MLB The Show 18 Franchise Discussion Thread

**Sumodeads** · 08-03-2018, 03:29 PM

Re: MLB The Show 18 Franchise Discussion Thread

I'm very behind on updating my Mariners Fantasy Chise. I had a hectic week, had an accident at work(I'm an Ironworker) and cut my arm real bad and had to go to the ER for stitching. Fortunately it seems I'll be fine after I heal up and I have full use of my hand so I'm able to play the show while I recuperate.

So in my last update we had just taken 3 out of 4 from the Angels to take a 3.5 game lead with 13 to go. That was part of a miserable stretch for the Angels who had been so good all year. They finished the year on a 7-15 run in their final 22 games and we ended up finishing a comfortable 7 games ahead of them for 1st in the West and an MLB best record of 99-63. The Angels were shutout in the wild card game by Clayton Kershaw of the NYY and their postseason was over in a flash. Winning the division is soon HUGE!

The playoff bracket looks like this after Angels(NYY) and Dodgers(CIN) eliminated in the Wildcard round:

ALDS

BOS DEF CLE 3-1
SEA DEF NYY 3-1!

NLDS

WSH DEF PIT 3-2
SD DEF CIN 3-1

ALCS

SEA DEF NYY 4-3!
SD DEF WSH 4-2

WORLD SERIES MATCHUP

SEA(99-63) VS SD (97-65)

The top two teams as far as records for the 2018 season will square up in this years World Series with Seattle holding home field advantage, but San Diego comes in with a few extra days rest. SEA won the season interleague series 3-1 so we are confident we can take this series with our home fans behind us!

I'll do an end of reg season update as far as year end awards and player stats highlights.

I had to use my best starter in Danny Salazar to win game 7, so I'll be holding him out until game 3 in San Diego. The first few matchups look like this:

Game 1: Miles Mikolas(SEA) VS Rick Porcello(SD)
Game 2: Chris Archer(SEA) VS Michael Pineda(SD)
Game 3: Danny Salazar(SEA) @ Tyler Mahle(SD)

I'll make the decision about game 4 based on what goes on in 1-3. LETS GO BOYS!!

**Hayman19** · 08-03-2018, 03:35 PM

Re: MLB The Show 18 Franchise Discussion Thread

Started a Reds franchise and simmed the first year with the updated trade deadline rosters. Made a few offseason deals. My lineup looks like this:

Lineup:
C. Tucker Barnhart
1B. Joey Votto
2B. Josh Harrison(FA)/Dansy Swanson(Trade) Platoon
3B. Nick Senzel
SS. Didi Gregorious (FA Signing)
LF. Austin Jackson (FA Signing)
CF. Billy Hamilton
RF. Tim Barksdale (Rookie Draftee)

Starters:
#1. Ross Stripling (Trade)
#2. Nate Karnes (FA Signing)
#3. Jose De Leon
#4. Sal Romano
#5. Tyler Mahle

Bullpen:
RP. Matt Harvey
RP. Kevin Quackenbush
RP. Tony Watson (Trade)
RP. Michael Lorenzen
RP. Wandy Peralta
SU. Hansel Robles
CP. Trevor Rosenthal (FA Signing)

Have another lefter in the pen, but cant remember his name. Swaped Peraza + a low B prospect for Dansby Swanson. Traded a few regulars like Suarez, Gennett & Castillo for propsects, trying to do a "refresh" of the team and build the rotation around Hunter Greene & the rest of the young pitching. Stripling & Karnes were acquired as pitchers in the rotation that had bad years last year to try and flip at the deadline for more prospects, as well as some of the guys in the pen. Got Rosenthal to try and turn him back into the closer he was with the Cards.

I took the first 2 games from the Dodgers to start the 2019 season. Senzel already has 5 RBI's and Rosenthal has 2 saves. Senzel has full reigns at 3B unless he struggles as does Rosenthal. My plan is to push more of the young guys from AAA to the Show by the end of the year and trade off more of the vets for prospects.

**Sumodeads** · 08-03-2018, 05:37 PM

Re: MLB The Show 18 Franchise Discussion Thread

2018 World Series

Game 1- SD DEF SEA 6-3

Rick Porcello was real good and we couldn't get anything going offensively. We actually got on the board early with a 2-R HR by Lucas Duda in the 2nd, but Porcello settled down and the SD bats came to life. They led 6-2 going into the bottom of the 7th after Mikolas got roughed up for 5 R in 5+ inn. Trevor Story hit a solo shot for us to cut it to 3, but the SD bullpen did the job and Jansen shut it down in the 9th for the 6-3 SD victory.

Game 2- SEA DEF SD 2-1

Pitchers duel between Archer and Pineda. Archer got the start despite being only around 85-90% Recovered from his previous start in the ALCS. He gave us the start we needed going 6 1/3 scoreless as he was matching zeros all day with Pineda. In the bottom of the 6th we got a clutch 2-out, 2-R 2B from Joc Pederson(getting the start over B. Hamilton in CF) which scored Harper and Story. SD Would get a solo HR in the 8th from Ryan Schimpf off Diekman that hit off the RF foul pole. Baez, Lyons and Edwin Diaz would get the last 7 outs to preserve the 2-1 win and even the series!

Now we head to Petco and our best pitcher over the past 3 months, Danny Salazar will take the ball for us. Hopefully our offense can give him some runs to work with. Salazar is 3-0 this postseason with an ERA of 1.48 over 24 1/3 inn and has a WHIP of 0.53!!

**Sumodeads** · 08-03-2018, 11:41 PM

Re: MLB The Show 18 Franchise Discussion Thread

2018 World Series

Game 3- SD DEF SEA 8-7(11 innings)

We had Salazar on the mound and confidence was running high. AThe Padres jumped out to a 2 run lead on a 1st inn HR from Matt Carpenter. Salazar would settle down after that and our offense would come alive with 7 runs by the 5th inning including HR by Harper, Duda and Cargo. Salazar gave up a solo shot to Carpenter in the 6th and we led 7-3. With 1 out in the 7th I decided to remove Salazar, confident that the bullpen would hold the lead so that Salazar would be rested to pitch again later in the series...the bullpen didn't do their job. They gave up 4 runs over the next two innings and then in the bottom of the 11th allowed SD to walk it off. Terrible loss on a game we led by 5 in the middle innings.

Game 4- SD DEF SEA 6-5

This was was another gut-wrenching loss that Championship winning caliber teams can't let happen. We were getting a great start from our only LH starter Bell and our offense started off strong with 5 runs in the first 5 innings including HR by Harper and Joc Pederson. Then the wheels fell off for the 2nd straight game. Our offense went cold and our pitching gave up 4 runs over the next two innings. We went into the bottom of the 9th clinging to a 1 run lead. Edwin Diaz had entered to get the final out of the 8th which he did successfully. But he would only get 1 out on the 9th. After walking Polanco on a very close 3-2 pitch, Adam Frazier would take the first pitch he sees, a 2-seamer up and in and send it into the RF seats for a walkoff HR putting the Padres up 3-1 in the series and leaving Seattle with their hands on their heads wondering how. We could easily be up 3-1, but now our backs are to the wall and we need to win 3 straight elimination games.

**Sumodeads** · 08-03-2018, 11:53 PM

Re: MLB The Show 18 Franchise Discussion Thread

2018 World Series

Game 5(Last game @Petco) SEA DEF SD 4-2(10 innings)

We've survived the first elimination game! We did it without using either of our two best starters, so they will be ready to pitch game 6 and then game 7 if we get there. We got excellent pitching in this game from 6 different pitchers. Mikolas gave us a solid 5 innings of 2 run ball, but only 1 was earned. After 5 we were tied at 2-2, with our offense coming from solo shots from Cruz and Duda. Both bullpens held strong from there and we battled til the end with very few scoring opportunities. In the bottom of the 9th, Keon Broxton who has been killing us all series hit a 1 out single. He steals every chance he gets. So after a first pitch strike to Schimpf, we decide to pitch out and we picked the right time. Broxton broke for second and Phegley gunned him out! I swear I think that the first time I successfully did that in all my years playing the Show and it was in a HUUUUGE spot. 2 pitches later I would get Schimpf out and we'd go to the 10th.

Cruz led off the 10th with a rocket up the middle for a base hit. I pinch ran for him with Hamilton. As Duda struck out swinging, Hamilton tole 2nd base. Then with 1 out Trevor Story would get a Cutter that just stayed up in the middle of the zone from Kenley Jansen and he hammered it to left up off the top of the Western Metal Supply Co. Building for a huge 2-R game winning HR. DIAZ pitched a 1-2-3 bottom half to close it out.

So we head back to Seattle down 3-2 with a little life. Game 6 matchup is Archer vs Porcello who has owned us between his start during the reg season and his start in the opener of this series. If we get to game 7 it will be Salazar vs Pineda.

1 pitch at a time...1 inning at a time...1 game at a time...Lets go Boys!!

**Sumodeads** · 08-04-2018, 12:56 AM

Re: MLB The Show 18 Franchise Discussion Thread

2018 World Series

Game 6- SD DEF SEA 7-6 to win the series 4-2 ....The San Diego Padres are the 2018 World Series Champs!

Painful loss. We lost 3 of the 4 games in the series on come from behind 1 run losses. Our pitching staff just didn't take care of business and their bullpen was just better. In this game we finally got to Porcello, scoring 6 runs off him and getting to a 6-4 lead through 4 innings. Archer just didn't have it today. He struggled the whole way. The Padres put up a 3 spot in the 5th and that would be the final score as we'd fail to put anything together as their bullpen shut us down for the last 4 innings after Porcello left. I gave Pederson the start for Hamilton and it looked genius as he had 2 HR early. Harper also homered in the 1st, bit it just wouldn't be enough.

I drafted this team. I hung tight at the trade deadline and the only moves I made were swapping out some players from our minor leagues. I played every inning of all of our 179 games with this team. We fell two wins shy of winning it all. It's a brutal way to go out but it was a blast and I'm glad I'd played it out with the setting I decided to use because it was extremely competitive throughout. Thanks to everyone who followed along. I will do an update with season stats and awards this weekend. Then I'll prob put this franchise on hold and start a YANKEES one back up with these difficulty settings and try and get to the WS with them and go for #28.

**countryboy** · 08-04-2018, 08:43 AM

Re: MLB The Show 18 Franchise Discussion Thread

Tough series Sumodeads.

Good luck in the offseason on building the roster to get back to the World Series and possibly win it!

**countryboy** · 08-04-2018, 10:15 AM

Re: MLB The Show 18 Franchise Discussion Thread

We beat the Dodgers in game 2 of the series 4-3 thanks to a walkoff homerun by Chris Jacobs in the bottom of the 9th. Down 3-2 heading into the 9th, Kolten Wong singled off Yusmeiro Petit and then Chris Jacobs hit a walkoff homerun on a 2-2 slider that hung in the middle of the plate.

The game didn't come at a cost though as Carlos Martinez had to leave the game in the 6th with an inflamed nerve in his neck. Not sure if I'll put him on the DL or not. Patrick Wisdom hurt his back and is heading to the 10 Day DL. We haven't decided what corresponding move we will make as injuries are really taking their toll on this team early in the season. We just got Magnerius Sierra back.

Next up is the series finale with the Dodgers with Lance Lynn squaring off against Jose De Leon. Oh how good it will feel to sweep the defending World Series champs.

DJ · 08-04-2018, 11:55 AM

Re: MLB The Show 18 Franchise Discussion Thread

Jacob de Grom out 1-2 months with a dislocated shoulder.

The hits just keep on coming on this West Coast road trip.

**reyes the roof** · 08-04-2018, 02:11 PM

Re: MLB The Show 18 Franchise Discussion Thread

I just won 11 in a row to take over first place in the NL East by a half game, then dropped 3 of 4 to give control back to Washington and I limp in to a three games series with Washington right before the all star break. It's looking like the division will come down to the wire.

**phenom1990** · 08-04-2018, 02:36 PM