2019 St Louis Cardinals

[jimmyjazz 45957]

1 hour ago, T’Boo Ted Marshall said:

Best record in the NL since the break @33-16.

I’m getting sucked in to believing.

 

[Beau Vine 54230]

This is fun.

[Beau Vine 54230]

Was fun.  Shildt's pitching management has been less than inspiring tonight.

[Capn81 372]

*I want to be wrong about my trade deadline tailspin comment.

[Beau Vine 54230]

Another really good start from Hudson today. 

Hudson, Flaherty, and Edman have really turned this team around.  The team is 16-3 in Hudson's last 19 starts.

Edited September 5, 2019 by Beau Vine

[You don't know me 1161]

16 hours ago, Beau Vine said:

Was fun.  Shildt's pitching management has been less than inspiring tonight.

I'm not sure he had much of a choice yesterday.  There were just too many games in a very short period.  But it's been a great ride the last month and a half or so.

[Beau Vine 54230]

2 minutes ago, You don't know me said:

I'm not sure he had much of a choice yesterday.  There were just too many games in a very short period.  But it's been a great ride the last month and a half or so.

I understood why it was going to be a bullpen game, but it seemed like he only made pitching changes according to the pregame plan, while ignoring how the guy was pitching.  He easily could have gotten another inning out of Wacha, but the plan was two innings, so nope.  And the plan said 1 inning for Leone, even though he clearly had no idea where it was going -- 5 of his first 10 pitches missed the strike zone by over a foot, and then he gave up a 3-run homer when he did get it in the strike zone.  Not sure why you bring in Miller to face Longoria, but you can't trust him against Pillar?

[You don't know me 1161]

I understood why it was going to be a bullpen game, but it seemed like he only made pitching changes according to the pregame plan, while ignoring how the guy was pitching.  He easily could have gotten another inning out of Wacha, but the plan was two innings, so nope.  And the plan said 1 inning for Leone, even though he clearly had no idea where it was going -- 5 of his first 10 pitches missed the strike zone by over a foot, and then he gave up a 3-run homer when he did get it in the strike zone.  Not sure why you bring in Miller to face Longoria, but you can't trust him against Pillar?

Can't refute anything you wrote. I guess I just expected a letdown at some point. The pen has been pretty good all year.

Personally, I haven't trusted Andrew Miller in any situation this year.

[phdhorn 6224]

Sad news... Chris Duncan, son of Cards eternal pitching coach Dave Duncan (former 3-time WS Champ catcher) died today of brain cancer at age 38.  Chris had a role in the 2006 world championship.  So sad, RIP, Chris!


https://sports.yahoo.com/former-cardinals-outfielder-chris-duncan-dead-at-38-after-battling-brain-cancer-004925406.html

[T’Boo Ted Marshall 2732]

Dammit

[Beau Vine 54230]

On 9/5/2019 at 5:54 PM, You don't know me said:

Can't refute anything you wrote. I guess I just expected a letdown at some point. The pen has been pretty good all year.

Personally, I haven't trusted Andrew Miller in any situation this year.

Ouch.

[You don't know me 1161]

Sad news... Chris Duncan, son of Cards eternal pitching coach Dave Duncan (former 3-time WS Champ catcher) died today of brain cancer at age 38.  Chris had a role in the 2006 world championship.  So sad, RIP, Chris!


https://sports.yahoo.com/former-cardinals-outfielder-chris-duncan-dead-at-38-after-battling-brain-cancer-004925406.html

This sucks. He seemed like a down to earth person. Listened to him on the radio before the cancer came back. His day would call in once a week and the way they talked to each other was like it was just them with no audience. I feel for his dad.

[You don't know me 1161]

Ouch.

Yeah, he either is really good or really bad. Seems to be a bit more consistent the second half though.

[jimmyjazz 45957]

4.5 games up on the Cubs with 19 to go (7 against said Cubs).  That's a shame.  The Brewers took 5 of 7 from Chicago over the past 9 games.  Another shame.  Way to go, Brew. 

[oSuJeff97 3435]

Yeah who in the hell would have thought this team would be in this spot back in June????

LOL not me.

Watching Flaherty transform from a young guy with some talent to a top-of-the-rotation ace has been quite a treat.

[pops 6985]

I still don't trust this team to do anything, but damn there have been some fun things to watch this year. Waino, flahrety, ozuna, Goldy, edman, Wong. And I think schildt is turning into a solid manager. I loved him being aggressive on the bases in the 9th today. 

Made for a fun summer. 

 

[Beau Vine 54230]

16-4 in Hudson's last 20 starts, even after they lost 2-1 last night.  

Flaherty has become damn near unhittable. 

I swear that Edman is hitting about .400 when I'm watching.  

It has not only been an amazing transformation since the ASG, but it has been led by young guys.  

[jimmyjazz 45957]

So the Cards finish up with Brewers/Nats/Cubs/D-Backs/Cubs, all of whom are over 0.500.

The Brewers have won 7 and pulled into a tie with the Cubs but have a remaining schedule of the Cards + some tomato cans (Cards/SD/Pitt/Reds/Rockies).  But, Yelich.

The Cubs have Pitt/Reds/Cards/Pitt/Cards.

 

Glad we're up 4.

[oSuJeff97 3435]

Yeah plus Baez is out for the Cubs now isn't he?  I never like to celebrate injuries (bad karma) but that has to be somewhat helpful for our cause.

[Beau Vine 54230]

What  a fucking disaster of a game.  It should be nearly impossible to manage yourself into a position where you have nothing available for the absolutely highest-leverage ABs except Tyler Webb and a kid who started the season in A-ball, put Shildt somehow did it.

[pops 6985]

Horrible weekend. Horrible past two series. Now all we have is a Washington team fighting for their playoff lives and 7 against the Cubs.  October baseball in September. 

Hopefully we sweep the dbacks. 

[Beau Vine 54230]

Is there some reason I'm missing that Shildt had to bring Carlos off his death bed to get the final out after MIller had just gotten a righty out?

Edited September 17, 2019 by Beau Vine

[pops 6985]

8 minutes ago, Beau Vine said:

Is there some reason I'm missing that Shildt had to bring Carlos off his death bed to get the final out after MIller had just gotten a righty out?

Win is a win. Needed that

[Beau Vine 54230]

Fowler might have just saved the season with that catch. 

[Beau Vine 54230]

HUUUUUUUGE win.  Wainwright came up big.  HUZZAH!!!

[jimmyjazz 45957]

I'm at work . . . what happened?

[Capn81 372]

What a good win. Well, let’s go get five from the Cubs to take them out of the equation.

[Beau Vine 54230]

4 hours ago, jimmyjazz said:

I'm at work . . . what happened?

Fowler reached over the wall and pulled back a 3-run homer when it was 5-1.  Waino pitched awesome. Edman hit like Ted Williams, like he always does when I'm watching, and Weiters had a PH 2-run bomb off Scherzer.

[pops 6985]

I thought waino was way past his prime, but fuck he's having a year. Who else can blow an 88 mph fastball past someone. Good for him

[Pimphand 5752]

12 hours ago, pops said:

I thought waino was way past his prime, but fuck he's having a year. Who else can blow an 88 mph fastball past someone. Good for him

 

[jimmyjazz 45957]

By my calculations, we need 8 wins to eliminate the Brewers and 6 to eliminate the Cubs.  (Division title, not talking wild card.)

Edited September 19, 2019 by jimmyjazz

[pops 6985]

1 hour ago, Pimphand said:

 

Greinke truthers are the worst. 

[oSuJeff97 3435]

14 hours ago, pops said:

I thought waino was way past his prime, but fuck he's having a year. Who else can blow an 88 mph fastball past someone. Good for him

Fuck yeah.

Taking that series from the Nats against their 3 best pitchers was a nice palate cleanser after losing the Brewer series on a (vomit) Braun grand slam.

I think I said earlier I was hoping for *at least* a 3-game lead against the Cubs going into our series at Wrigley.... if we can just not get swept, I think we'll be in good shape.  A split will feel like a series win.

Flaherty vs. Hendricks tonight should be a freaking doozy.

Edited September 19, 2019 by oSuJeff97

[Pimphand 5752]

1 hour ago, pops said:

Greinke truthers are the worst. 

What?

[Pimphand 5752]

2 hours ago, jimmyjazz said:

By my calculations, we need 8 wins to eliminate the Brewers and 6 to eliminate the Cubs.  (Division title, not talking wild card.)

As long as you go 4-3 vs the Cubs they will be eliminated from division contention no matter what...

Because you hold the tiebreaker over Milwaukee your magic number of them is actually 7 since you hold a 3 game lead with 10 to go.

[Beau Vine 54230]

1 hour ago, Pimphand said:

Because you hold the tiebreaker over Milwaukee your magic number of them is actually 7 since you hold a 3 game lead with 10 to go.

Come again?  The tiebreaker is a one-game playoff.

[jimmyjazz 45957]

2 hours ago, Pimphand said:

As long as you go 4-3 vs the Cubs they will be eliminated from division contention no matter what...

That's one specific scenario.  All 3 clubs have 10 games to go.  There is no 6-win scenario for the Cardinals that doesn't hold off the Cubs.

If StL goes 6-1 against Cubs and 0-3 against AZ, and Cubs go 1-6 against StL and 3-0 against Pitt, that puts StL at 91 wins and Cubs at 86 wins.

If StL goes 3-4 against Cubs and 3-0 against AZ, and Cubs go 4-3 against StL and 3-0 against Pitt, that puts StL at 91 wins and Cubs at 89 wins.

This bookends all other scenarios.

 

However, there is a 5-5 ending for StL that leads to a tie:

If StL goes 2-5 against Cubs and 3-0 against AZ, and Cubs go 5-2 against StL and 3-0 against Pitt, that puts StL at 90 wins and Cubs at 90 wins.

Hence, it takes 6 wins to guarantee the Cubs don't win the division.

 

And then we have the Brewers . . .

[oSuJeff97 3435]

And regarding the Brewers... in the 6-win scenario, the Brewers would have to finish 9-1 just to tie us, right?

[jimmyjazz 45957]

1 hour ago, oSuJeff97 said:

And regarding the Brewers... in the 6-win scenario, the Brewers would have to finish 9-1 just to tie us, right?

Correct.  Both teams would have 91 wins.  I don't want to jinx anything, but 9-1 to tie seems like a tough row to hoe.  Still, taking 6 won't be a picnic for the Cardinals, either.

[jimmyjazz 45957]

More on the Brewers:

-- they're up 5-1 on the Padres in the 8th

-- next up is 3 each VS the Pirates (0.425), @ Reds (0.471), and @ Rockies (0.431).  Pretty lame.

[pops 6985]

Shaping up to be about the best final week since 2012 or whenever it was when we had to beat the nats in DC.

Didn't think we would knock Hendricks out that early.

Lots of baseball left in this one but damn playoff baseball in September is fun!

[oSuJeff97 3435]

What a night by Flaherty. No matter how this season works out, I feel pretty confident that we have a top-of-the rotation ace for a while. Dude is only like 23.

[T’Boo Ted Marshall 2732]

No kidding.

Come on CM. Close this down!

[Beau Vine 54230]

Thoroughly puckered right now.

[T’Boo Ted Marshall 2732]

Yup

[Beau Vine 54230]

WTF???

Very lucky that throw didn't bounce off the runner and score another.

[T’Boo Ted Marshall 2732]

Ugh. Hated that it was Heyward.

[Beau Vine 54230]

HAHA, eat a dick, Kimbrel!

[pops 6985]

Fuck yes. 

Edited September 20, 2019 by pops

[Beau Vine 54230]

Unpuckered.  What a great baseball game!