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NL Wild Card

Frayed Knot Sep 03 2006 10:10 PM

This race should be fun to track for a while. As of Sept 3rd: TEAM RECORD PCT GB PADRES 70 - 66 .515 --- PHILS 69 - 68 .504 1-1/2 MARLINS 68 - 68 .500 2 REDS 68 - 69 .496 2-1/2 GIANTS 68 - 69 .496 2-1/2 ASTROS 67 - 70 .489 3-1/2 BRAVES 64 - 72 .478 5 D'BACKS 64 - 72 .471 6 ROCKIES 63 - 73 .463 7 BREWERS 62 - 75 .453 8-1/2 And the best part comes when a lot of these teams face each other as they will in the coming weeks. - Phils have 6 remaining against Houston who have beaten them in the [u:cab060dcd2]last 12 straight[/u:cab060dcd2] - The Phils and the Marlins have [u:cab060dcd2]10 games[/u:cab060dcd2] against each other remaining. That's 40% of their remaining skeds. - Marlins just reached .500 for the first time since being 1-1. Plus they're the first team in over a century to fall 20 games below then reach .500 again in the same season - Brewers were only kind of on the fringes of the race anyway and have now [u:cab060dcd2]lost 10 straight[/u:cab060dcd2] to pretty much put even that idea on ice [u:cab060dcd2]This week[/u:cab060dcd2]: * Padres: host Rockies then go to SF * Cincy - coming off a 2-8 trip to the west coast - get the Giants & then Pirates both at home * Giants go to Cincy then host the Pads * Marlins host D'Backs then the Phils (4) * Braves: at Shea (where Wild Card dreams go to die) then host Cubbies (4)

HahnSolo Sep 04 2006 04:25 PM

I'm still hoping the Reds pull it out. Not so much that I prefer to play them over anyone else, but if either of the Pads, Phils, or Marlins win it, the Mets will be off to the West coast for games 3 and 4 of the first round. I'd like to avoid the networks screwing us fans with an 11 PM start again.

OlerudOwned Sep 04 2006 04:39 PM

Phillies ahead of the Astros with now, 2-1 in the 7th. Ryan Howard has a home run. Big suprise.

Yancy Street Gang Sep 04 2006 04:59 PM

HahnSolo wrote: I'd like to avoid the networks screwing us fans with an 11 PM start again. Good point, but I don't think that would happen. It did in 1999 against Arizona (twice!), but not in 2000 against San Francisco. I think they learned that they're better off scheduling for the New York audience. At least, I hope so.

Nymr83 Sep 04 2006 07:42 PM

i love how close this race is. with any luck these teams will beat each other up all month long and bring a tired bullpen, aching position players, and an out-of-order rotation into the playoffs against the Mets. A one-game playoff between SD and CIN in SD with the loser flying all the way to NY to play the next day would be golden :)

Valadius Sep 04 2006 10:37 PM

My Grandpa won't shut up about the Marlins. Or as he calls them, the Mawlins. This is an actual conversation I had with him. Keep in mind, the Marlins were behind 9 other teams for the wild card when this took place. "Who won the wild card in '97?" "Um, the Marlins." "And who won the World Series?" "The Marlins." "Who won the wild card in 2003?" "The Marlins..." "And who won the World Series that year?" "The Marlins, Grandpa." "Who's gonna win the wild card in 2006?" "I don't know, Grandpa..." "The MAWLINS!!! And who's gonna win the World Series? The MAWLINS!!!" Recently, when the Marlins lost one game after winning a bunch in a row, he wouldn't even come to the phone. He's nuts.

Vic Sage Sep 05 2006 03:54 PM

i'd love for the Padres to win the WC and face the Mets in the first round, and I'd love for Piazza to have an amazing series as the Mets sweep SD out of town. for all the caterwaling about how washed up Piazza was after last season, its interesting to me that he's currently outhitting our catcher, with a 65 point lead in OPS (.838 to .773), while accumulating Runs + RBIs at a rate of .264 per AB (89r+rbi / 337ab), compared to LoDuca's significantly less produtive .249 (110r+rbi / 442ab). Now, given that Piazza has over 100 fewer ABs than LoDuca so far this season, its reasonable to assume that, at his age, Piazza's numbers would likely decline if he played as much as LoDuca had. Still, the numbers indicate that the Bachelor still has some punch and is giving SD more bang for its buck than Punchless Paulie has given the Mets.

Frayed Knot Sep 07 2006 09:03 AM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Sep 07 2006 09:35 AM

As of Thrusday, Sept 7: TEAM RECORD PCT GB PADRES 73 - 66 .525 --- PHILS 70 - 69 .504 3 MARLINS 70 - 69 .504 3 GIANTS 70 - 70 .500 3-1/2 REDS 69 - 71 .493 4-1/2 ASTROS 68 - 71 .489 5 BRAVES 66 - 73 .475 7 D'BACKS 65 - 74 .468 8 * San Diego, winners of 5 straight, are just one game behind the Shea-bound Dodgers for the NLWest lead, meaning that our opponents this weekend could soon be the leading contender to be our first-round playoff opponents. * Philly heads to Florida for 4 games starting tonight. Because those two start the day tied for 2nd in the NLEast, our 'Magic Number' can ony go down by a max of 1 today. Root for a split. * Milwaukee & Colorado both spent this week falling into the double digit deficit range and have therefore been eliminated from this here chart

Yancy Street Gang Sep 07 2006 09:24 AM

Heard on the radio today that the Phillies are starting a "ten-day" road trip. (I don't know if that means ten games or not. Gotta figure it means at least nine, though.) With four of those games against Florida, this is a tough stretch for the Phillies that could make or break them.

MFS62 Sep 07 2006 09:30 AM

Yancy Street Gang wrote: With four of those games against Florida, this is a tough stretch for the Phillies that could make or break them. I don't want to break them right now, because that would mean the other would get a big leg up in the WC chase. I'd just prefer they bend a little, rooting for a split. Later

Yancy Street Gang Sep 07 2006 09:35 AM

I think I'd like to see Florida win three of four. The five or six road games the Phillies play after they leave Miami will go a long way towards deciding their fate.

Willets Point Sep 07 2006 11:29 AM

I'm still rooting for a Phillies WC and a New York-Philly NLCS.

Yancy Street Gang Sep 07 2006 11:34 AM

Willets Point wrote: I'm still rooting for a Phillies WC and a New York-Philly NLCS. I think you're in the minority here. The Phillies are the last team I want to see the Mets face in the NL playoffs. I'm rooting for San Diego.

Willets Point Sep 07 2006 11:37 AM

It would be a dramatic, kickass series for the ages. That's worth rooting for. And besides, if the Mets can't beat the best opposition possible they don't deserve to win.

Yancy Street Gang Sep 07 2006 11:40 AM

Willets Point wrote: It would be a dramatic, kickass series for the ages. That's worth rooting for. And besides, if the Mets can't beat the best opposition possible they don't deserve to win. That's a very sportsmanlike attitude, but it doesn't sway me. I want to see the Mets win, whether their opponents are top-notch or not.

Willets Point Sep 07 2006 11:43 AM

Just as long as you understand where I'm coming from. I think the Mets could take the Phillies personally.

Yancy Street Gang Sep 07 2006 11:50 AM

I think they could, too. And it would be the most exciting matchup. Maybe even with as much tension as 1986 vs. Houston. I have to say, looking back, that that 1986 NLCS means a lot more to me than the one in 2000 that the Mets won easily.

seawolf17 Sep 07 2006 12:20 PM

I don't want tension. I don't want to beat Philly and then the Yankees, because my cholesterol is probably high and I don't need the stress. I want a parade down the fucking Canyon of Heroes or whatever they call it, and I want it as quickly and as efficiently as possible.

Vic Sage Sep 07 2006 02:10 PM

I'm down wit dat, wolfie.

metirish Sep 07 2006 02:13 PM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Sep 07 2006 02:17 PM

Playing the Phillies would be cool I think,especially a very intense series,get the rivalry going at full boil.....I imagine thousands of Mets fans filling the philly stadium,fights in the stands like a Rangers Flyers game...FU Philly.

MFS62 Sep 07 2006 02:17 PM

Ditto, Vic and Wolf. I don't want any game or series to be decided by something like a fan interference or umpire call. Because if that happens, AL/ Yankee fans will moan that they needed help or luck to beat a good team. I want the Mets to blast through the post season, winning it all, by delivering good old fashioned ass whippings to their opponents. And if they have to beat up on teams that aren't their toughest competition, so be it. Later

86-Dreamer Sep 07 2006 02:47 PM

Marlins are the team I would least like to see make the playoffs. The other WC contenders have all been right around .500 all year. Although the Marlins have ended up with the same record, they have gotten there much differently - playing well above .500 for a long stretch. They have six solid hitters and 4 young starters all pitching well. I really hope the Padres hold on.

Johnny Dickshot Sep 07 2006 04:53 PM

Us TCBing the Dodgers this weekend would help the Pods. We also have 7 left with FLA, so whether they make it or not could depend on us too.

Frayed Knot Sep 10 2006 11:00 PM

Padres salvage the final one from the Giants and avoid the sweep. There's now a 3-way tie for 2nd in the WC race. TEAM RECORD PCT GB PADRES 74 - 68 .521 --- GIANTS 72 - 71 .507 2-1/2 MARLINS 72 - 71 .503 2-1/2 PHILS 72 - 71 .503 2-1/2 REDS 71 - 72 .497 3-1/2 ASTROS 70 - 72 .493 4 BRAVES 69 - 73 .486 5 [u:5c0c1c49b8]This Week[/u:5c0c1c49b8] SD: @ Cincy, @LA (4) SF: Col, @ StL Fla: Mets, @ Atl Phil: @Atl, @ Hou Hous: @StL, Phil Atl: Phi, Fla

Frayed Knot Sep 17 2006 10:14 PM

Well there's a new leader in the WC race ... mainly because there's a new leader in the NLWest. The Pads have taken 2 of the first 3 from the Dodgers (1 game left) and have a half-game lead in the division. The WC standings as of Sunday night: . TEAM RECORD PCT GB DODGERS 78 - 71 .523 --- PHILS 77 - 72 .517 1 GIANTS 74 - 74 .500 3-1/2 MARLINS 74 - 75 .497 4 REDS 73 - 76 .490 5 BRAVES 72 - 77 .483 6 ASTROS 71 - 77 .480 6-1/2 [u:6f6a8b598a]The coming week[/u:6f6a8b598a] LA: 1 more w/SD, then host Pitt, Arz SD: 1 at LA, then host Arz, Pitt Phils: Cubs, Fla, + 1 makeup w/Houston SF: @ Col, @ Milw (4) Fla: @ Mets (4), @ Phil Atl: @ Wash, @ Colo (4) Hous: Cinc, StL

SteveJRogers Sep 17 2006 11:24 PM

Is it another case of AL dominance this year that the NL Wild Card with two weeks to play has yet to achieve 80 wins, while the top two in the AL have over 83 wins, not to mention two teams (Angels and Red Sox) have 80 and are both 8 and 8.5 games off the pace Or is it a product of a more competitive NL and the AL Central has a big drop off after the Tigers, Sox and Twins?

Frayed Knot Sep 17 2006 11:40 PM

It's a bit of both. THe AL's kicking of the NL's butts raised the collective record of the AL as a whole while depressing the entire senior circuit. But since interleague ended (and the league records remain constant) the lower teams in the NL have been more competitive than the bottom-feeders in the AL which creates a log-jam towards the .500-range in the NL. None of those WC contenders is breaking away from the pack because they're essentially beating the heck out of each other and even taking it on the chin from the Pittsburghs ov the world. Bottom line: the AL has more good as well as bad teams. In the NL, only the Mets (this weekend aside) have left the others in the dust.

TransMonk Sep 18 2006 06:49 PM

Check out Detroit, Boston and the Chi-Sox records since the All Star break. They're under .500. Meanwhile everyone in the NL East save Washington is over .500. I don't think the difference between the AL and the NL is as great as everyone thought it was in July.

Frayed Knot Sep 19 2006 09:19 AM

Wild one out in LA while we were all celebrating last night: Pads take a 4-0 lead in the top of the 1st - in part thanks to a Piazza 2B & Cameron 3B Dodgers erase all that, but Pads go on to score 3 in the top of the 9th to take a 4-run lead. Then the fun started: With Jon Adkins pitching; Jeff Kent HR'd JD Drew HR'd out goes Adkins, in comes Trevor Hoffman; FIRST PITCH from Hoffman is a HR to Russell Martin then the NEXT PITCH is a Marlon Anderson HR and we're all tied and there's still no outs!! (2 HRs and a 3B on the day for Marlon) Hoffman winds up getting out of the inning without any more damage and SD even goes out and takes a 1-run lead in the 10th So then in the bottom of the 10th w/Rudy Seanez pitching, Lofton walks and then Garciaparra hits a walk-off 2R HR And, with that win, the Dodgers re-take 1st place 4th time in history there were 4 consect HRs, although I'm assuming it's the first time while a team was down by 4 in the 9th. Elsewhere: - Phils lost - Giants got stomped on by the Rox - Reds lose to the Astros - Braves win - and, oh yeah, the Marlins lost to someone

Johnny Dickshot Sep 19 2006 09:52 AM

Wow!

A Boy Named Seo Sep 19 2006 04:00 PM

I turned that damn game off in the top of the 9th when the Dodgers gave up 3 and looked dead. I'm watching the replay on FSW right now. Amazing.

MFS62 Sep 19 2006 06:19 PM

]Elsewhere: - Phils lost - Giants got stomped on by the Rox - Reds lose to the Astros - Braves win - and, oh yeah, the Marlins lost to someone Anyone know for sure what the magic number is for the total elimination of the Braves from playoff contention? Later

Valadius Sep 19 2006 06:55 PM

It's 8 according to MLB.com.

Frayed Knot Sep 20 2006 09:10 AM

Pads & Dodgers show (once again) how this "momentum" thing is usually a bunch of hooey. Coming off their dramatic win Monday night, LA lays an egg vs the Pirates, while the Padres get a 3R HR from Mike Cameron and a non-dramatic save from Trevor Hoffman to drop the D'Backs and re-take 1st place by 1/2 game in the West. - Philly beat the Cubs and are sitting 1 game behind the Dodgers for the WC lead. The remainder of the teams are essentially on life support at this point: - The Giants (4-1/2 games out of WC) dropped their 4th straight and have given up 32 runs to the Rox over the last 2 games - Cincy (5) and Houston (6-1/2) have been knocking each other off for the last two nights - Marlins (5) have dropped 4 straight - and Atlanta (6) needs to go 7-3 over its last 11 games just to finish at .500

Frayed Knot Sep 21 2006 09:48 AM

- Dodgers & Padres lose - Phillies win and tie LA for WC lead - SD leads NLWest by 1/2 game - Giants 3-1/2 back of WC, Florida 4 out, Braves & Reds 5, Astros 5-1/2

Yancy Street Gang Sep 21 2006 10:22 AM

I wonder if the Giants can get back into this. They'll need a lot of luck.

Edgy DC Sep 21 2006 10:53 AM

Luck's name is "Bonds."

Willets Point Sep 21 2006 11:54 AM

Frayed Knot wrote: - Phillies win and tie LA for WC lead Go Phillies!

Frayed Knot Sep 22 2006 01:57 PM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Sep 22 2006 02:10 PM

Dodgers finally tally a win (and Pitt finally loses), Padres win, Giants lose, Phils had the day off: Padres lead the NLWest by 1.2 game Cardinals lead the NLCentral by 6-1/2 (that's ovah!) and the Padres for better record by just 1/2 At the start of the day Friday: TEAM RECORD PCT GB DODGERS 80 - 73 .523 --- PHILS 79 - 73 .520 1/2 MARLINS 76 - 77 .497 4 GIANTS 75 - 77 .493 4-1/2 BRAVES 75 - 78 .490 5 REDS 74 - 78 .487 5-1/2 ASTROS 74 - 78 .487 5-1/2 Remaining Games: Padres: Pitt (3), @ StL (3), @ Arz (4) Dodgers: Arz (3), @ Col (3), @ SF (3) Phillies: Fla (3), @ Hou (1), @ Wash (3), @ Fla (3) Marlins: @ Phil (3), Cin (3), Phil (3) Giants: @ Mil (3), Arz (3), LA (3) Reds: Cubs (4), @ Fla (3), @ Pitt (3) Braves: @ Col (3), Mets (3), Hous (3) Astros: StL (3), @ Phil (1), @ Pitt (3), @ Atl (3)

MFS62 Sep 22 2006 02:05 PM

Where will those last three games between Philly and Florida be played? Later

Yancy Street Gang Sep 22 2006 02:06 PM

MFS62 wrote: Where will those last three games between Philly and Florida be played? In Miami.

metirish Sep 22 2006 03:47 PM

Joe Girardi not returning to the Marlins? ] Marlins reportedly won't bring Girardi back Story Tools: Print Email Blog This FOXSports.com Posted: 2 hours ago Joe Girardi just might win the National League Manager of the Year award. But he is not likely to return for his second season as the Marlins' manager, according to a report in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. The newspaper, citing an unnamed source close to the Marlins' front office, reported that Girardi's chances of returning to the team as its manager as "zero" on a scale of one to 10. "I don't think there is any chance," the source reportedly told the Sun-Sentinel. Girardi has two years left on his current contract and would be owed $1.5 million if he is not hired by another team But Dusty Baker could soon be fired as the Chicago Cubs manager. And Girardi, a Windy City native and Northwestern graduate, could be a strong candidate to replace him. The Marlins, meanwhile, have reportedly identified a few third base coaches who could emerge as candidates to become the Marlins' next manager: Fredi Gonzalez (Atlanta), Joey Cora (Chicago White Sox) and Manny Acta (New York Mets). Why is Girardi likely gone? He and owner Jeffrey Loria have had a frosty relationship this season. In fact, Girardi was nearly fired after an Aug. 6 game vs. the Los Angeles Dodgers in which he and bench coach Gary Tuck reportedly scolded Loria for yelling at umpires from his field-level seat. Girardi and GM Larry Beinfest reportedly "barely speak." And they do not talk about team moves on a regular basis. "His introverted behavior and lack of people skills have caused most of the problems," the source said of Girardi, who spent one season as the Yankees' bench coach after a 15-year playing career. "Both sides are at fault." But the Sun-Sentinel's source says the Marlins' front office is pointing to some on-field decisions, which could lead to Girardi's firing. The source reportedly described Marlins management as "shocked" that Girardi (in a battle for a potential wild card berth) brought back rookie pitcher Josh Johnson after an 82-minute rain delay on September 12 against the New York Mets. Johnson, a right-hander, left the game four innings later with cramping in his forearm and was later lost for the season due to a strained ligament. Girardi also was criticized for inserting reserve outfielder Reggie Abercrombie as a defensive replacement in an 8-7 loss to the Braves on Sunday. Florida's 10th-inning collapse was aided by two Abercrombie errors that opened the door for a five-run inning. Despite these recent woes, the Marlins have emerged as one of the season's biggest surprises. With a payroll of just $15 million and 22 rookies, Girardi has the Marlins (still) battling for a playoff spot — four games behind the Dodgers in the NL wild card race with nine games left.

Yancy Street Gang Sep 22 2006 03:51 PM

If his chances are zero, they didn't really have to say it was on a scale of 1 to 10. Zero out of 10 is the same as zero out of 3 or 0 out of 40,000.

metirish Sep 22 2006 03:53 PM

We need to ask Mr.Zero about this.

Yancy Street Gang Sep 22 2006 03:54 PM

Let's ask him ten times.

Edgy DC Sep 22 2006 04:05 PM

I'll say this for Joey People Skills, he hasn't played in three years and he still looks like a player in that dugout.

Yancy Street Gang Sep 22 2006 06:05 PM

Wow, if the Marlins sweep the Phillies, they're right back in it. Big time.

metirish Sep 24 2006 09:47 PM Edited 2 time(s), most recently on Sep 24 2006 11:32 PM

Clemens has apparently pitched his last inning again,in the game tonight he went to the mound for the top of the sixth then Garner came and took him out....on normal rest he should have a start next weekend in Atlanta but the guys in the booth are saying this could be it...but as Morgan says if he wins tonight he'll have 349 wins so 350 would be a nice number to go for.........

Willets Point Sep 24 2006 11:25 PM

We should make a top ten list of Clemen's best last games ever.

MFS62 Sep 25 2006 09:33 AM

Willets Point wrote: We should make a top ten list of Clemen's best last games ever. Let's let the fans of some other team do that. But that was funny Later