So as soon as the chance of rain out became news, I started projecting how it would affect our rotation and I was horrified at the notion of moving Verlander up from game 6 to game 5. We had just won game 3 to go up 2-1 and were guaranteed to have Verlander and Cole awaiting the Yankees in Houston. A Verlander with an extra day of rest, mind you. In the press conference Wednesday night as game 4 was already rescheduled, there is Hinch announcing he had changed his rotation and moved Verlander up to game 5. I was disappointed, to say the least. The Astros are lucky the Yankees crapped the bed in game 4, otherwise the Astros would be down 3-2 with Cole having to go on 3 days rest and then the bullpen pitching game 7. Series would have been over, Hinch would have lost the series with that horrendous decision. Even still, now instead of Verlander having a huge advantage of going up against the Yankees bullpen being pieced together in game 6, both teams are now having to do it and the Astros no longer have the advantage. Unforced error by Hinch. Plain and simple.
The Astros biggest problem is the disappearance of the offense. You aren't going to win many games scoring only 1 run. I usually don't worry when they are down 2 or 3 runs because the offense is explosive, but the 4 runs by the Yankees last night seemed out of reach.
Disagree, verlander 9 out 10 times in that situation closes that thing for you. Yankees did win 100+ games this year so they are a good team.
The difficulty of winning 4 straight against the Yankees (3 straight in NY) was too much. Especially trying to close the series. I would much rather of had Verlander game 6 and Cole game 7 at home. If we lose tonight in a bullpen game, we have to face Severino tomorrow in a close out game for both teams and our bats have gone pretty cold. We just took our chances of winning this series from 90% to 50% (maybe 55% giving Cole the edge). But historically, we don’t hit well against Severino. If we saved Verdy for game 6 and closed it, the World Series Rotation would be Game 1: Cole (normal rest) Game 2: Greinke Game 3: Verdy (on normal rest) Now (if it goes 7) we run the risk of Game 1: Greinke Game 2: Verlander (on 4 days rest) Game 3: Cole (on 4 days rest) Not to mention the risk losing it all after losing 2 straight and swinging momentum back to the Yankees in a decisive game 7
Which is the point, the Yankees were capable of beating Verlander in Yankee stadium as well as the bats may not support him even if he did pitch well. So imagine we lost 2-1. Ok so Verlander wasn't really the problem but we still lost. You can't put yourself in the position AJ Hinch has now put this team. The Yankees should be staring at the daunting task of beating Verlander and Cole back to back in Houston. Instead they are riding high off beating the great Justin Verlander and now know they can come in here tonight and force game 7, putting all the pressure on Houston. It didn't have to be this way. This is the second time he's screwed over Verlander. Starting him on 3 days rest, again an unforced error and a look of desperation from a team that was ahead in the series against Tampa. Now that's 2 losses in the playoffs Verlander should not have suffered. Funny enough, that final score was...... 4-1.
And if we lose tonight and Cole comes through the rotation is the same as the Yankees series. Greinke Verlander Cole You really want to go with your best, to start the world series, so hopefully we close it out tonight and Cole faces Scherzer.
So the Nats layoff has put them in this predicament: Scherzer 9 days rest Strasburg 8 days rest Corbin 9 days rest Sanchez 14 days rest This is why the team that has swept their LCS has gone on to lose 7 of the last 8 times in the World Series. 3 of their starters will be as if they skipped a start (if this were the regular season) and the 4th as if he skipped two staight starts.
Age on the bad call with 3 days rest. But not this one if you have the chance to close the door take it. His fall safe is damn solid, let's get on board.
Game 7 with Cole is your only safe place right now. Game 6 is some huge unknown, the likes we haven't seen in a very long time in the playoffs.
