In 2015, Jake Arrieta authored one of the greatest seasons for a starting pitcher in baseball history. Daniel Murphy is a good hitter who put together a very good free agent season (.281/.322/.449, .283 TAv), but prior to the past four days, his name and production were never put into historical context. Yet, here we are, two […]
Tag: NLCS
Mets Win, Take 2-1 Series Lead: NLCS Game 2
No, that’s not a typo in the headline. Over at Baseball Prospectus, Sam Miller recaps a Mets victory in Game Two of the NLCS by using a little humor. Well, Cubs fans may not be in the mood to laugh, but perhaps assuming a Game Six victory is something you do want to hear about… […]
When Hendricks Made the Change
Kyle Hendricks was steaming. Sixty feet six inches away in the California sun, his catcher was shaking him off, calling for the changeup again and again in the face of Hendricks’ obvious frustration. Hendricks knew he couldn’t throw one, knew he didn’t have one. But the catcher was insistent, and the lanky right-hander finally rocked and […]
NLCS Game Two Recap: Mets 4 Cubs 1
Yesterday, Mauricio Rubio recapped a tough Game One loss, relaying the sadness, dejection, and frustration already thick in the air. At one point, he stopped to explain, “I’ve been the dejected fan wondering why this is happening again even if the series is young and the reasons for my sadness do not sync up with […]
Playoff Prospectus: NLCS Game 2 Preview and PECOTA Odds
This piece, by BP Wrigleyville’s Rian Watt, first appeared at the Baseball Prospectus main site and is available free for all to enjoy. We’ve posted a sneak preview here. After an series opener in which New York’s Dark Knight pitched his way back into Gotham’s good graces with 7 ⅔ strong innings against Chicago, the […]
Playoff Prospectus: Matt Harvey, from the Operating Table to the Opera — NLCS Game 1
This piece, by BP’s Jeffrey Paternostro, first appeared at the Baseball Prospectus main site and is available free for all to enjoy. We’ve posted a sneak preview here. Forget all that you know and all you have heard. Specifically, forget any talk of shutdowns and innings limits, ignore any hastily thrown together PR rehab, pretend you […]
NLCS Game One Recap: Harvey, Murphy Put it on the Table
A college ambiance accompanied me for Game One of the NLCS as I joined an unsurprisingly, but definitely out of character, raucous Ravenswood scene at a local establishment. Sports bars ride the crescendos of the main event, and if you look back into your memories and squint, you can see yourself manifested as a patron […]
Playoff Prospectus: NLCS Preview — Cubs vs. Mets
This piece, by BP Wrigleyville’s Editor-in-Chief Sahadev Sharma, first appeared at the Baseball Prospectus main site and is available free for all to enjoy. We’ve posted a sneak preview here. Do I have to say it? Are you really going to make me say it? Fine, I’ll say it: These are not the same Mets that […]
This Cubs-Mets Series Is Different
This piece, by friend of the site Alex Walsh (@ajwalshCubs), features some great analysis of Jon Lester’s performance against the Mets, past and present. We hope you enjoy. If the announcers for this 2015 NLCS implore you to “throw out the regular season stats” at any point during the broadcast of Game 1, take heed—it’ll be […]
Maddon Throwing Cubs into Stark Relief after NLDS Success
Last week, I made some predictions about how Joe Maddon might manage his bench and bullpen in the Wild Card Game and Division Series, drawing upon his history in Tampa Bay and the composition of the Cubs’ roster in order to do so. With the Cubs now moving on to the NLCS for the first time in 12 years, I thought […]