Game Notes, 10/14/2024 – LCS Day 2

In the very first game of the very first World Series, Pittsburgh’s starter, Deacon Phillippe, did something that, to this day, has been replicated only 20 times:  he issued no walks while fanning double-digit batters (he had 10 K’s).   No one matched Phillippe’s feat for 46 years, until Brooklyn’s Don Newcombe struck out 11 with no walks against the Yankees in Game 1 of the 1949 World Series.  24 years later, Tom Seaver – in another Game 1, this time an NLCS contest matching Seaver’s Mets against the Reds – fanned 13 without issuing a free pass.  Gerrit Cole then equaled Seaver’s high mark in Game 1 of the 2020 Wild Card.   

Game 1’s are featured a lot, you may have noticed.  Among the 21 instances of a postseason pitcher having at least 10 strikeouts and absolutely no walks, 13 of them have come in a Game 1.  Extend the parameters to feature nine-plus K’s and no walks and Game 1’s get a little less pervasive, representing only 17 of the 42 examples.  

This meandering has been brought to you by Carlos Rodón.

Juan Soto and Giancarlo Stanton homered in support of Carlos Rodón (6.0 IP, 1 R) and the Yankees opened their best-of-seven ALCS with a 5-2 win over the Guardians.

~Soto clocked his eighth career postseason home run.  The 25-year-old is one of 11 players to have at least that many before turning 26.

11  Carlos Correa

10  Albert Pujols, Alex Bregman, Randy Arozarena

9    Mickey Mantle, Manny Ramirez

8    Evan Longoria, Cody Bellinger, Rafael Devers, Kyle Tucker, Juan Soto

~Stanton owns a career .661 postseason slugging percentage.  All-time, that mark stands tied for fourth highest (min. 125 PA).  The twin towers of Babe Ruth (.744) and Lou Gehrig (.731) lead off, followed by Randy Arozarena (.690) and then Stanton and Lenny Dykstra at .661.

~Stanton and his Yankees teammate Aaron Judge are tied for the 22nd most career postseason home runs, with 13.  Among players who’ve never hit a World Series home run, the pair are tied for the second most career postseason longballs.  All of Carlos Beltrán’s 16 postseason homers came in LDS or LCS games.  Jim Edmonds can say the same about his 13 longballs.  Unlike Beltrán and Edmonds, Stanton and Judge have yet to participate in a World Series.

~ In addition to his one run allowed in six innings, Rodón also punched out nine batters while not issuing any walks.  In their 428 postseason opportunities, Yankees’ starters have no issued no walks on 65 occasions.  Those with at least nine strikeouts to juxtapose the effort:  

Gerrit Cole          2020 ALWC, G1 13 K’s vs. Cleveland Indians

Hiroki Kuroda      2012 ALCS, G2 11 K’s vs. Detroit Tigers

Roger Clemens   2000 WS, G2 9 K’s vs. New York Mets

CC Sabathia        2017 ALDS, G5 9 K’s vs. Cleveland Indians

Carlos Rodón      2024 ALCS, G1 9 K’s vs. Cleveland Guardians

The Yankees and Guardians are facing off in their seventh postseason series.  In Game 1’s, the Yankees now hold a 5-2 advantage. 

New York drew seven walks in the win – amazingly, only the third highest tally the club has produced in this year’s postseason.  Through their first five games in this year’s playoffs, the Yankees have 34 free passes – the most ever for any team in its first five postseason contests.  The 1974 Dodgers worked 33 walks through their first five games.

Steven Kwan went 1-for-4 in the loss.  Since going hitless in his first two career postseason games (in 2022),  Kwan has hit safely in every contest.  The 11-game hitting streak is the longest in Cleveland’s franchise history.  Kenny Lofton hit safely in 10 straight postseason games (his streak came within a single postseason, 1995).  

Brayan Rocchio singled and connected on a solo home run for the Guardians.  The shortstop has hit safely in all six postseason games this year, which are also the first six of the 23-year-old’s career.

~Rocchio is the third player in franchise history to have a hit in each of his first six career postseason games.  Jhonny Peralta and Lonnie Chisenhall also did this.  

~Rocchio ‘s eight hits through his first six career postseason games ties him for the sixth most within the franchise.  Peralta had the most, 11.

~Rocchio’s three extra-base hits (two doubles and a homer) ties him for the sixth most for any Cleveland player through his first six career postseason games.  With five, Peralta and Josh Naylor are tied for the most.  The top-10 list is filled with shortstops:  Peralta and his five; Lou Boudreau had four; Francisco Lindor and Rocchio each had three. 

Francisco Lindor and Mark Vientos homered in a Mets 7-3 victory over the Dodgers that evened their best-of-seven NLCS at one win apiece.  

~Lindor opened the affair with a home run, the first time he’s done that in a postseason game.  There have been 69 homers to open a team’s first inning in playoff history, with the Mets contributing six.

1969 WS, G3        Tommie Agee

1973 WS, G3        Wayne Garrett

1986 WS, G3        Lenny Dykstra

2006 NLCS, G6    José Reyes

2015 WS, G5        Curtis Granderson

2024 NLCS, G2    Francisco Lindor

~Lindor’s leadoff home run highlighted a box score which ultimately showed him having two runs scored and an intentional walk.  Lindor has reached base safely in all nine Mets’ contests this postseason.  He’s one of 137 players in history to reach safely in each of his team’s first nine contests, and one of eight Mets to be able to make this claim.  John Milner did this in 1973 and was followed in 2000 by Mike Piazza, Edgardo Alfonzo and Benny Agbayani.  Carlos Beltrán joined the group in 2006.  Daniel Murphy and Curtis Granderson both did it in 2015.

~Lindor’s homer abruptly ended the Dodgers’ scoreless innings streak, which closed at 33.0 and remains tied with the 1966 Orioles for the longest in any postseason.

~There have been three leadoff home runs in this postseason, and the Mets have been in the ballpark for all three.  Milwaukee’s Jackson Chourio connected against New York’s Sean Manaea in Game 2 of the NLWC and then Kodai Senga surrendered one to Philadelphia’s Kyle Schwarber in Game 1 of the NLDS.  

~Going back to the start of the 2019 postseason, 11 of the 13 leadoff home runs have come in wins.

~Vientos’ grand slam represents the 83rd in postseason history.  Vientos is one of three Mets on the list, joining Edgardo Alfonzo (Game 1 of the 1999 NLDS) and Francisco Lindor (Game 4 of the 2024 NLDS).

~The Mets are one of seven teams in the past 20 postseasons to have multiple slams in a year.

2011 Diamondbacks    Paul Goldschmidt & Ryan Roberts

2013 Red Sox              David Ortiz & Shane Victorino

2016 Cubs                   Miguel Montero & Addison Russell

2020 Yankees              Gio Urshela & Giancarlo Stanton

2021 Red Sox              J.D. Martinez, Rafael Devers, Kyle Schwarber

2023 Rangers              Mitch Garver & Adolis García

2024 Mets                    Francisco Lindor & Mark Vientos

~Vientos, who added a single in the win, owns a 1.086 OPS through the Mets’ first nine games of this postseason.  

*Among all Mets, Vientos’ 1.086 OPS is the fifth best for any player through nine contests in a single postseason (min. 25 PA).  

Daniel Murphy (2015):     1.462

Carlos Delgado (2006):    1.188

Rusty Staub (1973):         1.178

Mike Piazza (2000):         1.120

Mark Vientos (2024):       1.086

*Among all players in postseason history, Vientos’ 1.086 OPS through his first nine career postseason games stands as the 79th highest.  The five highest marks:

1.829 –   Carlos Beltrán for the Astros in 2004

1.610 –   Colby Rasmus for the Cardinals in 2009, Astros in 2015

1.462 –   Daniel Murphy for the Mets in 2015

1.460 –   Bernie Williams for the Yankees in 1995-96

1.446 –   Jorge Soler for the Cubs in 2015-16

~There have been four grand slams hit this postseason – the most in any year since 2021 when there were five.

Max Muncy hit his 12th career postseason home run.  The tally places him third all-time on the Dodgers’ list, behind Justin Turner and Corey Seager (13 apiece).

Thanks to Baseball Reference and its extraordinary research database, Stathead, for help in assembling this piece.