Uncustomed Heroes of 2018: Rockies

The Colorado Rockies...a year after just missing the playoffs, managed to sneak in, and go up against the Brewers for a little bit. Granted, they weren't going to win, seeing as the Brewers became unstoppable at that exact moment, but they managed to chase them for a little bit.

And oddly enough, it was a year that their core was a little less consistent than in 2017, despite better years from Trevor Story and Tyler Anderson. Plus, there was a slight improvement from Ian Desmond, whose average was a bit higher over .200 than it was last year. The guy's still far from his Nationals numbers, but he's still a fine first baseman.

 Chris Iannetta's first year in a Rockies uniform since 2011 was...not bad per se, but he's still one of the more unspectacular catchers in the league. He's not known for his offensive numbers, and he only had 4 errors behind the plate, so while he's not quite indestructible, he's still a solid defensive catcher. The Rox do seem intent on keeping him around, but I'd prefer them to pick up a younger, steadier catching option.

 After missing a year due to injury, David Dahl finally bounced back onto the Rockies' lineup, and did fairly well for himself, with a .273 average and 16 homers over 73 games. He's probably guaranteed a starting spot next to Gerardo Parra and Charlie Blackmon next year.

 Antonio Senzatela's role in the Rockies' pitching setup was greatly diminished compared to 2017, but he still pitched well enough. Senzatela only started 13 games, and only had 66 strikeouts, but with a 4.38 ERA. So he's inoffensively okay. Still, the core five of this rotation may continue to outdo him for time, and he may just be an extra option in the case of injuries. So hopefully he'll rise to that occasion.

Seung Hwan Oh was a late addition, dealt from Toronto to bolster the weak bullpen, and he definitely delivered, giving up only 6 earned runs in 22 innings, and leaving with a 2.53 ERA and a 1.031 WHIP. Thankfully Oh will be staying in Denver for 2019.

Coming Tomorrow- Three years ago they won a World Series. Now...ugh.

Division Series Update: Two Down, Two to Go

The first hurdle has been passed, and the Houston Astros are officially the team to beat in the AL. The Indians, in this series with New York, have proved that they're relatively human, and they can be beaten. The Sox only chased Houston one game, and the Astros still managed to eliminate them, by being two steps ahead and as powerful as they've been all year. It'll be interesting to see how they take on either the Yankees or Indians.

As for the departed...

Sad to say, the Sox never really had a chance. They were the odd men out, the third option of two vastly superior division leaders, and they would have been eliminated no matter who they played. They put up a good fight, and Andrew Benintendi had a nice run at things yesterday, but in the end it boiled down to the same thing it boiled down to last year...they don't have near enough to compete.

Meanwhile...

People are saying there was no doubt that this could happen. Well, I had doubts. If you'll recall, I predicted the Diamondbacks to beat the Dodgers so badly they'd be catapulted into the World Series. Looking back on this three game sweep, I should have been a bit more optimistic in the Dodgers' abilities, and less reliant on that big slump they had towards the end. They've definitely still got it, and the pitching, even with Clayton Kershaw giving up home runs, is shutting them all down. It's looking like this NLCS miiiiiight be a rematch, but I'm thinking whoever they play, they're likely to have the high ground.

And, as for the departed...

As powerful as the Diamondbacks could be this season, it turned out to be their own division that did them in, and in a year where three teams wanted desperately to compete, it would have been tough for them to get a word in edgewise, especially with the Dodgers' season. I think people like Paul Goldschmidt, Zack Greinke and David Peralta were definitely able to extend this team's season by a week, and they should be very proud of how far they came...and very concerned, as they're expected to go further next year.

Alright. Enough certainty. Let's go into the ones still going on...

First of all, HOW ABOUT THOSE NEW YORK YANKEES? Second game in a row where the odds were against us, and we tore through. It did help that Trevor Bauer was on short rest (which seems to be a theme with him), but people like Greg Bird, Aaron Judge and Todd Frazier have been annihilating the ball, and Luis Severino had an amazing night on the mound. Wednesday night is for all the marbles, and it'll be Corey Kluber, who we...roughed up Friday night, and Sonny Gray, who people also have a tendency to rough up. I'm gonna be hoping for the best, but also...even if the Indians win, I can root for them. They're cool.

And in the NL,

I think the message I'm getting here is that maybe the Nationals aren't really cut out for the postseason, no matter the year. Either that, or the Cubs have just been getting hot at the right time, as even with Max Scherzer on the mound, Albert Almora and Ben Zobrist went wild, pushing the Cubs over the Nats, and allowing for a lead going into Game 4 today. The Cubs will have Jake Arrieta on the mound. The Nats will have Tanner Roark. At a glance, Arrieta is the safer bet, but you honestly never know.

Tonight, we may have a full NLCS matchup. I'll alert you with details if so.