Underachiever

I don’t understand why Woodruff is done.

But I am technically correct, which is the best kind of correct.

This is where the magic number thread gets really fun. Ack-shu-ally, isn't the magic number twice that? Because they not only need 3-4-4 wins, they need their opponents to have the same number of losses. That would make the magic number 22. The win total is 11, I grant you that. And no, I am not high right now.

I got Section 206, but that was a couple of hours ago. Which game were you looking for?

Did you enter the code and then click the green check mark next to it? That is what made the tickets show up for me. Good luck. I think it's a poor user experience to show a green check mark and then have to click it.

The pitching this team has means that they are rarely out of a game. The number of times where it was over early have been few (And yes, I was at the Brett Anderson game last week). But if your pitching is only giving up 2, 3, 4 runs, you are never out of the game. You may not win, but you aren't out of it. And that is very exciting.

Anyone want to take a stab at how they handle this week? There will be some guys on a lot of rest by 10/8. If Woodruff pitches this Tuesday, he will have 10 or 11 days off before pitching game 2.

Bradley takes an 0-2 pitch in the dirt. Progress. Now two of them!

Not sure that’s reassuring. How any team played in April has no bearing on right now.

Cards go walk, bunt single, sacrifice, IBB, WP, tapper to pitcher mishandled. Voila! 4-2

A Coach Cooper special today would be ideal.

Very small detail on this point: "- Has pitched for two different NL teams this season- Nationals and Dodgers- Only other CY Winner to ever do this was Rick Sutcliffe in 1984." What makes Sutcliffe's season more remarkable was that he didn't pitch for two NL teams; he switched leagues when he was traded from Cleveland (in June), and went 16-2 for the Cubs. This is probably obvious, but if Scherzer had switched leagues, he wouldn't be in the running for NL Cy Young.

This guy gets it.

How much rest they get between their last regular season start and their NLDS start. You wouldn't want your planned #3 game starter having his last start next Thursday....that would be a crazy layoff. In theory you probably want your Game 1 guy on Friday, Game 2 guy on Saturday, and then Game 3 guy on Sunday (this being referred to next weekend). The first two guys get exactly a week between starts and then the third guy gets a week plus a day because of the off day in the NLDS. Disclaimer: Not a major league pitcher or pitching coach. Even with the difference between 7 days of rest and 9, I would imagine a major league pitching coach could manage that. After that, it seems as if a longer layoff would be easier to manage, by adding a simulated game in the middle. And if a week and a day is good for your number three, then it could probably work for your 1 and 2. If they were staying on their normal rest, I could see the point of "setting up" a rotation, but if none of them are on regular rest, then it's all "off-schedule" to a certain point. Probably more grist for the message board mill than any difference within the walls of AmFam Field. If they go Burnes, Peralta, Woodruff on Sat, Sun, Tuesday, then Woodruff is not pitching again in the regular season. His layoff would be from September 28 to October 9? 11? That doesn't seem like it is setting anything up.

What is there to set up in the rotation? They play their last game on Sunday, and the first NLDS game is on Friday.

Good god, walking Matt Carpenter.

Wainwright would have retired years ago if Taylor had made the majors sooner. ETA: Fact!

Surprised Carlson didn’t test Yelich’s arm and try for a double there. Yes, I’m kidding.

Nice.

You must make great lemonade.

Checking in from AmFam. At least I showed up…

I'm IN! I appreciate the calmer heads around here who are explaining how these last 2 lame showings do not signify the beginning of the Greatest Collapse in Baseball History. But the great thing about these boards is that they allow bums like me to give full vent to our pessimism and frustration --however irrational-- without breaking things in our homes or alienating our immediate family. I'm just taking advantage of the opportunity. For me, it's the trend that disturbs. The Cardinals are in a steady groove, playing fundamentally solid, intelligent, error free, baseball that's just good enough to win, especially in light of our failure to manifest the required brains, skill, and nerve at the plate. Yesterday, their 1st run came without a hit. Get 'em on (walk); get 'em over (steal & ground out); get 'em in (sac fly). Their second run started the same way, and they needed just one single, if I recall. That's bland but it wins games. By contrast, the Brewers seem to be drifting into their earlier season routine, i.e., pitching gems going for naught because they can't make or steal runs... unless the opposition boots the ball around or someone hits the odd dinger --or GS in the bottom of the 9th. I'm tired of hearing the radio guys say that a batter had a good pitch to hit but "just missed it," probably because he was trying to hit a 5-run homer. Even assuming we hold on to the division, there's no momentum going into the playoffs. There's time to find the groove, of course, and I am absolutely painting the bleakest picture possible. I hope and trust that the attitude in the clubhouse and the dugout is much better than mine, because mine is awful. Count me in the irrational group. Not expecting the GCBH©, but cannot believe how upset I have gotten watching the games the last two days. It's not about trends, or poor batting, it's only about losing to St. Louis.

I'm going. Must win. Brewers owe me. They are 1-4 with me in the stands at AmFam, with a total of 5 runs scored. I was at least hoping for Ashby, and I get Anderson. If they lose tonight you aren't allowed at any post-season games I was 3-0 in the 2018 playoffs, including the clincher in Colorado. I think I deserve a roster spot. I show up big in big moments.

I'm going. Must win. Brewers owe me. They are 1-4 with me in the stands at AmFam, with a total of 5 runs scored. I was at least hoping for Ashby, and I get Anderson.

If they have a better offense than the Brewers, they haven’t shown it over the course of the season. The Cardinals rank 24th in MLB in runs scored per game (4.24), just behind the Royals and just ahead of the Dbacks, Orioles, Mets, Marlins, Rangers, and Pirates. The Brewers are 10th overall in runs scored per game (4.64) and 5th best in the NL. These Cardinals takes tonight feel like the epitome of recency bias. They’ve had a good stretch lately, but they’ve also had their share of struggles throughout the season. A few weeks ago the Braves were the hot team in the NL and everyone in the AL was saying “here come the Yankees.” Then their hot streaks ended and those teams went back to being something more closely resembling what they’ve been over the course of the season. I expect something similar from the Cardinals. My Cardinal takes and hate are the exact opposite of recency bias. They were born in the World Series of 1982, simmered for a while, then warmed up again when the Cardinals took the Brewers out of the playoffs in the last 15 years. They boiled over when I took a job in St. Louis and had to exist at the water cooler with the BFIB and their sanctimonious bs about their team and fandom. After my first game at Busch, I was generous in my praise for the stadium, the area around the park, and the experience, which I really enjoyed. The guy who I was talking to said, "But what did you think about the fans? Don't you think we have the best fans?" Ugh. No, it's not recency bias for me. It's not rational, either. I will own that.