MLB Postseason 2009

[faster]

Lidge

[jon abbey]

tough final four, anyone can win it.

[jon abbey]

rotations look like this, as best I can tell:

NY/LA

1: CC/Lackey
2: Burnett/Saunders
3: Pettitte/Weaver
4: CC/Kazmir
5: Burnett/Lackey
6: Pettitte/Saunders
7: CC/Weaver

CC would be going on three days rest in game 4, NY's plan will have to change if either of the first two games is pushed back because of rain, a distinct possibility right now.

LA/Phil:

1: Kershaw/Hamels
2: Padilla/Pedro (!!!!)
3: Kuroda/Lee
4: Wolf/???

[Harold Baines]

If anything can doom the Yankees, throwing CC on short rest could do it.

Tactical error, I think.

[Mo Noyz]

I would think they'll have a definitive cap on his pitch count in game 1.

[jon abbey]

If anything can doom the Yankees, throwing CC on short rest could do it.

Tactical error, I think.

it depends how the first three games go, but I tend to agree after much thought. here's the post I made on SOSH along similar lines last night:

"It might not matter because of the rain, but I think there's a case to be made for using Gaudin in game 4 and letting CC pitch on full rest in game 5. Assuming no rainouts, this means instead of:

Game 1: Sabathia vs Lackey
Game 2: Burnett vs Saunders
Game 3: Pettitte vs Weaver
Game 4: Sabathia vs Kazmir
Game 5: Burnett vs Lackey (if necessary)
Game 6: Pettitte vs Saunders (if necessary)
Game 7: Sabathia vs Weaver (if necessary

You have:

Game 1: Sabathia vs Lackey
Game 2: Burnett vs Saunders
Game 3: Pettitte vs Weaver
Game 4: Gaudin vs Kazmir
Game 5: Sabathia vs Lackey (if necessary)
Game 6: Burnett vs Saunders (if necessary)
Game 7: Pettitte vs Weaver (if necessary

On paper (which is of course never how this actually plays out, but for the sake of argument), this strengthens NY in game 1 (Sabathia can go 120 pitches instead of maybe 105), game 5, game 6 (Burnett gets a home start instead of a road one), while weakening them in game 4 and possibly game 7 (although pitchers don't always bounce back so well after being used on three days rest). If Gaudin and Aceves aren't used much in games 2 and 3, I think you can make an argument with trying to get 5 or 6 innings combined out of them in game 4 and turning it over to the back of the bullpen, and with CC going in game 5, ideally he wouldn't need so much help the next night.

It's not a decision you can make until game 3 is over, but if NY was up 2-1 and Gaudin and Aceves were pretty well-rested, I think I'd save CC for game 5. It's also worth keeping in mind, not that you can afford to look ahead at all, but 4 starters will definitely be needed in the World Series, if NY made it there."

[Mo Noyz]

C.C. also pitched 4 times in 12 days for the Brewers at the end of last season. He won two of those and the two that he lost he went 7 innings giving up only 4 runs each.

I see no reason why he would have a problem with that this year.

Jon?

[jon abbey]

C.C. also pitched 4 times in 12 days for the Brewers at the end of last season. He won two of those and the two that he lost he went 7 innings giving up only 4 runs each.

I see no reason why he would have a problem with that this year.

Jon?

those were regular season NL games (and some of those runs you mentioned were unearned, he had an insane 1.01 ERA combined for those), but the fifth one was in the playoffs against the Phillies where he got shelled. he doesn't have good results against the Angels this year on normal rest, and going on 3 days rest tends to mess you up going forward also. everything else I think I already said in that long-ass post above.

[Harold Baines]

As Jon said, those starts for the Brewers gassed him. Historically, he doesn't do well on short rest.

[Mo Noyz]

Shit, sorry about that, jon. I somehow missed your previous post before my last.

I think you're absolutely right, though. If they're up 2-1 there's almost no logic in using C.C. in game 4 since game 5 will become either a crucial pivot point or the chance to slam the door.

[jon abbey]

I think you're absolutely right, though. If they're up 2-1 there's almost no logic in using C.C. in game 4 since game 5 will become either a crucial pivot point or the chance to slam the door.

and more than that, games 6 and 7 would be in NY, where they've been really tough this year.

in other news, after three days where both teams have sat around and the weather's been pretty nice here, it's currently freezing and raining, same as it's supposed to be straight through the weekend. I can see my breath, ideal baseball weather (!).

[Mo Noyz]

This has been one cold ass October so far, hasn't it? Our highs here have been in the 40's and 50's since last week.

And holy SHIT when is it ever going to stop raining?!

[jon abbey]

there's the Sherrill AL East fans remember.

[faster]

Yeah, rough. He'd been unhittable in LA, but that sample size doesn't prove much.

[jon abbey]

Charlie Manuel with some solid decision making there:

Pedro Martinez pitching in an almost meaningless game in mid September? Run him up to 130 pitches.

Pedro Martinez pitching in NLCS game 2 leading 1-0 and a shaky bullpen that pitched a ton last night? Get him out after 87 pitches.

[jon abbey]

CC comes up huge, and the Angels are shockingly sloppy. tomorrow's a big one, Saunders/Burnett, Hughes and Joba are fully rested.

[Mo Noyz]

C.C. was simply fucking unconscious tonight. You couldn't let him, but he could have easily cranked out a CG.

If the Angels can cut the fucking Keystone Kops routine they can still make this a close series.

[jon abbey]

you could make a good argument for pulling him after 7, up 4-1, when he was at 98 pitches, assuming Girardi still wants to use him in game 4 on 3 days rest. I'm still hoping if they win at least one of the next two, they hold him until game 5.

[Mo Noyz]

Agreed. I was somewhat surprised to see him come out in the 8th considering they're still kicking around the idea of using him for game 4.

[Mo Noyz]

Oh, but I did notice how they said early in the game that the Yankees were expecting to use C.C. for "either" game 4 or 5.

One gets the feeling they're blowing smoke up the Angels ass.