MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

[jmcole33]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

The Amazins

Mets Extend Division Lead, Take 2 of 3 in Miami
June 16, 2024

The Mets handled their business in Miami this week, and would have won all three games if it weren't for a late rally in Game 1 by the Marlins. LHP Dan Shoemaker entered in the 8th inning with a 5-4 lead and two batters later the Mets were looking at a 5-6 deficit, which would end up being the final score.

For the rest of the series, the Mets' bats were simply overwhelming. For the entire month of June, the Mets offense has been on a tear, scoring less than 5 runs only twice through the first half of the month.

Game 2 looked to be a pitcher's duel for the first 5 innings, but the Marlins would plate 4 runs in the bottom of the 6th off Noah Syndergaard. Fortunately, the Mets would explode for 7 runs in the top of the 7th and add another in the 9th for an 8-4 win.

Game 3 featured a masterful pitching performance from Walker Buehler. He went 7 innings giving up a lone hit, a solo HR to Miguel Sano, and striking out 8. Buehler's ERA now sits at 1.86, which is good for 4th in the NL. The Mets collected 18 hits and scored 10 runs in support of Buehler, and rookie Catcher Eddy Fabregas enjoyed himself a 3-5 day at the plate with 2 doubles.

The Mets host the Rockies for a weekend series.


Michael Conforto Is Back


Can we talk about Michael Conforto for a second? There were rumblings inside and outside of the Mets' organization over the last two seasons that Conforto had hit his peak and was on the decline. Those people have been proven to be sadly mistaken. On the year, he's batting .332 with 20 HR, 30 2B, and 54 RBI.

He has been on absolute fire over the last month and a half. After yet another multi-hit game in which he had a 2R HR and a double, Conforto extended his league-leading hitting streak to 20 games.

Over those 20 games Conforto's stat line looks like this:
36-80 (.450)
27 R
29 RBI
11 HR
12 2B
12 BB
7 K

The Mets are also 15-5 during that stretch. Safe to say that Conforto is still one of the most productive players in baseball.

[TheWarmWind]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

Blue Jays 2021 World Series and 2021/2022 Offseason report

Strap in this is going to be a doozy.

2021 Postseason report

It finally happened. After all these years of two clear monster teams dominating the league, the LA Dodgers and the Toronto Blue Jays finally meet in the world series. Nothing could stop these teams as they rightfully rolled over the competition. Offence, Rotation, Bullpen, both teams dominated in all three categories on their way to their inevitable matchup.

But what was sold as a no holds bar slugfest became a careful, plodding, and strenuous affair of careful pitching and patient hitting. And, unfortunately for the Dodgers, that is the Blue Jays bread and butter.

They were games of tight margins, and LA attacked first in three of the four games, but even though the Blue Jays starters bent, they never broke. Meanwhile, the Dodgers rotation were facing a disciplined, methodical lineup that never for a moment let them breath a sigh of relief. It wasn't mashing homers that won or lost this series. Both sides were even in that regard. It was walks and soft liners into the gaps that gave the Blue Jays a World Series title.

Postseason MVP (game's pick): Julian Montano
Postseason MVP (WW's pick): Julian Montano
Runner Up: Adam McMullan.

Julian Montano picked up right where he left off when he went down in the regular season to a wrist injury. He hit the ball when the rest of his team could not, and did it with power and precision. His defense was every bit as good as it's ever been too. If it weren't for his play in the final game, he would be World Series MVP too.

World Series MVP (game's pick): Jonothan Blanco
World Series MVP (WW's pick): Bryce Harper
Runner up: Rodger Ambercrombie

Blanco picked back up his usual habits of hitting singles up the middle and doubles into the push field. His stats were good but his contributions were unremarkable.

Harper without a doubt picked up the slack of the rest of the center of the order. In 3 of the 4 games, he was responsible for the winning run.

Biggest Blue Jays Story of 2021

Rodger Ambercrombie. Not only is he crazy good and cool as a cucumber, but he's managed to accomplish something I never thought I'd get to oversee. As the team's closer all season long, he never once blew a save. The entire bullpen was good, but even the comparable Elez blew a lead once. But not Ambercrombie. If the Blue Jays had a lead in the 9th, the game was over. Period.

Not bad for his first try at closing.

Runner up: Alonso Baez. Thrust into the rotation due to injury and the complete failure of not one, but two pitcher's in front of him to take the spot, Baez flourished in the role. He was shaky at first, especially at away games, but looked more and more comfortable as the season went along. Soon enough he earned a spot (partly due to more injuries) in the playoff rotation. He's now shot up in ratings and potential, leapfrogging many of the pitchers who were better than him at the start of last year and now piling on the the issue of the log jam for starting rotation in the 2022 season.

2021/2022 offseason report

The Jays and the Dodgers will now both try to find ways to stave off the contract hell before them. The Jays focused on doing what they could to keep their roster flexible. Manager TheWarmWind has been wary of some of the contract an negotiating mistakes he's made in the past, and has renewed his focus on home grown talent and team control for future success. With several major contracts due up at the end of 2022, TheWarmWind wants to free up cap and roster space without committing to anything major at this time. Let's get the big move out of the way first.

Out: Mike Trout, Aaron Mckenna, Kevin Casto

In: No MLB quality players.

How could the Blue Jays trade away Mike Trout! Sure, they get a veritable pool of prospects in (what turned out practically into) a three way trade with the Twins and the Rockies, but the man just won MVP! Not to mention a host of other awards. He's been the core of the Blue Jays lineup for years!

When you look a little deeper, things start to make a bit more sense. Trout has said for a while now that he was looking for new challenges outside of the Jays, and this trade enables him to be a leader to a bunch of fresh new faces.

Look a little deeper though and you find an even uglier truth. Trout's godlike path through the Majors has seen a recent and ugly downturn. His MVP season was mostly riding off of his pre all-star break stats, and he was next to useless in the postseason.

Trout's contract is the same amount throughout, and the bulk of it is still remaining. The Jay's may have gotten a bargain, getting the best of Mike Trout's years while only paying a fraction of what they should have. Mike Trout may have quit a few good years ahead of him, but even if he does, the Blue Jays can free up the largest contract in baseball while getting off the hook for the golden years. The Twins may have just bought a lemon, and even if they didn't, they'll still eventually be the ones that pay, not the Jays, while missing out of the best years of that contract.

Mckenna and Casto both had to go. They were outside of the Jays plans and budget. Kellogg and Franco have both proven that they can fill the roles vacated by those two, and the Blue Jays are spoiled for choice when it comes to filling their pitching staff right now.

2022 Spring Training lineup predictions

For brevity, I'll just be doing RHP DH

SS Louis Sardinias (Switch hitter) - Sardinias will continue to man the leadoff spot while the Jays mull over an extention. He's undeniably the best SS in baseball, deservedly winning his third gold glove in a row while providing a high average and 35+ stolen bases, and maybe 4 or 5 home runs. He deserves a big raise for his free agent years, but I'm sure the Blue Jays will consider their options. Extension or not, expect another stellar season out of the Jays shortstop.

CF Jarome Mauzoul (righty)- With Trout gone, Mauzoul will slide out of the DH and into CF, where he's shown good defense. A 5 tool player who will provide a high average, 40+ stolen bases, and between 15 and 20 home runs. Consistency and health are concerns, but he has the talent, and perhaps a little more upside.

RF Bryce Harper (lefty) - Filling the #3 spot in Trout's absence will be Bryce Harper. His average will be dependent on the players in front of him getting on base, allowing him to avoid the shift, but regardless he'll still provide 40+ home runs and 5 to 7 stolen bases while being an average glove and an elite arm in right field.

LF Trey Bloom (righty) - What a great year of development for Bloom, who has gone from a homerun-and-strikeout machine to a bonafide 5 tool outfielder. His bat hits for average now, and while he still strikes out more than his teammates, discipline has been brought to his game without a loss of power. He'll also man the entire outfield well when his teammates need a break, and is durable to boot. He'll provide 25+ stolen bases and a whopping 50+ home runs if the trends hold. The craziest part, he may still trend upwards. Keyword is may. He'll need an extension soon too, but luckily has one more arbitration year to play with.

1B Julian Montano (lefty) - Montano is an all around good hitter. He'll hit for power, he'll hit for contact, he'll take a lot of walks. He is slightly above average at first base, but can have difficulty handling the sharp, bouncing grounder. He'll steal no bases, but has a ton of upside. He hit 35 home runs last year, and I think he's going to hit 40 this year. I suspect that he'll be a key part of the future core.

3B Xander Bogaerts (righty) - Bogaerts has been a bit of an enigma on the team. He struggled mightily for the first half of the season last year, but mostly due to bad luck. He had great launch angles and contact, just always right at someone. Then after the all-star break he finally started to get the consistency he deserved, only to then go down with a broken ankle. He'll be looking for a better shot this year. He'll hit 25 home runs while stealing 2 or 3 bases, all while providing elite defense at 3B. As for his future on the team, his contract is good (but not great), so it's kind of wait and see. If the Jays resign Sardinias, then Bogaerts will likely get the Trout treatment next offseason. If they let Sardinias walk, then Bogaerts will likely shift back to SS for the team and play out his contract with them. The team has made no secret about how much they value defense at SS.

DH Joel Julio (lefty) - Julio really showed off his bat last season, and he's ready to show more with more ABs in his first full season. The most shocking story surrounding him though is the defense he provided at 3B last year. When he started in LF, he was a complete and utter liability, but he looked much more comfortable at 3rd, and even showed flashes of brilliance. Expect him to man the infield corners a few times this season. Durability is a concern, but he has tons of upside, that's why I'm predicting 25+ home runs, though no stolen bases.

C Jonothan Blanco / Ray Rodriguez ( Switch / Lefty) - These two will platoon based on who is pitching. Blanco continues to be a surprise for the Jays, continuing his trend of batting above expectations while providing solid work behind the plate. He's a singles and doubles machine, but may hit 1 or 2 home runs and will never steal a base. He continues to make a case to be part of the core for years to come.

Rodriguez is a different story. His defensive play has shaped up, but his offence his been on a downward trend since his incredible rookie season. Rumours are swirling around him concerning ridiculous contract demands for his arbitration years, so we'll see how things go in the future, but for now I'd expect a respectable average with 10 to 15 home runs, and 6 or 7 stolen bases.

2B Jeremy Funk ( switch ) - Do not take Funk's position at the bottom of the order lightly. Someone had to go here, and Funk will bat leadoff on days that Sardinias needs a rest. Here, he'll act sort of as a second lead off man. He may also move up in front of the catcher spot, especially when Blanco is hitting those singles. Nothing makes a singles hitter more effective then having speed on base, and Funk has speed. Expect a good average, 40+ stolen bases, and single digit home runs. He provides above average defense at 2nd, but is easily replaced. With this being his last year before free agency and the Blue Jays system ripe with options to play 2nd, I'd expect Funk to be moving on to greener pastures come seasons end. He does deserve to be a leadoff for a team less stacked, that's for sure.

Bench:

OF Roberto Perez (lefty) - No shock here. Perez has proven himself a starter on any other team. Defense is a liability outside of left field, but the presence of Trey Bloom means that Perez will never have to play anything but left. Were he a starter, I'd say he's hit a decent (if streaky) average with home runs hitting the teens.

IF Steve Roman ( switch ) - Once again, no shock. Will provide quality defense at any infield position while being a half decent singles hitter.

C (platoon see above)

Last bench - ???? I have no prediction for this spot. Moreno (C/1B Lefty) would seem to be the prudent choice based on his September performance, but I want to keep my options open.

Rotation/Bullpen

SP Jose Lozano (Righty) - This guy is insanely good. The Cy Young award winner looks to make it a threepeat. Good control, good movement, crazy good endurance, and fantastic pitch set. My ace for now, my ace for the future. Already signed long term.

SP Adam McMullan (Lefty) - Jose Lozano is the #1 pitcher in the Majors, and Adam McMullan might be #2. These two will be the foundation of a solid rotation for years to come. Also signed to a long term contract. Same length as Lozano actually.

SP Fernando Chavez (righty) - Chavez has a major issue. After spending almost all of last year on the disabled list, he comes back to find his well-earned #3 starter job threatened. Gilmore showed great improvement last year. Gomez also showed he was better than a bottom half starter. The biggest threat though? Alonso Baez coming in and and proving himself in a big way, winning rookie of the year and hurling himself to a world series title. Now scouts are high on Baez showing him with both higher talent now and more upside. Chavez could still be better than Baez, Gilmore, and Gomez. But he'll have to prove it. Hardly seems fair...

SP Ron Gilmore (lefty) - A fireballing lefty with a chip on his shoulder. Oh no wait that's a strike, you just couldn't make it out because it was coming in at the speed of light. Gilmore went from a bullpen pitcher being given a chance to an ace quality pitcher last season. His future with the team is unknown as his arbitration days loom and the Jays question if they really want to pay for 5 ace quality pitchers, but I suspect they're going to want to hold onto this one as long as they are able.

SP Pablo Gomez (righty) - A pinnacle of control and movement, Gomez came out strong to start his rookie season. He started to fade as the season went on though and looked really rough before going down to injury. Like Chavez, he'll have a lot to prove to keep Baez from taking his spot.

LRP Alonso Baez (righty) - Well, Chavez, Gilmore, and Gomez have one thing going for them. The Blue Jays have a long history of rookie of the year players who then go through devastating sophomore slumps. Jarome Mauzoul, Adam McMullan, and most recently Daniel Franco (and no, that is not the same Franco that I referred to earlier, this one is an infielder and there is a reason he is not mentioned in this prediction document). Baez will be looking to buck the trend and will be in hot contention for a starter spot.

LRP/MRP Darrel Drese (lefty) - another fireballing lefty, Drese has the endurance to do the occasional spot start, but going more than 4 innings is pushing it. Still, he can be a decent innings eater at any point in time, and would probably be put later in the bullpen if it weren't so stacked. Rumours about him being (rightfully) dissatisfied with his role on the team may mean he doesn't have much of a future here, but you can bet the Jays will utilize him while they can. They certainly don't want him on another team where they might have to face him. Actually, same can be said for most of their pitchers.

MRP Jose Franco (righty) - Not to be confused with Daniel Franco, the sophomore slumped infielder, Jose Franco came up about halfway through the year and proved he was MLB ready. He's shown he can stay cool in tense situations and will be competing for the 6th inning reliever spot with Kellogg.

MRP Johnny Kellogg (lefty) - The sinkerballing lefty proved to be both an excellent matchup specialist and all around offense stopper. It's a tight race between these two for who should take over in the 6th, but I'd put my money on Kellogg.

SU (7th) Ozzie Reyes (righty) - The guy only has three pitches. One of them is a fastball that can hit 101... at the knees. The other is a 90+ slider that breaks over half the zone. The third? Another fastball. This one a 2-seamer that hits 98. Oh yeah, and it also has big break. A closer on any other team. I thought he'd be my closer. I had planned on it. But no, these two lefties had to come along and ruin everything.

SU (8th) Fernando Elez (lefty) - So imagine this. You're the hitting coach of a team and you see the side come back to the bench dejected after having to face a guy throwing the stuff Ozzie Reyes throws. You say "don't worry guys, the next guy can't get any worse. See? It says here he can only throw 93 tops." Then they go out to face him... and he throws that 90 to 93 fastball exactly on the corner. You tip your cap, say nice pitch, then he does it again. Then he throws what looks like another fastball exactly on the corner again, but it's an 83 MPH CH and your batter swings through it. Then you start crying. Even if your guys do make some kind of contact he's got more H/9 then the Jays have blue. He throws a similar sequence to your next guy except this time he finishes with a slider that he put exactly where he wanted it. You curl up in a ball in the corner and whisper to yourself "the next guy can't be any worse".

Closer Rodger Ambercrombie (lefty) - So the 7th inning guy had velocity and K/9 and the 8th inning guy had control and H/9. What's this guy got? All of it. 100 MPH 4SFB. 98 MPH Cutter. 90 MPH slider. and a changeup at 84. All placed with purpose and precision. You don't touch this guy. This guy is the end. Goodnight. Man it is going to cost me a fortune to keep all three of these guys, but I don't ever, ever want to face them. I've got a year or two left to massage something out though.

The last bullpen spot is completely open. It's going to be a crazy scramble for it.

That's it. If you managed to read all of that, I applaud you. That was a lot. Time to not post again until next offseason :P

[ML]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

A lot of real life stuff has come up so my 2022 season has been put on the back burner. Slowly getting back into it.

Lost in 16!!! Innings today. Man on first and third, one out. Fly ball into the corner (foul) of Camden. I know the games over as Judge catches the ball rather than letting it drop and the runner tags up and scores.

Would it have been “cheese” to pause the game, swap to manual fielding, just to let the ball drop? Assuming that is possible of course.


Sent from my iPhone using Operation Sports

[countryboy]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

Cardinals and Giants will play a Game 7

For the first time in the series, a team has won back to back games. After being down 3 games to 1 in the series, the Giants won Game 5 in St.Louis to force the series back to San Francisco and then won Game 6 to force a true win or go home Game 7 of the 2026 NLCS.

The Cardinals got off to a good start putting up a run in the Top of the 1st when Yoan Moncada doubled home Harrison Bader who led the game off with a walk. Junior Fernandez would give up a hit to Chance Sisco in the bottom of the first but sustain no further damage.

The Giants tied the game in the 2nd when Dom Williams hit a solo homerun, but again, Fernandez would withstand the punch and prevent anything further from happening. At least until the 5th. After scrambling to get out of a bases loaded jam in the 4th where Fernandez had trouble locating, he gave up back to back singles to Steven Duggar and Francisco Lindor before being lifted in the 5th. Ryan Hesley was brought in and hung an 0-1 curveball to Chance Sisco who tattooed it to left to put the Giants up 4-1.

The Cardinals would make a comeback in dramatic fashion. With bases loaded and two outs in the 8th, Eddie Ortiz would double into Triple's Alley at Oracle Park to clear the bases and tie the game at 4. Nolan Gorman thought he put the Cardinals ahead, but Dom Williams made a diving catch in left to rob him of a RBI hit.

That excitement would be short lived as in the bottom of the 8th, two costly errors by Yoan Moncada would put the Giants back ahead and propel them to victory in Game 6. With one on and one out, Dom Williams hit what could've been an inning ending double play right to Moncada, but he bobbled the ball and was unable to record an out. After Kris Bryant walked and Manuel Gomez had a swinging bunt single to load the bases with 1 out. Christian Adames would hit a double play ball right at Nolan Gorman who threw to 2nd for the out, but Moncada return throw was in the dirt and got away from McKay allowing 2 runs to score to put the Giants up 6-4, which would be the final score.

The Cardinals will go with Dakota Hudson to start Game 7, but except for Junior Fernandez, it will be all hands on deck for the Cardinals to try and advance to the World Series. The Giants will counter with Jose Berrios.

American League Championship Series

The White Sox took a 3 games to none lead on the A's in what looked to be a sweep by the ChiSox, but the A's have won the last 2 games, thus forcing the series back to Chicago for a Game 6.

[kinsmen7]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

Cardinals and Giants will play a Game 7

For the first time in the series, a team has won back to back games. After being down 3 games to 1 in the series, the Giants won Game 5 in St.Louis to force the series back to San Francisco and then won Game 6 to force a true win or go home Game 7 of the 2026 NLCS.

The Cardinals got off to a good start putting up a run in the Top of the 1st when Yoan Moncada doubled home Harrison Bader who led the game off with a walk. Junior Fernandez would give up a hit to Chance Sisco in the bottom of the first but sustain no further damage.

The Giants tied the game in the 2nd when Dom Williams hit a solo homerun, but again, Fernandez would withstand the punch and prevent anything further from happening. At least until the 5th. After scrambling to get out of a bases loaded jam in the 4th where Fernandez had trouble locating, he gave up back to back singles to Steven Duggar and Francisco Lindor before being lifted in the 5th. Ryan Hesley was brought in and hung an 0-1 curveball to Chance Sisco who tattooed it to left to put the Giants up 4-1.

The Cardinals would make a comeback in dramatic fashion. With bases loaded and two outs in the 8th, Eddie Ortiz would double into Triple's Alley at Oracle Park to clear the bases and tie the game at 4. Nolan Gorman thought he put the Cardinals ahead, but Dom Williams made a diving catch in left to rob him of a RBI hit.

That excitement would be short lived as in the bottom of the 8th, two costly errors by Yoan Moncada would put the Giants back ahead and propel them to victory in Game 6. With one on and one out, Dom Williams hit what could've been an inning ending double play right to Moncada, but he bobbled the ball and was unable to record an out. After Kris Bryant walked and Manuel Gomez had a swinging bunt single to load the bases with 1 out. Christian Adames would hit a double play ball right at Nolan Gorman who threw to 2nd for the out, but Moncada return throw was in the dirt and got away from McKay allowing 2 runs to score to put the Giants up 6-4, which would be the final score.

The Cardinals will go with Dakota Hudson to start Game 7, but except for Junior Fernandez, it will be all hands on deck for the Cardinals to try and advance to the World Series. The Giants will counter with Jose Berrios.

American League Championship Series

The White Sox took a 3 games to none lead on the A's in what looked to be a sweep by the ChiSox, but the A's have won the last 2 games, thus forcing the series back to Chicago for a Game 6.

It's time to break that goose egg man! Bear down and finish 'em off!

[Jayyoungjr]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

Jay’s Cubs Wrap Up: 2023

Cubs and Angels Set for Game 2.

Game Two took place on Friday as Kyle Hendricks got the start against Shane Bieber. Bieber has been the top starter for the Angels in this post season and has played a critical role in getting Los Angeles to the fall classic. After a high scoring affair in game 1 both pitchers looked to quell the bats and they did just that. Hendricks and Bieber were dealing for most of the game as the game would remain scoreless through 6 innings; Bieber had allowed just 3 hits through six while Hendricks had allowed 4 to go along with 5 strikes out using his defense behind him to get out of some tough jams. In the 7th the Angels were able to pull ahead as Anthony Rendon hit a timely double and 2 batters later shortstop Nick Gordon was able to drive him in on a single. Hendricks was able to get out of the inning only allowing the 1 run.

The Cubs would fight on in the bottom of the 7th as Baez and Happ started the inning off with singles. Colas, who was in right for today's game was able to draw the walk to load the bases with no outs. Brennan Davis was up next as he had to come in for Victory Reyes in the 4th inning after Reyes left with an undisclosed shoulder injury. Davis was able to lay down a drag bunt that split the mound and first base that allowed Baez to score on the safe squeeze and move runners to 3rd and 2nd. While they were able to tie the game the Cubs were not able to advance the runners further.

In the 8th Kyle Ryan came in to face the top of the order; after getting the swinging strike out on a nasty cutter to Jahmai Jones, Corey Dickerson was able to get a ball into the outfield for a double; Randy Arozarena would come in to play left and pinch run as LA would try to retake the lead. Ryan kept his poise and was able to get Trout to a 1-2 count and got out #2 as he chased a fastball high and inside. The Cubs pitching coach came out and the decision was made to intentionally walk Rendon, the move proved to be a smart one as Kyle Tucker popped up the first pitch he saw to end the inning. In the bottom of the 8th the Angels entrusted Alex Colome who has been their best arm out of the pen. In 10.2 postseason innings Colome was sporting a .88 ERA. After striking out Rizzo and getting Contreras to a 0-2 count it looked like it would be a quick inning as he induced a grounder from Chicago’s catcher but Nick Gordon misplayed a routine throw from 2nd that made Aguilar leave the bag as Contreras was on first due to the error. The Cubs would not be able to capitalize though as Schwarber popped up to Trout and Baez struck out to end the inning.

In the 9th the Cubs stayed with Kyle Ryan and he kept the score in place as he pitched a 1,2,3 inning to move the game to the bottom of the 9th with Colome still on the mound. The bottom of the lineup was up and Ian Happ started things up on the first pitch he saw as he got on with a single up the middle of the infield. Happ was replaced at first with Mariano Velaquez who proceeded to steal 2nd base on a 1-1 count. In the end the stolen base wouldn’t matter as Oscar Colas was able to lay off a 3-2 pitch for a walk. With runners at 2nd and first, Brennan Davis was up in a big spot with no outs. Davis missed badly on a 0-0 bunt attempt but was helped out on his next attempt as the ball was too far inside and struck him. With the bases juiced and no outs Wrigley was in a fever pitch as Danny Santana was called off the bench with the game in his hands. After taking an outside changeup for a ball; next Colome threw a cutter that caught the corner of the plate. This allowed for Santana to make just enough contact to send the ball to right field. The ball fell short of the warning track but Tucker’s arm was no match for the speed Valequez possessed at 3rd as he tagged up for the sacrifice fly to take game 2.
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_ZlYIx7_bBE" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

The cubs have struggled this postseason with giving up the lead in the late innings but this is a veteran club that has been in high pressure situations before and it showed. The fall classic will take a day off on Saturday as the Cubs and Angels to Anaheim for Games 3, 4 and 5 if necessary. Victory Reyes was diagnosed with a sore shoulder, The Cubs have chosen to leave him on the playoff roster but he will be a game time decision for Game 3.

[countryboy]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

Cardinals are going to the World Series

The Cardinals have won Game 7 in San Francisco to advance to the World Series.

The Cardinals were the first on the board as they scored in the Top of the 3rd after Samuel Franco doubled home Harrison Bader to take the early 1-0 lead. But they weren't done. After McKay grounded out for the 2nd out of the inning, Yoan Moncada hit a 2 run homerun to left that put the Cardinals up 3-0.

The score would remain 3-0 until the 6th when the Cardinals put up 4 runs to take a 7-0 lead heading into the bottom of the inning. The Giants would finally get on the board thanks to a Kris Bryant double in left but that would be all as the lead was cut to 7-1.

The Giants would get another in the 7th when Marco Luciano singled home a run to cut the lead to 7-2. In the 8th the Giants would get back within slam range by adding another run thanks to a Steven Duggar sac fly that cut the lead to 7-3.

But the Cardinals would push that lead back out to 9-3 in the 9th when Eddie Ortiz delivered a 2 run RBI that would give the Cardinals plenty of breathing room. The Giants scored one in the bottom of the 9th off of Roberto Osuna but that would be all as Osuna would settle down and secure the win and the series and send the Cardinals to the World Series.

The World Series will start on Thursday as the Cardinals will travel to Chicago to face the White Sox who won the ALCS in 6 games over the A's. The White Sox were 4 wins better than the Cardinals during the regular season.

The Cardinals will start ace Kyle Funkhouser in Game 1 of the World Series. It's not yet known who the White Sox will start.

[GainzBro]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

Cardinals are going to the World Series

The Cardinals have won Game 7 in San Francisco to advance to the World Series.

The Cardinals were the first on the board as they scored in the Top of the 3rd after Samuel Franco doubled home Harrison Bader to take the early 1-0 lead. But they weren't done. After McKay grounded out for the 2nd out of the inning, Yoan Moncada hit a 2 run homerun to left that put the Cardinals up 3-0.

The score would remain 3-0 until the 6th when the Cardinals put up 4 runs to take a 7-0 lead heading into the bottom of the inning. The Giants would finally get on the board thanks to a Kris Bryant double in left but that would be all as the lead was cut to 7-1.

The Giants would get another in the 7th when Marco Luciano singled home a run to cut the lead to 7-2. In the 8th the Giants would get back within slam range by adding another run thanks to a Steven Duggar sac fly that cut the lead to 7-3.

But the Cardinals would push that lead back out to 9-3 in the 9th when Eddie Ortiz delivered a 2 run RBI that would give the Cardinals plenty of breathing room. The Giants scored one in the bottom of the 9th off of Roberto Osuna but that would be all as Osuna would settle down and secure the win and the series and send the Cardinals to the World Series.

The World Series will start on Thursday as the Cardinals will travel to Chicago to face the White Sox who won the ALCS in 6 games over the A's. The White Sox were 4 wins better than the Cardinals during the regular season.

The Cardinals will start ace Kyle Funkhouser in Game 1 of the World Series. It's not yet known who the White Sox will start.

Many of us who are familiar with this franchise are rooting for you!

Sent from my LGMP260 using Operation Sports mobile app

[countryboy]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

Many of us who are familiar with this franchise are rooting for you!

Sent from my LGMP260 using Operation Sports mobile app

Thanks I appreciate that!


Sent from my iPhone using Operation Sports

[LowerWolf]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

Go get it, CB.

[Jolly Roger]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

[jmcole33]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

The Amazins

Mets Drop Series to Rockies
June 19, 2024

The Rockies gave the Mets a taste of their own medicine this weekend, scoring 21 runs on 32 hits.

Game 1 featured an 11-1 beatdown of the Mets in which starting pitcher Dave Monahan gave up six runs over three innings. Michael Conforto's 20-game hitting streak also came to an end as he went 0-4 with 2 K.

Game 2 was the lone game of the series the Mets would win. Dakota Chalmers was stellar again, going 6.1 IP and giving up 2 R on 4 H while striking out 4. He continues to impress and is undoubtedly going to be a part of the rotation in the future. Conforto got back on the horse in this one and cranked a solo shot to right center field in the 6th inning to extend the Mets lead to 3-0. The Mets would hang on for a 4-2 win.

Amir Garrett got the ball in Game 3, and was rolling until the 6th inning. The Rockies had a flurry of hits, chasing him from the game. Unfortunately, LHP Steven Vaccarro could not finish the inning and gave up a bases clearing double, all of which was recorded on Garrett's ledger. The Rockies would score 5 runs in the inning and add 3 more in the later innings to win 8-4. Rookie 2B Brent Durango hit his 3rd HR of the year, all solo shots, and has shown more power than expected through his first couple weeks in the big leagues.

The Mets (49-28) continue their homestand with a 4-game set against the Reds (33-44).

[countryboy]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

White Sox take Game 1 of World Series

The White Sox have won Game 1 of the World Series 3-2 over the Cardinals at Guarantee Rate Field in Chicago.

The White Sox used 2 homeruns, a 2 run shot by Gavin Sheets in the 6th and a solo shot by Ben Gamel in the 7th to earn the victory.

Kyle Funkouer and Michael Kopech matched each other pitch for pitch thru the first 5 with neither really getting into trouble as Funkhouser struck out 6 and Kopech 7 thru 5 innings. In the 6th, Kopech was in trouble with one out and the bases loaded. A 3-1 pitch to Eddie Ortiz appeared to be ball 4, but was ruled a strike. The next pitch Ortiz grounded into a inning ending double play. In the bottom of the inning with one on and two outs, Funkhouser gave up a two run homerun to Gavin Sheets on a splitter that didn't move and Sheets got it up in the wind and carried it out of the park for the 2-0 lead.

The Cardinals would bounce back in the 7th after Gorman reached via error by Nick Madrigal, Paul DeJong doubled into the right field gap off of Dylan Cease to make it a 2-1 game. Andrew Knizner would follow that with a double of his own in the left field gap to tie the game at 2. The Cardinals had a man on 2nd with 0 outs and couldn't bring him home as Bader struck out, Samuel Franco flied out and Brendan McKay popped out.

In the bottom of the 7th, on a 1-2 pitch, Zack Burdi was trying to climb the latter on Ben Gamel but didn't get it up enough and Gamel lined it over the wall in right for the 3-2 lead in the 7th. The Cardinals wouldn't threaten again as they went 6 up, 6 down in the final two innings of the game.

Game 2 is tomorrow night with Jack Flaherty taking the ball for the Cardinals and Jesus Castillo starting on the bump for the White Sox


2026 World Series - White Sox lead 1-0

[countryboy]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

White Sox win pitcher's duel Game 2, up 2-0 in series

The White Sox scored a run in the first after a Yoan Moncada error allowed the inning to continue and then hit a solo homerun in the 2nd and that would be all they needed to earn the victory in Game 2 and take a 2 games to zero lead in the World Series over the Cardinals.

The Cardinals had a chance in the first when Bader reached via error and Franco walked. McKay hit a swinging bunt that forced him out at first but moved runners to 2nd and 3rd with 1 out. Moncada was unable to do anything, again, and struck out and Bleday drove one to right that the wind kept in the park. In the bottom half, Moncada would strike again, committing an error with 2 outs in the inning that allowed Madrigal to get to third and then be driven home by Gavin Sheets to give the White Sox an early 1-0 lead.

In the 2nd Flaherty hung a curveball that Logan Sowers planted in the left field seats and the White Sox were up 2-0 and that would be all they needed. The Cardinals got one back in the 7th when Bleday, Ortiz and Gorman again came thru to put a run on the board, but DeJong and Knizner would strike out to end the threat.

In the 8th the Cardinals had men on the corners with one out and Moncada grounded into an inning ending double play. The 9th, Bleday would single, Ortiz would line out, Gorman would fly out and DeJong would strike out to end the game.

Flaherty ended up pitching the complete game going all 8 innings as he only gave up 1 earned run, allowed just 4 hits, gave up one walk and struck out 12. Tough loss for Flaherty who settled down beautifully after the 2nd inning homerun by Sowers. Unfortunately, the bats could come up with key hits when needed.

The two teams will be off tomorrow as the series shifts to St.Louis for Game 3. Carson Fulmer will get the ball for the White Sox while the Cardinals will turn to the Junior Fernandez in a must win game.

2026 World Series: White Sox lead 2-0

[Rocket32]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

Yankees Drop 2 of 3 To Blue Jays, Sweep Rays

The Yankees continued their slide losing 2 of 3 to Toronto at Yankee Stadium but finally got it together with a huge 3 game sweep of the Rays at the Trop, but the Rays didn’t make it easy.

In game 1, we had a scoreless tie in the 8th, before Brett Gardner put us up 1-0 with a solo HR. We win 1-0. In game 2, we took a 2-1 lead into the 7th. Cole would leave with 2 runners aboard and 2 out after a 6.2 inning 1 run day. Britton would relieve him, and hung a splitter to Austin Meadows who crushed it for a 3 run bomb. Rays lead 4-2. We were able to claw back with a run in the 8th.

Then in the 9th, runner on first with 1 out and Rays closer Nick Anderson on the mound....Gardner would be the hero again pinch hitting for Aaron Hicks with a 2 run HR to give us a 5-4 lead. We win 5-4. Game 3 featured another scoreless tie in the 8th, this time broken up with a Aaron Judge 2 run HR. We win 2-0.

Next: We play our final road series of the season as we head to Toronto to take on the Blue Jays for 3 games. The Jays desperately need a sweep as they sit 6.5 games behind us. After that, we head home for the final 7 games of the season. 4 vs the hated Astros, then 3 vs Tampa.

News:
NL WC Update:
Cubs 88-66
Braves 87-65 9W streak
Cardinals 84-69 3.5 GB

Yankees, Indians, Twins, and Brewers, All Clinch Postseason Appearances

Astros Officially Eliminated From Playoff Contention.
The baseball world can celebrate as the Astros won’t be playing into October this year. It’s been a very disappointing year in Houston as they sit at 67-87 following a WS appearance. From losing Co Ace Zach Greinke to a head fracture in his first outing, to several key hitters missing stretches to injury in the first half, and the shadow of the scandal looming over their season...proved to much to overcome.
Astros Key Expiring Contracts:
George Springer, Michael Brantley, and Josh Reddick