they're what, an 85 win team right now? Hard to get too ... hard about that. Five runs up on the terrible St Louis Cardinals in RD. They're OK and that lukewarm statement is the best anyone should realistically bestow on them. Kind of hoped for more given that we returned everyone from a 103-win world series championship team. As soccer10k just said, the schedule is incredibly easy the rest of the year. They are going to win more than 85 games. They are also a much better team than their record indicates. They played like absolute horsefeathers for half of the season. They've had to deal with some injury problems. Guys flat-out played like horsefeathers. The rotation was a mess. They've cleaned up in a lot of areas. They've played much better baseball since the break. And they have a very talented roster still. It's certainly been a frustrating season. And they haven't lived up to expectations. But to act as if they are a bad team because Maddon has been drinking wine before games the last week is silly. They're still a good team. I kinda hate to be That Guy, but the whole "the schedule gets easier" thing doesn't really make that much more confident in them. Yes, I get that it's baseball and that anything can happen if you get to the playoffs...but is it THAT crazy to not be that optimistic about a team that has struggled to put together sustained runs of success all season being able to do that in multiple series against playoff-level teams? I mean, it would be one thing if they were facing other teams that backed in thanks to a hilariously bad division, but... I get it; there's still time left and maybe some more things will click; it wouldn't be surprising at all if it does. But that it's gone this far being such an up and down mess, I can't help but think it's still a pretty big "if" in terms of that happening this season instead of "when." Like, I understand your basic breakdown of what's gone wrong above, but for some reason it doesn't feel like they've actually shaken a lot of that off.