Do we replace the pitch-tipping narrative with the TTO doesn't work in the postseason narrative?

Sorry, Walt. By tomorrow night, the narrative will be about the connection between COVID and the McKinley assassination. Dusty Baker went to prom with one of each.

Wonderful game, this baseball.

Javier is pretty much invincible this postseason it seems. I wonder why they waited till game four to unleash him. Its not like its a secret that he might be their actual best SP.

Its not like its a secret that he might be their actual best SP.

And that is really saying something, especially with future HOFer Valdez on the staff.

Did they even consider having Javier pitch the whole game? Or is the whole idea of actually completing no-hitters utterly antiquated?

1) I presume Javier is being teed up to be a 2-3 inning reliever in Game 7, if necessary.

2) The rainout the other night moves a potential Game 7 directly against Sunday Night Football, a Ten/KC game that is sort of middle-of-the-road as matchups go. MLB was trying to avoid this, and it will be interesting to see what the head-to-head ratings are.

3) There was a time when (I think) the playoffs were seen as the showcase for the sport - this is when the widest audience watches our product. Is this still true? I mean, baseball is now a regional sport, but if there is a time when a casual sports fan would settle in for at least part of a baseball game, it would be the World Series, right?

If this is the case, what would they think about last night's no-hitter? If a casual fan would stick with a game, wouldn't it be a budding no-hitter? But I was watching a few innings of the game last night (the 4th-6th innings), and at no point did I ever think Javier was going to get a chance to throw a no-hitter. Depending on how casual the fan is watching the game, I'm thinking they see Javier taken out of the game with a no-hitter and just go WTF...and probably go to bed (on the east coast, anyway).

One true thing in baseball is that momentum and a nickel will get you whatever a nickel will get you.

Kind of sad to think this will likely be Verlander's last start in a World Series and, if so, his last chance to improve on his WS legacy.

In a regular-season game, sure, let Javier take his shot at the no-no.

But this is the World Series. The Astros had to nail down this win. Sentimentality takes a back seat.

If Javier gives up a couple of baserunners for Bryce, facing him a third time... well, I think Dusty made the right call.

The rainout the other night moves a potential Game 7 directly against Sunday Night Football

Well, all the gadgets MLB has introduced into the game over the last couple of decades or so have been mostly "because they've been losing the audience to football", so we'll find out how effective they've been.

Dusty sure has changed his ways from his old "ride 'em 'til they drop" days.

Re 9. Not very

One thing Javier had in common last night with Don Larsen's perfect game: Both Javier and Larsen threw 97 pitches.

The rainout put Game 5 directly against the Houston-Philly Thursday night game. What are the odds of that happening?

Houston has two Fox affiliates, so both games will be aired. I don't know what they're doing in Philly.

Momentum? Momentum is the next day's starting pitcher.

But this is the World Series. The Astros had to nail down this win.

You can't "nail down (a) win" with a 5-0 lead and a pitcher throwing aspirins? Well, okay, then.

Re 13: 506sports sez the NFL game will be on WPHL 17 Philadelphia and KTXH 20 Houston, both MyNetwork affiliates. (I didn't even know MyNetwork was still around.)

Laughed a bit at #12. Also figured that Javier going 9 would've meant ~145 pitches. When was the last time in MLB that a pitcher was allowed to throw 145? (Or throw 145 in the WS? Bill Bevans?)

Per Stathead;

Tim Lincecum on 7/13/13 threw 148 pitches in his no hitter. Edwin Jackson threw 149 on 6/25/2010. Those are the last two regular season games with more than 145 pitches.

Al Leiter on 10/26/00 threw 142 pitches, that's the last postseason game over 140. The last over 145 was David Cone in game 5 of the 1995 ALDS against Seattle (147). Schilling also threw 147 in game 5 of the 1993 WS, that's the last WS game over 145.

Undefeated Eagles on national TV vs Game 5 of the WS, head-to-head? The ratings will be fascinating to compare.

Will the ratings even be accurate? Most people will be flipping between the two, not stuck on one the whole time.

Kind of sad to think this will likely be Verlander's last start in a World Series and, if so, his last chance to improve on his WS legacy.

OTOH, I'm willing to wager it won't be Verlander's start in a league championship series.

Undefeated Eagles on national TV vs Game 5 of the WS, head-to-head? The ratings will be fascinating to compare.

MLB should have moved up its start time to 4pm to avoid undue humiliation. LOL.

Schilling also threw 147 in game 5 of the 1993 WS, that's the last WS game over 145.

I was at that game, last row of 700 level against the concrete outer rim of the stadium, in the middle of a metal bleacher, in between the two jumbotrons (so didn't see any replays). Tickets, IIRC, were $50 each (too lazy to root around and find the stub). I quite literally had the furthest possible seat from home plate at the Vet.

I know in Philly it may not be fashionable to say this, but to me (not a Phillies fan), it would have been amazing to go last night and see only the 2nd no-hitter in WS history. I don't think many Phillies fans see it that way now (and if they lose the WS probably never will), but I know a few people who went last night and I'm pretty jealous--I've never seen a no-hitter live, let alone one under last night's circumstances.

That was probably the most boring a World Series no-hitter could ever be.

It was clear Javier wasn't going to go past six innings, so any drama of a CG no-hitter was gone.

The Astros put up a five-spot in the fifth so it wasn't a close game.

Besides that fifth inning, over the other 8 innings the two teams combined for a double, four singles, and four walks, while striking out 23 times.

I was struggling to stay awake until the end, but I'm on the East Coast, so maybe it was just late.

Halladay threw 104.

MLB.com article on all of them, including the "close calls" none of which were particularly close. Turns out Anibal Sanchez is the only guy to no-hit through 6 twice -- he got yanked from his first one after 116 pitches with the no-hitter still intact. He lost the 2nd on pitch #103.

EDIT: And Dusty has a wee bit of experience taking out pitchers cruising with a 5-run lead, he knows what he's doing.

Back in June, Javier was removed after 7 with a no-hitter on 115 pitches -- his season high. He had one other start over 100 this year and one more in his career (out of not a lot of starts).

I watched the game, or at least I had it on while I was doing work. I stayed up to the end, which I might not have otherwise done with a 5-0 game, but for me it didn't have the normal excitement of a complete game no-hitter.

To piggyback on #24, Javier wasn't quite as dominant in the sixth, giving up three hard grounders that found gloves. The middle of the order was coming up. No hitter or not, given his usage patterns all year, to put him back out for the 7th would have been unnecessarily asking for trouble.

Undefeated Eagles on national TV vs Game 5 of the WS, head-to-head? The ratings will be fascinating to compare.

I'm assuming the WS will win. The game is far more significant and the Texans are a nothing team. And outside of Houston and Philly the NFL game is restricted to Amazon Prime members.

giving up three hard grounders that found gloves

Those were the first ground balls Javier allowed all game (the announcers were noting it was all fly outs/Ks right before that), so I was paying attention to the grounders, and none of them impressed me as being particularly hard hit. Not dribblers, but not hard shots, either---just run-of-the-mill grounders right at a fielder.