MLB 2017 Season

[JWags85]

The old school baseball guy in me thought the same thing.  But in the brave new world of baseball bunting is the scarlet letter.

Unless you're Matt Wieters

[LAZER]

Quintana should go Game 1, use Lackey (or Montgomery) if you need to.

[Vander Blue Man Group]

Exactly. He was likely going to be the long man if any pitchers struggled in the first couple of innings.

I'd be tempted to go with Lackey in Game 1, Q in Game 2 and Lester in Game 3 on regular rest after his 55-pitch relief appearance. Lackey didn't have a great season but he had a 2.73 ERA over the last month. It'd give the rest of your starters a chance to get back on schedule a bit and the Cubs do not want to get into a bullpen battle with the Dodgers.

That said, my best guess in that we'll see Quintana in Game 1, Lester in Game 2 and Arrieta in Game 3.

I think you've gotta go Q in game 1 if he's ready.  I think we see Hendricks in 3 as that would be normal rest and Arrieta in 4 - just a guess. 

Rondon needs to make the roster.

Honestly, I'm not sure Lackey is necessary if you think Q can go in game 1 and feel good about Arrieta's hamstring. 

[LAZER]

The old school baseball guy in me thought the same thing.  But in the brave new world of baseball bunting is the scarlet letter.

If Nats were down a run I would've bunted.  Down two, I wouldn't.

[wadesworld]

Quintana should go Game 1, use Lackey (or Montgomery) if you need to.

[buckchuckler]

Unless you're Matt Wieters

I love that bunt against the shift.

[wadesworld]

I think you've gotta go Q in game 1 if he's ready.  I think we see Hendricks in 3 as that would be normal rest and Arrieta in 4 - just a guess. 

Rondon needs to make the roster.

Honestly, I'm not sure Lackey is necessary if you think Q can go in game 1 and feel good about Arrieta's hamstring.

[buckchuckler]

Exactly. He was likely going to be the long man if any pitchers struggled in the first couple of innings.

Umm, I think that is exactly what happened yesterday and it wasn't Lackey.

[MerrittsMustache]

Umm, I think that is exactly what happened yesterday and it wasn't Lackey.

Nope. Hendricks made it through 4. That's not the first couple innings.

I love that bunt against the shift.

As a Cubs fan, I hated that bunt. As a baseball fan, it was a really smart play. When they showed the shift, I said to my sons, "He's got to bunt it" and they both laughed at me. They were then blown away by my genius. It doesn't take much to impress 8-year-olds 

Honestly, I'm not sure Lackey is necessary if you think Q can go in game 1 and feel good about Arrieta's hamstring. 

Good point. Although, Montgomery had been Maddon's go-to long-man but he struggled in his 2 NLDS appearances which could open the door for Lackey to be on the roster. Rondon needs to be there over either Wilson or Lackey.

[buckchuckler]

Nope. Hendricks made it through 4. That's not the first couple innings.

While true, he didn't exactly bridge to the reliable part of the pen either.  I would have thought Lackey was preferrable to Montgomery, Strop, Duensing and co.

[Vander Blue Man Group]

[Vander Blue Man Group]

While true, he didn't exactly bridge to the reliable part of the pen either.  I would have thought Lackey was preferrable to Montgomery, Strop, Duensing and co.

Definitely not.  All three of those guys have been pretty reliable this season and had really good years.  Lackey had a nice second half but is really prone to the HR, which is magnified in the playoffs. 

[wadesworld]

+1

[Jockey]

The old school baseball guy in me thought the same thing.  But in the brave new world of baseball bunting is the scarlet letter.

I didn't really care about whether he bunted or not. But he had to make Davis throw pitches. It was a terrible AB for two reasons.

1. He had just walked two batters in a row. Lind comes up and swings at the 1st pitch.

2. Maddon had his cards on the table. Davis, who never throws more than one inning was the horse he was riding for the last 2 1/3 innings. At the point when Lind stepped to the plate, Davis had already thrown 20 pitches and still had 6 outs to go (not to mention the 2 walks). Make him go deep into the count. They had a chance to get him into the 50 pitch area.


Maybe if Dusty managed as hard as he chews on his toothpick, things would have turned out different. It's not against the rules to tell Lind to look at some pitches.

[CTWarrior]

I love me some Chris Sale, but this kind of start is pretty typical for him.
If I'm a BoSox fan, I'm worrying about this yearly late-season fade.

You were right on about this.

[buckchuckler]

I didn't really care about whether he bunted or not. But he had to make Davis throw pitches. It was a terrible AB for two reasons.

1. He had just walked two batters in a row. Lind comes up and swings at the 1st pitch.

2. Maddon had his cards on the table. Davis, who never throws more than one inning was the horse he was riding for the last 2 1/3 innings. At the point when Lind stepped to the plate, Davis had already thrown 20 pitches and still had 6 outs to go (not to mention the 2 walks). Make him go deep into the count. They had a chance to get him into the 50 pitch area.


Maybe if Dusty managed as hard as he chews on his toothpick, things would have turned out different. It's not against the rules to tell Lind to look at some pitches.

Yeah definitely.  It is a little league rule.  If the pitcher is being wild, let him be wild.  Don't help him out.
There were a lot of things that happened yesterday that violate many little league lessons.

The pitch count factor is a good point as well.  Just a really terrible AB by Lind. 

[MerrittsMustache]

Yeah definitely.  It is a little league rule.  If the pitcher is being wild, let him be wild.  Don't help him out.
There were a lot of things that happened yesterday that violate many little league lessons.

The pitch count factor is a good point as well.  Just a really terrible AB by Lind.

The other mindset is that when a pitcher has walked consecutive batters, he's more likely to throw a first ball fastball down the middle. I assume that's what Lind was looking for. IOW, it's not "wrong" to swing at the first pitch against a pitcher struggling with command but you need to be very particular about your pitch. You look for a certain pitch in a certain location and if you don't get that, you keep the bat on your shoulder. Lind's AB wasn't awful because he swung at the first pitch. It was awful because he got too anxious and rolled over a curveball on the first pitch.

[buckchuckler]

The other mindset is that when a pitcher has walked consecutive batters, he's more likely to throw a first ball fastball down the middle. I assume that's what Lind was looking for. IOW, it's not "wrong" to swing at the first pitch against a pitcher struggling with command but you need to be very particular about your pitch. You look for a certain pitch in a certain location and if you don't get that, you keep the bat on your shoulder. Lind's AB wasn't awful because he swung at the first pitch. It was awful because he got too anxious and rolled over a curveball on the first pitch.

To a degree you are right, but if he had rolled over the curve on 3-2 it wouldn't have been a horrible AB. 

[B. McBannerson]

Scoop at its best.

Rip a guy (Strasbourg) as gutless without any facts.

[#UnleashSean]

No announcement on nlcs roster? But quintana pitching game 1

[Dish]

No Corey Seager is no bueno for Dodgers.

[tower912]

Verlander being Verlander.  I remember Cubs fans who didn't want him at the trade deadline.   That is an ace, a horse.

[wadesworld]

Schwarber is SO bad out in left field. I don't care how many advanced stats people want to throw out there. Anything that makes him even remotely close to average is simply him being put into the right position before at bats by the coaching staff. I can't think of many outfielders that I've watched that are as bad defensively as Schwarber.

Also, Puig is a tool. Making his own curtain call and throwing up his arms like he hit a walk off homer on a line drive that hardly made it to the wall.

Anyways, go Dodgers.

[wadesworld]

And 5 minutes after I post that he makes the throw of his life.

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

Puig is a tool, that was a bad call. The throw took him across the plate.