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Chicago Cubs Thread - Playoff Push Pending

Rizzo is on absolute fire lately.

Hope Clayton brings it today. Lohse has had an awful year and given up a lot of home runs. Wouldn't surprise me if Rizzo made it five straight games today.
 
Cubs sweep to a 4-3 win. Richard with a quality start for his second win. Russell and Strop with a perfect seventh and eighth. Hector Rondon (hits) and Starlin Castro (error) made for some drama in the ninth. Just enough contributions on offense. Addison with a long HR. Bryant left the game with an injury of some nature. Maddon got tossed for a comment about a replay. In the end it was all good and the Cubs have finally reached 10 games over .500.

Big week ahead. Three on the road vs. the Pirates and four at home vs. the Giants. Need wins.
 
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Went a long way toward canceling out the Phillies series. Maybe caught MIL at the right time after trading away Gomez and Parra, but we'll take it.

Don't have to face either Cole or Burnett (DL) in Pitt (have Lester going against their best other P -- Liriano -- tmrw), and Bumgarner is the SF starter we miss in that four gamer. Couldn't draw it up better -- let's capitalize
 
Cubs still rumored to be interested in Chutley, no idea why at this time - the contract is bad and not sure he is an upgrade over Castro - and then also effing with our double play combo this late in the year I don't like.

Otherwise, likely going to wait til September to bring in some minor league guys or potentially watch the scrap heap for some DFA'd help.

Cubs are likely needing to send someone down today so we have more than 3 people on the bench - haven't heard who yet. Assumed Richard would be let go, but maybe they keep him around as a 6th starter, a la Travis Wood. But thats a lot of pitchers now. My guess is Hail Szczur comes back up, but not sure who else in the pen still has options, and lester/arrieta/hammel/hendricks/haren/hunter/russell/strop/rondon/grimm aren't going anywhere - so it has to be one of Richard, Wood, Motte or Soriano. Would love to see Soriano DFA'd, but Maddon called him the key in our pen and we just gave him a handful of million dollars to pitch this year. Guess it has to be Richard, who is the worst option left of the other 3.
 
I'm really excited about this series with Pittsburgh. I bet PNC has a playoff type vibe. Huge week for the Cubbies.
 
Cubs DFA'd Richard and brought up Szczur. At the moment (11:48 Eastern) the game is under rain delay and the Cubs have used 3 pitchers for four innings. Bullpen could be blown out without much effort.
 
Yep...hoping they get the game in tonight. Seems like it's stopped raining but who knows when they'd be ready to go.
 
Arrieta goes seven strong scoreless innings - hunter brings his 99 ball in for a scoreless eighth and we are onto the ninth, cubs up 5-0. Need this win.
 
Got this win! Grimm pitches a scoreless ninth and the Cubs win their sixth straight. Castro with two doubles and two RBI's, Soler with two RBI's and Rizzo with four hits and two runs scored lead the offense.
 
BlackjackMc said:
Got this win! Grimm pitches a scoreless ninth and the Cubs win their sixth straight. Castro with two doubles and two RBI's, Soler with two RBI's and Rizzo with four hits and two runs scored lead the offense.
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Every starter, 1-9, was one base at least once by hit or walk - only Fowler didn't have a hit, but he did walk - I think we ended with 14 hits and 5 walks. Thats lots of baserunners for 5 runs, but oh well, wins a win.

We need to learn how to put the ball in the outfield seats some more - outside of Rizzo, we are struggling, 25th in the league in HR over the last 30 days. Also, Bryant has a BABIP of .214 over the last month too. Lots of signs pointing to things that if they can be righted, will make this team tough to beat.
 
Intrigued to see who claims Richard, cause after his last start, have to assume some stink team will give him a shot for the rest of the year. After he went unclaimed last time, he agreed to go to Iowa knowing he would get another callup, and if he somehow manages to go unclaimed this time, would imagine he does the same, because there is a chance Haren implodes at Wrigley.

I was doing my Dan Haren homework, and I am extremely worried about his FB rate in a small park that is super gusty - Wrigley is perfect for GB pitchers like Lester, Arrieta and Hendricks. Hammel is doing well, but he is still only at a 39% FB rate and it could be luck that is keeping his numbers low because his HR/FB rate is way down the last two years, even though wrigley is a hitters ballpark. Haren has a 49% FB rate - he is going to have to keep his walks way down to make sure the dingers he gives up are only solo shots - as he has 21 HR given up in 21 starts - just for comparison, Arrieta has given up 9, Lester 11, Hendricks 11 and Hammel 13.
 
Haren only walks a guy once every 5+ innings, so that bodes well. Interesting he and Ross were both targets when Ross leads the league in walks and Haren walks no one
 
At least the Bucs have Locke going, who we have lit up this year (14 ER in 12 1/3 innings pitched).

Good matchup tonight - we need as many of these as we can get.
 
I noticed Haren's increased HR/FB rates this year as well. I imagine it didn't escape the Cub front office either. He has been effective and if it is his last rodeo the Cubs could benefit from a focused, veteran pitcher performing above expectations.
 
As a Buc fan I really love your lineup despite the occasional offensive slumps, much like Pittsburgh. Rizzo is a beast and they have to find a place for Schwarbber to play everyday. If I'm handicapping the wildcard race I have to think its the Cubs and Giants. The Cubs schedule is very favorable as compared to the other 2 teams. If the Bucs do face Cubs in. 1 game wildcard I hope Arrietta would have had to pitched to get them in the game.
 
Cubs add Richard to the pen and put Soriano on the DL - hopefully its for the rest of year, addition by subtraction.

Soriano was a big miss for Epstein this year, he has absolutely nothing left. Would have been so much better if we had of gone after Papelbon, for the price the Nats paid, he would have costed us less than we paid for Haren. The Cubs are missing one more solid arm in the pen, Grimm/Russell/Rondon are solid, Strop has struggled at times, but is pretty solid too - but with Ramirez hurt and Motte is average (he has a 98 MPH fastball, but has nothing to it and without another pitch, everyone knows whats coming). Maybe 99 ball Hunter can be that guy - otherwise, the two other arms are long relief Wood and now Richard who they are going to put in a semi-long relief role, are decently average and I would hate to have to use them a lot, but Maddon has shown he has a quick hook on the starters and we need our pen to be effective.

Worried about catching the Bucs, I think the Giants are about to run away and hide in this race.
 
DaDeacs said:
Worried about catching the Bucs, I think the Giants are about to run away and hide in this race.
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Why? Just their postseason pedigree? At least we can do a lot about that this weekend and we don't throw Haren and they don't throw Bumgarner.

Little worried about the NL East teams behind us as well since their division is a laughingstock, but the Nats are a hot mess right now.

Either way, even if we come up short our youngsters will learn a lot from going up against the four other real good NL Central/West, one of whom we need to beat. But if we win this series this weekend we'll be in a good spot
 
wsc8521s said:
Why? Just their postseason pedigree? At least we can do a lot about that this weekend and we don't throw Haren and they don't throw Bumgarner.
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Nah, they are playing really well, their offense is coming around with Posey/Pence/Crawford/Belt all playing well and Bumgarner, Leake, Peavy and Heston are all pitching well enough for them to win each night.
 
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