Rich Hill is so good. It took a little bit for him to find his groove after adjusting grips for blisters but he's just awesome.
I feel so much better about this team now than I did 3 days ago. Padres or not, guys just doing good things is a positive. Especially Seager and Darvish getting on track. Can't wait for the playoffs!! Too bad I'm gonna miss most of the games... growing up sucks
I'd love to sweep the Rockies and the Brewers to get that second WC but that seems unrealistic at this point
Pitchers need to come out on point, but I could see both Kershaw, Darvish and whatever mix of BP guys they’re trying out, giving up enough runs that our guys can’t keep up after the line changes. Not saying the Rockies are good to crush both Darvish and Kershaw, but even Smoltz said last night that your last game after everything is in order, you’re not pitching to get that guy out, you’re working on whatever you need to tune up. Especially with the Dodgers potentially playing these guys in a couple days, I could see Kershaw and Darvish not show them anything and it ends up giving the Rockies the WC.
I mean, I don't think the Rockies are gonna figure something out about Clayton Kershaw that no one else has been able to in 8 years. The Diamondbacks scare the shit out of me because of how good Ray and Greinke are, and how good Goldschmidt and Martinez are. Greinke's gonna pitch in their play in game which would mean Ray and Walker I'd imagine in LA Friday and Saturday and then Greinke Monday in Arizona, which is even scarier because if we drop either of those two home games there's a good chance we're down 2-1 in Arizona for Game 4. So yeah, go Rockies/Brewers!
I will be actively rooting against the Cubs, Nationals and Astros. I will never have any respect for organizations who rise to the top by losing 100 games per year. It is criminal that the Nationals got Strasburg and Harper in back-to-back years. Look, nobody wants to be the Angels. Stuck in purgatory and mediocrity because they can't rebuild. Or not know how to replenish during a big run like SF. And I understand that it still takes an incredible amount of foresight, scouting, player development, etc. to execute the tank. The Cubs did an outstanding job trading veterans at just the right time before they hit their win curve. But my sentiment remains. The Yankees, the Dodgers, and especially the Cardinals...They've been able to rebuild without tanking and consistently put winning teams on the field. Screw the Cubs, Nationals and Astros for doing it the easy way. Whether it's the right way or not.
It is not that they will figure them out, but there is certainly an advantage to facing a pitcher 2, maybe even 3 times in an 11 day stretch. Easier to make adjustments when a guy is fresh in your mind, but I still think we have the advantage. Kershaw will probably give them some different looks, see if he can find a weakness then exploit it, but like I said, I could see him mostly just refining some things and going 3-4.
Sounds about right. Everybody knows whats in the toolbox for those guys, but command can come and go. Combine that with recent tape and guys start getting wise and catching trends..maybe even find a little recent pitch tipping if they're lucky. A very bland 3-4 innings should be on the menu for each guy. Could possibly use COL's potential playoff chase anxiety/nerves against them..instead working off the FB, work off the soft stuff, tune that up and catch them out in front a bit and then poof, before they know it and catch on, to the bullpen.
