Crazy how every team we are playing is putting up a fight. Every team the rockies are playing is rolling over like dogs getting their bellies rubbed. Damn shame. Still great on the guys getting that wild card. We can still get the division. Whatever the case its in our hands for the playoffs.
That is good. Rockies got some serious benefits from teams that rolled over while we get the damn Giants who hate us at such a level they would rather drown in the damn cove than give us a leg up.
I'm glad they locked up the wild card, but more than that they've still got a shot at the division. If the Rockies lose again and we beat the Giants today, we win the division. If we both win or both lose, we have a one game playoff for the division. Then we'll have to see who wins the Central too to see who we're playing if we end up in the wildcard either the Brewers or Cubs. If we win the division and the Braves lose, we host the first round of the playoffs. If we win the division in a one game playoff and the Braves win today, then they host us. What a season. It all comes down to one game.
Sometimes I wonder if our beloved teams just purposely TROLL us with all those losses over the course of the season giving us all sorts of medical and health problems and make it look exciting towards the end of the regular season.
Looks like the Cubs, Brewers, Rockies and us will all win today. Sets up two tiebreakers tomorrow to determine who wins the NL Central and the NL West.
What a game. Buehler's coming out party really. Outside of a few moments where he lost the zone, he was as locked in as any pitcher I've ever seen. Wonderful job. The Dodgers wore down German with tremendous at-bats from Muncy, Kike, Turner, and even Buehler did well. I actually didn't love the at-bats that Bellinger had (he kept falling behind), but obviously you can't sleep on anyone in this lineup. Yasiel Puig had some truly horrendous swings yesterday, but of course makes up for it on a double. The Rockies are in trouble. They don't have the kind of proven pitching you need in the post-season and their away splits are uncomfortable. Bring on the randomly great Braves.
Buehler has just been phenomenal in these past couple of months: I think we have another good chance this year. The offense is very potent and the depth has improved. Adding Freese has been a very shrewd move and I hope that he can bring his 2011 magic to the team this year. In addition to Buehler, Ryu has been very good for us. Where I start to worry is the fact that this team has struggled when games are tight, they tend to leave a lot of RISP stranded. I'm also not sure about how our bullpen will do, especially Kenley. I've seen people asking for Baez or Maeda to be the closer. I wouldn't do that change, but I'd like Doc to have a shorter leash on Kersh and Kenley if their command is not there and if they look very hittable. We can go all the way if the bullpen pitches well and if the team provides the runs when it matters.
The last 4 post seasons this has been my point. We can blame Kershaws 7th inning woes. We can blame the bullpen if we like but i've held to the same point every year that the biggest reason we have not won the Championship is because we do not hit with RISP. We leave sooooo many men on base. If we can capitalize on getting the hit when it matters I think we can literally steamroll most teams. It is a big if though.
Case in point... 1st inning runners on 1st and 2nd no outs. ZIP. Machado and Grandy K, walk, Puig K's with bases loaded. That is 0-3 with runner in scoring position. No one even moved the runner up until the walk loaded the bases. Only saving grace is that we got a ton of pitches on the Braves pitcher.
It's gonna happen puffy, this team hasn't been great at hitting with RISP all year. Meanwhile, awesome HR's by Joc and Max. Live and die by the HR!
Yes this team is powerful. They still better learn to get the basehits and move the damn runners. BTW, this ump is killing people. Crazy inconsistent. I'm not sure Machado will survive the game at this rate.
That was a comfortable game 1 win. HR's and phenomenal pitching from Ryu. Saw this on ESPN: It's nice to have a 1-0 lead and have Kershaw going up for Game 2 today!
Yeah I don't know why Kershaw got so angry about not starting. Him being in the swing game leaves us in such a better position. Besides, Ryu and Buehler are simply pitching better right now. If he doesn't like it... pitch better. Anyway, Game 1 felt like it was too easy. I'm not sure the Braves are ready for this stage. It looked like a team that's been here vs. a team that's still getting their feet wet. Kershaw will have his hands full tonight against a young team eager to bounce back. How about Max f***ing Muncy? This guy is a stud. The at-bats we get from 1-5 are just absolutely tremendous. Joc is dangerous as the lead-off either with a homer or a walk. Just tremendous. Then you go up against Turner, Machado, Muncy, and things taper off a bit with Grandal. But that back end is still dangerous as all hell with Grandal, Bellinger, and Puig. Then things come back around with the great at bat in Kike. Teams simply cannot rest. Oh by the way that doesn't include Taylor, Kemp, and Freese off the bench.
Kershaw gets out of the early jam. Joc does the lead off again. Manny on a 3-0 green light goes yard. Power boys!
