Andy

Do the Cubs put Lackey on the NLCS roster if they're not going to start him this weekend? I'd like to have Rondon back, myself.

Yeah, a couple of "I have no idea what Joe is doing with the pitching" comments when Hendricks batted for himself were mystifying to me. That being said, I would have pinch hit for Heyward with the bags full in the first inning. I wouldn't have started Heyward against Gio, or at minimum would've batted him 8th; you can put him in for defense later. Didn't get that lineup decision and Joe is probably lucky it didn't end up being as big a factor as it could've been.

Ranking just on pure thrill-ride - I have to omit NLDS Game 1 last year because I missed most of it due to work and didn't experience it in the moment. 1 - Game 7. Will never be topped because of the historical stakes. If this were ranked purely on between the lines, I think last night would be #1. 2 - 2016 WS Game 5. No one is ever going to remember Chapman's 8-out save as much as they should because he's a garbage human, but in the moment it was unbelievable to watch. Bryant's HR gave me hope we could complete the comeback. The quintessential nail-biter. ("You should stop, it's a bad habit" - Len) 3 - Last night. Just a freaking weird game in all respects. Wade's 7-out save might have actually been crazier than Chapman's 8-out save because of how gassed he was. 4 - 2016 NLCS Game 1. For the most pessimistic of us, we really needed that Montero slam to excise thoughts of the NLCS going as it had in 2015. 5 - 2016 NLDS Game 4. Ranked a little lower just because it was LDS and we had another game, but man was that a comeback. 6 - Game 3 of this series. This really was a nutso series. I just ranked six amazing playoff wins (seven, really, if you added in NLDS Game 1 last year) and none of them even came from the glorious 2015 series against STL, nor our first pennant-clincher in 71 years. What an age we live in, guys.

UNC has just created the blueprint for all future academic fraud: Just make sure the fake classes are accessible to non-athletes and there's nothing the NCAA can do. The school shouldn't even be accredited because of that and they don't get touched. If it didn't piss me off so much I would marvel at its brilliance.

Had 'em all the way. Now, after Joe emptied the reserve tanks to get us here, the Cubs return to the NLCS to once again serve as nightmare fuel for Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers: We don't know who we're starting. Maybe it's Quintana after he threw 12 pitches on what I think would normally have been his throw day yesterday. Maybe it's Lackey, who wasn't even used in the NLDS. Who knows. Who cares. We're here. LA wanted no part of us. They're about to be reminded why.

Shout out to Hendricks for scoreless 3rd and 4th innings after taking big haymakers in the 2nd. There is no way in hell we win this game without him doing that.

How have we been handily outplayed in this series? Haven't you been counting? The Nationals have had two legitimately good offensive innings in this series. Two!! How are we supposed to compete with that??

Alright, Nationals, now you've pissed us off. Prepare to face your worst nightmare (again). Enjoy your offseason.

You got us, Dusty. owenwilsonsandbaggingsonofabitch.gif

You have to win Game 4 to get to Game 5. To use a Cubs analogy, there's a reason Joe went to Chapman in the 7th inning of Game 5 of the World Series. You empty the clip to keep the series going and worry about what happens next when that day comes.

If this Strasburg stuff is remotely true it's going to make eliminating them even more hilarious.

John Ourand of Sports Business Journal said it's false and that the idea of moving the game time was never proposed.

DeAndre Hopkins and Will Fuller just went for 41.4 points in like a quarter and a half to win my fantasy matchup by 1.8. I think Yahoo had my chances to win at 3% at one point. Never seen anything like it.

Did not anticipate back to back wins on the road against New England and Detroit. If they can get Philly on Thursday too I might have to admit this team is good.

Has to be both to move it back 90 minutes

Top 25 games ------------------------------ Arkansas at (1) Alabama (7:15 pm, ESPN) (2) Clemson at Syracuse (7 pm Friday, ESPN) Missouri at (4) Georgia (7:30 pm, SEC Network) (5) Washington at Arizona State (10:45 pm, ESPN) (6) TCU at Kansas State (12 pm, FS1) Purdue at (7) Wisconsin (3:30 pm, BTN) (8) Washington State at California (10:30 pm, ESPN) (9) Ohio State at Nebraska (7:30 pm, FS1) (10) Auburn at LSU (3:30 pm, CBS) Georgia Tech at (11) Miami (3:30 pm, ABC) (12) Oklahoma vs Texas — in Dallas (3:30 pm, ESPN) Utah at (13) USC (8 pm, ABC) Baylor at (14) Oklahoma State (3:30 pm, FS1) (17) Michigan at Indiana (12 pm, ABC) Cincinnati at (18) South Florida (7:30 pm, ESPNU) Boise State at (19) San Diego State (10:30 pm, CBSSN) (20) NC State at Pittsburgh (12 pm, FSN/ESPN3) (21) Michigan State at Minnesota (8 pm, BTN) East Carolina at (22) UCF (7 pm, CBSSN) Oregon at (23) Stanford (11 pm, FS1) (24) Texas Tech at West Virginia (12 pm, ESPNU) (25) Navy at Memphis (3:45 pm, ESPNU) Other nationally available games --------------------------------------------------- South Alabama at Troy (8 pm Wednesday, ESPN2) Texas State at UL Lafayette (7:30 pm Thursday, ESPNU) South Carolina at Tennessee (12 pm, ESPN) Florida State at Duke (12 pm, ESPN2) Rutgers at Illinois (12 pm, BTN) Iowa State at Kansas (12 pm, FSN) BYU at Mississippi State (12 pm, SEC Network) Eastern Michigan at Army (12 pm, CBSSN) UConn at Temple (12 pm, ESPNEWS) Boston College at Louisville (12:20 pm, ACC Network/ESPN3) Old Dominion at Marshall (2:30 pm, ESPN3) Northwestern at Maryland (3:30 pm, ESPN2) Virginia at North Carolina (3:30 pm, FSN/ESPN3) Vanderbilt at Ole Miss (3:30 pm, SEC Network) Akron at Western Michigan (3:30 pm, CBSSN) Miami (OH) at Kent State (3:30 pm, ESPN3) Northern Illinois at Buffalo (3:30 pm, ESPN3) Ohio at Bowling Green (3:30 pm, ESPN3) Toledo at Central Michigan (3:30 pm, ESPN3) Colorado at Oregon State (4 pm, Pac-12 Network) Houston at Tulsa (4 pm, ESPNEWS) Wyoming at Utah State (4:30 pm, Facebook) Appalachian State at Idaho (5 pm, ESPN3) Georgia State at UL Monroe (5 pm, ESPN3) New Mexico State at Georgia Southern (6 pm, ESPN3) Texas A&M at Florida (7 pm, ESPN2) UTSA at North Texas (7 pm, ESPN3) Coastal Carolina at Arkansas State (7 pm, ESPN3) UTEP at Southern Miss (7 pm, Stadium) UCLA at Arizona (9 pm, Pac-12 Network) Nevada at Colorado State (10:15 pm, ESPN2)

The ESPN guys talked an awful lot about ND and their playoff chances today and I refuse to get my hopes up until they beat a good team.

Knowing Joe, probably Wade Davis. You're thinking of Dusty Baker. Dusty would have Jon Lester mopping up his own blowout playoff victory.

Maybe I just hear less of some of these people than you guys do, but I don't hate any national color commentator, not since Tim McCarver stopped.

Well, that was a fun 2015 when most people liked Cam and that's completely over now

Yeah I think I'm on board with this idea too.

horsefeathers that's a good point. Fred would know what to do. Damn it I miss that man

It should be 5. This is the best playoff system in pro sports and it isn't close.

The forum is whizzing along nicely. I like this.

After missing my chance to win this thing this year I look forward to screwing up whatever new feature Southpaw will add and returning to my usual spot near the basement in 2018.