Chat here for NLDS Openers!

A few quick notes of mine below the line.

@Cardinals 9, Pirates 1 — A.J. Burnett’s game score of 12 was the worst ever by a Pittsburgh postseason starter. Their top three marks were set in the 1971 World Series, two by Steve Blass (83 and 78, games 3 and 7) and one by Nellie Briles (83 in game 5). A.J.’s 7 earned runs tied their postseason high, set by Lee Meadows in the ’27 WS (close game until a 6-run 7th). Burnett’s postseason ERA is 6.37 in 8 starts, with 27 walks (and 7 HBP) against 31 Ks in 41 IP.

Adam Wainwright’s 5 postseason starts hold one disaster (last year’s NLDS finale), and 4 games allowing exactly 1 run. It adds up to a 3.00 ERA, with 36 Ks and 4 walks in 30 IP.

With RISP, the Cards went just 2 for 10 — but one was Beltran’s 3-run crusher.

__________

Carlos Beltran has 15 HRs in 35 postseason games, good for an all-time best .783 slugging average, plus a .357 BA, and .462 OBP (10th), making him the OPS leader as well. Even drawing a lot of walks, his total bases per game projects to 467 TB per 162 G. The season record is 457, and only Ruth (1921) and Hornsby (’22) had a 100-G season matching Beltran’s rate. He’s also 11-for-11 in postseason steals.

Add this to his regular-season rankings on career CF lists — 8th in HRs, RBI and WAR, 6th in extra-base hits (tied with Joe D.) and 10th in total bases. Beltran had eight 100-RBI years in CF, tied for 2nd with DiMag and Griffey; only Mays had more (10). Who still doubts Beltran’s Hall of Fame credentials? And why?

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Darien

11 years ago

I saw people on Twitter *still* saying that Beltran is overrated because he watched strike three to end game seven of the 2006 NLCS. Unbelievable.

Editor

Bryan O'Connor

11 years ago

Reply to Darien

I don’t have a PI subscription, so I’m winging it with this assumption, but I’m pretty sure no actual Hall of Famer ever struck out looking.

Jonas Gumby

11 years ago

Reply to Bryan O'Connor

FALSE. Michael Jordan struck out exactly 114 times in 1994.

Jonas Gumby

11 years ago

Reply to Jonas Gumby

Dammit! You were right — none were looking.

Author

John Autin

11 years ago

Reply to Jonas Gumby

BTW, Jonas, here’s a basketball HOFer who really did play for the ChiSox — and got a hit in his first MLB win:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CHA/CHA196307170.shtml

Jimbo

11 years ago

Based on who is in the Hall, Beltran is easily qualified.

His post season career is what puts him over the top, if he was to retire as a borderline player otherwise.

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Doug

11 years ago

Reply to Jimbo

Except Beltran and the World Series are still strangers. Just sayin’.

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John Autin

11 years ago

Reply to Doug

Doug, it’s a fair point that Beltran’s postseason feats would mean more if some were in the WS. On the other hand, I don’t fault him for failing to get there.

bstar

11 years ago

Reply to Doug

You’re not one of those bizarre Beltran haters, are you, Doug? It was one goofin’ AB.

Beltran’s knees were hardly the only ones to be buckled by Adam Wainwright that postseason.

Editor

Doug

11 years ago

Reply to bstar

I’m a big Beltran fan.

John @7 summed up my thoughts perfectly.

Brendan

11 years ago

The Tomahawk Chop is the worst thing in baseball. I hate the Braves and their fans so much.

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John Autin

11 years ago

Reply to Brendan

I could live without the chop, but I’m still rooting for *some* comeback action. So far, counting the playoff, the first team to score has won all 4 games.

Luis Gomez

11 years ago

Reply to Brendan

I got the Braves on a school pool, so I´m rooting for them. Also, there is this thing against the team they´re playing 🙂

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John Autin

11 years ago

Reply to Luis Gomez

Luis, you turn your back on Fernando’s team?!? To say nothing of Ismail Valdez! 🙂

Luis Gomez

11 years ago

Reply to John Autin

Actually yes. When I was growing up I idolized Fernando and his team. But when they released him I just couldn’t root for them anymore. So I spend a few years as a “free agent fan” (or more like Baseball fan), until ´96, when the Padres made a run at the playoffs and won the NL West on the last day of the season against the Blue ones in LA. Been a Padres fan ever since. I worked in Tijuana for 11 years and it was an easy commute to watch the Padres in Jack Murphy Stadium and later PETCO… Read more »

bstar

11 years ago

FWIW, I had the Braves down for 13 K’s tonight. Rrrright on schedule!

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John Autin

11 years ago

Reply to bstar

b, even without Uggs or BJ in the lineup?

bstar

11 years ago

Reply to John Autin

I’ve found that keeping my expectations low for the playoffs helps me stay (relatively) sane.

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John Autin

11 years ago

Only two other Dodgers had 12+ Ks in a postseason game — Koufax ’63 (15 in WS game 1) and Carl Erskine ’53 (14 in WS game 3). Coincidentally, both had lines of 9 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER and 3 BB.

Last postseason pitcher with 124 pitches and 10+ Ks was Kerry Wood, 2003 NLDS, game 1.

Author

John Autin

11 years ago

Matching 76 game scores for Wainwright & Kershaw, each with 7 IP, 3 hits and a run.

b, things will look better if your boys hit an early blast or two off Greinke — and his postseason track record isn’t sharp.

Get some rest, everyone — tomorrow’s a long day.

Evan

11 years ago

The 2 for 10 number is a bit deceptive considering they also had 2 BB and a HBP with RISP, all in the 3rd inning.

Author

John Autin

11 years ago

Reply to Evan

Evan, that’s true — but since the Cardinals’ raw BA with RISP is what’s gotten all the notice, it seems fair to report the raw numbers here, as well.

And so, after two games, they’re 2 for 15.

Editor

Doug

11 years ago

Tonight in Atlanta was the 39th post-season game of 9 innings or less with a team having 10+ strikeouts and 3 times as many strikeouts as hits. 9 of those 39 games have come since 2010, more than the number (8) that occurred before 1995 (there were 3 games from 1903 to 1908, and 5 games from 1965 to 1972).

Atlanta has 10 of those 39 games. The Yankees are second with 4 such games.

PaulE

11 years ago

I know I’m going to get a boatload of feces for this statement, but if Carlos Beltran had been signed by the Yankees in 1995, or even in 2005 as a free agent, they’d have a parade for him in Manhattan every fall.
Mr. October?
St. Derek of November?
No. Carlos Beltran is, along with that undermedicated lunatic, Lenny Dykstra, one if the two greatest post-season players in the history of the sport. Both very good players who played even better in the playoffs……no, actually, unconcious.

Author

John Autin

11 years ago

What is your definition of a “free swinger”? A column in today’s NYTimes applied the term to Dan Uggla. I know I’m quibbling, but I think it’s a poor description. Uggla does strike out a lot, of course — 171 times this year. But among 141 qualified hitters, Uggla had: — the 9th-lowest strike percentage (strikes/all pitches); and — the 16th-highest rate of pitches per PA. To me, someone who draws 77 walks, without being pitched around, is not a free swinger. Uggla led the NL last year with 94 walks, while hitting .220 with 168 Ks. Uggla whiffs so… Read more »

11 years ago

Reply to John Autin

John: I give you Vlad the Impaler.

http://joeposnanski.blogspot.com/2013/09/vlad-impaler.html

According to Joe Pos, from 07-11 Vlad hit .303 and slugged .490 while swinging at 45% of pitches out of the strike zone!

Best line of the article: “The guy would swing at anything. The guy would swing at pitches in OTHER GAMES.”

Now that’s definitely a free swinger!!!

Doug

11 years ago

Reply to John Autin

Manny Sanguillen. Something like Vlad. Would swing at anything, high or low (the tomahawk swing was his specialty), but he could make contact. And, he didn’t strike out much.

Among 154 retired catchers with 3000 PA, Sanguillen is one of only 11 with more hits than games played (10 of whom, incl. Sanguillen, are over 5000 PA).

11 years ago

Reply to John Autin

Whenever I hear “free swinger” I think Pedro Feliz. Feliz had the added “bonus” of only taking a walk about once a week.

bstar

11 years ago

Reply to John Autin

JA: you nailed it.

donburgh

11 years ago

Alvarez is the first Pirate to homer in consecutive playiff games since Stargell in 1974 vs. LA.

Doug

11 years ago

Reply to donburgh

And the first Pirate ever to homer in the first two games of any post-season series. His streak of RBIs in the first 3 post-season games of his career ties him with Tim Foli for the longest such streak by a Pirate.