It was just last season when the Rays battled back from down 2-0 to force a game 5 winner-take-all match with the Astros in the ALDS. That game featured a showdown of Gerrit Cole versus Tyler Glasnow, one that would be replayed this year, but with Cole wearing pinstripes. Cole fared better last year, when the Astros took down the Rays by a score of 6-1. The Rays got their revenge on Cole Friday night, and now they’re ready to check the Astros off their list as well. Easier said than done, however, as these Astros have proven they won’t go quietly.
The home team won every game in their playoff showdown last year. Of course, this season there will be no home crowd to contend with, but the tables have turned in that the Rays are the AL East champs who will enjoy last bats for games 1, 2, 5, and 7. As a wild card entrant, the Astros are a rare much-disliked underdog. They’re also a much different team from last year, at least on the pitching side of things.
Of course, their front offices know each other well. After the Astros were forced to fire Jeff Luhnow, James Click was hired away from the Rays to take over as General Manager. Per MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart, Click said about facing his former team, “On a scale from zero to weird, it’s going to be weird.”
This series will be played over 7 consecutive days, should it go the distance. Both the Rays and Astros have gone to “playoff style” in their pitcher usage, but a 7-game, 7-day series will stretch those staffs even further. For the Astros, there’s concern about the health of Zack Greinke. The 36-year-old enigmatic ace has been dealing with arm soreness for the past month, though doctors did not find any structural damage. Still, it’s a concern for the Astros, as Greinke hasn’t been at his sharpest, surrendering 5 earned runs in 8 2/3 postseason innings thus far.
They’ve survived without him largely due to the breakout of 26-year-old Framber Valdez, who will start game one on Sunday night. Lance McCullers Jr. will go in game two. They’re planning to remove a position player in favor of having an extra arm for the ALCS, per The Athletic’s Jake Kaplan (via Twitter). Jose Urquidy and Cristian Javier are also options to start games, while Enoli Paredes stepped up in a multi-inning role for the Astros against the Athletics. As a staff, they’re breaking new ground with every new win. Even Ryan Pressly, one of their few veterans, is experiencing his first postseason as a closer.
Same as Houston, the Rays will add a 14th pitcher to the staff and drop a position player, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (via Twitter). That should help them cope with a drawn-out series, the but the Rays chart their own path in terms of managing their pitching staff, as evidenced by manager Kevin Cash bringing back Glasnow to serve as a glorified opener on 2-days rest for the clinching game of the ALDS. Blake Snell will get the game one start for the third round in a row, while Charlie Morton is expected – though not announced – as the game two starter.
Because they play in different divisions, these two teams haven’t faced off since last year’s ALDS. The series starts tomorrow night. MLBTR readers, who is going to win this series? (Link to poll for Trade Rumors mobile app users)
Not a Rays fan but go Rays!!
Right there with you. I’d bet most of America is with you too
Unpopular opinion: If the Astros win the World Series this year, it would prove that the cheating didn’t play as a big a role in their previous success and hopefully it would quell the hatred a bit.
It wouldn’t prove anything about past seasons. It would intensify the hatred. Until they are humbled, they won’t be forgiven.
Probably. But to me it was a one year deal. Hate them in 2020, but if people are still moaning about it in 2021 it will be pretty pathetic. It’s like still hating your ex. Dude just let it go.
Fans deserve their chance to hate in person. That will come in 2021, hopefully.
It like like hating your ex if she didn’t give you back your ring after cheating on you
No, it’s not. At least I don’t think so. That’s never happened to me. You?
Not an astros fan but go ‘stros!
As a fan of baseball I want the rays but as a fan of the Dodgers I want nothing more than to beat the living crap out of the Trashtros in the World Series so if I’m pulling for them?
Ig*
Wow!
@doug. Don’t know how others feel but I myself would give you a pass since you are a Dodgers fan. I get that.
I’m over here rooting for a braves rays series
No one outside of LA want LA there
Wait, I live in Socal and I am rooting for Rays and Braves WS.
I mean just as a human being I have a huge issue with people being able to basically get away with cheating and lying, but it’s only magnified considering we were the ones who got cheated. I mean heck they never really got punished for what happened. I never once heard a sincere apology from any of them. On top of that, the mlb is protecting them with their “0 tolerance” policy from players on other teams and in essence punishing them worse than actually cheating. I’m not one to post very heated stuff on here normally but this entire situation makes me furious as both an avid viewer of the sport who has literally dedicated his life to it and as a human being.
^I umpire baseball for a living
The AL/NL series are both the ultimate good guys (Rays and Braves) versus bad guys (Dodgers and Astros). The Astros organization for directly cheating (I know this team is not guilty, but…) and the Dodgers for having a disproportionate payroll advantage over every team in MLB (I know that’s MLB’s problem and not necessarily the Dodgers for taking advantage). I’m guessing at least one of the bad guys will make it to the WS, and that will keep fun.
Revenge factor? I can dig it.
Go ‘Stros! Dynasty!
Bang on that drum all day, Astros.
Which drum did you hear this year?
Not the sort of dynasty most teams want to be known for, but OK.
We’re all Rays fans for this series.
like hell we are!!!
100%
Anyone else suspicious the Astros just found a new way to cheat? If you cheat and get away with it, what’s stopping them from doing it again?
Got away with it?
They got away with it because Manfred has no spine.
Blame the union and the other teams doing it.
Pathetic excuse
Like most Astros fans…typical
Not one excuse. Stating the exact reason they didn’t get suspended.
Really? What exact reason was that?
@jjd002-Google “Psychological projection”
They were not punished because the players received immunity from Manfred. Manfred gave them immunity because he has no spine as Chief Two Hands said.
Quote from Evan Drellich, who broke the original story:
“Rob Manfred probably could not have successfully disciplined Astros players — even if he never gave them immunity. In a grievance, one source said, MLB would have been ‘smoked.’ Another said the outcome would have been ‘brutal.'”
The headline of the article on the Athletic about it is “Even without granting immunity, MLB would have had trouble punishing Astros players”
I never stated they didn’t do it, I did say they were one of many teams doing it. Suspend them and the floodgates open. It is no different than when the PED crap started. Nobody had a user on their team, until they all did. It isn’t logical to think the Astros and Red Sox were the only teams doing this.
Especially with all the stuff that has come out since this broke that no one ever wants to talk about.
Former players like McDowell saying the White Sox used a very similar system as the Astros all the way back in the late 80’s. Actually using the scoreboard to signal the batter at home, which pitch was coming.
Former managers saying they used technology to steal signs as well. Even used tech to steal signs from 3rd base coach.
The original article stating somewhere between 12 and 18 teams using technology to steal signs.
The accusations from pitchers across the league claiming before the Astros investigation, that most teams were stealing signs.
The sealed letter that the Yankees don’t want released because of how bad they will look.
At this point the only people that think the Astros were the only team cheating are either ignorant, and choosing to ignore all the evidence. Probably both actually.
The Astros got a WS win out of it, and Buzz Altuve got an MVP. Plus, they were convicted. Those things make a difference.
All teams try to steal signs. Most of them don’t use technology to do it.
They are using experimental telepathic mind chips. Obviously.
Mmmmmm … Mind chips
mmmmmm…steamed hams
Have you ever broken a traffic law? Nearly every time you do, you’re risking getting caught. If you get away with it why would you stop doing it? If you’ve ever gotten a speeding ticket, I bet you still speed. Same thing re running a stop sign &/or traffic lights. Please get over your self righteous selves. I’ve been caught & got away with all of the examples I mentioned. I still do them time to time. So,I’m not in denial that I have no room to judge someone else’s morals.
Astros cheated. Don’t try to defend it. It just makes you look bad.
I haven’t been pulled over in decades, but if I were I wouldn’t use the argument that I don’t deserve a ticket because everyone else was speeding too.
What the Astros did wasn’t like speeding, or running a red light. It was more like Grand Theft Auto.
Rays in 5
*cracks knuckles*
Time to give Houston problems…
Tampa Bay in six.
TBS has hired AJ Hinch and Alex Cora as commentators.
Please let that be a joke.
Would be almost as bad as ESPN hiring A-Roid.
A roid is actually pretty good at it. He is one of the greatest hitters of all time and screwed it up with roids
right, so he gets a pass because he was good enough to begin with?
Yes, Arod is actually pretty good. Unlike clowns like David Ortiz and Pedro Martinez that can’t even say a complete sentence. BTW, English is my second language but we have to admit that these clowns don’t belong on TV as commentators.
at least they probably wolnt be as smug. and either way, they know enough about baseball to do the job well. commentating isnt league employment so you really dont have any reason to criticize it (especially with the A-Rod factor)
Better count the silverware.
Rays in 6
I think the rays pitching will shut down that line up
didnt people say that about the A’s pen?
I will double check, but I think the Rays and Athletics might have different pitchers.
the pen was Oakland’s strong point during the regular season. look it up.
I think the Astros will come away with the series in 6. If it goes to a game 7, it’s the Rays to lose, though it’s the Rays to lose in the first place. I just need to see an Astros-Dodgers WS injected into my blood.
Without Verlander they probably don’t have the pitching to win a 7 game series so I’ll say Rays in 6.
Feel like most of the pole votes are wishful rather than anything else. Mine included.
Pole?
The Warsaw Dumplings will be the next expansion team.
The Poznan Pierogis?
For sure. Hard to believe that 80% of respondents actually believe a team that made it to the WS 2/3 years is going to lose this series
But it’s a completely different team now. The Astros of the past had a rotation with Verlander and Cole. Just can’t see their arms outlasting the Rays in a 7 game series
Maybe it has something to do with the fact that one team won 40 games and the other had a losing record. Oh and the team that won 40 games also had better stats both offensively and defensively and just beat a team with a lineup that is at least as good as if not better than the astros
Of course they are. Just because 80% of the voters want the Astros to lose doesn’t mean they all think they will. It’s simply hope.
80%?. More like 97%. 17% of those still think the Asterisks will win.
I am for a Rays vs Dodgers the World Series. Rays in 7 games while MVP co-honors Morton (Morton wins game 2, 5, And short rest 7) and Choi (hitting the game winning run in game 7 plus hitting .440 and ops 1.114 during the World Series)
No way Morton starts three games in six days.
Kurt Schilling, Roger Clemens, and others pitched in 3 games in a 7 game series in their career. Morton maybe not to their caliber, but he is one of the most underrated pitchers in the league
Yes he is. And a couple of years ago my Phillies idiot GM (Klentak) let
Morton ($8 option declined) walk in favor of giving Hellickson a $17.3 million qualifying offer.
No wonder the Phillies boss man demoted Klentak.
Those series had two off-days. This one doesn’t.
The longer the series goes the more it favors the Astros. The Rays rely on just 2 or 3 starters while Houston will likely have Greinke starting game 4 after going with Valdez, McCullers, and Urquidy. Since there are no rest days the Rays starters will all be forced to start on 2 or 3 days rest later in the week. Ergo, advantage Astros.
I’ll speak for those without a voice. The victims of the Astros without a vote in this: the trash cans. Astros have beaten their last trash can. I refuse to let them be discarded and speak up for the rubbish and vote for the bote de basura. May my vote give a voice to the voiceless. Go Rays!
Wow that was pretty funny… though comedians have a pretty high unemployment rate right now. ♂️
Not the Yankees…… I hope the Rays smash the Astros (metaphorically, of course)
The Cheapskates over the Cheaters in 6.
Just kidding, cheaters always win.
Ask any Pats fan.
I’m a diehard Yanks fan.
I hope the Rays win it all. I loathe the remaining three clubs.
What do you have against the braves and Dodgers?
Why Dave?
As a diehard dodgers fan any team other than Yankees or Asstros or giants. Yankees are the most toxic fan base I have ever seen, Classless.
Yankees fans demand excellence as they should.
AS a Yankee fan, I prefer Astros v. Dogers.
Astros in 8
Whichever team has the best trash cans?
Devil Rays in 6
MLB cannot be pleased with the possibility of a team with a below .500 record, a team who’s cheating was just exposed five minutes ago, winning The World Series, right ?
Well, Manfred has already hinted at maintaining this farce of a playoff scheme for the future so clearly he has no problem with sub-.500 teams making it to the big show.
Manfred’s only goal is money. He doesn’t give 2 squirts about the integrity of the game.
Total agreement from all baseball fans. Even the fans from the Astros. This is BS playoffs. That being said. Whoever wins the WS this year will be legitimate winners!
well if said sub .500 team can beat the best two teams in the AL (A’s and Rays) maybe its not them as it would be the Rays and A’s not being as good as their records show. and really now. like if you’re an A’s fan you should be more mad that your team lost to a sub .500 team then the fact that you had to face that sub .500 team. and in reality who gives a darn about them being under .500 at this point anyway? they did what they needed to do to get in and they beat the teams they needed to to advance. that’s the name of the game. if you really care that much about regular season record then we shouldn’t have a postseason at alland just end at game 162. smh.
Why does it matter? Astros made it into the playoffs and they are winning. Seems like they belong in the playoffs. (Though I am not rooting for their success)
I think that’s the reason they let so many teams in. I think we can all agree, in a full season, Houston makes the playoffs or at least finishes with 90+ wins. Just like we could all agree that the Marlins don’t make the playoffs. The additional playoff teams made sure teams like Houston and New York made the playoffs because they were obviously going to make it in 162 games. A 60 game season is a joke.
Definitely agree with you jjd002. In 2018, for example, the Dodgers started 30-30 in their first 60 games, and ended up 92-70 by the end of the year. It’s not too far fetched at all to say the Astros would have went 90-72, 91-71, or something similar in a 162 game season. I’ve been a life long fan, and trust me the cheating has been heartbreaking for me to accept, especially after what felt like a magical 2017 postseason for the Astros that followed the tragedy of Harvey down here. I could ruffle some feather however, but I do think this Astros lineup is filled with guys that can flat out hit.
I think Rays take it in 6 or 7. The Astros line-up is very tough to face when they’re rolling but their pitching depth without Verlander in the rotation and Osuna and Harris in the pen like past seasons isn’t going to be enough to outlast a team in a 7-game series as loaded with pitching as the Rays.
The thing about it is …….. either the Rays OR Astros can make this series last only 4 games… Each team can be VERY dominate for 4 games. I guarantee both teams are focused with a short series in mind and a contention plan for going 7.
I’ll say Rays, but it is 2020, which means bad things will happen, so preparing for the *stros.
Actually, Cole left the game tied at 1. So the Rays got no revenge on him, just his team.
I really want the Astros to win. But probably rays
If randy arozerena keeps playing like he is
I would say Rays but the way this years going…
honestly, im pulling for the astros after what theyve put themselves through
My first instinct is to go look at stats and make a prediction based off of them but that looks like a broken way of analyzing these two teams. Right now, the Astros look like a different team than the one who finished the regular season. I don’t think anyone expected the Astros to get passed the Twins, let alone the Athletics. This series seems more like a crap throw than any of them.
It is 2020 and nothing is normal any more except for the majority of fans disliking the Astros. Go Rays.
Cheaters + Dusty Baker = Rays in 4.
tell that to the T ins and “the best team in baseball” Oakland
count the Stros out and you’ll get burnt like the Nats last year. i dont know who wins this series but if you think its going to be anything less then 6 games you’re probably fooling yourselves or forgot that the Astros just beat two very good teams.
Astros went from 3 aces to 1 ace AND a bunch of all-star batters that can no longer hit (no more trash can). Rays better win this thing.
They’ve been hitting in the playoffs, which is what matters.
You haven’t been watching them have you?? Hahaha
I’d like to see a Braves-rays or braves-astros series.
In 2018, the Dodgers were accused of relaying signs while using video by two teams, the mets and brewers.
Fwiw, the dodgers still could’ve won the 2017 and 2018 world series. 2017 WS Game 2- jansen blew it. 2017 WS game 7 – home field advantage. Give me a break.
Game Five in Houston. The Astros with no swings-and-misses against Kershaw. Hmmm. Do you think that maybe a certain team knew what was coming? Btw, we know for a fact that the Astros cheated. No baseless accusations. Proof. Penalties. Apologies.
And the dodgers still could’ve won…. they won game 6 at home and then lost game 7 at home.
Rays in 4.. Snell & Glasnow were cheated with their hitters knowing what was comming last year. The astros lost in the Trop because they couldn’t set up their cameras. no mercy this year!
Darkside830 the major difference between the Astros and nationals last year was that the nationals had phenomenal pitching. The Astros have Greinke and a bunch of unproven rookies that won’t sit well with Tampa’s lineup. Tampa’s lineup has just beat Cole, Tanaka, and Devi Garcia now there going to grienke McCullers and framber Valdez Tao I say Tampa in 5
TBs lineup beat Cole in game 5 by scoring one run off him? no no no They beat Cole (and a scary Yankees lineup) because of their pitching pure and simple. Tanaka and Garcia might be on par with McCullers and Valdez., but that’s moot. TB wins because they play all facets of the game well and have the best SPs in the AL, and much better pitching (3 aces) than the Astros (one aging ace).. And good pitching beats good hitting in the playoffs, usually.. .
There are teams that I like, there are teams I don’t like, then there’s 50 feet of crap, and then there’s the Astros.
Astros should not have even been in playoffs with a 29-31 record. No side with a losing record should ever make the playoffs regardless of how many games there are, period.
Hopefully we’ll be back to a normal post-season next year with none of this expanded tomfoolery.
It’s an asterisk year in the standings and for all awards and stats. No team can claim a legit WS banner in 2020. But I appreciate that the players got paid and tried to entertain us. We needed it.
So if the Dodgers win the WS, it doesn’t count in your mind?
It counts as a great accomplishment, but not on par with a full season WS. History will tell what meaning it has. 102 regular season games weren’t played, and teams only played about 25% of the other teams in MLB. That’s a poor sample size full of bias , and certainly not comparable with a tradition of the sport.. Quite a few teams’ management didn’t take it seriously. Some players didn’t either. I’m interested in other takes on this.
I think whoever wins the WS is a legit champion. We’ve had several shortened seasons, and their champions don’t have asterisks. Plus, this post-season was a lot more grueling than any other before it. The expanded playoffs gave some benefit of the doubt to some teams that were on the edge, and required teams to put up or shut up.
Dodgers are gonna win it all. Why? Best pitching staff and a Top 5 MLB offense. If there’s a potential fly in the ointment with the Dodgers it’s there late-game relief options. Gotta hope a few days of rest will rejuvenate Jansen.
Dodger in 5 whether it’s the Strso or the Rays. The 32-year championship draught ends in 2020.
The Rays have great pitching too. The Braves might be hitting better than LA right now. But yes, no team has the combo that the Dodgers have, nor the payroll..
I think they should have had one off day after game four. A straight seven could put a lot of stress on some pitching arms. I hope no one comes out of this week with any lingering injuries.