Time: 4:30 PM CT
TV: TBS
Series Preview
Gameday
LINEUPS
|
Albert Almora Jr. CF |
Trea Turner, SS |
Will the Cubs win? No, but it could go either way.
538 Forecast: 53% chance of winning
Share this Post
Time: 4:30 PM CT
TV: TBS
Series Preview
Gameday
LINEUPS
|
Albert Almora Jr. CF |
Trea Turner, SS |
Will the Cubs win? No, but it could go either way.
538 Forecast: 53% chance of winning
Share this Post
Comments
Per the Twitters all W flags are being confiscated at the stadium entrances today. (dying laughing)
North Side PatQuote Reply
North Side Pat,
(dying laughing)
berseliusQuote Reply
North Side Pat,
What about M flags?
dmick89Quote Reply
I thought it stood for “Washington”
SKQuote Reply
WTF has Dave Grohl got to do with the NLDS on TBS?
SKQuote Reply
Gio hanging clown shoes so far.
berseliusQuote Reply
Why do all Cubs look so over anxious during the first inning of 2017 playoff games?
SKQuote Reply
SK,
Feeling the weight of not winning back to back titles for over a century.
berseliusQuote Reply
Good Lester please.
berseliusQuote Reply
Crap.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
I thought the wind was supposed to be blowing in from right.
SKQuote Reply
That sucks. I thought it was just a fly out.
dmick89Quote Reply
berselius,
(dying laughing)
dmick89Quote Reply
I’m tired of the juiced ball.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
dmick89,
Zobrist punked us all.
SKQuote Reply
Zobrist autocorrects to Sobriety
SKQuote Reply
WILLIE
berseliusQuote Reply
Willson!
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Willson!!!
dmick89Quote Reply
These are two of the cheapest dingers I’ve ever seen.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
WILLY
SKQuote Reply
Contreras!!!
North Side PatQuote Reply
WILLSON!!!
ceruleanQuote Reply
Willson crushed that ball. 45º launch angle.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Really interesting AB by Baez. He swung at garbage, looking like his 2014 version but also took some good pitches.
mcalis2Quote Reply
Javy looking like a little leaguer at the plate again. Why would you ever throw anything in the strike zone?
67catchQuote Reply
If I forget to unmute the commercials, maybe
LesterHapp will go yard like Contreras did.EDIT: my suggestion is much less ludicrous now
ceruleanQuote Reply
Stop striking out.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
That was a gift strike. The zone is a bit large tonight it seems.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Two True Outcomes kinda game
SKQuote Reply
TONY!
berseliusQuote Reply
Where did that even land (dying laughing).
berseliusQuote Reply
Bryzzo!!!!!!
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Rizzo!!!
dmick89Quote Reply
More, plz.
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
BRYZZO!!!!
ceruleanQuote Reply
I like these RISP numbers.
ceruleanQuote Reply
BRYZZO
SKQuote Reply
Boom!
WaLiQuote Reply
He barehanded that ball. Damn.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Not sure what’s worth reviewing here.
berseliusQuote Reply
I can’t believe Dusty is upsetting his pitcher’s rhythm like this.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
That guy rules
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
Watching at a bar so it’s tough to tell but it sure looked like that would not have been a homer without that dude’s interference
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
So many balls right down the line in these two games.
berseliusQuote Reply
I’m back. But you don’t haveto say how much you’ve missed me.
BVSQuote Reply
I think they just wanted to keep watching that amazing snag
WaLiQuote Reply
Hm. Maybe Zobrist shouldn’t be playing right now.
Can get the same shitty groundballs from Heyward, but with 10x the defense.
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
I’d rather have Heyward over Zobrist.
dmick89Quote Reply
Smokestack Lightning,
No maybe about it. Be the team leader on the bench.
dmick89Quote Reply
Now the zone is tight. Nice. 😐
ceruleanQuote Reply
Nice play by Russell.
ceruleanQuote Reply
According to Gameday, this umpire is apparently insane.
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
Now that wasn’t a strike, but I guess I’ll take it.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Lester looking good through 4 – hope he can go 7. Don’t want anyone but Good CJ and Davis to come out of the pen.
North Side PatQuote Reply
Moar runs, plz.
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
More runs, please.
dmick89Quote Reply
North Side Pat,
I’d be happy with 7.
dmick89Quote Reply
This is why.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Gio just likes throwing to first for no reason. He’s the anti-Lester.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Now steal home.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Lester really is less effective from stretch, seems to me.
BVSQuote Reply
Is Ron Darling the analyst in TBS? He’s annoying me.
BVSQuote Reply
Keep the tag on him Javy, dammit.
ceruleanQuote Reply
BVS,
Jim Kaat is one of them. Not sure which is doing PBP.
SKQuote Reply
BVS,
Too much nibbling
BVSQuote Reply
BVS,
Eh, he has to pitch carefully here.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Come on, Lester.
dmick89Quote Reply
I hope this is Lester’s last inning, but it probably won’t be.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Rizzo the Rat,
Throw. Strikes. Damnit.
BVSQuote Reply
Welp….I may have spoken too soon about how good Lester was looking..
EDIT: Thank goodness.
North Side PatQuote Reply
Jesus.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
North Side Pat,
Only one strikeout in the fifth inning. He’s been lucky.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Didn’t think any major leaguers could look younger than Russell, but Michael Taylor might.
BVSQuote Reply
God damn it, this is torture.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
6 straight balls. Ugh
BVSQuote Reply
Yes!
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
FUCK YEAH!!!
ceruleanQuote Reply
Rizzo the Rat,
Whew
BVSQuote Reply
Slow-mo Lester fuck yeah face is scary as hell.
SKQuote Reply
Rizzo the Rat,
Suspect he’s busy elsewhere…
BVSQuote Reply
It should be, but there’s no way Joe takes him out yet.
dmick89Quote Reply
No one warming up to start the bottom of the 6th per Pat & Ron
North Side PatQuote Reply
Really don’t want Lester going through the heart of the order one more time.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Also, I want Heyward in right.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Patience, jabronis. Those changes will come.
SKQuote Reply
Score some runs!
dmick89Quote Reply
Screw the closer!
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Holy shit. Zobrist got a hit.
dmick89Quote Reply
I miss El Mago Fuego.
MylesQuote Reply
Jay pinch-hitting against a lefty?
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
I guess the whole bench is lefty.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
@myles he’ll be back when we need him most.
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
Good Strop, please.
dmick89Quote Reply
Good Strop please
EDIT: Too late.
North Side PatQuote Reply
Ha! That big dude who stole rizzo’s homer has already made the tbs dave grohl highlight sequence.
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
Stop hitting Wieters, please.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Good enough Strop.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Let’s keep the Bryzzo train going.
dmick89Quote Reply
Come on, Anthony. Need more runs.
dmick89Quote Reply
Cubs have 10 hits in 2 games. 6 have come from Bryzzo .
Also – good CJ, please.
North Side PatQuote Reply
They need to start fining Anthony every time he hits into a double play.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
How was that a ball?
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
So it’s 4 strikes, you’re out, right?
ceruleanQuote Reply
Can’t believe a lefty wasn’t brought in.
dmick89Quote Reply
Ugh.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Dammit.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Radio called it – Harper was sitting on a breaking ball
North Side PatQuote Reply
dmick89,
Yeah, both for Harper and the runner.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
I knew this was too easy
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
Why is Wilson on the roster if not for those situations?
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Damnit
WaLiQuote Reply
Rizzo the Rat,
Managing like that too complicated for joe.
dmick89Quote Reply
“Last year the Cubs had the safety net of Aroldis Chapman with Davis setting him up.”
You must be a big fan, announcer.
ceruleanQuote Reply
North Side Pat,
Coomer is really an excellent analyst.
BVSQuote Reply
Is Monty the high-leverage lefty? Yikes.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
This is very high leverage. And Montgomery is still pitching.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
The more I think about it the more pissed off I’m getting. He’s got a bullpen with multiple lefties in it. Yet he left Edwards out there to face their best lefty.
EDIT: This bullpen sucks.
North Side PatQuote Reply
DP please.
ceruleanQuote Reply
#FireJoeMaddon
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
fak
ceruleanQuote Reply
Joe can’t fucking manage a bullpen.
dmick89Quote Reply
I can’t help thinking how differently this game would have played out if Wilson hadn’t lost his ability to throw strikes.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
I often have problems with Joe’s bullpen usage—but I don’t have a problem with it tonight. This is just a shit happens moment.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Indeed. I would have been less pleased had Joe put Wilson in over Montgomery.
ceruleanQuote Reply
cerulean,
At the very least, I’d’ve brought in Davis to face Zimmerman. Montgomery in high-leverage against a righty is a recipe for disaster.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
cerulean,
With three lefties in the bullpen, Harper shouldn’t face a righty when he represents the tying run. Maybe Davis since closers and all.
dmick89Quote Reply
North Side Pat,
For his career, Edwards has a .208 wOBA against lefties and a .242 wOBA against righties.
ceruleanQuote Reply
dmick89,
Who on the Cubs is better specifically against lefties?
ceruleanQuote Reply
C’mon Zo.
EDIT: 😐
Maybe Zobrist should benched more.
ceruleanQuote Reply
CJ against Harper might be defensible. But I don’t see how Monty could be the best option against Zim.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Davis was already warmed up, too. Only using him if you have a lead is stupid.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Rizzo the Rat,
The best option? No. The long man, yes. And let’s not forget that Montgomery is an elite groundball pitcher when a groundball ends the inning.
ceruleanQuote Reply
cerulean,
If they need a long man, there’s always Lackey.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
The Chicago Cubs have homefield advantage for this best of three.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Rizzo the Rat,
True.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Why have three lefties in the bullpen if not for this exact situation? If you’ve only got one lefty in your bullpen, it’s for exactly that spot.
Despite Edwards splits, he hasn’t faced that many lefties and is still probably worse against lefties than righties. I have a better idea of his true skill level against lefties by looking at how he’s done against righties.
dmick89Quote Reply
Joe Maddon has what all the other successful Chicago coaches before him had: so much talent at his disposal that not even he could fuck it up. (Hi, Mike and Phil!)
uncle daveQuote Reply
187 lefties vs 232 righties. 50 IP vs 57 IP. He has been better against lefties with a few more hits than against righties where he is more of a three true outcomes pitcher—more K, BB, twice as many HR.
ceruleanQuote Reply
cerulean,
Yes and it takes forever to to establish a player’s true platoon skills. You have to regress the shit out platoon splits for pitchers just like you do hitters. About all we can say for sure is that Edwards splits aren’t as severe as most pitchers, but he simply hasn’t been around long enough to know.
dmick89Quote Reply
Edwards is really close to a reverse splits Kenley Jansen by wOBA. He just gives up more walks and homeruns but fewer hits.
ceruleanQuote Reply
I don’t remember the numbers, but I remember after reading The Book that most relievers won’t ever get to face as many lefties as you’d need to know their platoon splits. I also remember reading that you’re better off looking only at how he does against righties to estimate how he’ll do against lefties. For relievers, platoon splits are mostly shit.
dmick89Quote Reply
Anyway, there’s nothing I can do about it. I knew Joe would leave Lester out there for the 6th even though he should have been lifted. I knew he was going to stick with Edwards and I also knew he was going to stick with Montgomery over walking his ass to the mound one more time to bring in a righty to face Zimmerman.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
Yeah.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Are the Nationals still going with three starters in this series?
dmick89Quote Reply
I wouldn’t have minded seeing Davis out there in the 8th even if it meant rolling the dice with someone else in the 9th. Harper’s one of the very best. You need to counter with your best.
uncle daveQuote Reply
I just don’t get what he thought he saw there to justify it as strongly as he did in the postgame. Only call to make? Wha? Harper is good against LHP, but not anywhere near what he is against RHP. He also has a strong GB lean against LHP, Ks twice as much, and walks half as much. Call me insane, but I’m thinking I want Harper against LHP in a close game late—particularly a close postseason game. And then having him face Montgomery you get a LHP who gets close to 60% GBs to LHBs. To me that’s the only call to make other than Davis. And if that means taking Montgomery out against Rendon next, so be it. 2 outs and a man on? Go Wade Davis for sure then, get that last fucking out, and roll him right back out there for three more in the 9th. The hell is he being saved for?
But nah. Bryce Fucking Harper with the platoon advantage against an inconsistent RHP with shit control in the 8th inning of a close playoff game is the call the smart managers make. Always challenge a great hitter’s strengths, kids. And if you can do it with a pitcher who most of the time doesn’t know where the fuck the ball is going after he lets it go, even better.
Joe’s such a fucking clown sometimes.
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
Smokestack Lightning,
I hadn’t even looked at what Harper does against lefties. Career .783 OPS and .340 wOBA (112 wRC+). He’s a little better than average against lefties. He’s .949, .401 and 154 against righties.
dmick89Quote Reply
I was at a wedding last night and missed the game, but I’m confused why the Cubs are carrying three left-handed relievers if Maddon isn’t going to use one of them to face the league’s best left-handed hitter in the eighth inning of a postseason game with a slim lead. I get that Edwards is overall the second best reliever on the team, but that’s a situation screaming for Montgomery or Duensing.
PerkinsQuote Reply
dmick89,
I think the plan is Scherzer tomorrow and probably Roark on Tuesday. I also read that they’re not sure how deep Scherzer can go, so if he has any trouble, I feel pretty good about the Cubs’ chances. I suppose they could try to bring back Strasburg on short rest for Tuesday, but I don’t know if he’s ever done that.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Perkins,
Or even Justin Wilson. Yeah, it makes no sense whatsoever to have three lefties if they don’t use one in that situation. They’d be better off with another bat on the bench.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
Yeah, I’d have less confidence in Wilson since he also can’t find the strike zone consistently, but he’d probably still have been a better option than Edwards.
PerkinsQuote Reply
It boggles the mind. And I don’t get what goes through Joe’s. This information is readily and freely available to all. You want the odds of an out there as heavily in your favor as you can get it, and Joe instead deliberately steered into the hurricane. At least with the Chapman shenanigans of last year, he was erring on the side of (over)using his best pitcher. This time, I’m not seeing any excuse. And it cost the Cubs a golden opportunity to put the boot to the throat of a team that’s probably a little better than them. Maybe it doesn’t end up mattering again, just like the Chapman BS didn’t end up mattering last year, but one of these runs, Joe is going to manage the Cubs to the exit door.
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
http://obstructedview.net/nlds-game-two-nationals-6-cubs-3/
berseliusQuote Reply