The Nats lost 102 and 103 games in 2008 and 2009, respectively, and improved to 69-93 in 2010. Last year they finished the year with a 80-81 record, which was a marked improvement. Still, it's tough to read too much into a team whose leader in rWAR was a relief pitcher (Tyler Clippard). There was no doubt about it this …
Series preview: San Francisco Giants (94-68) vs Cincinnati Reds (97-65)
The Reds jockeyed with several other NL Central teams (including the Pirates!) for the divisional lead for the first half of the season, but after July 19 they moved into first place and never looked back. The closest they got to losing the lead was on August 9th, after NL MVP Shawn Camp exerted his powers and defeated the Reds …
ALDS Series Preview: A’s vs. Tigers
The A's came from about a billion games back to win the AL West thanks to the Rangers cubbing the final month or so of the season. That's not to say the A's backed into the playoffs. They won 94 games, which was just one back of the AL leading Yankees. The Tigers fell back in the AL Central early …
Wild Card Friday “Series” Previews, including an all-new playoff results simulator!
Tonight's games: St. Louis at Atlanta: Kyle Lohse, RHP (2.86, 3.51, 3.96) vs Kris Medlen, RHP (1.57, 2.42, 2.97), 4:07 PM CT It's hard to believe that Lohse has put up nearly 11 fWAR since the Cardinals picked him up off the scrap heap. I would say he's a member of the Wandy Rodriguez Hall of Fame, except he's not …
Series Preview: Chicago Cubs (51-82) at Washington Nationals (81-52)
Team Overviews Cubs Nats wRC+ 78 (16th) 98 (4th) BSR -0.7 (9th) -15.5 (16th) UZR 19.1 (3rd) 19.5 (2nd) DRS -5 (9th) -3 (7th) SP FIP- 104 (11th) 86 (1st) RP FIP- 113 (16th) 95 (6th) The Nats are definitely a deserving first place team. Pitching Matchups Monday: Jeff Samardzija, RHP (4.03, 3.69, 3.42, 3.88) vs Ross Detweiler, LHP …
Series Preview: Colorado Rockies (50-73) at Chicago Cubs (47-76)
The Cubs have made a strong push for the second spot in next year's draft with a 4-17 record in the month of August. The Rockies are remembering their 2007 team by going 13-9 over that same span, and are coming off a four game sweep of the Mets on the road. You Never Know. The Rockies are one of …
Series Preview: Iowa Cubs of Chicago (46-70) at Cincinnati Reds (71-47)
#reminder { background: #BECDC6; padding: 6px; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px 12px 8px 12px; } Contest reminder: Don't forget to enter our contest to win The Essential Games of the Chicago Cubs DVD set. It runs through Sunday, August 19. The Cubs faced the Reds less than a week ago (here's the preview). Not much has changed (Cubs still suck, Reds …
Series Preview: Houston Astros (38-78) at Chicago Cubs (44-69)
The Cubs are 7.5 games out of the top pick in the 2013 draft, and can pick up some ground on the loss-leading Astros in this series. The Cubs have done their part, going 2-11 over the past two weeks but barely made a dent in the Astros lead after they went 3-10 over the same span. Team Overviews This …
Series Preview: Cincinnati Reds (66-45) at Chicago Cubs (43-66)
Riding an eight game losing streak and consecutive sweeps on the west coast, the Cubs continue their upset bid to take the number one pick away from the Houston Astros. The Reds, meanwhile, are two and a half games ahead of the Cardinals and the still hanging in there Buccos. For all the slagging I like to do on the …
Series Preview: Chicago Cubs (40-57) vs. St. Louis Cardinals (53-46)
The Cubs and Cardinals resume their rivalry while many St. Louis fans are still holding their brooms from last weekend, and not just the witches, maids, and crack addicts. The Cardinals convincingly and effortlessly swept the mini-Bears in a series in which they outscored the Cubs infinity to negative eight. If you want a meaningful, in depth assessment of both …