Cubs at Nationals, 5:00 PM PT, TV: TBS
The Cubs ask Kyle Hendricks (7-5, 3.03 ERA) to be the stopper tomorrow in Game Five, while Dusty Baker and the Nats haven’t made their choice of pitcher known yet. It will likely be Tanner Roark, who was scheduled to start Game Four before the rain intervened, or Game Two starter Gio Gonzalez. Either way, it may be a low-scoring affair.
The pitchers have controlled the series for the most part; the Nationals’ staff has a 1.64 ERA over the first four games, while the Cubs pitchers have a combined 2.57 mark.
Update: it will be Gio Gonzalez. He pitched five innings of three-hit ball in Game Two.
Today in baseball history:
- 1907 At Detroit’s Bennett Park, right-hander Mordecai ‘Three Fingers’ Brown throws a 2-0 shutout, beating the Tigers to capture the World Championship for the Cubs. Although Game 1 ended in a 3-3, 12-inning tie, Chicago becomes the first club to sweep a Fall Classic when the team wins the next four games.
- 1929 The A’s, trailing 8-0 during Game 4 of the World Series, erupt for 10 runs in the seventh inning off three Cub pitchers en route to a 10-8 victory. Chicago’s Hack Wilson becomes one of the goats of the game when he loses two balls in the sun in center field.
- 1949 Vin Scully, working his first broadcast ever, does the play-by play when Maryland defeats the Boston University at Fenway Park, 14-13. The football assignment marks the start the of a 67 year career in the broadcast booth for the Hall of Fame baseball announcer, who will be remembered as the iconic voice of the Dodgers.
- 2012 The Nationals, twice within a strike of reaching the NLCS, suffer the worst collapse ever in a winner-take-all baseball postseason game when they are stunned by the visiting Cardinals. After his team takes a 6-0 advantage in the third inning and clings to a two-run lead with two outs in the ninth, Washington’s closer Drew Storen gives up four runs in the final frame, resulting in the eventual devastating 9-5 loss at Nationals Park.
- 2015 The Cubs homer six times en route to an 8-6 victory over the Cardinals at Wrigley Field in the Game 3 of the NLDS. Chicago’s sextet of round-trippers, that included long balls from Kris Bryant, Starlin Castro, Dexter Fowler, Anthony Rizzo, Kyle Schwarber, and Jorge Soler, marks first time in postseason history that one team has recorded that many home runs in one game.
NPUT
Tom Boswell in Bob Hendley’s hometown paper:
Kershaw Game One, Wood Game Four. Hill and Darvish for Two and Three, but the order isn’t set yet. Also, Avilan might be added to roster since it’s the Cubs. Stripling and Baez weren’t used in the NLDS and one might be dropped to make room for Luis.
Those passed balls killed the Nats.
So, Saturday.
Who pitches against Kersh?
Lackey, I assume.
Still unclear. Ask again later. 😉
Seems it might be Quintana, since he only threw 12 pitches.
Cub’s play-by-play guy says the color commentator will have to be the SP Saturday.
And so it’s the Cubs.
Sorry to see the Nat’s go down again like that, but no team I would rather have the Dodgers beat than the Cubbies.
I’m sorry it didn’t go 20 innings but, even so, it should mess with the Ositos’ biological clocks.
And that’s it. Poor Nationals.
So true. How painful.
So, Scherzer is a post-season failure.
Hasn’t won in the post-season since 2013. Four losses since then.
Poor Nat fans
At this stage of this game I would use two hands for every catch.
Watching Davis pitch is a little like watching a punch-drunk fighter. Can he stay on his feet for two more outs?
Not Kenleyesque, but getting the job done so far.
Pretty shaky, but lucky to face an impatient Trea Turner, perhaps.
Werth helped him out as well.
I don’t have video tonight.
The big island has cable.
Not where I’m staying.
One more chance to score. Werth. Harper. Zimmerman.
C”est formidable!
They have a chance.
Turner gets to bat.
Oh, right.
Here we go.
Just got out of “Dunkirk” (my 3rd viewing) with two observations on the game:
1) Dave was prescient with his 9-6 prediction hours ago.
2) “Dunkirk’s” slogan is applicable to these teams: Survival Is Victory
I was thinking and would have said 9-8 but it seemed to baseball clichéd to have it be a 1 run game.
Bought any lottery tix today?
Again – I would not be opposed to being wrong if it means extras!
“Use the Force, Luke.” — shut off the radar/censor
Doom and gloom among the fans at this point.
Let’s have a 20-inning game that utterly destroys the winner’s pitching staff.
His foot came off. Wow wow wow.
Yowser. Could you imagine if that was the last out of the game?
Okay. That synched split screen showed the overturn was right.
Sorry, meant for that to be above.
going right down to the wire, cmon Nats, get 1 (and only 1) more
Such a lot of heart in both teams. This is baseball at its best.
A bit of a war of attrition, especially as regards Cubbie pitchers.
Davis is gassed.
Man is Taylor having himself a series.
One run game!!!
No one left in the Cubbies bullpen? Is that possible?
Lackey. Then a fellow named Wilson and the other starters Lester and Arrieta
Such tension.
Yeah.
Werth doing what Werth does.
Taking pitches? Walking?
Yep, yep.
Rabbits on the bases or what Vin says.
I have no idea who is going to win this game and series.
Even though Cubs are up by 3 – I could still see the Nationals having one last 7th or 8th inning explosion to catch up.
I agree.
Slide didn’t look proper with the leg whip.
I agree. It’s interesting that even while it looked wrong – Murphy had already gotten his throw off before contact was made. But I suppose it still could have affected his throw.
Slide would have made Ty Cobb proud.
Don’t think they have to establish that for it to be an improper slide.
But then what’s the issue? If the out has been recorded at second and the throw has already been made to first and not affected by the incoming runner’s slide – whatever happens at 2nd after that seems really irrelevant.
Issue is not wanting mid infielders to be injured by base runners.
OK. That’s right. I didn’t really forget the whole Utley rule thing – just wasn’t thinking about it in this scenario since Murphy wasn’t shaken up that much. But yep – you are right on that.
Seems that Wieters getting hit on the backswing should have been interpreted in the same manner, i.e., doesn’t need to be established whether it hindered the throw or not. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/nationals-journal/wp/2017/10/12/nationals-hurt-by-crucial-missed-call-in-do-or-die-nlds-game-5/?hpid=hp_local-topic-chain_nats-missedcall-12am%3Ahomepage%2Fstory&utm_term=.9360dee556ce
What an inning!
Momentum swings like a pendulum do…
Wow. 8-6!
This thing may actually end 9-6 Cubs like I said below (when it was 4-1 Nationals)!
I hope so
Although if it means multiple extra innings – I would be quite happy to be wrong.
I could live with the Nat’s winning, as I would have an opportunity to see my Dodgers here in DC.
It is for now, anyway!
Both catchers having problems tonight.
We have seen just about everything that can go wrong happen in this game for both teams.
Fans are in tears… Oh, dear.
With the number of blown series the Nats have had, are you surprised? 2012, 2014, 2016…they’ve never won a single NLDS or NLCS, much less a WS.
Only surprised because it was so early in the game.
Ah. Well, a sense of foreboding descended after the Cubs got to 8 runs, I guess. 😉
Werth with a horrible miss there. Took his eyes off the ball. Not counted as an error, though.
Kintzler’s in.
Jeeze. How many ways to get nibbled to death by ducks?
Oh no! Hit Batter after a CI scores another.
Crazy! CI now.
Why doesn’t the bat hitting the catcher mean anything?
Scherzer looks freaked out.
I want the Cubs to win, but man, the poor Nats and their fans have got to be seeing ghosts of playoffs past right now.
One of my best friends is a huge Nats fan, and I have been feeling for him this whole series. Meanwhile, catcher got cracked by the swing – doesn’t that count as interference?
Playoff baseball is sickening sometimes.
Heartbreaking that is.
My son and daughter -in-law are big Nats fans. I am feeling for them. Plus they are big US Men’s soccer fans, so a double whammy for them.
Only the fifth inning and I’M exhausted. What must they be feeling?
Andre thinks like some of us do: tells Sarah Wexler “long game, please.”
Roger Angell has become a Yankee fan late in life. He’s gone from Giants to Mets to, apparently, Yankees. Here’s a note/column from him at his usual perch in the New Yorker.
bye bye hendricks?
And hello Scherzer.
Not doing his job, so far…
Hey hey hey its Matt Albers.
I see what you did there. Fat Albert indeed.
4-3 now. Better bring in Scherzer right away! 🙂
Ha!
Go, Cubbies!
At this point I’m rooting for a 9-6 game (for the Cubs I guess) with a parade of pitchers.
— and LOTS of extra innings!
Yeah I’m thinking 25 would be good.
Albers in the BP warming up.
Hendricks taking it on the chin. Only Cubbies starter I worried about.
Won’t be in much longer, I suspect.
Looks like both of last year’s WS teams will be eliminated in the division series. Cubs down 4-1 in the 2nd to the Nationals.
Taylor is Washington’s 8 spot hitting star – 7 rbi’s in last 2 at bats (over yesterday and today).
He is on fire. Give that guy a raise.
Now I get to worry about the Nats starters. Ugh! Though their rotation will be a bit out of whack to start.
Well, there are quite a few innings left.
Misplaced reply.
If the Cubs win today, we wouldn’t face Arrieta or Hendricks Saturday or Sunday, and probably not Lester, who pitched 3.2 innings in relief yesterday. That leaves Lackey and Quntana. If the Nationals win today, we wouldn’t face Strasburg or Gonzalez Saturday or Sunday. That leaves Scherzer for one of the games, and Roark, Cole or old friend Edwin Jackson, whom we lit up on our last visit to D.C. Of course, all this could change if Maddon and/or Baker feel the need to use a normal starter in relief, as Lovullo did with Ray in the Wild Card game. I’m rooting for Chicago today because Washington’s starting pitching is stronger.
Same reason I’m rooting for the Cubs. Besides wanting revenge for last year, of course.
Were it not for Taylor, this would be a wrap already. But he keeps hitting dingers.
Yep. Get ready for Scherzer v. Kershaw on Saturday night.
I’m hoping the cubs too, I think the Nationals lineup is more of a threat
https://twitter.com/BillShaikin/status/918576077785661441
Latest forecast I saw says 0% chance of rain for tonight’s game.
Too bad. Waiting an extra day should’ve helped the Blue.