2ndCitySox 4,654 Posted September 28, 2020 Share Posted September 28, 2020 Playoffs start tomorrow with the best of 3 (!) first round. The short series means that there will likely be a few surprises advancing on to the best of 5 second round. Here are the matchups and my picks. NATIONAL LEAGUE MIL@LAD: this one would have been interesting if not for the Corbin Burnes injury. A Burnes/Woodruff duo would have been nasty. Alas, it is not to be, and the Dodgers outgun them in pretty much every aspect. 2-0 LA StL@SD: big news that Lamet could be healthy to pitch in this series. Otherwise Davies was the defacto "ace". SD would like to see Tatis find his groove. StL will need some surprising pitching performances themselves to win this one though i think. SD 2-1 MIA@CHC: cubs don't have to worry about Bartman being in the stands for this rematch of the fateful 2003 NLCS. Its a very interesting one because on paper, the cubs should win this. But the hitting (aside from this last weekend - fml) has been sleep walking, and the Fish do have competent starting pitching. Alas, beating Darvish and Hendricks (especially at Wrigley) will be a tall order for a below average lineup. I think a sweep happens here. 2-0 Cubs Cin@ATL: I love this matchups. Great starting pitching against a fantastic lineup. The Braves will need to get the reds crappy bullpen in the games early to assure great success. Can Ian Anderson continue his great rookie campaign to provide a reliable starter behind Fried? Does it even matter with the reds surpringly flat lineup? It won't be a sweep but the star power of ATL carries them to round 2. 2-1 ATL AMERICAN LEAGUE: Tor @ TB: Tall order for Toronto with the Rays pitching triumvirate of Snell, Glasgow, and Morton (poor era is luck driven) and the very solid bullpen behind it. If Ryu can win game 1, then they could pull the upset, but im going Rays. 2-0 TB NYY@Cle: Indians looked lost two weeks ago but found a horseshoe with multiple walkoff wins over the last week +. Im not sure if getting the 4 seed and playing the yanks was a great reward, but they have been riding high at home. Yankees are now have a fully healthy lineup, and they will need it against that ridiculous Indian rotation. Yanks have been really hot to close the season too. The indians need other hitters besides Ramirez to show up. I think this will be along the same lines as the braves-reds matchup, but im going NYY (reluctantly). 2-1 Yanks Hou @ Min: Twins have played good ball all year, and have a really good one-two in Maeda and Berrios. Pineda has been stout since his return. The lineup has faded but can still be explosive. Houston bats overall have been league average, but if Correa and/or Altuve can find a spark, this team will score runs. Houstons starting and relief pitching has been average overall. The true x-factot could be that Houston is more battle-tested, but unfortunately garbage cans are all too obvious with no fans. MIN 2-1 ChW@Oak I won't predict on my one team, because I'm a superstitious idiot, but I think this will be a close series. Someone wins the series 2-1. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
2ndCitySox 4,654 Posted September 28, 2020 Author Share Posted September 28, 2020 (Yes I noted that the short series will net some surprises but then list really no surprise winners. Call me "Chalk") Quote Link to post Share on other sites
The Big Bat Theory 7,619 Posted September 28, 2020 Share Posted September 28, 2020 Thanks for the thread. Can anyone link to an easy, clear-cut listing of game days and times and what network is covering what game? Thanks in advance. Hmmm...here I go guessing for fun. Dodgers over Brewers 2-1 as Brew Crew gets somewhat lucky in one game to throw a scare at Dodger Blue but the inevitable happens. Padres 2-0 vs a pretty darn bland Birds team. Second most lopsided series of round one. Miami 2-1 vs Cubs. Marlins are for real. Fish fly, Cubs die. (Sorry, Cubbie fans). Atlanta squeaks by against a good Reds team 2-1 with one of the games going into extra innings. Closest, most hard fought series in this round. TB stumbles by Toronto 2-1 in close games due to Jays bats being hotter and Rays arms being cooler than expected but TB at the end nonetheless. Cleveland defeats Yankees 2-1. Tribe's pitching and the emotional return of Tito seal the deal as one or more NY outfielders exit injured during the series. Minnesota easily 2-0 vs a declining Houston team in most lopsided series of the eight. Oakland 2-1 over the White Sox as the ChiSox do better than expected this season but their youngins' are still one year short of prime time (next round) still. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
FantasyGeek2018 461 Posted September 28, 2020 Share Posted September 28, 2020 (edited) La Sd Chi Atl Tb Nyy Hou Oak Edited September 28, 2020 by FantasyGeek2018 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
posty 1,381 Posted September 28, 2020 Share Posted September 28, 2020 34 minutes ago, The Big Bat Theory said: Can anyone link to an easy, clear-cut listing of game days and times and what network is covering what game? https://www.sportingnews.com/us/mlb/news/mlb-playoff-bracket-2020-schedule-scores-results-wild-card/1w4pq2b8rsnnj154rwqkhqntig 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
posty 1,381 Posted September 28, 2020 Share Posted September 28, 2020 1 hour ago, The Big Bat Theory said: Can anyone link to an easy, clear-cut listing of game days and times and what network is covering what game? https://www.mlb.com/postseason 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
2ndCitySox 4,654 Posted September 29, 2020 Author Share Posted September 29, 2020 A lot of experts picking reds over atlanta Quote Link to post Share on other sites
The Big Bat Theory 7,619 Posted September 29, 2020 Share Posted September 29, 2020 4 hours ago, 2ndCitySox said: A lot of experts picking reds over atlanta Yeah but those experts don't have to stand on a mound facing Acuna, Freeman and Ozuna in a row. Probably the scariest 1-2-3 in baseball right now for any pitcher. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
KingJoffrey 931 Posted September 29, 2020 Share Posted September 29, 2020 (edited) MIL vs LAD - The Dodgers just have so many weapons. I bet that Corey Seager kid hits 3 HRs during this series. LAD 2-0. SDP vs STL - Losing 2 pitchers really hurts but overall I like the Padres Offense. I don't trust Adam Wainright. Flaherty was garbage. Kim's K rate was just too low, I don't trust him. I'm going with SDP 2-1 Tor vs TBR - I am biased here for my beloved Blue Jays. But I think they pull up an upset here. The Blue Jays offense is a sneaky one of the best in baseball..with Biggio, Bichette, Vladdy, T-time and LGJ. Ryu is good and I think Shoemaker is underrated. Prediction: Kirk gets a clutch HR in this series. Tor 2-1 NYY vs Cle - This is really tough, immovable object meets the unstoppable force. Good pitching has been shutting down the Yankees a lot this year. Love that Bieber kid. Cole's a little more vulnerable. I'd go Cle 2-1. Cin vs Atl - another tough one. The thing is I still don't fully trust Bauer and sonny gray was mediocre and Casillo walks too many batters. I'd say Atlanta wins 2-0. Min vs Hou - I don't know why but these teams kind of remind me of each other. I slightly like Min more because at least MAeda is super consistent. Real coinflip here for me but I'll go with Min 2-1. Oak vs CHW - The White Sox have 2 hitters, Abreu and Anderson with Moncada and Robert really struggling in September. I'm going to make a bold prediction and say Robert breaks out of his Doldrums. Yes he has issues but this kid is just too talented. I think Oakland's lineup blows. I'm going CHW 2-1 Mia vs CHC - Last but not least, the Cubs offense has been terrible all year and Miami's pitching is kind of hot except for Sixto's last 2 starts. But I really like Yu Darvish and Hendricks. The Cubs offense can't be this bad..can it? I say CHC 2-1. Edited September 29, 2020 by KingJoffrey 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
2ndCitySox 4,654 Posted September 29, 2020 Author Share Posted September 29, 2020 11 hours ago, The Big Bat Theory said: Yeah but those experts don't have to stand on a mound facing Acuna, Freeman and Ozuna in a row. Probably the scariest 1-2-3 in baseball right now for any pitcher. Is acuna banged up? I read he has a wrist issue Quote Link to post Share on other sites
KingJoffrey 931 Posted September 29, 2020 Share Posted September 29, 2020 Heard that Lamet and Clevinger might pitch.. interesting I don’t know if the online gambling sites have adjusted for this fact because the SD odds to win hasn’t changed for a while. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
supac720 363 Posted September 29, 2020 Share Posted September 29, 2020 Something developing in Oak. Will be sick if he does it again. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
4catztoomany 97 Posted September 29, 2020 Share Posted September 29, 2020 Well way to blow that one Polanco. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mehtavg2000 285 Posted September 29, 2020 Share Posted September 29, 2020 Even in the playoffs, they won't let Snell get a QS. He constantly gets pulled at 5 and two/thirds no matter how dominant he is and no matter what the pitch count is. This feels like shtick at this point. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
this guy right here 1,055 Posted September 29, 2020 Share Posted September 29, 2020 The CLE - NY broadcast fake crowd sound just like the crowd in Mike Tyson Punch Out. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BMcP 8,690 Posted September 30, 2020 Share Posted September 30, 2020 The Biebs is looking mighty vulnerable Quote Link to post Share on other sites
sleepysock 840 Posted September 30, 2020 Share Posted September 30, 2020 On 9/28/2020 at 5:24 PM, 2ndCitySox said: A lot of experts picking reds over atlanta Biggest bet I made this round was on the red stockings. They're hot and that trio of starters is pure fire. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
FantasyGeek2018 461 Posted September 30, 2020 Share Posted September 30, 2020 The hardest series for me to pick was the Oak/Cws series. I took Oak but was a coin flip. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
crafty 304 Posted September 30, 2020 Share Posted September 30, 2020 (edited) 1 hour ago, FantasyGeek2018 said: The hardest series for me to pick was the Oak/Cws series. I took Oak but was a coin flip. I was about to take Oakland as well, then I saw this 👇 Edited September 30, 2020 by crafty 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
2ndCitySox 4,654 Posted September 30, 2020 Author Share Posted September 30, 2020 (edited) Sox came tantalizingly close to a ridiculous comeback down 5-0 in the 8th. 5-3 two outs, bases loaded for abreu. Hits a really hard grounder right to 2B. Over. Glad to see them find some life after Bassitt shut them down, especially against Liam Hendricks (49 pitches!), but damn. Tomorrow will be a bizarre pitching medley from both sides i think. Sox need to score early and often I think, if they want to keep this train going. (Canha with an absolute boss catch in the 3rd was a huge boost for A's) Edited September 30, 2020 by 2ndCitySox Quote Link to post Share on other sites
The Big Bat Theory 7,619 Posted September 30, 2020 Share Posted September 30, 2020 On 9/28/2020 at 12:11 PM, The Big Bat Theory said: Atlanta squeaks by against a good Reds team 2-1 with one of the games going into extra innings. Closest, most hard fought series in this round. .... Minnesota Houston easily 2-0 vs a declining chocking Houston Minnesota team in most lopsided series of the eight. There that is what I called. Right? Hahaha! I really forgot the Minnesota record of playoff failures when I first called this . My word they carry one big sad sack curse with them at this point. Also I would like to apologize for that L-O-N-G, never ending game in Atlanta today. Why did I add that extra inning bit? We prophets should be more careful about these things. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
2ndCitySox 4,654 Posted September 30, 2020 Author Share Posted September 30, 2020 Just now, The Big Bat Theory said: There that is what I called. Right? Hahaha! I really forgot the Minnesota record of playoff failures when I first called this . My word they carry one big sad sack curse with them at this point. Also I would like to apologize for that L-O-N-G, never ending game in Atlanta today. Why did I add that extra inning bit? We prophets should be more careful about these things. Its pretty amazing in Minn. 18 straight playoff losses. How is that possible? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BMcP 8,690 Posted October 1, 2020 Share Posted October 1, 2020 GIO! Unreal! Go Yankees! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BMcP 8,690 Posted October 1, 2020 Share Posted October 1, 2020 Wow! What a crazy back-and-forth Yanks game! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
AnonymousRob 3,519 Posted October 1, 2020 Share Posted October 1, 2020 Wonder where Gary Sanchez plays next year? 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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