The Rangers current roster has done well against JV batting average wise but not run scoring wise. About 10 runs in 109 ABs or close to 2.5 ERA total (28/109 .257 avg, .277 OB%, .367 SLUG%, .644 OPS) Lowe (3/8 .375) Semien (11/40 .275) but only 1 HR and 1 RBI Garcia (2/7 .286) Seager (5/17 .294) 1 HR and 3 RBIs Heim (0-3 .000) Garver (1/8 .125) Astros have similar success against Scherzer with 14 runs in 143 innings (also close to 2.5 ERA) total (39/143 .273 avg, .320 OB%, .434 SLUG%, .754 OPS) Abreu (6/23 .261) Yordan (3/6 .500) Brantley (19/52 .365) 2 HRs and 10 RBIs Altuve (4/24 .167) Bregman (1/8 .125)
This is the Rangers World Series... so in that case Scherzer has a 3.60 ERA with 1.90 WHIP in that scenario with 1-0 record.
The Astros (I don't use "we" but don't begrudge those who do) are even in the loss column and the Mariner's already own the tiebreaker so they must still lose 1 more than the Astros the rest of the way.
We know Dusty is anti sweep. I wouldn't be surprised to see... Altuve Pena Tucker Bregman Brantley McCormick Singleton Dubon Maldonado He'll get cute and want to give Yordan an extra day off with no game on Thursday.
Based on rumors of comments, Brantley plays LF, Maldonado catches and Dubon plays. Now it would be just like Dusty to give Altuve a day off and let Dubon play 2nd. 1 2B Dubon 2 SS Pena 3 LF Alvarez* 4 3B Bregman 5 RF Tucker* 6 CF McCormick 7 1B Abreu 8 DH Brantley* 9 C Maldonado
I mean, that's fine. It's not the best lineup or anything but it's the 9 best guys with the worst 3 hitters in order at the bottom of the lineup so it would be perfectly respectable and fine.
If how far they go is based upon how healthy their SP stay they are screwed. All injury risks aren't equal. It'd be like if the Astros counted on LMJ. You just can't count on DeGrom or Evaldi or the like. Anything you get from those guys is a bonus. That's not how they are accounted for. Now- if you have a year line up where they are both good and healthy? Yeah, they are gonna be contenders that year.
I have a different method of optimizing a line-up than just OPS 1-9. I like the best at 3 and 4 to both drive runners in and become runners for the sluggers. OBP at the top and bottom. But I still want the best 9 on the field.
The best lineup without Maldy 2b Altuve 3b Bregman dh Yordan rf Tucker c Diaz lf Brantley cf McCormick 1b Abreu ss Pena The best lineup with Maldy 2b Altuve 3b Bregman dh Yordan rf Tucker cf McCormick lf Brantley 1b Abreu ss Pena c Maldy
I can't, under good conscience, put Diaz at 1b or think Diaz is better than Brantley in the lineup. I want that vet presence and contact hitter at all times if possible (especially in the lower half of the lineup)
