Good morning, all! I hope your weekend is going well!
Now that the Boston Red Sox have qualified for the playoffs, it is anybody’s game, and the Red Sox are my dark horse to make a serious World Series run. Why? Pitcher Garrett Crochet. The way baseball is now designed, all you have to do is make the postseason, then it becomes a crapshoot.
Home field advantage does not mean as much in baseball as other sports. What does mean plenty is having a dominant pitcher, and that is Crochet. So in the case of the Red Sox, whether they face the Yankees or Blue Jays on the road in the wild card round, you have to give them the edge in Game 1 with Crochet on the mound. With an 18-5 record and 2.59 ERA, I do not see how Crochet and the Red Sox do not have the advantage even against the Yankees Max Fried, who owns a 19-5 mark and 2.86 ERA. Win that first game in a best-of-3 and you are in charge.
When the Red Sox traded for Crochet, they made the smart move, acquiring a pitcher who is money-in-the-bank, when it comes to a short series. Yes, Crochet could have an off day against either the Yankees or Blue Jays, but it’s unlikely. He has been that good. So if you ask me, the Red Sox, with Crochet, are a sure bet to make it to the ALDS and have as good a chance as any to make it to the World Series. Having a dominant pitcher the likes of Crochet makes them so.
Here are some other thoughts, as we enter the final day of MLB’s regular season:
I would say Team USA is in big trouble, entering the final day of the Ryder Cup.
It might not have been the biggest game on the college football docket, but that was one nice win by the University of Richmond’s football team Saturday. Down 12-0 to Howard, the Spiders, on the strength of two key interceptions, rallied in the fourth quarter to win, 13-12. Not every college game has to be on national TV to be deemed exciting.
I’m thinking defending national champ Ohio St. sent a message with its dominant, 24-6 win at Washington. What say you?
And speaking of sending a message, that was some last-second win by Illinois over USC, 34-32.
Despite Notre Dame’s dominant win over Arkansas, I do not see them entering the CFP conversation with that 0-2 start. There are too many teams in front of them, under the playoff format. Maybe it happens, because they are Notre Dame, but I just don’t see it.
By the way, Texas A&M is for real. After that 16-10 win over Auburn, they are now 4-0.
Have I told you how much I love college football?
If the Colts beat the Rams today to go 4-0 with Daniel Jones as QB, there are going to be a lot unhappy New York Giants fans. Just sayin.’
Speaking of which, could this be Brian Daboll’s last game as Giants head coach? In a video commentary in this newsletter, I have given him three games, but others are saying, if the Giants are clobbered today by the Chargers, in Jaxson Dart’s debut as starting QB, this is it for him. I still say he gets three games to turn it around.
That is going to do it for today’s newsletter. Enjoy your Sunday and thank you for subscribing!
DAN