Thanks for the analysis. Doesn't a lot boil down to Bobby & Vinnie being abysmally bad at the plate? In fact, I don't think it's a stretch to think that if they had produced at the level they had in the regular season that the Royals last night would have finished off a sweep.
Of course, they wouldn't be where they are without how the two of them produced all season, but this has to be a sour ending if they fail again tonight.
For sure. Awful timing for a slump. Or two. This October feels a lot like September where the offense is scuffling and the pitching is what's keeping them competitive. Unless Pasquantino goes off, that broken thumb and super-quick recovery will leave us wondering all winter.
The Royals have to stop walking Yankees. If they stop walking them, they can win. 4 hits but 9 walks.
I agree that fair/foul ball was never going to be overturned on replay. I know it looked like it must be hitting the line, but when I watched the grass rebound after the ball bounced away, it looked like only green grass had been depressed. So I think ultimately it was the right call. Also, the outfield umpire was right there staring at the play.
Royals can still win this but they've got to stop walking guys.
Only one came around to score, but two helped lead to the sacrifice fly, and 9 of them led each batter in the Yankees lineup to get an additional crack at the Royals' pitching. Often with more runners on than they otherwise would have had.
I've been to some electric games at the K back in the 80s and 14-15, but this was my first in-person playoff experience, and except for the final score, it did not disappoint. And when the Royals rallied in the 5th, man, that was intense. I'm definitely hoarse this morning.
As for the rest of the series, it's still right there for them. Walks have hurt them, but the extra baserunners haven't killed them like I feared they would in this series. Who knows how it will play out? That's the beautiful and frustrating thing about sports. It could be a matter of whose superstars bust out first, though I have a gut feeling it will come down to who gets the superior starting pitching performance. Cole is capable of ending it tonight, but Wacha and Ragans are equally capable of dealing up a KC upset. As long as Chisolm isn't the hero. I had no problem with the guy until Monday night, but I think we'd all like to see him walking off the field with a dejected look on his face Saturday.
But you're right, playoff baseball, while one of the greatest things in the world, is stressful as hell.
Ahead of the game yesterday, someone asked for my prediction with the final score. No way. These games are wild, unpredictable and nonsensical. Nine innings of chaos. I spent almost 3,500 words unpacking the damn thing. Think I’m going to dip my toe into the prediction market? Not a chance.
Glad you had a good time. Nothing like postseason baseball at The K.
I'm a little surprised by how fatalistic a lot of Royals fans sound today. (OK, not all that surprised- rationality is not a requirement of fanhood.) Facing elimination is never ideal, and I have no how it will all turn out, but a 2-1 deficit is hardly insurmountable. This team has been resilient all year and always found a way to bounce back. There's no reason to think it can't happen again. All they gotta do is scratch out a win tonight and then they have Ragans going in Game 5. I don't know about you, but if you had offered me that scenario before this series started, I would have enthusiastically taken it.
The replay challenge of the fair/foul call would have been pretty damning to the right field umpire if that was overturned. He literally staring right at it from about 5-10 feet away.
My wife and I have a 10-month old, so my routine throughout the postseason has been to DVR the game and not start watching until after we've put him to bed, ca. 8pm. I had been watching the Wild Card series and Game 1 of the ALDS pretty calmly, just trying to savor the fact we have October baseball. Games 2 and 3, made me feel the same way I did during the 2015 ALDS (I was a nervous wreck during most of the 2015 postseason). Extremely cynical and tense. I found myself fast forwarding through all of the idle time between pitches and any replay of a Yankee hit or good defensive play. The fact the broadcast has been terrible (it took Costas until the end of game 3 to point out that Luke Weaver WAS A ROYAL TWO YEARS AGO!!), so that contributed to the itchy remote thumb. I had it made up in my mind Game 3 was a must have. I sat in complete silence for at least 15 minutes after the last out was made (for me was about 10:30pm). If this in fact will be the last game we see of the 2024 Royals tonight, then I will say it has been one hell of a ride. I'm not sure if I can calm myself back down to the stress levels of pre-ALDS game 2, but I hope so. Win or lose I do want to appreciate every pitch tonight and damnit I hope we have a Game 5.
Personally speaking, all October it has felt as though the Royals have exceeded expectations. Do we want more? Hell, yeah. It’s there for the taking. But it’s been an incredibly fun and rewarding season. Only one team can win a title. These playoffs are tough.
* Still believing, but finding best hopes lie with MJ Melendez and a 40-year old. Man is that depressing.
* Saddest for this idiot typist is that BWJ is falling flat after a Royals all-time season
I don't want to drop a Yogism while the Royals are in a series with the Yankees, but you know...
Bad timing for sure for Witt, but the Royals wouldn't have gotten this far without him. And maybe that single is what gets him going.
The walk in the AB before looked like the good Witt again, not chasing awful pitches. I am banking on a much better night tonight.
It was a good PA, but I think the Yankees were intent on not giving him anything to hit other than that first pitch.
Thanks for the analysis. Doesn't a lot boil down to Bobby & Vinnie being abysmally bad at the plate? In fact, I don't think it's a stretch to think that if they had produced at the level they had in the regular season that the Royals last night would have finished off a sweep.
Of course, they wouldn't be where they are without how the two of them produced all season, but this has to be a sour ending if they fail again tonight.
Bobby: 1-13, 5 k, 1 walk
Vinnie: 0-12, 5 k, 1 walk
For sure. Awful timing for a slump. Or two. This October feels a lot like September where the offense is scuffling and the pitching is what's keeping them competitive. Unless Pasquantino goes off, that broken thumb and super-quick recovery will leave us wondering all winter.
The Royals have to stop walking Yankees. If they stop walking them, they can win. 4 hits but 9 walks.
I agree that fair/foul ball was never going to be overturned on replay. I know it looked like it must be hitting the line, but when I watched the grass rebound after the ball bounced away, it looked like only green grass had been depressed. So I think ultimately it was the right call. Also, the outfield umpire was right there staring at the play.
Royals can still win this but they've got to stop walking guys.
Fortunate in that only one walk came around to score. Which is wild. And living dangerously.
Only one came around to score, but two helped lead to the sacrifice fly, and 9 of them led each batter in the Yankees lineup to get an additional crack at the Royals' pitching. Often with more runners on than they otherwise would have had.
I've been to some electric games at the K back in the 80s and 14-15, but this was my first in-person playoff experience, and except for the final score, it did not disappoint. And when the Royals rallied in the 5th, man, that was intense. I'm definitely hoarse this morning.
As for the rest of the series, it's still right there for them. Walks have hurt them, but the extra baserunners haven't killed them like I feared they would in this series. Who knows how it will play out? That's the beautiful and frustrating thing about sports. It could be a matter of whose superstars bust out first, though I have a gut feeling it will come down to who gets the superior starting pitching performance. Cole is capable of ending it tonight, but Wacha and Ragans are equally capable of dealing up a KC upset. As long as Chisolm isn't the hero. I had no problem with the guy until Monday night, but I think we'd all like to see him walking off the field with a dejected look on his face Saturday.
But you're right, playoff baseball, while one of the greatest things in the world, is stressful as hell.
Ahead of the game yesterday, someone asked for my prediction with the final score. No way. These games are wild, unpredictable and nonsensical. Nine innings of chaos. I spent almost 3,500 words unpacking the damn thing. Think I’m going to dip my toe into the prediction market? Not a chance.
Glad you had a good time. Nothing like postseason baseball at The K.
I'm a little surprised by how fatalistic a lot of Royals fans sound today. (OK, not all that surprised- rationality is not a requirement of fanhood.) Facing elimination is never ideal, and I have no how it will all turn out, but a 2-1 deficit is hardly insurmountable. This team has been resilient all year and always found a way to bounce back. There's no reason to think it can't happen again. All they gotta do is scratch out a win tonight and then they have Ragans going in Game 5. I don't know about you, but if you had offered me that scenario before this series started, I would have enthusiastically taken it.
This series deserves better TV coverage and better umpiring.
Same can be said for a lot of professional sports.
And less replay!!!
The replay challenge of the fair/foul call would have been pretty damning to the right field umpire if that was overturned. He literally staring right at it from about 5-10 feet away.
My wife and I have a 10-month old, so my routine throughout the postseason has been to DVR the game and not start watching until after we've put him to bed, ca. 8pm. I had been watching the Wild Card series and Game 1 of the ALDS pretty calmly, just trying to savor the fact we have October baseball. Games 2 and 3, made me feel the same way I did during the 2015 ALDS (I was a nervous wreck during most of the 2015 postseason). Extremely cynical and tense. I found myself fast forwarding through all of the idle time between pitches and any replay of a Yankee hit or good defensive play. The fact the broadcast has been terrible (it took Costas until the end of game 3 to point out that Luke Weaver WAS A ROYAL TWO YEARS AGO!!), so that contributed to the itchy remote thumb. I had it made up in my mind Game 3 was a must have. I sat in complete silence for at least 15 minutes after the last out was made (for me was about 10:30pm). If this in fact will be the last game we see of the 2024 Royals tonight, then I will say it has been one hell of a ride. I'm not sure if I can calm myself back down to the stress levels of pre-ALDS game 2, but I hope so. Win or lose I do want to appreciate every pitch tonight and damnit I hope we have a Game 5.
Congrats on the new human in your life!
Personally speaking, all October it has felt as though the Royals have exceeded expectations. Do we want more? Hell, yeah. It’s there for the taking. But it’s been an incredibly fun and rewarding season. Only one team can win a title. These playoffs are tough.