AL Wild Card Round: NY vs CLE

jon abbey

Shanghai Warrior
Moderator
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
70,713
Dunno if we really need a separate thread for a 2 or 3 game series that starts tomorrow, but here goes anyway. All games in CLE:

Tuesday, 7 PM EST: Gerrit Cole/Shane Bieber
Wednesday, 7 PM EST: Masahiro Tanaka/Carlos Carrasco
Thursday, 7 PM EST: TBA/Zach Plesac

CLE has home field, NY has a much better offense, CLE plays better defense, and CLE likely has a better top to bottom pitching staff although that's a bit hard to determine with how weak the Central offenses were (and since it's impossible to know if that is because of incredible pitching from the Central teams or putrid hitting).
 

jon abbey

Shanghai Warrior
Moderator
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
70,713
Postseason history between the two franchises is interesting.

1997 ALDS (CLE 3-2)
1998 ALCS (NYY 4-2)
2007 ALDS (CLE 3-1)
2017 ALDS (NYY 3-2)

There are not many players left on either team from the 2017 meeting, obviously no Didi or Greg Bird who were the hitting heroes in that series. Both Ramirez and Lindor were completely shut down in that series by NY, only 2 hits in 5 games for each of them, 4-40 combined for the series.
 

SemperFidelisSox

Member
SoSH Member
May 25, 2008
31,083
Boston, MA
Even though no manager has any experience navigating this unusual playoff format, I’d feel a lot better about the Indians chances if Francona was in the dugout. But the players seemed to respond well to Alomar, so maybe it won’t make a difference.
 

jon abbey

Shanghai Warrior
Moderator
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
70,713
Oh, and how could I forget that Gio Urshela started all five games in that ALDS, but for CLE, next to his bestie Lindor. He was quite bad, a few spectacular plays defensively but 2 for 12 with two singles and a two error inning in game 4 that helped lead to a six run inning and a NY 7-3 win. Time Machine Embedded Yankee?
 

terrynever

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Aug 25, 2005
21,717
pawtucket
Sandy Alomar and the Midges. Sounds like a rock group. Sandy’s stunning game-tying HR off Mariano Rivera in Game 4 of the 1997 playoffs derailed a Yankee team that had won the World Series in 1996 and would win three more from 1998-2000. Cleveland had a killer offense in the 1990s so this was not an upset. Just a what-might-have-been for the Yanks.

The Midges were just one more October nightmare from 2001-2007 for Yankee fans. And they were the end for Joe Torre. The Midges are playing again this month and were spotted in the Cleveland press box on Sunday. They usually just attack sportswriters but in 2007, the sweaty body of Joba Chamberlain lured them to the mound.
 

NJ_Sox_Fan

Member
SoSH Member
Jan 2, 2006
10,736
NJ
Should be a great pitching match up tonight. Unfortunately, I cannot see Cleveland winning this series. I just think the Yanks have too much offense.
 

NJ_Sox_Fan

Member
SoSH Member
Jan 2, 2006
10,736
NJ
Can the Yanks’ offense hit quality pitching?
My hope is no, they cannot. The Indians will need Ramirez to stay hot, and get some production from someone other than him and Lindor though. Also, while Tanaka has been not great this season, he always seems to pitch well in the postseason. First postseason for Bieber. Same for Plesac. Bieber has been the best SP this year, but you never know what happens with no playoff experience.
 

terrynever

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Aug 25, 2005
21,717
pawtucket
My hope is no, they cannot. The Indians will need Ramirez to stay hot, and get some production from someone other than him and Lindor though. Also, while Tanaka has been not great this season, he always seems to pitch well in the postseason. First postseason for Bieber. Same for Plesac. Bieber has been the best SP this year, but you never know what happens with no playoff experience.
It’s the playoffs, Sox Fan. Some light-hitting infielder will deliver the key hit. We can’t predict this shit beforehand.