gehringer_2

Randazzo was unusually bad for a playoff selected umpire. Strike zone was all over the place and he absolutely took the Tigers out in the 5th. Good to see them take 6 walks. At least some of the guys were not over-anxious at the plate. Was not impressed by ABC's broadcast. Too much time spent at pointless camera shots and at least in the mix I was getting via ATT, they kept letting the booth get buried under the crowd, even when the crowd wasn't doing all that much. Kurtjian was the only one of the three who knew anything about the Tiger team so the broadcast ended up having an Astro's home feel just because Kay and Frazier know enough about the Astros players to talk a little about them.

Yes.. https://www.mlb.com/glossary/rules/three-batter-minimum

The tigers burned one more pitcher than they wanted to, but the Astros used up Blanco so maybe that's not a losing trade.

OK - no more Foley to close OK? He's a set up man. PLEEASE?

don't speed his bat up - go right after him

Need to get that heater up and in.

Brieske just doesn't look like his body should be able to get 99

RUNNER DOES NOT GO!

he wanted him ready for tomorrow I guess, hope it doesn't turn out to be the wrong move...

two lazy fly balls on good 4 seamers and we're out of this...

Now he puts in the better K pitcher

right, lead runner means nothing. Just treat him as already scored.

you are not the only one.

on the bright side, it gets Alvarez out of the game.

OK - amend that....

They wanted to keep the save in order for Holton.....

We need to get a run off Hader to make Espada think about it being possible.

I think the 4 out thing is going to be Hinch's contribution to future std practice. Old conventional wisdom was to avoid the up and down, but bring a guy in to get the one out, he's mentally more ready to start the ninth. EDIT: OK, no coal for Riley

vivo gladio, mori gladio

win or lose, after 50 pitches they won't see Blanco again.

Yeah - get rule V'd, thrown back, cut twice, work a clean inning in the playoffs a couple years later. Of course.

woo-hoo - runs them bases.

Wenceel is due

Riley earning a lump of coal in his stocking for today.

Man, he's had more than one high stress inning and is at 88 pitches. Do you send him back out? Probably not in the regular season, but who knows how Hinch is gaming this out.