OSS: Cubs defense shuts out the Dodgers in what felt like a playoff atmosphere.
Three+ up:
- Pat suggested that this was the Cubs best defensive game of the year, and he’s probably right. Heyward, Almora, and Bryant all made highlight reel plays, capped off by an unassisted double play turned by Javy snagging a liner and diving at the second base bag to double off the runner.
- Javy also had a great day at the plate, hitting two doubles and a triple, scoring two runs, and stealing a base that should have led to another. Dude is back to being locked in with all phases of the game again.
- Kyle Schwarber homered for the second game in a row, and is now tied with Baez for the most on the team with 14.
- Lester had another solid start and lowered his ERA even further. Only one strikeout is not great but it feels like even I could be a credible pitcher with this defense behind me.
- I only tuned into the last two games of this series, but it was a plus-plus crowd in the stands who rose to the occasion that the two best teams in the NL were playing each other. Half of said other best team may be on the DL, but still, it was a big series.
- The Cubs now have the best record in the National League.
Three down:
- The Cubs may have been cheated out of a run in the second inning as Baez ran home on what looked like a passed ball but was somehow called a swinging strike three by Lester. According to gameday the pitch was in the strike zone, but Lester only seemed to be called out after an appeal to the 3b umpire, who said he swung, which he very much did not. It didn’t end up mattering but it was a strange one.
- Brandon Morrow hit the DL after pulling his back while taking his pants off. Who among us.
- The Cubs were one bad ball-strike call away from taking a sweep in this series. If only.
Next up: The Cubs head to Cincy for a four game set against the scuffling Reds. Kyle Hendricks takes on the shambling remains of Matt Harvey’s career at 6:10 PM CT.
Comments
That pitch to Lester was in the zone? It was really breaking out of the zone and I thought it passed over the plate low of the zone. I have no idea how the 3rd base umpire thought Lester swung at that. It wasn’t even close.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
That’s what I saw on gameday.
berseliusQuote Reply
berselius,
Even technology was working against the Cubs.
andcountingQuote Reply
Hunter Strickland is the new Kyle Farnsworth. Prove me wrong.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Perkins,
He hasn’t “racky-tacked” another pitcher yet.
RynoQuote Reply
Ryno,
Fair, but he has checked the box for “injure self in a dumbass way after a poor outing.”
Though I was always rooting for Farnsworth in fights, whereas I’d like to see Strickland get punched a few times.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Perkins,
I’m sure he will eventually get that opportunity.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
That may have been the funnest frustrating series win of the year.
The Chicago Cubs showed off their D, which if you listened to the Dodger broadcast meant they were waving their dicks around.
I’m sorry Mr Broadcasters, does Baez and Contreras’ virility offend you? Are you eugenicists?
ceruleanQuote Reply
holy shit you guys, jason kendall has an autobiography. could be worse than the yellon book?
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
EnricoPallazzo,
seriously, fuck this book
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
I never knew you were such a bibliophile.
berseliusQuote Reply
This is another way of saying that he’s a white guy.
dmick89Quote Reply
Holy crap, Harvey is throwing 98?
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Stupid shift.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Javy!!!!!!
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Baez!
dmick89Quote Reply
Javy!
berseliusQuote Reply
Wasn’t MLB supposed to speed up the replay process years ago?
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
I hope the Cardinals beat the Brewers, but the game goes 19 innings.
PerkinsQuote Reply
JD: A swing risks a double play.
Harvey: Bunts into a double play.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
These strikeouts looking are infuriating, but Russell got screwed there.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Pretty sad performance against a now-terrible pitcher, Cubs batters.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Oh my god, don’t walk Hamilton.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Welp.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Grand slam, please.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Javy guessing right a lot. (dying laughing)
andcountingQuote Reply
What’s the record for a team striking out looking in a game?
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Goddamnit.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Cubs 2018 slogan.
RynoQuote Reply
It’s weird how Jason Heyward was injured for all of 2016 and 2017, but glad to finally have him back and playing baseball.
MylesQuote Reply
Myles,
From a few days ago:
https://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/jason-heywards-latest-change-is-making-a-difference/
berseliusQuote Reply
To-day’s base ball squadron
Bryant
Heyward
Zobrist
Rizzo
Baez (SS)
War Bear
Almora
Giminez
Quintana
berseliusQuote Reply
This might be the worst offensive battery since Lester/Ross in 2015.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Cubs lose.
andcountingQuote Reply
Jesus, Q.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Waking the bases loaded to get to Votto is a Chatwood move.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Why is Giminez even on the team? Caratini isn’t great, but he’s better.
dmick89Quote Reply
Q just looks so ridiculous with a bat in his hands.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Jesus.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Bryant has become a good hitting middle infielder this season.
dmick89Quote Reply
Javy!!!!!
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Schwarber!!!!!!
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Baez! Schwarber!
dmick89Quote Reply
WAR BEAR
berseliusQuote Reply
Quintana sure has sucked today.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
I’m shocked that Q is running out of gas in the middle innings. That never happens.
dmick89Quote Reply
What. The. Hell.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
That’s the second time this team has botched a rundown.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
How does getting swept by the Reds sound?
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
Optimistic?
andcountingQuote Reply
andcounting,
I suppose they could find a way to lose five in this four game set. Gonna be difficult though.
dmick89Quote Reply
Cardinals lose.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Rizzo the Rat,
I’ve been rooting for the Cardinals in that series. I think the Brewers are the better team so any help the Cubs can get against them is a good thing in my opinion.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
Heyward will give what will come to be known as the “At least we only got swept, you guys” speech that turned 2018 around.
andcountingQuote Reply
dmick89,
I’m just trying to find a silver lining.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Is Maddon just going to brunch Bryant every time he had a bad game? What’s going on with the lineup?
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Rizzo the Rat,
*bench. Oops.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Unless Bryant is hurt, I don’t think he needs a day off every week.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Holy forking shirtballs, Die Mannschaft.
berseliusQuote Reply
Runs, please.
dmick89Quote Reply
La Stella should never lead off in a game that matters on a roster this talented.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Cubs lose.
dmick89Quote Reply
Welp!
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
That will be the highlight of this series for the Cubs.
dmick89Quote Reply
Maddon deliberately uses a heavily left-handed lineup, even benching Bryant, and one of the only righties hits a home run.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
This crew chief review thing is dumb. Make the manager use a challenge.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
I’m not in a great mood today, if you can’t tell.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
That’s how long every challenge should be limited to and any manager who comes onto the field after a replay should be immediately ejected and escorted off the field.
dmick89Quote Reply
The Cubs are really good at scoring 10 runs per game for a week or two and then scoring a total of 15 runs over the next couple weeks.
dmick89Quote Reply
Farrell wasn’t very sharp, but at least we got nearly three innings out of him.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
That was a weird play.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
What the fuck was that throwing exhibition?
andcountingQuote Reply
Return of the Cubes
dmick89Quote Reply
Is he going to walk the pitcher with the bases loaded and two outs? Jesus.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
That’s even better.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
(dying laughing)
dmick89Quote Reply
This may be the game the Cubs lose twice.
andcountingQuote Reply
I wish the Cubs were playing a less talented team, like maybe the Dodgers or the Cardinals.
North Side PatQuote Reply
Maddon is going out to defend his lineup.
andcountingQuote Reply
To be honest, this game is a lot closer than I thought it would be.
dmick89Quote Reply
Losing 3 in a row to the Reds should disqualify you from playoff contention.
dmick89Quote Reply
I’m sure the Cubs will win tomorrow with Chatwood on the mound for 4 subpar innings.
dmick89Quote Reply
zomg.
andcountingQuote Reply
Some promising signs for the struggling Cubs offense today. They have three times as many hits as I was expecting them to have today.
dmick89Quote Reply
I hope the Cubs hitters were taking notes when the Reds were hitting. I bet they didn’t know that when you hit a home run with runners on, you score multiple runs all at once.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Everyone is really, really happy for the Chatwood family.
andcountingQuote Reply
Happ at third? What’s going on with Bryant? Seriously, is he hurt?
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Congratulations, Tyler! Take some time to bond with your child. Don’t worry about the Cubs. Just take all the time you need. And then some. You’ve earned it.
dmick89Quote Reply
Sounds like shoulder soreness for Bryant.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Rizzo the Rat,
Shoulder soreness could be really bad, especially considering his power has been gone for the better part of two months.
andcountingQuote Reply
That was a hell of a catch by Happ.
andcountingQuote Reply
Almora is slow as fuck.
andcountingQuote Reply
Heyward!!!!
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Heyward!
andcountingQuote Reply
Finally
berseliusQuote Reply
Baez!
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Rizzo!!!!!!!
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Rizzzzzzzz.
andcountingQuote Reply
TONY
berseliusQuote Reply
More of that, please, Anthony.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Stop giving up home runs to opposing pitchers, please.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Joe turned a good start into a mediocre start. No way Montgomery should have been out there for the 7th.
dmick89Quote Reply
Cubs lose. Again.
dmick89Quote Reply
😐
berseliusQuote Reply
Um.
andcountingQuote Reply
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
dmick89,
His pitch count was low, yesterday was a bullpen day, it was low leverage and they’ll need a lot of bullpen innings tomorrow.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Why did Pedro even bother to throw home there?
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Joe’s managing this one like it’s a playoff game.
andcountingQuote Reply
By Grabthar’s Hammer…..what a shitshow.
berseliusQuote Reply
Win (ha) or lose, I’m busting out a classic for the postgame.
berseliusQuote Reply
Losing 4 in a row to the Reds should disqualify you from playoff contention for the next 30 years.
dmick89Quote Reply
I hate baseball.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Jim Riggleman is not going to go down in history as the worst manager of all time.
andcountingQuote Reply
I really don’t think Maddon screwed up this game. The odds of something like this happening against Strop are nearly zero.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
http://www.obstructedview.net/reds-4-cubs-0/
berseliusQuote Reply