Yes, a Framber start at home is better than an Urquidy start on the road. Getting to start your #1 and #2 on normal rest is better than your #3/4 and #1. I don’t think it’s the end of the world if Urquidy starts game 4 since outside of McCullers there’s not a lot separating the other guys. If McCullers is feeling good I think you go with him though.
Let's get one thing straight. Astros are winning this series and I'd prefer they do it with McCullers in Game #4 than with McCullers in Game #5
What a typical cap to last night. Won’t even be able to watch tomorrow because the a**holes at MLB gave us another afternoon start time.
Even if it was the only game tomorrow it would have been an afternoon start time. If it goes to game 5 then they have to fly to Houston after the game.
You guys are way overthinking this. LMJ in Game 4 is no-brainer. Pushing LMJ back to game 3 of the ALCS is not a loss and in fact may be a win considering he would start Game 7 as well or WS Game 1.
On Monday, Astros general manager James Click strongly refuted the implication. “We are all cognizant of the history here at the Astros, but a big part of the reason that Dusty and I were brought here was because we know that kind of stuff can never happen again,” Click said. “I can say unequivocally that nothing untoward is going on here. If people are going to keep being suspicious if this organization, that’s their prerogative and their priority. It’s not where our focus is. Our focus is on winning the series.” Astros manager Dusty Baker added, "Those are some heavy accusations. We're about the same runs, OPS and everything — actually better on the road than we are at home. I think they're actually better at home than on the road. I don't have much response."
The whole thing is even dumber and funnier considering that LaRussa used cameras to steal signs back in his 1st stint with the White Sox
He may not be great in game, but I like Dusty calling out that the White Sox perform much better at home than on the road.
Then why care whether or not McCullers starts game 1 or game 3 of the next series, for instance? If your view is based on there is no difference which games players start, then if LMJ starts game 1 and game 5 in the ALCS, there is no difference to if he starts Game 3 and game 7, instead. Truth is there are a million variables that goes beyond just who starts the games that determine what creates the best chances of winning. It's impossible to capture them all, so it's best to just focus on the scenario with the least variables, which is how to win game 4.
This rainout is a huge win for us. Instead of Urquidy, who probably gives you five innings max, now we have two guys lined up for Games 4 and 5 who can give you 7 or even 8 innings. This should help cover up our crappy bullpen for the rest of the series.
Not surprising but White Sox Pitcher Ryan Teparra is accusing the Stros of cheating this series. https://apple.news/AMeh65tTVRn6rTTComNwrUQ whoops I see other posters beat me to it.
I'm certainly not making a blanket statement that order makes no difference. I'm saying that you can't conclude that starting LMJ in game 4 gives us the best chance to win the series simply because starting LMJ in game 4 gives us the best chance to win game 4. (Maybe you aren't saying that, but lots of people are.) And if it's a tossup, why wouldn't you select the strategy that leaves you better positioned for the next series. In the end I look at LMJ's home-road splits and thing it's probably better to start him in Game 4 and Framber in Game 5 if necessary. So we end in the same place. But "you start LMJ in game 4 because he's your best pitcher" is not, as some people seem to be suggesting, the explanation for how you are optimizing your chances of winning the series.
The comment about sign stealing is obviously a plot to get the public to remember that and hopefully root against the Astros. The White Sox are in desperation mode and all the Stros have to do is play their game like they have been and get ready for the ALCS. Oh and the Astros not doing anything in the later innings of Game #3 had to do with the emotional defeat by the umps. You can't conveniently look at a few innings as proof and then forget that the Astros scored 6 runs at the beginning.
Id say it’s more psychological warfare hoping to get under the Astros players skin throwing them off their game.
Framber hasn't gone 8 all year. He's only gone 7 4 times since the middle of June. https://www.espn.com/mlb/player/gamelog/_/id/36581/framber-valdez I think Framber is probably the better choice and is definitely the better pitcher long term, but their game scores have not been that different recently.
