I would have sworn that the Cubs have already played the Mets this year, but it looks like that is not the case. Much like another NY team who shares 75% of the letters in the team name, I don’t think there’s any moment in which their manager is not on the hot seat. Rumors of Mickey Callaway’s demise seem to have subsided for the time as the Mets have played .500-ish ball for the past few weeks, but from past experience you can believe pretty much anything of the Mets.
Team Leaders
Meats
- OBP: Jeff McNeil (.406)
- ISO: Pete Alonso (.346) (!!!!)
- HR: Alonso (24)
- R+RBI: Alonso (103)
- wRC+: Alonso (153)
- BSR: Brandon Nimmo (1.3)
- Defense: Noah Syndergaard (?!) (4.5)
- SP K/9: deGrom (11.08)
- SP BB/9: deGrom (1.98)
- SP FIP: deGrom (3.21)
- RP K/9: Edwin Diaz (14.13)
- RP BB/9: Seth Lugo (2.36)
- RP FIP: Lugo (2.67)
- WAR: Alonso (2.7)
Cubs
- OBP: Bryant (.395)
- ISO: Rizzo (.272)
- HR: Rizzo (19)
- R+RBI: Rizzo/Bryant (96)
- wRC+: Contreras (146)
- BSR: Bryant (2.5)
- Defense: Baez (8.6)
- SP K/9: Darvish (10.32)
- SP BB/9: Cyle (1.63)
- SP FIP: Cyle (3.32)
- RP K/9: Edwards (10.20)
- RP BB/9: Kintzler (2.25)
- RP FIP: Cishek (3.14)
- WAR: Bryant (2.8)
Injuries, transactions, blood feuds, etc.
Nothing has really changed on the Cubs front that I know of so I’m basically recopying this from the series two days ago. The Cubs have had a couple of pitchers go down lately, including Cyle (shoulder inflammation) and Edwards (thoracic strain). The Cubs will certainly feel the Cyle loss but it sounds like at least we might see a spot start from Alzolay. If you read BN you would think that Edwards has been lighting the world on fire lately, but that hasn’t certainly seemed the case to me. It is nice for relief pitchers that their baseline numbers don’t get dinged for letting inherited runners score. Craig Kimbrel has been officially added to the I-Cubs roster and has pitched, and could be up as soon as next week. Brandon Morrow is ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.
On the Mets side, the most recent biggest name injury is that Noah Syndergaard is out with a hamstring strain. He hasn’t quite been capital-T Thor this year, but the Cubs won’t be sorry to miss him. Yoenis Cespedes is out for the season following surgeries on both of his feet for unrelated injuries. Brandon Nimmo is shut down for a month with a bulging disc in his neck that, shockingly, the Mets underplayed when it was first reported. Jeurys Familia and Justin Wilson are also on the IL with what may or may not be minor injuries.
Pitching Matchups
K/9, BB/9, ERA, projected ERA listed for all pitchers. Projections only for guys making their debut.
Thursday: Walter Lockett, RHP (6.70, 2.70, 4.63) vs Tyler Chatwood, RHP (7.46, 5.40, 3.60, 5.21) / Adbert Alzolay, RHP (8.42, 3.38, 4.65), 7:05 PM CT
Lockett is making his Mets debut – he started three games for the Padres last year.
Friday: Jason Vargas, LHP (7.16, 3.90, 3.74, 4.96) vs Yu Darvish, RHP (10.32, 5.11, 4.65, 4.23), 1:20 PM CT
Vargas is day to day after suffering calf muscle cramps in his last start.
Saturday: Zack Wheeler, RHP (9.79, 2.66, 4.94, 3.74) vs Jose Quintana, LHP (7.75, 2.90, 3.87, 3.79), 1:20 PM CT
Sunday: Jacob deGrom, RHP (11.08, 1.98, 3.26, 2.91) vs Cole Hamels, LHP (8.93, 3.14, 2.85, 3.57), 1:20 PM CT
Comments
In 6 starts (32 IP) this year for the Iowa Cubs, Alzolay has 46 K’s to 6 BB’s. I’m not sure he’ll fit in with this team.
WaLiQuote Reply
There was an mlb.com story about every team’s regrets from this past offseason. For the Cubs, it was not signing Kimbrel sooner. For the Mets, their biggest regret was everything.
andcountingQuote Reply
Considering the Cubs have been in or around first place this entire time, I’m not sure I buy that. As much as I’d have liked to have Kimbrel and the Cubs probably have a 2-4 game lead with him if they did have him, I think I’d rather be in this position with a first round pick next year than 2-4 up and no first round pick. So I think the Cubs made the right decision. It was a gamble, but it’s paid off so far.
dmick89Quote Reply
I got my St. Louis is Boring t shirt. Best shirt I own.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
I’m still waiting on my “Obstructed View: Amusing but Wrong since 2011” coffee mug. Get on it, fellas.
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
Smokestack Lightning,
Can you give me your credit card number and photocopy of your ID and birth certificate? I’m sure it’s just a mix up.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
We also require blood, hair, urine, and stool samples. No requirement that they have to be yours though.
berseliusQuote Reply
That’s the old 2014 policy.
dmick89Quote Reply
Bring in Adbert.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
I take back everything nice I’ve said about Chatwood
WaLiQuote Reply
WaLi,
It’s nice to have him as an emergency bench bat, at least.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Rizzo!!!!
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Bryzzo!!!
PerkinsQuote Reply
That was quick.
dmick89Quote Reply
Better than Descalso and Descalso is probably a better pitcher.
dmick89Quote Reply
Báez!!!!!!!
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Chatwood has better plate discipline than Almora.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Alzolay!
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Is it too early to say that Adbert is winning 8 Cy Youngs?
MylesQuote Reply
Myles,
Not sure how you can project the field to hold him to single-digit Cy’s.
andcountingQuote Reply
Myles,
His career ERA is 0.00. Best in history.
dmick89Quote Reply
I’m assuming he’ll be DH’ing full-time, eventually.
MylesQuote Reply
I just did some quick calculations and I found Alzolay has a 70% probability of striking out 3000 or more batters.
dmick89Quote Reply
Crab Krumble, plz.
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
Trade him. Cubs lose.
andcountingQuote Reply
Wait, no. Inverted M’s and Cy Young’s all around.
andcountingQuote Reply
Brewers lose.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Rizzo the Rat,
The Reds are just 4 games behind the Brewers.
andcountingQuote Reply
Check out how St Louis lost tonight.
(dying laughing) (dying laughing)(dying laughing)(dying laughing)(dying laughing)
BVSQuote Reply
BVS,
Yes, I’m telling you what to do. It’s worth it.
BVSQuote Reply
BVS,
(dying laughing) what was Flaherty doing
Also I guess the best fans in baseball don’t like extra inning games. I thought they were playing in Miami based on the crowd
WaLiQuote Reply
Wow, great debut for Alzolay
berseliusQuote Reply
http://www.obstructedview.net/cubs-7-mets-4-3/
berseliusQuote Reply