WSH 6, HOU 2; Nationals are world champs

Congrats, DC and fans! I'm happy for a lot of guys on the Nats -- Scherzer, Doolittle, ol' Drubie Cabrera and his weird hair -- and I'm happy Osuna and Taubman get to marinate in this all winter. 

103 days and counting, y'all.

But enough about 2020; let's look at some 2019 points. 

Altuve 1
Alvarez 1
Gurriel 5

Gurriel's dinger saw a couple of slates lurch forward, but it was not enough to overtake Fell...

107 Fell
104 Brady
97 Yuhan

88 Cameron
81 Arbour

78 Crase

And then everyone else. 

The pool MVP for the Series is Springer, although the remaining picks were pretty close. Alvarez is again LVP for the Series, but if Hinch had started him he'd have likely gone to the other side of things. And the World Series Shane Victorino is The Tongue-Wagger, Juan Soto.

More postmortem after the jump...

WSH 7, HOU 2

I'd like to thank the players of both clubs for taking this to a Game 7. Last baseball of the year tonight, y'all -- and after a weird night points-wise, this is probably all over but the crying? But we'll see. Gurriel could hit three and change this whole landscape. 

For now, last night's points:

Bregman 5
Springer 4

Which doesn't do a ton to differentiate the money, but here's where we stand with only one left to play:

106 Fell
98 Brady
95 Yuhan

83 Cameron
80 Arbour

72 Crase

69 Dunn
61 Reid 1
60 Shotwell

50s Reid 2, Tormey, Winklepleck, Bauer, Cayenne

40s Bunting, Lund

What happens tonight? No idea. I understand why the Nationals want to send Scherzer to the mound emotionally, but practically, if Martinez doesn't have the hook near to hand, I don't know how this works out. One hopes Maxy agreed Corbin could back him up if it goes south. Only one way to know, and it's at 8 ET tonight. Good luck to all!

HOU 7, WSH 1

Does a home team wa-- oops, already said that. I thought the Nats might break fast thanks to an adrenaline surge from the Scherzer scratch; didn't happen, but the action was going back to Houston regardless. 

Before it does, here's our action:

Altuve 1
Alvarez 6
Gurriel 2
Springer 6

Continues to be down mostly to Alvarez, Bregman, and Gurriel in the late going...and Alvarez finally had a big night.

Not much change within the money, but a handful of aspirants got closer:

97 Fell
94 Brady
91 Yuhan

74 Cameron
71 Arbour

68 Crase
60 Dunn

56 Reid 1, Winklepleck
55 Reid 2, Shotwell
52 Tormey

40s Bauer, Cayenne

30s Bunting, Lund

Play resumes Tuesday night, and I'll see you here then -- good luck!

HOU 8, WSH 1

Does a home team want to...win some games this postseason? Still, a fun game to half-watch while doing some required work reading, and I'm happy we'll have at least six games, though it's not going either of the ways I predicted.

Points!

Altuve 2
Bregman 6
Gurriel 1

Bregman, like Frampton, comes alive...and reorganizes the money:

90 Fell
85 Brady
78 Yuhan

Alvarez held out again because there isn't a DH, although I don't know if he doesn't have a natural position or if Hinch is just saying he's sitting the guy because he's not doing much at the plate.

66 Cameron

59 Arbour
56 Reid 1
55 Shotwell and Winklepleck
54 Crase and Dunn
50 Tormey

49 Reid 2
46 Cayenne
43 Bauer

30s Bunting and Lund

MLB.com heds saying things like "WS resets for Game 5," which I think is inexact, but the pitching matchup sure looks like a Game 1, Cole vs. Ol' Husky Eye. A chyron suggested they might start the thing at the relatively sane hour of 7 PM, but cooler (read: "NFL") heads prevailed and the start time is once again 8 PM. Good luck!

HOU 4, WSH 1

Nice to see Greinke drive his postseason ERA back down; nice to know this WS will go at least five. Still don't see why these games can't start at 7 if MLB genuinely wants more kids in the fandom...

The points:

Altuve 4
Gurriel 1
Springer 2

Alvarez, held out of the lineup, did nothing; Bregman, batting cleanup, did nothing. 

It's a tie in the top slot:

82 Fell and Brady
79 Yuhan
59 Cameron

53 Arbour, Crase, and Winklepleck
50 Reid 1

49 Shotwell and Reid 2
48 Dunn

43 Tormey
40 Cayenne

37 Bauer
33 SDB

29 Lund

Looks like Houston is bullpenning it tonight, with Urquidy the nominal starter; probably the smart call given that the other option is Cole on short rest. The Nats send Corbin to the mound. Good luck, everyone!

WSH 12, HOU 3

Brady, in the first inning: "This is gonna be a good series." SDB, in the seventh: "Yeah, for you."

I don't really have any commentary past that. MLB Twitter was full of doomy pronouncements about the Astros giving up, but I didn't really see that. I saw some questionable pitching-management decisions from Hinchie that didn't work out, and I saw Asdrubal Cabrera being a hero, which I like to see because I've always liked that guy. And maybe I also saw an organization that's showing every sign of not thinking either women or the truth count getting a karma slap.

This is far from a done deal, but we won't really know anything until tomorrow. In the meantime, there were still points to be had even if you didn't pick Adam Eaton:

Altuve 4
Alvarez 1
Bregman 4
Gurriel 2

Gurriel pickers makin' their moves, and the money changes hands again.

76 Fell
75 Brady
70 Yuhan

56 Cameron
51 Arbour

50 Crase and Reid 1
49 Shotwell and Winkepleck
47 Reid 2
46 Dunn

42 Tormey
40 Cayenne

Bauer Bunting Lund LLC also present.

Greinke/Sanchez is the stated matchup when we resume Friday, although that's another questionable pitching-related decision I might give some time on the plane ride to revising, if I were the manager. But I ain't. (BUT I MIGHT BE THE MANAGER OF THE METS?!?!?!) (I'm not.) We'll see if they go to a bullpenning strategy instead to stave off a sweep, and I'll see you back here afterwards either way!

WSH 5, HOU 4

Good game, greatly enhanced by listening to the Houston radio team instead of the Schmuck/Doltz pair on FOX. Brady slept through a lot of it but the outcome is no dream...

Altuve 1
Alvarez 2
Gurriel 3
Springer 6

And here's the money!

69 Brady
68 Fell 1
65 Yuhan 2

If Alvarez and Gurriel finally put together some big nights, several slates are going to try to pass the field on the left. Altuve will have to fall into a volcano, but it could happen?

50 Cameron 1

47 Reid 2, Crase
46 Reid 1, Arbour 1
45 Shotwell 1, Winklepleck

42 Dunn

30s Cayenne, Tormey, Bauer 2
20s The Blotter Presents 117's finest minds

Not sure how effectively Strasburg can stifle the Astro line-up this deep in October, but we'll find out at 8:07 ET; Verlander's starting for Houston. Good luck, all!

World Series starts tonight!

The "pitching matchup for the ages," Scherzer v. Cole, should be great for fans of the game...somewhat thin gruel for the pool.

Not sure who you guys have for this series. I'm not a huge subscriber to ideas about momentum, but it feels like the Nationals have been off for two weeks, and that does sometimes matter. But I was rereading Bill James's account of the '85 Classic last night, as I sometimes do even in mid-winter because it's such a direct trip back to my earliest days as a fan, and his prediction for that series was that, if the Cards got the Royals down early, they'd win -- but if they let the Royals in early, the Royals would win. Short series, Cards; six or seven games, Royals.

That's the sense I get from the '19 Classic, and I can't quite put my finger on why, but that's what I have happening: if the Astros whip the Nationals decisively in the first two games, that's that. If the Nationals make them work for it and can get to a Game 6, it's probably the Nats' to lose.

Who do I WANT to win? Whoever can drag it out to seven games. ...Okay, seriously: if the Nats have come this far, it'd be nice to see them go the distance, especially for Scherzer and Doolittle, whom I like; Strasburg, who has put in the media-shitstorm time and should get some hardware for it; and Rendon, correctly rated/feared at last. And I like the Astros a lot too, mostly, but I really can't get past Osuna, whatever happened with that assistant GM the other day entirely aside. So, Nationals in 7 is my preferred outcome, but I think it's probably more like Astros in 5.

Tell me I'm full of it in the comments, and good luck to everyone remaining!

HOU 6, NYY 4; Astros advance

I was thrilled when LeMahieu hit that homer -- I don't actually care who wins various serieseses anymore; I just want more baseball, and if the Yanks could pull this game out, hey, more baseball -- but I also had zero expectation with Altuve coming up that Game 6 would go to extras. And it didn't.

Positives first -- the points!

Altuve 6
Gurriel 5

Gardner 1
Judge 1
LeMahieu 4
Torres 1

That shuffles the money yet again, though not in any permanent fashion:

61 Fell 1
59 Brady
56 DGB and Yuhan 2

50 Fell 2

46 Reid 1
45 Shotwell 1
44 Cameron 2 and Winklepleck

42 Stempel and Yuhan 1
41 Reid 2 and Cameron 1

38 Arbour 1
36 Cayenne, Dunn, and Crase

33 Tormey
30 Bauer 2

29 SDB 1
25 Lund

...The bad news, after the jump.

NYY 4, HOU 1

I was busy with other things and not watching the game at the beginning -- and by the time I turned it on, the scoring action was functionally over. Weird night in terms of points, somewhat (Altuve had nothing), and yet, sadly not that weird at the same time (Alvarez, Gurriel, and Gardner also had nothing).

Bregman 1
Springer 2

Judge 1
LeMahieu 4
Torres 2

Dave Sr. doing that "climb the standings with a knife in his teeth" thing again, very effectively. Here's the money:

55 Fell 1
51 DGB
50 Yuhan

Everyone else after the jump!

HOU 8, NYY 3

The rains came; the winds came; Springer came. Not with much, but it's something. You'd think we'd have had more points, but with nobody picking Correa or Sanchez, it's a more modest haul:

Altuve 1
Alvarez 1
Bregman 2
Springer 4

LeMahieu 3

Money changes up again:

52 Fell 1
48 Yuhan 2
46 Brady

Everyone else after the jump...

WSH 7, STL 4; Nationals advance

Watching the first inning in our local last night, we cringed, repeatedly. A guy at a neighboring table and his son were also cringing, and the guy said of the Cardinals, "They just want to go home."

Welp, they're getting what they wanted -- and they're taking the SDB1 slate with them.

Once again, no points from Goldschmidt, who probably feels as bad about that as I do (heh) and is, pool-wise, both the most AND least valuable pick. The Shane Victorino here is probably Victor Robles.

Now that the NL side of the World Series is settled for both pool and world, it's back to the Bronx at 8:08 PM. Pitching match-up is...unknown, as of this writing, but very good luck to everyone, and I'll see you back here when the points dust settles!

HOU 4, NYY 1

I can't recommend watching the end of this one in a Yankees bar deep in Cop Land, Brooklyn. (The beginning of the next one made for some interesting commentary with the one table remaining, a kid and his dad, but that's a story for another time.) But it dished up some points, at least.

Altuve 5
Gurriel 1

Judge 1
LeMahieu 2
Torres 4

As predicted, the Coldschmidt slate can't hold the top spot. The money:

45 Fell 1
43 SDB 2
42 Yuhan 2, DGB

Everybody else, after the jump!

WSH 8, STL 1

You know, it's not even that my pick has gone cold -- or that Washington pitching has put the malocch' on the Cards, or that the Athletic comments-tariat is right and this Redbird team just isn't that good in the end, or however you want to cast this NLCS. It's that we're running out of 2019 baseball, and series just isn't much fun to watch. I'm sure it's delightful for Nats fans, obnoxiously courting a whammy though they are on Twitter, to watch this fearsome line-up really get the bit in its teeth, but for fans of the game, it's not great. The Cardinals looked checked out already last night.

No points, no movement. Look for that top slate to become a walker around 11:15 ET tonight.

That game starts at 8, Hudson v. Corbin. Another prospective pitchers' duel is slated for 4:08 in the Bronx, Cole v. Severino -- and the rest of the pool checks back in. Good luck to all, and look for some new money (as it were) around dinnertime...

HOU 3, NYY 2 (11)

I fell asleep in...the 8th? Maybe? And rolled over to hear the Houston broadcaster wailing "SEE YOU LATER! SEE YOU LATER! SEE YOU LATER!" at about 2 AM local time. You love to see it (through closed eyelids). A postseason nail-biter, and just about everyone picked up some points as Correa made his case for this series' Victorino Award.

Altuve 2
Bregman 1
Springer 4

Gardner 2
Judge 4
LeMahieu 1
Torres 1

Yet another look for the money, and half a dozen people closed the gap quite a bit.

43 SDB 1
40 Fell 1
39 Stempel

The madding crowd, after the jump...

NYY 7, HOU 0

There's a headline on MLB.com right now that reads "Gleyber's dad enjoys the show." Mine did too, because Torres picked up a whole whack of points -- and he was willing to share:

Altuve 1

Judge 2
LeMahieu 2
Torres 7

New look for the money (hey, Dad; hey, Sil).

43 SDB 2
35 Stempel
34 Reid 1, DGB

More after the jump...

WSH 3, STL 1

Are we in the Nats, Team Of Destiny timeline? I don't like it here. At least Goldschmidt got one of the few hits off Husky Eye, so that's

Goldie 1

and the SDB 2 slate now has 43, opening the lead to 10 points.

NYY/HOU gets underway in about 43 minutes, however, which is likely to put an end to my reign in the next day or two. See you on the flip!

WSH 2, STL 0

Washington pitching one-hit the Cards; Goldie did not get said hit, so -- nothing to see here!

The NL red-uni teams are back at it at 4:08, and it looks to be another slender night for the TB line with Scherzer v. Wainwright...but I'm the only one who has to worry about that. The ALCS gets underway at 8:08, Tanaka v. Greinke, and that matchup looks a lot more likely to yield points, at least based on Greinke's last outing.

See you back here this evening, and good luck!

HOU 6, TB 1; 'Stros advance

...and keep the pool from sliding entirely into irrelevance, heh. I missed most of the game thanks to wine club but got back in time to see Altuve pickers get another four thanks to the pocket rocket. 

I had a line here about "no rest for the weary" with the NLCS starting tonight, but nobody cares about that except me -- and maybe Stempel and Bauer, at least one of whom shares my "every one of you but Doolittle can kick rocks" sentiments towards the Nats -- so let's get into it!

Points: 

Altuve 5
Bregman 2
Gurriel 1
Springer 1

Altuve the clear BPPVP for that series; Springer showing signs of life but still the LVP, and I think our Victorino is that gorgeous TB relay from the other night, but if we have to take a hitter, let's give it to Tampa's Sogard and his gaudy 1.750 OPS for five games.

Money and hope, after the jump.

WSH 7, LAD 3; Nationals advance

I...

It just...

Good for Howie Kendrick?

...I started to get a bad feeling with that weird, scary Suzuki HBP. When Dodgers Twitter clenched itself into a raisin at the entrance of Kershaw, the feeling grew stronger. And now here we all are. This hasn't befallen a BPP in quite some time, and I hope Houston hangs on or it's going to be rah-ther dull from here on out.

But we won't know what's happening in the AL until tonight. For now, the points, of which there were a few, at least...

Bellinger 1
Hernandez 5
Muncy 4
Pederson 3

LVP for this series, by a whisker, was Seager, although Belli wasn't much more help. Turner and Muncy tied for MVP honors, in the pool. Shane Victorino award is probably Rendon.

Leaving us:
Bellinger
Hernandez
Muncy
Pederson
Seager
Turner

"Oof." ...Yep.

Here's the money, provisionally:

42 SDB 2
33 Stempel
31 Fell 2, Bauer 1

Everyone else after the jump!

STL 13, ATL 1; Cardinals advance

Eeeeeeesh. Like, when the St. Louis radio announcers are like, "Someone invoke the mercy rule"? That was hard to watch, even for them...and me, the only STL picker.

I didn't really expect this result, buuuuuut see my previous comments re: the Cards in October. Not a great outcome for the pool at large, obviously, but not the worst hit it might collectively take tonight, so before the panicking begins, let's look at the points:

Goldie 2

Albies 1
Donaldson 4

Leaving us:
Acuña (a strong MVP candidate for the series...but that's actually Goldschmidt)
Albies
Donaldson

Here's the money, plus a handful of contenders:

35 SDB 2
33 Stempel
31 Fell 2 and Bauer 1

Cayenne just out of range at 29. 

But...you know. Everyone else at or near the money had Acuña; Bauer 1 surged ahead thanks to...Donaldson, and now that slate is toast; a number of slates have been static in the last couple days because the Yankees have been off. Change is coming.

Dodgers off to a brisk start at Chavez Ravine, but you never know...good luck, all!

TB 4, HOU 1

It's almost reflex to look at this result and shrug, "Short rest." I'm not sure that's all of it. The Rays are a good team who, I think, were in their heads a little bit about the Astros' W-L record and line-up and...pitching, honestly, and once they remembered how they got here, shit came online. 

But maybe it was JV on short rest. That's one of those "it's never a good idea...until it is" baseball things. Kind of like bunting.

But let's not bury the lede, which is: nice relay anchor by ol' Three-Team d'Arnaud!

...Just kidding, it's SPRINGER POINTSSSSSSS.

Altuve 1

Alvarez 2

Bregman 1

Springer 2!!!!

It's not much, but it reshuffled everyone in the mid-twenties, though the money remains the same:

33 Bunting S 2, Stempel
31 Fell 2
29 Cayenne

The rest, after the jump!

NYY 5, MIN 1; Yanks advance

Nothing against the Yankees (truly!), but it would be really nice for the universe if Minnesota could get A GAME off these dudes in the postseason?

But it's really nice for Yankee fans that they've advanced, and a couple people picked up a whole bunch of points:

Rosario 7

Gardner 1
Torres 8

Leaving us:
Cruz
Rosario

Money remains about the same --

33 SDB 2 and Stempel
31 Fell 2
28 Cayenne

-- but a couple slates lunged towards the top thanks to Rosie and Torrie; full standings after the jump!

WSH 6, LAD 1

All four series could have ended today; only one still has that possibility as of this writing (and the chances look good). Dodgers seemed like they might handle Scherzer early, but once he settled down, that was that. This one goes to a Game 5 on Wednesday, and leaves us with just a smattering of points in the meantime...

Bellinger 1
Seager 2
Turner 4

The new money:

33 SDB 2, Stempel
30 Fell 2
28 Cayenne

Cameron 2 and the Shotwells in the low 20s; everyone else waiting on the Bombers. (And Springer. Sigh.)

Last update of the day! I'll see you tomorrow AM with points from the late game plus full standings.

STL 5, ATL 4 (10)

The Cards also stave off elimination thanks to the clutch stylings of Yadier Molina, whom nobody picked -- and Goldie, whom only I picked. 

Y'all Braves pickers didn't do too badly for yourselves either. The points:

Acuña 7
Albies 4

Goldschmidt 8

Stempel takes sole possession of third, and is in prime position to climb over the other leaders thanks to Turner's first-inning moonshot off ol' Husky Eyes, but we'll get to that. First, your leaders:

33 SDB 2
30 Fell 2
29 Stempel

27 Cayenne
22 Cameron 2

and a hugger-mugger around 19-20.

Second NLDS in progress now, second ALDS game starts in about an hour. Hang on, everyone!

TB 10, HOU 3

The Rays held off elimination decisively, but Houston hitters managed to rack up a nice little pile of points for their pickers. Well...all but one hitter. Seriously, where is that guy.

Altuve 6
Alvarez 3
Bregman 1
Gurriel 3

Money's about the same --

25 SDB 2
23 Fell 2
22 Stempel, Cameron 2

-- with Cayenne, Shotwell 1, and Fell 2 at 20, Arbour 2 and Yuhan 2 at 19, and SDB 1, Bauer 2, and Brady at 18. 

Pointless to speculate much until the NL games come in, but if the Cards can't get a run or two in the next hour, I'm out my difference-maker in that slate. Miller trying to stop the Braves in the Atlanta 7th rn; still to come, Rich Hill vs. Scherzer in Washington, then Severino vs. Odorizzi in the Twin Cities. Buckle up!

LAD 10, WSH 4

It was the best of times (so many points!), it was the worst of times (flashbacks to the Met bullpen!...I don't necessarily need to see Washington choke in yet another October, but I know this pain well). Bellinger off the schneid, the Ginger Elf on a roll...love it.

The points!

Bellinger 4
Hernandez 2
Muncy 4
Seager 1
Turner 7

Our standings have a new look at the top:

25 SDB 2
23 Fell 2
22 Stempel and Cameron 2

Another four-gamer today so let me jam out the rest of the standings for you here, after the jump.

19 Cayenne, Shotwell 1, Arbour 2
17 SDB 1
15 DGB, Yuhan 1, Lund, Shotwell 2

14 Tormey, Bauer 2
13 Fell 1, Bauer 1, Reid 1
12 Reid 2

11 Cameron 1, Arbour 1
10 Brady, Winklepleck, Dunn, Yuhan 2
8 Crase

Four games, as I said, and four clinch opportunities, but let's take it one at a time -- the opener's HOU/TB at 1:05 ET, and it should be a nailbiter with Greinke and Morton on the mound. That's on MLB Network. See you in the PM with updates!

ATL 3, STL 1

What's with so many of these games having the same scores? I feel like I'm having a stroke. Speaking of strokes, it's a pity nobody benefits points-wise from Duvall's, but a few people picked up points in the afternoon game.

Albies 2
Donaldson 2

Goldschmidt 2

This changes almost nothing, but Dunn's march out of the basement continues, and one of my slates gained a couple inches on the lead.

23 Fell 2
21 SDB 2
17 SDB 1

Cayenne, Shotwell 1, Stempel, and Cameron 2 just off the pace.

Play underway in Washington, and we should see some movement with all these Dodger picks; see you on the flip.

HOU 3, TB 1

Cole was dealing last night, but even if he hadn't been, this Rays club seems like one that's built for the regular season more than the post. We'll see Monday; in the meantime, here's the pointage from last night:

Altuve 2
Alvarez 2
Bregman 5
Gurriel 1
Springer 0

A couple of very popular picks have not notched a point yet, which might explain the money right now:

23 Fell 2
19 SDB 2
17 SDB 1

A difference-maker to this point is...Gardner? Whom I picked in part because that's my great-grandmother's maiden name; guess the spirits of the ancestors are into it.

Rest of the standings after the break...

NYY 8, MIN 2

I mean, I'm not going to sit here and act like we're too good for all these Yankee-hitter points -- but you genuinely do hate to see it, the way the Twins just can't seem to stay off the mat against the Yanks.

But every player eligible picked up at least one point:

Cruz 1
Rosario 1

Gardner 1
Judge 2
LeMahieu 2
Torres 1

No change to the occupants of the top slots, just their points:


23 Fell 2
19 SDB 2
15 Stempel, Cameron 2


Stand by for the night game and full standings.

WSH 4, LAD 2

Greetings from the waiting room at Bay Diagnostic; worse ways to pass the time waiting to see why my tire-pressure monitor is trying to gaslight me than to update the pool, I guess. I'll probably have to win this thing to pay for whatever dumb thing has gone wrong...

The Nats evened up the series last night, and while nobody picked that Turner, the ginger Turner got his pickers some points:

Muncy 4
Pederson 2
Turner 2

That Bellinger pick's starting to look juuuust a little flea-bitten. A...gain.

The money, after the first day with all picks in action:

20 Fell 2
19 SDB 2
13 Stempel, Cameron 2

The rest of the field and today's schedule of play, after the jump.

NYY 10, MIN 4

No surprise that these league leaders in homers put a bunch of points up on the board...for almost everyone. I knew y'all LeMahieu pickers were smart to take that guy. (Especially since we're not scoring for defense.) (...Look, after 162 games of JD Davis I need to take the Dr. Strangeglove jokes where I find them, okay?)

The points:

Cruz 4

Gardner 4
Judge 1
LeMahieu 7
Torres 2

That shot a new leader into first place.

Fell 2 20
Bunting 2 13
Cayenne, Stempel 11

Stand by for the nightcap and full standings!

ATL 3, STL 0

A little something for almost everyone in the happy-hour game, and it's nice to see Folty doing well. (As a Mets fan, I guess I'm supposed to hate the Braves, but I'm so old that I remember the Dale Murphy era, and the instinct to pity is still very strong.)

Acuña 2
Albies 1
Donaldson 1

Goldie 1

No real movement in the money, except that Bauer 1 joins Stempel in the third slot.

But a point-fest is a-brewin' in the Bronx, I think, so whatever's going on with the standings, don't get used to it...

HOU 6, TB 2

[edited to correct score] 

I can't say I knew what to expect from this series, but then, with Verlander on the mound, it would...probably be this? Almost everyone on the board thanks to a spirited effort from the Astro offense:

Altuve 4
Alvarez 2
Bregman 2
Gurriel 3

Money is now:

12 SDB 2
9 Cayenne
8 Stempel

Hugger-mugger at 7 joined by Brady, and then the rest.

Very low-key score in the middle of the STL/ATL game. I'll see you in a few hours with an update or two.

LAD 6, WSH 0

A predictable result, particularly in the build of it; the Nats' bullpen is...perhaps not built for this distance. Dodger hitters are, though:

Muncy 2

Pederson 4

Seager 1

Ginger Elf 1

And now, my moment in the sun, that extremely fleeting 90 seconds where I look like a genius...

Bunting 2: 12

Stempel 8:

Bauer 1, Cayenne, Fell 2, Reid 2: 7

Arbour 2: 6

Cameron 2 and Shotwell 2: 2

Winklepleck: 1

Everyone else waiting for the AL games, or Bellinger to get off the schneid, the one.

And they're playing all the games today! Buntnip! We start at 2:05 ET with Rays/'Stros, Verlander and something called a Glasnow? Cards/Braves at 4:37, Twins/Yankees marquee at 7:07 (...I know it's hacky, but these start times: why), and the Battle Of The Chin-Strap Beards on the late show -- Strasburg vs. Kershaw for Nats/Dodgers at 9:37.

STL 7, ATL 6

I have no idea what's going to happen in this series. I do feel based on pool history that once the Cards get into the postseason, it's hard to get them out...like bedbugs. Not that anyone except me thought they'd do much, and "anyone except me" is usually right?

Not a ton of point-getters in the NLDS opener, but the getters got plenty.

Acuña 7
Goldschmidt 6

So that's Bauer 1, Cayenne, Fell 2, Reid 2, and Stempel breaking fast; SBunting 2 only a point behind.

Quiet night so far in the Ravine but a few points to be had as of the 5th inning. See you back here with the Nats/Dodgers score later!

Picks update!

The updated picks:

Arbour M 1	Alvarez	Bregman	Springer
Arbour M 2	Bellinger	Muncy	Pederson
Bauer 1	Acuna	Donaldson	Rosario
Bauer 2	Alvarez	Bellinger	Bregman
Brady	Altuve	Gurriel	Springer
Bunting D	Bellinger	LeMahieu	Torres
Bunting S 1	Bregman	Cruz	Gardner
Bunting S 2	Goldschmidt	Muncy	Pederson
Cameron 1	Bregman	Gurriel	Springer
Cameron 2	Bellinger	LeMahieu	Muncy
Cayenne	Acuna	Bellinger	Bregman
Crase	Alvarez	Gurriel	Springer
Dunn	Albies	Bregman	Springer
Fell 1	Altuve	Bregman	Springer
Fell 2	Acuna	Gardner	LeMahieu
Lund	Bellinger	Bregman	Cruz
Reid 1	Bellinger	Bregman	Torres
Reid 2	Acuna	Judge	Springer
Shotwell 1	Bellinger	Bregman	LeMahieu
Shotwell 2	Bellinger	Seager	Turner
Stempel	Acuna	Judge	Turner
Tormey	Bellinger	Bregman	Gurriel
Winklepleck	Altuve	Hernandez	Seager
Yuhan 1	Bellinger	Judge	LeMahieu
Yuhan 2	Altuve	Alvarez	Springer

And the money is $175/1st, $50/2nd, and $25/3rd.

Stand by for the first game's points!

BPP 2019 is go!

Submissions are closed; pool is live! Below, the picks; slightly smaller field this year means $161 to the winner, $46 to second place, and $23 to third.

Arbour M 1	Alvarez	Bregman	Springer
Arbour M 2	Bellinger	Muncy	Pederson
Bauer 1	Acuna	Donaldson	Rosario
Bauer 2	Alvarez	Bellinger	Bregman
Brady	Altuve	Gurriel	Springer
Bunting D	Bellinger	LeMahieu	Torres
Bunting S 1	Bregman	Cruz	Gardner
Bunting S 2	Goldschmidt	Muncy	Pederson
Cameron 1	Bregman	Gurriel	Springer
Cameron 2	Bellinger	LeMahieu	Muncy
Cayenne	Acuna	Bellinger	Bregman
Crase	Alvarez	Gurriel	Springer
Dunn	Albies	Bregman	Springer
Fell 1	Altuve	Bregman	Springer
Fell 2	Acuna	Gardner	LeMahieu
Lund	Bellinger	Bregman	Cruz
Reid 1	Bellinger	Bregman	Torres
Reid 2	Acuna	Judge	Springer
Shotwell 1	Bellinger	Bregman	LeMahieu
Shotwell 2	Bellinger	Seager	Turner
Winklepleck	Altuve	Hernandez	Seager
Yuhan 1	Bellinger	Judge	LeMahieu
Yuhan 2	Altuve	Alvarez	Springer

Despite a lot of great minds thinking alike (and also mine and Arbour's, haw), no duplicate slates this time around.

More big thoughts after the jump.

Today's the day

In the hopes that some of you recall this URL and visit it, thinking you didn't get an email about a pool this year...you did, probably; please check your spam folders! For some reason the TN email is going into a lot of spam traps the last couple of months. Apologies! Not a ton I can do about it now, but please whitelist that addy and feel free to send me your picks!

BPP 2019: Rules rundown

Posting this here as well, in case you need a refresher. No change from 2018, in the event.

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Hello friends and fans of baseball (and money),

Welcome (back) to Bunting's Postseason Baseball Pool -- the postseason pool for everyone! You don't need to know a lot about baseball; you just have to know who's in the playoffs, and how to count. And that last one is optional, now that I think about it.

The set-up and instructions for entry appear below. For an overview of previous years' action, feel free to browse around the BPP blog, http://buntingspostseasonpool.blogspot.com.

Think I left someone off the dist list? Forward at will; the more the merrier!

Deadline for picks/payment is THURSDAY, OCTOBER 3 at NOON (12 PM) ET.
Sarah

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THE SCORING
It works like this: you pick three (3) position players; points come from total bases.

single, e.g. = 1 pt.

double = 2 pts.

triple = 3 pts., etc.


For example, in the game linked below, Trea Turner notches 5 points:

https://www.mlb.com/gameday/phillies-vs-nationals/2019/09/24/565930


 

THE MONEY

Entry is $10 a pop. PayPal it to bunting at tomatonation dot com (Venmo also fine; sarahdbunting is the account).

Winner takes 70 percent of the pot; second place takes 20 percent; third place takes 10 percent. In the event of a tie, the money will be divided evenly between/among players with the same point totals.

 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

"Do my players have to be on the same team as each other?"  No.

"CAN all my players be on the same team as each other?" Yes.

"Can I duplicate other people's picks?"  Yes. (You won't see everyone else's picks until all the picks are in anyway.)

"Can I play a half slate for half the money?"  No. Too complicated.

"Can I play more than one slate?"  You can play two slates max. Your slates must be different from each other.  Each slate is $10.

"Can I pick my slate early and just risk it re: the wild-cards?" Yes, you can; you can also pick your slate early and choose only from the known participants. I'll remind you that, my deadline aside, once any of your chosen picks is "live," that's it -- no backsies.  

"Soooo I should wait until we know who's in the LDSes." Not to influence you unduly, but: probably. We've had I think one wild-card-team bet in the life of this thing. The deadline is when it is for a reason.       

"How am I supposed to keep track of all these stats?"  You aren't; I do that. Do feel free to check my work, though. 

"What if everybody's out by the World Series?" This is, historically, unlikely, but should it occur, everyone will receive one (1) amnesty pick, with previous points carrying. If that's unclear, LMK, but let's jump off that bridge if we get to it.

"Can I forward this to my friend/loved one/co-worker?"  Sure! If they've got the ten bucks, they're welcome to play. 

"Who won last year?"  Lauren "Hit Her With Your Best" Shotwell is your incumbent.

 

HOW TO ENTER

Give me $10 and your picks by THURSDAY OCTOBER 3 at 12 PM ET.  bunting@tomatonation.com is my PayPal; sarahdbunting is my Venmo. 10/3 at noon is the deadline and is not negotiable. If we are related by blood or marriage, you may hand me a sawbuck. Everyone else needs to use PayPal or some other electronic means. 

You must pay to enter; you are not entered until you get an email from me saying so; you may not enter late. $10 by 10/3 at NOON ET.
When you send your pool money, I will send you an email confirming your picks and receipt of the money. I'll also post the points breakdown on the blog on a daily basis (or as close as possible to that); once again, that's here: http://buntingspostseasonpool.blogspot.com/.

Have fun! Questions/edits/human frailties, email me.

Sarah