Meaningless game in August closes the window

[Slateman]

I've seen the Dodgers. I also saw the 2001 Mariners. Your point?

The 2001 Mariners had week starting pitching and a decent pen. Dodgers are vastly superior.

Also, last year's Cubs come to mind.

[Slateman]

In baseball in the short sample size of a playoff series anything can happen.  You can't replace Harper over 162, but in a 5 game or 7 game series you can.

Yea, I mean, 2014 would have been a,sweep without Harper. Cant wait.

[mimontero88]

Yea, I mean, 2014 would have been a,sweep without Harper. Cant wait.

And last year doesn't get to game 5 without Lobaton.  That's the point about smaller samples.

[Five Banners]

Finally saw replay, watching that foot slide on the base in the rain.

[tzinc]

Finally saw replay, watching that foot slide on the base in the rain.

...the season slip sliding away...

[imref]

There's potential for a storybook book ending as werth and Zimm carry us to a WS.

[rileyn]

Have you seen the Dodgers. You can't make up for Harper being gone

LOL at the Dodgers and Cubs for loading up on lefties to face us in the postseason.  Suckas!

[KnorrForYourMoney]

People seem to not be realizing that the Dodgers can get swept in the first round by the Rockies and the Nationals can still lose in the NLDS to the Cubs/Cardinals.

Yea, I mean, 2014 would have been a,sweep without Harper. Cant wait.

And most of the current lineup is either dreadful or downright inexperienced in the postseason.  Wonderful.

[Smithian]

I have no idea how the Nats will be able to field a lineup when the core is built around Zimmerman, Murphy, and Rendon.

[Ray D]

They didn’t make the playoffs when they looked like the best team in baseball in 2015.

Same for 2013.

[welch]

After the '71 season, I refused to think about baseball. Midway through the 1973 season, the Mets were a nowhere mediocre team. The manager, a Yogi, said "It ain't over till it's over".

They still have to play the games.

[Ray D]

If we make the World Series, and we lose home field because the AL team is better by one game (or we get home field because they are worse by one) then we won't look at these August games as meaningless.

[Optics]

If we make the World Series, and we lose home field because the AL team is better by one game (or we get home field because they are worse by one) then we won't look at these August games as meaningless.

Home field doesn't mean crap so who cares?

The Cubs were down 3-1 last year and had to win two games in a row in Cleveland to win the World Series.

We are a better road than home team this year and historically in the playoffs.

[tzinc]

baseball playoffs are a crap shoot always have been

[Ray D]

Home field doesn't mean crap so who cares?

Would you rather watch a game on TV or go to the game?     

[spidernat]

baseball playoffs are a crap shoot always have been

This is becoming so cliche. It has been used in the past to excuse the Nats getting bounced out of the playoffs and now it is being used to point out how they have a chance to win in the playoffs. Maybe they shouldn't even play the games and roll the dice to see who wins the ring.

[CoryTheFormerExposFan]

Yea, I mean, 2014 would have been a,sweep without Harper. Cant wait.

It's a moot point since Harper is returning now, but sheesh.   Of course it's better to have Harper, but any Joe Smo can get hot over a few games and equal what Harper might have done.  This isn't the Patriots having to play the Super Bowl without Brady or the Cavs having to play the Finals without LeBron.  Baseball postseason is witchcraft.  Flip a coin. 

[KnorrForYourMoney]

It's a moot point since Harper is returning now, but sheesh.   Of course it's better to have Harper, but any Joe Smo can get hot over a few games and equal what Harper might have done.  This isn't the Patriots having to play the Super Bowl without Brady or the Cavs having to play the Finals without LeBron.  Baseball postseason is witchcraft.  Flip a coin. 

This is really dumb.  It's technically true that anyone can get hot, but hoping that Brian Goodwin will turn into Bryce Harper overnight is not what you want to rely on.

As Spider said, if that's your thinking then you might as well roll dice and decide the games.

[tzinc]

baseball is a big sample sport

baseball playoffs are a small sample

so great players disappear and no names can become superstars it happens

but of course you'd rather have great players because the odds of their success are better

[Count Walewski]

This is really dumb.  It's technically true that anyone can get hot, but hoping that Brian Goodwin will turn into Bryce Harper overnight is not what you want to rely on.

As Spider said, if that's your thinking then you might as well roll dice and decide the games.

Much worse players than Brian Goodwin have had big hits in the postseason. There used to be two players in MLB named Alex S. Gonzalez and both of them sucked - and the WORSE of the two had a walkoff homer in a World Series game.

[tzinc]

Brian Doyle is a great example lol

[vernon337]

Brian Doyle is a great example lol

Dusty Rhodes

[Ray D]

Gene Tenace

[WVUGold]

Thought it'd be worth mentioning, the magic number to clinch playoff berth is 28. http://www.playoffstatus.com/mlb/nationalwinmagicnumbers.html

[dcpatti]

Thought it'd be worth mentioning, the magic number to clinch playoff berth is 28. http://www.playoffstatus.com/mlb/nationalwinmagicnumbers.html

33 to clinch the division yaaayyy

Giants tragic number is 8 now.  Ha ha ha.