MLB playoffs 2013 (Baseball Live Thread)

Sporting News ^ | September 23, 2013

[campaignPete R-CT]

For the first time since 1992, the Pittsburgh Pirates are in MLB's postseason. The Bucs clinched at least a spot in the wild-card game after a 2-1 victory over the Chicago Cubs that ended with a bizarre play at the plate, and a 4-3 loss by the Washington Nationals to the St. Louis Cardinals. The loss eliminated the Nats from contention.

The Cincinnati Reds are playoff-bound as well, after beating the New York Mets, 3-2 in 10 innings. The focus over the regular season's final six days now shifts to the NL Central race, which the Cards still lead by two games over the Pirates and Reds.

Lost in the NL happenings Monday: The Detroit Tigers were unable to clinch a playoff berth in the American League. They lost, 4-3 in 11 innings, to the Twins in Minnesota.

[Dr. Sivana]

As a matter of principle I’m OK with wild-card teams in the playoffs, but not in any sport where unbalanced schedules make it completely unfair. The NFL is the worst offender here, since the season isn’t long enough to come close to a balanced schedule.

Funny. I came to the opposite conclusion. Because ethe schedule is unbalanced, the likelihood of a very good team with a less than perfect record is more likely. The Jacksonville Jaguars went 14-2 in the 1999 season. The Wildcard Tennessee Titans went 13-3. But guess where the Jags' two losses came from? Yup. Tennessee, who went on to toast them a third time on the way to getting beaten by the Rams in an exceptional Super Bowl. It would have been a shame if the Titans didn't get into the playoffs, as a 16 game season is barely enough to separate wheat from chaff.

[Alberta's Child]

Good point. The problem, though, comes when you have wild-card contenders from different divisions. Imagine the scenario of a 10-6 team that doesn’t even make the playoffs because they lost a wild-card tiebreaker to another 10-6 team in a different division that went 6-0 against three very weak division opponents during the course of the year, and went 4-6 against the rest of the NFL.

[edh]

If they have to face Johnny Cueto in a one game playoff, they have problems. Big ones. He owns us. We have won a game he started, but he left the game early hurt.

Our offense will certainly dictate how well we do. Our bullpen is pretty stable. Melancon has faltered a bit this past week, but hes been lights out otherwise. Grilli looks like he is back to normal. Im not worried there nor does starting pitching concern me. Liriano, Burnett, Morton, and Cole all look pretty good.

Our offense had some glaring holes in RF and at 1B. Byrd has been great in RF .... Morneau hasn’t done much at 1B. The rest of the offense has had issues throughout the season, but they seem to be coming together right now.

All in all, yeah, they’re a bigger threat next year if they address the 1B and RF holes in the offseason (we do have an option for RF in our minors) ... that was killing us most of the season. However, if this team goes on a streak like they did in June, its going to be pretty interesting for Pirate fans this October.

[edh]

The only problem Cutch is having is long ball ... he’s a bit lacking there compared to last year. Alvarez has got to quit the human windmill impressions :-). He almost has the same strikeout total as Burnett!

[Dr. Sivana]

Go back and look at the 1988 season with Orel Hershiser again. [ . . . ]He did win two games in the World Series, but that looked very dominant because the series only went five games.

When I said he carried the team, I meant in the World Series, not against the Mets. He was the WP in HALF of the victories. He did it on VERY short rest as the Dodgers sweated against the Mets and the A's reclined in chaise lounges after sweeping the BoSox, coming back against the A's to pitch not just a win, but a 3 hit shut out. That combined with Gibson's HR in Game 1 completely but the heavily favored A's in a fog they couldn't escape. He followed up in game five with Four hitter, winning the deciding game, pitching on THREE DAYS REST. Today's pitchers who throw 95.3 pitches before they hit the showers compare poorly. He was also the first pitcher in our lifetimes to get three hits in a World Series game. He dominated. And yes, he and Gibson (in Game 1) carried the 1988 World Series Dodgers.

[edh]

Locke went a bit wild after the all star break. They’re kind of resting him. He had a pretty high walk/hit rate before the break. Everything seemed to catch up with him. He also seems exhausted.

[tomkat]

Yep re Pedro .. they’ve got him down at 7th in tonight’s order .. whether Cutch gets hot again or not (prolly will, imo), he comes across as a genuinely good guy.

[dfwgator]

Rangers bats go back to sleep.

[cripplecreek]

Back to back HR from the Tiggers.

Almost 3

[cripplecreek]

And followed up by a 2 run Homer by Austin Jackson.

[Mears]

“Post-season baseball in the BEST.”

—

As a life-long Red Sox fan,I agree.

.

[Figment]

Best time of the MLB races coming down to the wire and NFL just starting. Love the fall season

[Sporke]

It’s been a depressing month for Rangers fans. :-/

[darkangel82]

Thanks Chris ‘dope’ Perez for blowing another save and giving up 2 homers to a terrible team.

[dfwgator]

It just got more depressing, Jason Giambi wins it for CLE with a walk-off HR.

[Figment]

Check the Cards and Nats game tonight. One more chance for the Nats against Wacha!

[cripplecreek]

LOL Yeah I was hoping the Tigers could get this done tonight but the Indians walk off means it won’t be till tomorrow at least.

[darkangel82]

He absolutely smashed that one.

[campaignPete R-CT]

I am in CT and getting the Indians on 1100 AM out of Cleveland.

Giambi just won in with a walk-off for Cleveland.

STL: Wacha has a no-no thru 8 innings.

[Figment]

Cards and Wacha making a statement against the Nats tonight. Three outs to go!