After a four-month layoff, the ice is cooled, the teams are hot and the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs officially get underway on Aug. 11. The coronavirus pandemic has forced the NHL to get a bit creative with its restart, and because of that, hockey-starved fans get a little dose of semi-playoffs with teams jockeying for playoff position and playoff spots over a week span starting on Saturday.
The gist: The top four teams in each conference will play each other once to determine seeding in the Stanley Cup playoffs, while the remaining eight teams in each conference play qualifiers to make the dance.
Ryan Weber is the first pitcher not to strike out a batter in back-to-back starts of 3+ innings since 2017 (Wainwright), and the first Red Sox with back-to-back starts sans K since 2012 (Cook).
Breaking: MLB commissioner Rob Manfred told MLBPA executive director Tony Clark on Friday that if the sport doesn’t do a better job of managing the coronavirus, it could shut down for the season, per @JeffPassan
1. Kevin Pillar RF
2. J.D. Martinez DH
3. Rafael Devers 3B
4. Xander Bogaerts SS
5. Christian Vazquez C
6. Alex Verdugo LF
7. Michael Chavis 1B
8. Jackie Bradley CF
9. Jose Peraza 2B
And what does the biggest idiot on the planet believe?
@BenVolin
Cancel the MLB season and do an 8-team super tournament involving the Red Sox, Yankees, Mets, Cubs, Cardinals, Astros, Dodgers and Giants. Who says no?
Oh, LOLOLOL....
@CraigMish
As @JesseRogersESPN reported the Marlins have plans to bus players who tested positive back to Miami. However, none of them are going home. I can report they are going to a single isolated quarantine location.
Now, THAT'S a party bus!
@markasaxon
So, per source, the #Cardinals for now have been told that, if the rest of the team tests negative (and I haven’t yet been told how many positives they had), the series with the Brewers will start on Saturday.
2020 really is the year of Florida Man.
@markasaxon
So, per source, the #Cardinals for now have been told that, if the rest of the team tests negative (and I haven’t yet been told how many positives they had), the series with the Brewers will start on Saturday.