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

[saddles]

The Rangers have spent a lot of money and trade capital on guys who just cannot be depended on for one reason or another.

Semien (too many prolonged slumps)

Degrom (Injured too often)

Scherzer (see above)

As we get closer and closer to the end of budget flexibility we are going to have to be much smarter.

That goes for ownership as well. Ownership pretty much forced an end to the rebuild a year early. Forcing the GM to spend can be just as damaging as hindering the GM from spending.

The organization is not a lot cause by any means, but it is time to quit making personnel mistakes.

 

[jaar01]

Semien contract is going to be an albatross for this franchise for many years. He has been awful at the plate when it counts the most. Of course Bochy would never move him out of the leadoff spot. Rangers massively overpaid for him. He's a big reason we are going to lose this series.

 

[redskinsfan1963]

wow,instead of pitching around alave they gave him a decent pitch to hit.

 

[scotsman1948]

wow,instead of pitching around alave they gave him a decent pitch to hit.

Noted that the announcers last night started talking Altuve at the beginning of the 8th almost like they knew what was coming. Almost makes me suspicious. They even were talking about him hitting a game winning homer in the 9th

 

[DT LUNA]

I i commented without seeing you and the other guys post. I agree with him but with Marcus moving the runners over they just walk Corey then you are depending upon Carter and likely Robbie and hope for no DP.
Not a good baseball move IMO.

Sorry for all the die hard Ranger fans especially on this board who are lifers
Maybe we can get a miracle but that is a hard one to come back from but to me it does seem like a curse and if so maybe karma bites back

Walk Seager, squeez sac bunt. If you make it game is tied. If not still have one more chance. Good move imo.

 

[yardimatt]

That game made me so angry. I had to get a way from this board when i saw the game slipping away late. I can’t stand the astros but I was more disappointed in our hitters shitting the bed on numerous opportunities throughout the game. That’s why we lost!

 

[fanman8825]

That game made me so angry. I had to get a way from this board when i saw the game slipping away late. I can’t stand the astros but I was more disappointed in our hitters shitting the bed on numerous opportunities throughout the game. That’s why we lost!

I was sick when Pena robbed Semian of the high liner. If that gets thru then I feel we would have walked it off with Seager or Carter.
I have a good feeling about tomorrow nights game. The breaks are due to go our way

 

[WilltheThrill]

That game made me so angry. I had to get a way from this board when i saw the game slipping away late. I can’t stand the astros but I was more disappointed in our hitters shitting the bed on numerous opportunities throughout the game. That’s why we lost!

Good post. I had to get away from baseball and sports in general for the rest of the night. That one was an all-timer in terms of tough pills to swallow. It wasn’t Game 6 in 2011 bad, but it had a similar feeling. And also we lost to David Freese in 2011, who has isn’t a complete scumbag human being.

Anyway, we lost for multiple reasons. We’re the Rangers. We always find multiple and new ways to lose. It’s what we do.

We lost because of missed opportunities by our hitters to add on runs (especially in the 8th).

We lost because the Astros are a classless organization who hit Garcia with a 99 MPH fastball because he admired his home run too long and had done so against them in another game as well. This caused a major brawl which dragged on and on and completely iced Leclerc on the bench.

We lost because Dusty Baker got ejected and Joe freaking Espada became acting manager. He pinch hit with Diaz (worked), Singleton (miraculously worked), and then had no-name Kessinger pinch run and play defense (made an insane catch in the 9th). Maybe Dusty called from the showers and had those moves made. But Espada ultimately made the moves.

We lost because our closer finally blew a save and came unraveled. You can’t walk total spares like Singleton. Astros fans hate that guy because he’s so useless. And we walked him. Altuve’s HR should have been a game-tying one instead of a game-winning one.

And we lost because of the bottom of the 9th. Whether you are like me and some others and firmly believe Semien should have bunted to essentially load the bases with 1 out, or you think Semien should have swung away… either way, we had our 1,2, and 3 hitters up with 2 men on and 0 outs, and we came away with nothing. Semien has been a series-changing failure. I still like the guy, but your lead off hitter cannot go hitless every single game. And I do question now whether the 3-hole is too big of a spot for Carter. Love, love, love him, but that is just such a huge ask of a rookie.

I’m not giving up on this team. I never will. I’m a sucker for punishment. I know how tomorrow will likely go. It feels like a foregone conclusion. Maybe it is. But I’m still holding out hope that this time is different and we’re just going to make the Astros choke twice in front of their fans. Guess we’ll see.

 

[fanman8825]

Noted that the announcers last night started talking Altuve at the beginning of the 8th almost like they knew what was coming. Almost makes me suspicious. They even were talking about him hitting a game winning homer in the 9th

What sucks is when Houston wins we have to hear how great they are. Fox sports the MLB station just love talking about them.
Honestly the breaks have gone their way.including the skirmish last night. It affected Leclerc having to wait so long before the 9th

 

[Duane1952]

What was he supposed to do? He doesn’t make the trades. If the FO doesn’t give him the bullpen arms he needs what do you suggest he should have done? I imagine he would rather not use Chapman but what are his other options? Personally I would pink-slip the whole peninsula November 6.

You’re crazy if you don’t think he doesn’t have a say in the trades they make. I guarantee you he signed off on the Chapman trade.

 

[scotsman1948]

You’re crazy if you don’t think he doesn’t have a say in the trades they make. I guarantee you he signed off on the Chapman trade.

He has a say and can indicate which he wants from those available but in the end it comes down to whether the FO is willing to give up prospects etc for them or chooses to pursue less costly options regardless of the manager’s opinion

 

[saddles]

I never seen a Rangers team, with potential, that seemed to "beg" fans to give up on them as much as this team does.

 

[scotsman1948]

Going offseason with this but would you do this trade: Dustin Harris 1B/DH & Marc Church RHP to Colorado Rockies for Justin Lawrence RHP

 

[saddles]

 

[saddles]

Going offseason with this but would you do this trade: Dustin Harris 1B/DH & Marc Church RHP to Colorado Rockies for Justin Lawrence RHP

I don't think so. I believe I would aim higher than Lawrence in any trade, a lot higher, actually.

 

[scotsman1948]

I don't think so. I believe I would aim higher than Lawrence in any trade, a lot higher, actually.

Who and how much would give for them?

 

[saddles]

Who and how much would give for them?

I don't feel like putting in the effort to do that right now. That would take a lot of time.

 

[scotsman1948]

Bryan Abreu suspended 2 games starting with game 6. Several players fined including Adonis and Matt Bush (Bush is banned from sitting on the bench)

 

[saddles]

Who and how much would give for them?

I did mention this deal a few months ago. Things have changed a bit now. Taveras and Teodo has more value now that they had then, and Speas is gone. Also, Diaz has about a year less, than he did then, before becoming a free agent.

I wonder if the Reds would listen to offers for Alexis Diaz

Adolis
Leody
Speas
Church
Foscue
Teodo

For

Diaz

 

[TheLonestarDUCK]

Bryan Abreu suspended 2 games starting with game 6. Several players fined including Adonis and Matt Bush (Bush is banned from sitting on the bench)

He will appeal and serve the suspension next year