Bluebird Banter World Series Prediction Contest

That was a terrific game last night:

• It was nice to see J.A. Happ pitch well, 2 shutout inning on his birthday.
• The 94.5 mph throw from Carlos Correa on the double play ball in the 8th. I don’t think you’d ever see a better turned double play.

• The catch and throw for a double play by Michael Brantley was a huge moment in the game. I don’t know what Justice was doing, he should have at least considered that there might be a catch.

• Yuli Gurriel’s first inning home run, after going 1 for 20 (but hitting the ball hard several times) was nice to see. And we got to see that Yuli has pretty cool hair too, but not quite Lourdes level.
• I thought the Astros were getting very lucky. They gave up 10 hits and 4 walks, and yet, until the 9th inning, the Yankees could only push across two run.
• For the second game in a row a pitcher walked off the field injured. Ryan Pressly comes in with the bases loaded, gets an out and hurts his knee. He says some scar tissue in his knee broke off, and he’ll be ready to go for the World Series.
• The home plate umpire had some bad moments, which helped keep the score down.
• Not only did Gio Urshela go 3 for 3, with a walk and a home run, but he also made 2 terrific plays on defense. Sometimes the baseball gods play little jokes on us, but they don’t tell us what the punch line is.
• Karma seemed to be doing her work in the ninth. When Roberto Osuna gave up that home run to DJ LeMahieu, I thought well that’s fair. Karma came through.
• Then Aroldis Chapman comes in for the bottom of the inning and Karma had some decisions to make. When Altuve took that pitch deep, I was thinking well played.
• Yep Karma had nothing to do with it, but sometimes it feels good to think there is something doling out justice on a grand scale.
• I forgot one I wanted to mention, John Smoltz spent the entire game/series telling us that home runs don’t win playoffs, despite presumably watching what was in front of him. This game, the Astros homer in the first. Yankees score one without a homer in the second, Urshela homers in the fourth. Astros score one without a homer in the sixth. Yankees tie the game in the ninth with a home run in the ninth. Astros win the game in the bottom of the inning with a home run. But Smoltz spent most of his time telling us how you can’t hit homers in the playoffs.

Six of you picked the Astros and Nationals to win in our LCS prediction thread. Thom Nelligan, fishedin, Belisarius, gabrielsyme, Alan F. and Kate Stanwick all picked the Astros and Nationals.

Kate missed the number of games by just 1, so she’s the winner. Great job Kate.

We have the Astros and Nationals in the World Series. Pick your winner, number of games and total runs scored to be used as a tie breaker.

It should be a fun series. I’m going to guess Astros in 6 but I haven’t been right in any of the rounds. Lets say 48 runs.