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Minimal, absolute minimal. I'd much rather win a DCS as a wild card than go one and done as a division winner.
That's completely beside the point. If you give me the choice between a wild-card World Series champion or a division winning LDS loser, obviously I want the world champion. But that's hypothetical. The point is the division is something, and it's more than "nice." I want the division because I've watched crappy baseball for seven seasons and I want a pennant on display in Nats park and I want the Phillies, Braves, Mets, and Marlins to be facing the division champions when they come here next year. If they win the division, home field would be icing on the cake and would help in the postseason, but I wouldn't be nearly as upset if they missed out on that as I would be if they blew the division.
You completely misread my post.
Added the home wild card as it guarantees a home playoff game at Nats Park.
If the Nats win less than 4 and the Braves lose less than 4, I will eat my hat.
PB, shouldn't the magic number to clinch home field advantage in the NLDS be 8, and home field in the NLCS be 11? I know that if head-to-head record broke a tie we would win against the Giants, but I'm not so sure about the Reds.
We have the tiebreaker against both the Reds and Giants; in case of a tie with the Braves there will be a tie breaker game.
Manager Fredi Gonzalez has altered his rotation to line Kris Medlen up to start the one-game playoff the Braves will play if they gain entry to the postseason with one of the National League's two Wild Card entries.Though there is still an outside chance the Braves could win the National League East, Gonzalez and pitching coach Roger McDowell had to start making plans for this one-game playoff, which is scheduled to be played between the NL's two Wild Card entrants on Oct. 5. The winner will advance to the Division Series.If the Braves win the one-game playoff with Medlen on the mound, Tim Hudson would start Game 1 of the Division Series. The adjustments to the rotation also allow Hudson to start the one-game playoff if necessary."It's no secret. Medlen has been our best pitcher for the better part of a month or two now," Hudson said. "He definitely has to pitch important games for us, whether it be the first one or the second one. He's the guy we've got to lean on. We've been leaning on him for a while now."Medlen has compiled a 0.76 ERA and limited opponents to a .195 batting average in the 10 starts he has made since moving from the bullpen to the starting rotation. The Braves have won each of the past 21 games started by Medlen dating back to 2010.If Medlen pitches the one-game playoff, he would be available to pitch Game 3 of the Division Series on regular rest. Hudson will be available to start Games 1 and 5 in the best-of-five series."In games like that, you want your best guys ready to go," Hudson said. "I don't think it's any secret that [Medlen] has not only been one of our best pitchers, but one of the best pitchers in the game for the past month and a half."To put Medlen in line to start the potential one-game playoff, Gonzalez simply flip-flopped the red-hot pitcher with Paul Maholm in the rotation. Medlen will now start Tuesday against the Marlins and then make his final regular-season start in the Braves' home finale on Sept. 30.Maholm will start Wednesday's game against the Marlins, and the struggling Tommy Hanson will make at least one more start on Thursday.
Braves tinkering their rotation to set up Medlen to pitch in the wild card playoff game
Setting us up for a very tough matchup in our first ever home playoff game. Wish they'd just shut him down.