These were the top two teams going into the season by projections, but since then their paths have diverged. We all know about how great the Cubs have been both at the plate and on the mound, but I at least didn't really haev a clue what has been happening with the Dodgers aside from remembering injury problems in the spring. Their offense has gotten off to a slow start, ranking eleventh in wOBA and tenth in wRC+. Their walk rate is okay, they're just not getting enough hits, and even when they do the power hasn't been there. The only particular anchors in the lineup are Carl Crawford and Howie Kendrick, though at least their PAs have been relatively limited. As a whole, their defense looks just fine (+18 runs, fifth in the NL). So what happened with their pitchers? My first guess was that Clayton Kershaw's numbers were dragging the staff as a whole up to look better than they are, but that's not the case. Of their five main SPs, only Scott Kazmir has a FIP north of 4.00. The main thing that jumps out to me is that Alex Wood and Ross Stripling have ERAs that are far higher than their FIPs. The bullpen looks fine for the most part, though back-end guys Pedro Baez and Chris Hatcher have been hit pretty hard. Sounds like it's probably just a sequencing thing. The Dodgers are only 4.5 games back on the Giants, but either way the odds are pretty good that the Pirates are going to have to face one of Madison Bumgarner or Clayton Kershaw in the WCG, to the woe of Gatorade coolers throughout Pittsburgh.
Team Leaders
Dodgers
- OBP: Chase Utley (.381)
- ISO: Trayce Thompson (.255)
- HR: Corey Seager/Pederson (8)
- R+RBI: Seager (55)
- wRC+: Thompson (135)
- BSR: Thompson (1.9)
- SP K/9: Kershaw (10.9)
- SP BB/9: Kershaw (0.52)
- SP FIP: Kershaw (1.49)
- RP K/9: Baez (10.72)
- RP BB/9: Kenley Janson (0.45)
- RP FIP: Jansen (1.81)
- WAR: Kershaw (4.1)
I would have loved to see this offense get a crack at Kershaw.
Cubs
- OBP: Ben Zobrist (.451)
- ISO: Anthony Rizzo (.254)
- HR: Bryzzo (11)
- R+RBI: Kris Bryant (74)
- wRC+: Zobrist (168)
- BSR: Javier Baez (1.9)
- SP K/9: Jake Arrieta (8.87)
- SP BB/9: Kyle Hendricks (1.95)
- SP FIP: Jake Arrieta (2.71)
- RP K/9: Hector Rondon (14.33)
- RP BB/9: Rondon (1.10)
- RP FIP: Rondon (1.09)
- WAR: Fowler (3.2)
Fowler is out of the lineup today, according to Maddon he has a sore heel.
Pitching Matchups
K/9, BB/9, ERA, FIP, Projected ERA listed for each pitcher
Monday: Alex Wood, LHP (9.64, 2.81, 4.03, 3.34, 3.23) vs Jason Hammel, RHP (7.83, 3.50, 2.17, 3.37, 3.87), 4:05 PM CT
Wood has been solid across the board this season, the only peripheral that deviates is his 65.0% strand rate, which is probably the biggest reason for that FIP-ERA split. He was scratched from his start on Friday with triceps tightness, which is always something scary to hear about a SP. He also battled through some forearm tightness in the spring. There are no other recent warning signs to necessarily point to though, as he struck out 13 in his start previous to the scratched one.
Tuesday: Scott Kazmir, LHP (9.36, 3.43, 4.84, 5.14, 3,78) vs Jay Carrieta, Destroyer of Worlds (8.87, 2.78, 1.72, 2.73, 2.60), 7:05 PM CT
Kazmir signed with the Dodgers for 3/48 in the offseason, but so far it's not looking so great. He's striking out batters at a better rate than his career norms, but he's also giving up eleveny billion HRs. Even if you adjust his HR/FB rate down his numbers still are pretty meh, as his walk rate has also spiked. Two lefties in a row could be a good boost for Soler's recent hot streak at the plate.
Wednesday: Mike Bolsinger, RHP (7.20, 2.70, 4.50, 5.01, 4.00) vs Jon Lester, LHP (8.61, 2.48, 2.48, 3.34, 3.12), 7:05 PM CT
Bolsinger was supposed to be in the rotation going into the season, but suffered an oblique strain in spring training that kept him out for the first month and a half of the season. He got called up in mid-may and was tagged for three runs in a short outing against the Angels, was sent back to AAA, then got called up again for a better start against the hapless Reds. He throws a *ton* of curveballs, which will proably put Soler and Baez on the bench.
Thursday: Kenta Maeda, RHP (8.05, 2.68, 3.00, 3.51, 3.33) vs Kyle Hendricks, RHP (7.32, 1.95, 2.93, 2.77, 3.52), 1:20 PM CT
Maeda's had a solid season overall, but there's been small-sample size driven chatter that he can't pitch well on four day's rest, apparently different than that they do in Japan. He's not a guy who goes super deep into games, so hopefully the Cubs can grind up his pitch count early. He was hit in the hand by a comebacker in his last start, but nothing was broken and he seems to feel fine.
Comments
Cubs have 34 wins, not 31. I’m not posting this to be a dick but rather just trying to save others from seeing the headline and dashing to check the standings at a non-un-rediscredited website.
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
EnricoPallazzo,
Maybe the wins against the Phillies don’t really count.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
I thought something was wrong with that number, I was just going by the fangraphs standings tab and was confused remembering the talk that they were 20 games over
berseliusQuote Reply
And of course now it’s fixed at fg (dying laughing)
berseliusQuote Reply
The Cubs are going to have to work on pop ups like that.
dmick89Quote Reply
538 win prediction back up to 106. Just one off the season high.
dmick89Quote Reply
Hammel wild early
berseliusQuote Reply
dmick89,
That number is starting to look more and more realistic but still really fucking high. That basically means worst case scenario is like 95 wins. I just can’t really accept that.
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
EnricoPallazzo,
It’s crazy. If they go .500 the rest of the way, they’ll win 91 games.
dmick89Quote Reply
Ben Zobrist on base, sun rises in east.
berseliusQuote Reply
Damn. I thought Heyward hit that one out.
dmick89Quote Reply
Phil Hughes ———> bullpen
Phil Hughes extension ——–> hasn't even started yet
berseliusQuote Reply
I feel like the cubs are going to get to this guy.
joshQuote Reply
I think Len just said the Cubs have had six series sweeps?
SKQuote Reply
Why was Russell held up on that one?
dmick89Quote Reply
Or did he hold up on his own?
dmick89Quote Reply
Pat and Ron felt because he got a late break thinking it might be caught, but they were surprised
joshQuote Reply
Come on Zo
joshQuote Reply
That sucks for Hammel.
SKQuote Reply
Dammit, hope it’s just a cramp.
berseliusQuote Reply
Well…. That sucks
joshQuote Reply
berselius,
It’s really hot on champaign. Cramp seems likely
joshQuote Reply
Looked like a cramp. Shouldn’t be a big deal. Too bad he’s out today though.
dmick89Quote Reply
2013 Cubs MVP looking sharp in relief
berseliusQuote Reply
What a play by Bryant.
dmick89Quote Reply
He’s got a huge cannon. And a great throwing arm too.
/stolenfromAisley
berseliusQuote Reply
Hell of an outing by Travis Wood
joshQuote Reply
Finally a smash by Rizzo
joshQuote Reply
berselius,
And a great big dick
joshQuote Reply
josh,
The hammer is my penis.
berseliusQuote Reply
How the hell does Travis Wood have a sub-3.00 ERA? Aside from the fact that fewer than three runs have scored per nine innings that he has pitched.
berseliusQuote Reply
Love me some good Strop.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Rizzo the Rat,
He was razor sharp today
berseliusQuote Reply
Federowicz just seems overmatched when he’s hitting.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
berselius,
I loved how frustrated the Dodgers hitters got. How was that a strike?
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Inverted M
berseliusQuote Reply
35-14. Wow.
dmick89Quote Reply
Up three touchdowns at the beginning of the second quarter
MylesQuote Reply
So how about that bullpen?
Rice in limboQuote Reply
Hmm, mobile cache must not like keeping me logged in or something.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
That was a better defensive communication away from being a no-hitter.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
You’d think one guy out of the three would’ve caught it. Baseball.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
http://obstructedview.net/cubs-2-ladola-0-5-30-16/
berseliusQuote Reply