OSS: Playoff baseball, in April?
Three up:
- After a shaky start in the first inning, the Cubs defense came up HUGE today, with multiple great plays by Nick Madrigal, Nico Hoerner, and Michael Busch on plays that would have been hits against most teams. Both Nico’s stop in the fourth inning and Busch’s game ending snag occurred with runners on second and third and would easily have scored two runs if they got through.
- It’s hard to pick out one particular player since the Cubs really spread the offense around today, but Seiya Suzuki was the Cubs leader in WPA on the day, mostly thanks to a two run double in the second inning that capped off the Cubs rally against Dodgers starter Bobby Miller. Miller looked unstoppable in the first inning, but the Cubs just ground him down over the course of the second with what felt like a half a dozen ten pitch PAs.
- Props to the crowd today, the atmosphere felt amazing on the broadcast. It may have been cold but it was the first non-shitty day of the homestand and everyone was feeling the good vibes. I don’t know if there’s an April game where I even came close to hanging on every pitch (dying laughing)
Three down:
- It was another rough start for Cyle, who had a tough time locating his pitches against a team more than capable of making him pay. Props to the offense for picking him up.
- Drew Smyly was nails coming on in relief but I definitely raised my eyebrow to see him coming out in the seventh. I felt the same about Ben Brown on Wednesday too. Counsell obviously trusts his guys though and I’m still giving him a longer benefit of the doubt than I probably will by August, heh.
- The Mushroom Man was the only Cub that didn’t reach base today, going 0-4, though at least with no strikeouts.
Next up:
Jordan Wicks takes on Yoshinobu Yamamoto at 3 PM CT, should be another exciting one!
Now go root for Iowa and Caitlin Clark. Or don’t. I can’t tell you what to do.
Comments
Dansby Swanson a bust smh
berseliusQuote Reply
UConn is playing incredible defense on Clark today
berseliusQuote Reply
(dying laughing)
Rice CubeQuote Reply
berselius,
Pretty incredible, she’s obviously getting frustrated.
andcountingQuote Reply
Let’s go Seattle Marinaras
berseliusQuote Reply
Rice Cube,
(dying laughing)
(dying laughing)
(dying laughing)
My expectations for the White Sox this season were abject failure and somehow they’ve performed below expectations.
andcountingQuote Reply
andcounting,
no one has worse on field vibes
A’s are a special case
berseliusQuote Reply
Uffda mariners bullpen
berseliusQuote Reply
Not throwing strikes is a bold strategy, Cotton
Rice CubeQuote Reply
berselius,
Booooooers.
andcountingQuote Reply
Rendon getting mercilessly booed in the angels opener (dying laughing)
berseliusQuote Reply
why do they paint the 3 point lines white (dying laughing)
berseliusQuote Reply
Rooting for Iowa but you cannot be serious refs
berseliusQuote Reply
What a game
berseliusQuote Reply
berselius,
I don’t really understand the hate on that call other than everyone watching the game wanting it to be decided some other way. But it was a textbook moving screen/trip/extended-arm elbow. A lot of people all up in their feels over a really easy foul to call. Some camera angles made it look less flagrant than others, but the shot from straight on the defender showed the screen wasn’t even close to legal.
andcountingQuote Reply
andcounting,
Oh I agree that it was a foul, I just mean that refs almost always swallow their whistles in that situation
berseliusQuote Reply
berselius,
Like how on a Hail Mary attempt, a defender can pull out a knife and stab someone and it probably wouldn’t draw a flag (dying laughing)
berseliusQuote Reply
The Saturday all stats ones are fun.
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PerkinsQuote Reply
(dying laughing)
Tell me you watch a lot of Packers games without telling me…..
andcountingQuote Reply
andcounting,
(dying laughing)
berseliusQuote Reply
Shane Bieber——>TJS
PerkinsQuote Reply
Perkins,
Will there be any pitchers left by July
berseliusQuote Reply
To-day’s base ball squadron
LF Happ
RF Suzuki
CF Bellinger
DH Morel
SS Swanson
1B Busch
2B Hoerner
3B Madrigal
C Gomes
SP Wicks
berseliusQuote Reply
berselius,
Former Cubs legend Dan Haren has a sort of logical take about that
https://twitter.com/ithrow88/status/1776650501599248442
Rice CubeQuote Reply
berselius,
May Madrigal remain healthy and productive
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Rice Cube,
He might need to come out of retirement
berseliusQuote Reply
Would love to hear this uniform description
Rice CubeQuote Reply
I didn’t think he would throw a no-hitter but this is an inauspicious start
Rice CubeQuote Reply
I did not expect Wicks to escape that unscathed so consider my expectations exceeded
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Wickks.
andcountingQuote Reply
All pettiness aside, watching the Dodgers play is going to be pretty fun all year. The intensity is delicious.
andcountingQuote Reply
Mark Prior had the original upside down W amirite?
SKQuote Reply
SK,
Yes, perfected with towel drills.
andcountingQuote Reply
andcounting,
Although Kerry Mood may have had one too.
Nice bookend doubles by Happ and Gomes.
andcountingQuote Reply
Correct
berseliusQuote Reply
I’m sure the bald asshole would have been torched for using Cuas here (dying laughing)
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Rice Cube,
Mike Quade would definitely have been torched
berseliusQuote Reply
Mastrobuoni for Madrigal eh
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Rice Cube,
Not very effective
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Yet another Michael Busch deflection out of play. Gotta change that technique.
andcountingQuote Reply
andcounting,
That was the unfortunate result of not having Madrigal magic behind the throw
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Rice Cube,
Not catching it is one thing, but no, deflecting it up in the air and out of play this frequently is on him. He’s done it way too much, and it’s certainly correctable. It’s a result of poor technique.
andcountingQuote Reply
andcounting,
Oh that’s fair, the throw didn’t help but he probably should have picked it anyway
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Cubs may not have won but that was an A+ baseball nap
berseliusQuote Reply
Bah, I chose poorly
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Rice CubeQuote Reply
Strasburg–> retired
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/04/stephen-strasburg-officially-retires.html
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Go Seattle
Rice CubeQuote Reply
UConn v Purdue, just as I half predicted
Rice CubeQuote Reply
This will probably come to a head
https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/mlbpa-chief-tony-clark-lambasts-pitch-clock-as-multiple-mlb-star-pitchers-go-down-including-shane-bieber/amp/
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Featuring Cubs legend Jerry Hairston Jr.
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PerkinsQuote Reply
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Rice CubeQuote Reply
Rice Cube,
As much as I hate to stan for MLB, they’ve got the data on their side so far. This is more of an argument about other things that they can’t currently argue about IMO.
berseliusQuote Reply
I don’t know how to fix it but I mostly agree with James Andrews in that the most impact would be to find ways to disincentivize guys throwing huge sliders / fastballs in the mid 90s when they’re teenagers.
berseliusQuote Reply
To-day’s base ball squadron
DH Happ
RF Suzuki
CF Belli
3B Morel
SS Swanson
1B Busch
2B Hoerner
LF Tauchman
C Amaya
P Imanaga
berseliusQuote Reply
Hopefully the rain holds off, or they get a window
berseliusQuote Reply
berselius,
Kinda ironic that now Cubs manager Craig Counsell has to suffer multiple weather events at historic Wrigley Field
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Merryweather –> IL
Palencia –> Chicago, IL
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Shitty umping streak continues
berseliusQuote Reply
Imanaga the better signing confirmed
berseliusQuote Reply
Shota > Shohei
N = 1
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Bases clogged for Busch
berseliusQuote Reply
Good eye that time, look for a good one
Rice CubeQuote Reply
I like non-stranded runners
Rice CubeQuote Reply
LFG Buschhhhhhhhhhhhhh
berseliusQuote Reply
That was a revenge double I recently enjoyed.
andcountingQuote Reply
Cardinals key offseason signing gives up 7 runs to the 0-9 marlins in two innings, you hate to see it
berseliusQuote Reply
Okey get the tarp out guys
berseliusQuote Reply
I like the good proportion of runners on 3B being scored with fewer than 2 outs, those bases loaded wastes the other day notwithstanding
Rice CubeQuote Reply
I really hope the rain doesn’t spoil this start.
andcountingQuote Reply
How’s the radar look in Chicagoland?
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Rain delay that lines up with the ncaaw championship game would be great
berseliusQuote Reply
Fuck “Boog” and his casual homeless joke.
SKQuote Reply
berseliusQuote Reply
SK,
Free Len Kasper
berseliusQuote Reply
berselius,
Pay him whatever it takes
berseliusQuote Reply
Rice Cube,
Kinda seems like the next real break from precipitation is at 5 CT.
andcountingQuote Reply
SK,
Yeah that was probably something he should apologize for while calling a Suzuki homer
Rice CubeQuote Reply
andcounting,
Even with a West Coast night game that kind of sucks for getaway day
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Wow dansby
berseliusQuote Reply
Shota > Shohei
N = 2
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Been waiting for the free MLB TV game of the day all season, so of course it’ll be rain delay theater
SKQuote Reply
SK,
The free baseball will last all day!
andcountingQuote Reply
I’m cheering for a 5-inning Shotaut.
andcountingQuote Reply
They fixed the 3pt distance but wish they had also switched the 3pt lines to black as well. Nearly impossible to see vs the very light colored wood
berseliusQuote Reply
Lost track of the pitch count for the Dodgers but it’s a lot (dying laughing)
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Caitlin Clark on fire, just drained the heat check 3 (dying laughing)
berseliusQuote Reply
I guess they really don’t want to reschedule this one
berseliusQuote Reply
They’re trying to at least go 5, Cubs gonna need to reorder diamond dry soon and pay for the Amazon same day delivery
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Get the bullpen guys to get more bodies out there to spread it
berseliusQuote Reply
Ffs, now you roll it out
berseliusQuote Reply
berselius,
Pretty big bummer that’s going to be the end of Shota’s day.
andcountingQuote Reply
So South Carolina is pretty good
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Welp back to basketball. It turns out this undefeated South Carolina team is really good
berseliusQuote Reply
SNLA says that per mlb rescheduling this game is going to be next to impossible so I guess they’re waiting it out
berseliusQuote Reply
berselius,
Yeah what’s a few hours
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Wish Seattle wasn’t so useless today
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Damnit, Orioles
PerkinsQuote Reply
Rice Cube,
Yeah no excuse for not delaying sooner. But unlikely this game gets called.
berseliusQuote Reply
berselius,
Maybe they can lift the edge of the tarp and spray in diamond dry with a fire hose (dying laughing)
berseliusQuote Reply
NLC opponents being mostly useless early on annoys me but 150+ games to go
Rice CubeQuote Reply
berselius,
If the Cubs could have just made a few damn outs they could have gotten 4.5 done and called it, but noooooooo.
andcountingQuote Reply
Miami is so dysfunctional but I guess at least they’re not moving to Vegas
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/04/marlins-reportedly-void-2025-club-option-on-skip-schumaker.html
Rice CubeQuote Reply
https://twitter.com/curlyfro/status/1777065098009264614
berseliusQuote Reply
Smart use of video board, seems Iowa has their hands full if they feel like winning
Rice CubeQuote Reply
SCAR too good
berseliusQuote Reply
Mufasa can confirm.
andcountingQuote Reply
Still couldn’t win the big one but girl is still gonna get paid so good for her
Rice CubeQuote Reply
glad to see Iowa abandon the fake hustle fouling strat down big
berseliusQuote Reply
Really need that elam ending
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Looks like rain should be gone in the next 15-30 mins
berseliusQuote Reply
Folks in the know say the grounds crew is getting things going on the field
Rice CubeQuote Reply
start time 5:35 CT
berseliusQuote Reply
(dying laughing)
Watch to the very end
https://twitter.com/Cubs/status/1777105216967492027?t=tKko7ydB24K1R2GYW1FgDA&s=19
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Rice Cube,
Do not presume to tell me how long to watch a video.
Also (dying laughing)
berseliusQuote Reply
Belli 💣
berseliusQuote Reply
Nico, what?!?
andcountingQuote Reply
Oooh is that Odenkirk
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Holy crap, Bob Odenkirk stayed through a 3-hour delay and sang the seventh inning stretch. What a guy.
andcountingQuote Reply
andcounting,
A true fan
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Won 6 of 9 #nice
Rice CubeQuote Reply
That’s a damn fine series.
andcountingQuote Reply
M inverted
berseliusQuote Reply
Would’ve been particularly satisfying to shut them out, but holding that lineup to 1 is no joke.
andcountingQuote Reply
andcounting,
I should probably look this up but I read somewhere that the Dodgers hadn’t scored fewer than 5 runs a game until they ran into this Cubs juggernaut
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Rice Cube,
I fact checked it yesterday or the day before, and it was indeed true. It was an impressive effort, today especially.
andcountingQuote Reply
New stuff for your eardrums –> https://www.obstructedview.net/podcast/dreamcast-86-knock-on-wood/
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Kinda stopped caring after a couple choices blew up my grid, but I did get to use noted pitcher-puncher Kyle Farnsworth
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Rice CubeQuote Reply