NLDS Game 4: Nationals @ Cubs

In Game Threads by dmick89329 Comments

Time: 4:30 PM CT
TV: TBS
Series Preview
Gameday

LINEUPS


(97-65, 1-2)

Trea Turner, SS
Jayson Werth, LF
Bryce Harper, RF
Ryan Zimmerman, 1B
Daniel Murphy, 2B
Anthony Rendon, 3B
Matt Wieters, C
Michael Taylor, CF
Tanner Roark, P

Cubs logo
(92-70, 2-1)

Jon Jay, CF
Kris Bryant, 3B
Anthony Rizzo, 1B
Willson Contreras, C
Ben Zobrist, RF
Kyle Schwarber, LF
Addison Russell, SS
Javier Baez, 2B
Jake Arrieta, P

Will the Cubs win? No, but it could go either way.

538 Forecast: 61% chance of winning

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Comments

  1. Author
    dmick89

    I’m surprised they didn’t schedule this game for noon. I have no idea what the weather was in Chicago at that time, but it looked relatively clear until about 4 pm from what I could tell on the app I use.

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  2. Myles

    dmick89:
    I’m surprised they didn’t schedule this game for noon. I have no idea what the weather was in Chicago at that time, but it looked relatively clear until about 4 pm from what I could tell on the app I use.

    The Cubs tried to, but the Brewers lodged a formal complaint.

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  3. North Side Pat

    Hoping they somehow get this in today as the Nats would likely throw Strasburg if Game 4 gets moved to tomorrow.

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  4. North Side Pat

    dmick89,

    I’d go with Hendricks tomorrow as well. But then most of my managerial moves and 2nd guessing during this series have been of the meatball fan variety, so I should probably let Maddon make the call. (dying laughing)

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  5. Author
    dmick89

    Edwin,

    Joe has already said Arrieta will start if it’s rained out, which wouldn’t ordinarily be a bad thing, but who knows what shape he’ll be in. Best chance to beat Strasburg would be with Hendricks.

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  6. Myles

    Both teams are really stupid for what they’ve done here. If you thought moving it to 4:30 was the best option, and you knew it was a bad option, just postpone the game so 40k people don’t have to come down to Wrigley for no reason.

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  7. Edwin

    This sounds crazy to me, but other than ERA, BB%, and HR/FB%, Tanner Roark has been a better pitcher in the 2nd half than Jake Arreita. Better GB%, better K%, K-BB, K/BB, let’s up fewer LD, throws more strikes, generates less hard contact. For some reason I thought Jake had been doing better in the 2nd half.

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  8. Berselius

    If it weren’t for even more rain being forecast later, I’d be pretty pleased with this delayed start #stuckatwork.

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  9. Author
    dmick89

    Myles,

    Yep. 12 or 1 was when this game should have started. I can’t believe the Cubs wouldn’t have pushed for that. The Nationals would prefer it be rained out so they probably would have fought against it.

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  10. Author
    dmick89

    If they want to get this game in, they’ll play through some rain. Calling a rain delay when it’s not even raining is fucking stupid if they actually have any intention of trying to get it in. They’re just being idiots and hoping the forecast is wrong.

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  11. Author
    dmick89

    Edwin,

    Jake has been better in the 2nd half, but not nearly as much as the ERA would suggest. I’m guessing if you look closely he’s performed almost the exact same. maybe he’s stranded more runners or had a lower BABIP or possibly fewer home runs, but that’s about it.

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  12. berselius

    dmick89,

    They’re probably looking at the radar. Best guess is that this storm is going to hit in about half an hour, maybe rain for an hour, then hopefully there’s a window afterwords.

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  13. Author
    dmick89

    Obviously the Cubs still have the advantage in the series since they’re up 2-1, but if this is rained out, Washington will have the pitching advantage in both games. They’ll have a huge advantage tomorrow with Strasburg and Arrieta. Joe is an idiot if he doesn’t skip Jake.

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  14. Author
    dmick89

    berselius,

    Probably, but I always figure when they’re talking about windows when it’s supposed to rain all evening is that it’s pretty short. I think if you want to play, you accept you’ll play in some rain. If it rains heavily, call a rain delay, but otherwise keep playing. That’s my 2 cents anyway. My opinion is influenced by the fact that I think it will be a big advantage for Washington is the game is rained out so I’d be fine if they played through 40 inches of rain. (dying laughing)

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  15. Author
    dmick89

    cerulean,

    I didn’t mean they lose the series, but they’re huge underdogs tomorrow with that matchup. I really can’t believe that Joe isn’t skipping Arrieta.

    If the Cubs went with Quintana in game 2, they’d be able to go with Hendricks in game 4 and Quintana in game 5 if necessary.

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  16. North Side Pat

    The Dusty press conference just now was pure gold. Said most of the team is sick, blamed A/C in the hotels, talked about how the team now has to change hotels b/c they’d planned to not be there past tonight, etc.

    Thank goodness he’s in the opposing dugout.

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  17. Author
    dmick89

    Rizzo the Rat,

    Can’t say it’s not well earned. They had a team named after a branch of the US government as if we need more nationalism in this country. They get a do over and they call the fucking team the Nationals. May as well have been Nationalists. The name of their football team is disgusting and their owner doesn’t seem to give a shit. He thinks it’s a point of pride to stand up for his team name rather than change the name so an oppressed group may feel a tiny bit less discriminated against.

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  18. berselius

    Perkins:
    Fuck TBS.

    FWIW, it sounds like that TBS rumor was false, the main issue was not being able to change all the part time stadium staff’s schedules on such short notice.

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  19. Rizzo the Rat

    Told Strasburg threw a bullpen yesterday, not today. He is actually sick and "endurance is down." Nats felt Roark was best option given this

    — Mark Zuckerman (@MarkZuckerman) October 10, 2017

    The Nationals, meanwhile, say Dusty misspoke and that Strasburg threw a bullpen yesterday instead. Have heard he threw today.

    — Chelsea Janes (@chelsea_janes) October 10, 2017

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  20. Rizzo the Rat

    I think the significance of this announcement is getting overblown anyway. The Nats have to win with Stras and another pitcher. This announcement means the other pitcher will be Roark and not Gio. This probably helps the Cubs’ chances a little, but not a lot.

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  21. cerulean

    dmick89:
    cerulean,

    I didn’t mean they lose the series, but they’re huge underdogs tomorrow with that matchup.

    I meant that the Cubs lost today yet they still lead the series.

    And now maybe they haven’t lost.

    I don’t know what the fuck is going on…

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  22. Smokestack Lightning

    Rizzo the Rat:
    I think the significance of this announcement is getting overblown anyway. The Nats have to win with Stras and another pitcher. This announcement means the other pitcher will be Roark and not Gio. This probably helps the Cubs’ chances a little, but not a lot.

    I dunno. I was actually better with the Nats burning Strasburg tomorrow rather than a game 5. But then, I’m also viewing any Arrieta start as an auto-loss right now.

    Would much rather draw Gio Gonzalez than Stephen Strasburg in a winner take all in Wash.

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  23. sharpchicity

    It made sense that MLB didn’t want to start the game even when it wasn’t raining… If they start the game and it rains 30 minutes later, even f there is another window to play 60 minutes later, starters get pulled and it’s a bullpen game all of the sudden. It makes sense that neither the teams, nor MLB, wanted to start the game unless they could get a 90-120 minute window to play.

    That said, i’m equally perplexed that the cubs couldn’t gets staff prepared for an early game when weather all week said rain is almost guaranteed for this game. It’s interesting to think that 3 hours earlier is enough to delay a game until the next day.

    Re: Roark vs Gonzalez, the difference should be enough to matter, considering a 5% difference in skill level equates to a 5% better chance of advancing. Probably a similar scenario to Perez facing Rizzo instead of Doolittle, except for a 5 innings instead of 1 AB. Assuming we get Roark tomorrow, i’m much happier

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  24. Rizzo the Rat

    dmick89: Never heard of a player declining to start before. Sounds funny.

    From what I’ve been hearing, the decision to start him on game five was reached by multiple people involved, and was not Stras’s decision alone:
    https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/nationals-journal/wp/2017/10/10/the-nationals-would-have-liked-to-have-stephen-strasburg-start-game-4-they-will-not/?utm_term=.45a834a0701b

    One used colorful adjectives to describe the extent of the illness. When asked if he could pitch Wednesday, according to a person familiar, Strasburg said he “would give [the Nationals] what he had.” Those involved in the decision — Baker, General Manager Mike Rizzo, Strasburg and pitching coach Mike Maddux — concluded what he had would not be much.

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  25. Author
    dmick89

    This is probably the biggest reason I’m still a fan of Joe Maddon.

    “Schwarber works his butt off, literally, to get better in the outfield,” Maddon said. “And here’s the thing about that: That’s a routine play. That’s not over the top and that’s not an exceptionally great play, and it’s something that he knows he can make 11 out of 10 times.

    “I have such faith in the fellow and the guy and his work ethic and how much he cares. After the game, all the guys are going up to him, every one, and reinforcing him. … He’s going to continue to get better on defense. But you’ve got to love his heart, man.”

    It would have been so easy to say what Maddon said and add something about possibly reassessing the outfield situation. Apparently half the Cubs fans were ready to give up, but joe made it clear that wasn’t happening and then, as he should have, had him in the lineup the next day.

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  26. cerulean

    dmick89,

    All the shit about him being a bad fielder come down to inexperience reading the ball off the bat. He did not seem to account for the slice from a lefthander hitting to left field. Now he may never be a good fielder, but he has been competent this year, impressively so.

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  27. cerulean

    sharpchicity: Re: Roark vs Gonzalez, the difference should be enough to matter, considering a 5% difference in skill level equates to a 5% better chance of advancing.

    Does a 5% difference in skill of the pitcher equate to 5% better chance of advancing? I do think the difference matters, but I am hesitant to speak with such approximate certainty.

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  28. Author
    dmick89

    cerulean,

    I thought he fielded fairly well this season. I also think part of the problem yesterday was that the wind was blowing across to left field. So it was slicing and being blown further toward the line. It was a terrible play and he even said so, but I think he had a pretty decent season for the most part, especially after he came back from the minor leagues.

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  29. BVS

    cerulean,

    On one of the Fox or MLBnet games earlier this year, the announcers were ragging on Schwarbs’ D and then he made a pretty great play. My young daughter was getting steamed at the announcers, then screamed Take That Announcers! Now she says that every catch he makes.

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  30. SK

    I am happy because I would have had to miss the game yesterday pretty much from the 1st inning or so.

    I am angry because today I am going to miss the first several innings stuck on a plane.

    –Coole geschichte, bruder

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  31. Smokestack Lightning

    John Farrell ———————–> Unemployment Line

    The crapshoot puts another notch in its belt.

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  32. cerulean

    dmick89,

    There is no fucking way they can beat Strasburg—he didn’t even give up a hit until the Cubs scored two off of him to win the game. (dying laughing)

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  33. Author
    dmick89

    cerulean,

    They got a little lucky to get those runs and Hendricks was pitching for the Cubs as he should be today.

    I think they can win. Of course they can. I just think it’s very unlike the Cubs win with Arrieta on the mound. I thought he had a chance against Roark.

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  34. Berselius is too lazy to log in

    Edwin,

    I think they would have to postpone the game again if there is a landslide in the middle of the field.

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  35. North Side Pat

    It’s 59 degrees, it finally stopped raining after about 18 straight hours of precipitation, the wind is gusting off the lake and Strasburg is going to be pitching vs. Jake.

    Based on zero factual evidence, I say the Cubs win 4-3 and we get to look forward to the return of our old friend Dodgers_In_5.

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  36. Author
    dmick89

    The Cubs defense reminds me of their defense against the Dodgers in the 2008 LDS.

    If they win this series, they’ll be the luckiest fucking LCS team in history.

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  37. cerulean

    I don’t think Jake is terrible, but he doesn’t seem to be getting the calls that Strasburg is. I would be okay with letting Jake start the fifth and go until a better reached—unless his spot comes to bat this inning.

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  38. Rizzo the Rat

    If he wanted Lester to go more than one inning, he could have pulled a double switch with Zo and Schwarber. Joe knows how to double switch, right?

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  39. Perkins

    I get that this is only an elimination game for the Nationals, but I think a great principle of postseason baseball is not to allow your team to have to play an elimination game. I think Joe missed that memo.

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  40. cerulean

    Jon Lester. It’s October. That guy is nails.

    First sensible thing I have heard Not-Ernie Ernie or Not-Ron-or-even-other-Ron Ron say all series.

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  41. cerulean

    dmick89:
    I feel bad for both team’s pitchers. Both sides pitched more than good enough for this series to be over.

    I would feel bad for the Nationals, but they have had so many opportunities to advance before that I won’t feel bad.

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  42. Perkins

    Assuming the Cubs lose tomorrow, I’d have said going into this series that I wouldn’t be too disappointed if the Cubs lost, but this is a very winnable series that the Cubs have no excuse to lose.

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  43. uncle dave

    With all of the talent they punted away this year it’s insane to me that they didn’t add a single piece to their bullpen (that’s pitched in this series, at least).

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  44. uncle dave

    cerulean,

    If they make moves and guys don’t work out, it’s not on the FO? OK then.

    There were actual, bona fide relievers on the market and they failed to nab one. In an era where you need three innings of shutdown pen to win playoff games, that’s malpractice. I don’t generally think that the Cubs FO has been bad, and give credit for what they’ve built. But they’re on the hook for missing this piece of the puzzle.

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  45. uncle dave

    cerulean,

    Sure, and if memory serves it’s where they’ve had a 5+ ERA this year, and where they’ve blown two games out of the four they’ve played in this series. That’s a problem.

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  46. Rizzo the Rat

    The Cubs didn’t have much left in the farm after the Quintana trade. And I’d take Q over a good reliever any day.

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  47. Author
    dmick89

    Rizzo the Rat, My issue is with the Cubs thinking Edwards and Strop would be good enough as late inning relievers last off-season. I always assumed the Uehara signing was just a favor and that anything the Cubs got from him would be a bonus. I certainly didn’t expect the Cubs to begin the season with him in high leverage situations. Edwards and Strop were predictably frustrating and neither were guys you really wanted to count on. Still, as much as this bullpen sucks, this series is on the defense and offense. They’ve sucked.

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  48. Perkins

    I’d like to say once again: fuck Laz Diaz and I hope he finds himself out of work.

    Also it would be great if the Cubs remembered how to score some fucking runs.

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  49. Smokestack Lightning

    dmick89,

    Yeah, I wasn’t real thrilled with the decision to rely on Strop-Edwards either, but outside of a handful of middle relievers scattered across 30 teams (that weren’t available, I don’t believe), I don’t trust any of them to be good year to year. I really liked the Wilson add and am still hopeful he can turn it around next year. Not sure what the hell happened once he got to Chicago, but, again, bullpens are hard to build and maintain to begin with. Maybe the pendulum will swing back the other way in 2018. He’s got the ability.

    Truth is, regardless of any pen arm they might have added before the deadline, this iteration of the Chicago Cubs baseball team just wasn’t going to be as talented as the team they were ticketed to face in the LDS. They should have probably been swept. Not sure what the hell is wrong with the Nats, but imo they should have made quick work of this Cubs team.

    That said, thanks to some good fortune we’ve already forgotten about, the Cubs still have a decent shot to move on to the next team they’re not as talented as for the LCS. Gio Gonzalez scares me not at all. If the Cubes can’t hit him, then they deserve their fate.

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  50. Rizzo the Rat

    I don’t get complaining about Strop and CJ, as both had ERAs under 3.00 this year. And the Cubs’ bullpen ERA was third best in the NL this year. My biggest disappointments in the offseason were not getting a better starter than Anderson (they rectified this with the Quintana trade) and replacing Dex with Jon Jay.

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  51. Rizzo the Rat

    Smokestack Lightning: this iteration of the Chicago Cubs baseball team just wasn’t going to be as talented as the team they were ticketed to face in the LDS.

    That’s absurd. The difference between the Nats and Cubs is small, and I think most projections would actually have the Cubs as the better team (they aren’t that different from the team that won 103 games and the World Series last year).

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  52. EnricoPallazzo

    Yeah this is an entire season of back and forth between (mainly) dm and rtr that I’ve recently enjoyed. The overall season-long numbers really seem to support rtr but the day-to-day to me suggests that dm is correct that the pen is super unreliable.

    I guess what I’m trying to say is that there are some very fine people on both sides of this argument.

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  53. Smokestack Lightning

    Rizzo the Rat,

    You can disagree all you like, but I don’t believe what I’m saying is absurd. Nats-Cubs offense might be a wash (although I’m thinking not if Bryce Harper is healthy again), but I’d take the Nats pitching staff in a heartbeat.

    This can change next year, and the Cubs are more than welcome to become the most talented team in the NL again, but they weren’t that this year, imo. If they advance, I would expect the Dodgers to beat the shit out of them, and if somehow the crapshoot shines on them again and they go to the World Series, I’d expect them to get the shit beat out of them by Houston or Cleveland (if they can find a way to survive the Yankees). This is a solid Cubs team this year, a pretty good one, better than anyone in their own division, but not the best or the most talented in the playoffs right now. And I don’t think that’s even a controversial stance to take, let alone an absurd one.

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  54. Berselius is too lazy to log in

    Too busy/lazy to write a post game, but my main takeaways from this one was that the weather looked fucking miserable, and Strasburg was incredible. Any other complaint is pretty much a rounding error against that. Win tomorrow, fellas.

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  55. Author
    dmick89

    Smokestack Lightning,

    If I was Dusty, I’d actually start Scherzer and then bring in Gio or Roark based on first inning matchups. I’d be surprised if Scherzer could go more than three, but if the Cubs don’t work the count or get anything going against him he could get through four or maybe even five.

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  56. Berselius is too lazy to log in

    “Total team effort, so proud of our guys.”
    —Theo Epstein, from podium after winning 2022 World Cup

    — Batting Stance Guy (@BattingStanceG) October 11, 2017

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  57. Smokestack Lightning

    Man. Sucks to be an Indians fan. Cubes get bounced tomorrow, I’ll be mad for about a half minute, then fine (depending on how they get bounced, of course). Last year being forever and all, this year not giving us as good a team as last has made me a little more zen about this postseason (so long as Joe doesn’t do UNNECESSARILY DUMB FUCKING SHIT like Edwards v Harper, Monty v Zimmerman). Can’t imagine how it is for Clevelanders right now. Great regular season, 22 wins in a row, monster roster. Up 2-0 in LDS against an inferior opponent. Waiting all year to get back for another shot after getting so close last year…

    Baseball is not very nice sometimes.

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  58. Rizzo the Rat

    They were celebrating and not paying any attention to him. He probably could have just snuck down to first. Frazier saw it.

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  59. Perkins

    Smokestack Lightning,

    If the Cubs lose, I’ll be mad for more than a minute because this is a series they should have put away already. On paper, they’re not quite as good as Washington, but they had no excuse to lose game 2.

    But on the whole, I also won’t get too down because of last year. Really sucks to be Cleveland right now.

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  60. Ryno

    I’m at peace with the Cubs not advancing. While I know their ceiling is at least as good as any team in baseball, they haven’t played as well as WAS, LAD or HOU (or CLE) this season. This series was definitely winnable (even sweepable), but they could’ve just as easily been swept.

    I try to avoid factoring luck into anything, but baseball is the sport most dependent on it. Especially in the postseason. Even last year’s Cubs (which was the best team in baseball) needed a little luck to win the World Series. Luck has worked against them in this NLDS.

    Even with luck favoring what I think is a better team, the Cubs have a chance to move on to an NLCS in which I don’t think they belong. And we had some really fun postseason moments. All things considered, no baseball fans have had it better than we have during the last year.

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  61. Rizzo the Rat

    It doesn’t matter much which innings Scherzer pitches, so I’d start Gio to get a more right-handed lineup and pull him quickly. Scherzer is much better against righties.

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  62. Author
    dmick89

    Smokestack Lightning: Cubes get bounced tomorrow, I’ll be mad for about a half minute, then fine (depending on how they get bounced, of course).

    It’s going to take me longer than a minute to get over it. It’s not going to ruin my life or anything. It’s not even going to disrupt my sleep, but I’ll be pissed for awhile. When the Mets swept the Cubs in 2015, I was still pissed even though they weren’t really supposed to be there and the series wasn’t even close at any point. Last year is last year. The WS is great, but it doesn’t change how I feel about this season or any future season one bit. I’ll be pissed because, as bad as they’ve played, I still feel like it’s a series they should have won in three games.

    Yeah, the Nationals are better. So are the Dodgers, Indians (so glad they’re out already) and the Astros. Winning another championship was always going to be difficult and nearly impossible going up against the teams they’d have to beat in the postseason, but I still want them to play well and I want them to play as deep as possible. Anything less than a WS championship is going to piss me off even though I knew it was a long shot. Teams don’t get unlimited chances to win titles. As Cubs fans we should know this. It’s entirely possible this is the closest we’re going to get for a long time. An injury to Bryant or Rizzo and this team probably struggles to win 85 games and that assumes they replace Arrieta with someone serviceable. If it’s Jen Ho Tseng or another Brett Anderson, good luck.

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  63. Ryno

    This seems like a series the Cubs will lose, but I’m rationalizing by telling myself all the pressure is on the Natinals because they’re the team with the choker reputation AND they’re playing at home.

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  64. Ryno

    I must say, it’s fun to care about baseball again. It’s even more fun when the outcome of an elimination game won’t determine my mood for weeks.

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  65. Author
    dmick89

    Ryno,

    The bulk of the pressure is on the Nationals since they’re the better team, they had home field advantage and probably should have won this series in 4 games. I also think there’s some pressure on the Cubs to at least get back to the LCS. An LDS exit will be seen as a disappointment by a lot of people and it probably is.

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  66. Ryno

    dmick89,

    I’m not a believer in momentum, but I do believe in the effects of confidence in sports. I would think the Natinals have more confidence than the Cubs at the moment, but I’m guessing the pressure you mentioned will affect them more than the Cubs.

    That’s why I think it’s really important that the Cubs strike first tonight.

    That’s also why I’d start Scherzer tonight and tell Gio to be ready to take over by the third for fourth inning.

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  67. Author
    dmick89

    Ryno: That’s also why I’d start Scherzer tonight and tell Gio to be ready to take over by the third for fourth inning.

    Yeah, if you’re going to use Scherzer for multiple innings, I have to think starting with him is the best option. What’s the point of bringing Scherzer in for multiple innings if the Cubs are up 6-0?

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  68. Edwin

    If I were the Nationals, I’d start Roark, with the plan to go to Gio after 1 time through the lineup. That way if the Cubs stack the roster for the RHP, the Nationals can have better platoon advantage for Gio. If the Cubs use some subs to regain the platoon advantage against Gio, the Nationals can bring in Scherzer, and then have their bullpen ready to match up as needed.

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  69. Edwin

    I guess Scherzer starting makes more sense. Maybe start Scherzer for 2 IP, Gio for 3 IP, Roark for 2 IP, and then bullpen the rest of the way.

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  70. Author
    dmick89

    Edwin,

    You’d potentially get more value out of using Scherzer as a starter and he’s familiar with that. I can see him easily getting through 3 or 4 innings and maybe even 5. The Cubs haven’t exactly done much against Scherzer and Strasburg in this series and have made it look very easy for them.

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  71. Edwin

    dmick89,

    The only reason I see limiting Scherzer’s innings is he’s on such short rest. I don’t think I’d want him to go more than twice through the lineup.

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  72. Author
    dmick89

    Edwin,

    Didn’t Bumgarner throw 5 innings on 2 days rest a few years ago against the Royals? I’m not saying it’s advised, but if the pitch count is as low as I think it will be, I think he could easily cruise through 4, maybe 5.

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  73. Myles

    Since Kyle Hendricks lost to Kershaw in the NLCS last year (Game 2) (in a game where he pitched 5.1 innings and allowed 1 run), he was a line against of .177/.253/.190 with a 0.39 ERA and a 0.865 WHIP. Pedro Martinez, in 2000 (his best year and the best single year of pitching in history), had a line against of .167/.213/.259 with a 1.74 ERA and a .737 WHIP.

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  74. Perkins

    dmick89,

    He did, but that was also game 7 of the World Series, IIRC. Nothing left to leave on the table at that point. Throwing Scherzer out for a few innings on two days’ rest probably kills any chance they’d have in the NLCS.

    I also really don’t get why Hendricks didn’t pitch yesterday to leave Lester for today, but that’s why I’m a consultant and not managing a baseball team, I guess.

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  75. Edwin

    I am I the only one who doesn’t care about the “gamesmanship” that Dusty is using by supposedly not being forthcoming with his starters? Do hitters need multiple hours of advance notice in order to be ready to properly prepare to play?

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  76. Berselius is too lazy to login

    I kind of think that they don’t use Roark at all today. Who would even be available to start game 1 of the NLCS if Strasburg, Roark, Scherzer, and Gonzalez all pitch on Wed and Thu?

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  77. Rizzo the Rat

    dmick89: What’s the point of bringing Scherzer in for multiple innings if the Cubs are up 6-0?

    If the Nats get up 6-0 without Scherzer, they can save him for game 1 of the NLCS.

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