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Chicago Cubs Thread - Playoff Push Pending

BlackjackMc said:
Cubs played like crap the past two games. PCA has a great glove but Ross would be wise to use Tauchman in CF and Bellinger at 1B. That combo was vital in making the team a contender, don't desert them now.
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I questioned the move to start PCA in critical late season games during a playoff chase. He has a great glove, but it is unrealistic to expect him to hit immediately upon making ML debut. Tauchman has been slumping a bit, but he has been a major contributor toward this team's turnaround. It will be interesting to see what Ross does with the CF position going forward.
 
The Cubs just finished the death stretch of the schedule, 27 games in 27 days. They went 9-4, took a day off, then went 7-7. That's 16-11 with a spot in the playoffs. They have gone 2-5 in the past week. Over the past two weeks Suzuki, Bellinger, Hoerner, Swanson and Gomes have hit over .300 and have produced runs. Everyone else has been below .220. Happ has produced some runs but has led the team in strikeouts.. Tauchman has maintained an OBP of .350. The team has scored 69 runs in 14 games, but 26 were scored in two blowouts. 43 runs in the other 12 games won't win many games. During that 14 game span the pitching staff has surrendered 53 runs. Not bad but only good enough for a .500 record.

To finish with a playoff spot the Cubs need to score runs. Steele, Assad and Wicks have pitched well as starters. Meeriweather, Smyley and Wesneski have been decent in relief. Everyone else has an ERA over 4.0. Alzolay is hurt and Leiter is gassed. Fullmer and Boxberger are just off IL, are rested and experienced. They must step up and close.

The team must go 9-6 minimum the rest of the way to make the playoffs. Dodgers and Braves are in. Seven teams fighting for 4 spots, all within five games of each other. Nobody on a winning streak, nobody on a losing streak.
 
Cubs mashed the ball and couldn’t catch a break. Arizona doinking the ball for hit. I think this turns the Cubs around as they can’t have any worse luck.
 
I like that optimism. The long suffering Cubs fan in me thinks the Rockies debacle might have been the beginning of the pitching staff tiring and cooling offense.
 
The relief corp has tired and the bats have cooled off. 31 runs in 9 games won't cut it. Alzolay and Fullmer are IL, Leiter's effectiveness has diminished. Ross works his relievers hard all season. We haven't noticed it because this is the first season his team has been competitive. Better hope this team can get a second wind with 6 games at home.
 
What I can’t understand is how they are getting shutdown by shitty starters and even shittier relievers. This home stand determines their fate. I’m not sure even 4-2 will be good enough unless the Braves roll over like they did this weekend.
 
Gotta get 4/6 in the next two series. We might catch a break with the Braves and Brewers likely playing for not a lot the final two series, but we've just got to play better ball overall if we're going to sneak in.
 
NL Wild Card race with Fangraphs playoff odds, remaining schedule and tiebreakers (top three qualify):

81-68 Phillies 98.5% -- 3 @ Braves; 4 Mets; 3 Pirates; 3 @ Mets -- Hold the tiebreaker over the Cubs, Reds, D'Backs
79-72 Diamondbacks 56.5% --2 Giants; 3 @ Yankees; 3 @ White Sox; 3 Astros -- Hold the tiebreaker over Cubs; need to sweep the Giants this week to win the tiebreaker with them
78-72 Marlins 55.4% -- 3 Mets; 3 Brewers; 3 @ Mets; 3 @ Pirates -- Hold the tiebreaker over the Phils, Cubs, Reds and D'Backs
78-72 Cubs 45% -- 3 Pirates; 3 Rockies; 3 @ Braves; 3 @ Brewers -- Hold the tiebreaker over the Giants only
78-73 Reds 30.4% -- 3 Twins; 3 Pirates; 2 @ Guardians; 3 @ Cardinals -- Hold the tiebreaker over the Cubs, D'Backs
78-74 Giants 13.1% -- 2 @ D'Backs; 3 @ Dodgers; 3 Padres; 3 Dodgers -- Hold the tiebreaker over the Reds, need to split with the D'Backs to hold the tiebreaker; currently lead the Marlins (tiebreaker comes down to intra-division record which could still flip)

Weird that the two game Giants @ D'Backs series is the only matchup between WC contenders over the last two weeks.
 
Deacsfan27 said:
The Marlins seem to be in pretty good shape with their schedule and the tiebreakers.
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Yes. The Marlins also caught a huge break when the Braves came to Miami fresh off clinching the division. Atlanta essentially took the weekend off.
 
Two factors are the primary reasons for this poor stretch of play. Bullpen woes and cold bats. Alzolay, Leiter, Merriweather and Fulmer provided quality relief in leveraged situations since June. Assad provided good long relief. Beyond that it was a collection of arms. Fulmer and Alzolay wore out and are on the IL. Leiter had a four game stretch where he gave up 4 runs in 2 innings and looked exhausted. His last three appearnces have shown well in less leveraged situations but he appears gassed as well.. That left Merryweather and one arm won't work. Smyley has stepped in and Boxbergfer might help, but that confident, effective set of arms is no more. 33 runs in the last ten games doesn't win ball games when the pitching staff is giving up 48 runs. Bellinger carried the offense for 2+ months but has returned to earth. Bellinger always had one or two players that were hitting with him during that stretch, but he was the big RBI guy that kept the offense on schedule.

When the offense fails to produce and the bullpen fails to protect, you lose.
 
Nick Madrigal to the IL with a right hamstring strain. Jared Young recalled to replace him.

My WTF? for today. In the final two weeks of the season and the Cubs are fighting to make the playoffs and searching for a spark.. There is an infielder in Iowa that made major contributions for the playoff bound cubs in 2018 and 2019, including 5 (yes five) walkoff hits. Please explain why David Bote is in Iowa and not in the Chicago dugout. Ignorance.

That is all.
 
BlackjackMc said:
Nick Madrigal to the IL with a right hamstring strain. Jared Young recalled to replace him.

My WTF? for today. In the final two weeks of the season and the Cubs are fighting to make the playoffs and searching for a spark.. There is an infielder in Iowa that made major contributions for the playoff bound cubs in 2018 and 2019, including 5 (yes five) walkoff hits. Please explain why David Bote is in Iowa and not in the Chicago dugout. Ignorance.

That is all.
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My thoughts exactly. Why the hell is Bote not back up yet???
 
Imagine what the crowd at Wrigley would do if Bote was announced as the pinch hitter with the game on the line late.

Morel reminds me of Bote late. Not the prototype for game winners but effective nevertheless.
 
It is absolutely bizarre that a Wake Forest message board has a 316 page thread on Chicago Cubs baseball. Y’all need to pay more attention to WF. Jeez.
 
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