The Basement View

If you take a step back and put the Yankee season in perspective, you realize one thing after a brutal 8-3 loss last night, the human element of the game. The bats have gone cold, the once unhittable bullpen has cracked, and the magic of Yankee Stadium hasn’t shown up yet in this series. The Bombers are 4-25 in the series with runners in scoring position while seeming allergic to getting the big hit or any huge momentum shifter for that matter. That doesn’t eliminate any level of frustration that Yankee fans (including myself feel), a level of frustration that boiled over last night watching the Bombers kick the ball around the infield when their season was being engulfed in flames. However, you must take into account the greatness it takes to bring these #NextManUp Yankees back to earth. Swallowing the hatred toward the Astros, they are an incredible team, with once in a generation talent, on an incredible stretch of dominating the game. This three-year run by Houston has comp...

The Washington Nationals are trailblazers. Washington is defying recent conventional analytical wisdom with the way their roster is constructed in their playoff run. Since the Kansas City Royals changed the way teams looked at bullpen construction in 2015, baseball has trended toward backloading bullpens hard throwing arms that have the ability to strike out batters at a historic rate. Some, like last years Red Sox, achieve this backloaded pen by transitioning starters into high leverage roles. Some like the 2016 Cubs, make in-season trades to get the arm they need to push them over the edge in October. And some, like those Royals make calculated deals in the winter and start setting up their bullpen attack in Spring Training. The Nationals are doing none of those. Instead, they are going back to the “dark ages” of baseball and using an extraordinary starting rotation to neutralize the opposing bats long enough for their offense to take advantage on the other side. When Davey Mar...

Getting these picks in at the buzzer. Still have no reason why the Saints are getting points. Hurry up and send in that bet. The Saints (+2.5) is 2019’s version of who wants to be a millionaire. Go bet and let’s hope all the parley’s, teasers, and money lines hit.

After one incredible week going 11-5, the picks took a step back at 8-7, however still seven games over .500. The locks are three games over .500 (9-6) and we are pushing forward. I LOVE the slate this week from a line perspective because there too many lines that straight up stink and are a point or two off. With that said, here are the picks for this week.

With the “actual” playoffs underway, one thing has rung true, nobody in the National League has a legitimate bullpen. Not even the best team in the National League Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers turned to Kenta Maeda for valuable outs with a two-run lead when he came in with an out in the 7 th inning. Maeda until this year was one of the starters Dave Roberts turned to for a playoff start. Now, he’s entered the Phil Hughes phase of his career where the only value he has on a contender is a balls-to-the-wall, who cares if I blow out my arm, relief pitcher. It’s only a matter of time until the curtain is pulled on the front of the Dodgers bullpen—and it might cost them yet another shot at a World Series title. What I don’t understand is why Roberts didn’t turn to the guy he used in the 9 th , Joe Kelly in the 7th, then going to Baez in the 8 th , and if the score permitted, Kenley Jansen. That to me is the Dodgers magical bullpen formula to getting to a third straight World Series...

As the splinters of Ryan Zimmerman’s bat fell unto the grass at Nationals Park tonight, so did a bloop base hit that started the rally for a National team that finally broke the elimination curse. Everyone feels for Milwaukee rookie outfielder Trent Grisham who let a line drive past his glove—letting Anthony Rendon score the go ahead run causing the stadium to explode into the stratosphere. Grisham wouldn’t be out there if MVP front runner Christian Yelich didn’t break his kneecap, it’s a different ballgame completely, but that’s how fragile this game is. It comes downs to one pitch, one play, and you have to live with the outcome. Milwaukee had their relief ace Josh Hader on the mound (the guy the Brewers wanted on the mound), Washington had Juan Soto (the guy the Nationals wanted) at the plate, that’s everything you ask for. The definition of playoff intensity. That’s playoff baseball. Waking up tomorrow, Washington plays on, and Milwaukee is looking toward 2020 Spring ball. Bo...