MLB The Show 18 Franchise Discussion Thread

[TheWarmWind]

Re: MLB The Show 18 Franchise Discussion Thread

We just took a ride on Cespedes' cycle in a 10-1 laugher in Boston as it looks like he's finally breaking out of his two month slump. I was thinking of giving him the day off too but decided to make him the DH and did it ever pay off as he knocked in five. Bartolo Colon got the rare save in a nine run game as he pitched the final three innings, the first of his career. Maybe it's because I use an NL team so I don't play in Boston often, but there is no cooler atmosphere in the game than playing a night game at Fenway Park. Thanks to an Atlanta victory over Washington my magic number is down to 15 with 15 games to play

I'm a division rival and I still love every trip to Fenway. Too bad the rest of the AL east isn't as good. The field at Yankee stadium is nice, but the rest of it is ostentatious, to the point where it's nearing obnoxious. Oriole Park is a love it or hate it scenario (I hate it) and same with the Roger's Centre (I love it). The Trop is just awful. I'm thinking about "moving" the Rays to a new stadium this year. Either a minor league one or a classic one. Thoughts?

[reyes the roof]

Re: MLB The Show 18 Franchise Discussion Thread

I'm a division rival and I still love every trip to Fenway. Too bad the rest of the AL east isn't as good. The field at Yankee stadium is nice, but the rest of it is ostentatious, to the point where it's nearing obnoxious. Oriole Park is a love it or hate it scenario (I hate it) and same with the Roger's Centre (I love it). The Trop is just awful. I'm thinking about "moving" the Rays to a new stadium this year. Either a minor league one or a classic one. Thoughts?

Sportsman's Park looks like a cool place to play all your home games other than the fact that there is a huge Cardinals logo in left center. I like the Polo Grounds too and of course I'm partial to Shea Stadium for obvious reasons

[reyes the roof]

Re: MLB The Show 18 Franchise Discussion Thread

Wow as much as I said I love playing at night in Fenway, playing a 4:05 game is dreadful. I couldn't pick the ball up out of the pitcher's hand to save my life due to the shadows. Fortunately their rotation is decimated with injuries and I was facing a 67 rated pitcher and was able to get away with hacking at everything and still put up nine runs

[Itsma806]

Re: MLB The Show 18 Franchise Discussion Thread

ALCS GAME ONE

Chicago White Sox
VS.
Houston Astros

FINAL SCORE
White Sox-3
Astros-2

White Sox take game one despite another Giolito injury

Injuries continue to knock out White Sox starting pitchers prematurely. Lucas Giolito left the game in the fourth inning with yet another ghost injury. The injury forced him out of the game yet it has no lasting effects.

Martin Perex got the win despite allowing a home run to Robbie Grossman on his first pitch out of the pen. Speaking of Grossman, his 4 for 4 day is wasted was wasted as the Astros took the loss in Chicago despite only giving up four hits.

Game two will continue the series in Chiczgo as Reynaldo Lopez faces off with Dallas Keuchel.

Other Result:
Philadelphia Phillies-5
Milwaukee Brewers-3
Philadelphia leads the series 2-0

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[TheWarmWind]

Re: MLB The Show 18 Franchise Discussion Thread

Wow as much as I said I love playing at night in Fenway, playing a 4:05 game is dreadful. I couldn't pick the ball up out of the pitcher's hand to save my life due to the shadows. Fortunately their rotation is decimated with injuries and I was facing a 67 rated pitcher and was able to get away with hacking at everything and still put up nine runs

Yeah the AL had some terrible batting experiences when the sun is out. You get used to it.

My hometown Roger's centre is great during the day and night games, but play an afternoon game there with the dome open and all of a sudden you get the light filtering through the lighting infrastructure directly over the box and pitching path in the last half of the game. You have to pick up the pitch through several lighting changes. Offense absolutely dries up. Luckily the CPU seems to be affected by this as well.

Chicago, Seattle, Texas, and Oakland can all be a struggle at certain times of the day.

The worst offender though (IMO) is Detroit. Eff that place.



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[countryboy]

Re: MLB The Show 18 Franchise Discussion Thread

We just finished sweep of the Braves at home and have extended our lead over the Cubs to 9 games. We are just hot at the moment as we are 14-1 over our last 15 games. Hell of a streak. We are winning with pitching primarily, but our bats have been more lively than they have all year.

We did suffer another injury setback as Magnerius Sierra is on the DL with a broken hand. We hope he returns by September. He was injured crashing into the wall trying to make a catch. We called up Randal Grichuk to take his place and Grichuk hit a 3 run homer in his first AB back, but then struck out his other 4 AB's. Frustrating.

We get Carlos Martinez back in a day or two, but we are going to have him set out his next start and let Luke Weaver start. Then we'll option Weaver back to Memphis and put Martinez in his normal rotation spot.

We are about to start a 4 game series with the Mets at home. The Mets have the 2nd best record in the NL and lead East by 8 1/2 games over the Braves.

Still monitoring our roster and seeing what, if anything needs to be done.

[FluffyTonka]

Re: MLB The Show 18 Franchise Discussion Thread

The Reds are firing after sweeping the Pirates in a 4-game set. We both entered the series with only one loss at the top of the NL Central.

Hamels set the tone in the first game by pitching another 8 innings of shutout ball against Tailon in a 2-nil victory.

In all of the games it was close until around the 6th or 7th inning. Where the Reds would pull away on the Pirates Bullpen.

The last game with Kevin Gausman on the mound was a ripper. Both teams started with leadoff homers, then went pitch for pitch until extra innings.

In the 12th with the score 1-1 my back up CF Magnius Sierra blooped a shot over the 3B's head. Then Scooter Gennett blasted a ball straight down the line at first which Josh Bell fumbled before tagging Scooter out. Sierra advanced.

Votto flied out to deep right and Sierra advanced to third.

With the count at 2-2 Kyle Crick flung a slider in the dirt and it got by Cervalli with a passed ball and Sierra ran it home to break the tie.

2-1 Reds.

My bullpen was gassed from the long series and the fact it's been a week since our last day off. So Wandy Peralta took the mound against the top of the order with Fraizier and then Polanco ... with a bad feeling of Wandy (a lefty) and a Starling Marte matchup I brought out my only reliever with any green bar, rookie Keynan Middleton.

Marte took things to a nervy full count and beyond, fouling away three more pitches, and on the 9th pitch he popped it up behind the plate for Barnhart to devour.

Votto was player of the series though. He came into the series batting .143 with no HR and one RBI. He leaves the series batting .296 with 3HR and 6RBIs and somehow managed two triples in all of that hitting.


There's no rest for the tired bullpen though. Straight to Philly and then back home for another 4 game set Vs the Cards before we get a day off.

Bringing two starters over in Spring Training with Hamels and Guasman (i pitch really well with their actions) have been huge. Castillo and DeSclef are excellent 3rd & 4th rotation guys. So I'm really happy with my pitching moving forward.

[reyes the roof]

Re: MLB The Show 18 Franchise Discussion Thread

We completed a sweep in Boston, beating up on David Price for an 8-1 victory and clinching at least a wildcard spot in the process. I need more games in Boston because that was as well as my offense has played in a three game stretch all season, putting up 10,9, and 8 runs.


After that our road trip brought us to Philly for a matchup vs Aaron Nola. Amed Rosario led off with a bloop single, stolen base, and then two sacrifice flies later came around to score the games only run. Hopefully it was a case of Nola being tough to score on and my offense hasn't gone back in to a funk. Combine that with a Washington loss and I'm 1.5 games up in the division and the magic number is 11 with 12 to play

[TheWarmWind]

Re: MLB The Show 18 Franchise Discussion Thread

Mike Trout hits 2 home runs in an inning, Blue Jays embarrass the BoSox 18-2

It was a rough night for the Boston Red Sox as they had to face a Jays lineup that had finally come alive.

Although the Jays have been undefeated so far in spring, that was mostly on the back of spectacular pitching and the death row that is Trout(2nd), Harper (3rd), and Hosmer (4th). But today saw the rest of the Jays lineup wake up.

OF Jarome Mauzoul looked especially good today, going 3 for 3 with a walk added on.

"I was struggling to start this spring for sure." Mauzoul said in an interview after the game. "Shane [Toronto hitting coach Shane Ashby] recognized my struggle right away and helped me change my approach. It's been working for me, I've been hitting a lot of solid balls, they just weren't falling in for hits until today. Good to move past it. Always have to smile after a game like that."

Indeed he had plenty of reason to smile, being only a single away from hitting the cycle.

The Quest for 3rd

Questions continue to arise over the 3B conundrum. Franco has forced himself into the conversation. His defense isn't as good as Reidling's and he doesn't have the same kind of power bat that Almanzar has, but he provides good but not great defense and he has been matching Almazar's average so far in spring, if not his power numbers. He represents a sort of compromise between the two choices.

There are also rumors swirling around a possible trade with Kansas City in order to get Mike Moustakas, a player the Jays have targeted several times in the past, but the deals always fell through for one reason or another. While it certainly wouldn't look good for their fans, KC realizes they are in full rebuild mode, and getting his contract off the books in exchange for some younger players before the year even started would be a huge win for them. Odds are it won't happen during spring as the Jays themselves are trying to save as much money as possible in order to lock up their young talent for the future, but if the 3B spot continues to be an issue, we could see Moose in a Jays jersey some time after the all-star break.

[Gagnon39]

Re: MLB The Show 18 Franchise Discussion Thread

[Itsma806]

Re: MLB The Show 18 Franchise Discussion Thread

ALCS GAME TWO

Chicago White Sox
VS.
Houston Astros

FINAL SCORE
White Sox-7
Astros-2

White Sox cruise to 2-0 lead
Reynaldo Lopez was electric as he pitched a complete game while allowing four hits and two runs..

The White Sox did their damage in the 4th inning, scoring seven runs. Due to this, Dallas Keuchel was knocked out of the game. The Astros bullpen came in and handled business but the runs given up by Keuchel proved to be too much for their offense.

The White Sox now only have to win top out of three to advance to the World Series.

Other Result:
None


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[RogerDodger]

Re: MLB The Show 18 Franchise Discussion Thread

it's great when you go on a tear with a player, huh?

I had Joc Pederson come to the plate last night and the commentary reminded me he'd hit 7 HR's in his last ten games. When a player gets hot the game captures that sense of momentum like no other sports game.

[reyes the roof]

Re: MLB The Show 18 Franchise Discussion Thread

I had a scare vs the Phillies, deGrom left with an injury in the 4th and I expected the worst, but when I checked the injury report after the game he wasn't on it...crisis avoided. We won that game then the next night I threw a combined no hitter. Syndergaard gave me 7 innings on 99 pitches but he came up with a man on second and two outs in the top of the 7th in a 0-0 game so I had no choice but to take him out with the no hitter going. It would have been interesting if I had a lead at the moment because I would have left him in until he gave up a hit and he was showing fatigue. I ended up winning 1-0 on a Todd Frazier double in the top of the 9th.


I headed to Washington for a four game series with a two game lead. Game one I had Matz on the mound vs Gio Gonzalez. 1st inning Matz gives up a solo HR to Wilmer Difo, we tie it in the second after a Tj Rivera double and take the lead in the 6th on a Cespedes HR. Bottom of the 6th Zimmerman hits a 2 run HR to give them a 3-2 lead. Bottom of the 9th and Cespedes hits his second HR of the game to tie it and send it to extra innings. Bottom of the 10th and here is where things get weird. Wieters reaches on an error and Daniel Murphy comes in to pinch hit and gets a single. Wieters is on second with 18 speed and Murphy is on first and for some reason they pinch run for Murphy instead of Wieters. I can't remember who came up next but they got a base hit to LF but didn't score due to not running for Wieters. Then they proceed to pinch run for the guy that just got a single and leave Wieters on 3rd with one out. Adam Eaton comes up and I get him to hit a hard ground ball to second and I have a complete mental breakdown and instead of taking the easy out at home I try to turn two and fail, Washington wins on a walk off fielders choice. Their unorthodox pinch running paid off and my lead is down to one game. Going to be an intense series with Scherzer and deGrom facing off in the finale

[FluffyTonka]

Re: MLB The Show 18 Franchise Discussion Thread

The Reds Vs the Phillies has been tight, but the Reds have now lost two in a row, both in extra innings.

Back-to-back games where my relievers made one mistake, leaving a ball over the middle and both were put away for walk off solo shots in the 10th & 11th inning each game.

I've really struggled getting the ball out of the park in my last few games resorting to small ball to get my runs.

Magnerius Sierra just notched his 10th game in a row with a hit, but he's still only batting .286 and I think all of his hits have been singles too.

The final game sees Gausman take on Nola. Both are 2-0 with ERA's under 2.00 in the early going, so it should be another close, defensive struggle.

[LowerWolf]

Re: MLB The Show 18 Franchise Discussion Thread

Finished April with a 20-9 record. We're a game behind the Nats in the East. We're 9-0 against the Phillies and 11-9 against everyone else.

Freddie Freeman has been on fire. He's hitting .355 with 11 HRs and 24 RBIs through the first month.