MLB
Must-See Highlights, Facts, & Takeaways From ALDS Game 5
The best MLB highlights, facts, & takeaways from ALDS Game 5 including Brosseau's game-winning HR, Gerrit Cole's dominance, and more!
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With the Astros, Braves, and Dodgers all taking care of business on Thursday, that left Rays and Yankees to battle it out on Friday in the best postseason series of 2020 (so far). Two AL East heavyweights with it all on the line to advance to the ALCS. Considering a depleted Astros team awaits, both teams entered this Game 5 fully believing a World Series berth would likely be in the future if they can just win this one game. Aaron Judge and Austin Meadows traded tanks in the middle of the game until a 1-1 tie forced a legendary moment from Mike Brosseau who got the ultimate revenge on Aroldis Chapman with a game-winning goner in the bottom of the 8th inning, helping lift Tampa Bay to a tremendous victory.
Enjoy the best highlights, facts, & takeaways from New York Yankees vs. Tampa Bay Rays ALDS Game 5:
Aroldis Chapman:
On the 10th pitch of the at-bat ... @mikebrosseau10 delivers! 😱 pic.twitter.com/STyQuOuKj0
— MLB (@MLB) October 10, 2020
Gerrit Cole's stuff was electric. #ALDS pic.twitter.com/jcYPpjQCBm
— MLB (@MLB) October 10, 2020
Game of inches. 😳 pic.twitter.com/3nK3ZVT6WG
— MLB (@MLB) October 10, 2020
#AllRise pic.twitter.com/6TugUvmriM
— MLB (@MLB) October 10, 2020
All. Tied. Up.#ALDS pic.twitter.com/CnBnFrmtc4
— MLB (@MLB) October 10, 2020
For the first time since 2008, @RaysBaseball is #ALCS bound. #CLINCHED pic.twitter.com/O6vpSVinGr
— MLB (@MLB) October 10, 2020
Top Takeaways from ALDS Game 5:
— Pro Sports Outlook (@PSO_Sports) October 10, 2020
1. #Rays have the best overall pitching staff in the game
2. Gerrit Cole is exactly what the #Yankees needs
3. Chapman continues to struggle in the clutch pic.twitter.com/wJS5rChSHK
1. Tampa Bay clearly has the best pitching staff in baseball
While the Los Angeles Dodgers deserve to be called the best overall team in the league, Tampa Bay proved once again on Friday that their pitching staff is second to none. It’s not just the fact they have a big 3 of Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, and Charlie Morton in the rotation that can match up with any top trio in the league, but they also have a trifecta of relievers that are lights out. Nick Anderson, Pete Fairbanks, and Diego Castillo all came in for multiple innings and got big outs in Game 5, showing their extreme effectiveness in the biggest game of the season so far.
2. Gerrit Cole is proving worthy of the $324 million dollar price tag
It seems almost impossible to live up to the largest contract ever given to a pitcher, but Gerrit Cole was worth every penny in year one. While regular season success is one thing, the Yankees paid all that money for big-time pitching performances in October. And Cole delivered with a historic performance in a winner-take-all game that put NYY in position to win if it wasn’t for Tampa’s equally daunting showing from the mound. More than anything, New York needed a guy they can rely on to come through in the biggest games and Cole has exceeded expectations in that regard this season, as he’s consistently done over his postseason career.
3. Aroldis Chapman continues to struggle in the clutch
Known for one of the most electric arms of all-time, Aroldis Chapman can rightfully be considered one of the best relief pitchers of his generation. While that success has earned him a lot of money and accolades, it hasn’t helped him deliver when it matters most. Unlike Cole, who carries over his regular season success into the postseason, Aroldis Chapman has now been on the other end of some of the biggest HRs over the past five years. From Rajai Davis in Game 7 of the World Series in 2016 to Jose Altuve’s series-ending walk-off HR in Game 6 last year to now Mike Brosseau’s iconic bomb in ALDS Game 5. Chapman’s struggles might be due to overuse on Boone’s fault, but when put in the game, he has to deliver, and he simply hasn’t.
After another disappointing October, the New York Yankees enter yet another offseason with major pitching question marks going forward. While Gerrit Cole is clearly a keeper, every single slot behind him is far from certain. Severino has shown the potential to be a 1A-1B alongside Cole, but who knows how effective he’ll be after Tommy John surgery. Mashiro Tanaka, James Paxton, and J.A. Happ are all free agents while Domingo German missed the entire 2020 season (suspension). The rest of the internal candidates are mainly rookies so Brian Cashman will likely be looking at bringing in the top-tier guys like Trevor Bauer, Mike Minor, and Taijuan Walker from free agency to solidify the rotation and compete for championships in the near future.
Tampa Bay already has a Championship-caliber pitching staff that never looked better than they did in this ALDS Game 5. Since Blake Snell never actually got in the game, he’ll likely be the Game 1 starter against Houston with some confidence from success against them in last year’s ALDS. Glasnow only threw 37 pitches on Friday, so he can probably go again in three days as opposed to a normal 5-day rest. With Snell starting Sunday, Tampa could choose to go with Glasnow for Game 2 on Monday, and have Morton lined up to start Game 3. With no breaks or days off in this upcoming seven-game ALCS against the Astros, the bullpen becomes even more pivotal and Tampa’s advantage over Houston’s depreciated staff represents the biggest matchup discrepancy among any LCS matchups.
Full game highlights of ALDS Game 5 can be viewed below.
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