2017 NLDS: Chicago Cubs vs. Washington Nationals

looks awful dicey on the radar, they might play 4 innings til the skies open.

NLDS Game 4 is officially in delay. MLB officials will meet at 4:30 pm CT and have an update after that. #Cubs

— Carrie Muskat (@CarrieMuskat) October 10, 2017

Looks like there won't be a game today (which favours the Nats, I think, because they won't have to start Roark).

except...

Baker says Roark will start Wed for Nats vs #Cubs

— Carrie Muskat (@CarrieMuskat) October 10, 2017

sounds good, Dusty, you gotta save Strasburg for game 5

I mean we'll see I guess...

apparently strasburg has a cold or something?

Dusty said Strasburg did throw a bullpen today in anticipation of starting Thursday. So by time game was called, couldn't pitch tomorrow.

— Chelsea Janes (@chelsea_janes) October 10, 2017

They didn't anticipate...today's weather?

the tone of this article is so obnoxious:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/columnist/bob-nightengale/2017/10/10/stephen-strasburg-declines-game-4-start-after-rainout/752350001/

i get it, he's getting paid $175 million, he's expected to tough it out, etc. but these same sportswriters (and fans) will absolutely tear apart a manager over relatively minor things like not bringing in a lefty to face a lefty, benching a player based off of short sample sizes and PvP matchups, etc. everything in baseball is about trying to slightly change the odds that something will happen in an inherently unpredictable game. but when you have a player who knows he's going to incur the wrath of National Nation and still knows that it's better that he doesn't pitch, isn't it possible that he's actually REALLY SICK, and if he's really sick, isn't it better to turn to someone who is healthy? when i'm really sick i can't even check my email without fucking everything up, i can't imagine trying to strike anthony rizzo out during a make or break playoff game.

Nationals manager Dusty Baker tried to cover for Strasburg at their press conference, saying that Strasburg threw a bullpen session Tuesday and was simply unavailable.

Only Strasburg actually threw his bullpen session Monday.

He didn’t throw a pitch Tuesday.

And decided, apparently, that he couldn’t go in Game 4.

Unbelievable.

...“We have full confidence in Tanner,’’ Baker said.

Yet he is not Stephen Strasburg.

He is not a $175 million pitcher.

He is not one of the faces of the franchise.

There’s a reason why he was the Nationals’ fourth choice to start a playoff game.

hey Bob Nightengale on Twitter: FUCK OFF

Also you suck at writing

it's so dumb that I suspect gamesmanship

Also.

You suck.

At writing.

maybe he gets a little dorito every time he hits enter twice in a row.

yum

i love it

there's cheese all over my keyboard

i can't stop

He is not a $175 million pitcher.

He is not one of the faces of the franchise.

There’s a reason why he was the Nationals’ fourth choice to start a playoff game.

That reason is this:

He's trash.

Human filth.

His change up is a change down.

He misses bats so much he wants to see them more, so what does he do?

He gives up more hits. Intentionally.

He's in the pocket of big bat. And he's a pitcher.

looool

I miss Plaschke variations.

hmm the cubs are apparently sticking with arrieta too instead of jumping to hendricks. i know bullpenning is getting criticized these days but i'd be ok with hendricks being ready to come out of the bullpen if arrieta starts to struggle. he hasn't pitched a good game in a while.

Dusty goin' Moldy with these Strasburg excuses

Baker: "Alot of my team is under the weather with the change of weather, A/C, hotel...this is the time of year for mold around Chicago". pic.twitter.com/3dalgrTwLW

— Erin Hawksworth (@ABC7Erin) October 10, 2017

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/stephen-strasburg-and-nationals-commit-biggest-error-of-the-season/2017/10/11/fdcab2de-ae81-11e7-be94-fabb0f1e9ffb_story.html?utm_term=.5ee0fb43a5ac

hmmmm

https://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/try-to-tell-the-difference-between-jake-arrieta-and-tanner-roark/

lol

BREAKING: Stephen Strasburg now likely to start for #Nats today in Game 4, source says. @MLB @MLBNetwork

— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) October 11, 2017

jake arrieta just caught a cold

dusty playing the long con

too weak to be a con (even apart from making his star pitcher look like a wimp). it's not like the cubs have to prepare for a different quarterback or something -- they just saw strasburg five days ago, they'll be ready for whomever

if dusty wanted to be vague he could have said 'strasburg has the flu; if he can go tomorrow he will, if not, then roark will.' this was just half-assedness

It's of course a cliche that there's a Trump tweet for every occasion, but this is stretching the genre.... https://t.co/8NELAe0Hiu

— Marc Fisher (@mffisher) October 11, 2017

https://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/if-hes-under-the-weather-stephen-strasburg-shouldnt-pitch/

Nats BA in NLDS: .121 (11-for-91)

Nats expected BA, based on Statcast exit velo/launch angle: .218 (~20-for-91)

9 hits over 3 games

— Andrew Simon (@AndrewSimonMLB) October 11, 2017

Somebody sent Strasburg a sexy-nurse singing-telegram message like in Ferris Bueller's Day Off.

def not looking that sick

batting Werth 2nd is dumb tho

strikes out the side for a SHUTDOWN INNING

nice bunt

batting Werth is dumb

Weather looks nasty

strasburg a True National after all

wowwwww

RIP

Awesome - stoked for Taylor

Threw him two fastballs right down the middle

i like this nats team.

yeah

i like turner, rendon, doolittle and scherzer -- that's pretty much it. and i hate all dc-area teams and their fans

already so tired of the cubs that i guess i'm still rooting for them tho

during climactic Rizzo-Madson faceoff bar was playing Modest Mouse's "3rd Planet"

i like Taylor bcz he looks like Willie McGee/E.T.

and i hate all dc-area teams and their fans

same. nats fans deserve nothing

i live here and if the nats even go to the WS i'm moving away forever

<3 the Expos, you guys are balls.

but qualx, the Homestead Grays don't play there anymore

first off they do second off i don't get the joke

i used to live there but the nats fans were so shitty i had to move away

my mistake!