GDT 9/19/15-Cardinals (Wacha) @ Cubs (Wood) 12:05 CDT

[Jmodene]

Perhaps we should just give up now and let ESPN have its way.

[Cheddar Tom]

Cubs are 40-21 since the all star break
Cardinals are 36-22 since the all star break, and that's with going on a 1-9 fall.

I think sometimes you guys have a tendacy to underrate the Cardinals and overrate other teams. It could be because you see the Cards every day, but the romanticizing of teams that are 5 games behind us is a bit ridiculous.

I don't think I'm underrating the Cardinals...there are legitimate questions about how well they can hold up in the playoffs. It's not saying they haven't played great or aren't still a good team, just that they are flawed. I think they are slightly more flawed than the Cubs.

[Magneto2.0]

Cubs are 40-21 since the all star break
Cardinals are 36-22 since the all star break, and that's with going on a 1-9 fall.

I think sometimes you guys have a tendacy to underrate the Cardinals and overrate other teams. It could be because you see the Cards every day, but the romanticizing of teams that are 5 games behind us is a bit ridiculous.

I don't think I'm underrating the Cardinals...there are legitimate questions about how well they can hold up in the playoffs. It's not saying they haven't played great or aren't still a good team, just that they are flawed. I think they are slightly more flawed than the Cubs.

That's really not based in reality tho. The Cubs have a weak backend of the rotation and a pretty awful bullpen. The Cardinals offense isn't quite as good as the Cubs but when healthy our lineup is deeper just not as top heavy. I don't know how we're more flawed. Even if you go position by position the Cardinals will have the superior player more times than not.

I think you're overselling the Cubs because they've looked good in recent games against us. They've played well in the second half but they have issues that need to address that are much more alarming in a playoff run then the ones we have. Their offense is not good enough to carry a two man rotation. And God forbid one of them have an off night.

[Cheddar Tom]

"When healthy" is a pretty huge caveat though...and even if we assume full health for Holliday and Grichuk, I still don't see how someone would give the Cardinals the lineup advantage.

The Cardinals obviously have the superior rotation, but it has faltered in September and they have a losing record. The Cubs rotation has also faltered behind Arrieta and Lester, but they are able to overcome it.

[Magneto2.0]

"When healthy" is a pretty huge caveat though...and even if we assume full health for Holliday and Grichuk, I still don't see how someone would give the Cardinals the lineup advantage.

The Cardinals obviously have the superior rotation, but it has faltered in September and they have a losing record. The Cubs rotation has also faltered behind Arrieta and Lester, but they are able to overcome it.

Idk Carpenter, Holliday, Piscotty, Heyward, Adams, Grichuk looks deeper than the Cubs. Especially if Peralta and Wong contribute anything. Plus Moss and Reynolds and while they're extremely flawed they do provide power off the bench, plus Pham as well.

The Cubs being able to overcome bad pitching from some of their starters in like 12 games in September by no means suggest they're better than us or more equipped for the post season. They're not. That's not to say they can't beat us in a series, anything can happen in a best of 7. But they have a terrible bullpen and are extremely reliant on two starters. One of them has a bad game and they might be a one and done.

[pioneer98]

Wacha hasn't pitched well lately against any team. Twice recently it was the Cubs.

The Cubs lead all of MLB in strikeouts by 99 K's. They have 224 more K's than the Cardinals who are in the middle of the pack. That's more than 8 games worth of outs. They can be beaten this way. The playoffs have a way of rewarding teams who don't K as much. See: last year's Royals and Giants teams. And basically all of the Giants teams of recent years.

Aside: Number 2 on the K list is the Astros. They are probably just as bad as the Cubs because they don't send pitchers up to bat every 9th hitter. I think there are a ton of parallels between the way the Astros and Cubs rebuilt. Both tore it down to the ground and took about 3 years to become good. Both have high strikeout teams. Both have an ace that is basically a reclamation project that may win a Cy Young. One difference is the Cubs went out and spent a bunch of money on another pitcher. The Astros could do that maybe this offseason. The Cubs have a better record and maybe more high end young talent but the Astros farm system is crazy, crazy deep and is going to keep producing in future years.

[AWvsCBsteeeerike3]

Taking a single game and taking significant information from it. That's half the post.

No, it's the sum of a 35-14 run that the Cubs are on.

Oh. Then say no more. Lulz.

[Cronos]

It seems to me like every time the Cardinals have endured a slump, losing a number of games in a small period of time, especially if it occurs against teams like the Pirates (the end of the first half) or around when the Cards have lost a few and the Pirates and Cubs won a bunch, the tropes of "well this team has been living on borrowed time" or "Well, we all knew they weren't actually this good, just look at the players!" or "it was only a matter of time before they got overtaken", etc etc etc.

And it also seems to me that every time this has occurred, the Cardinals quickly change course and start winning again, and at least one of the Cubs or Pirates change course as well.

This is the result of the top 3 teams in the National League all residing in the same division. A single slump or hot streak for one or more teams and suddenly they're the favorite to win the whole damn thing and the other teams are "just not good enough" when the truth is that all 3 are very, very good teams.

I'm not concerned, personally. I feel like the Cards never perform well at the funhouse of Wrigley field no matter what the records are and that is why I only wanted one win out of this final weekend there in 2015. They still can do just that.

2006 showed us that the team can look like grim death for months down the stretch than suddenly turn it on when it comes to the playoffs. And I would not at all characterize the 2015 September Cardinals as looking like grim death. Sure some players are slumping and they're counting on unprovens like Pham and bench players having to be regulars which is usually a recipe for disaster, but they've weathered it well and extremely talented players are getting healthy.

[TheTimeIsNow]

This is the result of the top 3 teams in the National League all residing in the same division.

You could argue that the Cardinals, Pirates, and Cubs are the top 3 teams in ALL OF BASEBALL.... because based on their records, they are.

[Cronos]

This is the result of the top 3 teams in the National League all residing in the same division.

You could argue that the Cardinals, Pirates, and Cubs are the top 3 teams in ALL OF BASEBALL.... because based on their records, they are.

Sure.

I fear no one in the AL except the Blue Jays when it comes to potential world series matchups; IMO, the big boys of the 2015 MLB world are all in the NL.