10/20 Cubs (Lester) vs Dodgers (Maeda) 7 p.m., FS1

[Little Slide Rooter]

It's gonna be a long day but at least it won't be full of awful "what if" scenarios. We need to unban that one guy, let him post dumb horsefeathers for 2 innings then ban him again. The banning that changed our season.

 

Free tawfig..liq..piq... Free random letters guy!

[Banedon]

There's always going to be some level of anxiety going into a playoff game, especially in a tie series, but this game is ours to win. Skimming over the Dodger's splits, these guys are completely inept vs. lefties. Puig and Seeger are the only guys with >.700 OPS against them.

 

I'm thinking we rattle off 3-4 runs in the first 3-4 innings, tack a few on vs. the dregs of their bullpen, and win 7-0. Yes, that is what will happen.

 

We're going into game 5 and you just now realized that the Dodgers have issues with lefties?

[Sammy Sofa]

[Hunter]

It would amuse me to no end if we end up winning this series and the Dodgers decide they need to get more "right-handed" in the off-season.

[Cubswin11]

It would amuse me to no end if we end up winning this series and the Dodgers decide they need to get more "right-handed" in the off-season.

They seem pretty set on moving Puig and Turner is a FA already so I'm guessing they will be heavily involved going after the RH FA bats like Cespedes, Encarnacion, Bautista, Desmond, Gomez, Trumbo and re-signing Turner.

[Bull]

It would amuse me to no end if we end up winning this series and the Dodgers decide they need to get more "right-handed" in the off-season.

I'm usually against that line of thinking, but they do.

[Hunter]

If you recall Hendry said we needed to get more left-handed when we lost to the Dodgers in 09. Just loving the possible irony of it.

[Thed Hoyerstein]

It would amuse me to no end if we end up winning this series and the Dodgers decide they need to get more "right-handed" in the off-season.

They seem pretty set on moving Puig and Turner is a FA already so I'm guessing they will be heavily involved going after the RH FA bats like Cespedes, Encarnacion, Bautista, Desmond, Gomez, Trumbo and re-signing Turner.

 

Funny thing is that Turner has a .640 OPS against lefties this year

[BigbadB]

Is the general consensus here that Adrian Gonzalez was safe at the plate last night? All of the shows ive watched, the commentators are stating pretty matter-of-factly that he was safe. I didnt see it that way, looked to me especially from the lower camera angle that his hand didnt touch the plate until after the tag. I certainly did not see concrete proof that he was safe. Im usually pretty good at separating my bias from this, and i would have been pretty upset if that call had been overturned.

 

I really thought they would overturn the call and I wouldn't have been upset if they did. I do understand why they didn't overturn it and I'm happy they didn't. And I would agree with TT that if the shoe were on the other foot, I would have been upset that they didn't overturn it if I was a Dodger fan.

[badger]

 

From: Sahadev Sharma

[UMFan83]

It would amuse me to no end if we end up winning this series and the Dodgers decide they need to get more "right-handed" in the off-season.

 

Hah. They actually have a decent plan with all the platoons. They lineup looks completely different facing a righty than a lefty. The issue is, their RH options kind of suck.

 

The Cubs strived for similar versatility but instead of multiple players, they found 2 switch hitters and inserted them into a lineup with another lefty that hits lefties well, and a couple of quasi platoons (LF/Javy and sort of catcher) and then Bryant, Russell and Heyward

[Gmoney08]

Any chance Maddon goes with Javy at 3b tonight, I could see them bunting more tonight on Lester.

[David]

This morning, on Bovada you could (fairly inexplicably) get +135 on the Cubs for this series. They're now -170.

[imb]

If you recall Hendry said we needed to get more left-handed when we lost to the Dodgers in 09. Just loving the possible irony of it.

 

I was actually thinking similarly during the Game 3 loss, but I was like "thank god we have theo and he's smart enough not to overreact to how bad we've looked against two lefties."

[Hunter]

If you recall Hendry said we needed to get more left-handed when we lost to the Dodgers in 09. Just loving the possible irony of it.

 

I was actually thinking similarly during the Game 3 loss, but I was like "thank god we have theo and he's smart enough not to overreact to how bad we've looked against two lefties."

 

I was referring to my own previous comment about the Dodgers being so bad against lefties. We mashed lefties pretty good this year.

[David]

If you recall Hendry said we needed to get more left-handed when we lost to the Dodgers in 09. Just loving the possible irony of it.

 

I was actually thinking similarly during the Game 3 loss, but I was like "thank god we have theo and he's smart enough not to overreact to how bad we've looked against two lefties."

 

I was referring to my own previous comment about the Dodgers being so bad against lefties. We mashed lefties pretty good this year.

 

Best in MLB vs LHP

[Cubswin11]

This morning, on Bovada you could (fairly inexplicably) get +135 on the Cubs for this series. They're now -170.

To deviate from this a bit.... I was out in Vegas in middle of July, in like the middle of June I was looking at WS odds and saw the Indians were around 16/1 (give or take 2) depending on where you went and I had them circled as a pretty good value bet at the time and I planned to put some decent money on them. Then about 2 weeks before I was scheduled to be out there they won like 14 in a row and like 20 of 25 or something crazy and had taken control of the division and maybe traded for Miller or whatever and they were down to 5/1 when I got out there so I laid off. Would've been nice to have the timing of my trip better to get them at that 16/1 or so as I could be locking in some serious profits starting around the 3rd game of the WS.

 

I know, nobody cares about my gambling stories but this missed opportunity stings a bit.

Edited October 20, 2016 by Cubswin11

[BigSlick]

If you recall Hendry said we needed to get more left-handed when we lost to the Dodgers in 09. Just loving the possible irony of it.

 

I was actually thinking similarly during the Game 3 loss, but I was like "thank god we have theo and he's smart enough not to overreact to how bad we've looked against two lefties."

The thing I've thought is "Man, I wish we had more than 1 lefty starter" against the Dodgers, but I'm assuming Montgomery is gonna get a good chance at starting for us next year so that would solve that

[UMFan83]

Guesses on lineup?

 

my guess...

 

Fowler, CF

Bryant, 3B

Rizzo, 1B

Zobrist, LF

Baez, 2B

Russell, SS

Heyward, RF

Ross, C

Lester, P

[Brian707]

This morning, on Bovada you could (fairly inexplicably) get +135 on the Cubs for this series. They're now -170.

 

 

Yeah saw that. They made a mistake by not taking yesterday's price off the board.

[Sammy Sofa]

I really wish they could have Contreras in there instead of Heyward.

[Cubswin11]

Guesses on lineup?

 

my guess...

 

Fowler, CF

Bryant, 3B

Rizzo, 1B

Zobrist, LF

Baez, 2B

Russell, SS

Heyward, RF

Ross, C

Lester, P

That would be my guess other than maybe Javy at 3B, Zobrist at 2B and Bryant in LF like someone above mentioned to have better defense in the even of a bunt attack on Lester.

[17 Seconds]

i'm watching summer catch to get PUMPED

[imb]

If you recall Hendry said we needed to get more left-handed when we lost to the Dodgers in 09. Just loving the possible irony of it.

 

I was actually thinking similarly during the Game 3 loss, but I was like "thank god we have theo and he's smart enough not to overreact to how bad we've looked against two lefties."

 

I was referring to my own previous comment about the Dodgers being so bad against lefties. We mashed lefties pretty good this year.

 

Oh I know, I was thinking along the same lines you were of Hendry overreacting to that Dodgers series in 09, just in terms of "theo is too cool to ever fall for that"

[Flames24Rulz]

I really wish they could have Contreras in there instead of Heyward.

 

Me too, but I don't think Joe's going to do that against a RHP that Heyward actually got an XBH off of.