caulfield12

Cardinal Nation Talk.

Putting on a true clinic TBS: Stellar pitching, crisp defense. The Braves & Brewers both look sharp in Game 1 of the NLDS. Headlines White Sox fans will never see with TLR as manager...

Regardless every button the manager pushed was precisely the wrong one. Can't get away with that against good to great teams on the road in the postseason. You also have a hard time winning without an ace pitcher who can completely shut down the other team...

What pitcher will shut down Houston those next one to two games?

We are also delusional, lol. Could have forecasted this based on HFA, season results vs. Hou, Rodon/Lynn falling off in second half and watching TLR make questionable decisions repeatedly. Never a strong team fundamentally or doing the little things to win.

More likely he gets lit up like a Christmas tree in his home state. One of the great unknowns of every playoff series since forever.

Don't forget Jimenez's role in all this. Not so many smiles and laughing right now. He really needs to work on his game and his physical conditioning.

At the very least we need a bullpen voodoo/witch doctor/shaman. Maybe Cotts and Politte can be honorary advisors.

Who thought Hernandez was actually going to get a hit...Engel at least had hit a ball this game on the screws. And knows how to play defense a bit.

Hahn has no way to sell Kimbrel and Hernandez coming back next season...but that has never stopped him before. Feels like back to 2008 and 2000 especially. And at least 2008 had a helluva final week, historic stuff. And at least Ozzie generally was pretty good with bullpens when he had the talent...

Sunday might be lowest rated playoff game of 2021 except for blips from Houston/Texas market.

Yes, not exactly recreating 2014-15 Royals' three headed monster dynamic.

Highlight of last decade for native Iowans...

Sunday will feel like a funeral. Hahn should be proud of this completely predictable result. One can already imagine his press conference saying all the right things but pushing the wrong buttons or claiming financial limitations.

It was so obvious...Hernandez is no threat, and Engel/Hamilton at least provide defensive run prevention value.

Adios, Kimbrel. Correa owns the postseason.

This is now looking like a slo motion train wreck. All the worst aspects of Sox baseball combined, minus Robert and Abreu giving it their all.

Here comes the icing on the cake.

What is our advance scouting budget? Have a feeling Top Ten posters at Sox Talk could strategize spray charts better...

There it is.

can we just start over with the entire bullpen other than Hendriks, who also had more change his share of blips this year as well but won't be traded...

Should Bummer have fielded that?

And we still have to fill those holes and Heuer as well with Kopech to rotation and Kimbrel too expensive.

Otoh, could be the Jays on the outside looking in...

Why do I have a feeling we see Kimbrel in this inning...