Best record in the NL right now. I can't see them actually winning it all though.

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That's my purse! I don't know you!

Ha! Touché.

I'm sure it's frustrating. The Cards have a great team. I'm sure September will be a fun pennent race.

Pittsburgh comes into Cincinnati for a three game series starting tomorrow. The Pirates are 3.5 GB in the Central, but still playing well. The Reds have won 20 of their last 23 and are 14-3 since losing Votto to knee surgery.

Marty Brenneman is getting his head shaved on the field after Friday's game - a committment he made if the Reds won 10 in row.

I hope they slip and shave off a large chunk of his ear.

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I wonder if anyone will bet $250 again on the Cards to win the World Series.

Considering they are in better shape now than in 2011 at the same time, and there is an additional WC, I'm sure their odds aren't nearly as favorable.

_________________
-- source

Turned out well. Reds beat the Pirates 3-0 and Marty raised $30K+ for the Reds Community Fund and a children's cancer center. He had three young bald cancer stricken kids on the field with him as he got shaved.

Pulled up the MLB standings this morning on ESPN.com. Was looking through them and was noticing the playoff percentages for each team. One made no sense to me at all.

Baltimore is 56-51 in the AL East and is listed with a 8.5% chance of making the playoffs.

Boston is 53-55 in the AL East and is listed with a 13.5% chance of making the playoffs.

Wth?

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/standings

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

Maybe they consider strength of schedule remaining?

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Boston achieved their record with 3 huge pieces of their offense out. Crawford and Jacoby are back and Ortiz might come back sometime this season as well. The WAR for those 3 players must be great enough to make those playoff odds.........or its ESPN and ESPN loves Boston.

_________________
That's my purse! I don't know you!

This is shaping up as an excellent wild card battle in the AL.

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

Fuck Marty Brennaman


This Reds run is crazy. STL has the biggest run diff. in all of baseball though.

The pythag rating suggests they "should" have about 6 more wins, while the Reds have overperformed by about 6 wins.

The difference in the bullpens is also dramatic, Cincy is pretty elite, and the Card have been wildly inconsistent.

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1926-1931-1934-1942-1944-1946-1964-1967-1982-2006-2011

More great news. Votto had another surgery yesterday on the same knee. He re-hurt it sliding.

Doesn't seem to matter. Guys like Cueto are pitching out of their mind..

_________________
1926-1931-1934-1942-1944-1946-1964-1967-1982-2006-2011

The Cards are doing it again. They've won 8 of their last 12 and are now in second place in the Central. Best run differential in the majors. Wainwright won his 11th last night and fourth in a row and had a great quote:

Big series vs. Pittsburgh this weekend. Too bad I will be in Galena and unable to watch.

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-- source

I think every team should shut down their best players to make sure they don't get hurt and go with AAA guys for the stretch drive.

_________________
Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Elon, Tulsi, and Don

The Brewers have.

_________________
2018
#ExtendLafleur
10 More Wins

Imagine being Ryan Zimmerman. You've gone through some dog ass years in Washington. You're nearly a lock to make the playoffs, and your team is shutting down your ace. I'd be pissed and voicing that publicly. Nothing is given in baseball. Just ask that Phillies "dynasty."

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-- source

Strasburg could make 4 more starts at 5 innings a piece and make it to Sept 7th


Im not sure they will go thru with it

They cant go through with it. Just pitch him reasonably, dont Dusty him. This is the Nationals we are talking about here. When the opportunity is there, you have to take it.

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Have him start 2 more times in August. Then the rosters expand and you can have him go once a week, if that, til the end of the season. If they clinch real early, don't use him at all except for maybe 1 start just to keep him on a steady throwing routine.

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I'm confused as hell. Strasburg comes back to pitch after a 51 minute rain delay? I thought you always shut your starter down after a lengthy rain delay, especially if you have already pitched two innings.

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CLH, I agree I said there was no way he would come back in and don't understand the decison.

_________________
2018
#ExtendLafleur
10 More Wins

Comment on MLB network was that he was okay because he was still pitching during the rain delay. I am not sure I believe that.

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Reds are now 7.5 games up on the Pirates and have the biggest lead among first place teams. . . . but the Cardinals may still win the division. They can start a repeat of last year's run with 3 in Cincinnati this weekend.

It's doubtful that Joe Votto will play and the Cards could find themselves as little as 2.5 GB by the end of the weekend.

. . . and here we go.

The Cards won again last night and have sole possession of second place in the Central for the first time since June. SHARK was right again.

Damned Pirates. I was hoping they kept things together and at least had a decent shot at a wildcard spot.

I would say being 0.5 games back at 8/23 is a "decent" shot.

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-- source