OSS: Cubs head into May in first place.
Three up:
- Kris Bryant had his first big hit since his HBP scare. His triple off the top of the wall just missed finding its way into the basket, and he eventually came around to score as the game winning run. He also made a plus-plus defensive play in the top of the eighth, snagging a sharp grounder in foul territory and chucking it all the way across the diamond to beat the runner.
- Maddon made the somewhat odd decision to bring in Luke Farrell in relief of Lester in the sixth (more on that below), but it worked out well for him. Farrell picked up his first big league meaningless state by pitching out of Lester's jam in the sixth and then striking out two guys from the heart of the Rockies lineup as he worked a clean seventh. Not bad, rook.
- Albert Almora had an RBI single at the plate, and had yet another great day on defense against the Rockies bats. If he's in the lineup tomorrow they might just focus on hitting nothing but ground balls to try to keep it away from him.
Three down:
- It was just an okay start for Lester, though a defensive miscue or two behind him probably shortened his outing. Lester walked three and gave up five hits in 5.2 innings, and didn't seem to have as great a feel for his stuff as he did in his last start or two.
- Javy Baez had an uncharacteristically rough game on defense that helped lead to both of the Rockies runs. It was a quiet night with the bat too: 0-4 with two strikeouts and a GIDP.
- Aside from the Farrell decision above, Joe also had a head scratcher when he had Lester hit for himself in the fifth with runners on the corners and nobody out, down 2-1. Lester is a pretty good bunter, but the wind was howling out and that seemed like a good time for War Bear, platoon splits be damned. At least the Rockies returned the favor by leaving Freeland in his next time in the order.
Next up: The Cubs look to make it six in a row with Cyle on the mound against Jon Gray tomorrow. Game time at 7:05 CT.
Comments
I probably would have gone with La Stella as the pinch hitter. That’s a spot where contact is pretty important and La Stella is probably more likely to get that run in than Schwarber is.
dmick89Quote Reply
Those Baez errors were weird. You don’t see too many drops like that (especially the play at 1st).
dmick89Quote Reply
The line drive he dropped was ruled a hit. It was playable, but not exactly easy. The dropped throw at first was odd, though. Willson’s throw was perfect.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Rizzo the Rat,
The line drive was ruled a hit?
dmick89Quote Reply
The only errors in the game were Baez’s dropped throw and Bryant’s fumbling a grounder.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
That line drive non-error is a play that should be made nearly 100% of the time. It was relatively well hit, but Baez was right there and it didn’t take a great deal of effort on his part.
dmick89Quote Reply
This is a baseball site. Please take the football discussion elsewhere.
TyroneQuote Reply
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/30/sports/baseball/houston-astros-analytics.html
GWQuote Reply
GW,
From “deliberate practice” and “mindfulness meditation” to tailored diets and sleep analysis, the game of baseball players’ health is changing. This is a good thing.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Since you guys brought up football…
What the fuck is your point, Dorsey?
TyroneQuote Reply
Rizzo 1B
Bryant 3B
Zobrist 2B
Russell SS
Schwarber LF
Caratini C
Heyward RF
Happ CF
Hendricks P
dmick89Quote Reply
To-day’s base ball squadron
1B Rizzo
3B Bryant
2B Zobrist
SS Russell
LF Schwarber
C Caratini
RF Heyward
CF Happ
P Cyle
Senior Rockies Correspondent BerseliusQuote Reply
Something seems different…
Wenningtons Gorilla CockQuote Reply
Rizzo has been worth -0.6 fWAR to this point in the season. Yikes.
PerkinsQuote Reply
FG also has Heyward 1.5 runs above average on offense, but 1 run below average on defense. One step forward…
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Wait, the batter gets to go all the way around the bases when he his the ball over the wall? It’s been so long since that happened I forgot how that works.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
This game is off to a shitty start.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Rizzo!
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Rizzo for leadoff hitter!
PerkinsQuote Reply
It’s gonna be a late night (dying laughing)
Senior Rockies Correspondent BerseliusQuote Reply
There’s no way that deserved to be a home run.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Happ is no Almora out there.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Stop. Grounding. Out.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Nationals are vying for a new entry into the Online Encyclopedia of Integer Sequences with their half of the inning going 0 0 1 1 4 6.
What I mean is the Pirates are getting crushed.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Heyward, Happ, and Hendricks —> didn’t ground out.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Kyle not Cyle!
A triple that was almost a little league homer
ceruleanQuote Reply
Terrible AB by Caratini.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Bad strike zone and bad hitting.
PerkinsQuote Reply
To be fair, he got screwed on the second strike call.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Perkins,
You beat me to it.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Laz Diaz should consider a career that doesn’t involve calling balls and strikes.
PerkinsQuote Reply
All told, a pretty good outing by Cyle, but Gray has him beat.
ceruleanQuote Reply
More like this, Justin.
ceruleanQuote Reply
This game is infuriating. Zero runs since the first hitter with the wind howling out.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Votto struck out with the tying run on third and one out against the Brewers.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
I hope this outing means more (good) Wilson.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
I approve
ceruleanQuote Reply
2016 Home opener Addy please
Nope
ceruleanQuote Reply
Hit a home run, please, Kyle.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Unverted 7
ceruleanQuote Reply
I wonder if if Joe made a mistake loading the lineup with lefties and switch-hitters. The wind wasn’t helping flyballs to right field very much and Gray doesn’t have large splits. Oh well.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
I mean, I’ll take it, but it doesn’t make me feel any better about Rizzo’s hitting.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
The Cardinals came back in the ninth and won because today sucks.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Kendrick Perkins: 6’10” 270 pound pro athlete.
Drake: 6′ 170 pound “musician.”
TyroneQuote Reply
To-day’s base ball squadron
CF Almora
2B Baez
3B Bryant
1B Rizzo
C Contreras
LF Zobrist
SS Russell
RF Heyward
P Darvish
berseliusQuote Reply
dating a volleyball player = bad character
everyone knows that.
GWQuote Reply
GW,
I thought it was because the volleyball coach deferred to the player/girlfriend for a reference. Meaning Rosen had obviously concocted a scheme to pay for the silence of any potential detractor.
TyroneQuote Reply
If you’re not dating a cheerleader, you can’t be an NFL quarterback. Everybody knows this.
MylesQuote Reply
Too bad the umpire didn’t notice that Blackmon struck out looking.
PerkinsQuote Reply
It would be nice if this offense remembered how to score runs. They’ve sucked for about a week.
dmick89Quote Reply
Well, this one is probably over. Cubs haven’t scored 5 or more in over a week.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Perkins,
This one felt over when it became 2-0 in the 1st.
dmick89Quote Reply
Rizzo!!
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Sigh.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Pitch 1 and pitch 3 were in exactly the same location. I really like the idea of an automated strike zone.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Darvish likes to give up home runs.
dmick89Quote Reply
At least Bryzzo brought their bats. And no lead is safe in this wind.
berseliusQuote Reply
This umpire is sofa king terrible.
EdwinQuote Reply
Today’s game:
PerkinsQuote Reply
The Cubs are kind of lucky to even have a win on this homestand considering how shitty their offense has been.
dmick89Quote Reply
So, the return of the cubist period? Or have we entered full on minimalism?
ceruleanQuote Reply
cerulean,
Just as long as we don’t get the Dada Cubs.
berseliusQuote Reply
Most projection systems don’t have the Dodgers winning their division. I never thought I’d be saying that on May 2.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
TyroneQuote Reply
The Cubs are currently Hardly Any Diggity. Judging by the trend (A Fair Amount of Diggity last year following their curse-busting Overwhelming Surplus of Diggity 2016), I’d assume the team will head into the 2019 with No Diggity.
TyroneQuote Reply
Tyrone,
I can no longer sit back and allow the international Cardinals conspiracy to sap and impurify all of our precious diggity.
berseliusQuote Reply
berselius,
Yeah, WTF? And is that how they’re NEVER without Diggity? They’re Diggity sappers?
TyroneQuote Reply
http://news.sportslogos.net/2018/05/03/graphics-what-if-teams-could-never-change-a-logo/
Broncos, Dolphins and Bucs should consider throwbacks for increased Diggity. And why was Detroit’s first logo a dude raping a lion?
TyroneQuote Reply
No diggity.
ceruleanQuote Reply
https://www.silverandblackpride.com/2018/5/3/17315114/report-raiders-attempted-to-trade-up-in-the-first-round-to-get-mike-mcglinchey
So SF “won” the coin toss over OAK for the 9th pick. If they had lost, OAK would’ve take McGlinchey and SF could’ve traded to 15 like OAK did (netting a 3 and a 5) and picked Derwin James (who I would’ve preferred at 9).
TyroneQuote Reply
Tyrone,
At first glance, that niners logo looked like a guy propelling himself forward with the power of his farts.
berseliusQuote Reply
But what if 49ers traded up over the Raiders to draft McGlinchey?
MuckerQuote Reply
Mucker,
Then I would’ve posted that gif twice.
Since Lynch said it was close between McGlinchey and Derwin, I assume he would’ve traded down and picked Derwin over trading up for McGlinchey.
TyroneQuote Reply
berselius,
Which would’ve been an appropriate logo for the franchise considering the last 15 years (minus the Harbaugh days).
TyroneQuote Reply
That was a thing back then. People are such pussies these days. #MAGA
dmick89Quote Reply
New crap
http://obstructedview.net/series-preview-chicago-cubs-at-st-louis-cardinals/
berseliusQuote Reply