I like thinking of it from the Giants perspective. They need to win a game where they have a worse SP, worse offense, defense, and bullpen, on the road, to avoid an outcome where they have to win 3 straight games.
yikes i didn't even see this post when i made mine and i agree that it was odd that almora didn't come into the OF in the 9th I know it doesn't make much sense but maybe Joe was thinking that leaving Zorbrist in LF just in case the Giants tied it up or took the lead (gasp) in the 9th. Ben was due up 4th in the bottom half? Maybe wanted his bat just in case over Almora? Still Almora being out there is supposed to prevent the Giants from tying it up so while typing this it makes even less sense. I doubt Almora makes that play on Pousy's shot but he might have with his speed and it would have been a spectacular play. Yeah, Zobrist's bat is too valuable and his defense in LF good enough that you aren't going to pull him with a 1 run lead. In other words, Almora isn't entering a game that Baez starts unless there's an injury.
With a day game that shouldn't be super terrible. Normal 3 hour game and they'd be on a plane by 7 or 8 at the latest, which puts them in LA by 9 or 10 at the latest. It'd be better if Game 3 was a night game, but I don't think anyone will be sleep deprived. Basically a day game after night game once you consider travel.
I'm a little worried that this is what I'm going to have to do. I have MLB.tv and a cable login, but not one of the providers doing MLB Network streaming. I've had mixed success using a VPN to tell MLB.tv I'm somewhere else, thankfully the early game should be a good guinea pig to test on. See my post above. unlocator.com I've used it all season for Cubs games when they are in Cincy/Atlanta because of blackouts. I've also used it for the playoffs last year and this year so far. It's 5 bucks for the month and it works. Yeah I have a Private Internet Access subscription, for some reason I can't get the config quite right to deal with MLB.tv consistently. Hasn't been a problem thus far since I live in Mariner country, but I'll be tinkering this afternoon to be sure.
I'm a little worried that this is what I'm going to have to do. I have MLB.tv and a cable login, but not one of the providers doing MLB Network streaming. I've had mixed success using a VPN to tell MLB.tv I'm somewhere else, thankfully the early game should be a good guinea pig to test on.
For those who had tuned out the Cubs in September(or assholes living under a rock), Samardzija faced the Cubs about a month ago: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CHN/CHN201609010.shtml It did not go well for him. He lasted only 4 innings, giving up 3 runs(all in the first inning), and departing before even throwing a pitch in the 5th because it took him 87 pitches to navigate those 4 innings.
Now Lester can start the 8th against the bottom of the order, and you have free reign to use a RH wipeout guy or Chapman for 4 outs when they get to pinch hit
So we're looking at 2+ innings of SF pen, Lester just needs to hold serve until it becomes Edwards/Strop/Chapman against their rotation of mediocrity at the back end
Force a Lester throw The chances of him laying down a perfect bunt that he could beat out have to be significantly lower than running into a fastball with a swing, so keep it up. I don't think he wants to beat it out, I think he only wants to bunt well enough that Lester fields it and can't run it to the base. It's not all that high a percentage play, but he's a career .108 hitter so not much to risk.