CTBear

We’ve lost our last 4 home playoff games dating back to the 2014 ALCS so I get some of the scar tissue. But having attended ALDS game 2 in both 2012 and 2014, those wins were absolutely magical and I’ll never forget them. The games can be expensive but if you can afford to get in the door, just bring your own food/drink and take it in from the pregame ceremonies to the last out. The experience is priceless.

Yeah I think last year was 3 & 4:30 then 7 & 8:30. I’d guess AL gets both early slots again like last year

Yeah I don’t think they necessarily spray champagne and beer everywhere, but you probably do what the Astros did after clinching the division last season. Having some drinks together in the clubhouse and exhaling a bit would ease the tension and help guys laugh about the elephant in the room (that they’ve been horrendous) rather than continuing to be frustrated about it. Every win feels like a miracle right now though so I just hope we get to find our answer.

Anybody know if Kimbrel will still get his $1M buyout for opting out of 2025?

I forget which game it was (Fri or Sat) but he also pulled a ball foul down the LF line that nearly snuck inside the pole. So he was close to having 2 HRs in the series

Plus he’s been throwing out runners recently. The defensive improvements are really important too

Leaving Holliday off the postseason is pretty controversial. Mayo, not at all. Keep in mind the big hit vs the Astros was a pinch hit. I think even if Westy and Ramon come back fully healthy, there’s a lot of value there off the bench and with his speed.

As soon as you stop worrying about winning the division, the better off you’ll feel about this season. Once we split with the Astros, took 1 from the Dodgers and realized we wouldn’t be losing 7 in a row (8 counting the Mets finale), I exhaled a bit. All that matters is getting the IL guys healthy enough so they can contribute again, ideally with some time before the postseason to shake off the rust. Whatever this team is doing now doesn’t matter and the schedule is very friendly to the WC teams this year with the extra days off. If we don’t get the IL guys back in time, it won’t matter if we get the bye or not.

Fortunately, I don’t think anyone feels like their back is against the wall. We’re 7.5 games ahead of the Red Sox so none of them should feel like playoff hopes are slipping even if there’s still a small possibility. I’m not even sure they’re panicking over the division. We won the East last year and still got swept in the ALDS. Just gotta find a way to start playing their best baseball for October

I think we’ve been playing at a mediocre level just like everyone atop the AL. Still 2nd best record in the league. It’s definitely frustrating as a fan but I just don’t see how we’re going to string a bunch of wins in a row with the current starting pitcher situation. I’m hoping we take advantage of the weaker opponents upcoming and get some reinforcements back for the back half of the month

Sure, I’d like to see us take care of business vs the Rockies and White Sox but we have a lot of games left including 3 in the Bronx. There’s plenty of time for the bats to get hot. The sky isn’t falling because we split a series vs the Astros and lost 2/3 to the Dodgers

On paper, that’s true of course. But the season is a slog. These guys were gasping for air down the stretch last year. Either every player is just giving us lip service in their interviews or they all truly have bought into the mentality that they need to just trust the process and peak at the right time.

I think a lot of the guys are just waiting for the calendar to hit September. They’re treading water right now but once they see the finish line approaching, I think we see some guys really lock in

Yeah Cano really messed things up…and the lack of runs obviously

7 innings in each of his last 2 starts for the Tides. I don’t think any of us predicted a stinker from Burnes last night so maybe the weirdness continues. Going to boldly predict: 6.2 inn, 1 BB, 5K and 2 ER from Cade tonight. Cano will close the door in the 7th to strand a couple and preserve the win for Cade.