MLB Bullets can’t dodge the facts

Good morning! The two Division Series are now set. Now the “1988” chants can start up again, although there are 12 MLB teams who think that “1988” sounds pretty good for a last title.

Also, check out Sara Sanchez’s piece on a possible change in the balls this postseason if you haven’t already. (Here’s another analytic piece on the controversy.)

• And the Washington Nationals will be one team in the NLDS and Jack Baer breaks down how the Nats won their first playoff series in their 15-year history. (And only their second in the franchise’s 50-year history.)
• Emma Baccellieri thinks that it seems almost impossible that the Nats won a postseason series and now they have to do it again.
• OK, that’s just a tease and a way to keep Nationals fans from being upset that the lede story isn’t about them winning but the 106-win Dodgers losing. But the big story is that the Dodgers lost. And most of the blame is going to manager Dave Roberts. And Ken Rosenthal calls Roberts the “new Grady Little,” (The Athletic sub. req.) after the former Red Sox manager who was widely blamed for the team’s loss in the 2003 ALDS when he left Pedro Martinez in the game too long. Rosenthal thinks it will be hard for Roberts to regain the trust of Dodger fans.
• Before we go any further, we should note that it’s been reported that Roberts will return as the Dodgers manager in 2020. He’s still got three years to go on his contract, although you wouldn’t think that would bother a team like LA if they really felt they needed to make a change.
• Jeff Passan lays the blame for the loss directly on the feet of Roberts, whom Passan writes will be defined by Game 5 going forward.
• Andy McCullough breaks down all the times in Game 5 where Roberts made a questionable managerial decision. (The Athletic sub. req.)
• Ben Lindbergh also goes through Game 5 and puts the blame on Roberts but notes that it wasn’t the manager out there making bad plays.
• Eric Stephen says there was plenty of blame to pass around in the Dodgers collapse.
• Other than Roberts, the person getting most of the blame is Clayton Kershaw. Tim Brown writes about how Kershaw was emotionally gutted by the loss.
• Michael Baumann notes that this loss will revive the “Kershaw pitches poorly in the playoffs” storyline, but Baumann believes that belief will never die, no matter how many quality outings Kershaw has in the playoffs.
• Barry Petchesky thinks there is just no way to comprehend Keshaw’s playoff struggles. Other than to just say “baseball, man.”
• Doc Rivers, the head coach of the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers, took time out from his press conference to offer his support for Kershaw.
• Molly Knight writes from the viewpoint of a Dodgers fan and says that Dodgers fans don’t deserve another heartbreak, but there’s nothing to do but move on to next year—or the Lakers. (The Athletic sub. req.) That philosophy sounds familiar. Knight is also highly critical of Roberts’ managing moves in the NLDS.
• The Nationals will take on the St. Louis Cardinals, who jumped all over the Braves and starter Mike Foltynewicz and reliever Max Fried for ten runs in the first inning of Game 5 of their NLDS. Jesse Rogers breaks down each and every play of that disastrous inning for Atlanta, complete with commentary from the Cardinals hitters.
• Although it ended up not making any difference, Ben Clemens thinks Braves manager Brian Snitker made a big mistake going against the platoon and starting right-handed hitter Adam Duvall against Cardinals righty Jack Flaherty.
• Harry Lyles Jr. says that the Braves collapse convinced him that all Atlanta teams* are cursed by the 1996 Summer Olympics. (*except MLS’ Atlanta United FC, who weren’t around in 1996, won the MLS title in their second season of existence last year and have a solid chance to repeat this year.)
• What might matter is that Cardinal manager Mike Shildt left Cardinals ace Jack Flaherty in Game 5 to throw 100 pitches despite having a 13-0 lead in the third inning.
• Dayn Perry writes that despite the loss, the Braves are in great position going into 2020 and beyond.
• After the game, Braves catcher Brian McCann announced his retirement.
• Also, people are upset with the Bay Area Fox affiliate who put a racist headline to the Braves loss. They did end up apologizing the next day.
• Mike Petriello has a preview of the NLCS.
• The Astros jumped on Rays starter Tyler Glasnow for four runs in the first inning and ended up winning Game 5 6-1 and advancing to the ALCS against the Yankees. But several former major leaguers seemed to think that the Astros hit Glasnow so hard because he was tipping his pitches.
• Still, I can’t stop thinking of this play in Game 4 when Rays center fielder Kevin Keirmaier made a perfect throw to shortstop Willy Adames who threw home to nail Jose Altuve at the plate. Mike Petriello breaks down that play and it is even more impressive when you look at the numbers behind it.
• Bradford Doolittle explains why the ALCS clash between the Yankees and Astros should be one of the greatest matchups ever. (ESPN+ sub. req.)
• Bryan Hoch writes that Yankees manager Aaron Boone says he’s learned from past mistakes he’s made in the playoffs.
• Twins pitcher Tyler Duffey is no fan of Yankees fans, of whom he said “Yankee fans, they just hate people.”
• The Phillies fired manager Gabe Kapler.
• R.J. Anderson has ten candidates to be the next Phillies manager.
• Here’s a weird story. Padres pitcher Jacob Nix and another Padres minor leaguer have been arrested (and tased) after they were discovered trying to break into a house in Arizona at 3:30 am through the doggie door. And Nix isn’t even from Florida. Score one for Florida Man.
• Ian Browne has the oral history of Pedro Martinez’s six innings of no-hit relief in Game 5 of the 1999 ALDS.
• Steve Wulf writes an essay about the 1919 Black Sox scandal as well as the changing relationship between MLB and gambling today. Of course, the question he asks is “Could this happen again?”
• And finally, it’s not a video, but Phillies outfielder (and America’s greatest short filmmaker™) Andrew McCutchen shared a photo of the new baseball bat he’s thinking of using next year. He’s thinking of going bigger. Like 82 inches bigger.

And tomorrow will be a better day than today, Buster.