At least the Phillies looked like a good and energetic team capable of winning, Pete. The only team in the WC round I had a lot of confidence in, and they sure came through. So now we get maybe the best match up of the entire playoffs.

After game 1, I was shocked when they left Belt in the 2 hole.
I don’t care what his stats were, he didn’t pass the eye test.
I know it is all right handed but Springer, Bichette, Guerrero, should be 1,2,3.
I guess it was due to the failure of Kirk, Chapman, and Varsho to really develop into some form of 4,5,6.
If I were Bichette, I would be trying to get the hell out of Toronto, and off that turf, while both my knees still work.

The Phils are really good.

I think it’s up to Wheeler and Nola to be as dominating as they’ve looked (not easy against Atlanta) and they need Sanchez, Suarez and Walker to pitch at least respectably when called upon.

Kimbrel and Alvarado still scare me as closers, but can be so deadly as well.

Trea Turner has been unconscious since the Philly love fest and it’s been wonderful to watch.

I am bummed about the Blue Jays, but not surprised at all.

And what Vlad was doing on the basepaths remains a mystery. Inexcusable!

I’m also disappointed at Seattle but they were brutal in September.

No mystery at all, and has been covered pretty heavily.
Correa noticed that you couldn’t hear the third base coach early in the game, and set up a possible scenario with Gray and Jeffers.

Yep. Cred to Correa for recognizing that the crowd noise could be your friend.

I'm happy for the Twins, since i see them at Spring Training with my Dad.

Noise or no noise, it's no mystery - Vlad Junior is not a smart baseball player .

A long time ago, I read a strange sports comic where a team of young basketball players who never lost had to play a bunch of faceless aliens for the fate of the earth. But it turns out, it was a time travel loop, and the kids were playing themselves, after aliens had taken over. But because they played themselves as kids, and beat them, when they actually played for the earth, they won, because this time, they weren't arrogant enough to think they couldn't lose.

Vlad Jr reminds me so much of that story - from the time he was 15 years old, he never learned to lose, and how to get better. So everything is easy, and everything's a laugh and everything's a game. And since he was called up 4 years ago, I've been praying for even an ounce of the dedication of a Kevin Pillar or Kevin Kiermaier to infect him, so he would start to learn the craft, and not simply rely on the talent.

Still waiting....

I loved that comic series as a kid:

Yep - that's the one!! I knew the comics board wouldn't let me down.

That was my point, thank you for pointing out that he’s not dedicated to improving because it all came so easy to him.

It had squat to do with noise-he should’ve been aware the entire time.

It’s not little league.

Absolutely abysmal what he did.

Since I blew the wild card round so badly, I'm going to start over:

Gimme Dodgers in 4, Braves in 5, Baltimore in 4 and Houston in 4.

Damn!

The Phils blank Atlanta 3-0, the only time all year the mighty Braves have been shutout at home.

Harper hit a big HR, the bullpen was largely fantastic and Kimbrel got a nice 1-2-3 save.

Trea Turner made a huge double play on a diving steal of a hit that would’ve knocked in one, maybe two runs in the 8th.

Thompson made all the right moves.

Oh yeah, classy Atlanta fans littered the field with bottles and cans and shouted profanities.

The media says that only happens in Philly.

Hmmmmm….

Is it just me, or did none of the game over the weekend feel like they had drama. Big blowouts, dominant pitching performances, and weak hitting made it feel like once some runs went up, the games weren't really in doubt.

Baltimore has gone cold, the Braves are up against an on fire Phillies squad, and Kershaw continues to not pitch well in the post season. Just a strange feeling off season

And while I'm not familiar with the source, I was informed that it was also broadcast on Sportsnet here in Canada, so I believe it's true.

One of baseball's longest running nightmares has finally come to an end, as umpire Angel Hernandez has been permanently removed from his duties with major league baseball. And while it is never good to relish in someone losing their job, I also do not feel incompetence should be rewarded. So for the good of the game, I'm glad he's gone.

https://latestbollyholly.com/did-angel- ... eased-mlb/

Best news I've heard today! Angel should have been gone a long time ago. He was really bad for the game and has been a horrible umpire for a long long time. You should never notice an umpire and all you ever noticed was Angel and his bad calls and horrible attitude. Good riddance!

One report I saw said that in season-long ratings, Hernandez was missing ball-strikes calls at a rate three times the MLB average.

I remember seeing an Angel Hernandez walks his dog cartoon awhile back.
Of course, it was a seeing-eye dog.

Whoa! Arizona is just rolling through the post season so far: four straight post-season wins.

yep, and every game they win, the angrier Jays fans get with Ross Atkins.

The Varsho/Gurriel trade?

Don't forget Moreno...but yeah.

The opinions are split on the way Harper made the final out.

Bob Costas on the other hand is taking a lot of ribbing over his Mark Prior gaffe tuesday night.