dr. b

That was such a fun game last night! I was loving every minute of that 9-run inning. It’s just one win of course. Still lots of work left to do, and the Dodgers are probably still the favourites. No reason why these Blue Jays can’t win another three games though! The lineup doesn’t quit.

That 9 run inning Couldn’t be off to a better start. 3 outs left to go!

Oh man what a wild game! Springer is practically on one leg and didn’t do much last night at the plate so I can understood going after him. Unfortunately it didn’t work out for the M’s. Toronto saw Bazardo a lot in this series so that might have helped. I cannot believe this Jays team is going to the World Series

Kirby is looking pretty decent through three innings tonight. Bieber on the other hand is not sharp. If Kirby holds off the Jays’ batters a couple more innings and then hands it over to the bullpen, Seattle has a nice chance tonight.

We’re going to Game #7!!! Last night’s game was heart attack stuff for me. Those bases loaded double plays… oh man But the Jays pulled through. Looks like tonight is a rematch of Game #3 for starting pitchers. Kirby vs. Bieber. They’re both on regular rest. Bieber was really good in Seattle. Here’s to hoping he can give them another good start. And that the Jays’ bats can get to Kirby again!

Gnosia is a winner too. First episode hooked me for sure.

Lots of great stuff this week, but these two are the most important/notable to me. Akane-banashi # 179 Witch Watch # 222

I don’t have high hopes for either team against LA. Just look at what the Dodgers did to the Brewers. If the Jays find a way through, they will have home field advantage and Ohtani will hit some massive HRs in the Dome. I can see it coming a mile away. Bummer about last night’s game. The Jays squandered some nice scoring opportunities earlier in the game. Could have had a bigger lead late. That doesn’t excuse the bullpen meltdown. And I don’t think Little was the right guy to go to in the 8th. But if they had done more damage when they had guys on base, it might have been a different outcome. Oh well, that’s baseball! Gotta win two at home now. Two wins in a row isn’t much to ask. They’re a good team. Seattle will not be easy to fend off though. I was happy for M’s fans to at least see one home win in the ALCS last night

It ain't over yet! It's basically a best-of-three now. Toronto has home field advantage... but that hasn't really mattered much so far I have some questions about Dan Wilson's bullpen management after last night's game. I know Toronto was putting a lot of pressure on Castillo in the 3rd... but that felt like too early of a hook. On the Jays' side, I was thrilled with Scherzer's start last night. What a gutsy performance from the old man! Nearly got them 6 innings. That helped preserve the bullpen a bit more for tonight. They have Gausman going tonight, who I am hoping can give the team 6 innings as well if not more if his command is good. But if he gets chased early then it's not a complete disaster. Which team will have the 3-2 lead going back to Toronto? I've been telling everybody all week long that the Jays were going to win at least two games in Seattle, so that's mission accomplished. I don't want to get greedy.... but it feels like sweeping all three games in Seattle is possible!

I don't think he expected to lose the game necessarily... but with the 2-0 series lead, I assume he just didn't want to overreact and pull Gilbert too early in this game. Gotta have some faith in your starter. Gilbert has been pretty good for them. The bullpen has also been worked fairly hard recently. I dunno. I am super curious to see what happens with both starters tonight. Castillo was dominant against Toronto in his 2022 Wild Card appearance. He's not quite the same guy in 2025 though and I think this Blue Jays lineup can get to him. The problem is Toronto has Scherzer taking the hill and the M's lineup might get to him even more! There isn't an off-day before Game #5 either. Depending on how poorly things go for tonight's starters, both teams bullpens could be in rough shape for Friday night's game. I am hoping like hell that Scherzer has something left in the tank for tonight. I also would like to see Castillo pitch well for Seattle. Let's see who can come out on top.

The Blue Jays have some life!

Holy smokes, what a pair of starting performances by Snell and Yamamoto to start the NLCS! I'm pulling for the Brew Crew. I love the way they play. They have some similarities to the Blue Jays in that their lineup is deep and aggressive and doesn't strike out much. Both teams are relentless. But... sometimes there just isn't a good answer for elite pitching. Seattle and LAD coincidentally have two of the best overall pitching staffs in the whole league IMO. Seattle @ LAD will be an interesting World Series match up if that is how it pans out. There will be a big win for Toronto tonight in Seattle though. I can feel it in my bones.

I am OK for now. Beginning to feel worried but not yet hopeless! The first inning of Game #1 turned out to be a bit of a turning point. They had Miller on the ropes there. Vlad hit the ball so hard but it found a defender. Then Kirk and Varsho couldn't get a hit after Barger took a walk. If they had put up a crooked number there then perhaps it would have been a W for the Jays. I like that the lineup stayed very aggressive against Miller, because I think they would rather face him than most of the M's relievers. But to Miller's credit, he settled down and located his pitches much better in the following innings. He pitched really well. And the M's bullpen has been shutdown. It unfortunately is bringing back painful memories of the 2015 ALCS and the Royals' killer bullpen that prevented the Jays from getting into the World Series. That Jays team would have crushed the Mets... These first two ALCS games plus last night's first NLCS game go to show how big of a deal pitching is in the postseason. Toronto and Milwaukee both have deep lineups. Lots of great hitters that don't strike out much. But when the pitchers have their stuff going and they are locating pitches, it's tough. The pitcher is in control. Toronto's pitching staff simply doesn't compare to Seattle's. They have to score more runs. The Blue Jay pitchers also have to find a way to limit the M's bats more. With the 2-3-2 format, Seattle being up 2-0 now is a massive advantage. I do believe that Toronto can make adjustments and turn it around. Need to win at least 2 in Seattle to make it a series again. If they lose Game #3 then the series is effectively over. Tomorrow night could be a very bad night for me ...

I wasn't a big fan of the pitching change either. Who knows, maybe Carpenter would've homered anyways. But Kirby could have kept rolling after that even if he did allow a HR. What a long game! I went to bed after the 7th I am hyped for Game #1 tomorrow night!

Forgot to mention Dogsred in my big post. I am still following and really enjoying it. The game that's been happening over the last several chapters has been really satisfying. If you are even remotely interested in hockey, I recommend giving it a look. Super fun cast of characters.