OSS: Rizzo hits two homers into the wind and the Cubs hang on to win Three up: Rizzo was the easy WPA leader in this game, hitting two game-tying solo shots in the first and fourth innings and added a single and IBB in his other two PAs. It's nice to see him finally heating up, and his season line …
Series Preview: San Francisco Giants (19-26) at Chicago Cubs (22-20)
As much grumbling as there has been at the Cubs slow start, this series offers a stark reminder that it could be much worse. The Giants season can be summed up with the fact that Giants ace Madison Bumgarner, who has been out since late April due to a dirtbike accident, has the team's third highest offensive WAR on the …
Series Preview: Milwaukee Brewers (24-18) at Chicago Cubs (21-19)
There's a little less smoke and mirrors going on with the Brewers record compared to the team the Cubs just swept. The Brewers are simply scoring a crapload of runs, in large part thanks to Eric Thames's scorching hot April. He has slowed down a bit in May, but he's anchored what has been a pretty good offense, middle infield …
Cubs 7, Reds 5 (5.17.17)
TSS: Cubs get some hits with runners in scoring position? What sorcery is this? Three up: On a day when the wind was howling out, the Cubs scored seven runs without a home run. Coomer claimed it was 45 mph winds but I'm guessing that was jsut gusts. The biggest hit of the day was Kyle Schwarber's two-run single that …
Cubs 9, Reds 5 (5.16.17)
OSS: There's nothing like Bronson Arroyo and the wind blowing out at Wrigley to wake up an offense. Three up: The Cubs 'only' hit four home runs in this game, but somehow it felt like there were a lot more. Of all of them, Kyle Schwarber's bomb into the back rows of the RF bleachers was the most impressive, and …
Series Preview: Cincinnati Reds (19-18) at Chicago Cubs (18-19)
Well, here we are in fourth place with a losing record. Just like we thought at the beginning of the season, right? The Reds have been streaky all year, already with two four-plus game winning streaks and losing streaks. Votto continues to be Votto and Cozart is building on last year's solid season, but the WAR leader on the team …
Cubs 3, Cardinals 2 (5.12.17)
OSS: Eddie Butler exceeds expectations in his debut Three up: Butler threw six innings of shutout ball. Things were rocky early, as Butler walked two batters in the first and was racking up a large pitch count early in the game, possibly due to adrenaline jitters, but he settled down as the game went on. I'm a little baffled at …
Series Preview: Chicago Cubs (17-17) at St. Louis Cardinals (19-14)
While the Cubs scuffled against the Yankees and Rockies, the Cardinals ripped off a six game winning streak because, Cardinals. Their pitching has rebounded from early season struggles to have the second best ERA in the leage (n.b. they are tied in FIP with the Cubs), and their offensive wRC+ is smack on 101. They even have fewer HR than …
Yankees 5, Cubs 4 (18 innings)
OSS: Cubs and Yankees set a record for the most strikeouts in a game in an 18 inning marathon. Three Five up: Kyle Schwarber made an amazing defensive play on a foul ball in extras, falling into the stands and somehow not getting hurt on that concrete wall. He also doubled twice and drew two walks Rizzo was the Cubs …
Series Preview: New York Yankees (17-9) at Chicago Cubs (16-12)
Hey, the Yankees are suddenly really good again. The main driver of their success is the offense, which leads the majors in wRC+ by a large margin. They are second only to the Brewers in home runs, and that's without much contribution from Gary Sanchez. Our old pal Starlin Castro is having a great year, slashing .362/.402/.543. He wasn't on …