NYM 8, CHC 3; Cubs elimurphated

First let me say that this is surreal. I'm as baffled as Cub fans/pickers probably are, just in a happier way. Until last night that series was much closer than a sweep would tell you it was. But then Schwarber made the exact same dive he'd made at least twice before and the ball went up through his armpit the exact same way it did both other times and I thought, you know, I like Joe Maddon and his specs a lot, but all the good-time John-Keating one-game-at-a-time stuff is no replacement for learning to read the ball in your own park. Kyle Schwarber is going to be a big star, no question. The 2015 Cubs are a good team.

Postseason's different, though, and a fearsome regular-season offense is not necessarily going to get it done against this rotation. And didn't.

Also, Durph. And as someone who picked the guy: the hell? I mean, I expected a handful of doubles. This is Hamilton-at-Yankee-Stadium shit over here.

...Aight, let's do this. Points!

Bryant 5
Rizzo 1

Cespedes -1
Conforto 0
Duda 14 (!!)
Granderson 1
NLCS MVP and inventor of fire Maniel Durphy 11
Wright 0

Colon 1.33

Leaving us:
Arrieta
Bryant
Lester
Rizzo

Notes and comment after the jump.




Not all THAT damaging to the pool, actually: 1) returning players have learned from sad, painful experience not to put all their eggs in a Wrigley basket; 2) those who went that direction anyway will not really miss their picks all that much, as Arrieta was a mere mortal after the play-in game and Rizzo, while not actively harmful, was only good for a net gain of a few points. I will miss Lester, but the fact is, my clinically selected "Head" team is down to Edwin Deadtomecarnacion. The jokey "lissen lissen lissen I love you guyssshh" "Heart" team? Everyone's still here. Fat; old; using a bat made from a tree felled by lightning; still here.

The BPP, man. Damnedest thing. Point is, almost everyone still has at least one pick left, so until the ALCS is over, you're all still on the board. I will do some reality-based thinning before the Classic.

Your current standings:

Currie 133
Brady 131.34
MacEachern 130.01

Cameron 2 128.01
Yuhan 1 126.67
Bunting 2 125.67

Powell 123.67
Yuhan 2 122.34

Williams 113.34

Drake 109.01
Stempel, Green 107.34
Tormey 1 101.34

Elodie 99.34
Bingham 1 98.67
Bunting 1 97

Simone 94.33
Shee/Bell 93.67

Winklepleck 88
Reid 1 85.34
Reid 2 83.67
Cameron 1 81.67

Tormey 2 77.67
Rogers 71

Bingham 2 58.67

Now's a good time to check my arithmetic. ("Now" = "always.") 18-Hour-Days McGee over here is not always putting things in the correct columns, so if you see mistakes, let's get 'em squared away during the off day (but obvs you should ping me anytime if you see a mistake).

The ALCS finally outlasts the NL for a primetime schedule spot; two pitching picks, Price and Ventura, do battle at 8 ET on FS1, which I will be muting in favor of the radio teams because urf. Good luck, everyone!