OSS: Cyle outduels Shark on the way to a sweep.
Three up:
- Kyle Hendricks was dominant in this one, striking out seven with no walks and three hits in seven shutout innings. Cyle’s changeup has always baffled hitters, but today it was his 86 mph cheese that was freezing guys. The dude can pitch.
- The rest of the bullpen was solid as well, closing out the game with relatively little drama aside from a near-HR by Brandon Crawford, who nearly redeemed himself for a rare rough game in the field. The pitching staff as a whole combined for ten strikeouts and even more importantly, zero walks.
- Scoring opportunities were few an far between for both teams, but Anthony Rizzo managed to make the most of the one he had by knocking in Heyward from third for the only run of the game.
Three down:
- This was more about Samardzija looking great than the Cubs offense looking bad, but I’m going to go out on a limb and say that you’re not going to win very often with just two hits on the day, one of which was a ball lost in the sun that probably should have been an error on the Giants CF.
- KB had the only other Cubs PA with a runner in scoring position, following the Giants two defensive miscues, and promptly GIDP. The dude just isn’t clutch, and I certainly can’t think of any moment in his entire Cubs career, let alone the last 48 hours, where he didn’t get a key hit in a big moment, smh.
- The Cardinals also won, so the Cubs lead remains at half a game.
Next up: The Cubs host a very good Nationals team for a weekend series, though at least they are missing the newly returned Max Scherzer. Jon Lester takes on the suddenly good again Anibal Sanchez at 1:20 PM CT in the opener.
Comments
To-day’s base ball squadron
CF Heyward
RF Castellanos
3B Bryant
1B Rizzo
SS Baez
LF War Bear
C Lucroy
2B Kemp
P Lester
berseliusQuote Reply
Cubs lose.
Funny, my phone suggests lose, are, and fans after I type, “Cubs.”
andcountingQuote Reply
andcounting,
Cubs fans are lose.
RynoQuote Reply
Baez!
andcountingQuote Reply
This game would look a whole lot different if KB could have . . . gotten that bunt down?
andcountingQuote Reply
Remember that game when Pedro Strop hit a batter and lost all feel for the strike zone?
andcountingQuote Reply
Joe, if you’re ever wondering if you should bring Pedro Strop into the game, ask yourself the following questions:
Are there runners on base?
Is it possible that the Cubs might win?
Are the Cubs batting?
If the answer to ANY of those questions is yes, don’t fucking bring Pedro Strop into the game.
andcountingQuote Reply
But what if the question Joe is asking is:
How do I crush the spirit of a struggling player and piss off a discredited Cubs blog in the same move?
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
(dying laughing)
berseliusQuote Reply
To-day’s base ball squadron
CF Heyward
RF Castellanos
3B Bryant
1B Rizzo
SS Baez
LF Schwarber
C Caratini
2B Kemp
P Q
berseliusQuote Reply
berseliusQuote Reply
berselius,
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
I suppose it’s nice for the “just put the ball in play” crowd to have a moment.
I imagine Pete Rose and Goose Gossage are beaming right now.
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
For the record, I prefer games with more balls in play. But it’s not fun if the Cubs are losing.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Jesus, Vic.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Robot umps, plz.
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
Happ got hosed there.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Umpshow
berseliusQuote Reply
Crap. Sounds like Rizzo’s back is acting up.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Perkins,
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Plenty of scoring opportunities wasted so far today.
PerkinsQuote Reply
It’s weird that for one of the most important (and not uncommon) plays—the bases-loaded, full-count ball/strike call—MLB is totally fine with getting it wrong.
andcountingQuote Reply
andcounting,
That’s a big one, but it’s not just that as you know. 2nd and 3rd, one out, ball one called a strike or ball 3 called strike 2. Those are huge. Maybe not as huge as the one you mentioned, but some ball/strike calls can be pretty big even if they aren’t directly related to an immediate run scoring possibility. Pisses me off that they can easily fix this and refuse to do so.
dmick89Quote Reply
It’s sucks the Cubs are going to get swept right before they play 11 of 15 on the road. The Cubs will probably be lucky to win more than three games over the next 2+ weeks.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
Yeah, definitely. The thing about the strike zone is that the definition or the concept of it is loose enough that there is this narrow but noticeable band around the zone where calls could go either way and you can’t really argue. If that’s the human element margin that keeps umpires employed, I think everyone can live with that. I don’t see, though, how people who find baseball to be worth billions of dollars of their money and decades of their time on earth can be okay with easily correctable errors in judgment beyond that margin of “it could go either way.”
Umpires get worse with age at calling strikes. They hate calling ball four on a 3-0 count. They love calling strike three. They are deceived by catchers on a regular basis. If I’m in that position and help is readily available, I’m begging for it.
All the calls that can be made definitively should be correct, yes, it has a huge effect on the game. It’s just the ones that determine whether a pitch outcome is an out or a run that send me into long, overblown sermons to the choir.
andcountingQuote Reply
I feel like if the Cubs can remember a little thing called the opposite field they can score 20 runs today. Which might be enough to force extra innings at least.
andcountingQuote Reply
andcounting,
i think the key for them to start winning is to just stop losing in such horrific fashion
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
You mean the all-white jerseys? Horrific fashion indeed.
andcountingQuote Reply
Bote —–> Cubs
Holland ——-> IL
berseliusQuote Reply
To-day’s base ball squadron
CF Heyward
RF Castellanos
3B Bryant
SS Baez
LF War Bear
C Lucroy
2B Russell
1B Happ
P Hamels
All they have to do to avoid being swept is beat this Strasburg guy.
berseliusQuote Reply
I always love seeing the pitcher bat, only to get a quick hook in the next inning.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Bryant!
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Strasburg’s steam levels are dropping.
berseliusQuote Reply
berselius,
But Strasburg at 75% is still pretty damn good.
berseliusQuote Reply
There for a moment I was only 99% certain the Cubs would lose.
dmick89Quote Reply
This team sucks. They’ll be below .500 in two weeks. More in line with expectations.
dmick89Quote Reply
Any chance the Cubs can buy 20 wins or more for a reasonable price this offseason?
dmick89Quote Reply
Schwarber!
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
berseliusQuote Reply
When Javy walked, you knew something special was happening.
andcountingQuote Reply
Might as well walk their fastest player to start the ninth.
andcountingQuote Reply
Nobody tell Martinez that Contreras is not in the game.
andcountingQuote Reply
I like how the Nationals decided to bunt instead of just having Turner steal second.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Good grief, Crick.
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
I don’t really see a point in buying postseason tickets this year. Even though they issue refunds for games not played, it seems like pointless effort.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Anyone up for a fire sale now?
I’m not saying I am. I was just wondering if others—besides dm—might be.
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
It really just comes down to whether or not they can spend a significant amount of money this offseason or not. If they can’t, their only chance of contending is hoping that the division sucks again and that they get a little lucky like they’ve been so far this season. I’d prefer they spend money and try to win now, but I don’t see that happening.
dmick89Quote Reply
I hope the colts bill their incompetent former GM for the money they still owe Luck.
berseliusQuote Reply
I choose to blame the hideous uniforms for this sweep. When you look that much like a stormtrooper, you can’t help to miss everything you swing/shoot at.
berseliusQuote Reply
berselius,
And of course, from the mound everything just misses. Even Rowan Wick had to walk guys.
BVSQuote Reply
berselius,
And for not finding anyone to play on the O line.
BVSQuote Reply
dmick89,
I prefer the route of trade all the bad players for good ones. Surely, there’s someone out there dying to help the Cubs with another Bobby Hill-Aramis Ramirez.
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
Smokestack Lightning,
This
Maybe the Mets
BVSQuote Reply
BVS,
Well, probably the Tigers, but we already got their last good player.
BVSQuote Reply
Smokestack Lightning,
Bobby Hill was still a relatively young player with potential at the time. Aramis Ramirez wasn’t exactly setting the world on fire either. He was about average at the plate in 2003 with the Pirates and had a 70 wRC+ in 2002. He had a great 2001, but sucked every other year of his professional career until he was traded. I think people overlook that. It’s not like the Pirates just traded Ramirez for Hill. They got the best offer they could get for Ramirez and pulled the trigger on one that was even inside the division. Then almost immediately things turned around for Ramirez, but prior to that trade he wasn’t very good.
Who are the Cubs going to trade that sucks for something valuable? Happ and Almora are almost completely worthless in a trade at this point. Happ probably has more value because anyone with power has some potential whereas Almora is a defensive replacement.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
Schwarber
Maybe Russell, for a RP
Caratini
Not that they suck suck, but they probably will do better with a change of scenery and have some promise that another team might bite on.
BVSQuote Reply
BVS,
I don’t even think Schwarber would bring much in return. He’s a slightly better than average hitting left fielder who will occasionally hit some long home runs. There’s not much mystery with him at this point and not really even much room for improvement.
Russell’s wRC+ has ranged from 80-85 over the last three seasons. Even as a shortstop he’s not all that good and he comes with baggage.
Of these players you listed, it’s shocking that Caratini is probably the most valuable of those three, but still not all that valuable.
dmick89Quote Reply
Why do you guys want to trade everyone who homered yesterday?
andcountingQuote Reply
dmick89,
Since we’re picking nits rather than enjoying (or not enjoying, I can’t tell anyone what to do) the modest guffaw my post was going for, Ramirez was excellent in 2001 at age 23, as you said (and then pretty much disregarded; I think it means a lot more than you seem to—his early struggles prior to 2002 were in his age 20-22 seasons), but I think it’s fair to say a good deal of his abysmal 2002 can be chalked up to trying to play through a fairly serious ankle injury.
And Bobby Hill, fwiw, was the PTBNL. He was also the same age as Ramirez. And really wasn’t doing anything particularly noteworthy in the minor leagues at the time. If he was promising anything, it was a lot of weakass groundballs.
THT sums it all up capably, I think.
https://tht.fangraphs.com/tht-live/10th-anniversary-lofton-and-ramirez-for-bits-and-pieces/
And if we’re being completely fair to the Pirates, it wasn’t extraordinary stupidity that led them to do the deal, but running out of booty (heh):
http://old.post-gazette.com/pirates/20030724rebuildbuc2.asp
It was a shit trade for the Bucs, man. At the time and in retrospect. Ramirez was far more promising than any of the players the Pirates received in return and even had enjoyed some strong success at the MLB level at a young age before getting hurt. And I doubt the Pirates really shopped for the best offer either. They were in a place where they absolutely had to cut money, they already had Cruller Jim on the line for Lofton, the Cubs had no third baseman to speak of, yada yada yada—magical lopsided trade in favor of the Cubs happened.
And that’s really what I’m getting at here. Magical lopsided trades in the Cubs favor. I’d like some more of these, please, and as soon as possible.
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
Smokestack Lightning,
I agree it was a crappy trade for the Pirates and Ramirez was obviously a much more promising player than Hill ever was. I think this deal is similar to the Arrieta trade. Arrieta has shown some potential, but it wasn’t until he was traded that he really took off.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
Agreed. And I’ll take some more Feldmans for Arrietas too.
(side note: Is it me, or does “Feldmans for Arrietas” sound like a garage band David Kaplan would headline?)
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
The Brewers are such a garbage team. How did these clowns win 96 games last year?
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
dmick89,
Granted, but that doesn’t mean that teams won’t trade for guys who have shown promise in the past. A past-promise for past-promise trade where the Cubs get a diamond in the rough would be great, if it could be pulled off. What might that look like? How about Schwarber for Daniel Norris? He could play LF for the Tigers until Cabrera suffers his annual injury, then move to DH. Or maybe tap the Orioles again and unlock Dylan Bundy? I’d suggest possibly Daniel Mengdon from the A’s but his problem is walks, and we’ve shown that we can’t solve that problem. Zach Eflin? Phillies don’t seem to know what to do with him.
BVSQuote Reply
Rizzo the Rat,
They got to play the Cubs more than anyone else.
Man, you blink and they’re 3 games back.
andcountingQuote Reply
andcounting,
They’ve dropped, what, 6.5 games or something in about two weeks?
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
(dying laughing), yeah, and that includes a 5-game winning streak in there.
andcountingQuote Reply
Javy!
Javy.
andcountingQuote Reply
Javy walk alert.
andcountingQuote Reply
Cubs lose.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Wow, this ump is terrrrrrrible.
andcountingQuote Reply
Perkins,
They are on the road.
dmick89Quote Reply
Russell!
WaLiQuote Reply
Russell!!
andcountingQuote Reply
A lead!
berseliusQuote Reply
Baez!!
WaLiQuote Reply
Javy!!!
PerkinsQuote Reply
Javy hitting homers to right is my favorite anime.
andcountingQuote Reply
Darvish looks so ridiculous trying to bunt.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Javy is still in the black on the RBI-TOOTBLAN stat for the day.
berseliusQuote Reply
Might as well give Darvish a shot at the CG
berseliusQuote Reply
The Brewers are so useless they should just quit the rest of the season and play golf.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Perkins,
Automatic wins for us? No bullpen usage? Yes please.
BVSQuote Reply
I definitely feel like Kato Kaelin now.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Fuck you, Milwaukee.
andcountingQuote Reply
M ————> inverted
berseliusQuote Reply
Cubs win
BVSQuote Reply
Russell made it through the post-game interview without saying anything particularly dumb.
I mean, he didn’t say anything particularly smart either, but his command of cliches and platitudes was pretty good.
BVSQuote Reply
Rizzo the Rat,
Kato should just take them all golfing. Surely he can score some passes at a Trump resort.
BVSQuote Reply
BVS,
What’s his Platitudes Above Replacement Level?
PerkinsQuote Reply
Perkins,
About average, but his CARL (cliches above replacement level) skyrocketed tonight. He rove in “win the day” with a nonchalance that was sagan to none.
BVSQuote Reply
I take it back. Instead of forfeiting the rest of the season, the Brewers should have a team outing that involves Africanized bees.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Perkins,
Or bees with teeth.
berseliusQuote Reply
Despite the fact that it doesn’t help the Cubs….
berseliusQuote Reply
berselius,
Or the dogs with bees in their mouths and when they bark they shoot bees at you.
PerkinsQuote Reply
False.
PerkinsQuote Reply
So of course the unstoppable Nationals offense gets shut the fuck down by . . . Baltimore?
andcountingQuote Reply
http://www.obstructedview.net/cubs-5-mets-2/
berseliusQuote Reply