Do or die for the Cards

[biittner77]

They won't be eliminated but realistically they have to sweep these 2 games with the Brewers to have any chance.

 

I believe Sheets goes tonight but has been struggling lately.

 

How does this series shape up?

[brewersbrewers]

It pains me to say this but i think the cards win both games. I have sayed for a few weeks that my Brewers will not make the playoffs. That roadtrip to chicago and philly will kill us.

[biittner77]

It pains me to say this but i think the cards win both games. I have sayed for a few weeks that my Brewers will not make the playoffs. That roadtrip to chicago and philly will kill us.

 

All they need is a split with the Cards. I expect the Phillies to pass the Mets and win the East. I like the Brewers chances better than the Mets for the WC. Phillies- Brewers in the 1st round will be quite a series.

[UMFan83]

It pains me to say this but i think the cards win both games. I have sayed for a few weeks that my Brewers will not make the playoffs. That roadtrip to chicago and philly will kill us.

 

C'mon man have some faith in your team. You have the second best team in the NL!

 

(this coming from a fan that contends to this day that the Cubs will not win a World Series in his lifetime)

[Ding Dong Johnson]

It pains me to say this but i think the cards win both games. I have sayed for a few weeks that my Brewers will not make the playoffs. That roadtrip to chicago and philly will kill us.

I hope they do. it's starting to look like we'll have a couple of good races in the east and west, and I'd like to see the WC come down to the final game or two as well. I still think the Brewers are far and away the 2nd best NL team and will pull it out, but I guess I like the drama when it doesn't involve the Cubs.

[rocket]

It pains me to say this but i think the cards win both games. I have sayed for a few weeks that my Brewers will not make the playoffs. That roadtrip to chicago and philly will kill us.

 

i think your brewers are gonna kick the cards' ass, personally. i don't see the brewers ever having a significant losing streak, they're just always going to be right behind the cubs and never falling away. :evil:

[David]

I'm not sure I buy into the Brewer hype.

 

They have two great pitchers (one of whom has been very shaky recently), followed by one or two decent middle of the rotation guys, and a decent bullpen (contrary to popular belief).

 

Team OBP of .327. Granted, they have really good power, but the offense is fairly hit or miss and they're completely mediocre in terms of getting on base (and a little above average at scoring runs).

 

They're a scary playoff team, to be sure, just because of the prospect of seeing those two guys that many times in that few games...but I think people's impressions of them are being misguided by them beating up on a bunch of horsecrap teams lately.

[Faceman]

Definitely do or die for my Cardinals.

 

What is funny is seeing how the series is billed - "Central division showdown"

 

Considering the Cubs have pretty much wrapped the division, it should say "Wild Card hopeful showdown"

 

http://stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com/images/2008/08/24/RfEYv8gV.jpg

[UMFan83]

I'm not sure I buy into the Brewer hype.

 

They have two great pitchers (one of whom has been very shaky recently), followed by one or two decent middle of the rotation guys, and a decent bullpen (contrary to popular belief).

 

Team OBP of .327. Granted, they have really good power, but the offense is fairly hit or miss and they're completely mediocre in terms of getting on base (and a little above average at scoring runs).

 

They're a scary playoff team, to be sure, just because of the prospect of seeing those two guys that many times in that few games...but I think people's impressions of them are being misguided by them beating up on a bunch of horsecrap teams lately.

 

The thing is, just like a team like the 2004 Cubs, if they get in and come in hot, they can easily win the whole thing. Their offense is streaky though, and the back end of their rotation doesn't scare me as much as other teams.

[David]

 

The thing is, just like a team like the 2004 Cubs, if they get in and come in hot, they can easily win the whole thing. Their offense is streaky though, and the back end of their rotation doesn't scare me as much as other teams.

 

 

True, but can't you say that about any team? All teams are dangerous if they're hot in the playoffs.

 

 

As far as in the regular season, I'm not that concerned that they'll catch up to us. It could happen and I'm not saying it definitely won't, but I don't see it happening. Even with the head to head games with Milwaukee, if we only so much as split the 6 games, that's 6 fewer games in which they have to make up 5 games with about a month left. We're definitely sitting pretty, in that sense. If we get swept or lose 5/6, well, then that sucks, but there's more pressure on them in those games than on us.

 

 

I'm just hoping we can tack a few games onto the lead and clinch decently early to get everything set up.

[jersey cubs fan]

Definitely do or die for my Cardinals.

 

What is funny is seeing how the series is billed - "Central division showdown"

 

Considering the Cubs have pretty much wrapped the division, it should say "Wild Card hopeful showdown"

 

http://stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com/images/2008/08/24/RfEYv8gV.jpg

 

That wouldn't sell as many tickets.

[UMFan83]

 

The thing is, just like a team like the 2004 Cubs, if they get in and come in hot, they can easily win the whole thing. Their offense is streaky though, and the back end of their rotation doesn't scare me as much as other teams.

 

 

True, but can't you say that about any team? All teams are dangerous if they're hot in the playoffs.

 

 

As far as in the regular season, I'm not that concerned that they'll catch up to us. It could happen and I'm not saying it definitely won't, but I don't see it happening. Even with the head to head games with Milwaukee, if we only so much as split the 6 games, that's 6 fewer games in which they have to make up 5 games with about a month left. We're definitely sitting pretty, in that sense. If we get swept or lose 5/6, well, then that sucks, but there's more pressure on them in those games than on us.

 

 

I'm just hoping we can tack a few games onto the lead and clinch decently early to get everything set up.

 

Yup any team can get hot...but when you players that are getting hot include a player who will hit 40 this year, and a player that hit 50 last year, and combine them with a 1-2 of CC and Sheets, them getting hot holds much more weight.

[Yeti]

 

Considering the Cubs have pretty much wrapped the division,

 

did i miss like a whole month of baseball or something?

[Faceman]

 

Considering the Cubs have pretty much wrapped the division,

 

did i miss like a whole month of baseball or something?

 

you are right, it's not a lock. Only 89% certainty according to BP.

 

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/statistics/ps_odds.php

 

The Cubs are pretty close and show no signs of letup. They are pounding the teams the bad teams as you should when you are in 1st place.

[bukie]

 

Considering the Cubs have pretty much wrapped the division,

 

did i miss like a whole month of baseball or something?

 

you are right, it's not a lock. Only 89% certainty according to BP.

 

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/statistics/ps_odds.php

 

The Cubs are pretty close and show no signs of letup. They are pounding the teams the bad teams as you should when you are in 1st place.

 

Depending on how much Yeti has been drinking, he may have actually missed a whole month of baseball and still thinks the Brewers and Cubs are tied, though. :)

[Ball And Glove]

It would take the Brewers winning 5 of 6 against the Cubs down the stretch to even having a prayer of winning the division...the Cubs aren't going to do them any favors by struggling down the stretch, IMO. Like brewersbrewers, I think that Philly-Cincy-Chicago road trip will be what's going to trip the Brewers up down the road, but I don't think it'll cost them a shot at the wildcard. Since they already have a decent-sized lead over everyone else in the wildcard, all they have to do is tread water to get into the playoffs -- if they got 5-4 in that September road trip, they'll be in very good shape, assuming the Cards don't win 9 in a row or something.

 

As far as this two-game set against the Cards goes, I'll agree it's much more important for St. Louis than it is for Milwaukee. They've spent the past month complaining about Bill Hall and Ryan Braun watching their 9th inning home runs (kind of ridiculous to complain when Pujols poses halfway down the first base line when he hits his solo HR with the Cards already winning 10-4), they're 4-9 against the Brewers this year, and I think they're still pissed off about Yost hitting Pujols at the end of last year. I wouldn't rule out the Cards winning both games, but I'm hoping for at least a split, with Sheets winning this first game. He really needs a solid performance soon to shut up all the amateur psychologists calling into talkshows with theories that Sheets is pitching poorly because he's jealous of Sabathia and can't handle being the #2 guy (because it can't possibly be the fact that he's pitching more innings than he has the past 3 years and his numbers were bound to regress to the mean eventually, right?)

[Faceman]

It would take the Brewers winning 5 of 6 against the Cubs down the stretch to even having a prayer of winning the division...the Cubs aren't going to do them any favors by struggling down the stretch, IMO. Like brewersbrewers, I think that Philly-Cincy-Chicago road trip will be what's going to trip the Brewers up down the road, but I don't think it'll cost them a shot at the wildcard. Since they already have a decent-sized lead over everyone else in the wildcard, all they have to do is tread water to get into the playoffs -- if they got 5-4 in that September road trip, they'll be in very good shape, assuming the Cards don't win 9 in a row or something.

 

As far as this two-game set against the Cards goes, I'll agree it's much more important for St. Louis than it is for Milwaukee. They've spent the past month complaining about Bill Hall and Ryan Braun watching their 9th inning home runs (kind of ridiculous to complain when Pujols poses halfway down the first base line when he hits his solo HR with the Cards already winning 10-4), they're 4-9 against the Brewers this year, and I think they're still pissed off about Yost hitting Pujols at the end of last year. I wouldn't rule out the Cards winning both games, but I'm hoping for at least a split, with Sheets winning this first game. He really needs a solid performance soon to shut up all the amateur psychologists calling into talkshows with theories that Sheets is pitching poorly because he's jealous of Sabathia and can't handle being the #2 guy (because it can't possibly be the fact that he's pitching more innings than he has the past 3 years and his numbers were bound to regress to the mean eventually, right?)

 

Who is saying this in bold? AP has an ego, that much is true. Of course, it's a general rule (not my rule) that the greater player you are, the more you get away with. Let me know when Bill Hall and great make a sentence together.

 

The rest of this post. . .

 

1) Yost hitting AP probably started the downfall which led to the Brewers choking themselves out of the wild card. Yost is playing beanball in a pennant race? If anybody would be mad, it would be that the Cards had a big hand in spoiling the Brewers last year.

 

2) The Brewers have been given at least 3 games vs. the Cards. If you want to claim dominance, fine. The run differentials of the teams would disagree.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/standings

[Guest]

It pains me to say this but i think the cards win both games. I have sayed for a few weeks that my Brewers will not make the playoffs. That roadtrip to chicago and philly will kill us.

Wowza, you're the UMFan of old for the Brewers.

 

The Brewers are the 2nd best team in the National League. I would love to see them miss the playoffs, especially if Gallardo is going to be pitching next month.

[Yeti]

 

Considering the Cubs have pretty much wrapped the division,

 

did i miss like a whole month of baseball or something?

 

you are right, it's not a lock. Only 89% certainty according to BP.

 

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/statistics/ps_odds.php

 

The Cubs are pretty close and show no signs of letup. They are pounding the teams the bad teams as you should when you are in 1st place.

 

Depending on how much Yeti has been drinking, he may have actually missed a whole month of baseball and still thinks the Brewers and Cubs are tied, though. :)

see the thing is, i havent been drinking much lately, im stranded in a dry county in tennessee....not drinking is even more disorienting than drinking too much

[Sammy Sofa]

Definitely do or die for my Cardinals.

 

What is funny is seeing how the series is billed - "Central division showdown"

 

Considering the Cubs have pretty much wrapped the division, it should say "Wild Card hopeful showdown"

 

http://stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com/images/2008/08/24/RfEYv8gV.jpg

 

That wouldn't sell as many tickets.

 

I like how the graphic looks like a fearful Braun fleeing being devoured by a blind and hungry Pujols.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Definitely do or die for my Cardinals.

 

What is funny is seeing how the series is billed - "Central division showdown"

 

Considering the Cubs have pretty much wrapped the division, it should say "Wild Card hopeful showdown"

 

http://stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com/images/2008/08/24/RfEYv8gV.jpg

 

That wouldn't sell as many tickets.

 

I like how the graphic looks like a fearful Braun fleeing being devoured by a blind and hungry Pujols.

 

I was thinking something else, but it wasnt appropriate.

[wekse]

 

Considering the Cubs have pretty much wrapped the division,

 

did i miss like a whole month of baseball or something?

 

you are right, it's not a lock. Only 89% certainty according to BP.

 

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/statistics/ps_odds.php

 

The Cubs are pretty close and show no signs of letup. They are pounding the teams the bad teams as you should when you are in 1st place.

 

Depending on how much Yeti has been drinking, he may have actually missed a whole month of baseball and still thinks the Brewers and Cubs are tied, though. :)

see the thing is, i havent been drinking much lately, im stranded in a dry county in tennessee....not drinking is even more disorienting than drinking too much

 

i'd imagine you're in east tn but if you've found yourself somewhere in middle tn give me a shout.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

i'd imagine you're in east tn but if you've found yourself somewhere in middle tn give me a shout.

oh phelps, nothing good could possibly come from that

[Soul]

I can't see the Brewers tripping up and winding up out of the playoffs. The last time they saw the Cards it was a sweep, right? Not sure that will happen again, but the Crew is more than capable of laying a couple losses on a Cards team that has started to fade a bit.

 

No offense to Cards fans. I just see the Crew as a better overall ballclub. Even if they were to lose 2 here, I still think they're in.

[David]

How does the Cardinals' schedule look the rest of the way?

 

The Cards statistically have a superior offense to the Brewers and their pitching has done well enough. These teams are more even than people think.

 

If the Cards take two here, they have a legit shot. If they don't, as is the subject of this thread, then they're in for a much tougher battle (although not necessarily "dead" if they split).