2026 Postseason Thread

[craigharmann]

16 hours ago, wiguy94 said:

I really don't understand what Houston is doing with these pitching decisions. Why are they using their 8th and 9th inning relievers when losing by 4 and 3 runs when barring a miraculous comeback they will need to win the next two nights.

Thrown crap against the wall when it comes to pitching all season. It’s why Dana Brown is currently unemployed. Astros are losing today or tomorrow, in my opinion.

[owbc]

12 hours ago, yourout said:

Sadly it's going to be the Padres in a two-game route I'm afraid. 

We probably are going to end up with the hottest team in baseball in the first round.

Who are they going to start against Miz on Saturday? Buehler? Robbie Ray? 

Michael King looked pretty good and can go games 2 and 5. They have Pivetta for game 3. But they don't have anyone for games 1 and 4. 

If both teams were starting fresh I would be worried, but the advantage we get with the bye will tilt the series in our favor. 

[wiguy94]

57 minutes ago, tmwiese55 said:

A factor was probably that he only threw like 8 pitches in the 7th.  I'm sure in spite of being a mostly 1 inning guy, he's often thrown 20ish pitches, which is what getting the 8th would've been.    Don't forget he get the first 2 outs in the 8th, and it was only extended due to an infield bad luck single.  It was a matter of inches from being 6 up 6 down, while likely throwing so few pitches that he could've pitched today. and it would've left the bottom of the order for their next best guy.   

If he doesn't pitch him, and one of their bad guys blew the lead the same folks would be saying "why did you lose this game while you left your best arm sitting in the pen"

Oh I think the second inning was totally fine. I was more talking about the play it by ear potentially sending him out for the 9th inning as well.

[Jim French Stepstool]

1 hour ago, Cool Hand Lucroy said:

I thought the Cubs handling of their pitching was downright weird. It was just obvious they had no idea who to trust, and they hate the idea of Imanaga (who I think is their best arm) throwing against SD's righty power. Holmes pitching on Friday was just silly.

Felt to me like classic overthinking and maybe over-analytics. 

They may still come back (I think we're due for some game one loser comebacks at some point--a 6 percent win rate is not sustainable), but they've got themselves into an uphill climb.

Next to maybe Houston, CC has the toughest challenge in the playoffs AFA trying to piece pitching together. And I feel just terrible for him.

Assuming SD advances, it could spell trouble for a Harrison or Drohan making the roster for the next series (one, but not both). Their firepower & numbers lean heavily enough toward the RH side that someone like Wilson or Anderson could be a better bet.

[Cool Hand Lucroy]

24 minutes ago, Jim French Stepstool said:

Next to maybe Houston, CC has the toughest challenge in the playoffs AFA trying to piece pitching together. And I feel just terrible for him.

Assuming SD advances, it could spell trouble for a Harrison or Drohan making the roster for the next series (one, but not both). Their firepower & numbers lean heavily enough toward the RH side that someone like Wilson or Anderson could be a better bet.

I think this is right. If Anderson is healthy, I'd probably want him for a situation where we're maybe down 3 runs in the middle innings and need a righty we can trust to get three outs, while protecting our better arms if the unlikely comeback doesn't materialize.

Certainly, the Cubs don't have a lot of good choices. It just seems that Imanaga and Holmes are their two best arms, by some margin, and neither of them are starting Game 1 OR Game 2? 

I know that Shota has home run problems. And I know that he's a lefty against a RH lineup. But, at a certain point, when your other options are Matthew Boyd or Gausman, you just go with your best guy, and if the matchup bites you, it bites you.

[Jim French Stepstool]

22 hours ago, wiguy94 said:

I'm not sure the Dodgers odds should be as high as Fangraphs has them but I do think they are the clear on paper favorite to win the WS again. Nobody really compares to them on paper. Best postseason SP group, super deep RP group (and Edwin Diaz unfortunately looks back in form), super deep postseason lineup, and they have the most experience as well. 

Also feel like they have an easier path to the NLCS than the Brewers do as I think the Cubs and Padres are both better than the Braves and Phillies.

I agree with this, and will add that a portion of their veteran SP talent has spent the summer with their arms on ice.

[DesertBrew52]

I have no interest in the Cubs making a comeback and winning their series against the Padres. However, we do need them to knock down the Padres a little bit both in attitude and personnel readiness.

The Padres offense is white hot and their bullpen is elite so we need some fatigue brought on by the Cubs making at least a showing.

Our bye and home-field advantage will hopefully make the difference no matter what happens

 

[Fear The Chorizo]

1 hour ago, owbc said:

Who are they going to start against Miz on Saturday? Buehler? Robbie Ray? 

Michael King looked pretty good and can go games 2 and 5. They have Pivetta for game 3. But they don't have anyone for games 1 and 4. 

If both teams were starting fresh I would be worried, but the advantage we get with the bye will tilt the series in our favor. 

If the Padres win today, then get 2 full days off to line up their starters better plus have a rested back end of the bullpen, that advantage isn't that great - you'd assume they view game 1 against the Miz as a "who cares who we start" game, thinking if it's somehow tight late their high leverage relievers give them a good shot at stealing game 1.  If Miz is on and the Brewers score enough early, they're going to gun for trying to win game 2 and then hope the Brewers' starting pitching weakness for games 3 and 4 on the road wind up not bringing the series back to Milwaukee.

I'd much rather have the Cubs scratch out a W today and then have both teams empty the pitching tanks tomorrow, take out an extra travel/rest day for the Padres, and have either the Padres or the Cubs wondering how they're going to piece together a competitive starting rotation without constantly having arms on short rest this weekend.

[markedman5]

1 hour ago, Jim French Stepstool said:

Next to maybe Houston, CC has the toughest challenge in the playoffs AFA trying to piece pitching together. And I feel just terrible for him.

Assuming SD advances, it could spell trouble for a Harrison or Drohan making the roster for the next series (one, but not both). Their firepower & numbers lean heavily enough toward the RH side that someone like Wilson or Anderson could be a better bet.

Obviously things are probably different post all star game…….but for the season the Padres have a higher team ops against righties than lefties.

Tatis obviously kills lefties and Merrill and France hit both about the same.

 

[bm1090]

2 hours ago, owbc said:

Who are they going to start against Miz on Saturday? Buehler? Robbie Ray? 

Michael King looked pretty good and can go games 2 and 5. They have Pivetta for game 3. But they don't have anyone for games 1 and 4. 

If both teams were starting fresh I would be worried, but the advantage we get with the bye will tilt the series in our favor. 

They only need 5-6 innings with the top 3 out of their bullpen though, who will be fresh if they win tonight.

The good news is Miz threw a gem against them and Logan had a good start too. And they haven't seen Gasser.

They got to Harrison but obviously they won't be seeing him.

Miz will be 1, Henderson game 2, I'd guess Gasser gets game 3. Bullpen game in game 4. Could reverse 3/4.

Then if there's a game 5 you have Miz, Henderson, Uribe, and Megill all fresh.

[Brewcrew82]

Hate to see it happen to Harper....

[yfinn6]

Defense matters. 

[wildcat83]

3 minutes ago, Brewcrew82 said:

Hate to see it happen to Harper....

Lol, my thoughts exactly.  Has an elite arm in the OF, but terrible range, and that was a really bad route to that ball.  Don't usually want to see postseason games determined by mistakes, but couldn't have happened to a nicer guy.  

[owbc]

Welp, the Phils are not dead yet. 

[Brewcrew82]

Well he redeemed himself

[Jim French Stepstool]

Both of those HRs could've been pulled back in, provided you had Pete Crow-Checkswing out in RF.

[Cool Hand Lucroy]

I am rooting for Philly for some reason. The Braves and Diamondbacks fall into my "quiet hate" category. I can't explain it. It's just there.

[Jim French Stepstool]

1 hour ago, markedman5 said:

Obviously things are probably different post all star game…….but for the season the Padres have a higher team ops against righties than lefties.

Tatis obviously kills lefties and Merrill and France hit both about the same.

 

Yeah, Merrill & Cronenworth are both somewhat better vs LHP, which I didn't realize.

I'd still think that situationally Anderson could be a little more useful, esp compared to Harrison.

[Just Some Guy]

4 minutes ago, Cool Hand Lucroy said:

I am rooting for Philly for some reason. The Braves and Diamondbacks fall into my "quiet hate" category. I can't explain it. It's just there.

I'm rooting for the Braves, but only because they have a slightly higher chance of stunning the Dodgers for us.

But if I'm honest, I don't think either team can beat the Evil Empire.  Guess we'll just have to do that ourselves.

[tmwiese55]

I actually like Schwarber and Harper so that was cool.   IMO, I think Phil has a better shot vs LA as well so have been going for them.  But of course, who knows really . 

[Just Some Guy]

13 minutes ago, Jim French Stepstool said:

Both of those HRs could've been pulled back in, provided you had Pete Crow-Checkswing out in RF.

On his 80 foot trampoline.  I hope PCA's on the short leash he deserves to be after yesterday, but I suspect he won't be.  Apparently, MVP's don't get tossed, ever.

[Just Some Guy]

Old school extra innings.

 

[bm1090]

Different teams, but the Phillies battled them tough as hell last year. Couple of bounces and it could have gone the other way.

[HarryDoyle]

Is this play by play man a Cubs fan because he gets way too excited about routine fly balls.

[Just Some Guy]

Should it worry us that homeruns are playing such a critical part of post season scoring?  (I think it should).