The Rangers are 1 win away from the World Series.
They play Game 5 against the Diamondbacks tonight at 7pm Central in Arizona.
I’m talking full loaf.
He’s got a simple, upright delivery that’s athletic and repeatable.
For golf swing enthusiasts, think of Gallen like Max Homa in how simple he is on the principles.
Literally, textbook fundamentals.
And they’ve been drilled to the point of maximizing simplicity without sacrificing stuff.
Zac Gallen most certainly is gifted.
But the intersection of his gifts and their practical software creates a small yet devastating problem.
Like the vent shaft on the original Death Star.
The flaws are limited but demonstratively explosive.
He runs into one recurring problem in his delivery and things go off the rails.
Bad pitches don’t just miss the spot - they’re big and flat.
The sinker sinks lessANDit’s slower.
Changeup usage plummets and the mound feels like it’s behind 2nd base.
All good pitchers face these issues at the end of their careers.
Gallen is confronting it in real time and I think it’s all routine wear and tear.
He’ll surpass 240 innings tonight and he’ll do it with one of the smaller frames in MLB.
That comes with natural, obvious consequences, which have been progressively demonstrated over the last 90 days.
-So Game 5.You’ve got a really tough task for Gallen.
You’re asking him to make the right adjustments to consistently execute elite staff.
And you’re doing this without seeing any sign of his dominance this postseason.
That’s a tall order for Game 5, but even so, his success would not surprise.
He can do it.
There’s not enough intrigue behind Eovaldi to justify a lengthy assessment.
Simply, the Rangers have a major advantage if Eovaldi gets into the 6th inning.
They’re okay if he’s out in the 5th.
We got some problems any time before then - none of which I anticipate.
-We’ve been wrong about almost everything.
You’ve been wrong too.
5-game World Series suck.
-Starting Pitching matchups suck.
I mean that generally.
How did we just - The United States of America - get a bullpen game in a World Series?
How do we not have more starting pitchers?
How is Brandon Pfaadt the 3rd and last guy?
Clemens vs. Pedro
Maddux vs.
Prior
Pettitte vs. Schilling
Moneyball changed everything and Starting Pitchers benefited the least.
Comparatively, my estimates are a pathetic insult to the men who built this game.
But first we have a World Series to watch.
Another night of John Smoltz teaching you baseball strategy.
To that one person - We’re at the inception of a new Major League Baseball.
More action and overall better product for everybody.
This is the very beginning and it should only improve.
Believe it or not, we actually talk about that too on today’s show.
you’re able to check it out here.
