The Weather Threatens to Be a Big Nationals Fan, More Fun from the Win, and Other Bullets

I’m feeling very good going into today’s Game Four against the Nationals … assuming they’re able to get the game in. Rain is currently slated to start around game time, and pretty much never let up. You know how Chicago weather can be, though, so I’m still holding out hope for a window. If the game is postponed to tomorrow, the Nationals will be able to go with Stephen Strasburg in Game Four on normal rest, and then Gio Gonzalez in Game Five (if necessary) on normal rest. They can skip Tanner Roark, by far the lesser starting option, entirely.

So … rain, rain, go away.

For those wondering: the game must be completed in its entirety, so there are no early finishes in the playoffs. One way or another, if this game starts, it will eventually be completed.

On to the Bullets …

  • Dusty Baker is very Not Mad about Anthony Rizzo’s ball finding grass:
  • I joke, but you can understand Baker’s frustration. After making the completely improvident decision to pitch to Rizzo in the first place, the Nats got a pop-up … it just happened to find no man’s land.
  • As for the hit and the ensuing celebration, Kris Bryant had the money quote (ESPN): “I didn’t see that [chest pumping]. I just saw his baserunning mistake.” Haha. Bryant was referencing Rizzo getting thrown out between first and second base after the winning run scored. They’re friends, so it’s OK.
  • When Dusty Baker decided to pull Max Scherzer after the first hit he gave up – a seventh inning Ben Zobrist double – it was largely because of Kyle Schwarber (Nationals.com): “It was very difficult, but we thought Max had had enough. Especially coming off the injury, and you know, Schwarber is a dangerous man. I probably couldn’t live with myself if Schwarber had hit one out of the park on you, which he’s dangerous to do that.” So, hey, it’s kinda like Schwarber redeemed himself without actually taking a swing.
  • Random note about Scherzer pitching so well despite the hamstring injury: he implied to Nationals.com that because of the way he adjusted to compensate for the injury, it actually wound up making his mechanics more sound. How’s that for a happy accident?
  • The hit that got Scherzer out of the game was a ringing, opposite-field double by Ben Zobrist, whose spot as a starter yesterday was questioned by many (including me), and I think fairly so. But the guy came through big-time, and he deserves all the props in the world for it.
  • (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

  • I wondered if Jeff Sullivan would write this up as soon as the pitch happened, and sure enough: the worst called ball of the playoffs so far, a Jose Quintana fastball right down the pipe that was somehow called a ball.
  • Gotta love watching in-crowd videos of the final out – thanks, MBD:
  • Carl Edwards Jr. got another chance to pitch a late, tight inning, and it was all good. He was pumped:
  • Great stretch by the Murrays yesterday:
  • If you missed it earlier, a look at Jake Arrieta’s readiness for today.
  • Walking down Addison before the game yesterday, I passed a Cubs fan – well, more like a Mack Truck of a Cubs fan – that I later described to friends as looking like Ultimate Warrior, “but bigger.” I’m very glad to say that the cameras caught him, so that we all get to see the perfect metaphor for what the Nationals are fearing right now:
  • Careful, bleacher fans! That’s a future Cub you’re talking about:
  • The Red Sox lost yesterday despite coming within a run in the 9th inning, ending their postseason run … and I’m very sorry for how freaking hilarious this is:
  • https://twitter.com/flippingbats/status/917617948017283072

  • The new ‘Star Wars’ trailer dropped last night during Monday Night Football, and it provided opportunities for fun:
  • Speaking of Monday Night Football, it was Mitch Trubisky’s starting debut, and we’ve got you covered over at TYL if you want to dig in on his performance, or just watch the wild highlights.
  • I am a married father of three, so when Amazon busts out the “up to 40% off various home and outdoor goods” sale, I am extremely here for it.
  • 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.

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