Series Thread: NLDS: Atlanta Braves vs St. Louis Cardinals

[bksballer89]

For all the Braves ans Cards fans we have on here.

 

[Mistaken4193]

Nervous about this series for 3 reasons:

1. Cardinals have weird postseason voodoo over us.

2. I hate how we packed it in after we clinched the division and started throwing out random ass lineups. Hope it didn’t take us out of rhythm/ruin momentum.

3. Sam Holbrook. Fuck Him.


I’m still picking Braves in 5 because of homefield and this is our best team in about 15 years.

 

[Rod Freakin' Dangerfield]

Have postseason rosters & rotations been set?

 

[Clayton]

I think these teams resemble their ballparks. Braves built a new shiny stadium a couple of years back and have a new shiny team. Cardinals seem to add an expansion to their ballpark every year and their team is still trotting out Wainwright and Molina in 2019. Braves stadium seems fairly even and the Cardinals have a pitchers park for the most part.

Cards had a really good April and a really bad May but finished fairly solidly after that. Both teams have an almost identical Pythagorean W/L but the Braves have just generally been better throughout the year and have a better record against teams over .500.

A big factor here is whether or not the Cardinals can hit. I saw a stat that said that they were the worst hitting team in MLB on low velocity pitches and if I know that then the Braves know that. Braves are just better at basically every hitting statistic across the board. If the Cards don't solve that then we're looking at Braves in 3 or 4.

I do think the Cardinals play some really solid baseball outside of hitting. They generally don't commit errors and are great for double plays. People don't run on Molina and the Cards like to steal themselves. Cards also have a good bench and a good amount of experience pretty much everywhere.

The Cardinals advantages are all small, though. If the Braves bring the bats and the Cards don't then this won't go well.

 

[Rod Freakin' Dangerfield]

The Cardinals ability to steal bases concerns me some, have the Braves have noodle arms behind the plate.

 

[Clayton]

Everyone and their mom is picking the Braves on the internet it seems.

Here we go again.gif

 

[Chewbaccer]

Everyone and their mom is picking the Braves on the internet it seems.

Here we go again.gif

Sam Holbrook is the umpire crew chief, so that’s one advantage.

And y’all have had voodoo on us from September on since our comeback in 96

 

[RubinRock]

At the beginning of the season, i said the Braves had to win the NLDS for the season to be considered a success. Now, i revise my stance. I would be fine with Sam Holbrook being beat to shit by a mob on the field. Everything else is gravy.

 

[Chewbaccer]

At the beginning of the season, i said the Braves had to win the NLDS for the season to be considered a success. Now, i revise my stance. I would be fine with Sam Holbrook being beat to shit by a mob on the field. Everything else is gravy.

I’m praying he takes a foul tip right in the nutsack

 

[BrockForBroglio]

An upside for STL is getting Wong back and moving Edman back to 3b. This puts Matt KKKarpenter on the bench, or it should.

Not sure who Shildt is going to have pitch game #1, but Flaherty should be good to go games #2 and #5 if necessary.

I am concerned about the long ball from ATL, some STL pitchers have a knack for serving up meat pitches.

 

[Used 2 B Hu]

Go, meteor strike!!!

 

[Chewbaccer]

Go, meteor strike!!!

If it’s gonna happen, either let it happen Thursday or in St Louis. Ain’t no need in me getting killed in the stands on Friday.

 

[Clayton]

And y’all have had voodoo on us from September on since our comeback in 96

My memory must be blanking but I'm only thinking that the Cards have 4 straight playoff wins against the Braves.

 

[Cedrique]

I think these teams resemble their ballparks. Braves built a new shiny stadium a couple of years back and have a new shiny team. Cardinals seem to add an expansion to their ballpark every year and their team is still trotting out Wainwright and Molina in 2019. Braves stadium seems fairly even and the Cardinals have a pitchers park for the most part.

Cards had a really good April and a really bad May but finished fairly solidly after that. Both teams have an almost identical Pythagorean W/L but the Braves have just generally been better throughout the year and have a better record against teams over .500.

A big factor here is whether or not the Cardinals can hit. I saw a stat that said that they were the worst hitting team in MLB on low velocity pitches and if I know that then the Braves know that. Braves are just better at basically every hitting statistic across the board. If the Cards don't solve that then we're looking at Braves in 3 or 4.

I do think the Cardinals play some really solid baseball outside of hitting. They generally don't commit errors and are great for double plays. People don't run on Molina and the Cards like to steal themselves. Cards also have a good bench and a good amount of experience pretty much everywhere.

The Cardinals advantages are all small, though. If the Braves bring the bats and the Cards don't then this won't go well.

I'm not a fan of either of these teams but I like your analysis. It seems like the Cardinals have done a great job of putting together a pitching staff that fits their stadium. Like at this point in his career I think a guy like Wainwright would struggle if he was playing for the Brewers or Reds or something. But he is still very tough to beat at Busch Stadium.
I think you're right it could depend on how the Braves offense does. The good thing for the Cardinals is having all the righthanded starters Albies will be batting left handed a lot. He has been really tough as a right handed batter since he came into the league. The bad thing for the Cardinals is they have Donaldson sitting right in the middle of the lineup and he has been crushing everything this year, no matter what hand the pitcher throws with.

 

[mr.hockey4242]

Could come down to Flaherty.

If he stays Bob Gibson mode, the Braves will have to win the other 3 games.

And if they don’t win those ones. They better he’s due for a clunker or someone matches him pitch for pitch.

 

[Hitman Hart]

Go, meteor strike!!!

ain't gonna happen buddy

sorry to disappoint

 

[Rod Freakin' Dangerfield]

An upside for STL is getting Wong back and moving Edman back to 3b. This puts Matt KKKarpenter on the bench, or it should.

Not sure who Shildt is going to have pitch game #1, but Flaherty should be good to go games #2 and #5 if necessary.

I am concerned about the long ball from ATL, some STL pitchers have a knack for serving up meat pitches.

Carpenter dislikes blacks? Jews? Both?

 

[BrockForBroglio]

I used the wrong number of K's.....ha

He dislikes bat on ball contact.

 

[Rod Freakin' Dangerfield]

I used the wrong number of K's.....ha

He dislikes bat on ball contact.

May that continue.

 

[molsaniceman]

allas Keuchel will start Thursday's NLDS opener against the Cardinals.
This was always likely, but it's now official. Keuchel will square off against Miles Mikolas, who was named the starter for the Cardinals on Tuesday. He finished the regular season with a 3.75 ERA in 19 starts after signing late in the season with Atlanta.