So I was out for the last few days, driving all over the northeast. I missed posting about the Guards winning, and the Brewers winning Game 1. I was driving yesterday and completely missed anything about either CS game til I got home. Both outcomes, however, were ones I greatly enjoyed.
Let's talk about this Brewers team, because it's working exactly as a great baseball team should. There's no exorbitant contracts, a lot of homegrown, talented players in their primes, some excellent, well-thought-out roster moves that have built a strong team all over, and clutch ability that most teams would dream of. And they have taken two games at home against the Dodgers, who've spent their way to this monolithic pursuit of a threepeat. Fundamentally, the scrappier, less-expensive team should win, and so far they have been.
The Dodgers have starting depth, let's make this clear, and the next two games in LA they'll have Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow on the mound, which is better than the Milwaukee plan of Robert Gasser and what I will only assume will be a bullpen game. But the fact that Jacob Misiorowski and Logan Henderson were able to comfortably outduel Tarik Skubal and Yoshinobu Yamamoto...that is damning. Sku is still one of the best pitchers in the league, and Yoshi's one of the best postseason pitchers ever. And this Brewers team got to them both. Getting these two games over LA, even if the Dodgers come back and take some of the LA games, which is very likely, is so important. You neutralize them immediately and ensure they can't just outmatch you from the jump.
Credit also goes to William Contreras for his Game 2 heroics, Luis Lara for his spark plug offensive spot in Game 1, and his continued defensive dominance, and the bullpen, including Abner Uribe, Aaron Ashby and Trevor Megill, who've all been lights out so far. I'm absolutely loving this narrative, and hope the Brewers can hold onto the momentum even as the Dodgers threaten to wake up.
Meanwhile, the Cleveland Guardians are the ultimate underdog right now. They flirted with .500 all year, only took the division late in the season, were down 2-0 heading to Chicago for Game 3, and now have a chance to get to their first World Series in 10 years, with a team that isn't the Yankees being their last hurdle.
That Game 1 win seemed elusive for a while, as Drew Rasmussen was winning the pitching duel until he finally gave up a run in the sixth. Foster Griffin was chased at the end of the fourth, which was longer than a lot of Cleveland fans thought after that first inning. This game came down to who had the better bullpen, and once again the answer was certainly not Tampa. Tyler Wells gave up the game-breaking RBI to Nathaniel Lowe, once again on a ragtag team for the postseason [just not the Rays or Rangers], and Cole Sulser squandered the opportunity to let the Rays catch up by giving up RBIs to Ramirez and Adell in the ninth. The Guards' pen, meanwhile, aside from Sabrowski giving up a solo shot to Cedric Mullins, were pretty spotless.
Drew Rasmussen was the Rays' best bet at starter, and while Freddy Peralta could have another start like his Yanks one, the Guardians will have Parker Messick and that game 1 cushion. The Rays may still be the favorites, but the Guardians could be a decent match for them.
Guards-Rays Game 2 tonight. Could tie it up, or could continue the trend. I'm still pulling for Brewers-Guardians, what a fun time that would be.
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