Dein erstes Forum » shot.KEEP ME IN, COACHWhiteside, plagued by

Go inside the numbers and matchups that will decide Saturdays Game 2, and then vote for which team will win at the bottom of the page.What we learned in Game 1Terry Francona couldnt have ordered up a more perfect script as Corey Kluber, Andrew Miller and Cody Allen combined to strike out 12 Blue Jays. Miller did throw 31 pitches in 1.2 innings, so he may have more limited availability in Game 2, but Allen threw only 11 in an efficient ninth inning.?-- David SchoenfieldInside the pitching matchupWhen J.A. Happ is on the mound: Happ signed a three-year, $36 million contract that turned into the bargain of the offseason as he went 20-4 with a 3.18 ERA, showing the mechanical changes he made late last season with the Pirates (he raised his arm slot a bit and started taking a more direct stride to home plate) did, indeed, make him a better pitcher.Happ was more of a soft-tosser when he first came up but now throws 92-93. He has developed better command of his fastball, working the outer half of the plate but moving the ball up and down, while mixing in four-seamers and two-seamers. His swing-and-miss rate with the pitch has improved from 15.9 percent in 2014 to 20.5 this year. He throws the fastball a lot: Among qualified starters, only Bartolo Colon and Aaron Sanchez threw a higher percentage of fastballs.His secondary pitches are a slider, curveball and changeup. Happ had one of his best starts of the season back in July against the Indians, allowing one run in seven innings while matching his season high with 11 strikeouts. Happ was especially tough from the stretch, allowing a .201 average with runners in scoring position. Like a lot of pitchers, the OPS against him increases the third time through the order:First: .618Second: .615Third: .750When Josh Tomlin is on the mound: Tomlins season is divided into three parts. He had a 3.43 ERA through July, then fell apart in August when he allowed 46 hits and 35 runs in 26.2 innings. He found himself again September, posting a 1.69 ERA and allowing just one home run. He then had a good start against the Red Sox in the division series, allowing two runs in five-plus innings and no home runs. As a finesse right-hander, keeping the ball in the park often determines his bottom line. He allowed 36 home runs, so this recent stretch is either a good sign or a lot of good luck.Hes not going to beat himself -- with 20 walks in 174 innings, he had the lowest walk rate among qualified starters -- but he needs all his pitches to work. The key pitch may be his cutter: It was a bad pitch for him most of the season and then really bad in August, when batters hit .407 and slugged .847 off it. In September, batters hit .188 without an extra-base hit in 34 plate appearances.Tomlin had a notable reverse platoon as lefties hit .229/.247/.438 off him while righties hit .299/.323/.522. Torontos lineup, of course, skews right-handed. The weird thing about that split is righties hit just .191 off his fastball. Every other pitch (slider, curveball, changeup) seems to work better against lefties. In other words, it will be interesting to see how Tomlin attacks the meat of the Toronto lineup.Player in the spotlightFrancisco Lindor. This series could be end up being his showcase event for a national audience that hasnt seen him play much and he got off to a good start with a two-run homer in Game 1. Hell likely win the Gold Glove Award but hes also the teams No. 3 hitter, a switch-hitter who hit .301/.358/.435. Lindor is one of many Indians with a large home/road split, hitting .344 at home and .258 on the road, with 23 of his 30 doubles at home.?-- SchoenfieldWhat will decide Saturdays gameThe Indians have a .946 OPS in the first three innings of games this postseason, jumping out to early leads, as they have not trailed at any point after the third inning so far in the playoffs. The best OPS in the first three innings of any playoff team since 2010 (minimum 2 games) was .940 by the 2011 Arizona Diamondbacks. --Daniel McCarthy, ESPN Stats & InfoDid You Know?The Blue Jays have had six pitchers reach the 20-win plateau, but only J.A. Happ and Jack Morris reached the postseason. When Jack Morris won 20 games in 1992, the Blue Jays won the World Series. --Daniel McCarthy, ESPN Stats & InfoChoosing sides: Who will win?? The Indians have every reason to feel they have something special going on, but Fridays series opener might have ended differently if Toronto had been able to summon even one clutch early hit against Corey Kluber. The Jays went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position against Kluber and wasted several opportunities in the early innings. Josh Tomlin isnt Kluber, and the Blue Jays have what it takes to send the series back to Toronto tied 1-1 if they can focus on hitting and spend less time carping about the umpiring. The guess here is that Toronto wins a more offensive contest and ties it up heading back to Rogers Centre.-- Jerry Crasnick?The Blue Jays are going to take Game 2. Indians starter Josh Tomlin is far more attractive opponent than Corey Kluber. The Jays hitters actually got to Kluber in Game 1, but they just couldnt deliver the crucial big hit to put a run on the board. That will change against Tomlin.-- Andrew MarchandWhere the series standsTomlin replaces Trevor Bauer, who cut his finger fixing a drone and was pushed back to Game 3. (This never happened to Sandy Koufax or Bob Gibson.) Its not necessarily a bad thing for Cleveland, as Tomlin has been pitching better. The Jays will have to adjust to Tomlins finesse after seeing all that power pitching in Game 1.?--?Schoenfield Travis Konecny Jersey . Brett Kulak and Jackson Houck of the Vancouver Giants were each charged with assault causing bodily harm on Aug. 18, according to the B.C. court services. Brian Propp Flyers Jersey .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. http://www.flyersteamstoreonline.com/authentic-ivan-provorov-flyers-jersey/ . -- Arizona raced out to a big lead and did not back off, hitting the accelerator instead. Claude Giroux Jersey . Vettel, who has already clinched his fourth straight F1 title, enters the finale with a chance to equal Michael Schumachers 13 victories in a year and match the record of nine consecutive wins by Alberto Ascari in the 1952 and 1953 seasons. Travis Sanheim Jersey . Soukalova missed only one target and completed the 15-kilometre course in 40 minutes, 32.6 seconds for both victories in this seasons individual discipline. Darya Domracheva of Belarus was second, 34. PHILADELPHIA -- If Joel Embiid and Hassan Whiteside have their way, centers are going to be big in the NBA again.Embiid had 22 points, including four late free throws, to lead the Philadelphia 76ers over Whiteside and the Miami Heat 101-94 on Monday night in a matchup between two of the top big men in the Eastern Conference.Neither disappointed.Whiteside set a career high with 32 points while reaching double digits in rebounds for the 13th consecutive game to start the season. Whiteside, who entered leading the NBA with 16.2 boards per game, finished with 13.Around the league theres a lot of young big men, and I think were starting to come back, said Embiid, who played 23 minutes. So one thing I told him is keep killing it. As big men, we all want each other to do good. Ive always studied him in the past. Its always been a big man league, so I want it to stay like that.Gerald Henderson added 19 points and Jahlil Okafor had 15 for the 76ers, who won their fourth straight home game. Philadelphia (4-10) has lost 21 in a row on the road.I feel were moving in the right direction, coach Brett Brown said.Embiid has made an early case for Rookie of the Year despite missing two seasons with a foot injury. He set a career high with 26 points in Philadelphias 120-105 win over Phoenix on Saturday night and followed that up with yet another strong game.He was serenaded with chants of MVP! MVP! late in the game from the home crowd, which hasnt had much to cheer about in the last few seasons during Philadelphias rebuilding process. But Embiid has given Sixers fans reason to hope.Philly loves that guy, Whiteside said. Ive never seen excitement like that. They love that dude. I was amazed.Embiid came up big again Monday, especially down the stretch.The teams were close throughout the second half. Hendersons corner 3-pointer gave Philadelphia an 85-80 cushion with 8:16 remaining. Whiteside re-entered shortly after that shot and helped Miami tie it at 89 with 4:43 left on a tip-in.Philadelphia responded with nine of the next 11 points, capped by Embiidss two free throws with 2:27 left that gave the 76ers their biggest lead to that point, 98-91.ddddddddddddTheres a spirit he has at the end of games and on the bench that reflects toughness and a growing desire, Brown said of Embiid.PITCHING INRobert Covington also came up big during the late Sixers run, scoring on a reverse layup and a 3-pointer.Covington was booed upon entering the game in the fourth quarter due to his recent shooting struggles. He entered having missed 27 of his last 31 shots and finished 4 for 13 against Miami.It goes in one ear, out the other, Covington said. Ive been here two years. I see the ups and downs of how Philly fans are, and it doesnt affect me. Just keep playing.The 3-pointer eased Covingtons mind.It was a big relief, he said. My teammates just kept telling me to keep shooting. I was like, Im going to have one good shot.KEEP ME IN, COACHWhiteside, plagued by foul trouble, played 32 minutes. He ended the night with five fouls, but would have liked to have seen more time on the court.One day he is going to trust me with the five fouls, Whiteside said of coach Erik Spoelstra.BIG SHOTEmbiid is the rare big man who has a feathery touch from outside. He shot 7 of 13 from the field and hit one of his two 3-point attempts. For the season, Embiid is shooting 49.2 percent from the floor and has drained 11 of 21 3-pointers.TIP-INSHeat: Shaquille ONeals No. 32 jersey will be retired by Miami on Dec. 22 during a ceremony at halftime against the Los Angeles Lakers. ... F Willie Reed (knee) didnt play after leaving Saturdays game at Washington.76ers: Offseason acquisition Jerryd Bayless made his season debut for Philadelphia and scored four points in 16 minutes. Bayless missed the first 13 games with a left wrist injury. . Embiids minutes are restricted in the wake of his foot injury.UP NEXTHeat: At the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night.76ers: Host the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night. ' ' '