NL Best Record Race Watch

[Ray D]

Didn't the championship series start out as 5 game series?  I thought the Mets swept the Braves 3-0 in the first one in 1969.

yeah now that I think about it you're right, I got confused because what I remember is that for the first few (at least the first two) years every playoff series, both leagues, were sweeps, 3 games. So I got my 3's confused.

[Displaced Bucco]

Charlie and Dave talked about a three-game wildcard playoff last night and they didn't like it. Right now, the Nats are off for four days next week - basically the length of the All-Star Break. Expanding the WC series only makes that break even longer, which puts the division winners at a potential disadvantage with so much rest.

Yeah, there are draw backs to any system, you'll never make everyone happy.  I hope this is it with playoff expansion tho, NHL and NBA irriate me since you play a full season to eliminate two or three teams!  I'm just a grumpy old guy, I HATE the DH too.

[Ray D]

Yeah but right now the Nat play Sunday and not again till Friday. One of those days is because they split the wild card into two days. They don't have to do that. Another is that they split game 1 of NLDS into two days. Don't have to do that either. Wild card games could easily be Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday (don't need a travel day, either) and they would still be able to play NLDS game 1 Friday.

[spidernat]

Another is that they split game 1 of NLDS into two days.

They usually do that with the AL but since the yankees aren't in it they did it with the NL.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Another is that they split game 1 of NLDS into two days.

They did not.  Both NLDS game 1s are on Friday.  2 ALDS game 1s on Thursday, 2 ALDS game 2s and 2 NLDS game 1s on Friday, then 2 NL game 2s onStaturday, 2 AL Game 3s on Sunday, and possibly 4 on monday (2 game 4s, 2 game 3s), 2 NL game 4s on tuesday, 2 AL game 5s wednesday, 2 NL games 5 on Thursday. 

[varoadking]

Cards lose...no longer a threat...

[natsarl]

Cardinals lost tonight, knocking them out of the race for home field advantage.  It also means the Nationals clinched home field advantage in the NLDS (at least). 

[varoadking]

Giants lead 1-0 early...

Pirates lose keeping them 1.5 games behind the Cards.

Good day so far...

[Count Walewski]

Man that 10 game win streak is really paying off for the Nats. Proves it was a smart decision to win those games.

[varoadking]

Man that 10 game win streak is really paying off for the Nats. Proves it was a smart decision to win those games.

Glad I thought of it...

[eddiejc1]

Cardinals lost tonight, knocking them out of the race for home field advantage.  It also means the Nationals clinched home field advantage in the NLDS (at least). 

Yup. This is our magic number and it's now only against one team:

2 over Dodgers (Nats win season series 4-2)

[houston-nat]

Clayton Kershaw having a hell of a game! Behind-the-back catch, and now an RBI triple.

[PC]

The Giants lost this game tonight in all kinds of ugly ways.

[3bside]

Too bad the Dodgers have an off day today.  The day after a celebration is usually good for a loss.

[Ray D]

The day after a celebration is usually good for a loss.

Well, we lost, only because we fielded an AAA team.  If we had put out the regulars (not suggesting we should have) we would probably have won that game.

[Baseball is Life]

Well, we lost, only because we fielded an AAA team.  If we had put out the regulars (not suggesting we should have) we would probably have won that game.

And the Nats are 5-0 since that loss so it's hard to argue against Matt's decision.

[Ray D]

At this moment, as I see it, the Cards cannot catch us, and the magic number for the Dodgers  is two.   Right?

(Cards have only three games left, 88 wins, so their max is 91 and we have 92.  Dodgers also have three games but have 91 wins. If they win all three they'll have 94, if we win two we tie them but we have the tiebreaker.)

[LouisaCountyNats]

Exactly.

[GSW]

Exactly.

If wish Williams would stop playing all the subs until he locks up HOME FIELD !

RIZZO in 2012 now Williams in 2014

[varoadking]

If wish Williams would stop playing all the subs until he locks up HOME FIELD !

Meh...we won't make it out of the Divisional Series anyway... 

[MorseTheHorse]

If wish Williams would stop playing all the subs until he locks up HOME FIELD !

RIZZO in 2012 now Williams in 2014

It's a tough situation with 4 games in 2 days.  I agree though, home field is super important and if we lose tonight things start to get interesting...

[natsarl]

It's a tough situation with 4 games in 2 days.  I agree though, home field is super important and if we lose tonight things start to get interesting...

Do they, though?  Even if we lose tonight, we still only need to win two of four from the Marlins; that's if the Dodgers sweep the Rockies. 

[whytev]

If wish Williams would stop playing all the subs until he locks up HOME FIELD !

RIZZO in 2012 now Williams in 2014

Yeah let's run the legs off of Werth, LaRoche, and Ramos to secure the best record when the best record team almost never wins the World Series anyway and then see if they are still alive in 3 weeks. Four games in 2 days! Because this is a video game and nobody ever gets tired or injured!

And why are we spot starting? Let's trot out the starting rotation and burn their arms in two days!

I'm so tired of everyone whining when any bench guy starts.

[Optics]

Home field is all but ours at this point. More important to get guys rested.

Momentum heading into the playoffs is a myth, especially with the long layoff.

[eddiejc1]

Home field is all but ours at this point. More important to get guys rested.

Momentum heading into the playoffs is a myth, especially with the long layoff.

I'd like to get home field, but I don't think we're going to go 1-4 over this weekend. Let's just hope that what happened with Clippard was just a hiccup going into the playoffs and not the sign of an outright collapse.