NLDS: Washington Nationals vs. St. Louis Cardinals

[Battingly]

Sometimes baseball is cruel.

What happened to those Nats fans last night, that was every fans worst nightmare.

[NelsonMuntz]

Even if Strasburg pitched in the playoffs, he would still be watched very carefully. They absolutely wouldn't have gone with him for 1 and 5 when they had Gio. Gio was their ace when Strasburg was pitching and he continued to pitch like an ace after Strasburg got shut down. He was their ace.

I guess we will have to agree to disagree on this one. Like I said earlier, I cannot be convinced that Gio would have been the game 1 & 5 starter if Strasburg was available. I live in the DC area and Strasburg is clearly viewed as the ace of this team.

[Carsten Charles]

I guess we will have to agree to disagree on this one. Like I said earlier, I cannot be convinced that Gio would have been the game 1 & 5 starter if Strasburg was available. I live in the DC area and Strasburg is clearly viewed as the ace of this team.

Remember, a majority of fans are stupid.

Starting Strasburg as much as possible coming off Tommy John surgery while he's venturing into uncharted innings would not be a wise decision. Even if you want to say Strasburg was the ace, Gio is close enough that he probably still would've gotten games 1 and 5 just to limit Strasburg.

[hellonewman]

Heck, just make it one big 15 team league and let the top 3 or 4 in. That would almost be like the "old days"

bad idea. The National League in the 1890s and the NFL in the 1920s both tried that and it was an unmitigated disaster both times. Simple mathematics. If your league has more than 8-10 teams you've got to have divisions or too many teams are dead and out of it early.

Clarification: Those leagues didn't let 3 or 4 in, so it wouldn't be QUITE as bad this time, but it would still be bad.

[Carsten Charles]

bad idea. The National League in the 1890s and the NFL in the 1920s both tried that and it was an unmitigated disaster both times. Simple mathematics. If your league has more than 8-10 teams you've got to have divisions or too many teams are dead and out of it early.

That's how it should be. Too many teams are rewarded for mediocrity. The Tigers had the 7th best record in the AL this year. They should not be in the playoffs.

[hellonewman]

That's how it should be. Too many teams are rewarded for mediocrity. The Tigers had the 7th best record in the AL this year. They should not be in the playoffs.

Sorry but in the real world, leagues are in business to make money, not fulfill someone's notion of what's just and proper. A format that puts extra teams out of contention early isn't going to be adopted. It just isn't.

and yeah, the team with the 7th best record getting in over the team with the 5th best record doesn't strike me as a human rights catastrophe. If you're the 5th best team, play better.

[Carsten Charles]

Sorry but in the real world, leagues are in business to make money, not fulfill someone's notion of what's just and proper. A format that puts extra teams out of contention early isn't going to be adopted. It just isn't.

and yeah, the team with the 7th best record getting in over the team with the 5th best record doesn't strike me as a human rights catastrophe. If you're the 5th best team, play better.

Teams like the Rangers, Angels, and Rays not getting in the playoffs, though they played better than the Tigers, is stupid. There's no argument for it making any sense at all. The Rays were basically penalized because they didn't play in a crao division like Detroit. Sorry, that's garbage.

[ChinMusic]

I despise self-righteous horses.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8cDfnQD0ws

[hellonewman]

Teams like the Rangers, Angels, and Rays not getting in the playoffs, though they played better than the Tigers, is stupid. There's no argument for it making any sense at all. The Rays were basically penalized because they didn't play in a crao division like Detroit. Sorry, that's garbage.

divisional play does indeed screw more deserving teams (see Yankees, 1985). But it's an economic reality that isn't going away so deal with it. Sports aren't organized by divisions just for the hell of it. The only way to protect yourself is to play well enough that the format doesn't matter. If you're the fifth-best team over 162 games I can't cry too hard for you, as playoffs are AT BEST a clumsy way of determining the best team anyway.

[Ram Man]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8cDfnQD0ws

That's what I'm talking about. That horse got what just what he deserved.

[jlw1980]

If the Nats win, all of the WC teams are OUT...

...oh the humanity Bud!

Go Nats!!!!

Sigh. I wish.

Good thing they saved Strasburg for next year.

Seriously.

I don't want to see the Cards advance. It really bugs me that they barely squeak into the playoffs and then start dominating. This lucky streak must end.

Same. I hope the Giants kill them.

I cannot believe the Nats blew a 6-run lead. Just wow.

[hardrain]

It's amazing how arrogant the Nats' FO got in one year.

[Mr Coffee]

It's amazing how arrogant the Nats' FO got in one year.

I didn't think the statement was arrogant. I saw it as something they pretty much had to say to placate their fanbase and to head off some of the backlash of shutting down Strassburg.

[OlgMvp]

I was bartending while this game was finishing, place was nuts so I couldn't really pay close attention. Did Davey give any reasoning as to why he didn't walk kozma to face the pitchers spot? Who was the potential PH?

[kan_t]

The Nationals are so concerned about Strasburg's IP that they allowed him to pitch in an All-Star game.

Best starter or not, shutting your top 3 starter down in playoff when he's not hurting is ridiculous. He doesn't have to start. One or two relief appearance can also make a big impact in such a short series.

[Stan Musial]

I don't want to see the Cards advance. It really bugs me that they barely squeak into the playoffs and then start dominating. This lucky streak must end.

Well, I dont think it's luck. Let's not act like they are a terrible team...and, had the Cards had a decent pen in May/June...they could have challenged for the central. But, I just love the fact that everyone thinks the team are scrubs. Fine...believe what you want, but they continue to prove eveyone wrong.

[35Knucklecurve]

Sometimes baseball is cruel.

What happened to those Nats fans last night, that was every fans worst nightmare.

It certainly was. The way the game started out was too good to be true, but I still felt okay about their chances to knock the Cards out of it. The looks on the faces of everybody in that 9th inning was just exactly what you hope never happens to you. If it's the regular season, you recover from it. This will hurt until spring training 2013.

Buster Olney was right - if you're facing this St. Louis team you'd better bring a wooden stake, a garlic necklace and silver bullets.