JUSTgottaBELIEVE

Defense on cue

QUOTE (fathom @ Oct 7, 2016 -> 08:56 PM) Cubs are the same in terms of pitching and defense but have way better bats. Still surprised at how many thinks the Giants will win. Cubs bats have yet to prove they can come through against good pitching in October, as evidenced by their performance last year vs Mets.

QUOTE (fathom @ Oct 7, 2016 -> 08:45 PM) Not sure what stats say, but the Giants easily have the worst lineup of the 8 playoff teams Yes but they make up for it with stellar defense and pitching which is why they are going to win this series in close, low scoring games. Just need their bullpen to stabilize. Hopefully it has with Romo back in the closer role.

My friends and coworkers that are Cubs fans think I'm nuts for calling tonight's game a must win for the Cubs but this series does not set up well for the Cubs if they drop tonight's game. Plus, I've got $100 at 10:1 on the Giants to win the pennant so go Giants!

Has Bochy announced Shark as game 2 starter? I don't see that anywhere. I said it yesterday that it makes much more sense to start Moore with Shark available out of the pen for long relief. Hopefully Bochy agrees with this line of thinking.

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Oct 6, 2016 -> 07:52 AM) Like 3 days before the season ended, don't believe he is eligible for the playoffs he is eligible for a world series ring however

QUOTE (JUSTgottaBELIEVE @ Oct 5, 2016 -> 12:35 PM) A matchup with the Giants in the first round is a nightmare scenario for the Cubs. I think the Giants match up better with the Cubs than any other team in the NL. Cueto twice, Moore, and possibly Bumgarner twice if he goes on short rest in game 5. Cubs roster has a career OPS of 525 vs. Cueto and 597 vs. Bumgarner. Giants roster hasn't had much more success against Cubs starters either but in a tight low scoring game anything can happen. Not saying they are a lock to win the pennant but I think the 10:1 line on the Giants advancing to the World Series is the best bet in Vegas right now. We'll see if they can first get past Syndergaard tonight. What a difference one day makes. Those 10:1 odds as of yesterday afternoon are now 4:1 odds.

QUOTE (Buehrle>Wood @ Oct 5, 2016 -> 10:27 PM) Believe it's Lester vs Cueto, Hendricks vs Samardzija, Arrieta vs Bumgarner. Are they going shark over Moore? Why not start Moore and have shark available out of the pen, which clearly is something he's done well earlier in his career

QUOTE (JUSTgottaBELIEVE @ Oct 5, 2016 -> 09:54 PM) At the tender age of 27, Bumgarner is already an all time postseason great. The man is a machine. Good luck with that Cubs. The Cubs better take the first two at home otherwise they are in trouble.

QUOTE (BigHurt3515 @ Oct 5, 2016 -> 10:17 PM) He pitches Game 3 guaranteed. They get tomorrow off then 2 games then another day off. That is 4 days of rest I said in another thread I wouldn't be surprised to see bumgarner pitch in games 3 and 5 (on short rest in long relief).

QUOTE (greg775 @ Oct 5, 2016 -> 10:13 PM) Maybe Conor and Beckham can prevent the Cubs from advancing. Too bad Madison can't pitch til Game Four. Why? He's going game 3 on normal rest.

QUOTE (BigHurt3515 @ Oct 5, 2016 -> 10:11 PM) I knew Conor could be a starting 3B on a playoff team!! Just needed to build around him lol They keep saying his defense improved and advanced metrics this season seem to agree. That was his biggest issue in a white sox uniform.

QUOTE (BigHurt3515 @ Oct 5, 2016 -> 08:49 PM) Conor Gillaspie starting 3B for a playoff team. Ha!

At the tender age of 27, Bumgarner is already an all time postseason great.

QUOTE (Harry Chappas @ Oct 3, 2016 -> 09:24 AM) Mets will win and blown their only starter in the process and then get swept by the cub. Giants are the favorite and I would go as far as saying a lock if the game were in SF but with the game in NYC it's a toss up. Bumgarner has been much more effective at home than on the road this season. Syndergaard has been slightly more effective on the road than at home so it should be interesting.

A matchup with the Giants in the first round is a nightmare scenario for the Cubs. I think the Giants match up better with the Cubs than any other team in the NL. Cueto twice, Moore, and possibly Bumgarner twice if he goes on short rest in game 5. Cubs roster has a career OPS of 525 vs. Cueto and 597 vs. Bumgarner. Giants roster hasn't had much more success against Cubs starters either but in a tight low scoring game anything can happen. Not saying they are a lock to win the pennant but I think the 10:1 line on the Giants advancing to the World Series is the best bet in Vegas right now. We'll see if they can first get past Syndergaard tonight.

QUOTE (ChiliIrishHammock24 @ Sep 29, 2016 -> 01:09 AM) Sox still have the 12th pick. Can technically still get the 11th pick if they lose the last 4 and Colorado wins the last 4. But far more realistic is that the Sox could actually end up with the 12th pick if the Sox win 2 more games than the Pirates do in these last 4 games. We are 1 game "ahead" of them for the 11th pick, but we own the tiebreaker, so the Pirates would need to finish with 1 less win. So that makes us technically 1.5 GA of the Pirates for the 12th spot. EDIT: Actually, the Marlins lost today. So the Sox are only 0.5 games up on the Marlins for the 12 pick because the Marlins hold the tie-breaker over the Sox. So the 13th pick is a real possibility, with the 14th pick being possible as well. Ugh. They're just too good! Nice to see a strong finish though and a 3 or 4 win improvement from last season. It has been a steady improvement since bottoming out in 2013. Hopefully next year they take a bigger step forward with a 7 or 8 win improvement, which would put them in the thick of playoff contention.

QUOTE (Buehrle>Wood @ Sep 16, 2016 -> 10:19 PM) Should that 1 other run have been unearned? Missed the play. Get that era below 3 and I think Sale backdoors his way into the Cy Young 18 wins combined with a sub 3 ERA would do it. He's got a chance

QUOTE (JUSTgottaBELIEVE @ Sep 16, 2016 -> 09:51 PM) Nah he's going to try to finish this one himself As I said. Great outing for Sale tonight. 6 straight starts of 8+ IP. Workhorse! Sox playing some good baseball this week. Almost back to .500

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Sep 16, 2016 -> 09:49 PM) Haha...now the Sox can try for their own blown save. At least Sale can get one of the mosr unusual wins of his career if Jones and Robertson cooperate. Nah he's going to try to finish this one himself

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Sep 16, 2016 -> 09:28 PM) The only thing surprising here is that the blown save can't come from the White Sox. If the Royals avoid Soria, it's possible they avoid the same outcome, just maybe. Abreu should have tried to work Herrera a bit more because they're asking him to go multiple innings, but swung at the first pitch. Royals pen blew it alright! In epic fashion. Who lets Carlos Sanchez beat them with a 3 run bomb? LOL at the Royals right now

QUOTE (OmarComing25 @ Sep 16, 2016 -> 04:01 PM) http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2016/09/15...-sox-.html?_r=1 Apparently before the game yesterday Abreu told a boy with cancer he'd try to hit a homerun for him. That's really really cool. Jose seems like such a class act. Not sure how anyone could not root for the guy.

QUOTE (pettie4sox @ Sep 14, 2016 -> 08:42 PM) That's why I asked, because someone said that was Avi's fault. That was on the very catchable foul ball that led to the first walk of the inning and would have been the second out. Not the triple two batters later

QUOTE (elrockinMT @ Sep 14, 2016 -> 08:38 PM) Rodon not looking good. Started out well and seems to be struggling It's encouraging when he doesn't have his best stuff and still has a chance for a quality start.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Sep 14, 2016 -> 05:49 PM) Fisk was the better overall player because of position, but at that point in their respective careers, Baines was in his prime and Fisk was nearing the end. Unless you can argue another team would have given up the same package the Rangers surrendered. Of course, as a DH, those players forever be handicapped statistically until they come up with a better stat than WAR. That's how you could also argue a month ago that Avila was "better" than Abreu. Fisk and Baines had the same wRC+ of 129 that season. So while Baines hit really well and outhit most DHs that season the same exact thing could be said about Fisk relative to other catchers. And then obviously Fisk played the toughest position on the diamond at an above average level, that's what really separated the two that season and made Fisk the better player.