Sadsox 2:01 PM admin edited

Who the **** thought it was a good idea to give Cam Schlittler a breaking ball

reasonablysober 2:01 PM

Go Cubs, Phillies, Astros, and Red Sox.

PC1970 2:03 PM

Members Only thread..much better than a Members Only jacket.

Seuss2004 2:04 PM

What a time to be alive

David Appelman 2:06 PM

A FanGraphs Members Only Jacket prototype does exists….

Sean Dolinar 2:07 PM

Hey all! Like we said, we're trying something new. We'll have staff pop in and out today. But you get to drive the conversation today.

Doug Lampert 2:08 PM

I'm at work with this on my second screen, so I'll need a play by play if I'm going to follow the games.

Seuss2004 2:09 PM

Since June 14th (19 starts!) Sanchez has an ERA over 4 and a higher FIP than Tyler Mahle. I have concerns.

drplantwrench 2:09 PM

not sure if its smart to give me the ability to post immediately…

Doug Lampert 2:10 PM

I find the delay on normal threads annoying. Giving members a revokable right to instant post would be a nice perk.

Sean Dolinar 2:10 PM

there's some trepidation here, too.

Don Glickstein 2:10 PM

Great interview today in the Seattle Times with John Stanton, the Mariners' chairman, about why he's keeping DiPoto and why the M's refuse to sign aging stars.

war2d2 2:11 PM

All right! No safety net! Who’s gonna be the first to end their career with a screenshot

Jon Becker 2:12 PM

You should be able to click the settings gear in the top right and adjust your delay

wenz 2:13 PM

Baseball is awesome, but I have to admit that I'm having a tough time choosing between following this game and taking a post-lunch nap

Doug Lampert 2:14 PM

Roster Resources has Roman Anthony projected to play for the Red Sox today, anyone know what the problem was yesterday?

Sean Dolinar 2:14 PM

A few features to note:
– you can delay the incoming messages up to 3 minutes to using the gear in the top right corner.
– you can reply to a message by hovering over it and clicking in the top right corner.

wenz 2:15 PM

Hand soreness

Jon Becker 2:15 PM edited

We don't make individual edits to lineup projections on the Scores page, we just use the Go-To Starting Lineup that shows on the RosterResource page. So as long as Anthony's on the roster he'll show as projected to play, but we have no idea on his availability today.

drplantwrench 2:15 PM

very cool work, sean!

Sean Dolinar 2:19 PM

Infield in already!

Sonny L 2:20 PM

Look at Philly playing small ball

Jonathan Vander Lugt 2:20 PM

I'm in the same boat after just getting back from hot pot with my day job colleagues

lzfreak 2:21 PM

What's the deal with flipping Bohm and Stott last minute?

Seuss2004 2:21 PM

And no TOOTBLANS through 3 batters, astounding

Jon Becker 2:21 PM

Wasn't really last minute, got announced about an hour ago

Jon Becker 2:22 PM

Stott-Bohm was initially a clerical error

drplantwrench 2:22 PM

phillies dinking singles around, like we all expected

Sonny L 2:23 PM

There ya go Suess

Seuss2004 2:23 PM

Ah well nm

lzfreak 2:25 PM

Kinda feels like the Phillies need more than 1 here

Doug Lampert 2:25 PM

I didn't see the play, but does being thrown out at home on a ball in play really count as a TOOTBLAM? I admit it wasn't a force.

drplantwrench 2:25 PM

suddenly braves have momentum again

Sonny L 2:26 PM edited

Ehhh, without a wide angle to see if Harper broke too early thinking it was through hard to call it a bad read. There was going to be an out somewhere on that play.

Daniel – 2:27 PM

trust the xfip brother

Ben Clemens 2:28 PM

I thought it was pretty weird to see the Braves with the infield in in the first. I guess they're very open to the possibility of a low scoring game

Sonny L 2:29 PM

Don’t think I’ve ever seen a batter with a knee guard like Acuna is wearing.

lzfreak 2:29 PM

I've always been curious on the effectiveness of playing the infield in, in general. Is this the kind of thing we have data on in a way to analyze?

alexp 2:29 PM

I feel like Weiss was quick to pull the infield in all season

SPArn 2:30 PM

Is Marsh a non tender candidate? Considering they just paid Bohm 10.2 in his final year, probably not, but that 2nd half wRC+ says 31!

Ben Clemens 2:31 PM

I was thinking about this last half inning. I think the existing data could probably be manipulated to at least come up with SOMETHING. We don't have perfect infield positioning data, but we do have distance from home plate, so there's enough to do some approximating. Offseason project?

lzfreak 2:31 PM

I'd read that!

Ben Clemens 2:32 PM

hi

SPArn 2:32 PM

(If anyone is lurking both here and in the Rates and Barrels discord, I'm sorry you're seeing me posit this twice)

Jim Parks 2:33 PM

Bad baserunning by Acuna there.

SPArn 2:33 PM

@Ben Clemens any publicity is good publicity for UVA re: Bennett Sousa? He's spoiling all of Ernie Clement and Josh Sborz's postseason goodwill!

Sonny L 2:35 PM

Didn’t Marsh hurt his hand or wrist around midseason? Might be the reason for that severe a drop

Benny The Jet 2:35 PM

With the state of the Phillies bullpen, feels like every 15+ pitch inning by Sanchez is a win for the Braves

lzfreak 2:37 PM

Acuna is hyped

Sean Dolinar 2:37 PM

I appreciate that you are here.

Seuss2004 2:38 PM edited

Lefties with a .391 OPS on the season vs Sanchez. Which is really, really bad, but as Olson just demonstrated, not .000

Amos 2:39 PM

Is there any way to “pop out” the chat as its own window/tab? On my phone, the extra real estate (and not accidentally scrolling the browser instead of the chat) would be really nice.

Jon Becker 2:40 PM

I would be very surprised if he was NTed

Ben Clemens 2:42 PM

we'll take it

maximus74 2:45 PM

is this what happens with no moderation? everyone too afraid to talk, or is my chat broken?

snapper 2:46 PM

I find it really annoying that the playoff graphics online and on TV show players stats from the current series, rather than their regular season stats.

Doug Lampert 2:46 PM

I think there just aren't many people on. I keep seeing the same names.

Sean Dolinar 2:46 PM

Fear. Everything is working. And only one person got put into auto moderation because of a swear word.

lzfreak 2:47 PM

How available do we think Duran is? Lotta pitches yesterday but you'd think he could go an inning today or tomorrow. But since you need to win both, if you can only throw him one more time in the series, why not wait until tomorrow when he's better rested?

Seuss2004 2:47 PM

I mean i'm over here trying to do my job, we can't all be content creators

Rich Hill's Fastball 2:48 PM

Sean, thanks for the incredibly fast turnaround on that chat delay feature I asked about yesterday! Helped me avoid spoilers given my cable package

wenz 2:48 PM

Is this the most boring series judged solely by uniforms? Red and blue vs. red and blue

TKDC 2:48 PM

Acuña did not have only four stolen bases this year, no matter how many times they repeat that.

tjcook87 2:49 PM

Same, and…I just don't have anything to say. Silence better than noise.

lzfreak 2:49 PM

Yeah this has really been throwing me off. Do they not have fact checkers?

Sonny L 2:49 PM

Philly needs to win because I’m not ready to lose Kruk this year. Man is delightful in the booth

Benny The Jet 2:51 PM

Beating a dead horse a bit, but Votto is just really good at this- especially at pushing back on some of the other announcers

tdmoc 2:51 PM

so far this series feels like it's wasted on the WC round

Sean Dolinar 2:51 PM

No problem! It wasn't too hard, because all we had to do was add X many seconds and filter base on that just in your client. No reason to wait to implement.

Moate 2:52 PM

Some people are charming in ways you just can’t teach, and dude has it.

jaysohm 2:53 PM

we should just be happy that not all baseball is a blowout

Rich Hill's Fastball 2:53 PM

Sox-Yanks too. That shouldve been a 1-game or a CS.

jromero 2:54 PM

despite limiting damage how concerning is Sanchez's pitch count?

Alex Remington 2:56 PM

Not extremely, I'd think? All he needs is a 10-pitch inning and he's right back on track to go his usual 6-7.

Klubot3000 2:57 PM

Sean, the nested replies are so good visually! Kudos!

Alex Remington 2:57 PM

My concern with Mahle is, really, does he have the weapons to get through the lineup more than twice? His splitter's been working quite well but the rest of his stuff just doesn't feel playoff elite.

Sean Dolinar 2:58 PM

🙏

maximus74 2:58 PM

for anyone that was here yesterday around this time, how do the numbers compare to the non-Members only chat?

Jon Becker 2:58 PM

Getting through the lineup exactly twice is more than enough for all but a handful of starters in these playoffs, IMO

Sonny L 2:59 PM

Until they start spitting on the split let him keep going. Problem is if it’s a close game you might find out too late they’re not chasing it again.

Klubot3000 2:59 PM

Think there were about double for much of yesterday's game? Maybe a bit more at peak

Jimmy 2:59 PM

I finally have my seat at the cool kids table here that is definitely not just a bunch of nerds

Klubot3000 3:00 PM

His 4S and FC are both pretty decent

Doug Lampert 3:00 PM

You just keep thinking that.

tdmoc 3:00 PM

yeah, relievers casting from HP in the playoffs is the standard at this point

beanbong 3:01 PM

Mahle's probably only going to see Turner three times, Lee/Dodd likely come in to face Schwarber/Harper/Bohm/Stott

TKDC 3:02 PM

I’d let him pitch to exactly one hitter a third time.

Alex Remington 3:03 PM

I'm sorry can you please translate "casting from HP"? I feel I'm losing nerd cred by even asking

Alex Remington 3:05 PM

Leaning on Lee is going to take a pretty big leap of faith. He was absolutely torched in the second half and the Braves barely pitched him in September. Maybe they're confident he's cleaned up his pitch-tipping, but he gave up runs in two of the four appearances he made over the last two weeks of the season.

beanbong 3:05 PM

Really baffling to me that they keep putting Kim in the lineup. It's hard to imagine more of an automatic out on any team that made the playoffs

Klubot3000 3:06 PM

Did they come out and say it was pitch tipping? He really was incredible to start the year and the late slide was concerning

whatmonster 3:07 PM

Is it just me, or are more players wearing the 90s-style skinny pants? Look how tight Acuna’s pants are around the calves. Looks great.

Seuss2004 3:07 PM

Phils radio crew is just despondent over the walk

tdmoc 3:07 PM

casting from hit points – I just mean they don't need much more from Mahle because bullpens get pushed to the brink as a matter of course in the playoffs

lzfreak 3:07 PM

He's not the guy you want to walk

beanbong 3:08 PM

The peripherals weren't nearly as bad as the ERA. You've gotta trust Lee, he's the best lefty in the pen

Klubot3000 3:08 PM

Thanks. Lee didn't get many whiffs yesterday, but nice to see the velo up at least

Hazmat Corntail 3:09 PM

It’s gotta be all hands on deck so at least a couple of batters, I’d think.

Doug Lampert 3:09 PM edited

He's been hitting like a pitcher this year, except I'm pretty sure back when the braves had Madox/Glavin/et al, their pitchers were better than that.
Edited to add: And after walking Kim he strikes out Acuna. Baseball.

beanbong 3:10 PM

Max Fried was a much better hitter than 2026 Kim

antihustle 3:12 PM

I'm one of those people who types out half a comment before deleting it and staying silent. Is that a millennial thing?

lzfreak 3:15 PM

I wonder if the bye team (in this case the Dodgers) get together to watch these wildcard series. Or if they're just taking a few days off to rest

Rich Hill's Fastball 3:16 PM

Several players have mentioned the team has watch parties set up.

antihustle 3:18 PM

Hoping to hear Matty V say "Oh and he botches it!" at least once this postseason

brewersbibliophile 3:21 PM

Millennial here, I do that quite often

Smiling Politely 3:21 PM

If I'm Shohei Ohtani, I'm inviting everyone over to my 2800 sq ft hot tub to watch the game on my 2km long tv

Fun-Hating Dork 3:25 PM

The Phillies are right there and have Marchan and Stubbs on their roster.

Bacterun 3:25 PM edited

Okay, just finished enough work that I can turn the game on and coast for the rest of the day, what did i miss!

Bacterun 3:26 PM

Millennial here, I to do that

antihustle 3:26 PM

Love a ground ball pitcher

drplantwrench 3:26 PM

looks like playing IF in in the 1st inning has been a smart idea so far

Alex Remington 3:27 PM

Atlanta's great hope for this whole series is to get into the pen as early as possible. But Sanchez is getting stronger as he goes.

Joe Savarese 3:27 PM

Can the White Sox actually make the World Series??

Joe Savarese 3:29 PM

Since my Tigers let me down ..

Ben 3:29 PM

I would much rather be able to watch the playoff games with the MLB.tv subscription that I pay for every year…but the fact that the little field view on Gameday shows the little box position players doing grounders and throws to first while the pitcher is tossing warmup pitches is kind of delightful.

antihustle 3:29 PM

I don't know how it is for everyone else, but it's almost like I got all the social part of social media out of my system with Myspace/early FB and now it's a mix of not being able to quite articulate the thought I'm having, fearing negative comments, worrying it isn't going to meaningfully add to the conversation. My urge to even delete this comment is high, but I'm going to resist!

Joe Savarese 3:30 PM

Is that Maddux out there today–lol

jaysohm 3:30 PM

Votto is so good at this. Avoiding nonsense and providing actual analysis of Schwarber mid-at bat

lzfreak 3:31 PM

I love Votto completely ignoring the dumb question

TKDC 3:31 PM

I’m guessing they give Rushing the wrong address.

antihustle 3:31 PM

The first inning definitely had me thinking things could get out of hand, but the pitchers have locked in!

antihustle 3:32 PM

Dealing!

Rich Hill's Fastball 3:32 PM

Harper just has one of those swings, man

Bacterun 3:32 PM edited

Ya exactly, I got rid of most of the social media stuff years ago (use bluesky for science since im a microbiologist and its good for that) and just struggle with the idea that anyone gives a schlitt about random things i have to say (or most of the time not say lol)

maximus74 3:32 PM

with 1.5 usable SP, that would be reminiscent of the 2006 Cardinals

Klubot3000 3:32 PM

Gosh that sequence was good from Mahle

riibett 3:32 PM

Whats the deal with that philly fan's costume? Is that supposed to be the Phanatic? Is this a Philly-Florida Gators Crossover?

hb31 3:32 PM

Mahle carving up the Phillies, as expected

lzfreak 3:33 PM

So do you bring Mahle back for the 6th facing the middle of the order a third time? Or say that 5 innings is a job well done and turn it over to the relievers?

Klubot3000 3:33 PM

Definitely let him start the next inning

lzfreak 3:34 PM

He's looked good but guys are good until they aren't sometimes

antihustle 3:34 PM

I totally get what you mean. Awesome that you're a microbiologist btw

beanbong 3:34 PM

3.32 FIP since the trade and 1 ER over 13 innings in his last two starts against Philly. Braves have made adjustments to his mix that have yielded results

riibett 3:34 PM

Think philly's offense has been so anemic you can push him a bit with a short leash

antihustle 3:36 PM

I struggle with that, any time a SP is looking good I want them to come back out

Klubot3000 3:36 PM

Philly 28th in baseball v. RHP this year

antihustle 3:37 PM

Backstreet Boys on the organ, love it!

Klubot3000 3:37 PM

Braves' organist is very fun!

Rich Hill's Fastball 3:37 PM

Organist a fan of the Backstreet Boys?

lzfreak 3:38 PM

A Braves Dodgers series would be pretty epic for organs

antihustle 3:38 PM

What a fun job that would be!

Rich Hill's Fastball 3:39 PM

Dieter Ruehle (Dodgers and LA Kings organist) is one of the best, yes!

antihustle 3:40 PM edited

I will never not be upset when there is an in-game picture-in-picture ad

riibett 3:42 PM

mattingly's got the look of a man that's about to let sanchez throw 800 pitches today

Seuss2004 3:49 PM

[Hooded Kermit meme] do it.

antihustle 3:50 PM

pleeeeeease

drewcorb 3:51 PM

I really like Bluesky for following researchers and science news too. plus pretty much all my preferred baseball writers are there too

jonmberra 3:52 PM

Mattingly is at least partially responsible for playoff Kershaw.

lzfreak 3:54 PM

Kruk is having a hilarious and great series

antihustle 3:55 PM

Agreed!

drplantwrench 3:56 PM

and theres the play that will haunt the phillies

lzfreak 3:57 PM

What an awkward play

jonmberra 3:57 PM

The Phillies defense is frustating.

antihustle 3:57 PM

Pitcher deflection messing up a play is always so frustrating, you can't blame them for reacting on instincts

Seuss2004 3:57 PM

This is peak Phillies baseball

Fun-Hating Dork 3:58 PM

Any in-game alteration of the video — including showing stupid mid-game interviews — is terrible.

antihustle 3:59 PM

Woooooooow

drplantwrench 3:59 PM

sike just kidding hehe

jonmberra 3:59 PM

Maybe I spoke too soon on the Phils defense

Seuss2004 3:59 PM

Crowd got silent REAL FAST.

lzfreak 3:59 PM

Another win for infield in

Benny The Jet 3:59 PM

Wow

lzfreak 3:59 PM

Or at least a little in

Fun-Hating Dork 4:00 PM

The ever famous 3-2-3 double play!

beanbong 4:00 PM

At some point you would've thought someone would tell Michael Harris he can take a pitch

lmb2020 4:00 PM

Just how they drew it up

whatmonster 4:01 PM

Sanchez must feel like an impossible matchup if you’re Harris.

Klubot3000 4:01 PM

Harris is pretty good v lefties tbh

whatmonster 4:01 PM

Mahle back out for the 7th, surprising.

Seuss2004 4:02 PM

Just like I always say, Phillies are all about defense.

Klubot3000 4:02 PM

I think these are his last 3 hitters

Sonny L 4:03 PM

First 2 splits to JT were nkt well located

riibett 4:03 PM

yeah if it gets to schwarber a lefty is definitely coming in

whatmonster 4:03 PM

I was about to ask if we’re talking about the same Harris but I looked up his splits again – increased his OPS vs lefties by 150 pts this year. So not as bad as he used to be.

jonmberra 4:04 PM

I know Mahle was way better with the Braves but I was not expecting a playoff start this good.

whatmonster 4:05 PM

Man 7IP 1ER from Mahle is better than anyone even dreamed of in this game

Ben Clemens 4:05 PM

I feel like if I were Votto I'd only be saved from tearing my hair out watching this game by the lack of hair

lzfreak 4:05 PM

Man, Mahle facing 28 batters and giving up only 1 run is an enormous win for the Braves

Ben Clemens 4:05 PM

Like, Mahle has one move. And he's already showed them that move TWICE in September.

Klubot3000 4:05 PM

55 splitters! Massive

Ben Clemens 4:05 PM

And they keep being like 'wait what, a splitter? what is this?'

Ben Clemens 4:05 PM

(I'm recapping this game, this is going to be a focus of my writeup)

Klubot3000 4:06 PM

Way more than he's ever thrown before

Klubot3000 4:06 PM

So even if you're 'ready' for it, going that far above his previous high is ballsy

whatmonster 4:06 PM

If it ain’t broke don’t fix it mentality

Sonny L 4:06 PM

The ump view on the splits made it look really difficult to pick up that spin in daylight.

Sean Dolinar 4:07 PM

🎶Take me out to the ballgame
Take me out to the crowd
Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jacks
I don't care if I never get back🎶

lzfreak 4:07 PM

Is it too late for the Phillies to sign Votto to take an ab? He's probably the guy in the building most capable of taking those splitters

David Appelman 4:07 PM

Can we get some sort of animation and midi music?

Seuss2004 4:07 PM

"They didn't need the Pope, they had Cam Schlittler"

Seuss2004 4:07 PM

God bless you Franzke

lzfreak 4:09 PM

How can Sanchez be the "pitcher of record" in a tie game?

beanbong 4:10 PM

Listening to the radio call and not being able to see the actual pitch makes these ABS reviews much more dramatic

Ben Clemens 4:10 PM

Votto said he was getting Braves playoff nervousness from his 2020 trip there, so maybe he's too out of the game to do it. BUt otherwise, yeah, their lefties were not really up to the task today.

Klubot3000 4:11 PM

I really wish they'd take away the K zone

jonmberra 4:11 PM

Is this game gonna be the end of the Phillies window?

drplantwrench 4:11 PM

please break it open now braves

riibett 4:11 PM

Great day from murphy, walk, double, 3 (I think?) abs overturns

Ben Clemens 4:12 PM

yes please!

snapper 4:12 PM

How do you let Kim bat here? Have they no bench?

Anon21 4:13 PM

Mattingly has no good options here, but this is a highly risky decision, assuming the intent is to leave him in to face Acuña for a fourth time.

lzfreak 4:13 PM

Oh man bad decision there

Benny The Jet 4:13 PM

oh noooooooooo

Seuss2004 4:13 PM

I think the starting pitching is too good for that, the floor is fairly high. But the position player age and cost is concerning for sure

drplantwrench 4:13 PM

now THIS is the play that will haunt the phillies

riibett 4:14 PM

crazy going to second there

Anon21 4:14 PM

The throw wasn't horrendous, but you can't go to second there unless you're *sure* you'll get him!

ncphl 4:14 PM

Once that ball is past you, it makes no sense to go to second

antihustle 4:14 PM

I find watching baseball so much more enjoyable when there is no k zone overlay

Anon21 4:15 PM

Killer non-challenge on the 0-1

snapper 4:16 PM

If they just take the out at 1st, things are looking much better here.

Turduckenfrank 4:16 PM

if they take the out at 1st, do they just walk acuna, and they're in the same spot anyway?

antihustle 4:17 PM

Is Country Roads the Dolly Parton of songs?

snapper 4:17 PM

You can't walk him there, IMO

antihustle 4:17 PM

Nooooooooo waaaaaaay

snapper 4:18 PM

Even if they get 1, you're still in the game. Have to prevent a big inning.

whatmonster 4:18 PM

No, that’s the one that will haunt them

Sonny L 4:18 PM

Oooooooof

antihustle 4:18 PM

That's a clown play

drplantwrench 4:18 PM

now THIS is the play that will haunt the phillies

Benny The Jet 4:18 PM

oh noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

spnchiang 4:18 PM

holy bad defense

lzfreak 4:18 PM

Harper about to be a meme

Turduckenfrank 4:18 PM

unbelievable

Klubot3000 4:18 PM

LOVE THAT PHILLIES DEEEEEEEEE

Ben Clemens 4:18 PM

Bryce Harper with those deck-of-cards hops

Ben Clemens 4:18 PM

That was not great

lzfreak 4:18 PM

Maybe they shouldn't have moved him to the outfield in the middle of the season

lmb2020 4:19 PM

It's one thing when it is a reliever spamming one pitch (idk why but Tommy Kahnle's changeup is what I think about for this archetype) but I feel like you aren't fully prepared if you let a starter throw that pitch mix

Benny The Jet 4:19 PM

I feel like I just watched a car crash

antihustle 4:19 PM

slo mo

Sonny L 4:19 PM

Check in on the Phillies fans in your life

drplantwrench 4:19 PM

should baldwin be that pumped up for an error

whatmonster 4:19 PM

(Handshake meme) Acuna – Harper – misplays in RG that allow a run

Seuss2004 4:19 PM

I hate how few things are recorded as errors these days

antihustle 4:19 PM

That should have been the "Oh and he botches it!" call

twelvejones 4:19 PM

Cannot think of a worse way for the Phillies to potentially lose an elimination game

whatmonster 4:19 PM

That wasn’t an error???

Sean Dolinar 4:19 PM

When I played RF in rec league softball a few years back, that's pretty much how I played fly balls.

lzfreak 4:20 PM

Is there wind?

jonmberra 4:20 PM

It is insane to leave Sanchez in here

Benny The Jet 4:20 PM

Arraez isn't even on the roster, what is he doing out there

whatmonster 4:20 PM

Sanchez at 115 pitches

Barves Gotta Barve 4:20 PM

Potential series winning run scoring? Yes?

jromero 4:20 PM

i expected the Phillies defense to be bad but this plus the wrist hit yesterday seem more like pure flukes or nerves then bad baseball

drplantwrench 4:20 PM

it was an error whether it was recorded or not

antihustle 4:20 PM

I played kickball a few times a couple years ago and I could not believe how hard of a time I had tracking those fly balls!

drplantwrench 4:21 PM

(im being facetious if thats not clear)

antihustle 4:21 PM

hooooooo weeeeeee

lzfreak 4:21 PM

Do the Braves go Suarez/Iglesias from here then?

Antonio Bananas 4:21 PM

Ive said this in every thread ever since defense wasnt mentioned at all in the preview article, but PHI's poor defense is a story. A better CF than Hill catches Ozzie's triple, a better IF gets Harris, and most RF catch that go-ahead flyball.

antihustle 4:22 PM

I'm sorry, how was that ruled a hit?

beanbong 4:22 PM

Probably Fuentes next unless they want Lee for the lefty/lefty

Sonny L 4:22 PM

Nelson Cruz flashbacks on that one. Sorry Bryce (and Rangers fans)

Turduckenfrank 4:22 PM

not to mention bohm's play on the bunt

Sean Dolinar 4:23 PM

One time, with the sun in my eyes, I somehow got under a fliner, scared me a little when the ball landed in my glove.

Anon21 4:23 PM

So silly. You can't even give the usual excuse that he never touched it.

antihustle 4:24 PM

That was my thought!

TKDC 4:26 PM

As a Braves fan, I lack the imagination to conceive of a more enjoyable way to take a lead in a crucial game.

Turduckenfrank 4:26 PM

A batted ball with an xBA of .08 that hit the fielder's glove on the fly when they had ample time to catch is like the textbook definition of an OF error, but I guess I'm not an official scorekeeper

McColin 4:26 PM

I mean, last year Kerkering, but yeah

Anon21 4:27 PM

Let's not jinx it, lest Philly find a way to have an equal and opposite heartbreaking lead change

maximus74 4:28 PM

can't watch at work, but saw the replay of that flyball….big OOF

Anon21 4:28 PM

Schwarber bunt?? Nah, he's just goofin'

beanbong 4:28 PM

21.7% change in WPA after the Harper drop, really hate to see it happen to such an intelligent guy

campam9 4:29 PM

On the one hand, this series has been far too weird that I expected game 2 would continue as it was. On the other hand, there's still 2 innings left for another twist to happen.

Antonio Bananas 4:29 PM

Guessing a solo shot here and then Iglesias causes drama in the 9th

Jacquehammer Jones 4:29 PM

a prophet

antihustle 4:29 PM

I mean you can do that too

Antonio Bananas 4:30 PM

Knew it

drplantwrench 4:30 PM

schwarber shouldve bunted

Seuss2004 4:30 PM

Lotto numbers plz.

lzfreak 4:30 PM

Are you from the future

Hazmat Corntail 4:30 PM

I think I just heard that ball ounce off the front of my place here in Philly

Antonio Bananas 4:30 PM

Im from the land of "watching the Braves all season"

Turduckenfrank 4:30 PM

did the writers leak the script to you

cashgod27 4:30 PM

I think Dylan Lee would've rather made a different pitch

TKDC 4:30 PM

Ok, I’m done here

whatmonster 4:30 PM

Well this is less fun

Hazmat Corntail 4:31 PM

Oops the drama came an inning early haha

spnchiang 4:31 PM

wowwwwww

jonmberra 4:31 PM

Philly needed their dudes to be dudes and they delivered.

drplantwrench 4:31 PM

HAHAHHAHA

jzmaxson27 4:31 PM

Well that was fun!

lmb2020 4:31 PM

Ah well. We'll call that a wash

cashgod27 4:31 PM

I was literally thinking "The Phillies have six outs to save their legacy" and they didn't even need one!

Russell 4:32 PM

i just opened the broadcast and thought it was just really behind lol

Turduckenfrank 4:32 PM

harper is too relieved to even celebrate

ruddurball 4:32 PM

Is he tipping again? They’re unloading

Alex Remington 4:32 PM

I hate being Cassandra on this, but I typed this an hour and a half ago: "Leaning on Lee is going to take a pretty big leap of faith. He was absolutely torched in the second half and the Braves barely pitched him in September. Maybe they're confident he's cleaned up his pitch-tipping, but he gave up runs in two of the four appearances he made over the last two weeks of the season."

Sonny L 4:33 PM

Baseball rules

antihustle 4:33 PM

I do remember this comment, props to you

Russell 4:33 PM

are they booing stott, or the braves?

Seuss2004 4:33 PM

I think I just heard Smelly Cat on the organ

antihustle 4:33 PM

Justice for Sanchez

Benny The Jet 4:34 PM

May all of us be blessed with the same opportunities for redemption that baseball inherently provides

Seuss2004 4:34 PM

They're saying Boo-urns

cashgod27 4:34 PM

I think they're saying Boo-raves!

Russell 4:34 PM

surely it's that

eandy 4:35 PM

Sanchez doesnt deserve justice. Poor performance even though Harper hurt him

Eshan Mehere 4:35 PM

dylan lee didn’t give up a homer to a LHH all season lol

antihustle 4:36 PM

Love baseball for these kinds of things

Eshan Mehere 4:36 PM

Everything goes out the window in october. It’s awesome

antihustle 4:37 PM

I want to see some reactions from Philly of the defensive miscues followed by the homers

Seuss2004 4:38 PM

BuT it's NoT oCtObEr

eandy 4:38 PM

So technically it's still in the window then

antihustle 4:39 PM

Painter, what a great last name for a pitcher

Seuss2004 4:40 PM

Mattingly giving Painter the ball in relief is giving Chevy Chase in Caddyshack: "Don't worry about this one. If you miss it, we lose."

Jos 4:41 PM

surely painter isnt the best option for the phillies here?

lzfreak 4:41 PM

Painter trying a little too hard to paint here

Antonio Bananas 4:41 PM

Do we have any analytics on how much afternoon shadows actually impact the game?

Seuss2004 4:42 PM

He *is* the best option. And don't call me Shirley.

Eshan Mehere 4:42 PM

is there a reason painter is in this game

antihustle 4:42 PM

Beautiful

whatmonster 4:42 PM

Harris has been rough this series

lzfreak 4:42 PM

Good mound visit

Hazmat Corntail 4:43 PM

The Phils pen is a travesty of a mess

jzmaxson27 4:43 PM

Props to the kid.

carter 4:43 PM

I’m also shocked by painter here. I mean it worked but seems like a weird ass time to bring him in.

Sonny L 4:43 PM

Philly fans in the group chat probably pulled a muscle 180’ing so hard on Bryce Harper

lzfreak 4:43 PM

I hope we get some good extra inning games this postseason. Such a treat to not have the nonsense ghost runner ruining it this time of year.

Jos 4:43 PM

lol
it worked!

tjcook87 4:44 PM

I walked away at the mound visit to check on laundry. I came back and there were 3 outs. For the sake of Philly, I should just…leave work, i guess.

beanbong 4:44 PM

bad game today for 3-3 yesterday.

Benny The Jet 4:44 PM

Torn between wanting extra innings, and wanting the Phillies to score to ensure another game of this tomorrow

Russell 4:45 PM

screw it, extra innings *and* the phillies win

TKDC 4:46 PM

Hey TJ, your boss just texted me and said you need to stay late.

Seuss2004 4:46 PM

Ugh, feel bad for Sosa

antihustle 4:46 PM

Ok, while I AM generally anti-hustle, if you're going to hustle and get hurt, that is probably the time to do it

Nathaniel 4:47 PM

username checks out

Russell 4:47 PM

Not to sound insensitive, but what's the point of checking on him on the field when you know he's coming out either way?

Benny The Jet 4:48 PM

Works for me!

Russell 4:48 PM

i'd think you would just bring him into the dugout

lzfreak 4:48 PM

Now that time going to second was smart

antihustle 4:48 PM

Fair question

antihustle 4:48 PM

Yeah, you expect the fielders to have a good sense of when to do it

antihustle 4:49 PM

Sucks to sacrifice yourself physically only to have the pinch runner get out at 2nd right after

Russell 4:50 PM edited

so what exactly was the point of the bunt? are they more concerned about p(scoring at least one run) vs run expectancy?

carter 4:50 PM

Steal a base instead guys, blah

JU Jazz Hands 4:51 PM

RE Russel: yes. It's a tie game in the ninth. One run is kinda important

TKDC 4:51 PM

Bohm should have changed course when he had to awkwardly field it. It really was more inexcusable than Harper’s play, which was just a classic misplay.

carter 4:52 PM

Teams always get too conservative in the playoffs but even if only 1sb etc etc who cares. Rp very rarely hold guys on well. Hill can run, why attempt to move him over. Better imo running and Crawford likely puts the ball in play. Blah

Russell 4:53 PM edited

based on data I could find, it increases the probability of at least one run by 1.3%. That seems bad, given the drop in expected runs

edit: other data says 1% drop

TKDC 4:53 PM edited

Nevermind!

jzmaxson27 4:54 PM

You're in too deep, pull up!

viceroy 4:54 PM

bring back the hit and run!

Matthew Spence 4:54 PM

Womp womp

eandy 4:54 PM

I love your imagination

Antonio Bananas 4:54 PM

Yaz*

Benny The Jet 4:54 PM

Wonder if Bohm being relatively new to 1B was a factor here- at least anecdotally it seems like 3B moving to 1B are sometimes overly aggressive at first

whatmonster 4:55 PM

coward Walt to take the bat out of HSK hands

whatmonster 4:55 PM

*Ronnie?

Matthew Spence 4:55 PM

We can edit??

appstore 4:57 PM

I really want old-school extra innings! Glad its gone in the regular season, but love it now.

antihustle 4:57 PM

lol easy there

Matthew Spence 4:57 PM

Phillies in extra innings on the road what could go wrong

lzfreak 4:58 PM

This has been a fun game

TKDC 4:58 PM

Chip Carey vibes

Benny The Jet 4:58 PM

Is Jonathon Bowlan alive?

Russell 4:58 PM

this announcer has no clue what a home run looks like

Hazmat Corntail 4:58 PM

Bohm’s played an entire season’s worth of 1B in MLB, he’s just not that good a fielder in general

Antonio Bananas 4:58 PM

Vasgersian got my hopes up

antihustle 4:59 PM

I kind of wish that kind of fake out call would be in MLB The Show, that'd be funny

lzfreak 4:59 PM

There seems to be no correlation today on his enthusiasm level for the call and how likely the batted ball is to be a homer

Anon21 4:59 PM

Well at least we'll have real extra innings baseball…

Turduckenfrank 4:59 PM

he's only been announcing baseball for 30+ years, gotta give him some slack

Hazmat Corntail 4:59 PM

Hasn’t pitched in two weeks because of a groin thing

Russell 5:00 PM

so true, my bad

jzmaxson27 5:01 PM

Ooof, that was your pitch Schwarb.

Benny The Jet 5:01 PM

Every other major change they've made to baseball in my lifetime I have felt somewhere between positively to relatively ambivalently about, but, man, I miss old school extra innings

antihustle 5:01 PM

Vasgersian was born Vasgerdsian and later it was changed. Fascinating!

jonmberra 5:02 PM edited

The Phillies still can't hit a splitter

antihustle 5:03 PM

Woooooooooow

Benny The Jet 5:03 PM

Hard not to feel like this is Philly's best shot, with the top of the line up due up and a thin bullpen to lean on…

Hazmat Corntail 5:03 PM

Hahahahaha

eandy 5:03 PM

I like the Manfred man for regular season because it adds more excitement and keeps the games going fast. Like I have work the next day, I cant be up till midnight watching a 13 inning game. The playoffs already have a ton of excitement and it's worth the time

Seuss2004 5:03 PM

AAHAHAHHAHHAHHA

lzfreak 5:03 PM

That ball had way more carry than I realized

cashgod27 5:03 PM

One of the most out-of-nowhere homers I can remember. How the heck did that happen?

Seuss2004 5:03 PM

Did they not just say he hadn't given up a HR to a righty all year

Turduckenfrank 5:04 PM

absolutely did not look like a homer off the bat

Russell 5:04 PM

perennial mvp candidate alec bohm

antihustle 5:04 PM

It was the thermals

Benny The Jet 5:04 PM

Postseason baseball is the best

Benny The Jet 5:05 PM

Why did Matty V sound more excited on the Albies flyout

jzmaxson27 5:05 PM

Is Duran hurt?

antihustle 5:05 PM

Guess he didn't want to make the same mistake twice

Hazmat Corntail 5:06 PM

De la Cruz has been a quiet find for the Phils this year. Him and Hill have made Dombrowski look smart

Russell 5:06 PM edited

whoops, wrong thing to reply to

lzfreak 5:06 PM

Don't think so but he pitched a lot yesterday and will likely need to pitch tomorrow

Benny The Jet 5:06 PM

Gotcha, thanks!

antihustle 5:07 PM

Any reason to take out Iglesias after only 9 pitches?

antihustle 5:07 PM

Or is that just a hindsight 20/20 thing

cashgod27 5:07 PM

I just checked Statcast Search – that's the fastest pitch a righty has ever hit for an oppo homer in that zone of the plate. Absolutely unreal swing.

Russell 5:07 PM

not a must win game for them, maybe?

Hazmat Corntail 5:07 PM

My guess is they think Painter is settling in and would rather have him keep going as long as he can.

ruddurball 5:07 PM

Trea turner has crushed him.

Alex Remington 5:08 PM

Apparently because Turner has killed him, in a small sample.

Hazmat Corntail 5:09 PM

Yeah I believe they said he’s 5/11 with 3 HR against him

jonmberra 5:09 PM

Come on Painter, I want more of this drama.

Russell 5:10 PM

andrew "3.63 BotERA" painter has got this

antihustle 5:10 PM

I like being in a live game chat without a ton of people, there's time to respond to people and actually read all the comments

Russell 5:11 PM

that auto insurance ad was horrific omg

lzfreak 5:11 PM

Yeah this has been fantastic, more chat type stuff Fangraphs team!

Russell 5:11 PM

yes! would love more of these

antihustle 5:11 PM

How would you want to see Olson pitched to? Pitch around and accept a walk?

antihustle 5:12 PM

I have my mute button on the ready for ads

jonmberra 5:12 PM

I realized this didn't necessarily imply he has to get the outs.

Sonny L 5:12 PM

Don’t not walk the lead off hitter

lzfreak 5:12 PM

I feel like walking the tying run to first is to be avoided

antihustle 5:12 PM

Crazy!

JU Jazz Hands 5:12 PM

No. Go get him. Don't give a free base

tdmoc 5:12 PM

holy smokes

antihustle 5:12 PM

Painted it!

lzfreak 5:12 PM

Painter painting

Turduckenfrank 5:13 PM

insane call by the ump

Benny The Jet 5:13 PM

Meanwhile Yordan in LF started off with a misplayed ball on the first hitter

jonmberra 5:13 PM

Playoff challenge system is so dramatic. I adore it. Please no full ABS.

antihustle 5:13 PM

But please remove the strike zone overlay!

Russell 5:14 PM

I absolutely adore the challenge system and have 0 interest in full ABS

Benny The Jet 5:14 PM

White Sox up 1-0 on Hunter Brown two batters in

viceroy 5:14 PM

This has to be below replacement level managing. Leaving Duran in so long to give up the homer after bouncing ball 4 yesterday. And now leaving a rookie starter in for 3 inning save.

If Mattingly trusted Painter here, why not yesterday?

antihustle 5:14 PM

I think umps should be encouraged to chirp back when the calls stand

Russell 5:14 PM

i mean, they've got the pope, astros have no shot

Nathaniel 5:14 PM

is yellow an unofficial 4th color for atlanta?

antihustle 5:14 PM

Yes please

Benny The Jet 5:15 PM

What is Bowlan doing on the roster if you can't trust him here?

Sonny L 5:15 PM

This is the Andrew Painter I pictured based on scouting reports

antihustle 5:15 PM

Who gives a better series against the Dodgers?

Hazmat Corntail 5:15 PM

I go back to what I said before, I think that they feel that he’s getting into his regular game flow and is settled in.

Sonny L 5:17 PM

The ominous Michael Harris soft single….

Benny The Jet 5:18 PM

Astros put Yordan in LF to get Nick Allen in the infield at 3B, now Yordan has misplayed a ball and Allen has made an error in the 1st inning

Russell 5:18 PM

i'd think the braves given 2021

antihustle 5:18 PM

Only time I want to hear turn down for what is watching Valerie and Ricky on SYTYCD

jzmaxson27 5:18 PM

Not that it's the be all end all, but Dodgers went 4-2 versus the Phils and 1-5 versus the Braves this year.

antihustle 5:18 PM

A comment for no one but that's ok

antihustle 5:19 PM

Love the catcher/pitcher combo challenge

Matthew Spence 5:19 PM

What a performance by Painter

Hazmat Corntail 5:19 PM

LMaO

JU Jazz Hands 5:19 PM

A few middle middle pitches by Painter that haven't been blasted

antihustle 5:20 PM

Imagine if they had used up their challenges!

Antonio Bananas 5:20 PM

How anti climatic

Russell 5:20 PM

omg what an ending

lzfreak 5:20 PM

Yeah I don't find that to be great theater tbh

Turduckenfrank 5:20 PM

the first-pitch middle-middle changeup to baldwin should've been destroyed

Hazmat Corntail 5:20 PM

Phillies just became a trivia question answer.

tjcook87 5:21 PM

3-0 Sox, still top of the first, #wildthrowoffense

eandy 5:21 PM

ABS is sick

Russell 5:21 PM

i think it would get a home crowd pretty hyped, but the braves fans aren't exactly enthused

Jacquehammer Jones 5:21 PM

starting Nick Allen (not at shortstop) in an elimination game is certainly a choice

Benny The Jet 5:22 PM

What a close, tense game, hope we get more of those- now to check in on HOU-CWS…

viceroy 5:22 PM

I stand by this. It worked today, but Mattingly needs to figure out his bullpen pecking order ASAP. Not having a real answer to lefties is going to bite them eventually

Russell 5:23 PM

i'm impressed that hunter brown has done this with only 21 pitches

Russell 5:23 PM

incredibly efficient pitches/run

cashgod27 5:24 PM

I feel embarrassed for picking the Astros to win this series. They've been outclassed in every which way by a team that's truly just happy to be here. I can hardly blame Jim Crane for blowing everything up after this.

lzfreak 5:26 PM

Do we know the possible start times for Braves Phillies game 3 tomorrow? Presumably if some of these other series end today they'll move it later in the day, but are there specific conditions for a time change?

ncphl 5:26 PM

Just switched to the Astros game. Why are Hunter Brown's pants so dirty?

drplantwrench 5:26 PM

back from an hour long meeting sure hope i didnt miss any insane endings to the phillies game and terrible starts to the next game!

Fun-Hating Dork 5:26 PM

MLB put up the whole list of combinations on one of the articles about where to watch the game.

tdmoc 5:27 PM

I'm seeing double! four Montgomeries

jzmaxson27 5:27 PM

I am having a hard time getting over the notion that the White Sox legitimately may play in the ALCS. Absolutely crazy.

Jorge Fabregas 5:28 PM

33 pitches

drplantwrench 5:28 PM

in retrospect, braves could be out of the playoffs if not for unlikely hero austin riley. wild to think about

Russell 5:28 PM

socktober

Fun-Hating Dork 5:28 PM

I refuse to believe the Astros are eliminated until the game is completely over. They're like Jason or Freddy.

lzfreak 5:28 PM

Ah found it. Not the way I'd do it that's for sure

Jorge Fabregas 5:29 PM

Brown is down

Spoon Uptown 5:29 PM

Big HRs from Austin Riley, and Alec Bohm, two players their fanbases have made into pariahs. Now we need Volpe to HR

jzmaxson27 5:30 PM

He just wanted to see him face the full 9, for funsies.

tdmoc 5:30 PM

yeah the prognosis is pretty bad, but I've seen many teams piss away a four-run lead with the whole game ahead

Russell 5:30 PM

it's okay, at least the astros have an elite bullpen

cashgod27 5:30 PM

So the Astros need 25 outs from their bullpen that stunk it up yesterday and they need to outscore the White Sox by 4 runs across those 25 outs, assuming they get out of this jam. How hard can it be?

Nathaniel 5:31 PM

Yikes, Roman Anthony is out for the rest of this series and likely the ALDS (in the vanishingly small likelihood the Sox go that far) with a recurrance of his mysterious hand injury…

tjcook87 5:31 PM

Tell 'em, Wash.

JU Jazz Hands 5:31 PM

Where is Brown? There is Brown. Mr. Brown is out of town.

Jorge Fabregas 5:33 PM

Is it a mystery? He was out with a hand injury before and it's some kind of flare-up, right?

Nathaniel 5:35 PM

Well, it was a wrist injury, and then it was a tendon injury in his ring finger, and now it's a strain of "several muscles" according to Tracy, and no one seems to know how to fix it

drplantwrench 5:37 PM

final score of this game will be 36 – 22

Russell 5:37 PM

I forgot that the white sox still have to pitch in this game

tdmoc 5:37 PM

Cue: "did Burke get cold on the bench?????"

L. Ron Hoyabembe 5:38 PM

It was a partial tear of the tendon that connects the ring finger to the wrist

antihustle 5:38 PM

Will Yordan get his Harper moment to redeem his blunder

Jorge Fabregas 5:38 PM

Burke often has lower velo early in the game.

antihustle 5:39 PM

Just realized no strike zone overlay on the broadcast!! So nice

antihustle 5:41 PM

I heard "hit the dirt" and was soooo confused

Sean Dolinar 5:41 PM

They must have read this chat thread.

Spoon Uptown 5:41 PM

Paredes is used to hitting beams and catwalks in his home ballpark

Fun-Hating Dork 5:43 PM

At this rate, he might not have a right hand by Christmas.

Fun-Hating Dork 5:44 PM

Gameday had a weird fit. It put up "in play, out(s)" then blinked a few times and changed it to a foul ball.

Seuss2004 5:44 PM

Elite take.

cashgod27 5:45 PM

By rule he can't play in the ALDS since he's been removed from the roster

cashgod27 5:45 PM

Anthony officially off the Red Sox roster, Curtis Mead (!) is in. Anthony will be ineligible for the ALDS should the Red Sox advance

Seuss2004 5:48 PM

36 minute first-inning. Looking forward to the Yankee-Red Sox game starting in the bottom of the 5th.

Jorge Fabregas 5:51 PM

Mead redemption would be fun.

JU Jazz Hands 5:51 PM

At least Blubaugh didn't have to wait around to never get into this game

JU Jazz Hands 5:52 PM

This was not a good joke. And I'm not sure how to pronounce his name

Sonny L 5:52 PM

Both Mead and Sanchez showing out today would be fun

Jorge Fabregas 5:53 PM

Blubaugh way better today so far. Pitched 96 innings in relief, horrible September, bad yesterday, and I assumed he was toast until next year.

Spoon Uptown 5:56 PM

In my head it's pronounced Blu and then the sound Orson Welles makes in that champagne commercial, not sure if I can post a Youtube link here

antihustle 5:56 PM

Everyone throws so hard nowadays. Who are some of the best pitchers in 2026 that don't throw hard at all

Seuss2004 5:57 PM

Ranger Suarez

Seuss2004 5:58 PM

Is Blubaugh the first pitcher ever to appear in the first inning of consecutive playoff games?

norcalblue 5:59 PM

Weiss went “all in” in today and Phillies look to be in an excellent position to close it out tomorrow. Mattingly has an ace for tomorrow and his best pen arm rested. Weiss has neither.

drplantwrench 5:59 PM

brent suter

drplantwrench 6:00 PM

only 48 more runs until my prediction was right

Spoon Uptown 6:02 PM

Tyler Rogers, Alex Vesia, Logan Henderson to name a few

Sean Dolinar 6:02 PM

Hey all, I think we are going shut down this game thread for the day. I think a lot of people left work or are eating dinner now. This worked out pretty well, and we are going to try more things like these in the future.

Fun-Hating Dork 6:02 PM

Nick Allen clearly understood the assignment and…popped out immediately.

drplantwrench 6:03 PM

but we still have 16 hours of baseball…

Seuss2004 6:04 PM

Will there be something for the night games?

tdmoc 6:05 PM

thank you for setting this up Sean!

antihustle 6:08 PM

Thanks Sean!

Sean Dolinar 6:08 PM

Not for today. We usually peak around 4PM ET then it's downhill after that. But hopefully, for other days.