Playoff Miscellany: 18 Innings, Kemp Saves the Day, Postseason Ratings Up

One thing these playoffs have not been starved for is drama. Extra innings, one-run games, furious comebacks. Baseball has gotta be loving it:

Of course, some of that drama could come out of it soon, given that three of the four divisional series are now at 2-0 …

  • The latest 2-0 goes to the Giants, who beat the Nationals 2-1 in 18 innings last night. The game, which lasted 6:23, was the longest postseason game in baseball history. The winner was a homer by Brandon Belt, but the real craziness came in the 9th: the Nationals were all set to win a 1-0 shutout behind a dominant start by Jordan Zimmermann. With two outs and no one on, Zimmermann walked Joe Panik. At 100 pitches, he was then taken out in favor of closer Drew Storen (1.12 ERA this season, but a 3.39 xFIP, which you now know means his ERA was probably a lot of good fortune), who immediately gave up a single and a double, and the game was tied. Without a nice play at the plate, the Giants would have taken the lead right there.
  • So now the Nationals join the Angels and Tigers as top regular season teams trying to survive a 2-0 deficit in the divisional series. Baseball is rough. The Giants host the Nationals in Game 3 on Monday at 2pm CT.
  • (What got into Yusmeiro Petit this year for the Giants? You may remember him as the guy who humbled the Cubs in the resumed rainout game, but he was actually doing that to teams all year in a swing role for the Giants. He’s breaking out at age 28/29, and he pitched six scoreless innings last night (3 hits, 1 BB, 7 K) to help shore up the win. And, despite having pitched 399 innings, mostly in relief, over 119 appearances (56 starts) and parts of seven big league seasons, Petit is only arbitration eligible for the first time next year. Giants must be tickled that they got him on a minor league deal back in 2012. See? These signings matter.)
  • The only NLDS series not featuring a 2-0 lead is the one between the Dodgers and Cardinals (praise be to the anti-voodoo gods), thanks to the Dodgers pulling out a 3-2 win last night. Up 2-0 for most of the game, the Dodgers let the Cardinals come back once again on a two-run homer by Matt Carpenter in the 8th. Fortunately for the Dodgers, Matt Kemp followed suit with a homer in the bottom of the 8th, and Kenley Jansen nailed things down in the 9th.
  • Yadier Molina did some more jawing in this one, causing the ump to have to walk Yasiel Puig back toward his dugout after Puig took exception to a high and tight pitch in his first at bat (recall, it was a Puig plunking that ultimately started the events the night before). More on that item in a moment.
  • The series now heads to St. Louis for an 8:30pm CT start on Monday in Game 3.
  • written by

    Brett Taylor is the Lead Cubs Writer at Bleacher Nation, and you can find him on Twitter at @BleacherNation and on LinkedIn here. Brett is also the founder of Bleacher Nation, which opened up shop in 2008 as an independent blog about the Chicago Cubs. Later growing to incorporate coverage of other Chicago sports, Bleacher Nation is now one of the largest regional sports blogs on the web.

    more cubs news

    Cody Bellinger Returned and Was Like, No, Seriously, I’m BACK

    We were all bummed when Cody Bellinger crashed into that wall and fractured two of his ribs for all the obvious reason. No team wants to play without their star center fielder and top-2 hitter. But the injury was especially...

    MLBits: Red Sox Starters Cutting Back on the Heater, A Horrific Trade for the Marlins, More

    MLB Notes — The latest from around Major League Baseball ... The Boston Red Sox have one of the best rotations in baseball through the first month-plus, but it's interesting to see how they're achieving their success this year. Red...

    Chicago Cubs Lineup: Loading Up with Lefties vs Dylan Cease

    CUBS LINEUP — Another day, another rubber match. That's all we have around here. Let's take a look at the Cubs lineup for the finale at Wrigley Field against Dylan Cease and the Padres. Chicago Cubs Lineup: Nico Hoerner, SS...

    We Might Eventually Run Out of Praise for Shota Imanaga, But Not Yet

    It's becoming a routine at this point, but his performances keep justifying it! Shota Imanaga was fantastic once again last night, going 7.0+ innings, allowing 2 ER on 7 H and just 1 BB, while striking out 8. He is...

    Counsell’s Decision on Imanaga, Suzuki Plan, White Sox Trade, Morel, and Other Cubs Bullets

    Thoughts are with folks who were impacted by the severe weather in the Midwest yesterday and last night. We wound up in our basement most of the evening with tornado sirens going off, though thankfully everything was fine. I was...

    Cubs Farm Report | May 8, 2024: Hendricks’ Rehab Start, Pelicans Triple Play, More

    Kyle Hendricks had a successful rehab start with the Iowa Cubs on Tuesday, and the Myrtle Beach Pelicans turned in an impressive triple play! That and more in today's Cubs Farm Report. Cubs Farm Report | May 8, 2024 Triple-A...

    Nico Hoerner and Ian Happ Saved That Game with Two Incredible Defensive Plays

    The Cubs may have won last night's game because of Shota Imanaga's dominance, Chris Morel's sac fly, Cody Bellinger's homer, and Michael Busch's lightning-fueled walk-off. But the game was saved by two huge defensive moments from Ian Happ and Nico...

    Another Successful Rehab Outing for Kyle Hendricks

    Rehab start number two for Kyle Hendricks was another largely successful one, with both results and good health (he got up to 85 pitches). https://twitter.com/IowaCubs/status/1787992856868561361 https://twitter.com/voiceofcohen2/status/1788009083930304736 https://twitter.com/AlyssaHertel/status/1788021711008391636 The fact that the rotation at the big league level has been doing...

    More Fun With Michael Busch’s Walk-Off Homer

    As the rains were coming down hard, it was fair to wonder whether the Cubs and Padres were going to get to finish that game before going into a rain delay. I'm sure nobody really wanted that to happen, which...

    The Cubs’ Low-A Affiliate Myrtle Beach Pelicans Turned a Triple Play!

    You don't see a triple-play too often (there had been just one in all of MiLB before last night), so it's awfully fun when it happens. One of the most fun parts is thinking, in advance, about what TYPE of...

    Latest News

    Giants vs. Rockies Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Wednesday, May 8, 2024

    The Colorado Rockies (8-27) will try to end their three-game losing streak when they host the San Francisco Giants (16-21) on Wednesday at 8:40 PM ET on COLR. Sportsbooks consider the Giants to be -170 favorites for the contest, while...

    Chicago Cubs Lineup: Loading Up with Lefties vs Dylan Cease

    CUBS LINEUP — Another day, another rubber match. That's all we have around here. Let's take a look at the Cubs lineup for the finale at Wrigley Field against Dylan Cease and the Padres. Chicago Cubs Lineup: Nico Hoerner, SS...

    Knicks vs. Pacers: Free Live Stream, TV Channel, How to Watch

    The New York Knicks will take on the Indiana Pacers in Game 2 of the second round of the NBA Playoffs.Last time out, the Knicks bested the Pacers 121-117 on Monday. Jalen Brunson led the Knicks in the win with...

    Twins vs. Mariners Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Wednesday, May 8, 2024

    The Minnesota Twins (20-15) and Seattle Mariners (20-16) meet Wednesday at Target Field, with first pitch at 7:40 PM ET on ROOT Sports NW. The Twins are -110 moneyline favorites for the contest, however, the Mariners are favored against the...

    Giants vs. Rockies Probable Starting Pitchers – May 8

    The Colorado Rockies (8-27) match up against the San Francisco Giants (16-21) on Wednesday at Coors Field after a three-game losing streak. The contest begins at 8:40 PM ET.This contest's pitching matchup is set, as the Giants will send Jordan...

    MLB Props, Home Run Odds, and More for Wednesday Night’s Matchups

    Straight-up MLB betting can get a little redundant sometimes. Pitching matchups or lopsided affairs can often make little to no value in your standard Moneyline, Run Line, or Over/Under bets. That's where MLB props come in. Whether it's Home Run...

    MLBits: Red Sox Starters Cutting Back on the Heater, A Horrific Trade for the Marlins, More

    MLB Notes — The latest from around Major League Baseball ... The Boston Red Sox have one of the best rotations in baseball through the first month-plus, but it's interesting to see how they're achieving their success this year. Red...

    Cubs Farm Report | May 8, 2024: Hendricks’ Rehab Start, Pelicans Triple Play, More

    Kyle Hendricks had a successful rehab start with the Iowa Cubs on Tuesday, and the Myrtle Beach Pelicans turned in an impressive triple play! That and more in today's Cubs Farm Report. Cubs Farm Report | May 8, 2024 Triple-A...

    Rays vs. White Sox Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Wednesday, May 8, 2024

    The Tampa Bay Rays (19-18) hope to complete a three-game sweep of the Chicago White Sox (8-28) when the teams meet at 6:50 PM ET Wednesday. The Rays are -245 favorites to keep the White Sox out of the win...

    Yankees vs. Astros Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Wednesday, May 8, 2024

    The New York Yankees (24-13) will vie for their fifth straight victory when they host the Houston Astros (12-23) on Wednesday at 7:05 PM ET on SCHN. The Yankees are listed as -149 favorites by sportsbooks, while the Astros are...

    more cubs news