Cubs 5, Dbacks 3 and Series Preview: Miami Marlins (4-15) at Chicago Cubs (11-7)

In Series Previews by berselius168 Comments

Combined post, cuz we need a new one

OSS: Hayden Wesneski gives the pen a shot in the arm

Three up:

  1. With a completely gassed bullpen, the Cubs called up Hayden Wesneski and something called a Colton Brewer from Iowa. With starter Jordan Wicks running out of gas in the fifth inning and the right-handed heart of the Dbacks order coming up, Wesneski came in and retired Gurriel and Walker. He went on to post a final line of 4 IP, 0 runs, just what the team and the exhausted bullpen needed.
  2. Cody Bellinger had the biggest hit of the day for the Cubs with a go-ahead homer in the sixth inning. Belli has struggled to start the season, hopefully we see him heat up as the Cubs head back home against some struggling teams.
  3. Michael Busch’s homer streak may have ended, but he managed to elicit rare praise from me by dropping a perfect bunt against the shift for a single in his first PA. #Neverbunt, except I guess in that situation.

Three down:

  1. Hicks got the facepalms going early by giving up a leadoff HR and a HBP in his first two batters, but then settled down for the next few innings. But, it was yet another start of less than five innings by a Cubs pitcher. Maybe if Wesneski wasn’t fresh, he’d have stayed in longer, and I’ve been the first one on the soapbox for guys being left in an inning too long. But it still stinks. I’m not sure how the suggestion for limiting the number of pitchers on the roster that I’ve seen floating around will keep starters in longer. Maybe if there’s a linked DH to the starter. It’s not like Wicks is a guy who is lighting up the radar gun at risk to his UCL either (dying laughing).
  2. Going back to earlier in the series, I thought those Dbacks city connects were hideous, and look like they had been dipped in cat piss. They’re really in the avant garde of awful uniform designs over the years.
  3. Cyle looks totally cooked – the Cubs are going to have a decision to make when Taillon comes up for this series.

Next up: See below

The Cubs head into another series with a team that gave them a bunch of crushing losses last season. The Marlins are struggling, to say the least. Pretty much their entire rotation is injured, and it sounds like their manager asked the team to make him a lame duck this year since he was hired by the previous regime. They started the year 0-9, and are coming off back to back series losses at home. Let’s see if that ol Counsell Magic Manager Dust will stop the Cubs from playing down to the competition.

Team Leaders

Based on projected numbers

Fishes

  • OBP: Luis Arraez (.369)
  • ISO: Jake 🍔 (/231)
  • HR: 🍔 (33)
  • R+RBI: 🍔 (169)
  • wRC+: Arraez (113)
  • BSR: Jazz Chisolm (1.2)
  • Defense: Christian Bethencourt (9.1)
  • SP K/9: AJ Puk (11.79)
  • SP BB/9: Braxton Garrett (2.57)
  • SP FIP: Puk (3.57)
  • RP K/9: Tanner Scott (12.55)
  • RP BB/9: Bryan Hoeing (2.58)
  • RP FIP: Scott (3.32)
  • WAR: Chisolm/Luzardo (3.1)

Cubs

  • OBP: Seiya (.352)
  • ISO: Morel (.224)
  • HR: Morel (25)
  • R+RBI: Belli (178)
  • wRC+: Seiya (124)
  • BSR: Hoerner (2.6)
  • Defense: Swanson (18.0)
  • SP K/9: Shota (9.59)
  • SP BB/9: Cyle (2.17)
  • SP FIP: Shota (3.55)
  • RP K/9: Merryweather (11.90)
  • RP BB/9: Alzolay (2.41)
  • RP FIP: Merryweather (3.84)
  • WAR: Swanson (4.4)

Who’s not available?

Seiya Suzuki hit the IL after the last series and will probably be on the shelf a month, ugh. Justin Steele is working his way back, and Taillon will be back for this series. Julian Merryweather was moved to the 60-day IL.

It’s probably better to ask who *isn’t* injured for the Marlins. Catcher Christian Bethencourt and top hitter Jake Burger hit the IL earlier this week. SP Braxton Garrett has been on the IL with a shoulder impingement since Spring Training, and reported a ‘dead arm’ in a minor league bullpen session last week. SPs Eury Perez and Sandy Alcantara are out for the year with TJS. They also demoted SP Max Mayer, who’s been their only starter with any success this year, because Reasons. AJ Puk had his last start pushed back due to an illness going around the clubhouse.

Pitching Matchups

Projected K/9, BB/9, ERA listed for each

Thursday: AJ Puk, LHP (11.25, 3.27, 4.25) vs Jameson Taillon, RHP (7.83, 2.44, 4.41), 6:40 PM CT

Friday: Jesus Luzardo, LHP (10.16, 3.25, 4.16) vs Shota Imanaga, LHP (9.66, 2.54, 3.48), 1:20 PM CT

Saturday: Edward Cabrera, RHP (9.52, 4.15, 4.34) vs Javier Assad, RHP (7.48, 3.50, 4.33), 1:20 PM CT

Sunday: Ryan Weathers, RHP (7.55, 3.68, 4.76) vs No Longer Cyle Hendricks, RHP (6.86, 2.29, 4.85), 1:20 PM CT

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Comments

  1. Rice Cube

    Hope they use Sunday as a much needed Dansby and/or Morel rest day that turns into multiple rest days, the word on the street is that tomorrow night’s weather will suck so they may get a breather anyway, but I really don’t want any doubleheaders right now.

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  2. BVS

    If Wick doesn’t become more efficient with his pitch count, I could see him going to the pen instead of Assad or back to Iowa instead of Wizzkidski.

    Wow. Kyle looks bad, which makes me sad.

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  5. Author
    berselius

    Kris Bryant —–> IL

    I kind of thought that happened like a week ago, but leave it to the Rockies to screw it up (dying laughing)

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  10. Author
    berselius

    There are a few legit great breweries in Utah, though obviously the regulatory climate is weird. SLC is by far the place where I’ve been the most hammered while on work travel (dying laughing).

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  35. andcounting

    Seemed like Taillon always got the shaft with the defense behind him last year, but holy shit was that not the case in that 2nd inning.

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  59. Rice Cube

    Avoid injury is the new market inefficiency

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  64. Perkins

    Cards tie it up in the 9th against Milwaukee, but leave the bases loaded. I hope that one somehow goes 16 innings and shreds both teams’ bullpens.

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  77. andcounting

    Morel is being pitched extremely well lately. He’s had a pretty good eye this year, but pitchers are carving up the outer fringe of the zone to him lately. Hope he stays patient.

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  100. andcounting

    Canario swinging for the auxiliary lots when a single wins the game and a fly out or ground out ties the game is easily the single most infuriating moment of this season so far.

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  101. Perkins

    After four blown saves in the first three weeks, I’m not sure how they keep using Alzolay in high leverage spots.

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  102. andcounting

    andcounting,

    Like, it’s difficult to do whatever you’re trying to do in this game, but Canario was very clearly trying to do the absolutely wrong and most difficult thing.

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  104. BVS

    I didn’t like the bunt. Amaya has been hitting OK, and Nico hot, but you had a guy on second and at hit would have tied it. With no outs, OK, but not with one out.

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  109. Rice Cube

    Definitely think Adbert needs to work through whatever he’s going through but it’s not like a Cuas can do better if they were to switch places, this is one they’re just going to have to ride out

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  121. Perkins

    Rice Cube:
    berselius,

    I got the Darth Vader set of that one where he force chokes Captain Antilles

    I got two of that set and did a mirror build of the second to connect them into one long hallway. It’s awesome. Plus I was able to display the spare Vader with my little Executor SSD.

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  128. andcounting

    I know I said Imanaga would win ROY, but it is looking like the Cubs might be splitting votes. Busch looking mighty impressive too.

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  155. andcounting

    berselius:
    Cyle getting the edges now

    He’s grooving way too many pitches in these recent innings. I also can’t tell if he’s not getting good movement on his changeup but he’s throwing much more in the strike zone and getting very few whiffs. I think he threw like 9 pitches to seven batters in the 4th. (dying laughing)

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