Off Day Blues

In waiting for the first game of the NLDS to be played on Friday, I just figured I'd give you a few things to occupy your mind until then.

As you probably know, the AL wildcard game is today.  As Cub fans, I'm sure you all care more about the NL wildcard game which is tomorrow between the Mets and the Giants in New York.  The Cubs will be playing the winner of this game on Friday.  If I were the Cubs and able to choose which team to play in the NLDS, it would be the Mets.

I don't want to get into the season series against the Mets this year.  If last year's sweep of the season series vs. the Mets is any indication of the NLDS, well, you know what happened in last season's NLCS.

First off, there is no one on the team named Murphy (the same name of the billy goat who cursed the cubs in 1945, read more about it here) to kill us with home runs like last year's NLCS.  Superstitions aside, the Mets pitching staff has been plagued by injuries.  The top of the three in the rotation is looking like Syndergaard, DeGrom and Bartolo, which still isn't terrible.  However, it would be looking a lot better with Matt Harvey, Steven Matz and Zach Wheeler healthy.  If the Mets plan on playng more then three games, they are going to have to get creative.  It is looking like Syndergaard is going to be playing in the wildcard game, so the Mets will need good starts out of DeGrom and and Bartolo.

I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say that the potential pitching matchup between the Mets and the Cubs in Game one of the NLDS at Wrigley Field would be Hendricks vs. DeGrom.

Kyle hasn't had a head to head matchup with DeGrom this season, but he has faced the Mets once squaring off with none other than Bartolo Colon.  On July 20th, Kyle allowed 7 hits with 7 Ks over 6.1 innings, getting the win with a final score of 6-2.  That tells me that the Mets lineup have had only one look at him this season, and Kyle has the luxury of evaluating the lineup that got 7 hits against him, and coming back stronger and more efficient.

The Cubs have a healthy and producing pitching staff.  I feel like the Cubs will have a little more luck against the Mets and their banged up staff, especially after having played two day prior in the wildcard game.  The Cubs are getting all of the time that they need to get rested up and get their minds right for a hopefully successful post season.