Moving up a level on RS

Its probably just me but does it feel like the game before you bump up a level in RS always feels like a grind and the game is fighting against you.

I don't really notice it unless it's a WS play in-game. But even then it could all be in my head because I know I'm playing for WS, so all the game flaws get magnified.
I probably don't notice the flaws as much when it's a random game in division series or something.

I think I'm probably just paying more attention to the flaws in the game or I could be just choking lol.

For me it’s not the level but every time I have someone on third with less than two outs I always pop up in the infield. Then two outs a rocket to center. Maybe I press? A lot of this stuff is in our head when it happens to us.

In a big way I think it's in your head. I struggle from time to time moving from into DS. I play better once I'm in DS and CS, but I still haven't made WS. Mostly because I just never play enough to get there.
Whenever I'm trying to make the next move up or am feeling like I need a big win, I press. I'm overthinking when I should or shouldn't steal, lay down a bunt, or do a hit and run. For me it's these moments of trying to figure out the small ball game from an offensive perspective where I flounder in these "move up" type games. Also, with hitting, if I'm in swing mode, I just set the controller down or take my right hand off of it so I can only move the PCI and not hit the swing button until I have 2 strikes for every batter that inning. This forces me to watch pitches and look for patterns.
From a pitching standpoint, it's just flat out random. Finest Gerrit Cole is the prime example for me. When the game is allowing my input to dictate his pitch location, the guy is DOMINANT! When the game just leaves pitches over the plate, but my input wasn't near that location, he gets shelled. To me, this is almost completely uncontrollable. The biggest thing I've tried to do is pay attention to which pitches seem to be doing it and throw them much less. At the same time, I try and slow my pitching down a bit and change the rhythm and speed of the way I pitch each inning and sometimes each batter. Only other thing I try is intentionally throwing an awful pitch nowhere near the plate if I'm up 0-1 in the count or have a 1-1 count. Usually if I'm throwing it completely out of the zone, even a pitch the game tries to bring in still isn't hittable.
Hopefully these are some helpful ideas or ways to look at some of this stuff.