His prediction wasn’t exactly what New York Jets legend Joe Namath told reporters three days before Super Bowl III. Tampa Bay Rays slugger Yandy Diaz said the same Sunday night. With his team on the verge of making it a best-of-seven ALCS, the Rays would take care of business in Game 6 on Monday night at Tropicana Field:
“It’s a great opportunity,” Diaz said through a translator in Spanish. “We all think so. But everything will end tomorrow. We will win tomorrow.”
Call it “NostraDiaz”. Patent pending.
While there was no reason to doubt his confidence and sincerity 57 years ago, Namat’s prophecy in the Miami Touchdown Club was closer to guesswork or hope. AFL teams were swept in each of the first two Super Bowls, and pundits had the Baltimore Colts as 17-19 point favorites.
Diaz, who made his prediction to reporters after the Rays beat the Guardians 3-1 in Game 5, is more like Namath predicted a 13-0 Jets win between the third and fourth quarters. Because this series decided everything. Cleveland’s next comeback is unlikely. It’s a little scary to use the phrase “it’s over” with Cleveland, because every time someone tries to bury the Rangers, they come up with a zombie arm and dig themselves out of their fresh graves, ready to give it another zombie try.
All the same: Tomorrow has finally arrived for the Guardians. They can’t put it off any longer. Get those shovels ready at Tropicana Field. It doesn’t matter if it is artificially coated. There is dirt in there somewhere. Yes, start digging.
Right-hander Freddy Peralta is set to start for the Rays. The Rangers won’t even say who will replace them in Game 6. They said who won’t start: Right-hander Gavin Williams is “not an option” on three days’ rest, Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt said. When you think everyone is at the table for an elimination game, and Williams has looked superficially superhuman at times this postseason, the Bills have come in for his services.
They call Williams “The Big Rig” because he’s a big man with a big shooting arsenal. But the price of diesel fuel has reached everyone’s heart. Williams’ low-90s fastball began to drop in mph toward the end of his previous start in Game 3. Not coincidentally, Williams’ start was the last time the Guardians won a game in the series because they ran out of pitchers.
Vogt will likely use the switch for Game 6, with right-hander Tanner Beebe in the wings for a bulk appearance. Not that Vogt seems keen on it. He and the Guards pitching coaches obviously know their guys better than anyone, but Bibee doesn’t seem like the worst guy in the world to send to the mound. He was their opening day starter, now it must seem like a million innings ago. Cleveland lost two starts against the Rays in the regular season, but Beebe threw OK, allowing four earned runs over 11 innings. Diaz, Junior Caminero and Jonathan Aranda have hit him pretty hard, and Bibee’s work isn’t as impressive as Williams’ or left-hander Parker Messick’s, but he’s also the type of pitcher most teams still need to rely on once in a while.
However, Beebe pitched just once in the postseason — striking out just three batters in relief on Oct. 8 against the White Sox. Perhaps the manager is hunting a three- or four-inning deal — and Bibee is highly unlikely to do so.
At least the Colts had Johnny Unitas to come off the bench for Earl Morrall. Even then, the best Unitas could do was make it 16-7.
Yes, it’s time to call. Yandy’s forecast will be gentle.