in the league championship series as the 2023 MLB playoffs progress.
Will the Houston Astros even the American League Championship Series after a big Game 3 win in Arlington? Can the Arizona Diamondbacks find some comfort against the Philadelphia Phillies after a rocky start to the National League Championship Series in Philadelphia?
Philadelphia Phillies vs. Arizona Diamondbacks
Are the Phillies as unstoppable as they seemed in the first two games?
Schoenfield: Given the importance of home runs in this postseason (teams that out-homer their opponents are 17-3), you asked Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo if his team will have to find a way to out-homer them. . to the Phillies on home runs for a chance to win. the series. His response: “Obviously, if you make that statement, I’ll definitely agree with you. It’s like having a team full of three-pointers against someone who only shoots two.” Right now, the Phillies have all the 3-point shooters. Unless the Diamondbacks suddenly sign Steph Curry and Kevin Durant, this series is over.
Rogers: The short answer is yes, but remember that the Phillies have lost one of their two road games this postseason. Getting them away from Citizens Bank Park is Arizona’s best chance, but even that could be wishful thinking considering how the Phillies are playing right now. Let’s face it, the Diamondbacks will be more than happy with their season even if they lose in the NLCS. Simply put, it will be a victory in itself for the D-backs if the series returns to Philadelphia.
Passan: Well, they’re playing the closest thing to immaculate baseball there is. Their offense hits home runs. Their starters strike out batters and limit walks. Their relievers are fuming. Their defense operates cleanly and efficiently. Seriously, it’s hard to find fault with the Phillies right now, and they’ve been playing that type of baseball since the postseason began. But unstoppable? This is baseball. There is no such thing as unstoppable. Brandon Pfaadt could shut down Philadelphia in Game 3 or Ranger Suarez could implode, and suddenly the Phillies vibe would feel very different.
How much will getting out of Philadelphia and coming home to Chase Field help the D-backs?
Schoenfield: Well, I have a feeling there may be a lot of red at Chase Field, and I mean a maroon tint. The ticket price before the Phillies won the first two games was $115 and has now dropped to $15. Anyone moving from the greater Philadelphia area can now get cheap tickets. According to TickPick, the price of admission to Philadelphia was $467, so we might even see some Phillies fans taking a little three-day vacation to soak up the sun in the desert. Oh: And Bryce Harper is great. Kyle Schwarber is great. Nick Castellanos is great. Trea Turner is good. Game three starter Ranger Suárez is active.
Rogers: Let’s put it this way, if Game 3 starter Brandon Pfaadt had to pitch in Philadelphia, it would probably be even worse than what happened to Arizona’s pitchers in the first two games. He has a fighting chance at home, especially if he can make it through the first inning, when the Phillies love to attack the opposing starter. With no real statistics to prove it, other than his home record, there’s no doubt that the Philadelphia crowd is having an impact. All fans could learn something: there is a tenth man in baseball.
Passan: That’s like asking how getting out of prison will help the man who longs for freedom. For the last two games, the Diamondbacks have been playing in the loudest, most hostile and unforgiving stadium in baseball: a shop of horrors for visiting teams, particularly in the postseason. Chase isn’t Citizens Bank Park West by any means, but at least every run the Phillies score won’t be followed by deafening cheers. It’s up to Phoenix-area fans to give their team at least a sliver of the advantage that Philadelphia fans have over theirs.
Houston Astros vs. Texas Rangers
Now that the Astros have won a game in Arlington, what are the chances of this series going the distance?
Gonzalez: I don’t know if it’ll go the distance, but it lines up with my general thinking heading into Game 3: that this series is far from over. Losing the first two home games in a best-of-seven series is usually a death sentence, especially at this stage. But these stars exist in their own stratosphere. They are in the American League Championship Series for the seventh consecutive season. And for some inexplicable reason, I was much better away from home this season (51-30) than at home (39-42). They are especially comfortable at Globe Life Field, where many of their hitters say they see pitches particularly well. It’s easy to imagine it will take at least two out of three to ship this back to Houston. And that’s where it would get interesting.
Olney: I don’t think it will go that far. One team or the other will gain momentum in Game 4: if the Astros win, they will lead the standings. If the Rangers win Game 4, I think they’ll finish it here in Arlington. Both teams’ pitching depth will be challenged and, in particular, a lot will fall on the shoulders of Rangers left-hander Andrew Heaney, who has made just one appearance this month. They need him to be the stopper trying to slow down Houston’s hitters after they hit Max Scherzer and the relievers who followed them in Game 3.
Passan: The Rangers still have home field advantage. They can still finish the American League Championship Series at Globe Life Field. They still have a No. 8 hitter (Josh Jung) who can home run against the most unhittable postseason pitcher we’ve ever seen and a No. 9 hitter (Leody Taveras) who reached base six of his first seven times in this series and stole a Yordan Alvarez homer in Game 3. And they still have Jordan Montgomery and Nathan Eovaldi scheduled to start Games 5 and 6, a back end of the bullpen that rested the last two days and a lineup that has been the best in America. League this postseason. Only fools rule out the Astros, but the odds are still in the Rangers’ favor, and the odds still say this series is more likely to end in a five or six than a seven.
How should the Rangers approach the red-hot Yordan Alvarez for the rest of this series?
González: Clearly, there is no real answer here. If there is, trust that Bruce Bochy and all the coaches and analysts who will surround him will find it before we do. But it’s interesting to see that while he’s putting up incredibly eye-catching numbers throughout these playoffs, Alvarez is also chasing at a rate of 37%, nine percentage points higher than the Major League average during the regular season and up more than 10 points. . . percentages more than his mark. Of course, it’s a relatively small sample. But there might be something to him trying to force the action with other Astros hitters struggling behind him. There you have it: make him chase you. But you better not be wrong.
Olney: Álvarez is the best hitter on Earth, on the Moon, in another galaxy, wherever he is hitting. After the damage he caused in Game 3, you have to believe that a sleepless Bruce Bochy is going to consider giving him the Barry Bonds treatment for the rest of this series, especially with José Abreu and Kyle Tucker lining up behind him. At this point, the question of whether or not to pitch to Alvarez is like choosing between risking an allowed home run for the possibility of an out. His best chance to fold seems to be to put three Leody Taveras on the fence and wait for a steal.
Passan: Fortunately, Buster, there is no cloning machine to triple Leody Taveras, because the Astros would use it to draft Yordan Alvarez and simply beat their opponents into oblivion. For now, Bruce Bochy has enough with one. And if anyone managing today knows anything about intentionally walking left-handed sluggers, it’s Bochy, who saw his opponents do it against Barry Bonds 43 times in 2007. Alvarez has a history of getting into trouble in alternating postseason series, but His efforts in Games 2 and 3 suggest it ends here, and if a leverage situation arises (and Jordan Montgomery isn’t on the mound fooling Alvarez with dead balls), Bochy shouldn’t be afraid to draw the automatic walk. and take advantage of their opportunities. with someone who is not one of the best hitters alive.
