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Oh no, Orion Kerkering. I’m so sorry.
Plus: The Cubs survive, and either the Tigers or Mariners are advancing tonight to the ALCS. I’m Levi Weaver, here with Ken Rosenthal. Welcome to The Windup!
While You Were Sleeping: Dear Phillies fans
Phillies fans, this first section is for you. We’ll recap the game for everyone else after Ken’s section, but this requires a small intervention. Everyone else, just skip right down to Ken and pick it up from there.
I grew up a Texas Rangers fan. And in the 2011 World Series … [sigh] Nelson Cruz, man. I didn’t even watch that video when I copy/pasted the link. I’ve never watched the replay on purpose. Not once.
After 2011, you could be at any bar or BBQ in the greater DFW area and just say, “Nelson Cruz, man,” and someone would offer a morose cheers. And that was the whole conversation. You had a new friend, and all you had to do was acknowledge your shared pain. That Texas camaraderie trick went away in 2023.
While it hurts right now, the silver lining is that from now until the Phillies win their next World Series, you have a three-word phrase you can use to bond with any fellow Philadelphia sports fan: Orion Kerkering, man.
(Oh, don’t click that link. It’s not — just don’t. Sorry for linking it. I’m trying to delete it.)
If someone beats you to it, and you want a seven-word rejoinder, here you go: “He could have just thrown to first!” (Don’t click that one either.)
We had to talk about it, and I’m sorry. Fair warning: We’ll probably have to talk about it again eventually. (Though I think we somehow managed to go a full season without even one “Gerrit Cole, man,” so maybe not. Don’t unsubscribe. I’m being empathetic here.)
More Phillies: Jayson Stark on why this franchise can’t just run it back this time.
Ken’s Notebook: Opportunity for Skubal
Pedro Martinez. Roger Clemens. Jim Palmer. Those are the only American League pitchers to win back-to-back Cy Young awards. Detroit Tigers left-hander Tarik Skubal is almost certain to join that club at the end of the season.
Skubal finished the regular season first in the AL in ERA, strikeouts and opponents’ OPS. Many of his numbers were slightly better than they were last season, and his career numbers in the postseason are quite good — a 2.14 ERA in five starts, 43 strikeouts, just six walks.
And now, there is fresh business at hand. Game 5 of the Division Series against the Seattle Mariners. An opportunity for Skubal, at age 28, to elevate his reputation even higher.
“I’ll let you guys create the narrative,” Skubal told reporters Wednesday. “I’m just going to do what I do best, and that’s play baseball and create pitches. The game is still the game. I’ll let you guys write the stories and do your jobs, but you’re not going to get anything from me.”
Skubal stumbled in his one potential clincher, Game 5 of last year’s Division Series in Cleveland. He took a shutout and 1-0 lead into the fifth inning. And then, in completely unexpected fashion, he allowed five runs. The first by hitting Jose Ramírez with a pitch. The next four on a grand slam by Lane Thomas.
Skubal has said he used that game as motivation. He was brilliant in his first start of this postseason, striking out 14 Guardians in Game 1 of the wild-card series. He then started Game 2 of this Division Series, and aside from two solo homers by Jorge Polanco, was dominant again. Just not dominant enough for the Tigers to avoid a 3-2 defeat.
Now comes Game 5, again on the road in Seattle. The availability of Skubal for multiple games in a longer postseason series is generally considered an advantage for the Tigers. But as so often is the case in the postseason, the sample sizes are small, and the scrutiny is immense.
If Skubal loses a second straight Game 5, his big-game ability will be questioned, fairly or not. But if he pitches the Tigers into the ALCS, Skubal’s legend will only grow. And that’s before even winning his second Cy Young.
More Tigers-Mariners:
- No disrespect to Aaron Judge, but if you want to know why I think Cal Raleigh should be the AL MVP, read Britt Ghiroli’s story on his prep, his process and the many jobs that are required of a catcher.
- A business card, an offer and K-Swiss sneakers: In ALDS Game 5, Skubal’s Seattle story comes full circle, by Cody Stavenhagen.
- Game 5 starts tonight at 8:08 p.m. ET / 5:08 p.m. PT on Fox. It’ll be George Kirby taking on Skubal.
The Game Itself: L.A. wins series by way of sloppy game
Dodgers 2, Phillies 1 — Dodgers win series 3-1
(Phillies fans, this is the section that is not for you.)
I mean … holy crap, right?
We probably should be talking about Tyler Glasnow (six scoreless innings) and Cristopher Sánchez (6 1/3 innings, and his only run allowed was via an inherited runner). They both absolutely showed up for a huge postseason game.
But in addition to those two masterpieces, here’s one more thing that history might forget about the Dodgers’ clincher to advance to the NLCS: Every run scored as a result of some kind of a miscue.
- Top of the seventh: Emmet Sheehan wasn’t able to wrangle Mookie Betts’ throw that would have completed a double play. The ball went into the dugout, allowing Max Kepler to advance to second, scoring on Nick Castellanos’ double. 1-0 Phillies.
- Bottom of the seventh: After an intentional walk of Shohei Ohtani loaded the bases, Jhoan Duran threw ball four about six inches above the top of the zone to Betts. As miscues went in this game, this was the least egregious. But it was the first time he had ever walked in a run, and it tied the game at 1-1.
- That’s where it stood until the bottom of the 11th. And then … oh right, maybe you skipped that first section and missed the link. Orion Kerkering, man. Actually, that’s gonna ring differently for you if you’re a Dodgers fan. Maybe like: “Orion Kerkering, man!”
Said without value judgement: What an unforgettable game.
More Dodgers: In yesterday’s Windup, I asked about Dave Roberts leaving Clayton Kershaw out there to “wear it.” Turns out, Roberts had a perfectly valid reason. Potential bullpen option Tanner Scott was removed from the NLDS roster (and thus ineligible for the NLCS) after what Roberts called a “lower-body abscess procedure.” Scott was replaced by left-hander Justin Wrobleski.
Los Angeles will now travel to … somewhere in the Midwest. They’ll find out Saturday who wins Game 5 in 👇 the other series.
Still at Stake: Chicago forces Game 5
Cubs 6, Brewers 0 — Series tied 2-2
Something you might not know about Matthew Boyd, if your memory only goes back to Game 1, when he allowed six runs in just 2/3 of an inning: He entered last night’s game against the Brewers with a career postseason ERA of 2.12 with the Mariners, Guardians and Cubs.
That was the Matthew Boyd we saw last night.
He only pitched 4 2/3 innings, but with the Cubs facing elimination, he allowed zero runs on two hits and three walks, striking out six and forcing a winner-take-all Game 5 on Saturday. (The Cubs bullpen was also brilliant. Four relievers combined for 4 1/3 scoreless innings on just one hit.)
Meanwhile, the Cubs continued a trend, scoring three runs in the bottom of the first inning on a three-run home run by Ian Happ.
The Cubs and Brewers have combined to score 21 runs in the four first innings of this series, and just 14 in the other 32 innings. Wild.
The Cubs did pile on a bit, adding single runs in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings, including home runs from Kyle Tucker (his first of the postseason) and Michael Busch (his fourth).
The series goes back to Milwaukee now. We’ll find out on Saturday (8:08 p.m. ET / 7:08 CT on TBS) who will move on to face the Dodgers. As of right now, both starters are TBD, but Jacob Misiorowski will likely be called on for a heavy workload in relief.
Handshakes and High Fives
Interim Angels manager Ray Montgomery had thoughts on catcher Logan O’Hoppe. Not on his season of struggle, but on his relationship with his pitching staff. O’Hoppe spoke with Sam Blum and says he vehemently disagrees.
Eno Sarris digs into Blue Jays starter Trey Yesavage’s splitter and tells us what makes it so special.
Just two months after announcing a thyroid cancer diagnosis, former Red Sox All-Star outfielder Mike Greenwell has passed away at age 62.
The manager and GM will be back in Houston, but after an injury-plagued season, the head athletic trainer will not be. Neither will their hitting coaches, catching coach and an assistant GM.
On the pods:
Most-clicked yesterday: Three key offseason questions for the Yankees.
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(Photo: Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)