Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Sitting here in limbo waiting for the dice to roll

It is not hopeless, and we are not helpless.

Bark louder, little dog.

Let’s not be the monsters we hate.

So many bastards, so little time.

There are more Russians standing up to Putin than Republicans.

Fucking consultants! (of the political variety)

If you thought you’d already seen people saying the stupidest things possible on the internet, prepare yourselves.

Hot air and ill-informed banter

We are builders in a constant struggle with destroyers. keep building.

Balloon Juice, where there is always someone who will say you’re doing it wrong.

Dear Washington Post, you are the darkness now.

Russian mouthpiece, go fuck yourself.

There are consequences to being an arrogant, sullen prick.

Republican speaker of the house Mike Johnson is the bland and smiling face of evil.

T R E 4 5 O N

Republicans: The threats are dire, but my tickets are non-refundable!

Come on, media. you have one job. start doing it.

President Musk and Trump are both poorly raised, coddled 8 year old boys.

Let me eat cake. The rest of you could stand to lose some weight, frankly.

“Jesus paying for the sins of everyone is an insult to those who paid for their own sins.”

Is it irresponsible to speculate? It is irresponsible not to.

When someone says they “love freedom”, rest assured they don’t mean yours.

We’re watching the self-immolation of the leading world power on a level unprecedented in human history.

You are here: Home / Sports / Dedicated Baseball Thread – National League Baseball Post Season Oct 8

Dedicated Baseball Thread – National League Baseball Post Season Oct 8

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You know the drill by now!

Schedule for 10/8

Game 1: Seattle Mariners @ Detroit Tigers starts at 3:08 pm ET on FS1

Game 2: Milwaukee Brewers @ Chicago Cubs starts at 5:08 pm ET on TBS, TRU, HBO Max

Game 3: Toronto Blue Jays @ NY Yankees starts at 7:08 ET on FS1

Game 4: Philadelphia Phillies @ LA Dodgers starts at 9:08 ET on TBS, TRU, HBO Max

“LET’S PLAY BAAALL!”

Since this thread will be active all day, at least for a few of you guys, let’s keep this one for all things baseball

 

Reader Interactions

174Comments

  2. 2.

    JMG

    I get that people in Los Angeles have the right to see their Dodgers play too. But this Phillies fan is too old to cope with a 9 p.m. EDT start, especially since it’s an elimination game and they always slow waay down.

  5. 5.

    Ida Slapter

    Aaaaand it’s a lovely day in Detroit. Mostly sunny, not much wind and definitely fallish at 59°. Sunglasses, sunscreen and hats are your friends.

    Drinks and buffet table are being refilled now, so help yourselves! Today we have added a nice assortment of sliders from Green Dot Stables, a salad bar with Detroit neighborhood-grown community garden veggies, and homemade spumoni ice cream from Alinosi’s, accompanied by Sanders chocolate bumpy cake and Sanders hot fudge cream puff sundaes. All are welcome to celebrate or drown their sorrows after the game.

    Come on Tigers!

  6. 6.

    Jackie

    @JMG: When it comes to watching sportsball, living in PT definitely is an advantage. I feel for you. Record it and watch with your morning coffee?

  7. 7.

    comrade scotts agenda of rage

    Let’s hope douche “fan” extraordinaire, Marlins Man, couldn’t score a seat at Yankees Stadium that has him in camera.

    I’m still trying to find a profile piece on him from before Covid but this one is more recent and captures the essence of the clown:

    fastcompany.com/90784049/what-pretending-to-be-marlins-man-taught-me-about-work-life-balance

    Edit: found it:

    sbnation.com/2017/7/13/15962152/marlins-man-laurence-leavy-all-star-game-miami-who-is-he-really

    And he doesn’t got to Marlins games. In fact, the team can’t stand him.  There’s another story going back to the Royal’s winning WS.  He’d scored seats behind home plate but had been such a douche to people, the Royals approached him with a ton of freebies in order to get him to move.  Of course he refused.

    Royals fans are the greatest btw in terms of friendliness, accomodation, etc.  Takes a lot to piss them off.

  8. 8.

    Ida Slapter

    @Jackie: Blue skies, and the river should be blue too. Congratulations Josh Naylor! Hope your mind’s on the baby and not the baseball today! ;-)

    Tarik Skubal was on baby watch earlier this year. All went well, and his wife brings the baby and their toddler down for him to give a smooch to before every home game he starts. Awwwwww factor is strong.

  11. 11.

    JMG

    @Jackie: If it wasn’t an elimination game, I’d do that. But I lack the discipline not to spoiler alert myself when I wake up.

  12. 12.

    Jackie

    Whew! I almost forgot to swap out my not for games Mariners teeshirt for my winners M’s shirt!

  13. 13.

    Ida Slapter

    @Jackie: Oh I didn’t know the baby was here already – yes, he was a beast last night! All series, really. Maybe he’s tired from being up with the baby last night!🤞🏼🍀

  15. 15.

    Ishiyama

    I’ve been catching the highlights on ESPN & Youtube. That was a neatly executed wheel play by the Dodgers!

  18. 18.

    Old Dan and Little Ann

    @JMG: II was pissed off when the Yankees were losing 6 to 1 last night. I knew though, that at least I could go to bed early. Then they caught up and won in dramatic gashion. I stayed up too late and now I’m exhausted today. And I got to do it again tonight but at least the game starts a little after 7:00.

  22. 22.

    Melancholy Jaques

    @comrade scotts agenda of rage:

    No, never been to there. I was in Chicago the day before with a desire to head west. I went back & forth on the decision while basking in the sun at Always Wrigley to Some Folks – Rate Field. I was concerned about how many days I had left before I needed to be home. If I had to do it again, I’d have gone because I’m retired, why do I need to be home?

  23. 23.

    Jackie

    Naylor wacks a double! Let’s go Mariners!!!

    Naylor scores! First run goes to the M’s!

    Mize has already thrown 36 pitches for Detroit.

  26. 26.

    Ida Slapter

    @Jackie: Oh yeah? Well maybe we’ll hit one out of the infield this time, you wait and see!

    Mariners are definitely licking their chops for this one, but go Tigers anyway!

  28. 28.

    Joseph Patrick Lurker

    Look forward to seeing Cam Schlittler shit the bed today. Go Blue Jays and fuck those motherfucking NY Yankees and every fucking dumbass host on WFAN radio!

  29. 29.

    japa21

    @Alce _e_ardillo: ​
      Boston Braves, not Milwaukee. That was Spahn and Burdette and then what do you get. Spahn was a great pitcher but didn’t know when to quit. Went to the game where he was honored, Warren Spahn Night. He pitched and i think he lasted only a couple innings.

  31. 31.

    Peale

    So if all the series end today, do they start playing the championship series on Friday? Or do we have to wait until next week?

  32. 32.

    Peale

    @japa21: To be fair, Spahn was a dominant pitcher until he was 42. Then the bottom fell out at 43. He only pitched 2 seasons. This is hardly Steve Carlton or Greg Maddux making everyone sad for five years.

  34. 34.

    Jackie

    M’s have the bases loaded; no outs. Detroit changes pitcher, again.

    Naylor scores; Tigers get DP. 2 outs. Pop up 3rd out. M’s lead 2-0.

  36. 36.

    wj

    If I was the Detroit starter, I’d see really grumpy.  Get taken out for a reliever, who promptly loads the bases with no outs. Sheesh!

  42. 42.

    Geminid

    @Peale: That sounds like Max Scherzer. Scherzer is an eight-time All-Star, but his pitching declined when he hit 39. Now he’s 41, and the Blue Jays left him off their game roster this series.

    Scherzer’s still throwing in the bullpen though, keeping his skills up in case the Jays need him in the next series.

  43. 43.

    Trivia Man

    In the gym at work, they have s big tv. I went to the treadmill while it was on commercial. To be friendly, i asked “Tigers game?” Shocked to find out he was watching an NFL game from last week instead. Some people 🙄

  47. 47.

    Martin

    @JMG: I mean, it’s a weekday game, and starting an hour earlier than normal. This isn’t Chicago, we have lights and jobs.

  51. 51.

    Ida Slapter

    @Jackie: he’s definitely a keeper!

    We had a chance to get Eugenio Suarez back, but we passed, and many of us thought that was a huge mistake at the time – and also thought we never should have traded him away in the first place. You have another gem, I think. We instead have Zack McKinstry, who really had a good regular season, but he’s been terrible in hitting and fielding in this series.

  54. 54.

    BigJimSlade

    @JMG: Oh, man, I lived in Boston when the Red Sox finally beat the Yankees in 2004. Everybody in town was a zombie all week. A couple of those games ended after midnight, one after 1am. The 12-inning game lasted 5 hours and the 14-inning game was almost 6 hours long. The 5 hour game started at 8:20pm, so we were lucky it didn’t start at 9! Of course, the Yankees tried to beat you by napping between pitches and throwing to first base 8 times in a row and switching pitchers every batter if you got any momentum, so they were the kings of slowing the game down.

    Nothing against the Phils, I rooted for them when Pete Rose was on the team (he was my favorite player when I was a kid) and Greg Luzinski and Mike Schmidt were great. But I’m back in LA now, so Go Dodgers, lol!

  55. 55.

    Ida Slapter

    DINGLER DOUBLE!!! 3-1

    Dillon Dingler is a great porn name if this catching thing doesn’t work out; though he’s had a great year.

    JONES DOUBLE! 3-2!!

  60. 60.

    Melancholy Jaques

    @Peale:

    Warren Spahn definitely one of the all time greats. And like many of his generation, gave three prime baseball years to his country fighting fucking fascists. Earned a Bronze Star.

  66. 66.

    japa21

    Meanwhile, the Cubs stellar defense has given the Brewers a 1-0 lead.​
     

    ETA, the Brewers immediately give back on a lead off HR by Busch. Not sure how many he has hit this year. Should probably just give him an intentional walk.

  69. 69.

    Peale

    1-0 Brewers.  I’ll take those infield hits.

    I mean, that was clearly not lucky at all that inflield hit by Contreras. Nope. he meant to do that.

  70. 70.

    What Have the Romans Ever Done for Us?

    @BigJimSlade: Loved that Phillies team! My mom grew up in Schuylkill County and her folks were all Phillies fans so they were my National League team to root for. I’ve since lived in the DC area for more than 20 years so feel like I have to root for the Nats. But the Tigers were the team of my youth and are still #1 in my heart.

  77. 77.

    What Have the Romans Ever Done for Us?

    Trammell and Whitaker couldn’t have turned it any better.

  78. 78.

    Ida Slapter

    Fun fact: Ballpark usually plays Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing” during the mid-8th-inning. Crowd joins in because Journey sings about “south Detroit.” If you look at a map, “south Detroit” is very clearly Windsor, Ontario, Canada across the river, so yeah, sure, why not? 🤪

  82. 82.

    What Have the Romans Ever Done for Us?

    @Ida Slapter: It’s always kinda bothered me that they don’t play one of the many, many greats from Motown or Aretha rather than an inferior band from San Francisco.

  83. 83.

    What Have the Romans Ever Done for Us?

    Or if it has to be an ‘80s era mainstream rocker Bob Seger is sitting right there.

  85. 85.

    What Have the Romans Ever Done for Us?

    @Peale: Yeah or him, Iggy Pop, The White Stripes, Jackie Wilson, Madonna…and dozens of others. It’s not like Detroit has a lack of home grown musical talent to choose from.

  86. 86.

    Ida Slapter

    Great game for us at last! I’m just glad the world finally got a chance to see how the Tigers got here in the first place. See you back in Seattle, come what may. Hoping the hitting is back and Skubal’s got enough in the tank to win, but Mariners at home will be formidable.

    Come on, Brewers, turn it around and knock the Cubs out today! I have no opinion about Dodgers-Phils, but it could be over tonight too.

    Go Toronto – take the Yankees down tonight! I’ll check in on all scores later.

    I have to leave for my monthly book club meeting shortly, and that will be a happy group now. I don’t know why I’m going other than to have a drink and celebrate a little – I haven’t read the f’ing book because I’ve been watching baseball for a month!

    Peace out for now. 💙🧡⚾️

  88. 88.

    wj

    So considerate of the Mariners to arrange to win the series in frontt of their home fans! 😜

  89. 89.

    What Have the Romans Ever Done for Us?

    I’m rooting for the Brewers, Phillies and Blue Jays in the other series.

  91. 91.

    Bupalos

    I’m happy for the tiggies. Even though it’s hard because IF WE JUST CASH IN JOSE RAMIEREZ FROM 3rd WITH NO OUTS THIS WOULD BE THE GUARDS.

    But good on the tiggies for showing out for the AL Central, the division that punches you in the face because you laugh at it for not having money.

  92. 92.

    Bupalos

    The least virtuous team in the majors is the Cubs, because they have the same revenue as the next tier of evil, but actually take that money and pointedly don’t spend it on players, but soak it up for billionaires, while pretending to be underdogs. The reason they are losers and underdogs is that they stash all the cash, which is gross. They deserve nothing. The next tier of evil is the Yankees, Mets, and Dodgers, that have ungodly revenue but manage to actually spend it on competing. Which basically ruins the sport competitively, but at least it’s an honest kind of robber-baron thing. One step down from that are the Phillies and Red Sox, two clubs that spend a ton but are also deliberately underspending in a calculated way.

    So only 4 of the very worst teams comprise the final 8 that remain, which is relatively positive for the MLB.

  99. 99.

    Jackie

    @japa21: So back to Milwaukee tomorrow!

    I hope the Phillies hang on and eke out a win tonight!

    Blue Jays regain the lead 2-1, top of the 5th…

  100. 100.

    wj

    @japa21: What the Cubs showed was you can have a big 1st inning and hold the lead to the end without scoring again.  That ain’t easy.

  104. 104.

    Burrowing Owl

    I’ve been following the Dodgers closely all year, more than my usual. My dad ((from LA) still has the ball cap he wore the day he saw Sandy Koufax pitch a perfect game. He has always followed their games online, and more recently with a subscription on MLB.

    Dad has been in hospice since March, getting regular home visits from caregivers. He was fading in April, and he notably perked up in spring when I started showing him the recaps of the previous day’s games. We have talked baseball all through the summer. Who’s pitching? The mid-summer slump. The bullpen woes. Kershaw’s final season ending in relief. Shohei. Freddie Freeman, Muncy, Mookie Betts, the excellence of their third-string catcher…all of it. My mom bought him an MLB subscription mid-summer because he has been enjoying the baseball recaps so much, which was an incredibly future-focused gift for a hospice patient.

    Dad won’t last forever (F cancer), none of us will. But for now, we talk Dodgers after every game. The wheel play! Roki Sasaki! Oh please don’t put in that relief pitcher again (I say Treinen; he dreads Vesia.) I don’t know what he’ll look forward to when their season ends. I am grateful for our unexpected extra time together during baseball summer.

  107. 107.

    Barbara

    @Burrowing Owl: ​ A true season of grace.

    It made me so sad that my dad was terminally ill in the fall of 1994, and didn’t get to see a last World Series (year of the strike). It put me off baseball for quite some time.

  109. 109.

    Martin

    Phillies warming up the bullpen halfway through the first inning. Always a good sign…

    Toronto just wants to wrap this up quick so they can get out of the country before we have to shut down air travel.

  110. 110.

    Jackie

    @Burrowing Owl: My elderly dad always perked up during baseball season following the Mariners faithfully.

    At 94 he was diagnosed with colon cancer. He refused to die from cancer, and after a lot of go arounds with his doctor, was finally granted surgery. His doctor warned him that at his age, there was a better than good chance he wouldn’t survive the surgery. Dad looked him straight in his eyes and said he’d rather take the chance than die a slow suffering death. Dad survived the surgery amazingly well, and lived to watch another 5 years of Mariners baseball.

  111. 111.

    Jackie

    @Martin:

    Toronto just wants to wrap this up quick so they can get out of the country before we have to shut down air travel.

    Bwahahaaa!

  112. 112.

    Martin

    LOL

    Cards Against Humanity, the often-vulgar card game, has launched a limited edition of its namesake product without any instructions and with a detailed explanation of each joke, “why it’s funny, and any relevant social, political, or historical context.”

    Why? Because, produced in this form, “Cards Against Humanity Explains the Joke” is not a game at all, which would be subject to tariffs as the cards are produced overseas. Instead, the product is “information material” and thus not sanctionable under the law Trump has been using—and CAH says it has obtained a ruling to this effect from Customs and Border Patrol.

    “What if DHS Secretary and Dog Murderer Kristi Noem gets mad and decides that Cards Against Humanity Explains the Joke is not informational material?” the company asks in an FAQ about the new edition. (If you don’t follow US politics, Noem really did kill her dog Cricket.) Answer: “She can fuck right off, because we got a binding ruling from Trump’s own government that confirms this product is informational and 100% exempt from his stupid tariffs.”

  114. 114.

    mrmoshpotato

    @Martin:

    Toronto just wants to wrap this up quick so they can get out of the country before we have to shut down air travel. 

    That might actually be true. 🤬

  115. 115.

    Jackie

    Jays score again! 5-1, top of the 8th, runners on 1st and 2nd, 1out.

    I want to get a couple more insurance runs…

  121. 121.

    Bupalos

    @Geoduck: mariners beat skubal in the first one, but mostly because tigers O was in hibernation, not because they actually hit him.

    Should be an interesting game, but I’d rather be the tiggies.

  123. 123.

    Bupalos

    @wj: Kind of malpractice to leave him out there, but it worked out. Jays could have 2 more runs with better baserunning.

  127. 127.

    Bupalos

    Gross. Smoltz basically trying to sell the line that the Yankees are burdened by unrealistic expectations because they get into the playoffs so much blah blah.

    The Yankees are always and have always been in the top 6 payrolls, they are always stocked with the stars that other teams couldn’t hold on to. When they fail, they fail despite every possible advantage. That they haven’t won it all in 16 years is actually pretty epic failure.

  128. 128.

    Jackie

    @Bupalos: The M’s have beat Skubal multiple games this year. We respect him, but we know he’s beatable.

    You go ahead and root for Detroit. It seems to help us! ;-D

  130. 130.

    mrmoshpotato

    My dad just informed me that it’s World Octopus Day.  Just thought you all needed to know.

  133. 133.

    Ida Slapter

    I’m back from book club and have read the comments to catch up.

    YANKEES LOSE 5-2! Seeeeeeee ya!

  137. 137.

    Martin

    Ok, Yankees are done for. Good, good.

    Dodgers got out of bases loaded jail early tonight. Still 3-1. Time to get to work.

  138. 138.

    Bupalos

    @Jackie: They haven’t really beaten Skubal per se. I mean, 2 runs in 7 isn’t “beating” the starting pitcher. The Detroit offense has just been on hiatus for like 2 months. You can hope they go back on hiatus, but I’d rather be the tiggies right now.

    They survived Skubal a couple times. We’ll see if they survive him again. And unfortunately for you I’m not really too invested because I also more or less like the Mariners, as a fellow sad-sack team. Even if that city has no excuse for its underperformance compared to actual smaller market teams. The Mariners and Cubs are two teams that seem to cosplay small-market underdog while the reality is different.

  141. 141.

    Bupalos

    @Martin: I have a hard time caring about dodgers phillies. I tried to root for Philly because the dodgers are Yankees west, but the way their fans turned to booing everyone and everything as soon as the going got tough reminded me this is the city that pelted santa claus with batteries.

  143. 143.

    wj

    @Bupalos: that city has no excuse for its underperformance compared to other smaller market teams.

    Not sure I totally buy the whole “small market” explanation.  Is Kansas City a bigger market that Denver (Rockies) or Chicago (White Sox)?   But which had a better record?

  144. 144.

    Trivia Man

    In a bar, my cheers may have discouraged the yankees fans. They left after 8. Sorry, not sorry.

  145. 145.

    Bupalos

    @Jackie: Just sayin’… if I hadn’t been to the WS ever and I had started shooting my mouth off about not fearing the best pitcher in baseball because we had gotten lucky against him a couple times…. (which the Guardians did too btw)…. I’d have a hard time sleeping.

  146. 146.

    Jackie

    LOL! The Blue Jays are playing Sinatra in their club room while exploding champagne all over each other! LOVE IT!

  147. 147.

    Joseph Patrick Lurker

    @Jackie:

    Agreed. Even when the MNF game was a one-sided blowout, I used to love watching it just to hear the banter between Cosell, Meredith, and Gifford! They’ll always be my favorite MNF broadcasting team.

  151. 151.

    Ida Slapter

    @Bupalos: Thank you. I was prepared to say the same about the Guardians had you guys won. I can’t believe we’re still here after our colossal collapse, but we sure broke out the hits and the good pitching today.

    By pure chance, I saw several Cleveland-Detroit games in person this year. They were good games and Guards are a good team. Looking forward to slugging it out some more next season!

  155. 155.

    Bupalos

    @wj: the markets are the markets, and they don’t simply map to city size.  There is a relation but not equivalence. Like the cubs are a huge market while the Sox are about 2/5ths that size or less…technically the same city but not the same market at all. Toronto is mid market despite being a massive metro. Rockies are small, but will probably be first tier in 20 years if they can stop being embarrassing for a year or two…even if the city of Denver shrinks from here.

    teams can overcome the market limitation from time to time (or in Cleveland’s case on the regular) but that doesn’t mean it’s not a nearly overwhelming advantage for large market teams.

  156. 156.

    Jackie

    Phillies up 4-1with solo HR! Top of the 8th.

    2 run RBI! And HR!!!

    8-1 Phillies! One out.

    And the inning continues… single and runner on 1st…

    Dodgers bullpen finally in action.

  158. 158.

    Burrowing Owl

    @mrmoshpotato: Thank you.

     

    @Barbara: I’m sorry your dad missed that last series. It sounds like you have wonderful memories of him

     

    @Jackie: Amazing that your dad powered on through his 90s like that. There’s just something about dads and baseball, sometimes.

  159. 159.

    Burrowing Owl

    @Jackie: Well, my dad won’t be surprised to see late-game Dodger collapse, if that’s how it ends today.

     

    Dodgers bullpen finally in action.

    Eek!

  160. 160.

    Jackie

    @Burrowing Owl: Dad was a WWII Vet. His generation was truly amazing. Surviving the Depression and the war… It’s amazing how many of his generation lived to late 90’s and beyond.

  162. 162.

    Burrowing Owl

    @Jackie: That describes his mom and her siblings—most of whom lived into their 90s. The last one died days short of turning 100. Mid-80s is young for it. 

  163. 163.

    Burrowing Owl

    @Jackie: Over the Dodgers? Never! He does appreciate the Big Dumper and is not anti-Mariner. He cheers for anyone playing against the Yankees. And he is still mad about the cheating Astros, who are even worse.

  167. 167.

    Burrowing Owl

    @Jackie: Oh, that makes more sense. He won’t be upset if Seattle wins. He’d like the Blue Jays to defeat the Yankees, but wouldn’t look forward to facing Toronto. So sure!

    Since he’s really fatigued these days and more easily confused than usual, I’ll root for them on his behalf. I do not want to try to explain the Balloon Juice community.

  169. 169.

    Jay

    @Burrowing Owl:

    Yankee’s went down,

    Yet, once again, the Blue Jays used collective contributions from across their roster, as they so often have in this convention-defying season, to do precisely that, stitching their way into baseball’s final four like the deftest of tailors with a 5-2 win.

  170. 170.

    Martin

    @wj: Dodgers basically have the entire nation of Japan helping to fund the organization. Ohtani is the biggest sports name in the country. Every Dodgers game is carried on Japanese public TV. That’s why they can pay the luxury tax – not only is LA a huge and relatively wealthy market, but they tack Japan onto that as well. Ohtani can defer his salary because he makes more in endorsements in Japan than any other MLB player makes in salary+endorsements. If MLB allows this to be a spending race, nobody stands a chance, not even the Yankees.

  171. 171.

    Jackie

    Every team down to their last gasp survived to play another game. Except the Yankees! Fake tears…

  172. 172.

    Bruce K in ATH-GR

    So the Yankees lost.

    On the one hand, I suppose I’d rather see them visiting the White House when there’s a Democrat in charge of the administration.

    On the other hand, sadistic gloating haters who want to see Yankees fans in misery can rot in hell.

  173. 173.

    hitchhiker

    @Bruce K in ATH-GR:

    It’s the owners we want to see in misery, not the fans. The owners who have more money than god and use their pocket change to poach good players from teams that can’t hit those salary numbers.

    Yes, I know it’s the system, and has to do with media markets, blah blah blah.

    But when you watch your best guys moving on to play in pinstripes year after year, it gets old. I can think of one time the Yankees bought a player they didn’t need just to keep him from playing against them. Wtf.

  174. 174.

    hueyplong

    Mookie Betts said Kershaw’s inning was “hard to watch.”

    Hard to watch just once, says this SFG fan.

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