Final out of the 8th, instead results in 2 runs and the Braves taking a 7-6 lead. Cubs had led 6-0 It's so Cubs.
September MLB Thread
- Thread starter E5 Yaz
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That is an awkward way to clinch the NL Central for the Brewers. Laid an egg in a 4-1 loss at home against the Cards, about to celebrate now.
Also a huge swing in the NL wild card race.
Also a huge swing in the NL wild card race.
Cubs broadcast was apocalyptic
View: https://twitter.com/mlbwalk_offs/status/1706853341341667662?s=46
That was indeed a straight up, Little League, whiff. You don't see that very often.
This happened 09/23/1998 after the Cubs had a 7-0 lead in the game; they were up 6-0 tonight.
Baseball is spooky sometimes.
View: https://twitter.com/downsr30/status/1706854143665848685?s=46
And Brant Brown is now a coach with the Marlins - the team most likely to overtake them for that last wild card spot.
Maybe I shouldn't have written off hte Reds yet... 1.5 back of Cubs with tiebreaker. Marlins are certainly capable of fumbling the bag with that popgun offense, they lost a series to the Mets last week.
The Reds can probably lose one of their remaining 4 at worst, if even that.
The Reds can probably lose one of their remaining 4 at worst, if even that.
Someone threw a ball from the stands and hit George Kirby in the midsection during the top of the 6th of Mariners-Astros. WTF.
View: https://twitter.com/i/status/1706885348436127857
View: https://twitter.com/i/status/1706885348436127857
Mariners are the only winners in the AL WC race tonight.
Rangers 88-69 (currently 2 seed with bye to ALDS, Twins are 4 games back, AL West winner pretty much will be the 2 seed)
Blue Jays 87-70
Astros 86-72
Mariners 85-72
Due to Rangers having the tiebreaker over the Mariners, even if the Mariners cut their deficit against them to 2 games tomorrow, they would still need to sweep the Rangers (4 game series) to overtake them. The main focus for the Mariners is to win tomorrow's game, as they do have the tiebreaker over the Astros, and defending a 1/2 game lead would be much easier than trying to catch up 1 1/2 games, even with Houston facing a potentially desperate Arizona team. The Mariners do have a backdoor option of the Blue Jays collapsing.
As far as the AL West title, as explained above the Mariners are pretty much out of it. The Astros having the tiebreaker over the Rangers makes things potentially interesting but a 2.5 game lead with 4-5 games to go is pretty large, for now.
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D-backs 83-74 (won tonight)
Cubs 82-75 (crushing loss)
Marlins 81-75 (rained out)
Reds 81-77 (won)
Arizona is now in a pretty nice spot with two more against the garbage White Sox, and effectively two games up on the Cubs. Remember Marlins have all the tiebreakers, but how that popgun offense handles the Mets in the DH tomorrow (lost 2 out of 3 against them last week) might decide this race for two spots.
Rangers 88-69 (currently 2 seed with bye to ALDS, Twins are 4 games back, AL West winner pretty much will be the 2 seed)
Blue Jays 87-70
Astros 86-72
Mariners 85-72
Due to Rangers having the tiebreaker over the Mariners, even if the Mariners cut their deficit against them to 2 games tomorrow, they would still need to sweep the Rangers (4 game series) to overtake them. The main focus for the Mariners is to win tomorrow's game, as they do have the tiebreaker over the Astros, and defending a 1/2 game lead would be much easier than trying to catch up 1 1/2 games, even with Houston facing a potentially desperate Arizona team. The Mariners do have a backdoor option of the Blue Jays collapsing.
As far as the AL West title, as explained above the Mariners are pretty much out of it. The Astros having the tiebreaker over the Rangers makes things potentially interesting but a 2.5 game lead with 4-5 games to go is pretty large, for now.
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D-backs 83-74 (won tonight)
Cubs 82-75 (crushing loss)
Marlins 81-75 (rained out)
Reds 81-77 (won)
Arizona is now in a pretty nice spot with two more against the garbage White Sox, and effectively two games up on the Cubs. Remember Marlins have all the tiebreakers, but how that popgun offense handles the Mets in the DH tomorrow (lost 2 out of 3 against them last week) might decide this race for two spots.
I really, really, really want to the Mariners to pass the Astros but I just don't see it happening.
Great story about Francona in the Athletic:
https://theathletic.com/4899711/2023/09/26/terry-francona-manager-retire/
A tidbit:
Another proprietary Francona trait: bringing levity to a situation that calls for anything but.
Sean Casey once launched a pitch off the Green Monster and was erased trying to stretch the hit into a double. The next day, he belted a ball to the right-center gap. He thought it was a home run, so he settled on a pace between a trot and a dead sprint. As he neared first, the ball bounced off the top of the wall and caromed to Baltimore Orioles outfielder Nick Markakis, who snagged it with his bare hand and threw to second to retire Casey
Two days, two unforced errors on the basepaths for Boston’s first baseman.
Casey, fuming at himself and fearing what his manager might say, approached Francona.
“Hey, have you been to the doctor lately?” Francona asked.
Casey had no idea where this was going.
“Is there any chance you might have polio?”
Dbacks beat the White Sox again today. Their comeback win along with the Cubs' blowing a 6 run lead yesterday put them in pretty good shape.
One more against the White Sox, and then they end the season at home against Houston, with a chance for both teams to clinch or potentially get eliminated during the series. I think that's going to be my must-watch series this weekend.
One more against the White Sox, and then they end the season at home against Houston, with a chance for both teams to clinch or potentially get eliminated during the series. I think that's going to be my must-watch series this weekend.
View: https://twitter.com/MLB/status/1707199079808180383
Kinda sad now Tito didnt' win that 2016 World Series and Maddon did.
Kinda sad now Tito didnt' win that 2016 World Series and Maddon did.
Toronto might just fall ass backwards into the playoffs but they won’t do anything when they get there.
Ozuna homers with 1 out in the Bottom of the 9th to tie the game.
Acuna swipes his 70th bag in the Bottom of the 10th and Albies singles him home to win the game. Another tough loss for the Cubs.
Acuna swipes his 70th bag in the Bottom of the 10th and Albies singles him home to win the game. Another tough loss for the Cubs.
Yordan Alvarez just murderlized a Bryce Miller pitch to dead center.
Edit: Miller then surrendered two singles followed by a Dubon HR. Stros pulling away.
Edit: Miller then surrendered two singles followed by a Dubon HR. Stros pulling away.
Benches clear in Seattle. No idea why Neris taunted Julio Rodriguez after striking him out. Very weird moment.
Rangers clinch a playoff spot, can clinch division with two more total of wins and Astros losses.
Mariners still have a couple outs... if they win the Rangers opener tomorrow, they can win one more than Houston this weekend (complication - Arizona might not have anything to play for all of that series). If Blue Jays lose as well, same situation - but the Rays won't have anything to play for soon, and won't have a Cy Young Cole out there. (Michael King is also pretty good btw)
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The Marlins splitting (pretty uninspiringly - but the home ump was brutal to them in game 2) has them in playoff position as of tonight. Reds would be right there lurking if they won, but it's not looking like they'll overcome both Miami & Chicago with just one series left for them. As mentioned, Arizona is in a fine spot now despite losing the Yankee series earlier this road trip, they may be able to lock up a flight to Philly for the WC series soon enough.
Mariners still have a couple outs... if they win the Rangers opener tomorrow, they can win one more than Houston this weekend (complication - Arizona might not have anything to play for all of that series). If Blue Jays lose as well, same situation - but the Rays won't have anything to play for soon, and won't have a Cy Young Cole out there. (Michael King is also pretty good btw)
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The Marlins splitting (pretty uninspiringly - but the home ump was brutal to them in game 2) has them in playoff position as of tonight. Reds would be right there lurking if they won, but it's not looking like they'll overcome both Miami & Chicago with just one series left for them. As mentioned, Arizona is in a fine spot now despite losing the Yankee series earlier this road trip, they may be able to lock up a flight to Philly for the WC series soon enough.
I wonder if it's some bad blood from the night before. On Tuesday Chas McCormick went full A-Rod on a play at first and then got absolutely drilled in the back with a 99MPH heater and it looks like he wasn't in the lineup last night although I don't know if that was the reason for him being out.
I had no idea, but apparently there has been bad feelings between Neris and Rodriguez since the middle of last year.
From Craig Calcaterra's Cup Of Coffee substack:
The McCormick incident and drilling surely only added to the bad blood between the teams too.
Yeah, that's gotta hurt. He'll probably think twice before slapping at the first baseman's mitt again.
Honestly there are only two teams in each league that are actually good, then a whole lot of mediocrity behind them.
Can you imagine the other umps on that crew who have to work with him every day?
Rays could still win 100 games but division is now officially lost to the 1-run O’s. Don’t really think it makes much difference whether they end up with HOU or TOR in the WC round. Time to rest everyone up and get ready for Tuesday.
LOL umps trying to finish the game in the pouring rain, but Miami slogs out two runs in the swamp. Shoulda just called it after 8.
Rangers 89-70 (last series: @SEA)
Blue Jays 88-71 (last series: TB)
Astros 87-72 (last series: @ARI)
Mariners 86-73 (last series: TEX)
Rangers have a magic # of 2 over Houston to win the division, so tonight's Chapman blow-up does keep some pressure on.
Mariners "only" need to finish one better than the Astros this weekend to get in - better than two if they lost tonight. That's their most likely path with Toronto now two up and facing a Tampa team that ought to rest regulars. They could let the Astros back into the AL West title by spoiling the Rangers as well.
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D-backs 84-75 (last series: HOU)
Marlins 82-76 (last series: @PIT)
Cubs 82-77 (last series: @MIL)
Reds 81-78 (last series: @STL)
D-backs need to win one more to clinch a spot now, another Cubs loss and Reds loss would also do it. The Marlins seem set to get suspended tonight and we might see a 2-1 game in the 9th inning not get finished.
The tiebreaker situations are simplified enough to go into an article at this point: https://www.mlb.com/news/2023-mlb-postseason-three-team-and-four-team-tiebreaker-scenarios
Blue Jays 88-71 (last series: TB)
Astros 87-72 (last series: @ARI)
Mariners 86-73 (last series: TEX)
Rangers have a magic # of 2 over Houston to win the division, so tonight's Chapman blow-up does keep some pressure on.
Mariners "only" need to finish one better than the Astros this weekend to get in - better than two if they lost tonight. That's their most likely path with Toronto now two up and facing a Tampa team that ought to rest regulars. They could let the Astros back into the AL West title by spoiling the Rangers as well.
====================
D-backs 84-75 (last series: HOU)
Marlins 82-76 (last series: @PIT)
Cubs 82-77 (last series: @MIL)
Reds 81-78 (last series: @STL)
D-backs need to win one more to clinch a spot now, another Cubs loss and Reds loss would also do it. The Marlins seem set to get suspended tonight and we might see a 2-1 game in the 9th inning not get finished.
The tiebreaker situations are simplified enough to go into an article at this point: https://www.mlb.com/news/2023-mlb-postseason-three-team-and-four-team-tiebreaker-scenarios
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Oh actually they might have to come back and finish it on Monday if it matters:
View: https://twitter.com/kurtgwhitman/status/1707614825583350216?s=46&t=0GHHaPVUX26Io0V2HIcS0g
View: https://twitter.com/kurtgwhitman/status/1707614825583350216?s=46&t=0GHHaPVUX26Io0V2HIcS0g