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Chicago Cubs Thread - Playoff Push Pending

Huge come from behind win. Losing 2 to the lowly Sox on the day Stro‘s return is setback would have killed recent positive momentum. Offense needs to pick it up again. Assad was good enough. Huge inning from Fulmer
 
Good time for the Royals to creep on the schedule. Playoff teams bury teams like the 2023 KC Royals. Good test about who these guys want to choose to be.
 
Cubs get an elusive Sunday win. Decent game by Hendricks with Amaya and Suzuki home runs in support.

Morel is 5 for 51 over his last 15 games. Needs a couple games off to refocus. Swanson (.122) and Happ (.188) also struggling over the same period. With the team playing 10 more straight days Ross needs to rest some players. After the day off on August 31 the team will play 14 games in 13 days. This is the stretch that will make or break the season.
 
I'm ok playing meh baseball and still winning games. They will need to turn it up a notch when they get to the Brewers series.
 
Drew Smiley's last decent start was on June 19. He finished the game with a 7-4 record and a 3.38 ERA. Since then he has served as the starter on nine occasions. He has pitched 40.2 innings and has surrendered 42 earned runs on 56 hits including 14 home runs. That is a 9.4 ERA. He has one win and 5 losses. It's difficult making the playoffs with that level of performance taking a turn every fifth day. In three relief appearance he has not surrendered a run. Drew could be the lefty in the bullpen this club needs. Give Wesneski the remaining seven starts. He's been decent out of the pen.

FWIW, Keegan Thompson has been decent the past two weeks. Control and command have improved but home runs remain a problem. He is the experienced option in Iowa.
 
BlackjackMc said:
Drew Smiley's last decent start was on June 19. He finished the game with a 7-4 record and a 3.38 ERA. Since then he has served as the starter on nine occasions. He has pitched 40.2 innings and has surrendered 42 earned runs on 56 hits including 14 home runs. That is a 9.4 ERA. He has one win and 5 losses. It's difficult making the playoffs with that level of performance taking a turn every fifth day. In three relief appearance he has not surrendered a run. Drew could be the lefty in the bullpen this club needs. Give Wesneski the remaining seven starts. He's been decent out of the pen.

FWIW, Keegan Thompson has been decent the past two weeks. Control and command have improved but home runs remain a problem. He is the experienced option in Iowa.
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Do you think this is a Ross decision or upper management? For instance, not wanting to call up a young guy burning a year of control or something. If Smyly wins half of the starts you referenced, we are tied for the division. It makes absolutely no sense to keep trotting him out there hoping he finds something. Give someone else a try because it can't be any worse.
 
Ross sure seemed to make excuses for Smiley in his post game comments.

When management conveys a free agent contract they generally want to stay with a struggling player. That is what made the decision to release Mancini, Barnhart and Hosmer surprising. I imagine the decision belongs to Ross. I doubt he wants to demote another veteran. He knows it is a bitter pill to swallow from personal experience. As mentioned post game, there is nobody in the minors pitching so well that they demand attention. Assad and Wesneski with excellent performances last year earned late starting roles and succeded. Assad had a poor start this year but was outstanding the past two months and earned another shot at the rotation. Wesneski struggled early in a starting role but has pitched very well in long relief. In eleven games he has pitched 23.2 innings with a 2.28 ERA, a WHIP of 1.06 and has limited hitters to a .174 average. One bad outing in 11 games.

As badly as this team needs a lefthanded reliever, moving Smiley to the pen could prove beneficial to him and the team. His success in relief is exactly what this team needs.
 
Vegas Jethro said:
Do you think this is a Ross decision or upper management? For instance, not wanting to call up a young guy burning a year of control or something. If Smyly wins half of the starts you referenced, we are tied for the division. It makes absolutely no sense to keep trotting him out there hoping he finds something. Give someone else a try because it can't be any worse.
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They don't even have to burn a year of control. They have options, including at least one on the present roster. BlackjackMc has this one nailed and I hope this was the last straw for Smyly as a starter. I doubt they, for instance, hand Wicks his MLB debut in a playoff race. Guess Brown is another option, ditto. Hand the ball to HW or call up Kiliian and give that another go. Like you said, it can't get any worse.
 
Got 2 of 3 with the 2 worst starters going in the last 2 games. This team tends to come back after blowing leads which is something we haven't seen in a number of years - that reminds me most of the 2015 team.
 
Good win today, especially after 1 bad pitch from Tallion. Brewers are losing again as well. Gotta keep it rolling in Pittsburgh. Then the big home series with Milwaukee.
 
Timely late hitting gives the Cubs a win. Everyone made a contribution.

A word about Adbert Alzolay. When he was eliminated from consideration as a starter in the spring there were no complaints. His reaction was to become "the best reliever on the team." He worked his way to closing opportunities and has never let go. He has to be considered for team MVP.
 
Of course the Brewers have tied the game at 6 after trailing by 3. Alzolay has been really freaking good as the closer.
 
DeacMan said:
Brewers have won 5 in a row. And picked up just 1/2 a game on the Cubs in the process. Time to bring those mofos down a peg.
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Word is Brewers were pushing hard to close trade deadline deal for Alonso during Mets fire sale.

That would have made things even more interesting.
 
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