Biggest Cubs Brewers series in a long time this weekend. Cubs seem to be peaking at the perfect time right now. Still not sure they have enough to get to a WS. Haven't shown long stretches of consistency over all all year.

15-3 on the season in them. Such a joke.

I suspect they'll be decent sized underdogs vs the Nats (maybe +140-150?), would need to run above expectation to beat them obv. That said Scherzer had a bad start recently so there is some hope.

Agree, especially with bro back. I think they can beat the Nats but I don't see them going past the NLCS this year unfortunately. NL to deep and Cubs to inconsistent all year. Can't say Id be happy with that but i don't think it will hurt to much after last year. I can absolutely see them laying a huge egg and being swept out too they way they've been up and down all year.

I don't know if you guys are just emotionally hedging or what, but the Cubs aren't severely less likely to win any series than anyone else in this crapshoot. History is full of elite teams getting swept out and mediocre wild cards winning it all. I mean it's a safe bet that they will lose at some point since no one has much more than 20% WS equity right now, but if they do, it won't be because they weren't consistent enough in June or because they faced a team they couldn't easily beat 45+% of the time. They have the best record in the NL in the 2nd half (2nd only to the Indians in MLB), so they won't be an easy matchup for anyone.

No hedging here just my thoughts. I've thought the same since before the ASB and their record since then hasn't changed my mind. Since the ASB they've beaten up on really bad teams and have been average against the teams that will be there when its going to count.

That pretty much describes everyone though. That's the whole point, good teams generally aren't much better or worse than other good teams, making the playoffs largely a crapshoot.

Since the ASB vs >.500 teams:
Cubs: 11-10
Nationals: 13-13
Dodgers: 8-14

I'm sure there are sportswriters & fans in Washington & LA right now also wringing their hands over how they're so inconsistent against good teams and resigning themselves to the fact that they'll probably be exposed and make a quick playoff exit too.

I do know that I'm excited as **** for playoff baseball this year. Cubs go 2-1 against the Brewers this weekend that should basically seal the deal.

COYC

Has Severino ever won a game in cold weather? He seems to struggle when it's cold and wet.

Judge

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Ichiro since July 5th, 96 PA’s…

.341 BA
.432 OBP
.427 SLG

Go back another month, since June 5th..

.319 BA
.392 OBP
.405 SLG

Too bad on June 4th he had a .459 OPS.

Why the f is it taking stadiums so long to add a couple grand worth of netting to their baselines? **** your sightlines and foul balls.

That kid that got hit must be seriously hurt. Holliday was in tears. It seemed like the fans didn't know what was going on but the players knew exactly what happened.

Iowa cubs AAA team installed ones that go even with the bases this year. A lady got knocked out cold by a ball still that hooked around the end of the net down the 3rd base line at a game I was at earlier this year.

How far should the nets go down the baselines? Even with the bases? Farther?

I'm amazed that Bartolo has found 135.2 innings of work this year. He's been getting pounded all year. 100 earned runs allowed now.

Lester doesn't look right again. Brought back too fast?

I'm fine w/ nets down to the foul poles. I've been to 50ish MLB games and have never caught a foul ball. I don't get the allure of getting to "catch a foul ball!" I'd personally rather a net and not have to worry about my face caving in but that's just me.

Not Ray too!

Never mind. Forgot we have JD. We're good

Archie for CY.

I played on a fall ball team as a freshman with Rocky Gale, guy who hit his first homer for the Padres tonight. It was his first big league at bat in nearly two years, to complement his one career total base in ten at bats! His expression as he approaches second his priceless. He's a one or two HRs per year type in the minors.

I love those stories. I can't even imagine how excited I'd be in that situation.

It sucks that MLB fixed a WildCard system that was just fine. Three division leaders and the next best team worked just fine.

Just look at the crappy #5 teams that the Yankees and Arizona are likely to have to face in a play-in game. Yankees have a +186 run differential. Minnesota is -3...... great....

I know, I know....its all about $$ and keeping teams in the chase, but blah....

It was an awesome moment.

He was practically laughing.

Of the 50 players who have 200 or more saves. Here are the best and the worst at WAR per Save based on fangraphs WAR and removing any pitcher that has >10% of their games played as starters (Drops off Eckersley, Righetti, and Aguilera)

Top 5
Hoyt Wilhelm
Rich Gossage
Rollie Fingers
Aroldis Chapman
Doug Jones

Bottom 5 (last being worst)
Jose Valverde
Jeff Reardon
Fernando Rodney
Rod Beck
Bobby Thigpen


Now that might not be fair due to people attempting to get saves, so lets go WAR per inning pitched for the same sample, removing the same players.

Top 5
Craig Kimbrel
Aroldis Chapman
Kenley Jansen
Mariano Rivera
Billy Wagner

Obviously younger active players have an advantage here because they haven't played the decline of their career yet.

Bottom 5
Rod Beck
Jeff Reardon
Jose Mesa
Jeff Shaw
Bobby Thigpen

(Rodney was 7th worst)