Ray’s Ramblings: October 22, 2021

Things are getting tight in the playoffs with homer records being set in both leagues. Also, some talk about a couple of fellas who picked up injuries like Grandal and Torkelson.

DODGERS vs. BRAVES: Atlanta Leads 3-2

The Dodgers have won seven consecutive elimination games.

Dodgers have now won 7 straight postseason games when facing elimination, the 3rd-longest such streak all-time, behind only:

2012-16 Giants: 10 straight
1985-2014 Royals: 8 straight

— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) October 22, 2021

Max Fried allowed five runs over 4.2 innings to pick up the loss. He allowed five runs the last four regular season starts he made.

Predictably Joe Kelly started, failed, and got hurt (biceps strain, two runs, two outs). Sounds like David Price is the likely replacement.

A.J. Pollock hit two homers last night.

Max Scherzer says that he is dealing with some dead arm, but he’s still obviously starting Game 6 (he will take on Ian Anderson). Interesting that his arms is tired given that he was under 180 regular season innings for the second time since 2010 (minus last year). Hey, the old man is 37 years old, which is still a decade younger than the old man writing this column.

Chris Taylor went nutso last night hitting three bombs.

CT FOR 3! pic.twitter.com/arPBqywCXK

— MLB (@MLB) October 22, 2021

It wasn’t just the homers either, as he added a fourth hit to make history.

Players with 3 HR and 4 H in a #postseason game:

Chris Taylor, tonight
Pablo Sandoval 2012, World Series Game 1
Albert Pujols 2011, World Series Game 3
Adam Kennedy 2002, ALCS Game 5
Bob Robertson 1971, NLCS Game 2 pic.twitter.com/TbKsAcG4Jk

— MLB Stats (@MLBStats) October 22, 2021

Hell, even more Chris Taylor love!

Chris Taylor joins Albert Pujols (2011, WS Game 3) as the only players in #postseason history to have 3+ HR, 4+ H, and 6+ RBI in a game. pic.twitter.com/B3Df4MvW0T

— MLB Stats (@MLBStats) October 22, 2021

Add it up and…

The Dodgers' Chris Taylor & AJ Pollock are just the 3rd pair of teammates with multiple HRs in same postseason game.

Fernando Tatis Jr. and Wil Myers did it last season for the Padres and Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig did it for the Yankees in 1932. pic.twitter.com/eW56OlGbbv

— ESPN Insights (@ESPNInsights) October 22, 2021

Justin Turner (hamstring) is most likely done for the season.

ASTROS vs. RED SOX: Houston Leads 3-2.

Game 6: Luis Garcia (knee) vs. Nathan Eovaldi.

The Astros have 23 hits and 18 runs the last two games.

Astros relievers threw 28.1 of the first 35 innings of the series.

The Astros have scored 66 percent of their runs in the post-season with two outs.

Yordan Alvarez has a hit in all five games of the series.

Rafael Devers has a nine-game hitting streak going .342-5-12 with a .737 SLG. He has eight homers in the postseason, tied for the most ever before a guy turns 25.

Luis Garcia had a 2.73 ERA and with a 1.01 WHIP and a 4.74 K/BB ratio at home during the regular season.

Yuli Gurriel has at least two hits in 3-of-5 games and he has a hit in all five games going 9-for-19 (he has a six game hitting streak overall). He has six RBI as well.

Seems like Lance McCullers (forearm) is done for the year.

There is no change, #Astros manager Dusty Baker says, leaving ace Lance McCullers all but officially done for the season.

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) October 21, 2021

Hunter Renfroe has gone 1-for-14 in the series.

Chris Sale allowed four runs, two earned, over 5.1 innings in Game 5. He’s continued to look like, honestly, trash in the playoffs. It just 34 innings, but he has a 6.35 ERA and 1.44 WHIP in his playoff career.

Framber Valdez went eight strong innings in Game 5, after the starters had gone, get this, 6.2 innings the first four games. He allowed a single run and pretty much dominated from the start to his removal from the game.

ALCS Game 6 tonight will be the 48th postseason game played at Minute Maid Park, which opened in 2000.

There have been 47 postseason games at Wrigley Field, which opened in 1914.

— Anthony Castrovince (@castrovince) October 22, 2021

THIS AND THAT

Nick Castellanos… duh.

Nick Castellanos will obviously opt out of his deal with $34M and 2 years to go. Still only 29, he posted a .939 OPS for the Reds this year. The Reds do have interest in retaining him following his All-Star season.

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) October 20, 2021

Franchy Cordero has been let go by the Red Sox. He has been woefully inefficient at making contact with a nearly 36 percent K-rate over 143 games. Over those 451 plate appearances he’s gone .221-13-45-55-9. Barely 27 years old, someone will give him a shot, and there is always the hope that he could make just enough contact to have a 30/15 season if someone would just play him. After all, he did go .300-13-56-53-13 in just 78 games at Triple-A this season, and over 193 games at Triple-A his OPS is .928. Might just be a Quad-4 guy though… just not good enough for the Majors.

Yasmani Grandal had right knee surgery. He’s expected to make a full recovery and be ready well ahead of Opening Day. We will keep an eye on reports here, but it doesn’t sound like any alarm bells should be activated, at least for the moment.

Jose Quintana has chosen to be a free agent after a 6.43 ERA and 1.73 WHIP in 29 outings.

Spencer Torkelson injured his ankle, and it sounds like his AFL season might be over. The first selection of the 2020 Entry Draft, he’s a can’t miss prospect who could be bombing homers for the Tigers next season. He posted a 1.157 OPS in seven games in the AFL after a .935 OPS during the regular season as he went .267-30-91-89 over 121 games at High-A, Double-A and Triple-A.