Author Topic: Beating the Cubs  (Read 31809 times)

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Offline expos1994

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Beating the Cubs
« Topic Start: September 26, 2017, 10:38:35 AM »
Is anyone else concerned about the momentum the Cubs have to end the season? The Nationals are pitching well... but the offense is in major coast mode. They scatter hits, tack on runs here and there, rarely put crooked numbers on the board. The Cubs on the other hand are putting up 6-10 runs a night it seems. Getting clutch late/extra inning heroics. And they also seem to be pitching well. I'd put my Nats up against any team.. They are an elite team. But the Cubs are playing their best ball right now.. and the Nats (with the exception of the bullpen) played their best ball in April.

Offline Baseball is Life

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Re: Beating the Cubs
« Reply #1: September 26, 2017, 10:42:07 AM »
It's almost October. I will be concerned for a while, I hope.

Offline Monarch

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Re: Beating the Cubs
« Reply #2: September 26, 2017, 10:44:29 AM »
Is anyone else concerned about the momentum the Cubs have to end the season? The Nationals are pitching well... but the offense is in major coast mode. They scatter hits, tack on runs here and there, rarely put crooked numbers on the board. The Cubs on the other hand are putting up 6-10 runs a night it seems. Getting clutch late/extra inning heroics. And they also seem to be pitching well. I'd put my Nats up against any team.. They are an elite team. But the Cubs are playing their best ball right now.. and the Nats (with the exception of the bullpen) played their best ball in April.

A lot of our regulars are not playing every day and haven't since we clinched. Plus Harper being out a while too.

Offline GburgNatsFan

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Re: Beating the Cubs
« Reply #3: September 26, 2017, 10:45:10 AM »
So yes, right? :)

A lot of our regulars are not playing every day and haven't since we clinched. Plus Harper being out a while too.

Offline bluestreak

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Re: Beating the Cubs
« Reply #4: September 26, 2017, 11:06:25 AM »
September play has been repeatedly shown to not correlate with playoff success.

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=9617

Offline Slateman

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Re: Beating the Cubs
« Reply #5: September 26, 2017, 11:15:56 AM »
Is anyone else concerned about the momentum the Cubs have to end the season?
No. You're either a better team, or you aren't. Momentum only lasts as long as the next day's pitcher.

Offline spidernat

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Re: Beating the Cubs
« Reply #6: September 26, 2017, 11:16:59 AM »
:smh: @ this fanbase



Online imref

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Re: Beating the Cubs
« Reply #7: September 26, 2017, 11:22:18 AM »
Is anyone else concerned about the momentum the Cubs have to end the season? The Nationals are pitching well... but the offense is in major coast mode. They scatter hits, tack on runs here and there, rarely put crooked numbers on the board. The Cubs on the other hand are putting up 6-10 runs a night it seems. Getting clutch late/extra inning heroics. And they also seem to be pitching well. I'd put my Nats up against any team.. They are an elite team. But the Cubs are playing their best ball right now.. and the Nats (with the exception of the bullpen) played their best ball in April.

iirc there's little correlation between how a team plays the last month of the season and playoff success.

Offline varoadking

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Re: Beating the Cubs
« Reply #8: September 26, 2017, 11:25:22 AM »

imref has bluestreak on ignore...  :smh:

Offline bluestreak

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Re: Beating the Cubs
« Reply #9: September 26, 2017, 11:30:42 AM »
imref has bluestreak on ignore...  :smh:

Wouldn't surprise me. I'm kind of a jerk...

Offline expos1994

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Re: Beating the Cubs
« Reply #10: September 26, 2017, 11:32:22 AM »
September play has been repeatedly shown to not correlate with playoff success.

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=9617

The Cubs showed last year that despite clinching very early they were able to turn it back on during the playoffs. That's good... for them.

The Nats have clinched relatively early in their 3 postseason berths... and failed to advance all three times. That's not very encouraging.

For every team that doesn't carry over momentum... there are just as many that do. Like all the wildcard teams that have done well in the playoffs.

The sky is far from falling in... the Nats are still winning at a decent clip despite throwing SPs out there that won't be in the rotation and filling the lineup with bench players.

If Harper comes back, I'd really like to see Difo get some starts. His speed and defense make him a better option than Werth. Although I get that Werth should be in there just to see if he can put together a good game at the plate, but the leash should be short.

I'm not unhappy with where Washington is... but the Cubs are playing a lot better right now. But they also need to because they haven't clinched. I hope they do clinch tonight so they can coast a little.

Offline UMDNats

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Re: Beating the Cubs
« Reply #11: September 26, 2017, 11:39:49 AM »
The Cubs rotation doesn't scare me. In a 5-game series, they have to face Scherzer (2x), Stras and Gio. And our lineup is excellent.

Don't give a freak about how the Cubs are now. It's meaningless.

Offline DPMOmaha

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Re: Beating the Cubs
« Reply #12: September 26, 2017, 11:41:04 AM »
It's the playoffs. I'll always be nervous. I can't freaking wait!

Offline expos1994

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Re: Beating the Cubs
« Reply #13: September 26, 2017, 12:01:44 PM »
The Cubs rotation doesn't scare me. In a 5-game series, they have to face Scherzer (2x), Stras and Gio. And our lineup is excellent.

Don't give a freak about how the Cubs are now. It's meaningless.

It will probably be low scoring. The Nats do have great pitching no doubt. The Cubs rotation has been pretty average all year... until recently. But you do remember this is the same rotation that was the best in baseball last year and won it all. And they added Quintana at the deadline.

Offline RobDibblesGhost

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Re: Beating the Cubs
« Reply #14: September 26, 2017, 01:07:27 PM »
I think Turner could be the difference in this series. Lester and Arietta are horrible at holding runners and Turner can really do some damage...if he gets on base. That'll be the key.

Offline Slateman

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Re: Beating the Cubs
« Reply #15: September 26, 2017, 01:31:24 PM »

Offline varoadking

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Re: Beating the Cubs
« Reply #16: September 26, 2017, 02:18:16 PM »
The Cubs rotation doesn't scare me.

Their rotation has been the best in the NL since the All Star break...never underestimate your adversary...

Offline Slateman

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Re: Beating the Cubs
« Reply #17: September 26, 2017, 02:25:22 PM »
Their rotation has been the best in the NL since the All Star break...never underestimate your adversary...
By 0.04 of a earned run

Offline varoadking

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Re: Beating the Cubs
« Reply #18: September 26, 2017, 02:35:45 PM »
By 0.04 of a earned run

Thanks for the stat to back up what I said...  ;)

Offline Slateman

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Re: Beating the Cubs
« Reply #19: September 26, 2017, 02:44:27 PM »
Thanks for the stat to back up what I said...  ;)
If the stat were meaningful. That 0.04 is basically Edwin Jackson vs John Lackey. Guess who isn't going to be on the playoff roster?

So if you really want to compare meaningful stats, it would be to look at the four most probable starters the Cubs will throw vs the four most probable the Nats will throw. (PS, they have the same ERAs in the second half)

And we have a better FIP so there's that.

Offline spidernat

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Re: Beating the Cubs
« Reply #20: September 26, 2017, 02:46:02 PM »
Just post the won/loss records to truly settle the matter.

Online imref

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Re: Beating the Cubs
« Reply #21: September 26, 2017, 02:55:08 PM »
imref has bluestreak on ignore...  :smh:

Sorry. Missed that. 

Offline varoadking

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Re: Beating the Cubs
« Reply #22: September 26, 2017, 02:55:17 PM »
If the stat were meaningful. That 0.04 is basically Edwin Jackson vs John Lackey. Guess who isn't going to be on the playoff roster?

So if you really want to compare meaningful stats, it would be to look at the four most probable starters the Cubs will throw vs the four most probable the Nats will throw. (PS, they have the same ERAs in the second half)

And we have a better FIP so there's that.

Do we have a "yawn" emoji?

Offline varoadking

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Re: Beating the Cubs
« Reply #23: September 26, 2017, 02:55:50 PM »
Just post the won/loss records to truly settle the matter.

Now you're on to something...  ;)

Offline UMDNats

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Re: Beating the Cubs
« Reply #24: September 26, 2017, 03:03:29 PM »
Just post the won/loss records to truly settle the matter.

lmao