95 thoughts on “NLDS Game 5”

  5. Nats vs. Dodgers would be so much more interesting to me than Cubs vs. Dodgers. I am heavily in favor of D.C. pulling this one out.

            1. Managers have gone too far the other way sometimes in the playoffs. I'm all for bullpen games, but managers aren't even trusting their relievers anymore. Pedro Strop is good every year but Maddon suddenly hates him come playoff time.

              1. This. Putting on your starter here tells everyone you have no faith in the team winning otherwise.

                I feel like non-specialist relievers (again) fix this problem. Yankees beat Cleveland (and MN) because they trusted their bullpen.

                    2. This thinking leads to Scherzer's outing tonight. Remind me, how did that work out?

                      You have to appropriately hedge your bets in the playoffs.

              2. IIRC, Bert Blyleven was warming up during Game 7 when Frank Viola was struggling a little bit in Game 7 and Twins trailed early 2-0. Blyleven pitched Game 5, so it would have been relieving on 2 days rest.

              3. I suspect part of it is managers not wanting to get criticized. If you lose while leaving Scherzer in the bullpen, people will complains that the manager lost the game by not using his best pitcher. If you bring Scherzer in and he gets hit, people will say the manager went with his best and it just didn't work.

                1. I don't say that. I think both managers did poorly this series by insulting their bullpen and burning their starters.

        2. FWIW, you should never plan to have your best pitcher available for game 7. You should plan to win it before it gets to 7, with your ace picking up two wins if needed.

          1. doesn't this imply that you should be willing to use your best available pitchers in an elimination game even if it is not Game 7 (or Game 5)? 😉

  12. I wonder if a Nats fan would rather get swept every time rather than losing comically in five games every time.

  13. How did Jayson Werth not score on that double?

    Every time I watch Werth play, I get more annoyed with him. He always comes off a player who does less with more (like botching that flyball last inning, too.)

    1. And how did Zimmerman not score on that double?

      Edited: on replay, Zobrist just played it really well and got it in quickly

      1. I'm ignoring game numbers, obviously.

        ALDS: Astros over Red Sox in four, Yankees over Indians in four
        NLDS: Cubs over Nationals in four, Dodgers over Diamondbacks in five
        ALCS: Astros over Yankees in six
        NLCS: Cubs over Dodgers in six
        World Series: Cubs over Astros in six

        1. I'll admit that when I first read it, I thought it read "17 hour, 7 inning game" which seemed like a little but of hyperbole.

          I mean, less so now.

      1. Edwards is a very good reliever. You take him out after one walk in order to put in a guy who is not accustomed to the role you're putting him in?

        That's the definition of overmanagement. I don't care if there's no tomorrow.

        This is why the Yankees have a puncher's chance of beating a far superior team.

          1. I hear LeBron is at this game, so they're gonna go with Aroldis Chapman instead. Apparently Harvey Weinstein propositioned Rob Manfred to make it happen.

  24. Dusty Baker is either still on his first toothpick or on his 500th toothpick today. There's no in between.

      1. Wasn't exactly dominant. Gave up a run and 4 base runners. After walking 2 in a row, Lind helped him out by grounding into a double play on the first pitch. The only thing notable was him pitching a little longer than usual, but extra adrenaline should be able to help with that. We'll see how it affects him in the NLCS.

        1. I would say that a performance doesn't need to be dominant to be a "heck of a performance". Because of some very curious bullpen mismanagement, Davis was, realistically, the Cubs last hope. He made it work in a role he hasn't had to fill in years. That qualifies to me.

  31. I don't know what to think.
    - When Maddon was with the Rays, I loved him. Now? He bugs the hell outta me (not Girardi-level, but still...).
    - When the Cubs hadn't won a WS in a century, I pulled for 'em. Now? I find myself sincerely disappointed that the Nats lost this series.

    2. I don't think the second part is odd at all. I was a Red Sox fan as recently as October, 2004.

      I still like Maddon, though. He overmanages like crazy sometimes, but he's willing to think outside the box.

    3. 1. I didn't really like Maddon when he was with the Rays. So Likeable... what was he hiding?
      2. I did not want the Cubs to win last year (but also I didn't want the Clevelands to). When your identity is losing, go with that. Otherwise, look what it did to the Sox (and the BoSox before them).

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