Anyone else bummed...

[Andyzipp]

...about the off day today?

Guess I'm spending my evening rooting for the White Sox and Rockies.

[TerryPuhl21]

I'm right there with you. Don't know what to do, except catch up on some sleep. I'm in Georgia so these west coast swings during the week days really wear me down if I stay up to watch, and the last two were must see all the way to the final out!


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[JimR]

Yep, my thoughts exactly.

[Duke]

Not much consolation but at least there is an NFL game on.  I can pull for DJ to drill the goat.

[das]

...about the off day today?

Guess I'm spending my evening rooting for the White Sox and Rockies.

Yes. Even worse, there's another in four short days. Saturday will be glorious, though.

[Andyzipp]

Yes. Even worse, there's another in four short days. Saturday will be glorious, though.

Mondays suck anyway.

[Lefty]

Yes. Even worse, there's another in four short days. Saturday will be glorious, though.

Thanks!  Had forgotten about the DH.  With the weather like it is here in CenTex, starting about 2:30 it's a definite 2-screens-on-the-patio kind of day.

[toddthebod]

I hate off-days.  Although because I am on the East Coast, I've been up to 1:00 am + watching the last few games and I am actually quite exhausted.  Adding to the exhaustion is that these games were all fairly close so the stress level was high during all of the games. 

[Astros Fan in Big D]

Bummed but rationalizing that these guys need all the rest they can get heading into the last weeks of the season and hopefully a playoff berth.

[das]

I hate off-days.  Although because I am on the East Coast, I've been up to 1:00 am + watching the last few games and I am actually quite exhausted.  Adding to the exhaustion is that these games were all fairly close so the stress level was high during all of the games.

I am having tough days here at work and need to remain sharp so my process has been to watch until the 3rd or 4th inning, turn off MLB.tv, DON'T check the score in the middle of the night, then listen to the remainder of the game on my commute into work each morning. It takes discipline but, man, sometimes I get to work and I don't remember any part of the drive. Just the game.

[Fredia]

total lack of control and nothing to yell at

[ValpoCory]

One thing I do know is that off days after a win are >>>> off days after a loss.

I can't wait for tomorrow.  Go Stros.

[JimR]

The day off turned out to be better than last night's game. Losing games like that make going to sleep quickly impossible no matter what time it is or how tired I am.

[MusicMan]

For one blissful second this morning as I woke up, I forgot about last night's game. I forgot about Fiers, I forgot about hanging sliders, I forgot about all the rockets that found their way into A's gloves.

Of course, I also forgot what day it was, and freaked out that I had overslept and the kids were late for school. But that was a nice second while it lasted.


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[JimR]

For one blissful second this morning as I woke up, I forgot about last night's game. I forgot about Fiers, I forgot about hanging sliders, I forgot about all the rockets that found their way into A's gloves.

Of course, I also forgot what day it was, and freaked out that I had overslept and the kids were late for school. But that was a nice second while it lasted.


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All will be well if we win the next three, but I wish Hinch would acknowledge his players are not all the same.

[HudsonHawk]

All will be well if we win the next three, but I wish Hinch would acknowledge his players are not all the same.

I felt like if not for the McHugh injury, the use of the pen late would have turned out completely different.  It seemed like after they got the 7-3 lead, Hinch saw an opportunity to squeak one out without using his big guns. 

I don't know Hinch's philosophy, but I guess he was managing the entire series, especially with the double header on Sunday looming.  I understand that, but every game matters, and when you have an opportunity to put one in your pocket, losing it hurts even more.  Sometimes it's just not your night and you can't get anything going against a great pitcher, or your guy just gets smacked around and you're never really in it.  That's baseball, and I don't really see those as lost opportunities.  But games like these, where you blow three different leads, including one in the 9th...these are the games you look back on in September, when you finish one or two games back, and it turns your stomach.

[JimR]

I felt like if not for the McHugh injury, the use of the pen late would have turned out completely different.  It seemed like after they got the 7-3 lead, Hinch saw an opportunity to squeak one out without using his big guns. 

I don't know Hinch's philosophy, but I guess he was managing the entire series, especially with the double header on Sunday looming.  I understand that, but every game matters, and when you have an opportunity to put one in your pocket, losing it hurts even more.  Sometimes it's just not your night and you can't get anything going against a great pitcher, or your guy just gets smacked around and you're never really in it.  That's baseball, and I don't really see those as lost opportunities.  But games like these, where you blow three different leads, including one in the 9th...these are the games you look back on in September, when you finish one or two games back, and it turns your stomach.

I agree with this post 100%, and as my reply to chuck in the GZ said, I have done this too. Managing for tomorrow when you have a lead today is always a mistake, but I understand his dilemma with four games in three days. Managing on my couch at home, I was urging him to send Sipp back out for a second inning. Then I decided he was going to use relievers for one inning each to see if he could finish without using the main guys. I was mildly surprised when he chose Fiers as the two inning guy, but I thought fours runs likely was enough. Wrong. Fiers obviously is not comfortable with the new arm slot, and he seems to have a high gag factor. Yuli's brain cramp (or bad knee), and Gregerson's hanging slider finished us off in the 7th. Giles let Powell's homer on a terrible 0-2 pitch get in his head.

Back to your main point: Hindsight says thank God Fiers got three outs, and Gregerson-Musgrove-Giles (depending on the score) to finish the game. I firmly believe in the "win today, fuck tomorrow" principle, but I also understand what Hinch was trying to do. He also is making playoff roster decisions in these games, and his confidence/hope in Fiers turned out to be misplaced. Hoyt would have been a better choice, also with the benefit of hindsight. So many things went again the Astros last night, you wonder if the BBGs had a role.

These kinds of discussions are one of the many reasons I love this site.

[HudsonHawk]

I agree with this post 100%, and as my reply to chuck in the GZ said, I have done this too. Managing for tomorrow when you have a lead today is always a mistake, but I understand his dilemma with four games in three days. Managing on my couch at home, I was urging him to send Sipp back out for a second inning. Then I decided he was going to use relievers for one inning each to see if he could finish without using the main guys. I was mildly surprised when he chose Fiers as the two inning guy, but I thought fours runs likely was enough. Wrong. Fiers obviously is not comfortable with the new arm slot, and he seems to have a high gag factor. Yuli' brain cramp (or bad knee), and Gregerson's hanging slider finished us off in the 7th. Giles let Powell's homer on a terrible 0-2 pitch get in his head.

Back to your main point: Hindsight says thank God Fiers got three outs, and Gregerson-Musgrove-Giles (depending on the score) to finish the game. I firmly believe in the "win today, fuck tomorrow" principle, but I also understand what Hinch was trying to do. He also is making playoff roster decisions in these games, and his confidence/hope in Fiers turned out to be misplaced. Hoyt would have been a better choice, also with the benefit of hindsight. So many things went again the Astros last night, you wonder if the BBGs had a role.

These linds of discussions are one of the many reasons I love this site.

I'm not surprised Fiers was tapped as the two inning guy.  Not what I would have done, but I can see why he'd have more confidence in Fiers to get six outs than say Sipp.  Musgrove is also an excellent choice, but I'm guessing Hinch was hoping he wouldn't have to use Musgrove, or Giles even, when he went back to Fiers in the 7th. 

On the chopper in the 7th, where Yuli couldn't get back to the bag...not sure what he was thinking there.  I'm guessing he didn't realize Altuve would be able to get it and assumed it was a hit once it got past him, and only when Gregerson kept coming did he turn around and realize "oh shit..."

And agree about the BBS.  Four or five of the hardest hit balls last night turned into outs.  A couple were face-saving reactions where the ball just happened to find a glove, and one, Correa's Charlie Brown line drive back up the box, resulted in an easy double play.  They didn't get dinked and doinked to death on defense, but they could have easily scored 12 or 14 runs on offense too.   Which still may not have been enough. 

[Jose Cruz III]

Yes. Even worse, there's another in four short days. Saturday will be glorious, though.

For Cleveland

[Arky Vaughan]

The one thing I try to remember to keep up my optimism is that the Indians can't possibly win more than another five or 10 games in a row ...

[austro]

The one thing I try to remember to keep up my optimism is that the Indians can't possibly win more than another five or 10 games in a row ...

Two weeks ago there was no way anybody was going to beat the Dodgers. Since then they've won one or two games. I'm just going to wait and see how teams are playing in three weeks.

That won't stop me from bitching about the Astros, of course.

[Astros Fan in Big D]

Two weeks ago there was no way anybody was going to beat the Dodgers. Since then they've won one or two games. I'm just going to wait and see how teams are playing in three weeks.

That won't stop me from bitching about the Astros, of course.

Agree.  Just because you might have steak tomorrow night doesn't make the turd sandwich you've got today more palatable.

[Navin R Johnson]

I'm ready for an off day.

[austro]

I'm ready for an off day.

You and me both.

[Bench]

I'm ready for an off day.

No shit.  I'm just here for the Irma, Texans and Trump takes. 

[Fredia]

day off over now its Tuesday and back to nail biting time