10/15 - NLCS Game 1: Dodgers (Maeda) @ Cubs (Lester) 7:08 PM CT FS1/670

[NOLA]

horsefeathers I'm legitimately terrified. I would make an awful athlete

Agreed. It's morning still and I'm already on edge. But there's always drinking.

[Cubswin11]

I feel pretty at ease you spineless, gutless, losers

[Hairyducked Idiot]

I survived the last four times they lost the NLCS, I can handle this one as long as they don't do anything particularly soul-sucking like get swept again or blow a 98% chance to win the series again.

[Derwood]

I wish this was a noon game so I can get on with my day

[UMFan83]

I wish this was a noon game so I can get on with my day

 

Michigan chose a really shitty week to have their bye. Could have used 3 hours of distraction.

 

Although last year I had that before NLCS Game 1 and it became the worst sports day of my life (Michigan State last play collapse followed by Cubs loss)

[Tim]

I'm going to be at a parent's day party at my daughter's school. I'm not sure I'll be able to watch, let alone be able to post during the game. Then I have to try to be out on the road in time tomorrow to get back home before game time.

[Old Style]

Ugh. This is going to be a long day. No good college football games on until 2:30pm either.

[muntjack]

Any predictions for tonight? I'm bored, so...

 

Lester 8 IP 1 ER 5 H 0 BB 6 K

 

Fowler 2-5, 2B, BB

 

Bryant, 3-4, 2 2B, 2 BB

 

Rizzo, 2-5, HR

 

Russell 2-3, HR BB

 

Baez 3-5 3B, 2B

 

 

Cubs win 11-1

[UMFan83]

Russell will be the surprise star of the series. He was virtually invisible in the NLDS but he's ready to break out of his 5 week slump in a big way

[NOLA]

Any predictions for tonight? I'm bored, so...

 

Lester 8 IP 1 ER 5 H 0 BB 6 K

 

Fowler 2-5, 2B, BB

 

Bryant, 3-4, 2 2B, 2 BB

 

Rizzo, 2-5, HR

 

Russell 2-3, HR BB

 

Baez 3-5 3B, 2B

 

 

Cubs win 11-1

I hope that Dex show discipline at the plate instead of trying to hit it 500 ft with the wind blowing out. As good as he was, in last year's postseason he go into spells where he would swing like Javy and expand the zone.

 

Besides, I want Javy to hit it 525 ft tonight.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

Michigan chose a really horsefeathers week to have their bye. Could have used 3 hours of distraction

That's a good point. Maybe I will actually watch the Iowa game today...

[davell]

horsefeathers the Cards and White Sox, the Doyers are going to be our most hated rival for the foreseeable future. This is just the start of what's going to become a yearly event. Punch them in the mouth early and watch them choke on our dongs.

[Cubswin11]

Curse of the seal now in play

 

Rob z on the roster, lastella off

 

Who's more upset? La Stella or Jesse Rogers?

Rogers may like this, actually. He can have Seal Boy sit on his lap in the press box

[mikeyt34]

Curse of the seal now in play

 

Rob z on the roster, lastella off

 

Horsefeathers La Stella. Maybe I'm being a bit harsh on the guy, but I never bought into the explaination of his actions. Honestly I just don't like him anymore and don't even want him around this team ever again. I think if most of the players were being honest, they'd like him gone too.

 

Good twitter reply in Jesse Rogers' announcement of the roster: "What time is the TLS retirement press conference?" Good stuff.

[CyHawk_Cub]

Cubs win tonight 6-1; win the NLCS in 5 (sorry for being so negative, but ya' know, baseball).

[Transmogrified Tiger]

It'll be interesting to see how Roberts wants to handle Maeda and the pen tonight. Jansen almost certainly isn't available, plus Dayton got beat up pretty good in the NLDS and confidence in him might not be super high. That trickle down means that there might not be as much confidence in the middle relievers, which is especially important since (as Brett noted today) Maeda gets hammered by the time thru the order penalty:

 

1st time: .550 OPS

2nd time: .626

3rd time: .887

 

With that in mind, I think baserunners are maybe even more important than pitch count today, and double plays more damaging than first pitch pop outs. They're intertwined, but I'd love for the top of the order to hit for the 3rd time in the 5th inning because that forces some real hard decisions.

[UMFan83]

Maeda has failed to go 6 innings in 11 of his last 15 starts and hasn't lasted 7 in any of the other 4 outings. He has a 4.25 ERA in the second half and struggled in his playoff start.

[David]

horsefeathers I'm legitimately terrified. I would make an awful athlete

Agreed. It's morning still and I'm already on edge. But there's always drinking.

 

I feel pretty good. Way more than in the DS.

[davell]

It'll be interesting to see how Roberts wants to handle Maeda and the pen tonight. Jansen almost certainly isn't available, plus Dayton got beat up pretty good in the NLDS and confidence in him might not be super high. That trickle down means that there might not be as much confidence in the middle relievers, which is especially important since (as Brett noted today) Maeda gets hammered by the time thru the order penalty:

 

1st time: .550 OPS

2nd time: .626

3rd time: .887

 

With that in mind, I think baserunners are maybe even more important than pitch count today, and double plays more damaging than first pitch pop outs. They're intertwined, but I'd love for the top of the order to hit for the 3rd time in the 5th inning because that forces some real hard decisions.

 

They expect Jansen to be available, but for one inning only.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Maeda has failed to go 6 innings in 11 of his last 15 starts and hasn't lasted 7 in any of the other 4 outings. He has a 4.25 ERA in the second half and struggled in his playoff start.

 

That's a good point, here's the time through the order numbers since the all-star break:

 

1st time: .596 OPS

2nd time: .741

3rd time: .865

[bcl412]

I feel confident. I think we win this series. Buuuuuuuttttt, first deficit I will lose my mind.

[NOLA]

horsefeathers I'm legitimately terrified. I would make an awful athlete

Agreed. It's morning still and I'm already on edge. But there's always drinking.

 

I feel pretty good. Way more than in the DS.

Really? Man, just the opposite for me. Their lineup scares me more than the SFG, especially nights when the wind blows out.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

They expect Jansen to be available, but for one inning only.

 

Yeesh. Jansen is a free agent, so screw him I guess. He's thrown 3 of 5 days for a combined 80 pitches, the closest he came to that this year was throwing 3 of 6 days for 59 pitches, and when he pitched the next day he blew a 1 run save.

[Cubswin11]

I wouldn't be too surprised if Coghlan is in LF to start the game tonight over Javy at 2B/3B and Bryant/Zobrist in the OF.

[David]

Agreed. It's morning still and I'm already on edge. But there's always drinking.

 

I feel pretty good. Way more than in the DS.

Really? Man, just the opposite for me. Their lineup scares me more than the SFG, especially nights when the wind blows out.

 

I'm not scared of any of these teams. I'm just scared of playoff [expletive]. Best of 7 makes playoff [expletive] slightly less impactful.

 

Also, since you're talking about the wind blowing out tonight, they are facing Jon Lester tonight. He throws with his left arm.