10 things to read while you pass the time before the NL Wild Card Game
At 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT, the Rockies and Cubs will square off at Wrigley in the 2018 NL Wild Card Game. Which means that, from now until 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT, pretty much the only thing that Rockies and Cubs fans will be doing is thinking about the 2018 NL Wild Card Game.
And that's OK! You go to work all the time, but it's not every day that your favorite team finds itself in a do-or-die postseason game. It's perfectly understandable to be a ball of restless energy, counting down the seconds until first pitch. Which is why we've assembled some reading material on both squads below -- because if you're going to spend the whole day stressing about baseball, you might as well do it productively.
The Rockies
1. Denver native and dark horse Cy Young candidate
2. Of course, should Freeland not go the distance, he'll need some help from his mates in the bullpen -- a group that includes
Lucky for you, there's plenty more where that came from right here.
3. Thanks in large part to the two guys mentioned above, there's a good chance that this is the best pitching staff in Rockies history -- so save your Coors Field jokes and let MLB.com's Mike Petriello explain what makes them so good.
4. Of course, Colorado can score some runs, too. You know about guys like
5. Speaking of Story: Remember that time he hit three homers that traveled a combined 1,380 feet ... all in the same game? Let this post jog your memory, and feel free to rewatch this GIF 200-250 times.
The Cubs
1. When Chicago traded for
2. Fellow infielder
3. When you think of
Starts with an M
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) August 31, 2018
Ends with a P
Not a cleaning instrument or a geographic chart. pic.twitter.com/eYiKwmR8hr
But, as Joe Maddon explained to MLB.com's Carrie Muskat, he's also a much more cerebral player than you might realize.
4. And those smarts -- and unprecedented versatility -- are what drive his case for NL MVP.
5. The NL MVP of our hearts, however? Chicago's bullpen, whose dancing shenanigans found a whole new level this year. We encourage you to revisit them all, but our personal favorite is probably Duck, Duck, Goose: