Indeed - they think he might be back for the NLCS, if the Cards make it - but I would personally doubt that. This hurts their rotation, but the rotation wasn't going to be their strength anyway - so I think they still make it out of the first round even w/o Carpenter - especially since neither of their prospective opponents has a dominant pitcher that can really hurt them.
While I too think the Cubs are done, let's not celebrate too prematurely. If the Astros lose tonight (which hopefully they won't), the Cubs will still only be one back. If they somehow win out against the Braves (who will have nothing left to play for) and we lost one of the last two they would be tied with us. All that being said, I don't think it will happen (the Cubs seem like a defeated team), but we still have to take care of our business and hope SF loses another one.
i hear ya...but in the baseball playoffs, anything can happen!!! it would not shock me at all to see the cards go down in the first round. i guess they'll likely be matched up against the dodgers. that should be a fun series.
They'd still be playing to either get homefield in the first round vs the Dodgers(if the Giants win the WC), or to avoid the Cardinals(if the Astros make it).
I was under the impression that by winning today, Atlanta locked up home field. I could be wrong on that.
hmm, they'd end up with 95 wins. You are right. They probably own the tiebreak over the Dodgers. Still, I don't think the Braves are going to slack off.
Somehow I don't think(goat) that the cubs fans are going to give Grudzwhatshisname(goat) any slack, no matter how hard (goat) the wid is blowing (goat)