We're not selling out Lester. This is what he's been paid for. This moment is what he was brought here for.

What's happening right now was/is the plan. This is Lester's show.

Give him the 7th. Bullpen needs to take care of the rest.

Remember when someone tried to tell me that Joe Blanton wasn't a burning trash can of shit? :lol:

I said Blanton had been very good this year. Nothing more , nothing less.

No No NO No No! He's not pitching the rest of this series no matter what. He goes if he can go.

I think Maddon keeps him in until he shows signs of fatigue. Then on comes the Cuban missile

Isn't Jansen Dutch?

Jon Lester was absolutely salty for getting pulled so early the first game. I think Maddon is all in on him tonight. I expect 120 pitches atleast.

Hahaha

Sorry it's late. I got the closers confused. Chapman... it's Chapman. Leave me alone.

OMG i thought Baez ahd that

OUT OUT OUT OUT OTU

JAEVI BAEZ IS FUCKING GOD PLAY SECOND BASE RIGHT NOW HOLY SHIT>

Baez. love Baez. Love guys that can play serious d and do a bit of hitting. Always prefer great d with some nice hitting than great hitting and no d.

Baez hasnt made a wrong move this entire playoffs. Like i'm not joking. He is the Tom Cruise of the MLB Playoffs this year. All The Right Moves.

be happy RDD is not in this thread RP, he would be going out of his way to rain on your sweet, tastey cub parade.

How can you though? It is what it is right now

he's a jerkface that's how

and here's Joe Fuck getting excited about the Dodgers again...

Dodgers vs Cubs has way more intensity than Jays vs Cleveland.

Willy Contreras keeping hammerin.

I mean... Ya. That series is done so... ya.

This pitcher Baez for the Dodgers lol

Stipe Miocic broke the curse

Well I mean during. The games were all over by like the 3rd inning. These are like hotly contested, top notch baseball games.

Baez is a joke.

BAEZ IS A GOLDEN GOD!

Baez's. Not all of them can be Javi.

lol Heyward stinks

Heyward Jablowme

Chapman in with a 6 run lead. :lol:

i do find it interesting how closers do not pitch well in non-save situations for the most part.

Yeup. Red Sox have plenty of examples of that in recent times.

Worst case for the Cubs is Chapman being way too relaxed or nonchalant ends up affecting his routine badly for the next game or two.

Wonder where Steve Bartman is right now?

Heavy Baez is mvp right now. Guy's an absolute thrill to watch.

If the Cubs win it all, they should have Bartman throw the first pitch on opening day as all is forgiven, ala Buckner in Boston.

Maybe even a meal of Chicago's finest grass as a peace offering to a goat on Opening Day.

Knowing the way the media operates, if Kershaw has a bad Game 6 they're going to conveniently forget about his brilliant Game 2 performance or him getting the save to win the NLDS just so they can continue to push the "can't pitch in the postseason"/Clayton Manning narrative for another season.

He will have a decent enough game to force a game 7. No idea who wins game 7 though. Probably the Cubs because Lester will be like f you all I am pitching.

IMO David Price is the only true playoff dud. Kershaw has enough of a resume now to not be remembered as a playoff great but as a guy who can definitely aid a championship team.

Price is just a straight up hindrance at this point.

They'll throw Arrieta, but his leash will be short. I would throw Lackey. Maybe Maddon makes the switch but seems doubtful. If he stays with Jake for game 7 that's a potentially disastrous decision. Reminds me of the Brewers going with a depleted Sean Marcum for a deciding game against the cards when he was clearly not the guy for the job but they didn't want to deviate from the norm.

In any case, let's play game 6 before we talk about 7.

Game 7 featuring two former Orioles starting. It's Arrietta vs Rich Hill

Which one do you miss more?

Rich Hill was awful in 09 7.80 era in less than 60 IP

This bad boy is getting shut down in game 6. Cubs v Indians World Series. PRINT IT!

Dodgers in 7 just like I said

oh my god Droford I really want you to get feces thrown at you.

Well come Sunday night when I'm right again whatever..

and Baltimore will still have been eliminated by the slightly above average Jays in a wildcard game because the manager is an idiot.

And the Red Sox who won the AL East won the same number of playoff games as the Orioles despite having 3 MVPs

and they both won 5 less than the Jays

http://cdn1.bostonmagazine.com/wp-co...6711688128.png

Archer and Jones are the same height IRL

Hey guys. We should all set a day to protest Droford. How about Sunday we all make Zach Britton avatars?

No, they have to win the World Series before that happened. Sox didn't bring back Buckner until they had already won it twice in 2004 and 2007.

oh man I am so down.

Zack Britton sitting on a bench avatar.

What about a crying Jordan in an Orioles hat

We gotta be united on this front. It has to be the same avatar. #Drofordlivesmatter

I wonder how tired Kershaw really is. Lot of talk of him just being gassed both physically and mentally after his last couple of starts.

He had a pretty bad back injury. Dude is being a warrior or sure.

Prob not tired at all. He'll be in regular rest

I fully expect an end boss on the mound game 6.

So are we doing this avatar thing?

I can't imagine the Cubs losing this series, they're clearly a better team than the Dodgers.

They are. However, the Dodgers have Kershaw, and a decent top of the order

It'll be fun to watch but I'm pulling for the Cubbies here.

I just need instructions on how to properly do an avatar as I am legit retarded

https://thenypost.files.wordpress.co...4&h=441&crop=1

TBH I think this picture might do as well. But also this one is pretty poignant.

http://larrybrownsports.com/wp-conte...-showalter.jpg


I know neither are of Britton but they illustrate the point rather nicely

In more serious news, Terry Francona has applied the strategy which Damo Ray believes closers should be used. Andrew Miller is the "stopper" in that you bring him in when the game is on the line, whether it's the 4th or the 9th inning, and Cody Allen is the next in line.

I hope this leaks out into how he manages the pen into the next season.

Tito's bullpen usage has been amazing. He did it once they got Miller as well, using him in high leverage situations when the game's on the line, and of course I love it.

http://cdn1.thecomeback.com/theoutsi.../12/image1.jpg

Think I found it

It's how relievers used to be used. Pitch 3 or 4 innings if need be. I agree that there can be a designated 9th inning guy, but I think that guy is made more effective if you have a proper stopper like Miller who is the real shut down guy, not just a "setup" man. Then you kind of remove the unpredictability of the bullpen pitcher. You establish the 2 guys. Stopper and 9th inning guy, and the rest of them fill out the gaps. You should also not be afraid to use the stopper come the 9th inning if that's when you're going to need him.

HAHAHAHA YES!

When Eddie hit that homerun you could pin point the exact point Manny Machado decided he was going to sign with the Yankees when he got the chance.

Agree 100% on pen usage

C'mon Dale. We all know Manny will take deferred payments the first 3 years of his deal and be a nice guy so the Orioles don't have to worry about paying him and the corpse of Crushed Davis big money at the same time.

Davis reminds me of Mark McGwire. Pure power, not much else.

Better athlete but you don't get a chance to see it.

I like this one

Very proud of myself

I think right about now Joe Buck is applying his full body sensual oils to be ready to call this Clayton Kershaw start tonight.

defs flicking his bean

Buck has been so pro Dodgers this series it's obscene. I understand him being bias towards the Cardinals. But why the Dodgers?

Oh well. Excited to see if Chicago can Baw gawd clinch the national league

Buck has to be anti-division rival? Only reason I can think of for him being pro-LA.

You haven't been paying attention.

So who's gonna make that crying Jordan into an avatar?

Fucking Baez. Amazing. Joe Buck blowing his load on a leadoff single.

WOOOOO Cubbies come out scorching.

This game might already be over. Congrats Cubs. Should be a hell of a World Series.

lol jeez Vito

It's the Cubs

Dodgers lucky that 3rd run didn't score.

Thats kinda bull that the cubs can fire off fireworks during a Dodgers AB like that

lol pretty jokes tbh fam

What are they supposed to do Droford? Thats never been a problem, ever.

holy shit....cubs are doing it all.

picked the fuck off son

Not count the strike

Hate when ex pitchers are talking about pitchers on commentary, they don't shut up

I actually like Smoltz.