The Official 2012 MLB Bitch and Moan Thread

[Snaggletiger]

The Cards game on Friday or Saturday, they were talking about the Os being in the playoffs, and how it was a good thing.

The color guy then called Boston a "Fortune 500 team."

And the main guy said, "I don't follow."

"Well, you know, they paid a fortune, and aren't .500."

A hearty chortle followed

[AUTiger1]

The Cards game on Friday or Saturday, they were talking about the Os being in the playoffs, and how it was a good thing.

The color guy then called Boston a "Fortune 500 team."

And the main guy said, "I don't follow."

"Well, you know, they paid a fortune, and aren't .500."

 

[AUJarhead]

This from the Post-Dispatch:

Tim Hudson was scheduled to start Atlanta’s season finale, but with the Wild Card spot locked up the Braves will rest him for the playoffs and instead turn to Ben Sheets for Game 162 against the Pirates

I hate rooting against Huddy (assuming, of course, that the Cards can win one more, or the Dodgers can lose one more).

I tell you in the NL, I'd hate to play either the Braves or the Cards in a 5 game series.  Starting pitching for both teams have been outstanding down the stretch.

[War Eagle!!!]

Well fuck me...

Tonight is the first time that the rangers haven't had sole possession of first place since the first series of the year I believe...

[chinook]

Well fuck me...

Tonight is the first time that the rangers haven't had sole possession of first place since the first series of the year I believe...

aren't you a cubs fan anyway?

[War Eagle!!!]

aren't you a cubs fan anyway?

I was until I moved to Texas. I hung with the Cubs a couple of years, but it is hard to not be a fan of the Rangers living here. I go to a lot of games and have become a big fan of the team. I still like the Cubs though in the NL.

[War Eagle!!!]

Who is the other wild card if Orioles win and Yankees lose?

[AUJarhead]

Who is the other wild card if Orioles win and Yankees lose?

One game tiebreaker on Thursday.

[Snaggletiger]

To finish out the season, the Orioles get the Rays on the road and the Yankmees get the Fortune .500's at home.  I like the Yankmee's odds in this last game.   

[War Eagle!!!]

Excuse me, work.

Yeah.

I will be not paying attention to you for the next 3 hours or so.

If you need me, I'm sorry.

[Snaggletiger]

Excuse me, work.

Yeah.

I will be not paying attention to you for the next 3 hours or so.

If you need me, I'm sorry.

You can get a little done now.  Rangers up 5-1 in the top of the 4th.

[War Eagle!!!]

You can get a little done now.  Rangers up 5-1 in the top of the 4th.

Thanks mother fucker...

then it gets dicey with our 4th starter because Dempster sucks...

And Josh Hamilton...you can suck it too...

[AUJarhead]

Per Post Disptach:

Cardinals v. Braves in historic first wild-card play-in game at 4:07 p.m. STL time from Turner Field

And ESPN reporting that Braves will throw Medlen, not Hudson.  Cards to pitch Lohse.

[AUJarhead]

From Cardinals beat writer:

Early thoughts on the Cardinals vs. Braves:

1. True statement: MLB’s new postseason format gave the Cardinals an opportunity to make the playoffs, and they wouldn’t have qualified under the previous system, which featured only one wild-card pass. True statement: the addition of a second wild card left the door open to October, and the Cardinals walked in. But the Cardinals have absolutely nothing to apologize for.

Did they create the system? No, they did not. This is Bud Selig’s baby. Bill DeWitt doesn’t run the MLB. Did the Cardinals skirt the rules? No, they did not. The Cardinals competed under the guidelines put in place. Are the Cardinals some embarrassing, sorry, no-account team with a losing record? No, they are the defending World Series champions that are No. 2 in the NL in runs per game, and No. 3 in starting-pitching ERA. Despite being clobbered by injuries, they have a .540 winning percentage.

The Cardinals made it to Atlanta because they went 11-4 with their season on the line. I believe that all of the non-division winners were eligible to claim this second wild-card ticket. I don’t believe any team was banned. This isn’t like an NCAA thing, where a team is placed on probation and ruled ineligible to play in a bowl game, or the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. The Dodgers, Brewers, Diamondbacks, Pirates and Phillies each had a shot at this, but couldn’t catch the Cardinals.

So if you’re among the people whining about this, shaddup already. Direct your complaints to the commissioner’s office. I don’t think the Cardinals plan to decline the invitation to play the game in Atlanta on Friday.

2. I’m detecting at least some unhappiness with Mike Matheny’s decision to start Kyle Lohse instead of Adam Wainwright in the go-home or go-on game in Atlanta. As I have said before, I would never criticize a manager that wants to give the baseball to Wainwright or Chris Carpenter in a big game. But I’m puzzled by the griping over Lohse; you’d think that Matheny is giving the start to Brandon Dickson, or something.

Why is Lohse starting? Because he’s been the team’s finest and most consistent starter this season from beginning to end. Lohse is 16-3. He has the NL’s fifth-best ERA (2.86). He has given up three earned runs or fewer in 28 of 33 starts. A guy goes 16-3 with a 2.86 ERA and all of a sudden he’s Kip Wells? Really? Some – not all – Cardinals fans want it both ways. Complain about Lohse getting snubbed and overlooked in the Cy Young consideration by the "East Coast media." But then, when Lohse is given the start Friday, some of the best fans in baseball are carrying on as if Matheny has lost his mind.

I’m a Cy Young voter. I guess I should revise my plans and put Waino on the ballot instead of Lohse, eh?

Lohse made one start against the Braves this season, May 30 in Atlanta. It did not go well. Five innings, two homers, nine hits and five earned runs. Wainwright also made one start against the Braves. It was early (May 12) before Waino refined his mechanics. But in 4.1 innings the Braves got him for five earned runs.

Waino is better now than he was then. But Wainwright isn’t the Wainwright of 2009 and 2010, when he had a 2.53 ERA over the two seasons. Wainwright will be that guy, and soon. But his ERA is 3.94, and he’s still calibrating his arm after missing 2011 in rehabbing from Tommy John elbow-transplant surgery. If the Cardinals survive the sudden-death game, Wainwright will be ready to go right away in the NLDS.

One more thing: in this situation Matheny isn’t going to allow any starting pitcher to let this game get away early. The manager will be aggressive in turning to his bullpen if he needs to.

3. The Braves are very good. They have a 93-68 record going into Game No. 162, and that’s outstanding. But there’s at least one issue. The Braves have struggled offensively this season.

Just a few simple numbers:

• The Braves average 4.32 runs per game, 7th in the NL this season. They’re 7th in onbase percentage (.320), 10th in slugging (.390), 9th in OPS (.709). They are 9th in homers per game (0.93), 13th in strikeout rate, and are last in the league with a .231 batting average with runners in scoring position.

• Since the All-Star break the Braves are scoring 4.01 runs per game, ranking 12th among the 16 NL teams. Their second-half OBP (.315) is 10th, and their second-half slugging percentage (.369) is 14th. They’re batting .224 with runners in scoring position in the second half.

• The Braves have scored three runs or fewer in 71 games. That’s 44 percent of the 161 games they’ve played so far. As you know, the Cardinals have also had too many games of three runs or fewer, 66, but ATL has more.

• The Braves have lost 23 games this season when they’ve received a quality start from a pitcher.

4. Here are the Braves’ best hitters since the All-Star break:

Jason Heyward has 13 homers, 41 RBIs and a .459 slugging pct.

Freddie Freeman has 12 homers, 45 RBIs and a .467 slug.

Chipper Jones has 8 homers, 29 RBIs and is slugging .432.

Martin Prado is batting .281 with a .334 OBP, .418 slug, 19 doubles, 5 homers and 32 RBIs.

5. Here are Atlanta’s coldest bats since the All-Star break:

Brian McCann, bothered by a shoulder injury, is batting .210 with a .291 OBP and .348 slug.

Leadoff hitter Michael Bourn is batting .226 with a .324 OBP and 81 Ks in 266 at-bats.

Dan Uggla, benched for a time, is batting .217 with 67 Ks in 226 at-bats.

6. What the Braves do better than just about any team is prevent runs. Rotation issues caused problems early on, but since the All-Star break opponents are scoring only 3.2 runs per game against Atlanta. That’s the fewest runs per game allowed by any NL team. In terms of ERA, the Braves (3.44) rank 4th in the league for the season. Their starting-pitching ERA is 6th. The Braves second-half rotation ERA of 3.38 is No. 1 in the NL.

7. In a one-game playoff the Cardinals don’t have to deal with the Atlanta rotation. They have to deal with Kris Medlen. And he’s the most dominant starter in the majors since being elevated to the rotation on July 31. In 12 starts, Medlen is 9-0 with an 0.97 ERA. In 83.2 IP, Medlen has struck out 84 while walking only 10. That’s ridiculous.

Medlen hasn’t allowed a run in six of his starts, has given up one run in four of his starts, has been nicked for two runs in one start, and was pounded (I’m being sarcastic) for three runs in one start.

Of course, we are aware of the unusual streak put together by Medlen and the Braves. Since May 29 of 2010, Atlanta is a clean 23-0 in games started by Medlen. (There is a gap because of an elbow injury and subsequent Tommy John surgery.) In the 23-game win streak, Medlen is 14-0 with a 2.38 ERA.

Hey, Medlen is overdue for a bad start, right?

RIGHT?

8. Let’s talk about that excellent Atlanta bullpen. The Braves are No. 2 in the NL with a 2.89 relievers’ ERA, and rank first in allowing the fewest base runners per nine innings. The ATL relievers also have the fifth-highest strikeout rate, and are No. 1 in strikeout-walk ratio (3.08). The bullpen is fifth best in the league at preventing home runs.

9. Braves closer Craig Kimbrel is a bad man -- as in bad to the bone … as in, he’ll strike you out and maybe even cause anxiety, dizziness, heart palpitations, a drop in confidence and hair loss.

Here are Kimbrel's crazy numbers:

A 1.02 ERA, with 42 saves in 45 opps.

A batting-average allowed of .123, best by an MLB reliever.

A strikeout rate of 16.49 Ks per nine innings; that’s better than Aroldis Chapman (15.32 K rate.)

Hitters have a .185 OBP and .171 SLG against Kimbrel.

On May 4, Kimbrel had a 3.27 ERA. He was, well, human. And then he started growing fangs, and smoke began billowing from his ears, and when he throws the fastball, the sparks blind the hitters.

In 51 appearances since May 8, Kimbrel has allowed 3 earned runs in 50.2 innings; that’s an 0.53 ERA. He’s blown two saves since early May; July 20 vs. Washington and Aug. 31 against Philadelphia. So we think he’s human … sort of.

10. Lohse vs. the Braves: I’ll just give you the names and stats of the guys who have given Lohse the most trouble since he became a Cardinal in 2008.

Prado is 6 for 14 with 3 RBIs … Heyward is 2 for 7 with two doubles, two walks and a .571 slug …Chipper Jones is 3 for 7 with a double, homer, four RBIs and four walks … Freeman is 2 for 3 with a double, homer and two RBIs … Jose Costanza is 2 for 2. That’s about it.

However, over the last two seasons Lohse has been a much better pitcher than he was during the injury-plagued 2009 and 2010. Over the last two seasons, Braves hitters have mixed results vs. Lohse. But the Braves that did the most damage against him in 2010 and 2011 were Bourn (3 for 10), Freeman (2 for 3, homer, double), McCann (1 for 3, homer), Prado (2 for 3), Constanza (2-2). Small samples.

The current Cardinals have little experience in facing Medlen. The two players that have had some success, Rafael Furcal and Matt Adams, are injured and non-factors Friday.

Medlen will pound the sinker and get ahead in the count. Then he messes hitters up with an excellent changeup and curve.

I’ll be heading to Atlanta as part of Team Post-Dispatch, so you can expect many words from the baseball writers and the idiot columnist over the next three days.

Thanks for reading …

[AUTiger1]

Well shit.  Thanks a lot Rangers, thanks a fucking lot!  I would have much rather played the A's in the wildcard playoff game consider we have played them pretty even this season and the Rangers have owned us.  Take your pick Friday, does Hamilton have a 4 run homer kind of game or does Beltre rape us again? 

Hey, at least we didn't finish our predicted last and was really in the hunt until we got the Rays. 

[AUJarhead]

All it takes is getting hot at the right moment.

2004 Cardinals were clearly the best team in baseball...  and the Red Sox whipped them.

2006 Cardinals had no business going to the playoffs...  and won the whole fucking thing.

[War Eagle!!!]

Well shit.  Thanks a lot Rangers, thanks a fucking lot!  I would have much rather played the A's in the wildcard playoff game consider we have played them pretty even this season and the Rangers have owned us.  Take your pick Friday, does Hamilton have a 4 run homer kind of game or does Beltre rape us again? 

Hey, at least we didn't finish our predicted last and was really in the hunt until we got the Rays.

You guys will win. Hamilton is ready to get to the off season to play the FA market. The only one playing well right now is Beltre....

[AUTiger1]

You guys will win. Hamilton is ready to get to the off season to play the FA market. The only one playing well right now is Beltre....

I would like to think we would, if Beltre hadn't had a 3 run homer game against us in August I would have more confidence.

[GH2001]

From Cardinals beat writer:

Good writeup.

He points out the one thing that scares me: that Medlen IS due for a bad outing. Watch this pitching duel turn into a slugfest. If it does, braves have no hope. If it stays low, I like their chances.

[Snaggletiger]

Good writeup.

He points out the one thing that scares me: that Medlen IS due for a bad outing. Watch this pitching duel turn into a slugfest. If it does, braves have no hope. If it stays low, I like their chances.

Werd.  They have to go with Medlen.  No brainer. Did not realize Lohse had that kind of record and ERA. Damn!