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Chicago Cubs Thread - Playoff Push Pending

Might swing the Pads in June myself. Interested to see how much the vibes around the place have changed with title in hand
 
The four game losing streak gets snapped with a 9-7 comeback win. Bats wake up and the bullpen pitches four innings of hitless shutout baseball. John Jay and Albert Almora are getting it done as the CF platoon. Glad to see Montero contribute. He still has some solid baseball in him.
 
I only caught the last two innings last night at a bar in the Bronx, was a pretty good ending - every Yankee fan thinks they fleeced the cubs for Gleyber Torres - it's a silly argument, since it is basically the definition of a win/win trade.
 
The Yankees got the players. The Cubs got the championship. Most Yankee fans I've known would prefer what the Cubs received. End of discussion.
 
DaDeacs said:
I only caught the last two innings last night at a bar in the Bronx, was a pretty good ending - every Yankee fan thinks they fleeced the cubs for Gleyber Torres - it's a silly argument, since it is basically the definition of a win/win trade.
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Saw him in Winston last year when he was with Myrtle Beach before the trade. Hit a huge home run to left field.

He really stuck out to me as a guy much better than where he was (which he obviously was at High A), and I wouldn't say I have a trained baseball eye at all.
 
Anthony Rizzo with a three run HR with two outs in the ninth ties the game against the Reds, coming back from a 5-2 deficit. Almora scores the winning run in the eleventh on a short sac fly to left by Bryant for the third straight come from behind victory.

The bullpen has pitched 15.2 innings during the three game span. It has allowed one run on five hits with 20 K's. Not too shabby.
 
Tommy LaStella was removed from the bereavement list and optioned to Iowa. I guess a championship ring makes the shuttle between Chicago and Iowa easier to accept.
 
Cubs go from scoring 14 runs in a laugher to one unearned run and two hits. The common thread is both games were wins. Hendricks looked decent but his command doesn't resemble last year. I got used to watching him thread a needle with his pitches. Then again, he struggled early last year as well.
 
The uncommon thread was Gerrit Cole, hes a hoss.

Still struggling with pitchers that throw first pitch strikes.
 
Fangraphs had a pretty good article the other day highlighting the drop in velocity of our entire starting pitching lineup. Attributed it possibly to a longer layoff than usual over the winter after the WS title.

Definitely something to keep an eye on though.
 
Deacsfan27 said:
Fangraphs had a pretty good article the other day highlighting the drop in velocity of our entire starting pitching lineup. Attributed it possibly to a longer layoff than usual over the winter after the WS title.

Definitely something to keep an eye on though.
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Kyle said he thought it was because he wad throwing too much on between starts, so he's backing off now. But that's interesting.
 
Going to the Sox-Cubs game on Sunday (at least, may try to get over there after work Friday and scalp a couple or hit it up Saturday as well) and of course, pending more weather issues, Cubs are throwing Anderson.
 
Actually Muskat just tweeted that it's going to be Arrieta, Lackey, Hendricks in Boston and Anderson will go against the Phillies on Monday.
 
Cubs have now lost four of the last five games and have been outscored 31-20. The offense has averaged five runs a game, the same as last year. The problem is the pitching and defense. The Cubs have given up 4.6 runs/game this year against 3.4 last year. The fielding percentage has dropped slightly but the DER has dropped from .731( first in MLB) to .698 (19th). Maddon seems unconcerned and believes it is just a bad stretch similar to the one the team experienced prior to the ASG last year. Time will tell.
 
Cubs beat the Phils 5-4 in 13 innings to win the series. Almora, Montero, Jay and Szczur got starts and account for four of the five runs produced. The "bench" is producing a collective .323/.384/.478 in 177 plate appearances.

It wasn't pretty but the bullpen gave up one run in eight innings to bail out Lackey and extend the game. Mike Montgomery was a beast, pitching three shutout innings as a follow up to the 3.2 shutout innings Monday.
 
In a move to bolster the bullpen, the Cubs recalled Felix Pena from Iowa. Justin Grimm was optioned to Iowa to make room on the roster. I wonder if Maddon's post season lack of confidence in the bullpen is returning.

Another move. Cubs recalled Rob Zastryzny to further reinforce the bullpen. Matt Szczur was DFA. Fourteen pitchers and eleven position players on the 25 man...might be a MLB first.

Szczur might get the phones ringing in the FO and trade talk started. Maybe a package of Grimm, Szczur, LaStella and Anderson for a reliable fifth starter. Anderson looks more like a problem than a solution. Let Candelario replace Szczur and LaStella and replace Grimm with the assorted suspects in Iowa.
 
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I'm a night owl, but this ones going too late for even me
 
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