OSS: The Cubs hit a few speed bumps but keep on rolling
Three up:
- Javier Baez had the biggest hit of the day with a three run blast that was gone as soon as it hit the bat. The two out shot tied the game at 3 in the sixth inning and chased Dodgers starter Walker Buehler.
- Jason Heyward followed it up later in the inning with a three run blast of his own to left center. Heyward’s hot streak has gone on for nearly a month now, causing even those of us with the faintest of hopes to start to wonder if this is actually for real. Baez and Heyward combined for a WPA of .623 in this game.
- Kris Bryant got on base three times and didn’t strike out. He’s still got a ways to go to get out of his slump but he can build on this I guess.
Three down:
- Hamels was not as sharp as his previous two starts, walking six batters in 5.1 innings and getting chased by a long HR from red hot Cody Bellinger.
- Steve Cishek was knocked around for the second straight day, and you can’t really blame the BABIP dragon this time around. He’s still a solid pitcher but not really the good luck charm that Joe had last year.
- Albert Almora slid into first base for the umpteenth time in his career.
Next up: The Cubs go for the sweep against the Dodgers at 1:20 CT, which is not a sentence I expected to write two weeks ago. Jon Lester returns from the DL to face Ross Stripling.
Comments
Hahaha YES this is exactly what I was thinking of
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
What I see when Perkins mentions Tony (or Anthony)
SKQuote Reply
SK,
(dying laughing)
Rizzo would probably like that. He’s such a goofball
BVSQuote Reply
Hey Berselius, thanks for the post despite being on work travel!
I promise I won’t comment on the irony of you being at a high performance computing meeting while operating a low performance Cubs blog.
BVSQuote Reply
BVS,
Heh, ironically I typically have more time to write stuff when I am on work travel.
berseliusQuote Reply
SK,
(dying laughing)
PerkinsQuote Reply
To-day’s base ball squadron
RF Zobrist
3B Bryant
1B Rizzo
SS Baez
2B Descalso
C Contreras
CF Heyward
LF Schwarber
P Lester
berseliusQuote Reply
Kris Bryant is on pace to hit 7 HRs this year. He hit 39 in 2016. I wouldn’t mind him bulking up and moving to 1B/LF if he finishes the year with under 20 HRs.
JonKneeVQuote Reply
JonKneeV,
He’s hit 6 home runs over his last 393 plate appearances. I don’t think we know for sure that his power is gone, but I think his 40 home run potential is probably gone. I think he’ll finish the season with 10-15 home runs.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
If he hits 3 today I’ll stop worrying.
andcountingQuote Reply
Schwarber is really struggling.
andcountingQuote Reply
Nice to have Big Jon back
berseliusQuote Reply
So there’s this three-day football event beginning today…
And I’m as ill-prepared for it as I’ve ever been.
RynoQuote Reply
Ryno,
Washington will make a terrible trade/pick. Done.
berseliusQuote Reply
Come on do something, uh (check notes) — ZAGUNIS
SKQuote Reply
I really want Schwarber to succeed, man.
MylesQuote Reply
Get it together, offense. Or don’t. I can’t tell you what to do.
PerkinsQuote Reply
I realize now why some people want to ban the shift. It’s no other reason than that it really pisses you off when what feels like a hit becomes an easy out or double play.
andcountingQuote Reply
andcounting,
Which is to say, there’s no baseball justification for banning the shift, just the emotional one.
andcountingQuote Reply
andcounting,
Banning the shift would be as stupid as not allowing the pitcher to attack the hitter’s weakness. So basically, all sliders low and away to Javy would be banned.
dmick89Quote Reply
wait…is this an option? yes let’s please ban this immediately
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
we know, myles. we know.
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
If you would have told me 7 years ago that 2 of the best players on the team at the end of the decade would be players drafted or signed as amateur free agents by Jim Hendry I’d have assumed that the Cubs would suck and that Thoyer would be long gone.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
well i don’t know if i would call dillon maples one of the two best players on the team…YET
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
A middle-middle changeup to Bryant should be in the seats.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Al-Al!
berseliusQuote Reply
Stupid Bote. When has he ever come through in the clutch?
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
We now live in a world in which Almora has as many home runs as Bryant.
dmick89Quote Reply
Meatloaf’d
berseliusQuote Reply
Almora hit a HR off Kenley Jansen. Huh.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Cubs will miss Greinke, so that’s nice.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Terrance Gore is .438/.471/.625
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
WaLiQuote Reply
Seven home runs for La Stella now.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
I still can’t believe the Cardinals told the world they were drafting Kyler while having a 1st round QB from last year still on the team, then drafted Kyler while still having a 1st round QB on the team. Rosen’s trade value has to be nothing right now.
WaLiQuote Reply
https://twitter.com/Ky1eLong/status/1121573706323636225
RynoQuote Reply
https://twitter.com/ScottBarrettDFB/status/1121692636845236226
RynoQuote Reply
WaLi,
Yeah, and they wondered why no one wanted to give up a first-round pick for Rosen.
They apparently also tried to get the Niners to trade up to 1 by saying yesterday that they were going to pick Bosa.
RynoQuote Reply
Ryno,
Plus like, he totally looks like Eli
WaLiQuote Reply
WaLi,
Thinking about what ARI did a bit deeper and I don’t think it’s all that bad. Teams spend multiple picks on one QB all the time. ARI spent multiple picks on two QBs and can pick one and trade the other away for assets or keep both (RG3/Cousins) and see what happens.
RynoQuote Reply
Ryno,
Watching NFL teams guess at which quarterbacks are good and what draft picks are worth is maybe more fun than watching the games.
andcountingQuote Reply
andcounting,
The draft pick worth has gone overboard, but picking QBs is REALLY difficult. Traits transfer. Athleticism transfers. But the margin between successful and unsuccessful QBs is so thin (if it even exists). You really have to guess who will “figure it out.”
Unless you’re Dave Gettleman. Then you pick someone just in case you die in a car crash sometime this week.
RynoQuote Reply
AZ I am in you
berseliusQuote Reply
Ryno,
*empties savings account, spends it all on building a new Blockbuster store*
Who knows, I could be hit by a bus tomorrow.
berseliusQuote Reply
This didn’t sink in with Gettleman, who is kicking himself now for not drafting a RB at 6
berseliusQuote Reply
https://i.imgur.com/RdImXkk.gifv
WaLiQuote Reply
berselius,
“We may not even open the store for three years. Who knows?”
RynoQuote Reply
WaLi,
That is great. Must save for future drafts.
RynoQuote Reply
http://www.obstructedview.net/series-preview-chicago-cubs-12-11-at-arizona-diamondbacks-15-11/
berseliusQuote Reply