I was living in the Bay Area in ‘88. The A’s were heavily favored over the Dodgers but once Gibson hit the infamous HR the Series was over.
I’m not sure what I think the dumbest move Boone made with the pitching staff. I felt Coke could probably have pitched a complete game. His fastball was electric and still hitting 98 when he was pulled.
Weaver looked like he could have pitched another inning. He has the stamina of a starter.
I guess the worst move was not using Hill who was lights out against the Guardians. Take your pick.

[1] Agreed about Cole. Boone usually doesn't let him come close to 100 pitches. He had plenty left.

As ARod with Texas proved, one superstar alone can not make a winning team. None the less, I don't think we have a chance unless Judge starts playing like regular season Judge.

Agreed, we need good Judge. It’s a big deal.

2nd verse, same as the 1st verse ... exact same lineup.

Let’s go Yankees! Please let’s do this!

Gotta say, I still don't mind the Cortes move. It's the crappy defense that bothers me more. None of that tonight, please!

Start the game already.

So now we have random performances after the anthem?

[1] [2] Hey to you both!

[1] Except Hill is a groundball pitcher with the lowest K rate of every reliever. With only 1 out, I'd much much much rather go with the strikeout pitcher, which Nasty Nestor was this year, especially against lefties. Water under the bridge now.

[8] Was that Barry Bonds in the stands wearing a DODGERS t-shirt? I mean I know he hates the Yankees for how they treated his dad, and I understand that, but dude played for the Giants for years and now he's cheering for the Dodgers? Man.

[8] oh i missed that so I don’t know.

Greetings and salutations, gents!

Hopefully the ump is better tonight

[13] Sure seems to be so far!

[12] Evening, cult!

Hi, Team!

Nice, Gleyber! Let's go, Soto!

soto shuffle!

I want to kill Smoltz already ... instead I just muted him.

i had some nice family time today with my girls, but i've been pretty sad and unhappy ever since i woke up. REALLY need the yanks to win big tonight...

[17] understood.

YY already at 19 pitches. that's how many j-flare threw in the first last night.

Sigh ... was that a grimace from Judge?

fucking TERRIBLE!

(17) Ma & Pa Yankee radio feed here, can’t take FOX.
Judge really is picking g the worst time to be in such a slump

Bleh

[21] Ugh. yeah, sure seems like it was...

awful. just awful.

[17] Same. Went to the radio feed already. Couldn't take the bs anymore.

I used to really like Joe Davis, but wow has Smoltz rubbed off on him in the worst possible way. I remember the days when I thought it couldn't be worse than Joe Morgan on ESPN Sunday night games. Was I ever wrong.

[18] 21st Century Platform Hug Emoji!

Getting Ohtani out is always good

Shaun P, I’d gladly take Miller & Morgan again!
Must win game riding on Carlos Rodon is…’not what you want’ territory?

[27] thanks, cult!

screw you, markus.

Soto is at it again

i'm glad markus doesn't run like he used to. hope he stays put with the lefty on the bump.

awful defense. brutal. that should have been caught!!!

no harm, just a few extra pitches...

fuck booing a throwover, esp with the new rules. jesus.

good job, 'los

[29] Man Jon Miller would be great!

In the meantime I am grateful that Sterling was just mocking the "Freddie, Freddie, Freddie" chants.

I feel like Rodon has really been doing well, so I'm feeling good about him. Hoping Pettitte's good advice has rubbed off on him, the old "the lefty you want to win Game 2" stuff. /fingers crossed emoji

[18] 2020s-era Platform Hug Emoji ;) (the Banter did start in the 21st century after all)

of course, the penn state game is also on commercial break at the same time... my alma mater is undefeated and #3 in the country!

[35] i love jon miller and try to catch him on Giants broadcasts via the MLB app whenever i can!

[37] Wisconsin is very beatable at least…

[39] seems that way. i won't get to see much, obviously (not that i normally watch...). next week, is huge for us!

good job, rizzo. tony & frederick at first together!

[37] That's awesome!

Really loving that they are making Yamamoto work.

Bottom of the lineup is trash-o-matic, WTF has happened to Wells??

What does that make Wells ... something like 7 for his last 6 weeks?

man, jazz and wells are just completely lost. : (

Volpe at least hit that well. But yeah, bad start.

[43] i wish that weren't funny, but your turn of phrase is great!

[45] he did. and the pest slipped a bit. still nothing though...

Crap

[47] The pest ™

you've got to be fucking kidding me. this guy???

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

[49] how did you do the TM?!

Ugh

[51] it’s a text character so I found it and copied it

This gixking guy again..

wow. hot corner indeed. nice catch, jazz!

That's #1 for Rodon tonight

[53] nice!

[49] [51] OK, let's see if this works.

[58] Nope. I copied an emoji in, and it showed in the text box, but not the post. Ah well.

[59] yea emoji isn’t a text character unfortunately.

nice fucking play, player.

still - we're losing. (angry as fuck emoji)

What a play!

[59]
¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[61] i like this idea. [frustrated emoji]

i think we can use and see emojis on the phone...?

[65] Seems unlikely with *this* engine, but I have been on sites where there have been 5 different sets of emojis available, depending on what you were doing.

emoji test

Is the Martian even going to get an at bat this Serious?

[68] [verdugout emoji]

i drank ELEVEN (11) sierra nevada pale ales last night. that's a lot. making up for lost time, after not having a single beer in 2 months.

tonight, i'm imbibing an excellent local belgian dubbel, from a place that's my wife's and my favorite date night. just poured #2 and hope it does the trick. cheers!

hmmm, emjojis not working. i think i can only see my own, if i post them on the phone. gonna try...

Beer + Basebaal emojis

⚾️

[71] holy cow. I can’t drink 11 of anything anymore haha.

I’m drinking a Pumpking. Really good Pumpkin.

[73] wait i see that baseball! How’d you do that?

Tie game!!!

Soto go boom!

SOTO!!!

SOTO!

Tater!!!!!!!!
(Damn thelarmis, ELEVEN?! Takes me three sessions to get that many in these days :)

[75] Was just going to ask the same!! How did that pop up?!

[74] Also can't do anything near 11 (unless it is glasses of water). Enjoying a tasty Sam Adams Porch Rocker tonight to start.

so... the baseball emoji is on my phone crystal clear, but it immediately deleted the beer emoji. huh.

ooh, i can kinda see the baseball emoji on the computer website, but not well...

[73] [81] [Slainte emoji]

[75] OK I'm giving it a try myself; baseball emoji pasted below

⚾️

Double digits is not the norm

[84] that works!

but, included a weird face emoji on [85], but it didn't appear.

maybe baseballs only...?

Ok ⚾️ Must be a character…..
Now to see if i can re-enact Soto Homer…
⚾️
⚾️ ⚾️
⚾️ ⚾️
⚾️.
⚾️
⚾️
⚾️

Shoot, did I miss a Soto homer while walking the terrorists?

[71] [74] Salute!

[87] didn’t work.

[88] That's what happens when you give in to terrorists.

Maybe time the next walk for a couple guys on base?

i messaged alex, cliff, and chyll will to see if they'd stop by. i hope RI shows back up. i'll message him now...

oh, and my friend Ed - one of the yankee organists - texted today, and he'll be playing Game 4 at the Stadium!

Apple does have this on the iPad™️

[89] Sláinte Mhath!

[93] nice. i really need to get an iPad already. maybe at the end of the year, though i said the same thing last year...

I was skeptical of them at first, but now I need my iPad. Even though the terrorists wrecked the first two.

Also on an iPad

jayne - 7 points in the first half is no bueno. we're losing...

[96] damn!

[98] oh no! Surprising.

Shit

oh no. i *knew* that guy was going to damage this series. fucking KNEW it. : /

When you give away a great Cole start and have to rely on Rodon, this is what happens. Series could be over :/

HR #2

FUCK!!!

I didn’t mind the solo homer as much but the two run homer no good

[104] #3

Shit shit

oh my goodness.

FUCK YOU, RODON!!!

series - over.

Pull him. This can’t get out of hand

is anyone warming up?

Game over. Rodon in a must win game, how else was it going to go

How long do you go with Rodon?

[111] too late, i'm afraid.

Well ... we've come back from an 0-2 deficit before in a Whirled Serious ... I've seen it!

oh sure, give up an uncontested steal of third. sure, why not.

He’s getting hit hard

Phew

that fucking asshole better not step foot on the mound in the 4th.

there won't be a Game 6, so we won't have to see that piece of shit pitch again this season...

feeble.

[116] Was just about to type the same thing. Definitely not over yet.

I mean, we’ve gone farther than i ever expected. But I’d still like to win this if we can figure it out

weak ass bullshit shutdown inning.

we do NOT resemble anything that remotely looks like a world series team. at all.

What is he still doing out there?

Finally, guess it was a match up thing

penn state - losing to an unranked team at halftime

yankees - losing and will lose.

BUT... i just won at solitaire, so there's that.

and, my daughter got to vote for the first time ever today!!! i think it's quite obvious which candidate the Madam voted for!!! : )

We do this so much where we have the starter go one more batter that I think it’s a stats thing. Somewhere in the data I think it says yui’re better off if you make a pitching change mid-inning.

AB: 36 - .167, .304, .361, .665
Judge's 2024 PS stats.

[129] depressing

[127] yay was she excited?

oh, that's promising. : /

[129] oof. he couldn't even make it .666 for me...

[131] OH YEAH!!! we all were : )

ooh, i didn't even think about the whole Miggy Ro-Jazz rift.
sooo many storylines in this series...

nice!

Dodgers look better in every facet of the game. Last night still stings as can’t give that game away with poor D and managing

[134] great! That first vote is exciting. I voted by mail of course. I’m very thankful for that option due to my health.

[137] The biggest difference is that the Dodgers can win without their MVP fully showing up, although he's contributing. Judge is an automatic out. The team is not designed to work without him. In fact, Judge has never hit in the postseason, and it's clear that he's not going to work it out during this series.

[137] yep. We just don’t look good enough to be honest.

[134] [138] So awesome! I also voted by mail, even though I enjoy going to vote in person, because I like having the option and I want them to keep offering it.

[139] [129] Guy with a .304 OBP is definitely not an automatic out. He's not Soriano in the '03 playoffs, swinging at every slider down and away.

I live in Texas ... vote by mail?
Bwahahahahahahahahahahahahaha hah!
(unless you are 65+ and maybe if you're disabled)
I will be early voting, however.

This team and WS have the feeling of a cross between 1963 and 1976. Yankees have tremendous star power at the top but not much depth after that, sort of like the early 1960s/end of dynasty teams. Ran into a buzzsaw in 1963. Feel-good championship series followed by meeting a far superior team is very 1976.

[143] Early voting is also pretty cool!

The stupid thing ... the Yankees *feel* out of it in this game ... but it's just 3 runs ... it's getting late early, but it's just 3 runs (at the moment, as Cousins gives up a hit).

[142] OK. Judge is raking. ;>) You know what I mean.
His lack of offense combined with our lack of offensive depth are the difference.

Good news for thelarmis I see in Penn State game…

Yeah ... Tim Hill showing up Boone-y's decision last night ... cold

[149] Didn't look like a ground ball to me.

[147] Exactly. When the entire offence for the season is basically two players (I exaggerate) and then one goes into a slump....

The question is whether this is more 1963: the beginning of the end as the star players started to age out. Or more 1976: the beginning of a mini-dynasty, maybe one or two players away.

[151] We got a bunch of players to churn over and for the first time in a while the "magick the bullpen together" didn't really result in magic

Some offense, please?

I should be used to this. We did this every few games all season. Just disappear offensively.

[153] Well, that inning was pretty offensive ...

[155] Ladies and gents, cult!

[147] Yeah, I know, but... dude is going to start hitting. He'll be a-ok. I kinda wish Jeter would go tell him to stop pressing so much, just do his thing and the rest will follow. Jesus, I hope the crowd on Monday at the Stadium is nothing but supportive.

This is a crappy game but they had a bunch of those during the season, and they didn't lose all of them.

[154] But it's like NOBODY (outside of Torres and Soto and possibly Frank) are above lukewarm ... and, of course, Boone-y won't shake things up (besides, by this point ... his options have been sitting on the bench for so long, they're probably no better).

Hmm, my last comment is waiting moderation. I triggered the bots.

[157] I know it likely won't change anything but... boy do I wish they'd put the Martian out in LF, and in the lineup. And while Trevino is clearly rusty and Wells has become the better defender (especially against steals) I think Wells needs a day off.

Sorry, folks. I’m behind here. My wife always feels like bad luck, so she was upstairs. But, I missed her and wanted her to come down to watch with me!

I’m on my phone now and can’t see comment numbers

Early voting RULES!!! The Mrs. and I went last week!

Ooh, Stanton missed a couple of meatballs…

[159] I'm just so far beyond done with Verdugout.
Whatever the outcome ... after the final out of the Serious ... I never want to see his face with a NYY cap on top of it.

The worst thing about this game is that the Bombers are still in it, so I can't turn it off.

Yup

Base runner at least

Real lack of energy this game compared to yesterday. I’m starting house chores, Zzzzzzzz…

[165] there hasn’t been much to cheer for at all. I am just here, wanting to cheer haha

[164] I thought Rizzo was going to eat that one, literally. Glad he moved out of the way. Would have been better if he could have scored, but...

Next time we got the top of the order. Last chance saloon.

[165] Chores. Is the wife off to vote? ;>)

Jazz / Jayne - I hear you both. I want to cheer too.

Cult - I’m with you on Ver-douche-GO (away)

I can’t believe the Yankee hitters are this baffled at the plate.

Walk to a speedster. Good stuff

Nice K, Clay

Oh gee i don’t want him to be hurt

Uh oh, Ohtani.

Oh shit!

You’re fucking OUT!!!

Oof. That looks bad…

[174] My thoughts exactly.

He said "It's my left shoulder"

[180] Confirmation from the bowtie

One hit. This is quite terrible. I think they should put in the Martian to (hopefully) get some offense.

FYI: because this game sucks, reference on my comment to Jazz.
There's an election in Japan today, but here (still in the Stone Age?) you can only vote by showing up in person at your registered polling place. On the bright side that means we'll get a visit from our daughter, as she hasn't changed her official residence. Knowing her we expect that to be about 10 minutes before the polls close.

IL - oh, my. You are completely correct. : (

An exchange on another site:

Him:
Why do they keep running Wells out there?

Me:
Because Trevino has turned from a Platinum Glove into a Pumpkin Glove ... or arm at least
The Guardians ran at will on him when he got the start

Him:
Wells’ defense can’t be better enough to make up for 4/41

Me:
Look ... it's Boone-y ... WTF do you WANT from me?
I'm merely explaining ... not excusing.

A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds ...
-Emerson

OK. All we need are 3 HRs. It's possible.

Soto seems to be the total of the offense

[186] I'd settle for a couple baserunners and another Stanton HR...

Oh, man. That’s only a single.

At least it’s not an out…

Terrible swing…

What are you looking at???

Judge is pressing to hard.

WOW!!! I’ve never seen a hitter look that bad…

[192] Someone get that dude to chill.

Hey, a run!!! Some heads up base running by Soto!

OK that’s one!

Not dead yet.

Alright Jazz, now it's your turn.

A run!!

Tie the game, Jazz!

Is it just me, or is Stanton dancing off first?

Come on, Jazz