Red Sox-Astros Game 5 was also up 108% from FS1’s ALCS Astros-Yankees Game 5 last yeargetty images
TBS drew a 5.0 overnight rating for the Red Sox’ ALCS clincher against the Astros on Thursday night, marking best figure for any LCS Game 5 since FS1 drew a 5.3 for Cubs-Dodgers in ’16. The 5.0 is TBS’ best LCS Game 5 since the clinching Phillies-Dodgers game in ’09 drew a 5.9 overnight on a Wednesday night. Red Sox-Astros Game 5 is up 108% from FS1’s ALCS Astros-Yankees Game 5 last year, which was on a Wednesday night, and up 28% from TBS’ NLCS Dodgers-Cubs Game 5. Thursday night’s game had competition from Broncos-Cardinals on Fox and NFL Net, which was a blowout. Last year, CBS and NFL had a more competitive “TNF” matchup with Chiefs-Raiders in Week 7. Boston led all markets for the ALCS clincher with a 26.2 local rating, marking the best MLB figure for any net in the market since the ’13 Red Sox-Cardinals World Series. It also was the best MLB figure in Boston on TBS since ALCS Rays-Red Sox Game 7 in ’08 (Austin Karp, THE DAILY).
THE WAY IT WAS: SI.com's Jacob Feldman noted Fox' John Smoltz "often expresses cynicism about some of the sport’s newest tactics," and his "on-air doubts have raised questions about the role of a postseason broadcaster, who must appease a diehard segment of the fanbase ... as well as casual viewers who are turning in for the first time all year." Smoltz: "Some people misread that as I’m completely against the way the game is played today. I’m just explaining to the fan at home who sits there and goes, 'How is this happening? Why is this team not scoring.' ... I don’t have an agenda one way or the other. I’m not stuck in an era. I’m not stuck in 1995" (SI.com, 10/18).
LET THE PLAY DO THE TALKING: In Boston, Chad Finn notes TBS' Brian Anderson and Ron Darling are "low-key, unless a big play is happening, then Anderson amps it up, as he did" on Red Sox LF Andrew Benintendi’s diving catch in the ninth to win ALCS Game 4. Finn: "I don’t think it’s necessarily important or enjoyable for play-by-play broadcasters to be exciting. Exciting is often the inauthentic result of shtick" (BOSTON GLOBE, 10/19). Finn writes it is "not every day a radio play-by-play broadcaster’s call goes viral," but it is also "not every day that a radio play-by-play broadcaster falls out of his chair making the call -- and still finishes the job -- either." WEEI Red Sox play-by-play man Joe Castiglione fell out of his seat while calling Benintendi's catch, and said he "started to backpedal in my chair to stand up, and the wheels moved -- and I didn’t." He added, "I’m not used to being part of a story, but I knew it was out there on MLB Network and ESPN pretty fast. It was unusual to say the least, but I’m having fun with it" (BOSTON GLOBE, 10/19).
ACE IN THE HOLE? In Cleveland, Joe Noga notes Indians P Trevor Bauer for ALCS Game 4 "made his debut as a postgame analyst on MLB Network," and he "more than exceeded expectations in his on-air role." Bauer was "poised, insightful engaging and affable." He "seemed comfortable and confident in his own skin." The "insolent, churlish, petty frat boy personality" that some associate with Bauer "was nowhere to be found" (Cleveland PLAIN DEALER, 10/19).
