2-0

Started to respond to this last night and didn't get to finish (#TwinsProblems).

ARod is really good, which surprises me at first blush. But then, thinking about how image conscious he is and how dedicated he is to being excellent, it shouldn't. I'm sure he does more prep and puts more thought into commentating than any other former player.

General thoughts:

If there's one common thing we can glean from the success of the Giants, Indians, and Royals in the recent postseasons, I think it's that the ability to scratch out runs (by stealing bases, by battling through ABs and putting the ball in play) is an important facet of postseason offense... Especially if you pair that type of offense with the ability to dominate close games late with a lights out bullpen.

Power is good and is a carrying characteristic of good offenses in the regular season. But high power, high K, low contact teams sure are underperforming in the postseason of late.




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Cubs -150 on scoresandodds.com

Noted. Next one in that category is Thursday. I Bet good juice on the under is available. It's going to sit at between 49-50 and the public will be likely to bet it up because the Falcons defense sucks and the Bucs just gave up 500 to Carr. But, it's Thursday so shit game garunteed plus Winston sucks and both games went under last year. Although the 1st went over this year

Think I'll go Indians and under. This has a very 2015 ALCS game 6 feel to me. Indians do not want a game 7. On paper the Cubs have the pitching advantage ala David Price last year. But lost in the glow of the game 5 win, is that the Cubs had one inning. One. That was clearly enough but I'm not buying the Cubs are gonna come out and lay 4-5 on Tomlin, who has put early season suck long behind him. Plus, Tomlin really only needs to go 4-5. If the Indians scratch a run or 2 and have a lead, Miller/Allen will pitch 4 innings if needed

scoresandodds is showing 51.5 as of now

Not touching it myself just hoping that blurb I read about the last time there were two ties in the NFL the WS went 7 games and the Indians lost to the Marlins,1997 plays out again with the Cubs.

A new curse is born :)

I think the old axiom of defense (and pitching in the case of baseball) wins championships continues to be proven true. The high power offenses get shut down by teams designed to do just that. The offenses that play small ball and that are able to manufacture runs around what the defense and pitching gives them is the best way to combat that.

Power hitters tend to feast on back-of-the-rotation shitty pitchers and you just don't have that in the postseason, especially in the World Series. It then comes down to the little things.

Well I wouldn't call any of the Cleveland pitchers beyond Kluber in this series anything but. If the Cubs still had the same patience at the plate they had in the first 2 series they'd have like 30 walks right now vs Bauer and Tomlin alone.

Bryant, Russell, Baez, and Contreras cant lay off any breaking ball out of the zone right now.

Fowler is just about the only hitter ready to go up and swing at the first pitch if its right down the middle. The only problem is that he is also swinging the bat like he hits a homerun every 12 ABs. I like Fowler, but it sure would be nice to have a more small ball minded leadoff hitter who will take his walks, focus more on just putting the ball in play, and with more speed to have an impact on the bases.

The way Maddon has chosen to run his lineup in the playoffs, I like the Cubs chances in the AL system more because the middle of the lineup wont be as god awful with Schwarber in there.

Still have hope they win because even after getting shit on by ****ing Tomlin I have to believe the Cubs can hit him and win with Arrieta on the mound. And they have to get to Kluber in at least one of these games, right? RIGHT???!?!?!?!??!?!!

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Rizzo tells us on ESPN 1000 that he&#39;ll bat 4th tonight. Schwarber will bat 2nd, Bryant 3. Zobrist is batting 5th.</p>&mdash; Jesse Rogers (@ESPNChiCubs) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNChiCubs/status/793501723641778176">November 1, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

SMH

Kluber on back to back short rest is highly unlikely to get you MadBum results, but I don't think they'll get more than 3 runs outta him.

We said the same thing about Bum. It could happen, but if a pitcher happens to go god mode, they can singlehandedly carry three games in a best of 7 series.

It's why losing Game 4 (against Ryan Vogelsong and Petit... SMH) was the turning point against the 2014 Royals. I worried Game 3 could serve that same fate for the Cubs, but in a Game 7, anything can happen.

If Hendricks pitches like he did in the NLCS, then it's anyone's game.