Author Topic: Are the Cardinals and Nats equal teams?  (Read 4423 times)

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Offline NatsDad14

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Are the Cardinals and Nats equal teams?
« Topic Start: October 09, 2012, 11:47:16 AM »
Looking at the stats and current rosters, I feel like this series is a matchup of 2 equals. While the Nats did have a 10 win advantage in the regular season, they only had a 20 run run differential advantage over the Cards. If you factor in no Strasburg and the fact that the playoff format favors the Cards (less use of their horrible middle relief whereas the Nats had a balanced bullpen), this is pretty even. I think we pull it out in 5 based on HFA.

The Cards might actually be the best (non-Nats) team in the league. The rotation is solid with Carpenter back, the lineup is the best in the league, and the back of the bullpen is solid. Overall a balanced team. They will be a tough out. If we get past them, I feel like we are a WS lock.

Offline Ali the Baseball Cat

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Re: Are the Cardinals and Nats equal teams?
« Reply #1: October 09, 2012, 11:49:43 AM »
Too bad the wheels have recently come off our rotation. 

Offline DPMOmaha

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Re: Are the Cardinals and Nats equal teams?
« Reply #2: October 09, 2012, 11:53:40 AM »
Looking at the stats and current rosters, I feel like this series is a matchup of 2 equals. While the Nats did have a 10 win advantage in the regular season, they only had a 20 run run differential advantage over the Cards. If you factor in no Strasburg and the fact that the playoff format favors the Cards (less use of their horrible middle relief whereas the Nats had a balanced bullpen), this is pretty even. I think we pull it out in 5 based on HFA.

The Cards might actually be the best (non-Nats) team in the league. The rotation is solid with Carpenter back, the lineup is the best in the league, and the back of the bullpen is solid. Overall a balanced team. They will be a tough out. If we get past them, I feel like we are a WS lock.

The Reds are really, really good.  We are not a World Series lock if we get past the Cards.  We aren't a WS lock regardless of who the opponent is.

Offline Obed_Marsh

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Re: Are the Cardinals and Nats equal teams?
« Reply #3: October 09, 2012, 11:56:06 AM »
I look at the Cardinals as inferior losers just waiting to get their asses kicked and oh so deserving of of a series crushing defeats. Welcome to our house nages. #Natitude :w:

Offline mitlen

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Re: Are the Cardinals and Nats equal teams?
« Reply #4: October 09, 2012, 11:59:43 AM »
No, they aren't and we ought to quit pretending like they are.   They played in the same division as the Pirates, Astros and Cubs for God sake.   We had the best record in baseball.   What Obed_Marsh said.   It's time to kick their asses and get on with it.   

Offline welch

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Re: Are the Cardinals and Nats equal teams?
« Reply #5: October 09, 2012, 12:02:10 PM »
I think the Nats have better pitching; the Cardinals better hitting...maybe best in NL. They will be tough, and Jackson has to pitch well tomorrow.

The Nats played the Reds early in the season, and the Nats were the better team. A lot has changed, so my hunchis that Cardinals and Reds are about equal.

Offline Tyler Durden

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Re: Are the Cardinals and Nats equal teams?
« Reply #6: October 09, 2012, 12:08:25 PM »
The Cards *should* have 3 automatic outs in their lineup with the middle infielders and the pitcher.  It's the other 6 guys who do most of the damage.

Nats lineup has more depth.  Our bullpen has looked a little shaky but our rotation is better.

But the Cards are very good.  Good hitting and good pitching.

Offline OldChelsea

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Re: Are the Cardinals and Nats equal teams?
« Reply #7: October 09, 2012, 12:09:13 PM »
One can overanalyse this till one is blue in the face...ultimately it gets down to execution, which team is bringing serious playoff game and which team isn't.

The Cardinals lead the NL in World Series titles won (11, trailing only the Yankees) but have never won back-to-back World Series...will history repeat itself or will the mathematical law of averages come to the Cardinals' aid at last?

The Cardinals play in the relatively weak Central division (getting the Cubs and Astros to beat up on all season long) while the Nats play in the league's high-rent East...does this matter?

The Cardinals' 40-man roster contains more pitchers born under the sign of Libra (three - Lohse, Miller and Westbrook) than the Nats do (one - Lannan) - that's the zodiacal sign that symbolises balance - are the very heavens against us?

And what if, at our upcoming home matches, we run out of hot dog buns in the middle innings?

PHOOEY.

Leave the sabermetrics and fantasy-league stuff in the closet (or better yet, the nearest rubbish bin)...just play the blasted games.

Offline Slateman

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Re: Are the Cardinals and Nats equal teams?
« Reply #8: October 09, 2012, 12:11:40 PM »
If our pitching from the first half of the season shows up, we're a better team. If the pitching we had the last month and a half of the season shows up, not really.

Offline MarquisDeSade

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Re: Are the Cardinals and Nats equal teams?
« Reply #9: October 09, 2012, 12:49:15 PM »
NO

Offline wpa2629

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Re: Are the Cardinals and Nats equal teams?
« Reply #10: October 09, 2012, 12:51:25 PM »
Posted on another site ...

Since the All Star break, the Cardinals have gone on the road for twelve series. They're 4-8 in those series. Three of those four series wins came against the Rockies (64-98), the Cubs (61-101) and the Astros (55-107). Their road record in the second half against teams with a .500 or better record was 5-13. Their overall road record in the second half was 14-23.

They SUCK on the road. They only reason they made the playoffs at all was they had a stellar 50-31 record at home (same as the Nats).  If you expected the Nats to take both at Busch your expectations were too high. We got out of there with a split which was all the Nats really needed to do.


#Natitude nages ... Get some

Offline LostYudite

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Re: Are the Cardinals and Nats equal teams?
« Reply #11: October 09, 2012, 12:54:31 PM »
PHOOEY.

Leave the sabermetrics and fantasy-league stuff in the closet (or better yet, the nearest rubbish bin)...just play the blasted games.

THIS.  Shut up and play ball.  We got one, they got one.  Don't matter how or why.  This isn't the time for saber stuff (and in short playoff series, none of it matters anyway).  Shut up and execute.

You're the better team and have been all year.  I don't want to hear about days off or shadows on the field or whatnot.  You're better.  Now prove it and take two of three at home.

Offline MarquisDeSade

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Re: Are the Cardinals and Nats equal teams?
« Reply #12: October 09, 2012, 12:57:04 PM »
SANITY!

:clap:

Offline shoeshineboy

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Re: Are the Cardinals and Nats equal teams?
« Reply #13: October 09, 2012, 12:59:51 PM »
Yeah. No shadow or sun monster excuses. The boys just need to stap it on and play. Stay focused, stay loose, and don't take your foot off the other team's throat until it's over. Best record in baseball. They know what they can do. Have some confidence and do it. Leave it all on the field.

Offline MarquisDeSade

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Re: Are the Cardinals and Nats equal teams?
« Reply #14: October 09, 2012, 01:05:28 PM »
I was telling JCA last night, right before things fell apart, that so far it's looked like an even match-up, something that can't be said for the wOes-Jankees series.  Last night was awful but a day off to regroup, rest up, and recharge should yield better results.  The #NATITUDE better be flowing, they can't afford to come out flat like last night.

Offline spidernat

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Re: Are the Cardinals and Nats equal teams?
« Reply #15: October 09, 2012, 01:06:35 PM »
Jackson will have no hit stuff tomorrow.

Offline GSW

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Re: Are the Cardinals and Nats equal teams?
« Reply #16: October 09, 2012, 01:14:01 PM »
Are the Cardinals and Nats equal teams?

No.... You need to remember .... Rizzo took us down below the Cardinals in Sept.

Thanks!!! Rizzo ... this is your year... which will live for 20 years :koolaid:


Offline DPMOmaha

  • Posts: 22875
Re: Are the Cardinals and Nats equal teams?
« Reply #17: October 09, 2012, 01:21:40 PM »
Not sure exactly where this goes, but I thought it was interesting who they replaced Garcia with.

Ken Rosenthal ‏@Ken_Rosenthal
Garcia off #STLCards’ roster with rotator-cuff strain/inflammation. S. Miller on, becoming third rookie in bullpen. #Nationals

Offline DPMOmaha

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Re: Are the Cardinals and Nats equal teams?
« Reply #18: October 09, 2012, 01:32:28 PM »
Are the Cardinals and Nats equal teams?

No.... You need to remember .... Rizzo took us down below the Cardinals in Sept.

Thanks!!! Rizzo ... this is your year... which will live for 20 years :koolaid:



After the series vs. the Cards in DC, the Cards went 16-12.  The Nats in that same time period?  17-12.  Strasburg only had his fateful final start in that stretch.  Cards went 6-7 on the road in that stretch including series at San Diego, LA, Chicago, Houston.  Nats went 6-6 on the road with trips to Philly, St. Louis, New York and Atlanta.  Don't see where the Nats dipped below the Cards in the last month of the season.

Offline OldChelsea

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Re: Are the Cardinals and Nats equal teams?
« Reply #19: October 09, 2012, 01:50:27 PM »
[...]Cards went 6-7 on the road in that stretch including series at San Diego, LA, Chicago, Houston.[...][emphasis added]

They were, in fact, swept in that Padres series (losing 11-3, 6-4, 3-2 on 10th-12th September).

Offline PC

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Re: Are the Cardinals and Nats equal teams?
« Reply #20: October 09, 2012, 02:14:48 PM »
God no.  The Cardinals are a wretched, WRETCHED road team.  They're the only NL playoff team that has a losing road record.  Everything good about the Cardinals vanishes when they leave Busch Stadium where they are tied with the best home record in the National League (with us and the Reds at 50-31).

Offline OldChelsea

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Re: Are the Cardinals and Nats equal teams?
« Reply #21: October 09, 2012, 02:21:52 PM »
God no.  The Cardinals are a wretched, WRETCHED road team.  They're the only NL playoff team that has a losing road record.[...]

...specifically 38-43 - six non-playoff teams (Angels, Diamondbacks, Dodgers, Phillies, Rays and White Sox) had better away records. In fact in all of MLB only three teams (Astros, Brewers, Cubs) had a bigger disparity between home and away wins than the Cardinals' +12 (the Tigers led the AL by that same spread).

Offline Slateman

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Re: Are the Cardinals and Nats equal teams?
« Reply #22: October 09, 2012, 02:30:43 PM »
Yes, but our pitching is also wretched against the Cards. Jackson got destroyed and Detwiler is a lefty going against a lefty feasting team.

Not saying the game can't be won, but let's not get over-confident

Offline OldChelsea

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Re: Are the Cardinals and Nats equal teams?
« Reply #23: October 09, 2012, 02:36:50 PM »
Yes, but our pitching is also wretched against the Cards. Jackson got destroyed and Detwiler is a lefty going against a lefty feasting team.

Not saying the game can't be won, but let's not get over-confident

In 1954, the Cleveland Indians, winners of a then-AL-record of 111 games and anchored by a legendary pitching staff (four Hall of Famers - Feller, Lemon, Newhouser and Wynn) , went into the World Series heavily favoured over the New York Giants.

Then came Willie Mays' catch off Vic Wertz in Game 1...and the Giants would sweep the Indians 4-nil in one of the greatest upsets in the history of the Fall Classic.

It's the short season...throw out the stat book because anything can happen.

Offline wpa2629

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Re: Are the Cardinals and Nats equal teams?
« Reply #24: October 09, 2012, 02:37:45 PM »
Yes, but our pitching is also wretched against the Cards. Jackson got destroyed and Detwiler is a lefty going against a lefty feasting team.

Not saying the game can't be won, but let's not get over-confident

Jackson and Detwiler are nails at home and the Nats annihilated the Cardinals when they were last here  - outscored them 31-13 in 4 games

It's not like there isn't any recent history of success against them