The Cubs are back on the road after a bizarre, weather besieged homestand. Hopefully getting into a rhythm will help them get out of their funk of inconsistency and tonight's game looks…dammit.
I'm up in Denver for this series, and while I waited out a 2-3 hour rain delay the last time I was up here somehow I don't think that's in the cards this time around.
Team Leaders
Now that the Cubs are facing another team that did not trade 95% of its roster in the offseason, I'll use the teams' 2017 numbers here instead.
Cubs
- OBP: Kris Bryant (.409)
- ISO: Ian Happ (.261)
- HR: Anthony Rizzo (32)
- R+RBI: Rizzo (208)
- wRC+: Bryant (146)
- BSR: Bryant (4.8)
- DRS: Jason Heyward (18)
- SP K/9: Jose Quintana (10.46)
- SP BB/9: Quintana (2.24)
- SP FIP: Quintana (3.25)
- RP FIP: Carl Edwards Jr (12.75)
- RP BB/9: Brandon Morrow (1.85)
- RP FIP: Morrow (1.55)
- WAR: Bryant (6.7)
Rocks
- OBP: Chuck Blackmon (.399)
- ISO: Nolan Arenado (.277)
- HR: Blackmon/Arenado (37)
- R+RBI: Blackmon (241)
- wRC+: Blackmon (141)
- BSR: Blackmon (2.0)
- DRS: Arenado (20)
- SP K/9: Jon Gray (9.14)
- SP BB/9: Chad Bettis (2.14)
- SP FIP: Gray (3.18)
- RP K/9: Wade Davis (12.12)
- RP BB/9: Chris Rusin (2.08)
- RP FIP: Jake McGee (2.93)
- WAR: Blackmon (6.5)
Injuries, transactions, vengenace pacts, etc.
The Rockies had a relatively quiet offseason that mostly just boiled down to shoring up their bullpen. Somewhat shaky closer Greg Holland and Pat Neshek left in Free Agency, and they added Wade Davis and Bryan Shaw. They also brought back Jake McGee, who had a great season for them in 2017. They also brought back CarGo on a cheap deal after his market never developed. He's day to day with a hamstring strain suffered in Wednesday's game.
Ben Zobrist was scratched with a stiff back in the last Cubs game.
Pitching Probables
Projected K/9, BB/9, ERA listed for each pitcher.
Friday: Kyle Hendricks, RHP (7.86, 2.38, 3.74) vs Jon Gray, RHP (9.26, 2.90, 4.16), 7:40 PM CT
Gray is really good, but obviously his numbers are inflated by playing in Coors. I thought that he had only recently gotten his feet under him but his DIPS numbers have been solid the past two seasons. His main issues seem to stem from throwing too many pitches, shortening his outings, and some injury concerns that also keep his IP down. He's struggled to start the year, oddly mostly on the road. and was shelled for 12 combined runs by the Nats (no shame there) and Padres (ok, some shame there) in 10+ innings over his last two starts.
Kyle has been the Cubs most consistent starter so far this year, but has not necessarily been Cyle. He's uncharacteristically walked more batters over his first few starts. Some of that might be some tighter zones, which hurts him more than most pitchers, and there's the whole pitch framing argument that's been fomenting in the comments here over the past week or so.
Saturday: Yu Darvish, RHP (10.92, 2.98, 3.46) vs Tyler Anderson, LHP (8.09, 3.40, 4.60), 7:10 PM CT
Darvish had another inconsisent outing the last time out, giving up four runs and walking four against the Braves. Some of it you can chalk up to the crappy weather, but other aspects were kind of strange. Darvish had no feel at all for his slider(s), so in response, being a guy who throws something like 7 different pitches, he decided to…throw even more sliders? I'm not sure what was going on there.
Anderson had a great rookie season in 2016, posting a 3.54 ERA in 19 starts that earned him 2.5 WAR. Things backslid a bit last year as he dealt with injuries and a home run rate that doubled, though the rest of his peripherals still looked pretty good. He's a four-seam, changeup, cutter guy who gets a fair number of ground balls. He's had a rough time finding the strike zone so far this year, and is coming off a six-walk game in DC.
Sunday: Jose Quintana, LHP (8.95, 2.68, 3.37) vs German Marquez, RHP (7.81, 2.65, 4.59), 2:10 PM CT
Quintana is coming off a short outing in that crazy comeback game against the Barves played in a frozen hurricane, and I don't think we can take anything away from that one given the conditions. On the other hand, he did get shelled by the Marlins in his first start of the year. I trust Q to right the ship but his velocity has been down and it's been a strange start to the season.
Looking at the walk rates of all of these Rockies pitchers certainly gives a clear view of what they are selecting for. Marquez is a boringly solid pitcher, the kind of guy any team could plug into their rotation and quietly forget about. That's pretty much gold to the Rockies. He's mostly a four-seam/curveball guy, though he has a smattering of other pitches that he throws occasionally.
Comments
Baseball has a long season. Consistency is key.
ceruleanQuote Reply
cerulean,
PerkinsQuote Reply
Also true for poop.
berseliusQuote Reply
To-day’s base ball squadron
CF Almora
2B Baez
3B Bryant
1B Rizzo
C Contreras
LF Schwarber
SS Russell
RF Heyward
P Hendricks
berseliusQuote Reply
Butler DL, Farrell up. Hopefully this never factors into the next few games.
Rice at schoolQuote Reply
Weather looking okay here *knocks on wood*
Berselius is too lazy to login on his phoneQuote Reply
berselius,
The Cubs are scheduled to have their next BM* begin in twenty minutes!
*Baseball Match
ceruleanQuote Reply
cerulean,
Given the weather they will probably not fill the bowl, thankfully
Berselius is too lazy to login on his phoneQuote Reply
Holy shit, the area north of Coors has gentrified like crazy since I was here last.
Berselius is too lazy to login on his phoneQuote Reply
Got in just in time for that Javybomb
Berselius is too lazy to login on his phoneQuote Reply
Javy!!!!!
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Kyle’s sinker has been 84-86 so far. :/
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Kyle’s velocity is a bit concerning.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Guess it’s going to be one of those games.
Berselius is too lazy to login on his phoneQuote Reply
Perkins,
He has nothing today.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Goddamnit.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Kyle’s going to be lucky to last five innings.
PerkinsQuote Reply
This is going well..
North Side PatQuote Reply
Heyward needs to hit fewer WAGs.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Perkins,
He’s actually been hitting the ball hard this year.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Great PA for Kyle
Berselius is too lazy to login on his phoneQuote Reply
Rizzo the Rat,
I know he started the year that way. My lying eyes say the contact has been weak of late, but I don’t read every word.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Perkins,
He hit a monster homer just yesterday!
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Better one for Gray.
Berselius is too lazy to login on his phoneQuote Reply
I hate Coors Field.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Almora is doing well at leadoff. Baez leads the team in XBHs. I did not predict that.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Bases clogged.
Berselius is too lazy to login on his phoneQuote Reply
Ugh, Anthony.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
That sucked.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
At least they scored *a* run.
Berselius is too lazy to login on his phoneQuote Reply
Classic Cubs
ceruleanQuote Reply
Rizzo hit it hard, but he needs to catch on to the launch angle revolution.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Indeed he did. And I see his hard contact is way up relative to the last few years.
I shall go without dinner.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Cubes strike again.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Rizzo’s DP was hit at 109mph. About an inch lower and he hits a grandslam.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Ugh, Addison.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Wow, Kyle is rolling now.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Rizzo the Rat,
Fastball is all the way up to 86 on the stadium gun.
Berselius is too lazy to login on his phoneQuote Reply
Javy!
Berselius is too lazy to login on his phoneQuote Reply
All Javy, all the time.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Safe.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Review incoming.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Time for Anthony to redeem himself.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
(dying laughing) the Javy chants
ceruleanQuote Reply
Eh, good enough.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Ate him up.
Berselius is too lazy to login on his phoneQuote Reply
(dying laughing)
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
He traded the Mutts Cutts van for a scooter that gets 70mpg. But no worries, Arenado picks him up.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Willie!
Berselius is too lazy to login on his phoneQuote Reply
More LULs
ceruleanQuote Reply
shit
EDIT: nevermind
ceruleanQuote Reply
Damn, War Bear have that one a ride.
Senior Rockies Correspondent BerseliusQuote Reply
Goddamn, Gray.
Senior Rockies Correspondent BerseliusQuote Reply
Gray channeling Shohei apparently
ceruleanQuote Reply
(dying laughing) Javy
Senior Rockies Correspondent BerseliusQuote Reply
Javy’s season line: .288/.373/.763 for a .458 wOBA and a 193 wRC+
ceruleanQuote Reply
Heyward!
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
J-Hey!
Senior Rockies Correspondent BerseliusQuote Reply
J-Hey XBH!
ceruleanQuote Reply
Heyward——>shut me right up
PerkinsQuote Reply
This Shaw guy rings a bell…
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Heyward’s wRC+ is now 103. I’ll take it.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Great game for Almora.
Senior Rockies Correspondent BerseliusQuote Reply
Almora!
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Who is this Albert person!?
ceruleanQuote Reply
Javy needs a triple.
ceruleanQuote Reply
(dying laughing)
Senior Rockies Correspondent BerseliusQuote Reply
Pretty lame triple, Javy.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Holy shit Javy.
North Side PatQuote Reply
A single!? WTF Javy (dying laughing)
ceruleanQuote Reply
Pour it on, no lead is safe here.
Senior Rockies Correspondent BerseliusQuote Reply
Rough day for Rizzo.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
More sloppy defense for the Rockies.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Javy Javy Javy. El Mago indeed.
ceruleanQuote Reply
We need some more enough already, Willie.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Great PA by Willson
ceruleanQuote Reply
WAR BEAR
Senior Rockies Correspondent BerseliusQuote Reply
Schwarber!!!!
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
SCHWARBER111!!!!!111!!!!!111!!!!!1!!!!!!!111!1!(dying laughing)O(dying laughing)O(dying laughing)O(dying laughing)O(dying laughing)O(dying laughing)
ceruleanQuote Reply
Might as well score 12 more because we all know they’ll be shut out tomorrow.
ceruleanQuote Reply
I bet this is the worst Shaw has ever felt after facing the Cubs.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
(dying laughing)
Senior Rockies Correspondent BerseliusQuote Reply
Given the weather, it might be good to get Caratini in at 1b.
Senior Rockies Correspondent BerseliusQuote Reply
The rain looks worse on TV than it actually is.
Senior Rockies Correspondent BerseliusQuote Reply
Senior Rockies Correspondent Berselius,
When did you get promoted to Senior Correspondent? I applied for that job a year ago. This is bullshit.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
Come watch a game in 36 degree weather with a drizzle and you can have the title (dying laughing).
Senior Rockies Correspondent BerseliusQuote Reply
Booooooo that strike. But I wanna see Javy get the triple.
Rice at homeQuote Reply
dmick89,
They’re giving senior positions to young people now so they can fire the old people pension-free. It helps keep labor prices down.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Rice at home,
Darn it. Wrong part of the park.
Rice at homeQuote Reply
Blackmon doesn’t look like he would be a good fielder.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Welcome to the party, Willson
ceruleanQuote Reply
Schwarber again. Let’s get Javy that sixth PA.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Another hit please
ceruleanQuote Reply
Heyward makes sure Javy is guaranteed another chance!
ceruleanQuote Reply
Javy’s R+RBI is just behind Bryce Harper and tied with Mookie Betts.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Terrible baserunning by the Rockies.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Former Cubs pitching target Tyson Ross is doing a thing
ceruleanQuote Reply
Almora also with four hits. Javy up to bat. Forget the triple—overtake Harper now.
ceruleanQuote Reply
cerulean,
False.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
It’ll be nice when Rizzo is Rizzo again.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Rox 4, Cubs 4 squared
MylesQuote Reply
Rizzo the Rat,
Took longer than I expected for him to lose it. He had already lost control at 130 pitches.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Cubs lead 2–1 or maybe 4–2, depending on the base
ceruleanQuote Reply
Just[throw skrikes] Wilson
ceruleanQuote Reply
A strike!
ceruleanQuote Reply
Great DP by Bryant
ceruleanQuote Reply
http://obstructedview.net/cubs-16-rockies-5-4-20-18/
berseliusQuote Reply