World Series Pre-Series Discussion

[Potential]

Now its time to face the underdog scrappy wildcard team

[Randle McMurphy]

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For me, if Bichette is healthy enough to hit/run the bases, he's gotta not only be on the roster but in the lineup at DH. We're at an extreme talent deficit against the Dodgers and need all the hitting help we can get to make up for that. The guy was leading the league in hits when he went down and can hit even the most elite of pitchers. If that means Springer has to play in an outfield spot (which he was still doing as recently as 3 weeks ago), so be it.

I'd take him as a pinch hitter too (though absolutely not in the field) but we can live with playing Springer in the outfield (moving Barger to 3B and Clement to 2B) and then pulling him for Straw with a late lead.

[Madvillainy2004]

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For me, if Bichette is healthy enough to hit/run the bases, he's gotta not only be on the roster but in the lineup at DH. We're at an extreme talent deficit against the Dodgers and need all the hitting help we can get to make up for that. The guy was leading the league in hits when he went down and can hit even the most elite of pitchers. If that means Springer has to play in an outfield spot (which he was still doing as recently as 3 weeks ago), so be it.

I'd take him as a pinch hitter too (though absolutely not in the field) but we can live with playing Springer in the outfield (moving Barger to 3B and Clement to 2B) and then pulling him for Straw with a late lead.

Yeah I agree if Springers knee is good he has to grab a glove. We cant waste at bats with IKF in the lineup if we have a 130 OPS+ bat that can play. Think theres a chance they go Bo at 2nd base? I think at worst they pick the highest leverage at bat for IKF/Davis then switch him right after.

[JaysRule15]

We need to consider an alternative to Varland in early high leverage spots. He's allowed 4 home runs in just 11 innings this playoffs. Granted he's faced some elite home run hitters over that stretch, but it's not going to get any easier against the Dodgers. I'd like to see Braydon Fisher get a shot in that role.

He is simply being over-worked, and by pitching him in essentially every game the batters are getting repeated looks at him. I don't give a crap who you are, at some point seeing the same pitcher game after game after game is going to give the edge to the batters. His fastball was also down in velocity to just over ~97 mph last night.

I don't think some fans realize how much they have overworked Varland. He pitched in 6 of the 7 games against Seattle, and in all 4 games against the Yankees.

The Mariners did the same thing last night and it cost them. Bazardo is a very good reliever, but that was his 4 appearance in the series.

Yup. I know Schneider doesn't trust Fisher, but he might not have a choice.

[Randle McMurphy]

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For me, if Bichette is healthy enough to hit/run the bases, he's gotta not only be on the roster but in the lineup at DH. We're at an extreme talent deficit against the Dodgers and need all the hitting help we can get to make up for that. The guy was leading the league in hits when he went down and can hit even the most elite of pitchers. If that means Springer has to play in an outfield spot (which he was still doing as recently as 3 weeks ago), so be it.

I'd take him as a pinch hitter too (though absolutely not in the field) but we can live with playing Springer in the outfield (moving Barger to 3B and Clement to 2B) and then pulling him for Straw with a late lead.

Yeah I agree if Springers knee is good he has to grab a glove. We cant waste at bats with IKF in the lineup if we have a 130 OPS+ bat that can play. Think theres a chance they go Bo at 2nd base? I think at worst they pick the highest leverage at bat for IKF/Davis then switch him right after.

Don't see it, for injury reasons (can't see him being able to play the field), for practice reasons (he's never played that position) and for financial reasons (Bo wants to be paid as a shortstop in a month's time and getting moved to 2B in the biggest games of the season ostensibly because you're a worse defender than Gimenez isn't the best look there).

[mdenny]

Kinda strange that baseball pundits are seemingly mystified as to how the Jays will bring Bo back into the lineup. Seems pretty obvious:

Springer to right field, barger to 3rd, clement to 2nd.

Barger-giminez-clement-vladdy was our infield for tons of games. Springer's injury definitely looks like a temporary thing - he looked way more comfortable only one day later.

This is probably too cutesy....but any chance the Jays could switch Lukes and Springer from inning to inning to maximize Lukes in RF for LH hitters? Could they even switch from batter to batter?

Not sure how rare such a thing would be.

I'm hoping to see alot more Lauer and Bassitt in this series. Use Varland to get out of a early jams. Give Lauer and Bassitt some clean inning appearances. I thought Bassitt looked good. The mariners were not reading his high curveballs well. They were flinching on pitches that started away and came back into the zone. Hoffman came up huge but it wouldve been a disaster if the Mariners simply didnt swing. Jrod's final at bat was particularly crazy. He struck out on 6 balls with Raleigh on deck.

I'm guessing Scherzer will pitch with one of Bassitt or Lauer prepared for long relief. We'll know which one they are using based on who's saved for game 4.

Pitch count is gonna be crucial this series. Didnt matter much against thd Mariners with their bullpen. But it's the most viable weakness for Dodgers. Every inning that exceeds 17 pitches is a success regardless if it's scoreless. Get those elite starters out by the 6th or 7th and we'll have a shot.

If we can somehow force a game 6 i think our team is capable of pulling it out with pure emotion. I love cheering for the underdog. We got nothing to lose now. Glory awaits.

[polo007]

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[JCP11]

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For me, if Bichette is healthy enough to hit/run the bases, he's gotta not only be on the roster but in the lineup at DH. We're at an extreme talent deficit against the Dodgers and need all the hitting help we can get to make up for that. The guy was leading the league in hits when he went down and can hit even the most elite of pitchers. If that means Springer has to play in an outfield spot (which he was still doing as recently as 3 weeks ago), so be it.

I'd take him as a pinch hitter too (though absolutely not in the field) but we can live with playing Springer in the outfield (moving Barger to 3B and Clement to 2B) and then pulling him for Straw with a late lead.

People are overthinking this, you can't sit a guy like that if he can go. I heard some say we can't sit IKF or send Springer to the outfield and that's just silly. I can see Bo start as a pinch hitter and depending on how the series go you start him or pinch hit him.

[xAIRNESSx]

Bieber and Gausman look fatigued so they could definitely use extra rest.

It’s a big gamble starting Bichette at this point. Regardless of how he looks in his recovery, we really have no idea where his swing and timing are at.

[linery88]

Bieber and Gausman look fatigued so they could definitely use extra rest.

It’s a big gamble starting Bichette at this point. Regardless of how he looks in his recovery, we really have no idea where his swing and timing are at.

We have no choice.Bo should be good enough to DH.Hope they come to their senses ,and bat Clement behind him for both their sakes.

[WuTang_CMB]

aside from our pitching showing up and good hitting continues, you will need bichette hitting well to beat the dodgers. everything will help us. they have elite starting pitching, not like the mariners or yankees.

[HangTime]

I would have Bo be a pinch hitter in game one, and give him an AB if the situation calls for it.

[linery88]

aside from our pitching showing up and good hitting continues, you will need bichette hitting well to beat the dodgers. everything will help us. they have elite starting pitching, not like the mariners or yankees.

Facing Snell,Yamamoto,Glasnow,then Ohtani,all who can throw splitters lol.Fans should scream while they pitch lol.Go hitters go.Welcome back Bo.
Get em early in game 1.Sellout on fastball counts,and if we can get guys on,they are probably slightly more likely to throw more fastballs than splitters to avoid the risk of wild pitches.Clement,and Bo may be our best hitters at sitting on the fastball,and adjusting to the splitters during their ABS.

[HangTime]

You have to give the ball to Trey for game 1 right?

Let him get the Ohtani at bat out of way,
or, Has a game ever started with an intentional walk?

[ItsDanger]

Bo was red hot hitting .370 in 2nd half before the injury. If he's healthy, he should be playing. Period.

[linery88]

This might have been the craziest game of the regular season (3rd game in LA to avoid the sweep). Fluharty comes into the game up one run, bases loaded and one out.... saves the day and strikes out Ohtani and gets Betts to groundout.

This was a game where we fell down 3-1 early after two innings. We took the lead 4-3 in the top of the 8th.
Yariel Rodriguez comes in bottom of 8th, gets 2 guys out but walks 2 guys.
Jeff Hoffman comes in, walks two guys, making it 4-4, and then gets 3rd out of the 8th.
Jays come back in top of 9th to take lead 5-4.
Hoffman proceeds to walk the bases loaded. making his game line with 0.2 innings, 5 walks and 0 earned runs, and gets the win.

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Lauer started this game but got lit up early.
Domingez,Varland,Fisher,and Little also pitched a clean 4 combined innings,with Little pitching an inning and a third.

[LoveMyRaps]

You have to give the ball to Trey for game 1 right?

Let him get the Ohtani at bat out of way,
or, Has a game ever started with an intentional walk?

Intentionally walking Ohtani backfired multiple times for the Brewers.

Not worth it to do it so early in the game.

[LoveMyRaps]

We’ll have no choice but to use Little in this series.

I hope he wakes up and delivers.

[wazabifuzz]

To pitch to Ohtani, you almost have to be perfect. The Dodgers seem to love hitting inside pitches and pitches outside the strike zone ..

lower half of the plate and hope for them to swing and miss ... They have a similar approach to the Jays well except you've got Ohtani ... lol

[WuTang_CMB]

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