NL Playoff Matchups

[Gwreck]

Pirates/Reds go to extra innings this afternoon before the Pirates give up a grand slam in the bottom of the tenth. Cardinals' magic number to clinch the Central is now 1.

Accordingly, barring a tie for the Central (one-game playoff would be at St. Louis on Monday) the matchups are going to be:

Giants at Pirates for the Wild-Card game; winner plays at Nationals.

Cardinals at Dodgers.

[Frayed Knot]

NL WC game will be 8PM Wednesday on ESPN

[Guest Mets � Willets Point]

Gwreck wrote: Cardinals at Dodgers.

At least that means that one loathsome team gets knocked out early.

[Frayed Knot]

Pirates lose, so the Cardinals game just starting now becomes irrelevant.

East = Nationals
Central = Cards
West = Dodgers

Pirates host Giants Wednesday night for the WC tilt, winner heads to Washington

Cards head to LA

[bmfc1]

Great break for STL because they can sit Wainwright.

[Frayed Knot]

1st game for them won't be until friday which will be his regular day anyway so I assume he's pitching anyway today (game just starting).
They'll probably just pull him early. Give him the old 'Five and Fly'.

[Zvon]

Pshew, that's gonna be a tough road for those Bucs.

[bmfc1]

STL already yanked their Wainwright.
Wainwright v Kershaw on Friday.

[Frayed Knot]

Weird in my mind that they'd prefer to have him on ten days rest rather than just get a couple innings in today, but they're there and I'm not.

[Guest d'Kong76]

Not looking good for el buccos!

[Zvon]

What happened to my Bucs? They Sux! 7-0? Damn.

[Zvon]

8-0. Jeeze. Out with a whimper. Bummer for the Buccos. Well, they have a chance. But I don't see no royal comeback here.

[Frayed Knot]

They got Bumgarner'ed

[Zvon]

Well, that sucked. Royals in the AL. Switching to...Dodgers I guess, NL. And I hope Trout does troutly things.

Yea, gj by The Bum.

[MFS62]

Ouch!
I can only root for an NL team.
But the Bucs are gone, and I can't bring myself to root for either of the teams that fled New York.
And who can like what the Nationals did to the Mets this year?
So, it has to be the Cards.
Grudgingly.

Later

[bmfc1]

Come on Giants! Do it for your long suffering fans. No? Then do it for me, especially on Saturday night when I attend break fast (it's a Jewish thing) at the home of a Nationals season ticket holder.

[Lefty Specialist]

MFS62 wrote: Ouch! I can only root for an NL team. But the Bucs are gone, and I can't bring myself to root for either of the teams that fled New York. And who can like what the Nationals did to the Mets this year? So, it has to be the Cards. Grudgingly. Later

Ick. Screw the Cardinals. Anything but them and their 'best fans in America'. I can live with the Nats winning it-once. But I think the Royals would be awesome. It would give hope to long-suffering fans everywhere (looks in mirror).

[Guest Mets � Willets Point]

The teams that last won a World Series in 1983, 1984, and 1985 are all in the playoffs this year. That should give some hope to the fans of the team that last won a World Series in 1986.

[Guest sharpie]

Giants or Nationals, fine. No to the Cards or Dodgers.

[Guest sharpie]

sharpie wrote: Giants or Nationals, fine. No to the Cards or Dodgers.

Anybody but the Angels in the AL.

[Guest d'Kong76]

San Francisco at Washington
When: 3:00 PM ET, Friday, October 3, 2014
Where: Nationals Park, Washington, District of Columbia
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After being reduced to a spectator during his team's postseason run two years ago, Stephen Strasburg makes his playoff debut Friday as the Washington Nationals host the San Francisco Giants in Game 1 of the best-of-five National League Division Series. The 26-year-old fireballer was held out of the 2012 postseason by Washington in a bid to protect his surgically repaired right elbow. Fast forward to the present, and it's full steam ahead as the East champion Nationals breezed to the NL's best record of 96-66 and also won five of the seven meetings with the Giants this season.

San Francisco won its eighth consecutive postseason game dating to the 2012 NLCS and a trip to Washington after cruising to an 8-0 rout of Pittsburgh in Wednesday's wild-card game. Brandon Crawford provided an unlikely jolt with a grand slam and portly Pablo Sandoval added two hits, two runs and an over-the-railing acrobatic catch in the lopsided victory. Sandoval is hitting .330 in 106 at-bats in his career versus Washington and .317 this season against right-handers, but 3-for-12 with five strikeouts against Strasburg.

TV:
3:07 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1

PITCHING MATCHUP:
Giants RH Jake Peavy (7-13, 3.73 ERA) vs. Nationals RH Stephen Strasburg (14-11, 3.14)

Peavy overcame losing his first three outings since being acquired from Boston by winning six of seven before settling for a pair of no-decisions to end the regular season. The 33-year-old seems to have put his penchant for surrendering the long ball on hold, allowing just three in 12 outings (78 2/3 innings) with the Giants after permitting 20 in as many appearances (124 innings) with the Red Sox. Peavy was blitzed for three homers and six runs in 5 1/3 innings in his last appearance against the Nationals on April 9, 2013 while with the Chicago White Sox.

Strasburg finished the season with a flourish, tossing 20 shutout innings over his last three starts while posting victories in six of his last seven decisions. The former top overall pick wasn't as fortunate in his last meeting with the Giants, allowing five runs on eight hits in four innings before escaping with a no-decision Aug. 24. That contest was in San Francisco, but Strasburg has pitched far better in 18 starts at home - securing a 9-3 mark with a 2.56 ERA.

WALK-OFFS:
1. Denard Span's 184 hits were the most by a Nationals player since the franchise moved from Montreal. He is 7-for-20 with five doubles in his career against Peavy.
2. San Francisco C Buster Posey is batting a league-best .354 after the All-Star break and has enjoyed sparkling success versus Strasburg (.385 in 13 at-bats) in his career.
3. Washington rookie manager Matt Williams was a third baseman for San Francisco during his 17-year career.
*************************************
St. Louis at LA Dodgers
When: 6:30 PM ET, Friday, October 3, 2014
Where: Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, California
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The Los Angeles Dodgers look to exact revenge for last year's postseason dismissal when they host the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 1 of their National League Division Series on Friday. The NL West champion Dodgers were ousted by St. Louis in six games in the 2013 NL Championship Series, ending their bid for their first pennant since 1988. St. Louis went on to lose to Boston in the World Series in six.

Los Angeles claimed its second straight division title this season, finishing two games behind NL East champion Washington for the best record in the senior circuit. It rolls into the postseason with a five-game winning streak and an 8-2 mark over its final 10 regular-season contests, while St. Louis held off wild-card recipient Pittsburgh to capture its second consecutive NL Central crown. The Cardinals have made the playoffs five of the last six years and reached the World Series two of the last three seasons.

TV:
6:37 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1

PITCHING MATCHUP:
Cardinals RH Adam Wainwright (20-9, 2.38 ERA) vs. Dodgers LH Clayton Kershaw (21-3, 1.77)

Wainwright had another sensational season, posting at least 19 victories for the fourth time in five years and matching his career high of 20 originally set in 2010. The 33-year-old ended the campaign with a five-start winning streak, allowing a total of two runs and tossing two of his five complete games over his final four outings. Wainwright has posted a 2.90 ERA in 14 career games - 11 starts - against the Dodgers but owns only a 4-5 overall record and a 1-3 mark at Los Angeles, where he suffered a 1-0 complete-game loss on June 26 in which he allowed just five hits.

The only thing likely to keep Wainwright from capturing his first NL Cy Young Award was the incredible 2014 performance by Kershaw, who led the major leagues in wins, ERA, complete games (six) and WHIP (0.86) while finishing second in opposing batting average (.196). The 26-year-old, who is ticketed for his third overall Cy Young Award and second in a row, closed the season by winning each of his last seven starts - working eight innings six times and yielding fewer than two earned runs on five occasions. Kershaw has been ordinary against St. Louis over his career, going 5-5 with a 3.46 ERA in 14 outings, but struck out 13 over seven scoreless innings in a victory at home June 29.

WALK-OFFS:
1. Dodgers LHP Hyun-Jin Ryu, who hasn't pitched since Sept. 12 due to a sore shoulder, threw a 45-pitch simulated game Wednesday with hopes of starting Game 3.
2. St. Louis C Yadier Molina is a .294 career hitter in the postseason, but .239 in the NLDS.
3. The Cardinals are 3-1 versus the Dodgers in the postseason, winning NLCS matchups in 1985 and 2013 as well as the 2004 NLDS. Los Angeles swept the 2009 NLDS showdown.

[Guest Mets � Willets Point]

All noughts in the top of the third in Washington for the Giants and Nationals. Is Jake Peavy really the Giants' second best starting pitcher?

[Frayed Knot]

Mets � Willets Point wrote: Is Jake Peavy really the Giants' second best starting pitcher?

Probably not. But in an era where Zito is gone, Matt Cain is injured, and Lincecum is nothing like his former self, he's closer to 2nd best than SF is likely comfortable with.
And at the moment he's no-hitting the Nats (thru 3).

[Guest Mets � Willets Point]

I've just not been paying enough attention. It seems that just a few months ago, Lincecum was throwing his second no-hitter. I missed his demotion to the bullpen.

And of course, now that I've questioned Peavy's credentials, he's only allowed one baserunner over four innings.

[Frayed Knot]

Mets � Willets Point wrote: I've just not been paying enough attention. It seems that just a few months ago, Lincecum was throwing his second no-hitter..

It was. It's just that the good games for little Timmy have increasingly become the exception rather than the rule over the last few seasons.

[Frayed Knot]

Nice little pitcher's duel out there in LA

[Guest d'Kong76]

San Francisco at Washington
When: 5:30 PM ET, Saturday, October 4, 2014
Where: Nationals Park, Washington, District of Columbia
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The San Francisco Giants attempt to extend their postseason winning streak and put a stranglehold on their National League Division Series when they visit the Washington Nationals for Game 2 on Saturday. San Francisco, which advanced to the NLDS by trouncing Pittsburgh in the wild-card game on Wednesday, built a three-run lead in Friday's series opener before holding on for a 3-2 triumph. Joe Panik, Brandon Belt and Buster Posey each delivered an RBI single while Jake Peavy yielded two hits over 5 2/3 scoreless innings as the Giants posted their ninth straight playoff victory.

NL East champion Washington made a late comeback attempt, with Bryce Harper and Asdrubal Cabrera belting solo home runs in the seventh inning, but was unable to gain the upper hand in the series. The Nationals, who finished with the best record in the NL during the regular season, look to avoid being pushed to the brink of elimination in the best-of-five series and hope to head to San Francisco with the matchup even at one win apiece. Giants veteran Tim Hudson makes his 10th career playoff start as he faces Jordan Zimmermann, who enters with one postseason start - a loss at St. Louis - under his belt.

TV:
5:37 p.m. ET, FS1

PITCHING MATCHUP:
Giants RH Tim Hudson (9-13, 3.57 ERA) vs. Nationals RH Jordan Zimmermann (14-5, 2.66)

Hudson struggled down the stretch, losing each of his last four outings to extend his winless streak to six starts. The 39-year-old, who hasn't pitched in the postseason since 2010 while with Atlanta, has surrendered three or more runs in five straight starts and at least five in three of those contests. Hudson improved to 18-5 in 31 career turns against the Nationals franchise on Aug. 22, when he allowed two runs - one earned - over 5 1/3 innings at Washington.

Zimmermann is coming off the best performance of his career as he tossed the first no-hitter in Nationals history on Sept. 28 against Miami. The 28-year-old won each of his last eight decisions during the regular season, ending the campaign with a 13-start unbeaten streak after losing at Philadelphia on July 11. Zimmermann raised his career record versus San Francisco to 5-2 on Aug. 23 as he yielded only two runs while striking out eight in as many innings.

WALK-OFFS:
1. San Francisco 3B Pablo Sandoval enters Saturday with a club-record 12-game postseason hitting streak.
2. Three of Washington's six hits in the opener went for extra bases, as OF Nate Schierholtz - a former Giant - delivered a pinch-hit double.
3. The Giants went just 3-for-15 with runners in scoring position in Game 1.
*******************************
St. Louis at LA Dodgers
When: 9:30 PM ET, Saturday, October 4, 2014
Where: Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, California
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The Los Angeles Dodgers look to shake off a disappointing loss and even their National League Division Series at one win apiece when they host the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday. NL West champion Los Angeles appeared on its way to victory in Friday's opener as Cy Young Award favorite Clayton Kershaw was staked to a 6-2 lead after six innings. But St. Louis touched the 21-game winner for six runs and six hits during an eight-run seventh and held off a late comeback attempt to emerge with a thrilling 10-9 triumph.

Los Angeles outhit NL Central champion St. Louis 16-10 but went just 4-for-14 with runners in scoring position and stranded 11 while the Cardinals left just one runner on base. Matt Carpenter belted a solo homer and put St. Louis ahead with a three-run double during the huge seventh inning while Matt Holliday capped it with a three-run blast. A.J. Ellis highlighted a 4-for-5 performance with a two-run homer and Adrian Gonzalez added a two-run shot of his own for the Dodgers, who hope to avoid falling into an 0-2 hole in the best-of-five series.

TV:
9:37 p.m. ET, MLB Network

PITCHING MATCHUP:
Cardinals RH Lance Lynn (15-10, 2.74 ERA) vs. Dodgers RH Zach Greinke (17-8, 2.71)

Lynn ended the regular season with a four-game winless streak but produced quality starts in each of his last nine outings. The 27-year-old hasn't allowed more than three runs since June 28, when he was tagged for seven - six earned - over two innings in a loss to Saturday's counterpart Zach Greinke at Los Angeles. Lynn is 3-1 in five career starts against the Dodgers but owns a hefty 4.50 ERA.

Greinke finished the 2014 campaign with an eight-game unbeaten streak that included five victories. The 30-year-old former American League Cy Young Award winner allowed more than two earned runs only twice during his run and yielded fewer than two on four occasions. Greinke fell to 9-4 in 14 career games - 12 starts - against the Cardinals on July 19, when he surrendered four runs on six hits and five walks over 5 2/3 innings at St. Louis.

WALK-OFFS:
1. Kershaw is the first pitcher in major-league history to surrender at least seven runs in back-to-back playoff starts.
2. Los Angeles LF Carl Crawford enters Saturday with a club-record 11-game postseason hitting streak.
3. The eight runs in the seventh on Friday were the most allowed in a postseason inning by the Dodgers since St. Louis also scored eight in a frame during their 1985 NL Championship Series.

[Frayed Knot]

Last two Clayton Kershaw post-season outings, both vs the Cardinals: 10-2/3 IP; 15 ER; 24 H -- Dodgers lose 9-0 and 10-9

The one prior to that, also against the Cards, was 6 innings of 1 (unearned) run/2 hit ball -- Dodgers lose 1-0

Go Figure

[Zvon]

Gotta feel for Dodger fans after last night. A big lead with Kershaw on the mound. Ouch.

[Guest d'Kong76]

I don't feel anything, except maybe a little giggly...

1. Kershaw is the first pitcher in major-league history to surrender at least seven runs in back-to-back playoff starts.