Reds 4, Cubs 1

Did the Cubs Win?

OSS: Alcantara has an acceptable debut, but Cubs bats (besides Rizzo) fall silent.

Three Up

1. Anthony Rizzo went 2-3, HR, BB. He now leads the Final Vote, and he really should win. He might be the best 1B in baseball this year. Pretty incredible what a difference in luck can make.

2. Welington Castillo went 1-2 with a walk. That is what constitutes the second best performance in the game.

3. Wesley Wright worked 2 solid innings.

Three Down

1. Dallas Beeler did not strike a person out in 25 plate appearances.  5 innings, 6 hits, 4 walks, 4 earned runs. That’s not so good.

2. Justin Ruggiano went 0-4 with 3 strikeouts. He struck out more than the Reds did.

3. In a way, it’s not Mike Olt‘s fault. He came in to face Aroldis Chapman. On the other hand, come on.

How Was Arismendy Alcantara?

Pretty ok. He had some decent plate appearances, though the final line (0-4, 2 K) was pretty poor. He made some good plays in the field, and gave every indication he could be a weapon defensively. Arismendy saw 18 pitches (4.5 per PA), all left-handed. I’d like to see him play CF today, but really, I just want to see him in the lineup again.

Next Game

Today, 12:35 PM CT
Hendricks (debut!!!!) vs. Bailey

Will the Cubs Win?