Series Thread: Texas Rangers vs. Houston Astros in the 2023 ALCS October 15-23

[WilltheThrill]

That camera shot of Semien and Heim tells the story. We quit.

After a while, yeah it gets to be like the hill you’re trying to climb is impossible. Whether it’s idiotic managerial decisions, pitchers just failing miserably at their jobs, or even some bad luck halting potential rallies, you feel like you’re being defeated at every turn.

The lineup didn’t exactly light it up, but were they really expected to score 11 runs? Team sports can be super rough mentally sometimes, when you’re doing every last thing you can to win but everyone else around you is just failing miserably. It’s tough.

 

[fanman8825]

The moment they trotted Scherzer out there to start game 3 and he shit the bed, every ounce of momentum they had, left. It shut the fans down squashed morale from the first inning on yesterday they were negatively impacted and then this idiot manager the Rangers have can’t seem to get the F out of the teams way

Honestly I have lost track of all the runs Houston has scored in this park during the last 5 games. It’s an utter travesty. Your right
Bochy can’t seem to make a move in this park against this team that does not have a negative impact on the team

 

[Bmurph]

Shhhh. Not so loud. The truth ruffles a few feathers around here. There are still a few posters here who think that WS rings from a decade ago make him an infallible awesome manager today.

I mean, how about that Will Smith guy? Am I right? Not every team has a guy who can come in and pour gasoline all over a small fire and turn it into a 4-alarm blaze that burns the place to the ground. He is amazing in that role for us, and our genius skipper knows to deploy him as often as he can.

I ain’t here to coddle any posters that can’t see shit for themselves because of blinders. I’m also not here to give anyone a pass for the terrible job at securing bullpen pieces before the season started or the absolute shit job they did at fixing the problem they knew was there at the trade deadline. The team overachieved in many areas but the manager and the FO failed the players repeatedly by not fixing the glaring issues

 

[Duane1952]

A question for you guys. What pitchers in the bullpen would you bring back next season. For me it would be LeClerc, Bradford and maybe Straton. That’s with Gray and Dunning starting.

 

[Duane1952]

I ain’t here to coddle any posters that can’t see shit for themselves because of blinders. I’m also not here to give anyone a pass for the terrible job at securing bullpen pieces before the season started or the absolute shit job they did at fixing the problem they knew was there at the trade deadline. The team overachieved in many areas but the manager and the FO failed the players repeatedly by not fixing the glaring issues

Spot on.

 

[Senator_fan]

2:07 start tomorrow. Roof will be closed.

 

[DT LUNA]

A question for you guys. What pitchers in the bullpen would you bring back next season. For me it would be LeClerc, Bradford and maybe Straton. That’s with Gray and Dunning starting.

Leclerc and Bradford

 

[DT LUNA]

2:07 start tomorrow. Roof will be closed.

My TV shows 4:00

 

[Senator_fan]

Leclerc and Bradford

What about Sborz?

My TV shows 4:00

You are right. 4:07

 

[WilltheThrill]

Honestly I have lost track of all the runs Houston has scored in this park during the last 5 games. It’s an utter travesty. Your right
Bochy can’t seem to make a move in this park against this team that does not have a negative impact on the team

The part he said about staying out of the way is 100% spot-on.

Not all of this is Bochy’s fault. I don’t think anyone here thinks that. He can’t hit and pitch for them. When decent players play poorly, that’s on them.

BUT………………. good managers don’t make tough situations infinitely worse for their teams. And that’s what the stupid decisions do. Don’t put in Will Smith. Do not do it. Unless the game is 15-0, Will Smith does not play. Period. Don’t take a 3 or 4 run deficit and make it insurmountable. That’s what Will Smith does. Guaranteed. Don’t put Robbie Grossman in for Evan Carter. Just don’t do that nonsense. It’s stupidity. Sheer stupidity. Don’t expect Max Scherzer to throw an 80-pitch gem without a single bit of rehab other than bullpen sessions. Also, don’t keep pitching Aroldis Chapman on back to back days in the 8th or 9th inning. There is overwhelming irrefutable data and evidence that says he simply can’t do that. When a pitcher shows you who he is for multiple seasons, believe him!!!!

It’s not hard. Play your best players. Period. Follow the stats. They don’t lie. Put your best players in the lineup, put your healthiest and most effective pitchers you have in the game, and let them decide it. Don’t let terrible players play, especially in the ALCS. This isn’t July. Nobody needs load management or rest. It’s all hands on deck. Every day. Lastly, don’t make strategic decisions that run counter to all baseball logic.

Just keep it simple, put your best guys up, and stay out of the way.

 

[DT LUNA]

What about Sborz?

You are right. 4:07

Sborz is a no for me. Never know what you will get.

 

[jaar01]

Well...looks like we are going to make baseball history. Of course it's the Rangers.

First team in the history of mlb to take the first 2 games on the road in a 7 game series...and then lose the series.

Congrats. Teams losing the first 2 at home were 0-21 in a 7 game series. Now they'll be 1-21. Unbelievable.

 

[DT LUNA]

Well...looks like we are going to make baseball history. Of course it's the Rangers.
There you go again. It is not over yet.
First team in the history of mlb to take the first 2 games on the road in a 7 game series...and then lose the series.

Congrats. Teams losing the first 2 at home were 0-21 in a 7 game series. Now they'll be 1-21. Unbelievable.

It is not over yet.

 

[Senator_fan]

Sborz is a no for me. Never know what you will get.

Yup.

 

[WilltheThrill]

I ain’t here to coddle any posters that can’t see shit for themselves because of blinders. I’m also not here to give anyone a pass for the terrible job at securing bullpen pieces before the season started or the absolute shit job they did at fixing the problem they knew was there at the trade deadline. The team overachieved in many areas but the manager and the FO failed the players repeatedly by not fixing the glaring issues

Actually, one of the main antagonists on here who likes to dictate what people can and can’t say hasn’t been seen for quite some time. I’m guessing that has something to do with the fact that he called everyone who said the Rangers had a chance at the playoffs and any success there “ridiculous” idiots. Anyway, he’s missing in action, so you simply telling like it is is probably fine tonight.

 

[jaar01]

It is not over yet.

Yes. It is. Unfortunately we don't have the pitching. We don't have a spine. And we're about to lose 4 straight.

 

[jaar01]

They are simply a better team than us. They'll lose to the Phillies in the WS if that's any consolation.

 

[WilltheThrill]

Well...looks like we are going to make baseball history. Of course it's the Rangers.

First team in the history of mlb to take the first 2 games on the road in a 7 game series...and then lose the series.

Congrats. Teams losing the first 2 at home were 0-21 in a 7 game series. Now they'll be 1-21. Unbelievable.

Buddy, this where you’re going off the rails again. Reel it in. Last night was bad. Tonight was bad. They’ve looked awful for 2 straight nights. That doesn’t mean the series is over. It’s 2-2. Take a breath.

You said the Angels would pass us. You said we weren’t making the playoffs. You said our season was over. You have guaranteed defeat so many times, we’ve lost count.

Jordan Montgomery and Nathan Eovaldi have a way of picking up the team. We’ve had a little bad luck. We could very easily win tomorrow and then just need 1 of 2 in Houston. This isn’t over by a long shot.

 

[DT LUNA]

See you boys tomorrow at 4:00. Stay safe til then.

 

[Duane1952]

Sborz is a no for me. Never know what you will get.

Sborz would be a no for me also. Just can’t trust him.