Last I checked, the White Sox were doing pretty well in the AL central and there was talk of contention. They have a losing record now, but it's only a half game back from the heavily favorited Tigers and the surprising Indigenous Peoples. Much like the Cubs they have a solid rotation with a shaky bullpen and a bunch of question marks on offense, aside from Konerko and the resurgent Adam Dunn. The record between the two teams is only separated by a bullpen meltdown or two.
Team Overviews
Respective league ranks in parens
| Sox | Cubs | |
| wOBA | .309 (10th) | .298 (14th) |
| BSR | 1.6 (4th) | 3.4 (2nd) |
| UZR | -0.4 (7th) | 7.9 (4th) |
| DRS | -2 (12th) | 3 (5th) |
| SP FIP | 3.87 (3rd) | 3.47 (5th) |
| RP FIP | 4.27 (12th) | 4.63 (16th) |
Injuries
The Cubs are down two catchers with Geovany Soto (tear in knee, out 3-4 weeks after surgery) and Steve Clevenger out. Yesterday, Clevenger began swinging a bat for the first time since hitting the DL so he's not coming back anytime soon. Castillo is now the starter with Blake Lalli as the backup. Another injury and we could even see Michael Brenly at this point.
Robin Ventura (brain). Adam Dunn is going to stand in LF for this NL series, which should be fun to watch. Sox SP Chris Sale has been returned to the rotation after being threatened with a bullpen test. To be fair, the move was prompted by shoulder soreness, but you shut a guy down when that happenes unless it's something that's much more chronic (see: Kerry Wood). Marmol is on the DL with a hamstring strain, and Lendy Castillo was shelved for David Patton Syndrome.
Position Players
Adam Dunn and Paul Konerko has carried the offense, but the White Sox have also received solid numbers from notorious douchebag A.J. Pierzynski and Alejandro De Aza, who had a quietly great season last year as a bench player. The rest of the offense has been miserable, most notably SS Alexi Ramirez (.222 wOBA) and 3B Brent Morel (.199 wOBA). There's obviously not enough data to say much of anything about defense, but according to ZiPS no one is particularly standout either way on this team, aside from the non-DHed Adam Dunn. On the basepaths, De Aza is the only real threat to steal a base.
Pitching Matchups
Friday: Philip Humber, RHP (5.77, 4.48, 4.06, 4.46) vs Jeff Samardzija, RHP (2.89, 2.53, 2.90, 3.92), 1:20 PM CT
Humber threw a perfect game against Seattle in his second start of the season, but since then things haven't gone so well. He's given up 21 runs in the four starts since then, including 8 and 9 run meltdowns. His only decent one was his most recent outing against the Royals, where he struck out seven and walked three while giving up just one run in just under seven innings. He's had a big jump in his strikeout rate this year, but his walk rate is also double his career rate. Sounds like he's been throwing a ton of pitches, so the Cubs are a great matchup for him.
There's not much to say about Jeff Samardzija at this point that we haven't said. The Cubs are in Houston next week, and I can't believe I'm picking a Samardzija start over a Matt Garza start for which game to attend. He's been relatively efficient this year with his pitches, but racked up a big count early after the Brewers fouled off a ton of his pitches in his last start.
Saturday: John Danks, RHP (6.46, 5.25, 5.02, 4.21) vs Ryan Dempster, RHP (1.74, 2.10, 2.87, 3.73), 6:15 PM CT
Danks signed a five year, $65m extension with the White Sox this offseason which could prove to be the model for a possible Matt Garza extension for the Cubs. If the Cubs and Garza do reach a similar agreement, hopefully he doesn't get off to a start similar to Danks. Danks's strikeout rate has dropped by over two batters per nine and his walk rate has shot up. At least aside from his difficulty finding the plate he hasn't had much bad luck. Danks is the only one of the Texas "DVD" trio to have any real success, though Edinson Volquez still has a chance to win rookie of the year.
Dempster didn't show any rust from his short DL stint at the end of April, averaging seven innings and less than two runs per game over three starts. He's still bafflingly winless on the season.
Sunday: Jake Peavy, RHP (2.65, 2.78, 3.79, 3.47) vs Paul Maholm, LHP (4.35, 5.13, 4.46, 4.12), 1:20 PM CT
Due to injuries, Peavy has only pitched ~100 innings per season since the White Sox acquired him, but they've been pretty good innings by every measure but ERA. He had a miniscule 1.93 BB/9 last year and it's an even smaller 1.40 this season. Since coming to the Sox his strikeout rate has dropped by one or two batters per nine, but that's not too surprising considering the lack of easy pitcher K's.
Maholm continues to do Maholm things. He got double digit grounders in his last start, but more hits got through than usual. He's been solid since his back to back six run outings to start the season. His option for next year is only $6.5m, so the Cubs could get a decent piece for him at the deadline.
Prediction
Instead of picking the winner, I'm going to predict that 80% of the runs scored this series will be off of relief pitchers.
Comments
Indeed they do:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/37092674@N06/5183587209
Although, on further reflection, it may well have been a robin. That was in 1996, so hopefully I’ll be forgiven if the exact species escapes me.
joshQuote Reply
i remember him getting drafted, the subsequent hand-wringing over his workload in the texas state high school tournament, that 98 season when it really started to look like the cubs were building something… and 14 years later they are still horrible.
GWQuote Reply
I sincerely wish the Indians would change their name to Indigenous Peoples. Not only is it less derogatory, but it’s also kind of awesome.
joshQuote Reply
@ josh:
Ironic.
Suburban kidQuote Reply
I have it on good authority that the Cubs plan is to give Wood a relief appearance this weekend, and whenever that happens, he’ll retire immediately after that game.
Mercurial OutfielderQuote Reply
Volstad ———-> Iowa
BerseliusQuote Reply
Anyone want a stream feed of the game?
pinetarQuote Reply
@ pinetar:
yes, please
Mercurial OutfielderQuote Reply
http://www.rojadirecta.me/goto/442fever.com/2.html
pinetarQuote Reply
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
@ Berselius:
DFA? Or does he have options still?
Mercurial OutfielderQuote Reply
@ pinetar:
Awesome! Thanks!
Mercurial OutfielderQuote Reply
@ Mercurial Outfielder:
He still has options.
Has Wood announced his retirement yet? What’s up with that?
mb21Quote Reply
Soto to have knee surgery.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/chi-soto-to-have-knee-surgery-20120518,0,5803963.story
pinetarQuote Reply
Woah.
http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/05/18/aroldis-chapman-sued-for-18-million-for-working-with-the-cuban-state-security-apparatus/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
@ Berselius:
I’m warming up my singing pipes by downing a 6-pack of Alpha King
WenningtonsGorillaCockQuote Reply
@ pinetar:
Sweet!
joshQuote Reply
He already cleared option waivers, apparently the Cubs put him up a while ago.
BerseliusQuote Reply
Too bad it’s Stevie Stone.
joshQuote Reply
@ Smokestack Lightning:
That almost makes you imagine shady government dealings to make “defecting” easier.
But I won’t speculate.
joshQuote Reply
Sorry about the White Sox feed guys can’t find a Cubs feed. The Sox announcers make me want to gouge my ears out. Their radio guys are even worse.
pinetarQuote Reply
@ Smokestack Lightning:
That could get interesting
BerseliusQuote Reply
Bad start for Smardge.
joshQuote Reply
Konerko got all of that one
BerseliusQuote Reply
Berselius wrote:
Could have been blind and hit that one.
pinetarQuote Reply
Mercurial Outfielder wrote:
Do you have a source? If not, it’s not true.
Besides, everybody knows that only retirements that nobody talks about are the ones that happen.
MuckerQuote Reply
Perfect bunt from the little leaguer
BerseliusQuote Reply
Good start for the Cubs. I’m cautiously optimistic about this inning.
joshQuote Reply
@ Berselius:
Time to run now.
pinetarQuote Reply
@ Berselius:
Yes, more like that from Campy.
joshQuote Reply
That looked like a good pitch from Humber. I don’t know what that umpire was thinking.
joshQuote Reply
Wasted opportunities, the story of this team.
pinetarQuote Reply
WaLiQuote Reply
@ WaLi:
This is how I know I will never time travel. Because if I could, there would be HD video of this.
GBTSQuote Reply
kinda shocked that Pierzynski didn’t “trip” and tackle Ian Stewart there
BerseliusQuote Reply
@ Berselius:
I loathe Pierzynski. I’m looking forward to the day he retires.
MuckerQuote Reply
Kind of funny how Barney was the first Cub to hit a HR and hasn’t hit one since.
MuckerQuote Reply
Mucker wrote:
BerseliusQuote Reply
@ WaLi:
That fucking asshole. What did that bird do to him?
joshQuote Reply
josh wrote:
Identity theft
Brian FellowQuote Reply
AJ is an asshole. Stewart should have drilled that ball into his fucking neck.
Mercurial OutfielderQuote Reply
Shit, hope Knoerko’s okay. And that this doesn’t start a beanball war
BerseliusQuote Reply
Ugh. Hope Konerko is OK. At least it was a breaking ball.
Mercurial OutfielderQuote Reply
Where did it hit him?
MuckerQuote Reply
@ Mucker:
Looked like it snuck under the bill and got him in the cheek/eye area. Nasty stuff.
Mercurial OutfielderQuote Reply
@ Mercurial Outfielder:
That was bad. Very bad. Yeah, it was a mistake, but you know the white sox aren’t going to be happy. I wouldn’t be.
joshQuote Reply
@ Mercurial Outfielder:
Damn.
MuckerQuote Reply
@ Brian Fellow:
That’s bad times.
joshQuote Reply
Is Castro allergic to pitches?
MuckerQuote Reply
@ josh:
Considering their catcher ankle-stomped the Cubs 3B, while understand their anger, I find it to be somewhat moot.
Mercurial OutfielderQuote Reply
F7’s splitter is just dirt. Unhittable.
Mercurial OutfielderQuote Reply
That was definitely intentional.
joshQuote Reply
@ Mercurial Outfielder:
Pierzinsky is the worst human being alive, don’t forget. He was likely to do that anyway.
joshQuote Reply
Humber should have been tossed. That’s straight bullshit.
Mercurial OutfielderQuote Reply
@ Mucker:
Yes. Is his OBP even 10 points higher than his average?
mb21Quote Reply
Thanks for the free baserunner, asshole.
Mercurial OutfielderQuote Reply
@ Mercurial Outfielder:
They always give the team that one though. They let them police the game themselves. Not saying it’s good or bad. Just saying.
mb21Quote Reply
F7 yelling at Humber from the bench. (dying laughing) He’s got a point. If you’re going to throw at someone, throw at the pitcher that hit your guy.
Mercurial OutfielderQuote Reply
I just think it’s weird that LaHair is the best hitter so that’s who they hit. That’s fucking odd. It’s LaHair. This team blows. (dying laughing)
mb21Quote Reply
How epic would it be if the Cubs brought in Wood to plunk A.J.?
GBTSQuote Reply
Former Playgirl Model Steve Stone thinks Barney is a “tough out.” Yes. And I’m Brad Pitt.
Mercurial OutfielderQuote Reply
@ mb21:
Gameday said he walked. Was Humber’s control that bad?
Rice CubeQuote Reply
@ mb21:
12 points higher.
MuckerQuote Reply
I just saw that Nolan Ryan threw 12 one hitters in his career………….unreal.
MuckerQuote Reply
Sit down, weak one.
Mercurial OutfielderQuote Reply
@ GBTS:
That would be the hardest thrown ball of his career.
joshQuote Reply
Hawk has now changed his mind and decided F7 hit Konerko intentionally, because F7 yelled at Humber from the bench when he threw behind LaHair. Worst announcer in the bigs, and it’s not even close.
Mercurial OutfielderQuote Reply
@ Mercurial Outfielder:
He’s horrible, but Stone annoys me a lot more than Hawk these days. Hawk is just a joke. Stone actually thinks he’s decent at his job.
mb21Quote Reply
How do you call him out on that? Isn’t that interference? WTF
mb21Quote Reply
Still one of my favorite series by The Onion.
http://www.theonion.com/video/everyone-in-baseball-suspect-in-attempted-murder-o,19630/
joshQuote Reply
You can’t knock the runner off the base.
mb21Quote Reply
That is some shit.
BerseliusQuote Reply
@ mb21:
He just fucking tackled him!
The fucking fuck??
joshQuote Reply
That’s bullshit. Fuck you, umpires. HUMAN ELEMENT
Mercurial OutfielderQuote Reply
That is horrible. That’s one of the worst calls I have ever seen in my life.
mb21Quote Reply
That’s fucking horseshit.
GBTSQuote Reply
@ Mercurial Outfielder:
Hawk is almost as bad a human being as Perizynski.
joshQuote Reply
I hate that I have to listen to his idiot ass. I may have to go to radio.
joshQuote Reply
That WAS a fantastic play by Viciedo, though, to get over and make an fantastic throw.
Mercurial OutfielderQuote Reply
@ josh:
I know. Next time some Sox dude is running down to first base Lahair should run into him and knock him out of the baseline. Automatic out!
mb21Quote Reply
new shit: http://obstructedview.net/news-and-rumors/geovany-soto-dl-chris-volstad-aaa.html
mb21Quote Reply
Dear Umpires,
We could do your job better than you.
Sincerely,
The Blind
Mercurial OutfielderQuote Reply
Switching to radio.
I will say that I really hated Zonk last year, but he’s been more tolerable this year.
joshQuote Reply
Seriously, what kind of retarded umpire makes that call?
MLB teams take note: if you collide with a baserunner so hard that he comes off the bag, tag him out. That’s fine.
GBTSQuote Reply
The shift on Dunn is hilarious.
Mercurial OutfielderQuote Reply
@ GBTS:
GRINDER BASEBALL. OF COURSE YOU WHITE CAWLER HOMO CUB FANS DON’T KNOW WHAT DA REAL GAME IS LIKE.
/everyone in Kincaide’s right now
Mercurial OutfielderQuote Reply