GDT 10/31/21: Braves vs Astros - World Series Game 5

striker42 said:
I wonder why we started Tucker Davidson over Drew Smyly. Smyly isn't a great option but he's a way better option than throwing out a rookie who hasn't even pitched in the majors in months and who isn't exactly overwhelming.
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Yeah, it was Snitkers first misstep IMO. In any event, he shouldn't have been allowed to start the third either which was his second misstep in the same game.

I think you have to start Chavez, Smyly, or Minter there.
 
Tapate50 said:
Yeah, it was Snitkers first misstep IMO. In any event, he shouldn't have been allowed to start the third either which was his second misstep in the same game.

I think you have to start Chavez, Smyly, or Minter there.
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I'm not 100% sure it was entire Snit's call. It may have been but I think there's a fair chance that call was made higher up the food chain. Whoever made the call, it was a mistake. Davidson should have been there for mop up duty if necessary and nothing more.
 
striker42 said:
I'm not 100% sure it was entire Snit's call. It may have been but I think there's a fair chance that call was made higher up the food chain. Whoever made the call, it was a mistake. Davidson should have been there for mop up duty if necessary and nothing more.
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It definitely came from AA. From what it appears, they had a meeting prior to the game, an decided that Davidson would get the start, and that he would be expected to throw 70 or so pitches. My only question, which we will never know, is did Snitker have any flexibility to adapt. Could he have been able to pull him before the start of the 3rd inning? We all thought it was going to happen, but it seemed like he was just sticking to the pre-determined plan. Regardless, we were still in position to win had Dansby not booted that ball and had Minter done his job.
 
Correct. If we were going to have a rookie on the roster who has no postseason starts and might not be able to throw strikes, then I wish they had just gone with Strider. At least he has pure stuff that can blow guys away.
 
bravesfanMatt said:
Correct. If we were going to have a rookie on the roster who has no postseason starts and might not be able to throw strikes, then I wish they had just gone with Strider. At least he has pure stuff that can blow guys away.
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There will be plenty of room on the 40-man over the winter, but I think bringing up Strider, auditioning him for the post-season, and then deciding not to activate him for the post-season is a head-scratcher to me. It's not the end of the world by any means and there's no real effect on the roster from the team's perspective. I just think it's unwise to start a guy's option clock until you have to do that unless his role becomes vital to the team's success.

Like I said yesterday, no one is ever going to confuse me with the President of the Drew Smyly Fan Club, but I thought he was the logical guy to get the start Sunday night. There must be some internal analysis that has damned Smyly to his current role. His usage pattern varied in the second half of the season to his and the team's benefit and I thought that might spill over into the post-season.
 
Tapate50 said:
Yeah, it was Snitkers first misstep IMO. In any event, he shouldn't have been allowed to start the third either which was his second misstep in the same game.

I think you have to start Chavez, Smyly, or Minter there.
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Exactly if Davidson toss 2 and we are winning 4-1 that is a great job. Start the third with Minter and put more pressure on them.
 
50PoundHead said:
There will be plenty of room on the 40-man over the winter, but I think bringing up Strider, auditioning him for the post-season, and then deciding not to activate him for the post-season is a head-scratcher to me. It's not the end of the world by any means and there's no real effect on the roster from the team's perspective. I just think it's unwise to start a guy's option clock until you have to do that unless his role becomes vital to the team's success.

Like I said yesterday, no one is ever going to confuse me with the President of the Drew Smyly Fan Club, but I thought he was the logical guy to get the start Sunday night. There must be some internal analysis that has damned Smyly to his current role. His usage pattern varied in the second half of the season to his and the team's benefit and I thought that might spill over into the post-season.
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Astros handle lefties pretty well too.... at least go with the lefty with more experience to rely on.
 
Tapate50 said:
Astros handle lefties pretty well too.... at least go with the lefty with more experience to rely on.
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The Astros have really great L/R balance to their line-up. Looking at Altuve, Bregman, Correa, and Gurriel as the RH side of that equation is pretty daunting for any LHP. I agree that experience may have been the better way to go.
 
50PoundHead said:
The Astros have really great L/R balance to their line-up. Looking at Altuve, Bregman, Correa, and Gurriel as the RH side of that equation is pretty daunting for any LHP. I agree that experience may have been the better way to go.
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I believe they led the league in OPS against lefties and against righties. So you aren't going to get a huge platoon advantage by going lefty or righty for multiple innings- just in short stints mostly against Altuve and Brantley. So I agree- Davidson was the wrong choice, though the worse choice was leaving him in too long. Fried should have pinch hit in the second.
 
If Swanson doesnt boot the grounder in top of 3rd, Davidson doesnt have to go to the stretch on Brantley, who knows if Astros score those runs 3 and 4.
 
I go back to this. At the start of the season, the start of the playoffs, and even the start of this series. If you told me we would be up 3-2 with Fried on the mound for Game 6 I'd be down for that 100%. Braves are in a great shape.
 
FWIW, Matt Diaz says Max Fried has been tipping pitches. He said he could call every single pitch just from his coach against the Dodgers and was the first two innings against Houston, even if to a lesser degree. Said he completely stopped during the last two innings.

https://twitter.com/mlbnetworkradio/status/1455554989095587841?s=21
 
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