Games 163 Open Thread

Although this is technically an extra regular season game for four teams that aren’t the Diamondbacks, it’s essentially Postseason Baseball(TM), and even without a specific rooting interest, that’s something that a baseball fan can get excited for. In this comment thread, feel free to jump in and talk about the games today. It’s fun, it’s baseball with stakes!

A fun wrinkle to these games too: Since it’s Game 163 and not the playoffs, 40-man rosters are in effect. Expect many pitching changes.

The winner of the first game will face the Wild Card winner with Home Field in the NLDS. The winner of the second game will face the NL East winning Braves with Home Field in the other NLDS.The two losers of these games will face off tomorrow in the NL Wild Card Game. Of these four teams, only one won’t make the NLDS. Sucks to be that team.

GAME 1: NL CENTRAL THUNDERDOME.

MILWAUKEE BREWERS AT CHICAGO CUBS

10:00 AM ARIZONA TIME, ESPN AND RELEVANT ESPN ADJACENT STREAMING PLATFORMS

The Milwaukee Brewers surged into the playoff picture through their non-traditional offseason plan of “Actively trying to make their team better.” with trading for Christian Yelich, who may well win MVP, and signing Lorenzo Cain. Are these people the Diamondbacks could have acquired? Well, look at this graph, where this line meets this line means I have to be frugal with Ken Kendrick’s money online.

If you heard a cry in the distance when I mentioned Yelich as an MVP candidate, that’s from any Cubs fan on Twitter suggesting that any player other than perfect boy Javier Baez win the award. Granted, he has a pretty good case, and if not for him, the Cubs slight second half slide might have forced them to skip today and go straight to the Wild Card Game.

FORMER D-BACKS ON MILWAUKEE: Chase Anderson, Wade Miley, Matt Albers. Honorable Mentions: Mike Zagurski (Not on the roster currently, but on the B-R page) Craig Counsell (Manager), Keon Broxton (Former Farmhand talked about a lot on this site circa 2010-2012)

FORMER D-BACKS ON CHICAGO: Jorge De La Rosa. Don’t look up his stat line since he’s joined the Cubs, it’ll make you mad.

GAME 2: NL WEST ARENA OF BLOOD AND KNIVES

COLORADO ROCKIES AT LOS ANGELES DODGERS

1:00 PM ARIZONA TIME, ESPN AND RELEVANT ESPN ADJACENT STREAMING PLATFORMS

Feels like I don’t need to write too much background on these teams. You all are pretty familiar. If the Rockies win, it will be their first division title in 25 years of existence. They would still be four behind the Diamondbacks. It would also leave the Marlins as the only MLB team without any Division Title. They’ve also never lost a Playoff series. Sports is weird.

Also I heard the Dodgers might have had something to do with the Spanish Influenza Outbreak in the 1910s.

FORMER D-BACKS ON COLORADO: Chris Iannetta, Gerardo Parra, Honorable Mention: Carlos Gonzalez (Former Farmhand, traded away in the deal that brought Dan Haren to Arizona.)

FORMER D-BACKS ON LOS ANGELES: Daniel Hudson (He’s injured)

Games start at 10. Chat away in the comments!