I start work at 8:00 AM here in Shenyang, which is an exact 12 hour time difference from EST. I am seriously considering calling in sick tomorrow.

So every series has gone the distance except 1. Stupid Yankees.

I know this is a biased place to look for confirmation, but it seems as if baseball is the sport that has its #### the most together of all the major sports. Every other major sport has either major controversy, parity problems or can't seem to go more than a few seasons without a crippling lockout. I hate to give credit to a weaselly owner like Selig, but I think it's very hard to justifiably complain about the state of baseball right now. They somehow survived the PED issues and now they are entering a new dawn of seemingly competitive baseball. Even crappy teams like the Pirates at least have had a few sustained glimmers of hope the last few years (unrealistic as it was).

Kylse Lohse is Wintun (his tribal people) for "Jeff Suppan, 2006"

It is currently raining in SF. Which sux, as I have to bike to the train in two hours. It's not supposed to start raining until December. Why else would I pay these rents?

here's to a good game

Kylse Lohse is Wintun (his tribal people) for "Jeff Suppan, 2006"

Thank you for reminding me why I'm rooting against the Cardinals.

Discounting the Play-In games, the highest possible number of playoff games under the current alignment is 41 (20 LDS, 14 LCS, 7 WS). So far these playoffs are at 31 of 34, which is pretty good. 2003 was at 28 to this point, and ended up with 34. I believe that's the highest ever total for the current format, so it looks like we're guaranteed to have a new high. If the World Series goes 7, more than 92% of potential playoff games will have been played, which is pretty cool.

@Russ: I think you're absolutely right, though it's hard to quibble much with the NFL. I think the biggest problem the NFL has is the long term one of concussions and debilitating health issues of retired players. But, I suspect that as long as the money keeps rolling in, that will be mostly ignored.

Selig does not make a purist (like me) happy, but it's foolish to think he's done a bad overall job. I don't like him, I don't like the new look MLB (playoffs, wild cards, interleague, etc.) but the game is fluorishing and, as I always say, find me 18 people and I'll gladly watch them play a baseball game.

Jeez, when was it I was remarking that Chris Carpenter was unbeatable in the playoffs? Though I have no great love lost for either of the NL teams, it's hard not to love a single game for the pennant.

Russ, I also agree, particularly from the POV of labor relations. Baseball has the strongest union and the best working conditions of any major sport, and since 1995 Bud et al. have been smart enough to realize that such strength is compatible with a very good "product." I think the NFL offers a great product too, but bunyon points to a flaw that is becoming more and more egregious, the debilitation of players. Huge numbers of NFL players get mangled and discarded, or pay a price down the line. It's hard not to let that loom over any given Sunday, but the Sundays are still marvelous entertainment.

Folks are nagging on the Yankee/Tigers series as the short-series fly in the overall playoff enjoyment ointment. No way. Quality of Yankee schadenfreude far exceeds quantity of game enjoyment. Every time.

2003 was at 28 to this point, and ended up with 34. I believe that's the highest ever total for the current format, so it looks like we're guaranteed to have a new high.

Last year had 38 games, so all this year can do is tie. Not that that's really a criticism.

Folks are nagging on the Yankee/Tigers series as the short-series fly in the overall playoff enjoyment ointment. No way. Quality of Yankee schadenfreude far exceeds quantity of game enjoyment. Every time.

Plus Game 1 of that series was awesome.

Here's a factoid: three times, since the LCS went to seven games, a team that's swept its LCS has met one that was extended to seven games (1988, 2006, 2007). All three times, the team that was taken to seven beat the team that swept in.

I think the NFL offers a great product too, but bunyon points to a flaw that is becoming more and more egregious, the debilitation of players. Huge numbers of NFL players get mangled and discarded, or pay a price down the line. It's hard not to let that loom over any given Sunday, but the Sundays are still marvelous entertainment.

I was watching the Giants-Redskins football game yesterday when DeAngelo Hall committed an obvious late hit on the Giants' RB. The RB had fallen/dove head first into the ground after he got through the line and was down on the ground when DeAngelo dove at him. DeAngelo hit the down RB in the head with his shoulders, helmet, and back and he was fortunate enough that he didn't seriously injury the RB. It drew a penalty but you barely heard a word out of Troy Aikman or the other announcer nor did it seem like the players really reacted to it.

This is the culture that needs to change in the NFL. It's a league that prides itself in hurting their fellow players and everyone seems to be fine with that. As long as that continues the NFL will get more and more dangerous. On the flipside you have MLB where between the players and umpires/league the play has gotten less and less physical. Takeout slides and beanballs are rarer and rarer in baseball.

That's true, McCoy, but I'm not sure if you can. One of the central components of the entertainment is the hits. It's like boxing: to make it safer, you also make it less entertaining. Thus, the rise of Ultimate Fighting or whatever it's called. The urge to both commit and witness violence is deep in us. It may not be attractive but it is undeniable. So if you base an entertainment form on satiating that desire, you can't then attenuate the violence and keep the entertainment.

Baseball, basketball and soccer, in my opinion, have just enough violence to sort of scratch that itch, without it being the focus of the sport. You can well imagine any of those sports with greatly reduce levels of physical contact and still have something enjoyable* to watch.


* Perhaps more enjoyable. YMMV.

The injury rate in baseball is equal to or higher than that in football (albeit without the concussion problem, which is a serious issue).

I think the NFL offers a great product too, but bunyon points to a flaw that is becoming more and more egregious, the debilitation of players.

People point to the downtime in baseball games, but my goodness, it seems like every third play in the NFL is under further review.

Slivers, I'm not talking "injury", I'm talking permanent disability. Baseball players live normal lives. Football players die very young and suffer for much of it.

If a guy worth $50million tears an elbow tendon, I'm not going to weep (unless he's my guy). But if a whole bunch of guys retire unable to walk normally and die with dementia at 53, that should concern us.

Ugh. I really wish I had cardsfanboy's optimism. But I feel that the Cardinals lost this series when they forgot that Barry Zito is Barry Zito. Beating Matt Cain twice in the same series? I'm not seeing it.

The injury rate in baseball is equal to or higher than that in football (albeit without the concussion problem, which is a serious issue).

It's a different kind of injury though. MLB has tweaks and pulls while the NFL has brain damage and much much worse permanent damage to joints and such.

Is the game *really* on Fox? What about the debate? I don't have cable and get my games over the air, so I'd like to prepare to go out to a bar, if necessary.

Hmmm.. I'll be going to a bar anyway, but it's going packed tonight, so I probably won't get a seat. It's still pouring at AT&T. Biking in the rain, however, was oddly pleasant.

Last weather report I had was they expect the storm to blow over by 5, so I expect at least a delayed game.

Will a bar play the baseball game or MNF? That would be my only worry.

Good point Bunyun. Even in SF this will be a conundrum for certain 1TV bars near tourist areas. I'd stay away from those.

Is the game *really* on Fox? What about the debate? I don't have cable and get my games over the air, so I'd like to prepare to go out to a bar, if necessary.

Baseball > Debates. Trust me, the debate will be on plenty of other channels.

CHECKLIST (taking suggestions):
Conradian Play []
Web Gem []
It rains. [ ] (Rain delay [])
Stolen Base []
Caught Stealing [ ]
1-2-3-4-5-6 [ ]
Deja, Deja, Deja Vu [X]
Pitcher gets a hit [ ] (Pitcher gets an RBI [ ])
Strikeout of side [ ] (a 1-2-3 inning strikeout of side [])
Play at the plate [ ]
Replay review [ ]
Baserunning blunder [ ]
Blown call [ ] (Blown call costs game [ ])
THIS TRAIN! [X]
2+ pitching changes in single half-inning [ ]
Dramatic late-inning homer [ ]
Idiot runs on the field [ ]
Regular-season starter warms up in bullpen [ ] (Playoff starter warms-up in the bullpen [])
Game goes into extras [ ]
Shapeshifting strikezone [ ]
Inning-Ending DP [ ]
NON-PITCHER Bunt [ ]
Bases loaded, nobody scores in the inning [ ]
Balk [ ]
Buster Posey does something awesome [ ]
WILD BRIAN WILSON APPEARS [ ]
Pujols mentioned [ ]
Stan Musial mentioned [ ]
"X outs" away [ ]
Carlos Beltran is a October Hero [ ]
Carlos Beltran's backup is an October hero [ ]
Carlos Beltran's worst October moment came in a Game 7 of the NLCS [ ]
FREESE! [ ]
Cardinals second only to Yankees in WS titles [ ]]
McCarver's singing career [ ]
Matt Holliday enters the game somehow [ ]
NFL reference (other than NFL on Fox promotion) []
Pence's big speeches [ ]
2006 WS flashback [ ]
Game 6 2011 flashback [ ]
Deja, Deja, Deja Vu [X]
Pablo Sandoval referred to as "Panda" [ ]
FOX gets photobombed [ ]
Mention or reference to Jack Buck [ ]
McCarver was on the Cardinals [ ]
Willie Mays mentioned [ ]
1968 WS mentioned [ ]
Mention that the Giants and Tigers have never met in the World Series [ ]
McCarver mentions words he doesn't like []
Ken Rosenthal's bow-tie charity mentioned [ ]
HR ball goes into McCovey Cove [ ]
Barry Bonds mentioned by name [ ]
Reference to the debate [ ]
Tony Bennett shows up or is referenced [ ]
Deja, Deja, Deja Vu [X]
Kozmania ensues [ ]
Matt Cain Perfect Game clip-show flashback [ ]
The Giants have never won a Best-Of-Seven Game 7 [ ]
1987 NLCS mentioned [ ]
Flashback to 2010 WS [ ]

What's the prognosis for whether there will be a game tonight? Will the weather be reasonable enough?

Is the game *really* on Fox? What about the debate? I don't have cable and get my games over the air, so I'd like to prepare to go out to a bar, if necessary.

Even the generic national TV listings indicate Fox is showing the game rather than the debate. I would be very surprised if Fox or local affiliates even had the option to preempt it for the debate. I think you are safe.

Last year had 38 games, so all this year can do is tie. Not that that's really a criticism.

So it did. Well, in that case I'm officailly counting the Play-In games. 40 here we come!

What's the prognosis for whether there will be a game tonight? Will the weather be reasonable enough?

Forecast this morning was basically, who knows? The system is supposed to be kind of breaking up in the late afternoon/early evening, which means it could be showering, cloudy, or clear, and then the same all over again. In any case it will be windy and quite cool. Lousy baseball conditions, for sure.

What's the prognosis for whether there will be a game tonight? Will the weather be reasonable enough?

Rain has stopped and it's getting lighter. One TV forecast is for weather to be dry at game time, with a possibility of showers "in the seventh inning" (in quotes, because of the unwise use of innings as a measure of time).

EDIT: And now the sun starts poking through out in the avenues, in and out of the clouds.

Clearing some in the Oakland/Berkeley area as well - they'll get it in, but don't be surprised if there are showers here and there during the game.

Someone noted it yesterday but the one drawback to this series has been the lack of interesting games. There has been one instance of a team overcoming a lead; the Giants took a 1-0 lead in the top of the 3rd then fell behind permanently in the bottom of the inning. Game Two saw the Cards turn a 1-0 first inning deficit into a 1-1 tie in the top of the second but ultimately lost.

Seven games is seven games, but this has been as unexciting a seven game series as you can get so far. Hopefully tonight will give us a doozy.

We haven't seen a vintage Matt Cain game yet this season.

What's the record for most 3-1 series leads blown? If the Cards lose tonight that'll make 4 that I can think of off the top of my head -- '68 WS, '85 WS, '96 NLCS.

We haven't seen a vintage Matt Cain game yet this season.

Assuming you mean "this postseason," then damn straight. I like to think of it as, "He's due!"

The Walrus is Ready

It's strange to say, but I don't think Lohse can afford to pitch the same game as when he beat Cain 3-1 in Game 3.

He pitched around a lot of Giants he didn't want to go after, and the Giants let him get away with it by stranding them all. But he can't really expect to put on a couple of runners almost every inning and not think that sooner or later someone will drop in a hit or that he'll miss location and leave the ball over the plate.

This year and 2010 have been quite different for Cain.... lets hope the trend reverses itself. then again as long as the giants can score more than 3 runs, even "this cain" will give them a good chance to win.

Assuming you mean "this postseason," then damn straight. I like to think of it as, "He's due!"

And if you meant "this season," then damn you've got some really high expectations for Mr. Cain.

He pitched around a lot of Giants he didn't want to go after, and the Giants let him get away with it by stranding them all. But he can't really expect to put on a couple of runners almost every inning and not think that sooner or later someone will drop in a hit or that he'll miss location and leave the ball over the plate.

Absolutely right. The Giants went, like, 0-for-53 with runners in scoring position against Lohse. He can't count on that again (good lord let's hope not).

Thanks all for tyhe weather update. Hard to tell from the radar and hourly forecast alone.

Absolutely right. The Giants went, like, 0-for-53 with runners in scoring position against Lohse. He can't count on that again (good lord let's hope not).

I don't think this will matter. I don't expect the Cardinals to get more than 5 hits tonight, all scattered singles with 2 outs.

The Giants should not expect Lohse to give them lots of walks again. However, in my mind, that's just fine. Lohse throws a lot of strikes and the Giants like to swing at anything that's white, round and has red stitches. If Lohse puts 'em in the zone, the Giants have a better chance of hitting them hard.

The Giants should not expect Lohse to give them lots of walks again. However, in my mind, that's just fine. Lohse throws a lot of strikes and the Giants like to swing at anything that's white, round and has red stitches. If Lohse puts 'em in the zone, the Giants have a better chance of hitting them hard.

Yes. See Chris Carpenter for more details.

I seem to remember seeing something yesterday that the only way they don't play the game tonight is if it is an almost hurricane-like downpour.

I seem to remember seeing something yesterday that the only way they don't play the game tonight is if it is an almost hurricane-like downpour.

Given that the World Series is scheduled to start on Wednesday, it's certain that Our Television Overlords have made that very clear.

Anyway, the weather will certainly be unpleasant, but it seems unlikely that it will be raining heavily for an extended period this evening.

Given that the World Series is scheduled to start on Wednesday, it's certain that Our Television Overlords have made that very clear.

From what I understand, if they WERE to for some reason have to delay the game, tomorrow would be a DAY game so as to avoid delaying the WS. Keeping in mind that a day game in SF could very well be a MORNING game depending on when it starts.

I'm sure they'd play tomorrow. I just hope they don't use the same weather forecasters who postponed that Detroit ALCS game for little reason.

Steve's right. I'm about 10 miles NE of (and across the bay from) the park, and the rain stopped a couple hours ago, the ground here is almost totally dry, and the sky is half-blue. Nothing appears to be headed this way for several hours I'd be shocked if they didn't get the game in tonight.