NL 1st Round Playoffs

[Frayed Knot]

Just as a refresher course: Starting Wednesday, best of three, no days off, all games at the stadium of the higher seed



#1 vs # 8 -- Brewers @ Dodgers



#2 vs #7 -- Reds @ Braves



#3 vs #6 -- Marlins @ Cubs (will Bartman be there??)



#4 vs #5 -- Cardinals @ Padres

[bmfc1]

Are there any rooting interests in these games? The Brewers have cool unis and aren't the Dodgers; the Reds aren't the Braves; the Cubs aren't the Marlins but the Marlins aren't the Cubs so that's a tough one; the Padres aren't the Cardinals. So: MIL, CIN, ugh, SD.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

I'm just happy Philly missed out too. Could give a shit about the rest

[Benjamin Grimm]

Yeah, me too. The only thing I care about at this point is that the Yankees get knocked out as soon as possible.

[kcmets]

I'll probably abstain (courteously, of course) from watching NL games.

[MFS62]

=bmfc1 post_id=47584 time=1601256512 user_id=73]
Are there any rooting interests in these games? The Brewers have cool unis and aren't the Dodgers; the Reds aren't the Braves; the Cubs aren't the Marlins but the Marlins aren't the Cubs so that's a tough one; the Padres aren't the Cardinals. So: MIL, CIN, ugh, SD.

[Frayed Knot]

I think it would be cool if the only guy allowed in the Wrigley stands for this round were Bartman

[MFS62]

Frayed Knot wrote: I think it would be cool if the only guy allowed in the Wrigley stands for this round were Bartman

... with a pet goat.

Later

[bmfc1]

Excellent point MFS62. Jeter+Mattingly v. DT Loving Ricketts family (most of them) is still tough but Anthony Rizzo is a good guy so yes, Cubs.

[Frayed Knot]

I'm, perhaps oddly, less opinionated in the NL this year than the AL

I generally like to see the best teams get through especially this year as a lower seed winning could mean a sub-500 team in the WS -- although maybe that would serve as a warning not to do this again.

Part of me sadistically wants to see the Dodgers reach the WS again only to lose it again.

Definitely Padres over Cardinals although SD's pitching starting coming apart at the seems in the final week.

I'm sort of Brewer & Red ignorant this season.

And speaking of the Reds, I wonder if Thom Brennerman's 'Fag Capital' got their team in this year's playoffs?

[Frayed Knot]

Wed Sept 30;



-- Reds @ Braves -- 1200 (EDT) ESPN



-- Marlins @ Cubs -- 1400 ABC



-- Cards @ Padres -- 1700 ESPN2



-- Brewers @ Dodgers -- 2200 ESPN

[vtmet7]

don't care for any of the NL teams...however, I have 2 long suffering Reds fans as friends, so I guess I will root for the Reds since both of these guys seem like good people...plus my sister was a huge Reds fan when I was a kid...I think that she is a Mets fan now, but I don't talk sports with her much anymore

[Frayed Knot]

Braves v Reds scoreless headed to bottom 10

[MFS62]

Still 0-0 , bottom of the 12th.

Both starters (Bauer and Fried) went 7 , and neither issued a BB.

Later

[Frayed Knot]

And a Freddie single wins it in the 13th

Reds went to a five-IF alignment but it didn't matter.

[Frayed Knot]

The Marlins, who have never lost a playoff series in franchise history, draw first blood vs the Cubbies but lose OF Starling Marte to a late game HBP/broken hand

[MFS62]

Second game of Cubs/ Marlins series rained out.

Later

[bmfc1]

The Braves advance against the flaccid Reds. Crap.

[Frayed Knot]

22 innings = zero runs scored for the Reds

Remember when Atlanta's early season problem was their starting pitching?








=MFS62 post_id=47798 time=1601582869 user_id=60]
Second game of Cubs/ Marlins series rained out.

[ashie62]

Yup. Difficult weather for the Marlins to swim in today.

[bmfc1]

Watching Central and West teams is novel for us in 2020. Other than STL, we haven't seen any of these teams play the Mets this year (I'm including Spring Training). SD is impressive. Let's wish them success tonight against STL.

[Benjamin Grimm]

It's strange to think that the LCS might feature teams that didn't meet in the regular season, but the World Series might feature teams that did face each other.

[Frayed Knot]

=bmfc1 post_id=47848 time=1601643948 user_id=73]
Watching Central and West teams is novel for us in 2020. Other than STL, we haven't seen any of these teams play the Mets this year (I'm including Spring Training). SD is impressive. Let's wish them success tonight against STL.

[LWFS]

This Marlins-Cubs game is the antithesis of the Yankees-Indians game. Brisk, well-played, great pitching and defense. Sixto Sanchez matching Darvish frame-for-frame. When balls are getting hit, they're getting hit hard... they're just getting played very well.



I mean, Kyle F#cking Dancing Bear Schwarber just made a great play to nail a fast runner at second on a ball hit into the ivy.

[MFS62]

2-0 Fish in the top of the 8th.

Later

[Frayed Knot]

The HP ump called Wilson Contreras back after ruling that he stuck his wing in front of the pitch. Don't see that too often but it was the right call.

Two pitches later he got hit in the same spot but this time it was legit.

[MFS62]

Jeter's fu**ing fish advance 2-0.

Later

[Frayed Knot]

Pads up 1-0 after six



If SD holds onto this lead, then the four NL Central that reached the playoffs will be the four 1st round losers



I've never heard of any of these SD relievers (and they've used like 17 of them so far.



And I hate to sound like a broken record, but the opening six frames of a 1-0 game took right about 2-1/2 hours

[Frayed Knot]

StL defense letting them down.

Two consecutive potential (though neither easy) DP balls were turned into a total of ZERO outs.

[Frayed Knot]

What a weird bottom 7th

-- runner on 1st, bouncer to 2nd = no outs + E, 2nd & 3rd

-- based loaded (following IBB) bouncer to 3rd = run in when 3B fails to touch base AND throws poorly home (and Molina fumbled the pick-up). Still no one out.

-- a walk brings in another run (3-0)

-- another IF bouncer this one resulting in the rare 4-2-6 DP ... although it took the 2B ump a minute to realize that it WAS a force at 2nd