Andy

That would be so lame. He's been a blast the last 2 months.

With STL's win looking pretty secure, we can pull within 2 of a home coin flip game with wins today and tomorrow. Still will need help, but possible.

I would love him more if he could've done that before I was eliminated from my fantasy baseball league.

How did I know someone was going to get a big hit in this inning to stick it to UMFan

The only possible outcome of the STL vs Pittsburgh series that I definitely didn't want to see - STL 2/3 - appears on its way to happening. Sigh.

nevertheless, while i feel the same, i am pleased at what he just did. Is there some sort of statistically plausible reason a nearly 30-year-old is going from a career high of 13 homers as a pro (2010, mostly AA) to 28 in the big leagues? I'm trying to decide how much that should annoy me.

Arrieta would have normal rest for Game 3, so I have to think they go to him there. Some sort of Hammel or Hendricks/fill in sixth starter here piggyback situation would be fine with me for Game 2.

It's eerie how confident I am that we would brain them into oblivion if we get there.

what'd he do? IBB'd Alvarez the batter before, but I don't know if that's what he's talking about.

Wanted someone to sweep this series one way or another (PIT to push STL or STL to help us catch PIT). Gonna be annoying if neither team does.

It's possible, but you have to hit the absolute [expletive] out of one and avoid the board. I don't think anyone did it this season - maybe once. Can't remember for sure

Alright STL time to help us for the first time in your pathetic franchise's existence and sweep Pittsburgh

Rob, that is so outstanding. We will never see a run like this again. Worth appreciating.

Friend of mine got 4 bleacher tickets to hypothetical Game 4 and offered to sell me one. Work obligations make it impossible. Jobs are dumb.

I don't know if I could be friends with a Cardinal fan. It might be a litmus test for me. He'd have to have a great personality. Personality goes a long way. He'd have to be one charming mother [expletive] Cardinal's fan. I mean he'd have to be 10 times more charming Jon Hamm. Living in the middle of the state, it's tough...it's a really even split of Cubs/Cards fans. My in-laws are Cardinal fans too. Not a big problem with the Father and Mother in law, but my brother in law...he gets mouthy. I'm only friends with one (mostly coincidence, I haven't run into many). and he's pretty good-humored and, thankfully, can actually trade barbs with me and other Cubs friends of mine without resorting to 1908 garbage.

I've had Karlos Williams on my bench the last 2 weeks and he's outscored my #2 running back both weeks. I look forward to the Bills immediately riding McCoy next week when I start Williams.

Well, I guess we could still catch the Pirates if STL sweeps them and we get on a run.

Yeah I'm on board with this thought.

Next week Carolina faces Jameis Winston, who will actually be easily the best quarterback they have faced so far. This season has been weird.

Can't win the NLDS without winning the wild-card game, and I think Pittsburgh is a better team than STL. Hence, I vote for STL here. Beat them, take your chances in the NLDS. Funny stuff can happen in a short series. That said it probably doesn't make a ton of difference. I would like to see the division race come down to the end, though.

Top 25 games ------------------------------ (1) Ohio State at Indiana (3:30 pm, ABC/ESPN2) Purdue at (2) Michigan State (12 pm, ESPN2) (3) Ole Miss at (25) Florida (7 pm, ESPN) Texas at (4) TCU (12 pm, ABC) (5) Baylor vs Texas Tech – in Arlington, TX (3:30 pm, ABC/ESPN2) (6) Notre Dame at (12) Clemson (8 pm, ABC) Arizona State at (7) UCLA (7:30 pm, FOX) (13) Alabama at (8) Georgia (3:30 pm, CBS) Eastern Michigan at (9) LSU (7 pm, ESPNU) (11) Florida State at Wake Forest (3:30 pm, ESPN) (21) Mississippi State at (14) Texas A&M (7:30 pm, SEC Network) (23) West Virginia at (15) Oklahoma (12 pm, FS1) Minnesota at (16) Northwestern (12 pm, BTN) Arizona at (18) Stanford (10:30 pm, Pac-12 Network) Iowa at (19) Wisconsin (12 pm, ESPN) Kansas State at (20) Oklahoma State (4 pm, FS1) (22) Michigan at Maryland (12 pm, BTN) Washington State at (24) California (4 pm, Pac-12 Network) Other nationally available games --------------------------------------------------- Miami at Cincinnati (7:30 pm Thursday, ESPN) Memphis at South Florida (7 pm Friday, ESPN2) Temple at Charlotte (7 pm Friday, CBSSN) UConn at BYU (10:15 pm Friday, ESPN2) Army at Penn State (12 pm, ESPNU) South Carolina at Missouri (12 pm, SEC Network) Kansas at Iowa State (12 pm, FSN) Pittsburgh at Virginia Tech (12 pm, FSN/ESPN3) Houston at Tulsa (12 pm, CBSSN) UCF at Tulane (12 pm, ESPNEWS) Louisville at NC State (12:30 pm, ACC Network/ESPN3) Ohio at Akron (2 pm, ESPN3) Florida International at UMass (3 pm, ESPN3) Northern Illinois at Central Michigan (3 pm, ESPN3) Toledo at Ball State (3 pm, ESPN3) North Carolina at Georgia Tech (3:30 pm, ESPNU) Air Force at Navy (3:30 pm, CBSSN) Western Kentucky at Rice (3:30 pm, FSN) Boston College at Duke (3:30 pm, FSN/ESPN3) Bowling Green at Buffalo (3:30 pm, ESPN3) Liberty at Georgia State (3:30 pm, ESPN3) Miami (OH) at Kent State (3:30 pm, ESPN3) Wyoming at Appalachian State (3:30 pm, ESPN3) Nebraska at Illinois (4 pm, BTN) San Jose State at Auburn (4 pm, SEC Network) East Carolina at SMU (4 pm, ESPNEWS) Vanderbilt at Middle Tennessee (7 pm, CBSSN) Colorado State at Utah State (7 pm, ESPN3) Georgia Southern at UL Monroe (7 pm, ESPN3) Idaho at Arkansas State (7 pm, ESPN3) South Alabama at Troy (7 pm, ESPN3) Eastern Kentucky at Kentucky (7:30 pm, SEC Network – Alternate) Oregon at Colorado (10 pm, ESPN) Hawaii at Boise State (10:15 pm, ESPN2) Fresno State at San Diego State (10:30 pm, CBSSN)

I'm not watching but evidently he looks like a college 3rd stringer today. Not sure what happened to him in the off-season.

I vote bullpen day in Game 2 of NLDS. Hammel can be part of it, but he can't go 6 strong.

If you're not in the Cubs territory for this game it is still on MLB.TV.

We're going to have more champagne celebrations