Author Topic: Cubs in '18  (Read 171302 times)

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Re: Cubs in '18
« Reply #3525 on: August 10, 2018, 09:56:10 am »
Bruce Miles  @BruceMiles2112  3s3 seconds ago

#Cubs sign pitcher Jorge De La Rosa. He is available out of pen today. Rosario optioned. Darvish on 60-day DL as a procedural move.

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Re: Cubs in '18
« Reply #3526 on: August 10, 2018, 10:07:21 am »
De La Rosa appears to be a mediocre LOOGY.

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Re: Cubs in '18
« Reply #3527 on: August 10, 2018, 07:36:37 pm »

@Michael_Cerami
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In 2018, the #Cubs *entire* pitching staff has 6.6 WAR. In 2015, Jake Arrieta had 7.3 WAR.

Much more balanced team this year.

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Re: Cubs in '18
« Reply #3528 on: August 10, 2018, 07:38:56 pm »
It's crazy that the Cubs' starting pitching is absolute garbage and they have a 2 game lead in the division and a 2 game lead for best record in the NL.

Wild stuff.

It's also a testament to Joe Maddon.

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Re: Cubs in '18
« Reply #3529 on: August 10, 2018, 09:44:40 pm »
At Wrigley today for the first Cub game I've seen there since they got really good in 2015.  And it was a VERY different experience!

Like most of you, all my life I've watched the Cubs find new ways to LOSE games they should win.  Not anymore!  It's such a different experience at Wrigley (or on tv) these days!  Now, the Cubs are a VERY damned hard team to beat when the game is on the line! 

Other teams sort of have to padlock all exits or the Cubs will find a way to wrestle out of the jaws of defeat and come back...I almost can't believe it's the Cubs we are watching!

All those years of hackaway offenses, we now have patient hitters who grind at bats, none more so than Captain Rizzo, who is as good a team leader as there is in baseball...and when have the Cubs ever had a strong field/clubhouse leader like Rizz?

All those years of lousy defense, we now have guys who can really play D at every position...even guys who are up from the minors (Bote) can play D and even guys not known for D make great plays rather often (Schwarber).  And none of us could ever imagine the kind of back-pick Contreras-Rizzo executed to perfection to nail young Soto in what turned out to probably be the game's biggest play.

Despite an offense that falls asleep at times and starting pitching WAY below what we've become accustomed to, the Cubs are still on top because, well, they just won't be denied.  They are a hard-nosed, tough-minded bunch who are really hard to beat! 

Who knows about the future, but so far again this year - with all the problems and injuries - the Cubs play as well as a Team as any group in MLB and they win games like today that they always used to lose!  Man, these are great times to be a Cub fan!


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Re: Cubs in '18
« Reply #3530 on: August 10, 2018, 11:08:46 pm »
Amen, Ben.

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Re: Cubs in '18
« Reply #3531 on: August 13, 2018, 04:16:08 am »
David Adler

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Through 5 innings, Cole Hamels has gotten the Nats to whiff on 5 of their 7 swings vs. his changeup.

That brings his changeup whiff rate to 47.7% on the season (235 swings, 112 misses) -- now the highest rate among starters, leapfrogging Kenta Maeda.

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Re: Cubs in '18
« Reply #3532 on: August 13, 2018, 10:20:01 am »
Watching Scherzer and Hamels mixing their pitches last night made me think how much harder it must be for hitters.  I specifically remembered a Quintana game I saw at Wrigley where he must have used his fastball something like 90% of the time (maybe more). Granted, a good fastball that moves is not easy to hit solidly, still it seems like that's so much better for a hitter than trying to get good contact against pitchers like Scherzer and Hamels who mix up their pitches so much.

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Re: Cubs in '18
« Reply #3533 on: August 13, 2018, 10:37:59 am »
That was a great game by Hamels.  The crazy thing is that Scherzer is like that good almost every single game!
 
Man, that guy is unbelievable.  Amazing.  One of the all-time greats.  This will be 3rd straight Cy, 4th in six year, top-5 Cy voting 6 years straight. 

And no indication that decline is occurring or impending.  Still plenty fast, plenty strong, plenty durable.  Who knows with a pitcher, but no reason to assume he won't be the best pitcher in the league again next year (by a mile).

Amazing. 


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Re: Cubs in '18
« Reply #3534 on: August 13, 2018, 11:01:59 am »
If this team is ever going to get hot and run off a long 8-10 game win streak, this would be a good week to do it. Two against the Brewers, then four against the Pirates while the Brewers and Cardinals are playing each other...a 5-1 or 6-0 week would likely mean we'd be down to a 2 team division race with the second place team 6+ games back.

Really, the next two and a half weeks are pretty critical. After this week, the Cubs have an 8 game stretch against bad teams (Tigers, Reds, and Mets) to finish out the month. But September is rough--the Cubs only have two off days and six games against sub .500 teams. Winning the division and setting up for the postseason is much easier if the division lead is twice as big at the end of this stretch.

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Re: Cubs in '18
« Reply #3536 on: August 14, 2018, 12:46:56 pm »
https://www.bleachernation.com/2018/08/14/yu-darvish-throws-another-successful-simulated-game-rehab-start-could-be-coming/

Darvish threw 3-inning session.  Theo says that *If* he feels OK afterwards, he *might* be ready for a rehab outing next.  Sounded pretty upbeat. 

Allowed at least a HR and a double. 

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Re: Cubs in '18
« Reply #3537 on: August 14, 2018, 12:47:17 pm »
Yu Darvish’s simulated game went according to plan Tuesday morning and president Theo Epstein confirmed a rehab start will be the next step.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-spt-cubs-yu-darvish-theo-epstein-20180814-story.html

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Re: Cubs in '18
« Reply #3538 on: August 14, 2018, 01:33:53 pm »
Sharma with a nice piece on Bote.


As David Bote stepped to the plate Sunday night, Wrigley Field was buzzing. The 25-year-old rookie was an unknown to the crowd mere months ago, but at this moment, everyone knew his name, chanting ...
The Athletic · theathletic.com


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Re: Cubs in '18
« Reply #3539 on: August 14, 2018, 06:44:33 pm »
17 year-old OF Alexander Ovalles is the PTBNL in the Hamels deal.  Having a decent season in the Dominican, out with surgery to remove the hamate bone.