NLDS Update: UGHHHH Edition

[loud grumbling]

This was the thing that you weren't supposed to let happen, Atlanta. This is why we start Julio Teheran from the getgo instead of Mike Foltynewicz.

Oh, god, this was tough to watch. Folty and Fried got obliterated by the Cardinals lineup, scoring 10 runs in the first inning. It was one of the hardest-to-watch baseball innings of all time, because I still don't think this team was good enough in the regular season to warrant this kind of run. And the Braves...were. THEY deserved a chance.

But anyway. Cardinals won, it wasn't close, everybody had RBIs including Harrison Bader, and Jack Flaherty was untouchable. Argh.

And the Braves just deserved better. Their lineup was dynamite, and their bench was impressive as hell. This looked like the year they'd get far into the playoffs...and then the pitching staff ruined it for them. Looking back, you had guys like Dallas Keuchel and Mike Foltynewicz letting them down, to the point where it doesn't look like this pitching staff had any high points to begin with. Brian McCann just retired, and it happened literally the day of this loss, so that just says it all.

Meanwhile, this happened.

This, uh...kinda shocked me.

The Dodgers during the regular season didn't have any opportunities to look human. They just cruised. And the guys that finish them off are the NL Wild Cards, and a team that looked dead in May. This is what takes out Dave Roberts' Dodgers.

Now...the Nats DID break their streak of playoff series' without a win, and are finally looking like they've gotten a fine team together, ironically the year after Bryce Harper leaves, but...they are still the underdog in every subsequent race. Especially the upcoming NLCS, where the favorites are now the goddamned St. Louis Cardinals. So now...I must root for the Washington Nationals to make the World Series.

It sounds ridiculous, but with Anthony Rendon, and with this pitching staff...it could happen.

And there goes my World Series pick.

I really enjoyed this Dodgers team. They had so many good players, and so much good momentum, and...I really wish they'd been able to get past this. Because this was tough, but they've been much tougher. This has got to be heartbreaking, especially for Clayton Kershaw who made the comeback happen. I really hope these guys can finally put together a winning team next year, because this is just getting depressing.

Today...we have Rays-Astros. If the Rays win, the Yankees have an easy time. If the Astros win, it's better for baseball, and it's better for the AL's shot to win the World Series. So I don't know.