Marty’s musings: two awesome LCS game sevens get us ready for the Fall Classic

Welcome to ‘Marty’s Musings’, my weekly column of numbers summarizing the happenings in the baseball world. I am your guide for taking an analytic look at the news and notes throughout the game, and highlighting this week’s key pitching matchups.

The Rays and Dodgers advanced to the 2020 World Series which begins tomorrow night. Today we recap one of the most fun weeks of the season. It’s rare that both LCSs go seven games. Not only did both the Rays and Astros series and the Braves and Dodgers series go the limit, but the games were close, competitive, and fun.

News & Notes

6 - Of the seven ALCS games had the tying run come to the plate in the ninth inning. The Astros were hitting the ball hard and playing well in the first three games — all losses for Houston, but they turned it around to get the Rays to the brink.

7 - Home runs in 60 plate appearances for Rays outfielder Randy Arozarena. I wrote about him absolutely mashing in the playoffs last week. Arozarena earned ALCS MVP honors, and has been the key cog for the Rays offense this postseason.

1 - Day off the Rays had between their first LDS game and clinching the AL pennant. With both the ALDS series against the Yankees and the ALCS series against the Astros going the distance, it’s been a wild, exhausting, and fun month for Rays fans. If the World Series goes five games, Tampa Bay will set the record for most games played in any MLB postseason.

3 - Game seven wins for Rays starter Charlie Morton. We don’t talk about pitcher wins much here for obvious reasons, but this stat is mind-boggling because Morton is the only MLB pitcher to have three game seven victory notches on his belt.

4 - Runs given up by Dodgers ‘ace’ Walker Buhler in his four playoff starts and 19 innings. Buhler continues to be a more reliable playoff starter than Clayton Kershaw, who again had a tough-go of it in game four of the NLCS, following a skipped start in game three due to back issues.

2 - Solo shots that propelled the Dodgers to their game seven victory against the Braves. Kiké Hernández’ pinch hit solo shot tied the game in the sixth inning, with Cody Bellinger striking again with a solo shot of his own in the seventh.

Enjoy the World Series everyone. The schedule is a little different in that MLB is going back to the two-three-two format with off-days in between.