Dodgers are 15-4 this year v Padres. They will be delighted at the match up. I can only see Dodgers romping the NL but continue to pray for a Padres miracle. I'm used to them choking but at least it'll be a post season choke this year.
Guardians and Yankees will be a good series I imagine. Can only see Astros v Dodgers WS and think Dodgers look brutally strong this year...sadly.
- Braves win 3-0 to level the series 1-1 against the Phillies.
- Padres win 5-3 to level the series 1-1 against the Dodgers.
American League game 2s taking place tomorrow.
- Luis Castillo starting pitcher for the Mariners. - Framber Valdez starting pitcher for the Astros. - Shane Bieber starting pitcher for the Guardians. - Nestor Cortes starting pitcher for the Yankees
Get in there Padres. Had to win when Darvish was pitching. Now back to Petco Park where atmosphere should be electric. Relying on Snell and Musgrove to deliver because Manaea is going to be in over his head against the Dodgers.
The promising thing for Padres is that the whole team have started contributing for the first time this year. In fact, the quietest man in the squad seems to be Juan Soto. If he can come to life with one or two big moments, that might just swing an unlikely Series win. Still got to favour the Dodgers though as they can take a game away from you very quickly and then keep their foot down.
Just not right that 2 wild cards make the NLCS final IMHO. That's not based on bias that the Cards were eliminated - they deserved to be. But to have the teams with the 5th and 6th best records over the season, both with <90 wins, and none of the 3 with 100+ wins decide the NL championship, just ain't right. However many they want to have qualify for the post-season, they should be whittled down to 1 among all of them before taking on the Division champions IMHO.
Just not right that 2 wild cards make the NLCS final IMHO. That's not based on bias that the Cards were eliminated - they deserved to be. But to have the teams with the 5th and 6th best records over the season, both with <90 wins, and none of the 3 with 100+ wins decide the NL championship, just ain't right. However many they want to have qualify for the post-season, they should be whittled down to 1 among all of them before taking on the Division champions IMHO.
It’s a fair point. It does rather diminish the achievement of being the best team for the whole of the regular season when two “best of the rest” teams can roll in and effectively be a banana skin for anyone.
Having said that, there have been years where a team has won its division for no reason other than that the teams in that division was utterly awful that year. It seems appropriate in those circumstances that they have to play an extra wildcard game in order to progress to the postseason proper.
Not quite the case this year, but sometimes it would be.
At the end of the day though, getting to the postseason is only half the job. You’ve got to finish it off. Sometimes an inferior team will hit form at the right time. That’s sport for you!
Comments
Big names heading out the door and potentially a rotation throughout the roster this winter
NLDS: Phillies & Braves, Padres & Dodgers
ALDS: Guardians & Yankees, Mariners & Astros
Guardians and Yankees will be a good series I imagine. Can only see Astros v Dodgers WS and think Dodgers look brutally strong this year...sadly.
Mariners on the brink of winning game 1 against the Astros. Lead 7-3 with only six outs left to find.
Dodgers currently lead 5-0 through three innings against the Padres.
- Padres win 5-3 to level the series 1-1 against the Dodgers.
American League game 2s taking place tomorrow.
- Luis Castillo starting pitcher for the Mariners.
- Framber Valdez starting pitcher for the Astros.
- Shane Bieber starting pitcher for the Guardians.
- Nestor Cortes starting pitcher for the Yankees
The promising thing for Padres is that the whole team have started contributing for the first time this year. In fact, the quietest man in the squad seems to be Juan Soto. If he can come to life with one or two big moments, that might just swing an unlikely Series win. Still got to favour the Dodgers though as they can take a game away from you very quickly and then keep their foot down.
Phillies have taken a 4-0 lead in the third inning against the Braves in Philadelphia.
Mariners and Astros scoreless heading into extra innings.
Yankees lead 4-2 in Cleveland through five innings.
Absolutely fantastic. If they can just get over the line now…
That's not based on bias that the Cards were eliminated - they deserved to be. But to have the teams with the 5th and 6th best records over the season, both with <90 wins, and none of the 3 with 100+ wins decide the NL championship, just ain't right.
However many they want to have qualify for the post-season, they should be whittled down to 1 among all of them before taking on the Division champions IMHO.
Having said that, there have been years where a team has won its division for no reason other than that the teams in that division was utterly awful that year. It seems appropriate in those circumstances that they have to play an extra wildcard game in order to progress to the postseason proper.
At the end of the day though, getting to the postseason is only half the job. You’ve got to finish it off. Sometimes an inferior team will hit form at the right time. That’s sport for you!