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Wild Cards

Yanks27Sox9

CTG Partner
For old time's sake... :tiphat:


As for series, here's what I like:

Tampa in 3 (Jays will give them a huge scare.)
Cleveland in 2 (Even with some elite talent, this is just the worst Yankee team at times. Zero fundamentals, and disgusting to watch when things go sideways...which is quite often. Too much negative to talk about, so I won't. But then again, there could always be a bit of reverse psychology going on here.)
Houston in 3 (Not vs the Yanks, but Minny can't win a playoff game. Plus it's the MLB, where cheaters do prosper.)
Chicago in 3 (My least confident AL pick.)

Los Angeles in 2 (Sorry, Nick.)
San Diego in 2 (Gotta root for this squad.)
Chicago in 3 (No Bartman this time.)
Cincy in 3 (Both bullpens will give up runs though.)

Series prediction = CLE over SD. One way or another, because MLB wants it this way, we'll be seeing a new champion...or an old drought broken, in this case. That means a team like Tampa or Cleveland will be playing a team like Los Angeles or San Diego in the Series. (Can't have an under .500 team make it. That would be more of an embarrassment than the all wild card world series was a few years back.)


Anyhow, my plays for 9/29:

Indians -104
Asstros +156
Blue Jays +176
Jays/Rays ov7.5 +105
White Sox -117


All half unit plays. You can argue that you'll never get better value for either Cole or Bieber in this one. Part of me thinks that if the Yanks could steal a game, this is it...even with Tanaka the next day, who's been clutch in the playoffs. Then the other part of me remembers the team I've been watching all year. The Tribe has everything going for it right now, so fuck it, I win either way. ;-)


Lastly, my first play for 9/30:

Reds +125



I'm not really a fan of this set up, or what Manfred has been doing to the game (in general), but it's f'n 2020...so I'll take any baseball that I can get...and if nothing else, this one-off postseason has the potential to get exciting, even if it's designed for BS and randomness.

Take care :cheers3:
 
Jays line is ridiculous. Snell has barely pitched past the 5th and Ryu is a stud, good back end of pen and Jays have been mashing in sept.
 
Best bet I ever lost. Yankees certainly made a statement tonight. :tiphat: Just one game though.

Anyhow, only 2-3 today. Totally misread the Jays/Rays game, which was disappointing. Back on a bunch of dogs tomorrow.

My plays for 9/30, with the Reds ML already posted above:

Indians +116
Asstros +140
Blue Jays +129
White Sox +115

Padres -1 RL -115


So one home fav for Wednesday, and 5 dogs (w/ only one of them playing at home)...but the Marlin/Cub and Brewer/Dodger games are still to be decided. My only option for the Fish/Cubbies right now is the money line. As for the Doyers, I'm conflicted. They don't hit LHP very well, or I'd like their team total over 4.5 runs. No value on the Doyer ML or RL, so might even sit this one out.
It's going to be hot as fuck here in LA tomorrow though, with highs around 104. Santa Anas make it dry, so the ball carries in these conditions...unless those Santa Anas are blowing in from right/center. Depending upon the wind, this dry heat can make Dodger Stadium play more like the California League than is normally the case. (Cal League = Hi A in the high desert, where balls carry.) Anyhow, we'll see what tomorrow brings on that front...and Suter shouldn't go too deep.

GL :cheers3:
 
I get the thoughts on Indians - but Masa is so damn good in postseason (lowest BAA in history) and yankee lineup just so damn deep. Indians also lost 9 straight elimination games. Ala the Twins yesterdya up 1-0 in 7 to lose 4-1 and their 17th postseason game in a row....

Tough spot for Cleveland, with a completely loaded NYY Bullpen. Having Cessa the only one who threw yesterday eliminates Ottavino in a big spot....

Fantastic line for NYY with Masa's value.

Other notes: RYU at + money hard to stay away from, even though I think Glas is a stud.

LAD -1.5 seems like taking candy

CHI o8.5 is enticing if wind is as it sounds like it will be....
 
Well, not a pretty day...and not a pretty Yankee game. That was the ugliest, yet drama filled, playoff game...but in the end, a win is a win. Yanks move on, despite all the bad baseball they've played this year. Cleveland, not so much.

Anyhow, my plays for 10/1:

Reds (+121)
Padres -1 RL (-118)


Reds should've won today. Totally inept with runners on base, so eventually the Bravos were gonna cash in and steal the game. Back on them here, just the same. Similar news for the Friars play. Totally sucks they'll be without Clevinger and Lamet, but they're still good enough to get past the Cards at home.
Fully expect to be on the Cubbie RL tomorrow with Yu on the bump. Want to be on the ChiSox money line too, but need to see the pitching matchup. Abreu was so damn close to getting them back, and making that a new game. Doyers RL as well, most likely. Just need the lines/etc to finalize.


Cheers :cheers3:
 
Well, not a pretty day...and not a pretty Yankee game. That was the ugliest, yet drama filled, playoff game...but in the end, a win is a win. Yanks move on, despite all the bad baseball they've played this year. Cleveland, not so much.

Anyhow, my plays for 10/1:

Reds (+121)
Padres -1 RL (-118)


Reds should've won today. Totally inept with runners on base, so eventually the Bravos were gonna cash in and steal the game. Back on them here, just the same. Similar news for the Friars play. Totally sucks they'll be without Clevinger and Lamet, but they're still good enough to get past the Cards at home.
Fully expect to be on the Cubbie RL tomorrow with Yu on the bump. Want to be on the ChiSox money line too, but need to see the pitching matchup. Abreu was so damn close to getting them back, and making that a new game. Doyers RL as well, most likely. Just need the lines/etc to finalize.


Cheers :cheers3:

who is gonna throw for the pads with no lamet or clevinger?
 
Reds bats capable of waking up? Not sure I can get over the fact that their leading hitter (I know BA is semi useless stat) was Votto at a whopping .225ish....

Not sure if yesterday futility can be changed...am I missing something?
 
Reds bats capable of waking up? Not sure I can get over the fact that their leading hitter (I know BA is semi useless stat) was Votto at a whopping .225ish....

Not sure if yesterday futility can be changed...am I missing something?


nope, you weren't. the reds were pathetic at the plate.
 
Feels like it would be tough to get back up the next day after that one.

yep. but plenty of teams picks themselves up after an OT or extra inning tough loss. shit happens, you deal with it. unfortunately, the reds were pathetic on one side of the ball and not able to respond. they pitched well enough (before this 8th inning) to sweep. but they turned into the mets with degrom on the hill...
 
I get the thoughts on Indians - but Masa is so damn good in postseason (lowest BAA in history) and yankee lineup just so damn deep. Indians also lost 9 straight elimination games. Ala the Twins yesterdya up 1-0 in 7 to lose 4-1 and their 17th postseason game in a row....

Tough spot for Cleveland, with a completely loaded NYY Bullpen. Having Cessa the only one who threw yesterday eliminates Ottavino in a big spot....

Fantastic line for NYY with Masa's value.

Other notes: RYU at + money hard to stay away from, even though I think Glas is a stud.

LAD -1.5 seems like taking candy

CHI o8.5 is enticing if wind is as it sounds like it will be....


just a note on the yanks, which you might've picked up. their pen is not very good or deep. they only trust Green, Britton, and Chapman. the depth is gone. ottavino is crap, and can't pitch without allowing runs. kahnle is missed. the rest are like flipping a coin at best. and whoever calls pitches has had their head up their ass for years.

i bet against them for shits & giggles, a reverse psychology kinda thing. but i could go on for hours with what's wrong with them, how they have no fundamentals and play bad baseball, and how so much of MLB does exactly the same. i won't though, because there's no point in wasting that time. just pointing out that their pen (other than the top tier/top three) is a huge fuckin weakness. just like their starting pitching, other than Cole and Tanaka/Deivi, is a hugh fuckin weakness. just like their infield defense, other than Urshela/DJLM, is a huge fuckin weakness. most errors in bases this year. worst catcher in bases, defensively. i'll give the coaching somewhat of a break due to covid, but the team is not prepared to play fundamental baseball. fuck the GD statisticians too. analytics works over 162, but does not win you a game or a short series where you have to adjust to the flow and situations of a game. will stop before following that tangent down the MF rabbit hole... ;-)
 
Friar bats sure turned that game around. Lets see if the Cubbies can follow suit against Sixto and the Fish tomorrow morning.

For 10/2:

Cubs -1.5 RL (+115)

No idea if or what I'll play in the Cardinals/Padres game 3. Huge SP advantage to STL, and who knows what bullpens we'll see/get after tonight's game. Love that back & forth late in a game when the Yanks aren't involved. ;-)
 
Still disappointed in both the Reds and White Sox. Was really pulling for both franchises. As good as the Reds starting pitching was, their offense/team needs help. The difference for the White Sox is they're early (like San Diego), with a tremendously bright future just around the corner. Just gotta keep building with these young studs.

AL will have 2 great rivalry series. Tampa's got a huge edge, but I'll obviously be pulling for the upset. Will also be pulling hard for the A's, but concerned their bats and arms won't be enough against the cheaters. Yeah, the Asstros were an under .500 team...but Oakland will have to play way better baseball to knock them off.

Let's see what the NL gives us to go along with the Doyers and Bravos...
 
I dont see the Rays advantage as high as you...

The NYY lineup is as deep as its been all year. Hate Sanchez or not, that dude batting 9th is banaas given his upside.

A rested Cole and Masa goes H2H with Snell/Glasnow - with a big advantgae to Morton over Happ.

I think no matter how much worse the NYY bullpen is than last year, it is not a weakness by any means. Britton a big X factor for me if he can limit the walks. The line shows Vegas feels the same with NYY opening -140. There defense is a concern, and they have shown that they will fall behind and play shitty shitty baseball, but that seems to be the regular season. Getting down 4-0 and beating Carrasco showed me a lot, specifically the depth in the lineup. I am also a Yankee homer....ha.
 
I dont see the Rays advantage as high as you...

The NYY lineup is as deep as its been all year. Hate Sanchez or not, that dude batting 9th is banaas given his upside.

A rested Cole and Masa goes H2H with Snell/Glasnow - with a big advantgae to Morton over Happ.

I think no matter how much worse the NYY bullpen is than last year, it is not a weakness by any means. Britton a big X factor for me if he can limit the walks. The line shows Vegas feels the same with NYY opening -140. There defense is a concern, and they have shown that they will fall behind and play shitty shitty baseball, but that seems to be the regular season. Getting down 4-0 and beating Carrasco showed me a lot, specifically the depth in the lineup. I am also a Yankee homer....ha.

Yankee homer here too........

When I read Yanks28sox9 post.......I have a feeling he’s actually trying to say how good the yanks are in a sarcastic way.......we all know how many dislike the Evil Empire here at CTG.......also the reverse jinx stuff like he stated earlier ( which I like too )....
 
I dont see the Rays advantage as high as you...

The NYY lineup is as deep as its been all year. Hate Sanchez or not, that dude batting 9th is banaas given his upside.

A rested Cole and Masa goes H2H with Snell/Glasnow - with a big advantgae to Morton over Happ.

I think no matter how much worse the NYY bullpen is than last year, it is not a weakness by any means. Britton a big X factor for me if he can limit the walks. The line shows Vegas feels the same with NYY opening -140. There defense is a concern, and they have shown that they will fall behind and play shitty shitty baseball, but that seems to be the regular season. Getting down 4-0 and beating Carrasco showed me a lot, specifically the depth in the lineup. I am also a Yankee homer....ha.

Me too, obviously, ;-)

Interesting lines, that's for sure. I agree that the Yankees top/elite talent is better, but beyond that it gets dicey. Rays got the significantly better bullpen, team defense, team speed, and overall pitching advantage. Yanks have the elite guys, and the much better lineup (when they're not just striking out). Yanks also quite often play the polar opposite of fundamental baseball. RPs can't even hold runners, for C's sake.
Starters...Cole/Tanaka, plus I love Deivi...and don't wanna touch Monty or Happ with a 10 ft pole. Love Chappy, Britton, and Green too. Don't wanna touch Ottavino, Holder, or any one else in that pen other than maybe Loaisiga (if he can keep his head straight). Someone else is gonna have to step up that I'm not counting on.
The wild card/x factor in all of this is that TB may be the home team, but thankfully we're not in their shithole of a stadium. Huge gift to be playing in SD!
 
Yankee homer here too........

When I read Yanks28sox9 post.......I have a feeling he’s actually trying to say how good the yanks are in a sarcastic way.......we all know how many dislike the Evil Empire here at CTG.......also the reverse jinx stuff like he stated earlier ( which I like too )....

:tiphat:

(insert some side eye here too, but appreciate the name change above lol)
 
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