Playoff Picture for 2021

[bork]

Knocking the Cards out of the playoffs would be a nice cherry on the top of this season.

[pacopete4]

The Cards may have the best chance to knock off the Dodgers.

[Underachiever]

The Blue Jays torrid hitting didn’t get left behind in Baltimore.

 

Tonight they have 7 runs and 13 hits against the Rays through 5 innings as they continue their late run toward an AL Wild Card berth.

 

Worth noting that a Tampa loss would put us in tie with them. And let's just say whether or not we finish ahead of the Rays, could indeed matter....

Milwaukee/Tampa World Series tickets in Tampa might be the cheapest possible combination of teams and location. Even with the cost of flying to Tampa figured in.

I am trying to figure out my budget for the playoffs. Pay for the sure thing (NLDS)? Or save for the NLCS and/or WS? In 2018 I had to be in Denver on business. Went to Game 2 in Milwaukee, the flew out early Sunday morning to catch the clincher at Coors, and saw one game with the Dodgers in Milwaukee.

[roadcrew3]

The Cards may have the best chance to knock off the Dodgers.

 

Will be fascinating to see how teams like the Reds or Cardinals would use their bullpens in a one game playoff since that is a pretty big weakpoint for both. Obviously anything can happen in a one game playoff format and bullpen issues can be covered by piggybacking starters...could make both pretty dangerous.

[jerichoholicninja]

Knock the Cards out of the playoffs at all costs. If they get in they will go far. That's just how it works.

[monty57]

Knocking the Cards out of the playoffs would be a nice cherry on the top of this season.

 

Yes, the Cardinals have ruined too many Brewer playoff hopes. We owe them a few.

[owbc]

The Padres are sending off very strong 2008 Brewers vibes. What's Dale Sveum up to right now? Especially compared with Toronto, who has a similar group of young stars but is on the opposite trajectory right now.

 

The Cards are better on paper than the Reds, so it isn't surprising to see them emerge as the likely 2nd place team in the NL Central.

 

Overall the 'tiers' of teams are pretty clear at this point, the Giants/Dodgers/Brewers/Rays are in tier 1, the White Sox/Astros/Braves are in a second tier of teams that are comfortably in the playoffs, and there is a huge glut of mediocre teams fighting for 3 of the 4 wildcard spots. It makes things interesting for sure since it only takes a series or two of good baseball to move to the front of the pack.

[KeithStone53151]

I will be interested to see how many of these tier 1 teams make the CS. Obviously a max of 3 can make it since 3 of 4 are in the NL. I'm excited for some October baseball.

[MrTPlush]

Knocking the Cards out of the playoffs would be a nice cherry on the top of this season.

 

Yes, the Cardinals have ruined too many Brewer playoff hopes. We owe them a few.

 

Not to mention I couldn't stomach them having success in the postseason that is better than ours. If the Reds go streaking and beat us to go to the World Series I would be able to sleep at night.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

Is it wrong of me to hope that the Padres figure it out over the next couple weeks, and keep both the Reds and Cardinals out of the playoffs? I have no interest in seeing either team in the playoffs, despite the fact that neither should pose much of a threat to the Brewers on paper. The Reds lineup is still scary if they get hot (even though the rest of the team is a raging dumpster fire), and Cardinal devil magic is extra magical in October.

[Outlander]

I'm all for bad teams in the playoffs when the Brewers are going to make it so hoping for the Cardinals. Maybe their magical power can work one day against the Dodgers. Long term though they have no chance in the playoffs.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

It's baseball. Any team that gets in can have a run. It's the only sport where the matchups do next to nothing to put me at ease.

[Fear The Chorizo]

I'm all for bad teams in the playoffs when the Brewers are going to make it so hoping for the Cardinals. Maybe their magical power can work one day against the Dodgers. Long term though they have no chance in the playoffs.

 

Since one of the Cards' WS titles came on the heels of a season where they won 83 regular season games, I'd think the chances of any team making the playoffs is better than zero - especially the Cards. They'd have enough pitching to hang around in a series against anyone, and if Goldschmidt/Arenado get hot they can beat anyone. I'd want no part of the Cards in the playoffs, because frankly that means they probably played the Brewers pretty well their last 7 games in the regular season. To me, the Brewers' season sets up pretty well for a whole bunch of satisfaction - knock the Cards out of the playoffs by winning their last two regular season series, perhaps prevent the Dodgers winning their division in that last series.

 

I'm pulling for the Reds finding a way to crawl into the playoffs, then have their lineup catch lightning in a bottle and knock of the Dodgers in a 1 game WC round. Meanwhile the Brewers can hopefully take care of business against a Braves team that's scuffling but has some talent and wind up with a NLCS against either the Giants or Reds.

[HP29]

I am just puzzled by the Reds collapse, at one point I found that team the most dangerous to the Brewers in the NL outside of the Dodgers in a playoff series. I'm not a smart man.. They are 6-14 since the start of the series in Milwaukee.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

The Reds are the like late 90s/early 2000s Redskins. They are going to be good this year, just you wait and see...

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

The Reds are the like late 90s/early 2000s Redskins. They are going to be good this year, just you wait and see...

 

Good analogy with the team that consistently "won" the offseason back in the day by grabbing over the hill names like Bruce Smith and Deion Sanders! Also very similar to recent Minnesota Vikings teams. Paper champions.

 

Grabbing "shiny object" guys like Moustakas and Castellanos, along with Winker's and India's ascent, got them plenty of hype, but they have proven that you cannot build a consistent, competitive team while ignoring defense and the bullpen.

[MrTPlush]

Reds are still only a 1.5 games back. As miserable as they have been lately they really haven't moved far.

 

We are pretty much cemented in as the #2 at this point.

[Eye Black]

The Reds have now lost 7 straight series dating back to their last series with the Brewers. That seems wild considering how soft their schedule appeared to be.

[PeaveyFury]

The Reds have now lost 7 straight series dating back to their last series with the Brewers. That seems wild considering how soft their schedule appeared to be.

 

I think it's equally wild that despite that, they still have a favorable path to make the playoffs. Truly a testament to how stunningly mediocre the middle tier of NL teams have ended up being. I think the assumption was that someone would step up and grab that last WC spot, but it seems to be a case of whoever bumbles it away the least is going to make the playoffs.

[BruisedCrew]

Some interesting series in the NL playoff races this weekend as the Padres beat the Giants to tighten up both the NL West and Wild Card races.

 

Padres at Cardinals

Dodgers at Reds

Braves at Giants

Phillies at Mets

 

Although they pounded him last time they faced him, I’m not upset to see Hendricks pitching against the Phillies tonight because I see him as the Cubs starter most likely to give the Brewers trouble. The Phillies bullpen game is not working tonight as they are trailing 7-0 in the third inning. The Cubs have been scoring a lot of runs lately.

[Eye Black]

The Phillies bullpen game is not working tonight as they are trailing 7-0 in the third inning. The Cubs have been scoring a lot of runs lately.

And just like that it’s 7-7 by the 4th inning. You’ve got the reverse jinx mastered lately!

[BruisedCrew]

The Phillies bullpen game is not working tonight as they are trailing 7-0 in the third inning. The Cubs have been scoring a lot of runs lately.

And just like that it’s 7-7 by the 4th inning. You’ve got the reverse jinx mastered lately!

 

The fact that the Phillies are now ahead 10-7 doesn’t change the facts that the Phillies bullpen game didn’t work well or that the Cubs are scoring a lot of runs.

[Eye Black]

The Cubs have to be setting some sort of record for blown 7-run leads this season. I believe this is at least their 3rd time being up 7 and losing (assume they don’t come back from this 15-8 deficit).

[Jopal78]

Is it wrong of me to hope that the Padres figure it out over the next couple weeks, and keep both the Reds and Cardinals out of the playoffs? I have no interest in seeing either team in the playoffs, despite the fact that neither should pose much of a threat to the Brewers on paper. The Reds lineup is still scary if they get hot (even though the rest of the team is a raging dumpster fire), and Cardinal devil magic is extra magical in October.

 

I'd rather see the Padres miss the playoffs, they have the most talent on paper.

 

The Reds are going nowhere with that bullpen.

 

Since August 1st, St. Louis is 16-7 against teams with losing records (.695), they are 6-7 against teams with a winning record (4.61). There's nothing magical, other than a schedule where down the stretch they have played more games against bad teams than good ones. Outside of Wainwright the Cardinals don't have a starting pitcher with a FIP below 4.30, and only two bullpen arms who are better than mediocre (Gallegos and Cabrera) the pitching staff isn't one with the horses to make a deep post season run.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

Is it wrong of me to hope that the Padres figure it out over the next couple weeks, and keep both the Reds and Cardinals out of the playoffs? I have no interest in seeing either team in the playoffs, despite the fact that neither should pose much of a threat to the Brewers on paper. The Reds lineup is still scary if they get hot (even though the rest of the team is a raging dumpster fire), and Cardinal devil magic is extra magical in October.

 

I'd rather see the Padres miss the playoffs, they have the most talent on paper.

 

The Reds are going nowhere with that bullpen.

 

Since August 1st, St. Louis is 16-7 against teams with losing records (.695), they are 6-7 against teams with a winning record (4.61). There's nothing magical, other than a schedule where down the stretch they have played more games against bad teams than good ones. Outside of Wainwright the Cardinals don't have a starting pitcher with a FIP below 4.30, and only two bullpen arms who are better than mediocre (Gallegos and Cabrera) the pitching staff isn't one with the horses to make a deep post season run.

 

I know. It isn't logical. Just going with my gut. Hate both the Reds and Cardinals. Just want them gone.