2015 NLCS Thread: Chicago Cubs vs. New York Mets

[Tony]

A series doesn't really start until a home team loses.... but when you've used your two best pitchers that does change things. Yesterday wasn't a must win, but it felt like it. So maybe it was. They just need to score first on Tuesday and then I think everyone can relax a little.

They just need to win tomorrow. That guarantees them two more games. Win tomorrow and Hammel can go out on Wednesday and spray diarrhea all over the mound for a few innings and they'd still get another crack at the Lester/Arrieta part of the rotation. Long odds, for sure, but they can right the ship tomorrow.

That's the beauty of a seven game series. There's still time. There's still time.....

[World's #1 Astros Fan]

A series doesn't really start until a home team loses.... but when you've used your two best pitchers that does change things. Yesterday wasn't a must win, but it felt like it. So maybe it was. They just need to score first on Tuesday and then I think everyone can relax a little.

They just need to win tomorrow. That guarantees them two more games. Win tomorrow and Hammel can go out on Wednesday and spray diarrhea all over the mound for a few innings and they'd still get another crack at the Lester/Arrieta part of the rotation. Long odds, for sure, but they can right the ship tomorrow.

And then the thunderous shoe drop of Kyle Hendricks in Game 7.

(screams)

[Eli]

A series doesn't really start until a home team loses.... but when you've used your two best pitchers that does change things. Yesterday wasn't a must win, but it felt like it. So maybe it was. They just need to score first on Tuesday and then I think everyone can relax a little.

They just need to win tomorrow. That guarantees them two more games. Win tomorrow and Hammel can go out on Wednesday and spray diarrhea all over the mound for a few innings and they'd still get another crack at the Lester/Arrieta part of the rotation. Long odds, for sure, but they can right the ship tomorrow.

And then the thunderous shoe drop of Kyle Hendricks in Game 7.

(screams)

*puts $10 down on Kyle Hendricks winning NLCS MVP*

[Slaky]

Here's the thing:

The Mets had a big first inning and really didn't do anything after. They haven't exactly pounded the Cubs in either game. Their starting pitchers were better than ours. Our bats didn't do anything.

In my mind, because this is how I'm conditioned, when it's the Blackhawks in a series hole, I always know they'll fight back and make it square. They almost always do.

The Cubs are not the Hawks and most of you don't give a fuck about hockey but this is about our mindset.

Not sure about most of you zen motherfuckers but I was irate during the first 2 innings last night. Watching my personal hero shit the mound in the first inning and give up a homer to the Human Baseball Meme pissed me off to the point where I said something shitty to my family and ended up spending the next hour plus thinking about why a fucking baseball game would make me throw a fit like a baby in the first place.

2 bad games does not make a series. It takes 4. Thursday morning the season might be over, or we might be talking about how a Chicago Cubs player went white-hot and torched the vaunted Mets starting pitching like Guy Montag heading into a pivotal game 5.

Eli said it somewhere last night: we have all offseason to be upset about losing this series so why start now? It's not over yet.



EDIT: Also the Mets. The fucking Mets, man. Don't they proclaim to be some kind of tortured franchise that always fucks things up? They're the METS. Their reputation is on the line here. You think they're going to roll through us without breaking a sweat? Not a chance.

[R-V]

Have any of ChuckD's fellow statgoons taken a look at the weirdness that is going on with really good veteran pitchers in the postseason? Kershaw, Price, Arrieta, Lester have been pretty bad in the aggregate the last two years in the playoffs after being great in the regular season. Is there something to pitchers with X amount of mileage on their arms (either in their career and/or that particular season) running out of gas in the playoffs? As opposed to young dickheads like Beckett, Harvey and Syndegaard who are out there throwing darts in October?

Or maybe it's just a blip and I'm grasping at straws after a couple of shitty performances.

[Tony]

Here's the thing:

The Mets had a big first inning and really didn't do anything after. They haven't exactly pounded the Cubs in either game. Their starting pitchers were better than ours. Our bats didn't do anything.

In my mind, because this is how I'm conditioned, when it's the Blackhawks in a series hole, I always know they'll fight back and make it square. They almost always do.

The Cubs are not the Hawks and most of you don't give a fuck about hockey but this is about our mindset.

Not sure about most of you zen motherfuckers but I was irate during the first 2 innings last night. Watching my personal hero shit the mound in the first inning and give up a homer to the Human Baseball Meme pissed me off to the point where I said something shitty to my family and ended up spending the next hour plus thinking about why a fucking baseball game would make me throw a fit like a baby in the first place.

2 bad games does not make a series. It takes 4. Thursday morning the season might be over, or we might be talking about how a Chicago Cubs player went white-hot and torched the vaunted Mets starting pitching like Guy Montag heading into a pivotal game 5.

Eli said it somewhere last night: we have all offseason to be upset about losing this series so why start now? It's not over yet.

I thought about that last night. Weren't the Hawks down to an elimination game against Nashville or some stupid team when Kane and Hossa combined for a crazy goal after a power play ended during the first cup run? If this Cubs team is going to be different, like the new Hawks are different, then they will battle back in this series. If they're done after losing two road games in a seven game series then why are we even bothering to watch in the first place?

[Slaky]

Here's the thing:

The Mets had a big first inning and really didn't do anything after. They haven't exactly pounded the Cubs in either game. Their starting pitchers were better than ours. Our bats didn't do anything.

In my mind, because this is how I'm conditioned, when it's the Blackhawks in a series hole, I always know they'll fight back and make it square. They almost always do.

The Cubs are not the Hawks and most of you don't give a fuck about hockey but this is about our mindset.

Not sure about most of you zen motherfuckers but I was irate during the first 2 innings last night. Watching my personal hero shit the mound in the first inning and give up a homer to the Human Baseball Meme pissed me off to the point where I said something shitty to my family and ended up spending the next hour plus thinking about why a fucking baseball game would make me throw a fit like a baby in the first place.

2 bad games does not make a series. It takes 4. Thursday morning the season might be over, or we might be talking about how a Chicago Cubs player went white-hot and torched the vaunted Mets starting pitching like Guy Montag heading into a pivotal game 5.

Eli said it somewhere last night: we have all offseason to be upset about losing this series so why start now? It's not over yet.

I thought about that last night. Weren't the Hawks down to an elimination game against Nashville or some stupid team when Kane and Hossa combined for a crazy goal after a power play ended during the first cup run? If this Cubs team is going to be different, like the new Hawks are different, then they will battle back in this series. If they're done after losing two road games in a seven game series then why are we even bothering to watch in the first place?

Yes. Also in the other years they had their backs against the wall Down 3-1 to fucking Detroit, a far inferior team. Down 3-2 to Anaheim.

Championship teams face adversity. The Cubs will face it tomorrow. They'll face it the next day. They will face it in any postseason they are lucky enough to qualify for from now until we're all dead in the cold ground.

We're all guilty of letting our collective experience watching Cubs baseball get to us. We knew this would be painful at times. It's painful now. That doesn't mean it's over.

[Canadouche]

I still like your outlook, Huey.

While I've been living with a sick-to-my-stomach feeling for the last couple of days, I don't feel crushed yet. The Cubs still haven't played STUPID, they've just failed to produce. If they get outplayed and lose, oh well. If they play well enough to elevate my hope, only to THEN lose, that would be a different story.

If Coughlan hit the ball a foot higher none of us might feel the way we feel this morning. And there have been plenty of opportunities to give up on the Cubs before - this is hardly the time to start.

I wouldn't say I'm giving up on the Cubs. But my unbridled optimisim is always put away. I wouldn't be able to handle having high hopes and being disappointed. So, I have moderate hopes.

[InternetApex]

Here's the thing:

The Mets had a big first inning and really didn't do anything after. They haven't exactly pounded the Cubs in either game. Their starting pitchers were better than ours. Our bats didn't do anything.

In my mind, because this is how I'm conditioned, when it's the Blackhawks in a series hole, I always know they'll fight back and make it square. They almost always do.

The Cubs are not the Hawks and most of you don't give a fuck about hockey but this is about our mindset.

Not sure about most of you zen motherfuckers but I was irate during the first 2 innings last night. Watching my personal hero shit the mound in the first inning and give up a homer to the Human Baseball Meme pissed me off to the point where I said something shitty to my family and ended up spending the next hour plus thinking about why a fucking baseball game would make me throw a fit like a baby in the first place.

2 bad games does not make a series. It takes 4. Thursday morning the season might be over, or we might be talking about how a Chicago Cubs player went white-hot and torched the vaunted Mets starting pitching like Guy Montag heading into a pivotal game 5.

Eli said it somewhere last night: we have all offseason to be upset about losing this series so why start now? It's not over yet.

I thought about that last night. Weren't the Hawks down to an elimination game against Nashville or some stupid team when Kane and Hossa combined for a crazy goal after a power play ended during the first cup run? If this Cubs team is going to be different, like the new Hawks are different, then they will battle back in this series. If they're done after losing two road games in a seven game series then why are we even bothering to watch in the first place?

Yes. Also in the other years they had their backs against the wall Down 3-1 to fucking Detroit, a far inferior team. Down 3-2 to Anaheim.

Championship teams face adversity. The Cubs will face it tomorrow. They'll face it the next day. They will face it in any postseason they are lucky enough to qualify for from now until we're all dead in the cold ground.

We're all guilty of letting our collective experience watching Cubs baseball get to us. We knew this would be painful at times. It's painful now. That doesn't mean it's over.

But in hockey it's the same fucking assholes ramming into each other at top speed the next night and the puck could bounce either way. You don't have Mr. Giant Skate Balls and his mighty Ass Rape Stick waiting for your in the next game, when he wasn't there before. The Cubs had such a person on the mound in game two and his arm is glue because he's 90 innings over his career high and had to stretch beyond reason in a play-in game just to put the Cubs in the postseason.

All of this is awful and I hate sports.   

[Slaky]

Here's the thing:

The Mets had a big first inning and really didn't do anything after. They haven't exactly pounded the Cubs in either game. Their starting pitchers were better than ours. Our bats didn't do anything.

In my mind, because this is how I'm conditioned, when it's the Blackhawks in a series hole, I always know they'll fight back and make it square. They almost always do.

The Cubs are not the Hawks and most of you don't give a fuck about hockey but this is about our mindset.

Not sure about most of you zen motherfuckers but I was irate during the first 2 innings last night. Watching my personal hero shit the mound in the first inning and give up a homer to the Human Baseball Meme pissed me off to the point where I said something shitty to my family and ended up spending the next hour plus thinking about why a fucking baseball game would make me throw a fit like a baby in the first place.

2 bad games does not make a series. It takes 4. Thursday morning the season might be over, or we might be talking about how a Chicago Cubs player went white-hot and torched the vaunted Mets starting pitching like Guy Montag heading into a pivotal game 5.

Eli said it somewhere last night: we have all offseason to be upset about losing this series so why start now? It's not over yet.

I thought about that last night. Weren't the Hawks down to an elimination game against Nashville or some stupid team when Kane and Hossa combined for a crazy goal after a power play ended during the first cup run? If this Cubs team is going to be different, like the new Hawks are different, then they will battle back in this series. If they're done after losing two road games in a seven game series then why are we even bothering to watch in the first place?

Yes. Also in the other years they had their backs against the wall Down 3-1 to fucking Detroit, a far inferior team. Down 3-2 to Anaheim.

Championship teams face adversity. The Cubs will face it tomorrow. They'll face it the next day. They will face it in any postseason they are lucky enough to qualify for from now until we're all dead in the cold ground.

We're all guilty of letting our collective experience watching Cubs baseball get to us. We knew this would be painful at times. It's painful now. That doesn't mean it's over.

But in hockey it's the same fucking assholes ramming into each other at top speed the next night and the puck could bounce either way. You don't have Mr. Giant Skate Balls and his mighty Ass Rape Stick waiting for your in the next game, when he wasn't there before. The Cubs had such a person on the mound in game two and his arm is glue because he's 90 innings over his career high and had to stretch beyond reason in a play-in game just to put the Cubs in the postseason.

All of this is awful and I hate sports.   

Yes you do. You have goaltenders. One fucking goaltender can ruin a whole series. It happens all the time. At least in baseball you get a different "goaltender" each night instead of the same impenetrable asshole. deGrom's gonna fuck this up.

[Yeti]

Here's the thing:

The Mets had a big first inning and really didn't do anything after. They haven't exactly pounded the Cubs in either game. Their starting pitchers were better than ours. Our bats didn't do anything.

In my mind, because this is how I'm conditioned, when it's the Blackhawks in a series hole, I always know they'll fight back and make it square. They almost always do.

The Cubs are not the Hawks and most of you don't give a fuck about hockey but this is about our mindset.

Not sure about most of you zen motherfuckers but I was irate during the first 2 innings last night. Watching my personal hero shit the mound in the first inning and give up a homer to the Human Baseball Meme pissed me off to the point where I said something shitty to my family and ended up spending the next hour plus thinking about why a fucking baseball game would make me throw a fit like a baby in the first place.

2 bad games does not make a series. It takes 4. Thursday morning the season might be over, or we might be talking about how a Chicago Cubs player went white-hot and torched the vaunted Mets starting pitching like Guy Montag heading into a pivotal game 5.

Eli said it somewhere last night: we have all offseason to be upset about losing this series so why start now? It's not over yet.

I thought about that last night. Weren't the Hawks down to an elimination game against Nashville or some stupid team when Kane and Hossa combined for a crazy goal after a power play ended during the first cup run? If this Cubs team is going to be different, like the new Hawks are different, then they will battle back in this series. If they're done after losing two road games in a seven game series then why are we even bothering to watch in the first place?

It was game 5. The series would have gone to 3-2 Nashville, with 2 games left

[World's #1 Astros Fan]

Here's the thing:

The Mets had a big first inning and really didn't do anything after. They haven't exactly pounded the Cubs in either game. Their starting pitchers were better than ours. Our bats didn't do anything.

In my mind, because this is how I'm conditioned, when it's the Blackhawks in a series hole, I always know they'll fight back and make it square. They almost always do.

The Cubs are not the Hawks and most of you don't give a fuck about hockey but this is about our mindset.

Not sure about most of you zen motherfuckers but I was irate during the first 2 innings last night. Watching my personal hero shit the mound in the first inning and give up a homer to the Human Baseball Meme pissed me off to the point where I said something shitty to my family and ended up spending the next hour plus thinking about why a fucking baseball game would make me throw a fit like a baby in the first place.

2 bad games does not make a series. It takes 4. Thursday morning the season might be over, or we might be talking about how a Chicago Cubs player went white-hot and torched the vaunted Mets starting pitching like Guy Montag heading into a pivotal game 5.

Eli said it somewhere last night: we have all offseason to be upset about losing this series so why start now? It's not over yet.

I thought about that last night. Weren't the Hawks down to an elimination game against Nashville or some stupid team when Kane and Hossa combined for a crazy goal after a power play ended during the first cup run? If this Cubs team is going to be different, like the new Hawks are different, then they will battle back in this series. If they're done after losing two road games in a seven game series then why are we even bothering to watch in the first place?

It was game 5. The series would have gone to 3-2 Nashville, with 2 games left

The point remains that the Blackhawks proved if you're going to be championshiop-caliber, which is what we still hope from the Cubs--that you simply work your way out of these difficult situations.
The Hawks were down in the series 2-1 to Vancouver in '09 and losing by a goal late in the third in Game 4 before rallying.  The next year--after they were staring into the abyss in the aforementioned Nashville series-- they also found themselves down 1-0 to Vancouver, and a 2-goal deficit in Game 2. Again they came back. They nearly pulled off the improbable against Vancouver in 2011 by coming back from down 3-0, came back down 3-1 against Detroit in 2013 as has been mentioned, and then very nearly came back from 3-1 deficit to the LA Kings in 2014.  Rife are examples where that particular championship team never panicked, and so often rallied back

There's also the Bulls, who lost the first 2 games to the Knicks in '93 after Starks' signature jam, and then won 4 straight on their way to their first three-peat.  The Bulls were also behind in their first 2 NBA Finals before winning both somewhat handily.

I just don't see this team going out with a whimper like the '08 team.  They may still lose, but if they do, it's going to be some serious work for the Mets to finish them off.

[Slaky]

Here's the thing:

The Mets had a big first inning and really didn't do anything after. They haven't exactly pounded the Cubs in either game. Their starting pitchers were better than ours. Our bats didn't do anything.

In my mind, because this is how I'm conditioned, when it's the Blackhawks in a series hole, I always know they'll fight back and make it square. They almost always do.

The Cubs are not the Hawks and most of you don't give a fuck about hockey but this is about our mindset.

Not sure about most of you zen motherfuckers but I was irate during the first 2 innings last night. Watching my personal hero shit the mound in the first inning and give up a homer to the Human Baseball Meme pissed me off to the point where I said something shitty to my family and ended up spending the next hour plus thinking about why a fucking baseball game would make me throw a fit like a baby in the first place.

2 bad games does not make a series. It takes 4. Thursday morning the season might be over, or we might be talking about how a Chicago Cubs player went white-hot and torched the vaunted Mets starting pitching like Guy Montag heading into a pivotal game 5.

Eli said it somewhere last night: we have all offseason to be upset about losing this series so why start now? It's not over yet.

I thought about that last night. Weren't the Hawks down to an elimination game against Nashville or some stupid team when Kane and Hossa combined for a crazy goal after a power play ended during the first cup run? If this Cubs team is going to be different, like the new Hawks are different, then they will battle back in this series. If they're done after losing two road games in a seven game series then why are we even bothering to watch in the first place?

It was game 5. The series would have gone to 3-2 Nashville, with 2 games left

The point remains that the Blackhawks proved if you're going to be championshiop-caliber, which is what we still hope from the Cubs--that you simply work your way out of these difficult situations.
The Hawks were down in the series 2-1 to Vancouver in '09 and losing by a goal late in the third in Game 4 before rallying.  The next year--after they were staring into the abyss in the aforementioned Nashville series-- they also found themselves down 1-0 to Vancouver, and a 2-goal deficit in Game 2. Again they came back. They nearly pulled off the improbable against Vancouver in 2011 by coming back from down 3-0, came back down 3-1 against Detroit in 2013 as has been mentioned, and then very nearly came back from 3-1 deficit to the LA Kings in 2014.  Rife are examples where that particular championship team never panicked, and so often rallied back

There's also the Bulls, who lost the first 2 games to the Knicks in '93 after Starks' signature jam, and then won 4 straight on their way to their first three-peat.  The Bulls were also behind in their first 2 NBA Finals before winning both somewhat handily.

I just don't see this team going out with a whimper like the '08 team.  They may still lose, but if they do, it's going to be some serious work for the Mets to finish them off.

The point remains: it's the Mets. THE METS. They just leaked that they won't be re-signing Daniel Murphy in the offseason after the hottest streak of his career in the most opportune period of time. The METS.

[CT III]

Here's the thing:

The Mets had a big first inning and really didn't do anything after. They haven't exactly pounded the Cubs in either game. Their starting pitchers were better than ours. Our bats didn't do anything.

In my mind, because this is how I'm conditioned, when it's the Blackhawks in a series hole, I always know they'll fight back and make it square. They almost always do.

The Cubs are not the Hawks and most of you don't give a fuck about hockey but this is about our mindset.

Not sure about most of you zen motherfuckers but I was irate during the first 2 innings last night. Watching my personal hero shit the mound in the first inning and give up a homer to the Human Baseball Meme pissed me off to the point where I said something shitty to my family and ended up spending the next hour plus thinking about why a fucking baseball game would make me throw a fit like a baby in the first place.

2 bad games does not make a series. It takes 4. Thursday morning the season might be over, or we might be talking about how a Chicago Cubs player went white-hot and torched the vaunted Mets starting pitching like Guy Montag heading into a pivotal game 5.

Eli said it somewhere last night: we have all offseason to be upset about losing this series so why start now? It's not over yet.

I thought about that last night. Weren't the Hawks down to an elimination game against Nashville or some stupid team when Kane and Hossa combined for a crazy goal after a power play ended during the first cup run? If this Cubs team is going to be different, like the new Hawks are different, then they will battle back in this series. If they're done after losing two road games in a seven game series then why are we even bothering to watch in the first place?

It was game 5. The series would have gone to 3-2 Nashville, with 2 games left

The point remains that the Blackhawks proved if you're going to be championshiop-caliber, which is what we still hope from the Cubs--that you simply work your way out of these difficult situations.
The Hawks were down in the series 2-1 to Vancouver in '09 and losing by a goal late in the third in Game 4 before rallying.  The next year--after they were staring into the abyss in the aforementioned Nashville series-- they also found themselves down 1-0 to Vancouver, and a 2-goal deficit in Game 2. Again they came back. They nearly pulled off the improbable against Vancouver in 2011 by coming back from down 3-0, came back down 3-1 against Detroit in 2013 as has been mentioned, and then very nearly came back from 3-1 deficit to the LA Kings in 2014.  Rife are examples where that particular championship team never panicked, and so often rallied back

There's also the Bulls, who lost the first 2 games to the Knicks in '93 after Starks' signature jam, and then won 4 straight on their way to their first three-peat.  The Bulls were also behind in their first 2 NBA Finals before winning both somewhat handily.

I just don't see this team going out with a whimper like the '08 team.  They may still lose, but if they do, it's going to be some serious work for the Mets to finish them off.

The point remains: it's the Mets. THE METS. They just leaked that they won't be re-signing Daniel Murphy in the offseason after the hottest streak of his career in the most opportune period of time. The METS.

Not that the leaking of the news is smart, but Murphy is sure as shit going to get a free agent contract that somebody soon regrets.

[Quality Start Machine]

Here's the thing:

The Mets had a big first inning and really didn't do anything after. They haven't exactly pounded the Cubs in either game. Their starting pitchers were better than ours. Our bats didn't do anything.

In my mind, because this is how I'm conditioned, when it's the Blackhawks in a series hole, I always know they'll fight back and make it square. They almost always do.

The Cubs are not the Hawks and most of you don't give a fuck about hockey but this is about our mindset.

Not sure about most of you zen motherfuckers but I was irate during the first 2 innings last night. Watching my personal hero shit the mound in the first inning and give up a homer to the Human Baseball Meme pissed me off to the point where I said something shitty to my family and ended up spending the next hour plus thinking about why a fucking baseball game would make me throw a fit like a baby in the first place.

2 bad games does not make a series. It takes 4. Thursday morning the season might be over, or we might be talking about how a Chicago Cubs player went white-hot and torched the vaunted Mets starting pitching like Guy Montag heading into a pivotal game 5.

Eli said it somewhere last night: we have all offseason to be upset about losing this series so why start now? It's not over yet.

I thought about that last night. Weren't the Hawks down to an elimination game against Nashville or some stupid team when Kane and Hossa combined for a crazy goal after a power play ended during the first cup run? If this Cubs team is going to be different, like the new Hawks are different, then they will battle back in this series. If they're done after losing two road games in a seven game series then why are we even bothering to watch in the first place?

It was game 5. The series would have gone to 3-2 Nashville, with 2 games left

The point remains that the Blackhawks proved if you're going to be championshiop-caliber, which is what we still hope from the Cubs--that you simply work your way out of these difficult situations.
The Hawks were down in the series 2-1 to Vancouver in '09 and losing by a goal late in the third in Game 4 before rallying.  The next year--after they were staring into the abyss in the aforementioned Nashville series-- they also found themselves down 1-0 to Vancouver, and a 2-goal deficit in Game 2. Again they came back. They nearly pulled off the improbable against Vancouver in 2011 by coming back from down 3-0, came back down 3-1 against Detroit in 2013 as has been mentioned, and then very nearly came back from 3-1 deficit to the LA Kings in 2014.  Rife are examples where that particular championship team never panicked, and so often rallied back

There's also the Bulls, who lost the first 2 games to the Knicks in '93 after Starks' signature jam, and then won 4 straight on their way to their first three-peat.  The Bulls were also behind in their first 2 NBA Finals before winning both somewhat handily.

I just don't see this team going out with a whimper like the '08 team.  They may still lose, but if they do, it's going to be some serious work for the Mets to finish them off.

This Cubs team is a helluva lot like the current Blackhawks, in that even if they get knocked out they're either going out in pieces (2012) or guns blazing (2011, 2013). Or they're winning the whole fucking thing (2010, 2013, 2015). They're not going to be a bye for anybody, ever.

This shit is still a long way from over. I think they will piss all over Wrigley, marking their territory, and outhit whatever escapades Kendricks and Hammel get going.