MLB 2018 Season

[Dr. Blackheart]

Phew...some breathing room. El Mago being El Mago. 6 to win, 3 for WC.

Tough night for the Brewers. Can't shake the Pirates Vex.

[Dish]

Clutch loss for the Sox tonight with the Marlins & Tigers winning. The fight for #3 is going to come down to the last day. Hoping the Brewers rest as many people against the Tigers next weekend.  Tomorrow will be key with the Tigers/Fish having winnable games.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Don't think I've seen a 3 run wild pitch until today.

Nice to see Knebel cruising again. I said many a harsh word about him during the course of the season but he's been lights out since returning from AAA. 10.1 IP, 0 runs, 2 hits, 2 walks, 18 Ks.

[jsglow]

Don't think I've seen a 3 run wild pitch until today.

Nice to see Knebel cruising again. I said many a harsh word about him during the course of the season but he's been lights out since returning from AAA. 10.1 IP, 0 runs, 2 hits, 2 walks, 18 Ks.

Knebel has been lights out.  Whatever it was, I'm glad they took the time to straighten it out.

That was a successful weekend.  Need a solid stay in STL to tie this down.

[dgies9156]

Need a solid stay in STL to tie this down.

The Devilbird is playing pretty good ball,  Brother Glow. I would not be so sure!

Go Cards   

[tower912]

Tigers are going to be bad.    Not historically bad.    They won 43 games in 2003.     But 90-100 loss bad.  And they will make a deal for virtually anyone on the roster.    Fullmer, Castellanos, make an offer.    Basically, they want to blow it up and start on their own 5-7 year plan.

Anyone who follows baseball knew this was coming.  But I am feeling good about the 90-100 loss prediction.

[ChuckyChip]

Anyone who follows baseball knew this was coming.  But I am feeling good about the 90-100 loss prediction.

As a Tigers fan (as I am) I don't know how you can "feel good" about predicting 90-100 losses.  Yeah, everybody knew it was coning, no great insight there.  You were pretty far off on your 'trade everyone" forecast.  Besides relatively modest deals for Martin and Fiers, the Tigers were (for better or worse) quiet at the trade deadline.

[tower912]

They were all available.  Nobody wanted them.  Fulmer has spent the year hurt and is 3-12.  Castellanos had a nice season offensively, but statistically is a worse defensive outfielder than Schwarber.  Nobody bit on Iglesias or Greene.   Everybody else on the team is basically a AAA level player.  Actually impressed that they competed hard in almost every game.

[jsglow]

The Devilbird is playing pretty good ball,  Brother Glow. I would not be so sure!

Go Cards   

They're hanging in there, no doubt.  I'm expecting a WC game at Miller next week.  But the Cards do need to be careful here.  Six games against playoff teams to finish.  4-2 would be outstanding and probably enough to hold off Colorado.  3-3?  Maybe not.  The Crew has the luxury of finishing against Detroit where 2/3 should be expected, at least.

[Anti-Dentite]

They're hanging in there, no doubt.  I'm expecting a WC game at Miller next week.  But the Cards do need to be careful here.  Six games against playoff teams to finish.  4-2 would be outstanding and probably enough to hold off Colorado.  3-3?  Maybe not.  The Crew has the luxury of finishing against Detroit where 2/3 should be expected, at least.

7 at home against the Phillies and Nationals, Brewers and Cardinals along with Dodgers still have work to do.

[WI inferiority Complexes]

Opening Day tomorrow

PECOTA projections for 2018:

AL East
NYY 97-65
BOS 89-73
TB 83-79
TOR 79-83
BAL 70-92

AL Central
CLE 96-66
MIN 82-80
CWS 72-90
DET 68-94
KC 65-97

AL West
HOU 99-63
SEA 82-80
LAA 79-83
OAK 76-96
TEX 75-87

NL East
WSH 88-74
PHI 81-81
NYM 80-82
ATL 76-86
MIA 65-97

NL Central
CHC 91-71
STL 85-77
MIL 84-78
PIT 78-84
CIN 75-87

NL West
LAD 97-65
ARZ 87-75
SFG 83-79
COL 78-84
SD 73-89

I always think it's interesting to revisit PECOTA Projections. 
The program had the AL Playoff teams as: NYY, BOS, CLE, MIN, HOU (they overestimated the Twins and missed the A's).
The program had the NL Playoff teams as: WSH, CHC, STL, LAD, and ARZ (they overestimated the Nats and DBacks, and missed the Brewers and the Braves).

[MU82]

I always think it's interesting to revisit PECOTA Projections. 
The program had the AL Playoff teams as: NYY, BOS, CLE, MIN, HOU (they overestimated the Twins and missed the A's).
The program had the NL Playoff teams as: WSH, CHC, STL, LAD, and ARZ (they overestimated the Nats and DBacks, and missed the Brewers and the Braves).

The Twins?

Were lots of prognosticators actually expecting big things from them?

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

I always think it's interesting to revisit PECOTA Projections. 
The program had the AL Playoff teams as: NYY, BOS, CLE, MIN, HOU (they overestimated the Twins and missed the A's).
The program had the NL Playoff teams as: WSH, CHC, STL, LAD, and ARZ (they overestimated the Nats and DBacks, and missed the Brewers and the Braves).

Crazy thing is that their biggest misses record wise are the Orioles and Red Sox. The Os already have 18 more losses than they projected and still have 7 games to go. The Sox already have 16 more wins than projected with 6 games still to go. That's how high the highs have been and how low the lows have been.

Also, all four of the Cubs, Brewers, Cardinals, and Pirates should outplay their projected records. Central strong!

[buckchuckler]

The Twins?

Were lots of prognosticators actually expecting big things from them?

Yeah.  I believe they were widely predicted to make the playoffs.  Most prognosticators seemed to predict the same playoff teams as last year for the AL.

[buckchuckler]

The Dodgers are 58-38 in games in which Justin Turner plays.  They are 30-31 in games without him. 

[CTWarrior]

I always think it's interesting to revisit PECOTA Projections. 
The program had the AL Playoff teams as: NYY, BOS, CLE, MIN, HOU (they overestimated the Twins and missed the A's).
The program had the NL Playoff teams as: WSH, CHC, STL, LAD, and ARZ (they overestimated the Nats and DBacks, and missed the Brewers and the Braves).

Actually, if those were the records they projected, then Tampa Bay would have been the second wild card, not Minnesota.  I'm amazed at what Tampa Bay is able to do while spending no money.  I hate that opener idea of theirs, but it is smart and everyone will be using it in the next few years when they are not starting a very good pitcher.

One thing I hope MLB never does is expand the roster to 26 because there are too many pitchers now.  While all these flamethrowers throwing 98 for one inning is effective, it is not entertaining.

[MU82]

If it makes people feel any better, the Cardinals now have a worse record than either of the two other division leaders.

Meanwhile, the Brewers refuse to go away ... and the Cubbies refuse to score more than (or less than) 1 run in games against the Pirates!

[wadesworld]

The Pirates are pesky.  The Brewers know that much too well.  That is the team that is "decent," not the Reds.

The problem for the Brewers is that if the Cubs go 3-3 the Brewers need to go 4-1 just to force a one game playoff for the division winner, and that would be at Wrigley.  The Brewers could go 4-1 (split the last 2 with the Cards, sweep the Tigers at home to close out the season), but to win it outright I don't think the Cubs are going 2-4 down the stretch.

[Dr. Blackheart]

The Pirates are pesky.  The Brewers know that much too well.  That is the team that is "decent," not the Reds.

The problem for the Brewers is that if the Cubs go 3-3 the Brewers need to go 4-1 just to force a one game playoff for the division winner, and that would be at Wrigley.  The Brewers could go 4-1 (split the last 2 with the Cards, sweep the Tigers at home to close out the season), but to win it outright I don't think the Cubs are going 2-4 down the stretch.

Anything is possible.  It may come down to the extra game the Cubs have to play. 

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

The Pirates are pesky.  The Brewers know that much too well.  That is the team that is "decent," not the Reds.

The problem for the Brewers is that if the Cubs go 3-3 the Brewers need to go 4-1 just to force a one game playoff for the division winner, and that would be at Wrigley.  The Brewers could go 4-1 (split the last 2 with the Cards, sweep the Tigers at home to close out the season), but to win it outright I don't think the Cubs are going 2-4 down the stretch.

[Benny B]

Did anyone hear the official ruling from Cardinals fans on whether Jennings' 3-pitch start was acceptable by baseball standards?

Hopefully the answer is no, as I'm looking forward to seeing a few runs scored on HBP's tonight.

[GGGG]

Did anyone hear the official ruling from Cardinals fans on whether Jennings' 3-pitch start was acceptable by baseball standards?

Hopefully the answer is no, as I'm looking forward to seeing a few runs scored on HBP's tonight.

It's only acceptable for Cardinal fans if Jennings also received an OWI last night.

[🏀]

It's only acceptable for Cardinal fans if Jennings also received an OWI last night.

+1

[Jockey]

Anything is possible.  It may come down to the extra game the Cubs have to play.

I heard they had to play seven games in seven hours on Thursday

[GGGG]

I heard they had to play seven games in seven hours on Thursday

In slightly chilly weather.