Playoff Reset: NLCS Game 2 - MLB

The Jays and Royals are traveling today. Well, they actually probably traveled yesterday, but we call this the travel day, so let’s just go with that. Tonight we get Game 2 from the senior circuit. Which, I suppose, we’re still calling that despite the fact that younger players are far more important to the NL teams than the AL teams.

What I’m saying is that words don’t matter all that much when it comes to describing all of this. Just watch, man. These games are pretty entertaining.

The Game: Chicago Cubs vs. New York Mets
The Time: 8:07 p.m. ET
The Place: Citi Field
The Channel: TBS
The Starters: Jake Arrieta vs. Noah Syndergaard
The Upshot: Arrieta finally looked somewhat mortal in his last start against the Cardinals, giving up four runs in five and two-thirds innings. His boys still got an 8-6 victory, but it was established that, yes, it is possible to score off of him. The Mets don’t have any first-hand information to that effect, however, as he allowed just one run and struck out seven in eight innings in a 6-1 win over them back in July.

Of course this was the Mets’ lineup on that July afternoon:

Curtis Granderson RF
Darrell Ceciliani CF
Daniel Murphy 3B
Lucas Duda 1B
Wilmer Flores 2B
Eric Campbell LF
Johnny Monell C
Jacob deGrom P
Ruben Tejada SS

Things are much different with the Mets these days. David Wright, Yoenis Cespedes and Travis d'Arnaud make things a bit tougher. The Cubs saw that with d’Arnaud just last night, in fact.

The Cubs will also have to contend with Noah Syndergaard this evening. They’ve seen him before. Indeed, they saw him in his major league debut last May when he gave up three runs in five an a third in a 6-1 loss. Things will be easier for him now in that he knows what the heck he’s doing. They will be harder for him in that this Cubs now, unlike back in May, have Kyle Schwarber, who has homered in three straight playoff games.

The season is long and teams evolve as it goes on. Both of these teams have evolved into ones with tough outs up and down the lineup and aces with ungodly stuff making it tough for those tough outs. And if the Cubs don’t want to have a rough flight back to Chicago tonight, they had best make things tough on the Mets this evening and even the series up.

CARSON CITY, Nev. — A bill introduced in the Nevada Legislature would give the Oakland Athletics up to $380 million for a potential 30,000 seat, $1.5 billion retractable roof stadium on the Las Vegas Strip.

The bulk of the public funding would come from $180 million in transferable tax credits from the state and $120 million in county bonds, which can vary based on interest rate returns. Clark County also would contribute $25 million in credit toward infrastructure costs.

The A’s have been looking for a home to replace Oakland Coliseum, where the team has played since arriving from Kansas City for the 1968 season. The team had sought to build a stadium in Fremont, San Jose and finally the Oakland waterfront, all ideas that never materialized.

The plan in the Nevada Legislature won’t directly raise taxes. It can move forward with a simply majority vote in the Senate and Assembly. Lawmakers have a little more than a week to consider the proposal before they adjourn June 5, though it could be voted on if a special session is called.

The Athletics have agreed to use land on the southern end of the Las Vegas Strip, where the Tropicana Las Vegas casino resort sits. Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao has said he is disappointed the team didn’t negotiate with Oakland as a “true partner.”

Las Vegas would be the fourth home for a franchise that started as the Philadelphia Athletics from 1901-54. It would become the smallest TV market in Major League Baseball and the smallest market to be home to three major professional sports franchises.

The team and Las Vegas are hoping to draw from the nearly 40 million tourists who visit the city annually to help fill the stadium. The 30,000-seat capacity would make it the smallest MLB stadium.

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said a vote on the Oakland Athletics’ prospective move to Las Vegas could take place when owners meet June 13-15 in New York.

The plan faces an uncertain path in the Nevada Legislature. Democratic leaders said financing bills, including for the A’s, may not go through if Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo vetoes the five budget bills, which he has threatened to do as many of his priorities have stalled or faded in the Democratic-controlled Legislature.

Under the bill, the Clark County Board of Commissioners would create a homelessness prevention and assistance fund along the stadium’s area in coordination with MLB and the Nevada Resort Association. There, they would manage funds for services, including emergency rental and utility assistance, job training, rehabilitation and counseling services for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

The lease agreement with the Las Vegas Stadium Authority would be up for renewal after 30 years.

Nevada’s legislative leadership is reviewing the proposal, Democratic state Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager said in a statement.

“No commitment will be made until we have both evaluated the official proposal and received input from interested parties, including impacted community members,” Yeager said.