All articles tagged with #postseason baseball
The Dodgers advanced to the NL Championship Series after a 2-1 win over the Phillies, highlighted by Orion Kerkering's wild throw in the 11th inning that allowed the winning run to score, ending the series in a dramatic fashion.
Ticket prices for Game 3 of the NL Championship Series between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Philadelphia Phillies have significantly dropped, with "entry" tickets available for as low as $17 on StubHub and $15 on TickPick. In comparison, tickets for Game 2 at Citizens Bank Park were selling for over $450. The cheapest gameday tickets for Game 3 at Chase Field were sold for $55.
The Arizona Diamondbacks surprised everyone by defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers in the MLB playoffs, sweeping the series and advancing to the NLCS. Despite the Dodgers' superior regular season record and star players, the Diamondbacks exploited their weaknesses and neutralized their strengths. The Diamondbacks' aggressive and opportunistic play, along with strong pitching performances, led to their victory. The loss raises questions about the MLB postseason format, but ultimately, the Dodgers' struggles in the playoffs highlight the unpredictable nature of postseason baseball.
In the MLB playoffs, blame tends to be directed towards "analytics" when things go wrong, but it's important to understand that analytics is just a term for data and information that influence how sports teams operate. While some blame the rise of analytics for taking away the human touch and feel of the game, the reality is that teams still rely on the judgment and decision-making of managers and players. The playoffs introduce situations that can't be reduced to science, and evaluating errors as human ones gives credence to both intention and information. Rather than blaming analytics, it's more productive to analyze and criticize the game without disavowing the whole enterprise.