Bleacher Bums Forum
General Category => Bleacher Bums Forum => Topic started by: Dave23 on February 20, 2026, 02:19:01 pm
-
D-Backs lose too, about as good a losing day as you could hope for.
-
Hard to throw 100 with a vicious changeup and nasty breaking ball and still stink but Cabrera manages it.
Hate to say it but maybe, possibly, Cabrera is just a guy with a 10-cent head?
There is, of course, a mental aspect in athletics and, at the MLB level, you need to have something upstairs. Sometimes, watching Cabrera, just seems like a guy wandering in the desert.
Tonight, two outs and a 0-2 count and groove a pitch. Just one pitch of course but, more generally, just seems hard to decipher what he’s doing out there aside from just throwing the ball somewhere, somehow.
Maybe I’m totally off-base and he’s going to be great for rest of his career. Hope springs eternal.
-
Cubs dodge a bullet with both the Phils and Pads losing to bad teams.
-
At some point, the Cubs are going to have to get on board with what every other team with championship aspirations learned a decade ago. You need to develop and pay for pitchers who can miss bats.
If Jed Hoyer's plan is to continue building his pitching staff with contact managers and bargain bin free agents, he needs to go.
-
Hard to throw 100 with a vicious changeup and nasty breaking ball and still stink but Cabrera manages it.
-
Braves signed Fuentes for $75K. Cubs should sign some Latin pitchers and have them work out. Adbert made it to the majors and was good for a season. Brailyn Marquez made it to the majors for an inning or so. Assad has been the big hit from their Latin scouting. Before that, go back to Angel Guzman, Cruz, and Zambrano?
-
Poor Cubs.
-
Webb kinda needs to have location. When he walks the leadoff man and doesn't get anything close, you kinda know it's not likely to go well. Poor guy, he gets this career stretch, gets used a million times, and then it's all gone so far in reverse. Poor guy.
-
Counsell's bullpen management is terrible, though I suppose we've never seen him with a good one.
-
Why are you burning Palencia on 1 guy and pulling him after 2 pitches? As bad as he's been I still trust him more than Webb, who should be unusable in any competitive game.
-
Webb wastes little time. Walks the tying run, none of the four pitches was anywhere close; gets a popout; then launches a long, long, long HR. 4-3 Braves. Probably better to lose it in the 7th than to do his more recent 2-outs-in-the-9th routine, I guess. Gives up another rocket but it wasn't high enough to go out, just a double. In retrospect, wish he'd just left Palencia in for more than one batter.
O well.
-
Putting Webb in the game seems like a good idea, Craig.
-
So far Gausman is religiously sticking to his alternating great/awful routine.
I’m agnostic on whether that pattern will stick or is just fluky.
-
So far Gausman is religiously sticking to his alternating great/awful routine.
-
Cabrera can get work in spring training. Too much at stake to trot him out there and see if he's fixed now.
With a 7-run lead?
Cabrera was throwing 100 in his last Iowa appearance and our bullpen has been a dumpster fire for most of the 2nd half. I think you have to at least see what he can do in that role.
-
Cabrera can get work in spring training. Too much at stake to trot him out there and see if he's fixed now.
-
Peterson has had pretty good control tonight, 7-0 into the 7th.
Counsell is a good smart manager, so I rarely 2nd guess his decisions.
I do admit that his usage of Assad kind of puzzles me. Counsell has had trouble getting competitive relief. To me it would make so much sense to give Assad some opportunities in leverage innings, especially with Thornton out. Why waste Assad in blowout innings? Heh heh, this might be an occasion to give cabrera an inning, or more if he's semi-effective.
Might have been a chance to get Cabrera some work, since he clearly doesn't trust him in leverage situations at this point.
-
Zeferjahn walks Yas to bring the tying run to the plate. But DP and Cubs win, Cubs win, Cubs win!
Webb had been warming up in the pen. I admit I wasn't really looking forward to give him a chance to give up yet another heartbreaker HR! :):)
-
Busch errors a one-hop throw on a great play by Bregman, Yas with a 2-out HR. 7-3 game. Glad PCA got the extra 2-run homer.
-
Peterson has had pretty good control tonight, 7-0 into the 7th.
Counsell is a good smart manager, so I rarely 2nd guess his decisions.
I do admit that his usage of Assad kind of puzzles me. Counsell has had trouble getting competitive relief. To me it would make so much sense to give Assad some opportunities in leverage innings, especially with Thornton out. Why waste Assad in blowout innings? Heh heh, this might be an occasion to give cabrera an inning, or more if he's semi-effective.
-
He allowed the inherited runners to score today, but Civale has 8 straight appearances over 17.2 IP without allowing an ER. 7 hits and 22 Ks over that span. Maybe he's just good as a reliever?
-
Palencia back to form??
Jordan Bastian
@bastianmlb.bsky.social
Daniel Palencia had 5 whiffs (swinging strikes) in the 9th inning today. Ties a season high. That's something he's struggled with since coming off the IL. Before today's outing, had 5 whiffs total across his previous 6 games.
-
Civale comes in and lets in Bpyd's 2nd and 3rd baserunners, but then escapes. 4-2 Pirates.
-
Amaya! Blasts a 2-run homer in the bottom of 5th after Ramirez walk. 2-1 Cubs.
Given the lead, time for Boyd to go back to a leadoff walk, so the lead will be gone in a second. Counsell is going to give him a chance to lose it.
Yes, CC leaves him in, Boyd follows the walk with a hard single and a deep double, getting behind everybody.
-
Boyd escapes the first with just one run, the run scoring thanks to a walk. Seems like when he walks guys, runs will score. But only one run, thanks to O'Neill oversliding 3B with no outs. Cubs will need to score some runs today. Wind blowing in, so might help Boyd with HR's. But might make it hard for Cubs, too. Lets get some runs.
-
Ramirez is a player. He'll struggle some like all young players do, but I think he has the stuff to be an everyday player next season.
-
I trust Ramirez at the plate more than just about anyone else on the roster.
-
…Sale pitched on Friday, so not sure if he'll pitch in the Cubs series on Wednesday or not? He usually has not been used on 5-day schedule in the last month or two, so hopefully Cubs won't see him on Wednesday?…
FWIW the listed Wednesday SP on ESPN is Martin Perez.
-
Phillies are down 9-1 in the 6th, Raley getting another loss for them.
With the outstanding Braves team coming for 3 games, it would sure be nice for the Cubs to win tomorrow and actually get a sweep. Last weekend, they won a tough game with Marlins on Saturday to be up 2 games, but then lost the Sunday game and got swept by the mighty Brewers. Would prefer not to repeat that cycle, be up 2-0 on Pirates with tought win today, only to lost on Sunday and then walk into a 3-game series with mighty Braves. Lets win tomorrow, please? Then don't get swept by Braves, either?
Sale pitched on Friday, so not sure if he'll pitch in the Cubs series on Wednesday or not? He usually has not been used on 5-day schedule in the last month or two, so hopefully Cubs won't see him on Wednesday? In the ideal, Braves would beat Phillies today and then also tomorrow, to create a pretty big lead, and then kinda be in position to pace their best starters and maybe not give the Cubs their absolute most killer matchups?
-
Nice win! Ramirez, crucial double in the 8th off a big-stuff pitcher. He ripped it. Disciplined, patient AB by Seiya to walk the based loaded. Likewise a good, disciplined AB by Shaw to walk in the tying run. Conforto eventually chased a full-count pitch that was off the plate, could have walked in another run.
Some effective if variably lucky relief. Shaw came in with Holmes bases loaded, Cruz hit it pretty hard, but right at Ramirez. In 9th, Bregman misplayed a ball leading off, to put runner on base. The Rollison went to 3-0 on Cruz, and then gave up a hard rocket, but right at Taylor for an out. That was lucky, could have been a double or a HR, or a walk to get 1st-2nd no outs. The Zeferjahn went to 3-1, but his final K pitch was really a beauty, great pitch.
Nice go steal the win off of a really talented use-when-winning reliever.
Rare game where Cubs defense was problematic. Hoerner error set up the 3-run HR. Might have been a 2-run homer anyway, I guess. But also guessing that Holmes works a little differently without that error setting up the high-stress situation. The Bregman misplaying to put the typing run on base to open the 9th. Nice that Rolison and Zeferjahn worked around it.
-
Cubs win.
-
Cubs got 1st two in the 4th, quick DP. Bregman first-pitch hit in the 6th, but Busch first-pitch DP's.
-
Webb comes in, gives up a bases-loaded rocket but it's right at Ramirez, escapes. Game still within reach, down only 3-2. Skenes at only 62 pitches, so Cubs won't see any use-when-losing relievers today.
-
Holmes kinda loses his control in the late 5th and 6th. Leaves with bases loaded two outs in the 6th. Last walk was typically Cubs obnoxioius. In 5th, walked .160-hitter Davis on 4 pitches. In 6th, gets ahead 0-2, then follows the Cubs plan and wastes a chase pitch 12 inches outside, Then wastes another chaser 15 inches outside. Mixes it up with a an inside chase chaser 12 inches up-and-in. Finally with full count, throws something somewhat competitive, and walks him 5 inches outside.
-
Cubs carry 2-0 lead into 6th. Leadoff single, Nico error sets up 3-run HR for Pirates. Bummer.
-
Bregman OPS now at .800.
Now in range for a 5 WAR season.
Wow.
-
Cubs win 12-2. Half game back of the Phillies. Phillies at Braves tonight. Nola versus Sale.
-
You worry way too much about me, Reb.
-
BJ Murray batting in a crucial situation is an indictment of this organization's depth and farm system.
Very impressed that Chris is still avidly watching a game in 9th inning with Cubs down 8-1 to start the inning. And Cubs gave Chris an opportunity to vent by bringing the tying run to the plate! Nice job all around!
-
BJ Murray batting in a crucial situation is an indictment of this organization's depth and farm system.
Who was avialable on the bench to PH? Is that what an $8 million manager gets you?
-
BJ Murray batting in a crucial situation is an indictment of this organization's depth and farm system.
-
There's a chance to win the wildcard series.
This assumes they make the playoffs. The D'Backs and Padres are now close objects in the rearview mirror.
-
Gausman has alternated great/awful every start as a Cub.
-
Gausman not on his best. Got a lucky good one last game, but he's not a guy who's going to give many good ones consistently. 4.66 ERA on the season, and most of the better ones were in the spring. Like a lot of old guys, he'll sometimes have his game and be good, but can't do that with any consistency anymore.
Cubs were 15 games over .500 on May 9. Assuming they lose this one, they'll be 15 games over .500 on Sept 9. Last 4 months, .500 ball. In a given series, a .500 team can win. And old guys like Gauman, Shota, Boyd, they can give good games on occassion, even if not consistently so. There's a chance to win the wildcard series.
-
Chourio homers.
Contreras homers.
-
Head-to-head w/ RISP this season:
Brewers: .336
Cubs: .177
-
The gap between these teams is enormous.
-
3-run homer for Yelich.
Why bother?
-
Civale is literally the only one I trust at the moment. What a thought that is.
Also, why release Milner? That just makes absolutely no sense.
-
Brewers are just better. Bullpen a massive issue. Shame that Kelly's AB goes to waste.
-
I mean, what's left to say?
-
Could see that coming miles away too.
Webb's kaput, and the PCA failure in the 9th comes back.
-
Pancake pitches to Armstrong and gets rewarded.
-
Also thx to MLB's silly system and the ump for not ringing Conforto up.
-
Just missed a slam.
-
Great at-bat Kelly.
-
haha
Baseball's dumb challenge system fails and we have another chance.
-
Good time for a double steal here.
-
Craig sure loves bunting. God, get a real manager.
-
At what point do we have to acknowledge that Civale might just be pretty good?
-
Boyd has thrown 97-98 pitches three times in his previous five starts. Doesn’t matter if the final pitch is the 7th or 8th inning. Not a very persuasive argument to make a big deal that it’s the 8th, not the 7th. Boyd was not going to face Chourio—the third guy up—no matter what happened to first two batters. That’s when you properly bring in the righty, which Counsell did.
The only good argument to pull Boyd is if he is fatigued. That is best left to the folks who are right there, not to the TV watchers who have no basis to assess that even in HD.
-
Defending Boyd facing Ortiz due to splits is a stretch. Okay, Ortiz is 70 OPS points higher against righties this year. He was 200 points better against lefties in '25 and 70 points better against lefties in '24.
Doesn't matter though. Managers aside, the Brewers are just superior again.
-
Boyd hasn't gotten an out in the 8th all season. Zeferjahn has been improving but fragile - much better to give him a clean inning.
Counsell overthinking, as is usually the case when he screws up. Murphy has him spooked.
-
Totally disagree with the North Side BB guy about Counsell and eighth inning.....
Agree. He's starting off the 8th lefty-lefty, and Boyd was at 83 pitches, and hadn't been in a lot of high-stress innings. It wasn't illogical. Nor was it grossly illogical to leave him in to face light-hitting Ortiz. Boyd got ahead either 0-2 or 1-2 on Mitchell, it's not really Counsell's fault that after throwing strikes all game, suddently at 85 pitches he can't locate the strike zone. It is perhaps fault of Kelly/Boyd to be intentionally throwing extreme chase pitches, maybe? Ortiz has a very careful eye and walks some. To bring in Zeferjahn who doesn't have a good move to face Ortiz, that's half inviting either a walk or a stolen base? Boyd just missed his location against both hitters. Bummer. I'm also half thinking that if things had gone Counsell's way, Boyd would have thrown a strike to Mitchell and gotten him out, then gotten light-hitting Ortiz. Then he's got only four outs left to cover, maybe bring in Zeferjahn to face Chourio then?
Seems to me that had he brought in Thielbar to face the lefty Mitchell, and Thielbar does bad, would we have been all supportive? Then I'd have been saying "stick with Boyd, he's at only 83 pitches and pitching well..." If he brought in righty Zeferjahn to face lefty Mitchell, and wild Zefer walks him and then lets him steal 2b, I'd probably have been arguing "why didn't you stay with lefty-lefty Boyd matchup?"
Seems the strategy was all fine, the execution just failed.
-
Seems like the teams with the best regular season records in each league should be give more of a leg up in the postseason.
-
Perhaps the Brewers are the best team in MLB this year?
-
Has anyone noticed that the Brewers have done at least as well against other teams, and other managers?
-
Totally disagree with the North Side BB guy about Counsell and eighth inning.
Makes a big deal about 3rd time thru the lineup that inning…..but Boyd retired #1-7 batters—third time thru—consecutively in 6th and 7th innings. Boyd was breezing third time thru today.
Leaving Boyd to face Mitchell at #8 retains the lefty v. lefty platoon advantage. At #9 spot, righty Ortiz has been a reverse splits hitter this season. And if you bring in Zeferjahn for Ortiz, you’re going to get Bauers pinch-hitting—Brewers best hitter this season. Way better matchup for Cubs facing Ortiz.
Was Boyd tiring? Not showing signs of that coming into the inning and, in any case, kind of presumptuous judging that from sitting in front of the TV compared to Counsell and the coaching staff on the scene.
I get it that diehards disappointed in the result but nothing to criticize today.
-
I think Counsell's being psyched out by his old friend. I think many of us are. Counsell has had to struggle with one injury after another of his pitching staff and I think it's taking its toll. I've wondered about his decision making and confidence level for the last month or so. He's not acting like himself. Yesterday, for example, the guy who paced the dugout in the sixth inning, ready to jerk the pitcher if he so much as gets 2-0 on a hitter, suddenly lets Holmes get hit around and allowing walks to a point where we can't come back. In his defense, who is out in the pen better than his starters? Palencia looks like crap, Webb's been hurt, Thielbar is throwing Home Run Derby, Zeferjahn has been overworked and exposed, it's a minefield. The most effective reliever this past week was Carson Kelly for an inning.
I would agree with that. The Brewers seem to own the Cubs mentally at this point, Counsell included.
-
I think Counsell's being psyched out by his old friend. I think many of us are. Counsell has had to struggle with one injury after another of his pitching staff and I think it's taking its toll. I've wondered about his decision making and confidence level for the last month or so. He's not acting like himself. Yesterday, for example, the guy who paced the dugout in the sixth inning, ready to jerk the pitcher if he so much as gets 2-0 on a hitter, suddenly lets Holmes get hit around and allowing walks to a point where we can't come back. In his defense, who is out in the pen better than his starters? Palencia looks like crap, Webb's been hurt, Thielbar is throwing Home Run Derby, Zeferjahn has been overworked and exposed, it's a minefield. The most effective reliever this past week was Carson Kelly for an inning.
-
https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/craig-counsells-mystifying-monday-screwup-continues-a-troubling-trend-r3296/
-
Wonder if Counsell will have a good reason for not lifting Boyd after the Mitchell walk with righthanders coming up.
-
Cubs hit the only two homers but go 1-6 w/ RISP. Brewers do almost nothing offensively all game but deliver when it matters most, then make two sterling plays to hold on.
Really sums up the 8-game difference.
-
Nah.
-
The Brewers have been so good, but have never won a world series. Perhaps that changes this year.
-
Cubs walk three in the 8th, creating runs. Bummer, Boyd had been sharp all day, but got ahead like 1-2 on the #8 hitter, then nibbled around and walked him. Boyd with a crucial walk, Zeferjahn with a crucial walk, then Webb came in and walked another to push the 4th run to 3b to score on a sac. Just too many walks.
-
Brewers make two highlight catches in the 9th, finding another way to win.
-
Boog just reported that Bregman has 21 2-out RBIs since the break.
-
Bregman! Two-out RBI! 2-1 in the 7th.
-
Didn't he also get thrown out trying to steal third with two outs (a couple of games ago)?
-
Nico some bad AB's. Really bad one in the 4th, now in 6th he whiffs on a pitch well off the plate, but he kinda wasted a couple of pretty fat pitches. Bummer.
-
1-1 after 5. Will be a bullpen game. Boyd has been really good, but gave up a sharp groundball single leading off 5th, then a bunt and a line single by a lefty.
Cubs HR by Ramirez, Gasser is done. Cubs have had some chances. In 4th, Taylor hit a long, deep one-out double, I thought for sure Bregman would score; but Bregman obviously is pretty slow, and didn't read it super well, and took a long time to start running, so Berry held him at 3rd. Then Hoerner with right side wide open was in dead pull mode and hit a quick bouncer right at pulled-in infielder and Bregman was out by 40 feet, and then Shaw whiffed. In 5th, had couple of guys on, but Bregman popped out. So some missed opportunities. Brewers got like one opportunity, and of course got a hit and cashed in.
-
Palencia didn't give anything up but his velocity was way down. He's not right, whatever the reason is.
-
7-3 Marlins. All three of his walks and his HBP have scored. Caissie hit a rocket bouncer, ver hard hit, could have been a DP, but Busch kinda whiffed on it. Very hard hit, but Cubs defense has so often made those plays, almost surprising when Busch didn't.
-
Holmes in fast trouble again, walks the 8th hitter to lead off the 5th, hard single. Walks the bases loaded, he's pitching behind everybody, a lot of fastballs aren't even close. Weird.
-
PCA blasts one to tie it. way out. Going to be another bullpen game.
-
Holmes not sharp today, some pitches missing pretty far. Down 3-2 in the 5th. Walked the guy who scored the second run. Gave up a HR in the 4th, then another one except Taylor jumped perfectly and reached well above the fence to steal it.
Interesting situation in 5th, ump made a bad call on an obviously low pitch, Kelly almost immediately challenged, but ump didn't allow the challenge because the dugout yellowed. Kelly was very quick to the challenge, so it's not like he was actually responding to dugout input or anything.
-
Desperately need this Zeferjahn for the rest of the season to have any shot.
-
If Brewers stick to normal sequence, Cubs should see Gasser, Mis, and Henderson. I'd kinda love to win tomorrow with Holmes, while we have the pitching edge. Tuesday and Wednesday we won't.
-
Nice win! Cubs left lots of runners and RISP wasn't great, but a number of clutch 2-out RBI hits nonetheless enabled that win. Assad wasn't sharp, many walks, but even so it was two runs if Thielbar doesn't give up the HR. Nice save by Zeferjahn, he was throwing a lot of hard fastballs. And some that missed, missed really close, not a lot of bad misses I didn't think. Rolison gave up a long, long double too, but got a couple of outs, including bailing Thornton with two runners on. In the 8th, with one out, he allowed a really deep double to deep left center; if the hitter hadn't been watching it, thinking it was gone, he could/should have gotten a triple, given his speed. I think that goof kinda saved the game. If it all played out the same, (which of course it wouldn't....), he'd have easily scored from 3rd on the ensuing groundout.
Been almost a month, KC and Washington, since going on a 3-game winning streak.
First series win since the White Sox series when they had the two walk-offs. Hadn't won any of the last 4, and just 1 of the last 6 before this weekend. So very helpful.
Holmes scheduled tomorrow, would be fun to have him on his best game and maybe get a sweep.
-
You all will be surprised to learn that the Cubs won today's game.
-
Cubs with baserunners all over the place. 4-18 w/ RISP
Marlins could have more runs too.
-
Who else does he have?
-
Those compromising photos of Counsell Thielbar has must be real doozies.
-
Cubs have tiebreaker win over all three teams in wild card hunt: Phils, DBacks, and Padres.
Cubs on 91 win pace.
-
Great to get a win tonight, stack a 2-game winning streak together. Capitalized on the opportunities, more great defense, and fantastic to have Shota post a no-HR outing. Phillies loss ties us in in the loss column, we've got one more win.
Cubs apparently have the tie breaker with Phillies, from what I read. Is that correct (hope it won't be necessary).
-
Great to get a win tonight, stack a 2-game winning streak together. Capitalized on the opportunities, more great defense, and fantastic to have Shota post a no-HR outing. Phillies loss ties us in in the loss column, we've got one more win.
Assad going tomorrow. would love to win a series, that hasn't been too common lately. And Marlins have good starters going tomorrow and Sunday. Should face good pitching in Milwaukee in upcoming series, so would like to make some progress in Miami so can afford losing series in Milwaukee?
-
Phils lose, .5 in front.
Civale is basically our best RP at this point, no irony intended.
-
And he made a 5 star catch against the fence in left-center.
https://www.mlb.com/video/shota-imanaga-in-play-out-s-to-heriberto-hernandez
-
PCA has hit two rockets tonight. Started looking better two days ago.
-
Man, that was a weak-ass throw from CF.
-
17 pitches, 2 strikes for Ralson. Not exactly a stellar outing.
-
So, for Imanaga, it took a haircut?
-
I may not be very objective, but it seems the Cubs are pretty non-aggressive in challenges. Other teams seem to challenge more often and earlier, usually correctly. But Cubs seem to not challenge on quite a few pitches. Kelly has Conforto on 1st, 2-1 count, and fails to challenge on a pitch well outside. 3-1 count in front of PCA would seem like a pretty good situation. But instead of 3-1, it's 2-2 and he guesses wrong and takes strike three. I think the hitters should challenge more often, earlier in games when they're likely to be right, and not be so obsessed with saving them all for "leverage situations" later. Seems like they usually just wait till late innings, only to waste challenges on correct calls.
-
Still 1-0 after 4. Shota's given up some hard contact, but has kept it in the yard so far. His splitter has been doing pretty well, Marlins haven't seen it and don't seem to have adjusted yet, but his splitter is staying within tempting range sometimes. Cubs are going to need to score some runs, Junk is pretty good and seems pretty locked in.
-
Cubs up 1-0 after 2. Opened 2nd with three straight singles, but unfortunately Bregman got picked off.
-
<eyeroll>
Obviously referring to this season only
</eyeroll>
Yeah, only .925 vs. righties this season.
-
More often than not, I’m confident in Rolison…
Credit to Counsell for using Rolison in a very precise manner that minimizes the huge platoon disparity. Almost 1/2 of batters faced have been lefties—which is hard to accomplish with the 3-batter minimum.
Rolison has been eating up lefties: in 102 PAs vs. lefties, just one extra base hit (a double) allowed!
Oppo BA is .143 vs. lefties. Wow and wow.
-
…Here's a question - can you point to any pitcher on the staff right now and say you have confidence in them, other than Holmes and Gausman? Is there even one, starter or reliever?
Asking that question kinda shows the wisdom of Hoyer’s moves at trade deadline, no?
So, I guess most everyone on board with those moves now.
In any case, Cubs pitching has had ups and downs throughout the season. So, depends WHEN ask that question.
A week from now, perhaps will have different answers. One or two more really good outings next from Zeferjahn will have Deeg back on board and perhaps even renewing his invitation to Zeferjahn for Deeg Fave Club membership.
-
PCA’s career OBP is .318…you wavering on that, too?
-
You know, as in “right now”?
Jesus, I really have to explain this?
-
<eyeroll>
Obviously referring to this season only
</eyeroll>
-
The guy whose career OPS allowed about righties is .989?
-
More often than not, I’m confident in Rolison…
-
Not on the staff right now.
I know. Should be. He'll be on the playoff staff, I'll bet.
-
Assad
Not on the staff right now.
-
Gausman has been alternating good starts and bad ones, but beggars can't be choosers.
Here's a question - can you point to any pitcher on the staff right now and say you have confidence in them, other than Holmes and Gausman? Is there even one, starter or reliever?
Assad
-
Actually, pondering on that myself, while the answer is no the guy that might come closest is Civale. Who probably would have gotten the 9th today if the Brewers hadn't had two lefties coming up.
-
Gausman has been alternating good starts and bad ones, but beggars can't be choosers.
Here's a question - can you point to any pitcher on the staff right now and say you have confidence in them, other than Holmes and Gausman? Is there even one, starter or reliever?
-
PCA to Chris: "Fuck you!"
Weird response to facts.
I'd wager his response would've been more along the lines of I've sucked against them.
-
Cubs win, Cubs win, Cubs win! Split with the mighty Brewers, not bad. 6-up-6-down for the bullpen. Zefferjahn throwing some strikes and getting some AB's that didn't take forever, very helpful.
-
Nothing personal, of course.
-
PCA 1-11 with 5 K's this series, 2-31 w/ 17 Ks against Milwaukee on the year.
PCA to Chris: "Fuck you!"
-
PCA 1-11 with 5 K's this series, 2-31 w/ 17 Ks against Milwaukee on the year.
-
Cubs have walked each lower-half of the order hitters, 5-6-7-8-9.
-
3rd inning, just missed some more action. Force on Happ, really close out. Taylor's ball, I thought it might go out off the bat.
-
I am inclined think the Bregman signing was a good thing.
-
Michael Cerami
@Michael_Cerami
·
3m
Alex Bregman ranks 11th among all position players in fWAR (4.3).
He's fifth in the NL (with PCA ahead of him).
-
At this point Taylor should be playing every day until he proves he shouldn't be.
-
Peterson 28 pitches in the first, walks in a run after walking another guy earlier, 2-0 Brewers mid-1st. Tough start.
-
Padres have lost 7 of 9, thankfully. That spot seems secure for now.
-
Pretty soon the Padres will be in the WC and the Cubs will be on the outside looking in. Playing sub .500 ball in September isn't going to work.
-
Cubs pen 6 runs in 3-2/3.
-
But the Cubs add base baserunning to the cause.
-
The Brewers have played like the keystone kops tonight and they're up 2.
-
Armstrong against the Brewers this year:
2-29 w/ 15 K's
That includes the single off Vaughn.
-
Two infield hits, a balk, a dropped flyball, and a homer.
That should help the Phillies luck into the wild card lead.
-
NSB is of the opinion that Palencia's problem is that he's throwing from a higher arm angle and lost the run on his fastball (which is also down a tick). Whatever the reason, he looks unplayable right now.
-
Craig- Regarding run differential, Phillies are a very unusual 24-11 in one-run games. Some luck going on there and pythagorean useful on that count.
Braves are 2nd best in NL at 24-19—not close to Phils winning %.
-
....Cubs position players have a massive lead in fWAR: Cubs position players have 33.8 fWAR ...
So, would expect a big + run differential even with Cubs pitching at #14 in ERA (and #26 in FIP).
The gap between ERA and FIP is striking. Very rare for it to be THAT extreme. Speaks to the incredible quality of the Cubs defense.
But yeah, I think it's really important when discussing pitching to list FIP not just ERA. To list position WAR and pitcher ERA (without FIP) is misleading, because to do so would double-credit defense. Defense gets fully valued into WAR; but if one was to just list ERA without FIP, the defense would make the pitching ERA look way better than it deserves to be.
Cubs were 16 games over in may, so over the last >3.5 months, they're only 2 games over since then, despite the position quality.
-
And Sharma notes re. Cubs offense:
Cubs are first in on-base percentage, home runs, walk rate and slugging. They’re second in ISO, fourth in batting average and tied for the ninth-lowest strikeout rate.
-
Agree. Cubs have racked up a bundle of runs against position pitchers. Agree that wasn't so common in the Bill James era, and that the relevance of what James tried to use as a useful tool is less useful today. Not to take it to seriously. But I kinda feel like run differential is heavily impacted by the extreme blowouts, which tend to include the position-player stuff. Everybody has a few blowouts, I'm sure even the Phillies have had some. But I feel like there is some meaningless randomness to those, and to their frequency. Cubs have happened to pick up +43 in run differential over 3 position-pitcher blowouts within 9 days. It's kinda random, kinda meaningless, but a couple of randos like that really skew differential. So yeah, I don't think run-diff really serves James's goal of ID'ing luck all that well.
-
Run differential is tied to Bill James’ pythagorean expected won-loss. That’s how it became popular.
Phillies have 6 more wins than expected based on run differential and Cubs 4 fewer wins than expected.
The point of pythagorean is to get a grasp on who’s been a bit lucky/unlucky. Obviously, getting a fix on “luck” is not an exact science, so best to look at pythagorean as a tool and nothing more.
Another thing is that position players pitching—and accentuating blowout margins— is now more common than when James came up with pythagorean in the 1980s. So, there’s that.
Cubs are leading MLB in runs scored and wRC+. So, this is a very good offense.
Cubs position players have a massive lead in fWAR: Cubs position players have 33.8 fWAR and Dodgers are second at 22.7 fWAR! Just a very good group all around.
So, would expect a big + run differential even with Cubs pitching at #14 in ERA (and #26 in FIP).
-
Today is the game to get.
-Gasser isn't great, and Brewers aren't a huge HR team so maybe Boyd can limit the HR-damage, his biggest vulnerability?
-With Mis going Wednesday, and Gausman on Thursday, those are both going to be very unfavorable matchup. So try to get a win tonight while it won't take a big upset to do so.
-Winning yesterday to prevent sweep, that's great. But winning tonight to enable a split, and even make it hypothetically possible to get a suprise win in one of the other games and to somehow win the series, that would be really desirable.
-
Cubs have a +141 run differential, Phillies +31. The two teams are tied, and the Cubs have lost a lot of ground. Maybe Cubs blowout profile is routine and Phillies are the more anomolous, I don't know. But it's a great reminder why run differential can be very misrepresentative. Piling up runs against use-when-losing relievers, and against position players, Cubs have been doing that very well. Other good teams do that too, obviously. Maybe the Phillies haven't done that as much. But yeah, i don't think run-differential should be given too much weight.
-
It's obviously something that the Cubs deserve to be criticized for.
-
The Cubs are like a Democratic presidential candidate running up huge margins in states they've already won and losing swing states by a couple of thousand votes.
Cubs are 32-13 in blowout games (5+ runs margin), with +150 run differential. And 19-16 in one-run games, +3 run differential.
Brewers are 29-11 in blowouts, with +127 run differential. And 21-18 in one-run games, +3 run differential.
Dodgers are 29-14 in blowouts, with +130 run differential. And 27-22 in one-run games, +5 run differential.
Really good clubs tend to pulverize the opposition more often than they get pulverized AND are not a whole lot over .500 in squeakers.
-
That's a pace to be 59-103 with a +560 run differential.
-
Cubs +38 over the last 11 games with a 4-7 record.
-
Yes, it is…and also for HRs in a calendar month…
https://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/breaking-news/article/cubs-tag-brewers-for-franchise-record-9-hrs-break-nl-record-for-most-hrs-in-a-month-023908730.html
-
Holmes has allowed 1 run in 25 IP in his last four starts.
-
The Cubs are like a Democratic presidential candidate running up huge margins in states they've already won and losing swing states by a couple of thousand votes.
Hands up anyone who had '26 Bregman with an .800 OPS six weeks ago.
-
Is this a new franchise record for home runs in a game?
Yes, it is…and also for HRs in a calendar month…
-
@MLB
Bears 17, Packers 3
9:28 PM · Aug 31, 2026
-
Every Cub to bat got a hit, and every one except pinch-hitter Arias scored a run.
-
Is this a new franchise record for home runs in a game?
-
Stay out there and take it like a man.
Meanwhile pull Holmes after five and save every bullet you can. Get one of our limitless army of swing guys in there and warm up Kelly for the 9th.
-
Stay out there and take it like a man.
-
Wonder what Harrison did to piss off Murphy?
-
Who is this Clay Holmes striking out guys left and right?
-
For example, Cam Smith, Owen Caissie, and Ballesteros have a combined MINUS 0.2 bWAR in over 1,000 PAs this season.
But still way too early to get a fix on whether some or all will have really good careers.
Think maybe same for Cabrera—really hard to tell what’s in store for him.
On other hand, can now say that looks like Brock for Broglio did not work out and that Sandberg for DeJesus, etc probably was a nice trade. Baez for PCA leaning toward a positive result, absent a HUGE turnaround for Baez.
-
And sometimes it’s too early to tell, one way or the other, until a reasonable period of time has elapsed.
-
Yes, and sometimes moves that feel like good luck turn out bad, and sometimes incompetent moves work out well.
-
Moves that turn out to be good are due to luck. Moves that turn out to be bad are due to incompetence.
-
He lucked into that…zero credit there…
-
Who traded Caissie for Cabrera? I forget.
The same one that traded Baez for PCA.
-
At present. As Hoyer apologist, if we had Cade Horton and Ben Brown, the construction would look really good, I think. Plus if Cabrera hadn't been a disaster.
Who traded Caissie for Cabrera? I forget.
-
....
We have a staff full of 5th starter types. It's not ideal construction to say the least.
At present. As Hoyer apologist, if we had Cade Horton and Ben Brown, the construction would look really good, I think. Plus if Cabrera hadn't been a disaster.
-
The problem is Shota's stuff figures not to play out of the bullpen. And half the bullpen is already swingmen anyway - we hardly need another one.
That's your statement, deeg, but I have no idea if it's actually true.
1. I'm guessing his current stuff figures not to play well in any situation. HR's are bad in any situation, his velocity is down a little bit, and if his location is off that will be problematic in any situation. So you're probably correct that switching him to bullpen isn't likely to make him excellent there.
2. But he could be used more situationally in the bullpen. Every start is a tie-game leverage, and Counsell wants to have starters stack up innings. Assuming he stays bad in relief, you wouldn't need to have him pitch as many bad innings? And you might not have him pitch the bad innings in leverage situations? And you might take him out faster if his location doesn't seem sharp?
3. Many pitchers do pitch better in relief. No pacing, adrenaline max, better velocity. Maybe he'd get 1-2 mph back in relief, who knows?
4. Maybe he is intrinsically better suited for relief? On season, his OPS-against 1st-time-through-order is .654, 3rd time through is 1.022. Career-wise is kinda similar, and career-wise his first 25 pitches he's been best. Composite stats may not mean that much, because he is what he is now, and each year he's been better in spring than in late summer. But even over several of his recent bad starts, like yesterday he's sometimes labored through some early innings without giving up tons of HR's, but then it's several innings in like yesterday that he starts serving up the multi-run HR's.
So yeah, I think just rolling him out there every rotation to labor, allow HR's, and lose games, I'd kinda rather roll the dice with Assad and his 3.29 ERA as a starter.
-
Shota has given up 14 runs over his last 4 starts, 17.2 innings, most of them on 8 HR's over those 17.2 innings. I'm a Nowacrat, I admit, but I'd like to see Assad get that spot and put Shota into relief. Kinda hard to just give away games at this point in the season.
The problem is Shota's stuff figures not to play out of the bullpen. And half the bullpen is already swingmen anyway - we hardly need another one.
We have a staff full of 5th starter types. It's not ideal construction to say the least.
-
Shota has given up 14 runs over his last 4 starts, 17.2 innings, most of them on 8 HR's over those 17.2 innings. I'm a Nowacrat, I admit, but I'd like to see Assad get that spot and put Shota into relief. Kinda hard to just give away games at this point in the season.
-
We're at a point where we have pitchers who we can't afford to have on the playoff roster. Imanaga was a blessing before the All Star break, but since...
-
Thorton appears to be a pumpkin again.
His numbers were as unsustainable as Flexen's last season.
-
Outscored three straight opponents, lost three straight series.
-
Cubs may finish 15 back of the Brewers at this rate.
-
Thorton appears to be a pumpkin again.
-
No surprise, but he's leading mlb for this season.
-
Michael Cerami
@Michael_Cerami
·
22m
Shota Imanaga has allowed 91 home runs since debuting (2024-2026).
That’s the most in MLB over that stretch.
Miles Mikolas (3rd most) has allowed 82, just for reference.
-
HR #3, after sneaking in one of the HR's as a solo, back to runner-on-base. 6-3.
O well, it won't be a sweep at least. Maybe there will be a dramatic comeback, but should be tie with the Phillies after tonight. O well.
-
Cubs tie it, but Shota wastes no time hanging another bomb. 4-3. Not sure how many more HR's Counsell will want to leave him in for. At least one more, I assume. At least this one was a solo.
-
Shota sneaks into the 4th before giving up his 3-run HR. 3-2 Reds.
-
What do you even say about PCA at this point.
-
Cubs are +26 run differential their last 9 games and 3-6 in that span.
-
Cubs win, Cubs win! Nice to get one.
-
At least PCA's slump may be over.
PCA will go hitless the rest of the season. It's a Cub thing.
-
At least PCA's slump may be over.
-
Thornton to me is kind of this year's Pomeranz. The results said one thing, your eyes and head said something else. I know people like that he's intense and puts on a clown show or whatever but he's just not good at missing bats.
-
Cubs shut out, losing two games to Ryan Waldschmidt and Jordan Lawler. Meanwhile, PCA went 1-12.
-
ERA of Cubs starters the past 7 games: 2.06
In danger of going 2-5 in that stretch.
-
If there's a point to having replay when not every play is reviewable, I don't know what it is.
Just scrap it and go back to the way it used to be where the umpires' ineptitude could be fodder.
-
Wow, that was an unexpected loss.
Going back and skimming through, Palencia was bad luck. The double was super fluky, and the two-run single was a shallow flare. But that really hinged on his control. He was struggle badly to throw any fastballs for strikes. The inning really hinged on the Nootbar AB. Got ahead 0-2, but then didn't/couldn't throw another strike, didn't really even come close enough to have a challenge pitch. Not competitive or tempting at all.
9th inning, the walk set everything up. That one hinged on a 2-1 fastball that missed the edge by millimeters. 2-2 count, different place from 3-1. He lives on the changeup, but none of his changeups are strikes. Way easier to get a chase on 2-2 than on 3-1. Of the 5 runs, 3 were put on base. HBP, and two walks. Webb pitching from behind pretty much, starting out with chase offspeeds that they didn't chase.
-
Worth noting that both times Webb got walked off with HR were off sliders (his third-best pitch).
-
I'd add that Webb, 3 days removed from hanging his worst pitch to lose in Seattle, hung yet another slider to lose this one.
Seriously, anyone that dumb doesn't belong on the roster.
-
D'Backs even risk the last out on a steal attempt but we can't throw anyone out.
Hard to lose on a batter hit-in-the-head, a squiggler that was in foul territory before coming back over the bag for a double, and a two-out homer by Waldschmidt, he of the 2 homers in 209 at-bats.
But the Cubs do manage to pull off the impossible as noted the other day.
-
Third game given away out of four.
Craig is brilliant.
-
Another walkoff homer against us. :(
-
Webb bales Palencia out. 4-3. I feel like the key was going 0-2 on Lars Nootbar, but then not being able to throw a strike and walking him. Both hits were lucky soft contact.
PCA made a poor play, throwing to the plate when he had no chance, and letting the tying run get to 2B. Fortunately Webb kept hm there.
-
There's your Counsell overmanaging.
-
Bringing Holmes back has to be a priority this winter. Not much history of arm trouble, low mileage for a SP his age, perfect fit for the roster.
-
The Cubs have scored 30 unanswered runs.
-
Holmes escapes a trouble inning as well. He's pretty good. With Dansby out, I don't feel quite as automatic that any groundball is going to be an out. But the infield defense is still very good, I think. Holmes at 54 pitches through 4, so he should be good for 6 innings, maybe even 7.
If I were Counsell, I'd be pulling guys on the shorter end.
-
Ian Happ! Cubs break up the double-no-hitter in the 4th inning. Happ, long AB, 3-run blast. Way to go, Ian!
-
https://x.com/BNightengale/status/2092378470546563237?s=20
Kudos to Lovullo (who I've always liked, and wanted for the Cubs once) for owning his mistake and apologizing for it. Of course if he'd known the rules he could have avoided causing a confrontation yesterday.
-
According to the Cubs announcers, Berry was within the coach's box, but the Arizona manager's understanding was that even in the box, that was illegal. After the game, the Arizona manager contacted New York and found out that his interpretation was wrong and that Barry could do whatever he was doing, as long as he remained in the box. He then contacted Counsell to apologize for the misunderstanding.
-
He was out of the box. Almost 10 feet toward left. Don't know why the umpires allowed that. Supposed to enforce that this year.
-
They thought he was tipping Merrill's pitches, and I think he was.
If Kelly was tipping pitches in a way Berry could spot from the box, that's their problem not ours. Only legit beef would be if Berry was illegally positioned.
-
They thought he was tipping Merrill's pitches, and I think he was.
Yeah, Berry may have been moving around outside coaching box to get a better view of the pitcher’s glove. Doubt that DBacks would care about Berry moving around unless he was doing something like that. Think that’s one of the reasons 3B coach now confined to the box in the first place.
-
Confirmed.
They thought he was tipping Merrill's pitches, and I think he was.
-
Deeg, do the metrics for June through August show the same thing? I don't know, just asking. Just thinking that composite season peripherals include April and May, when he was good by traditional measures as well. But often pitchers aren't the same when the innings have piled up. Perhaps especially a guy who pitched deep and hard and pitched more innings than anybody in baseball last season.
I don't think there's anything that stands out that much apart from his walk rate being up in June and July.
-
I think the DBacks were complaining about how far out of the box Berry was.
Confirmed.
-
Deeg, do the metrics for June through August show the same thing? I don't know, just asking. Just thinking that composite season peripherals include April and May, when he was good by traditional measures as well. But often pitchers aren't the same when the innings have piled up. Perhaps especially a guy who pitched deep and hard and pitched more innings than anybody in baseball last season.
-
Nice to get a win, and an easy one. Opens up a 7-game lead over AZ for the last wildcard spot. Let's get another win tonight or tomorrow, and keep it that way or bigger.
Baseball, you never know. Lucky to get a good game out of Gausman. He's been very bad since May, both June and July ERA's were well over 6. Had been more of the same in August, but then out of the blue, he has a random good game. You never know with pitchers. Hope he dips into a couple more good ones before the season ends. Yesterday's game drops his season ERA below 4.5, ERZ+ up to 96, nice.
You know, he really hasn't. All his peripherals suggest he's the same guy he is every year, just one of the unluckiest SP in baseball this season. All his advanced metrics are smack on his career norms.
-
AZ starters tonight and tomorrow have 7-1 and 13-4 records, combined 20-5. Pretty good. 3.39 and 2.61 ERA's. Would be nice to find a way to split those two games. 30 games left, 20 games over right now. Won't be easy, but playing .500 down the stretch would get to 91 wins. My pre-season prediction was 93, still within possible reach.
-
Nice to get a win, and an easy one. Opens up a 7-game lead over AZ for the last wildcard spot. Let's get another win tonight or tomorrow, and keep it that way or bigger.
Baseball, you never know. Lucky to get a good game out of Gausman. He's been very bad since May, both June and July ERA's were well over 6. Had been more of the same in August, but then out of the blue, he has a random good game. You never know with pitchers. Hope he dips into a couple more good ones before the season ends. Yesterday's game drops his season ERA below 4.5, ERZ+ up to 96, nice.
-
Just saw Conforto's home run, that was seriously crushed. 110.9 MPH, 431'.
-
Even in mop-up duty Thielbar looks like a minefield.
-
Yeah, that's why you trade for Gausman. No stress, no drama, no damage against a pretty good offense on the road. He's a very KISS sort of pitcher.
-
The dropoff from Dansby to Nico at SS is bigger than the dropoff from Nico to Pedro at 2B.
-
This umpire is having a really bad night.
-
I think the DBacks were complaining about how far out of the box Berry was.
-
In Japan they deliver even on Sundays.
-
My new name for Civale is The Mailman. Every time the Cubs call his number he delivers.
You must have a different mailman than I do.
-
That was a good win, avoid getting swept. Still holding a 2-game lead on Phillies. I think it would be really desirable to hand onto seed #4, the Phillies have some talented pitching and obviously have some HR-hitters. So they could be a tough wildcard matchup, especially if Boyd or Shota or Gausman are getting used, all of whom are HR-galore. Would way rather face them in Wrigley.
I thought Counsell had a really smart game. Final score 19-2 makes it look like an easy win. But when down 2-0, then down 2-1 with two-on-no-outs, that didn't look like an easy win. Usually managers just let their starters go until they either get bombed or get to pitch count. That was really smart to get Shota out of there before he gave up the 3-run homer and turned a winnable game into a blowout. Smart to recognize that Shota didn't have much, and that getting him out while you were still in the game was the way. Well done, I thought.
-
How did we lose two games to this team
Post-game, Counsell explained how.
His exact words: “Baseball Happened.”
Folks inside the industry of baseball understand and respect this.
Fans—not so much.
-
Meanwhile MVPete up to 33-32, has a chance to go 40-40 but will have to up his attempted steal rate to make it.
-
How did we lose two games to this team
The Cubs have always had the ability to pull off the near impossible.
-
Ramirez lifetime righty vs. RHP: 1.000-1.000-2.500-3.500
-
Happ also goes righty-righty, lol.
-
If Pereda can throw 87, why is he throwing mostly 70?
-
Pedro hits righty against the righty (no mention by JD and Boog) and gets a slam.
-
How did we lose two games to this team
-
Time is of the essence but with Boyd and Imanaga being potential flame-outs again, sure would be tempting to try and stretch Brown out as a starter.
-
My new name for Civale is The Mailman. Every time the Cubs call his number he delivers.
-
I have zero confidence in Shota. His ability to miss bats is only rivaled by his ability to make very very good contact with bats.
-
Everyone keeps saying Pedro is better left-handed but he keeps putting up better numbers as a RH, majors and minors.
-
Meanwhile everyone is desperate to DFA Civale and all he does is produce.
-
Not to say Zeferjahn will be pitching for his job today, but he does have options and we don't have a lot of RP who do.
-
Imanaga and Boyd crashing out late in the season, who could have predicted.
It's a shame Cabrera has been a disaster area all season because he's really the guy you hoped would step up and be an obvious postseason starter.
-
Turns out that Shota was finished giving up HRs (today) afterall.
-
Two outs, walked three straight guys, none of the first four pitches to happ were strikes either, but he chased three of them. Not sure the HR pitch was a strike either. Wow.
Going to need some more runs, Shota isn't done giving up HR's yet.
-
Ian Happ grand slam!
-
Meghan Montemurro @mmontemurro.bsky.social
After not happening for 69 years, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Randy Arozarena both hit a home run on a team’s first pitch and last pitch of a game in a 6-day span. Pretty crazy!
-
Or maybe Webb's a typical Cub who throws his worst pitch to the Mariners' most dangerous hitter in that situation. Guy's success is FB/Change so he hangs a slider.
-
Webb reversion - or just running out of gas from an insane workload - is definitely a legitimate worry.
-
I'd ask again why any outfielder is not in 20 feet with Rivas batting so they could catch his popfly singles, but I'm sure I'd be told that's silly.
-
Ouch.
-
Told the person next to me that it was set up for the .100 hitters to get Arozarena up for another homer.
-
Could see that coming light years away.
-
Rollison has had a couple of real dodgy outings lately but he looked good today. He has options and that makes him vulnerable on this staff.
-
In place of Boyd or Shota?
Hard call. Is Boyd doing his annual fall swoon or is this a blip? Shota is what he is - he's always a minefield for home runs, even when he's pitching well.
-
Nobody believes in Thornton, but that guy has got some "je nais sais quoi".
I don't know about that, but he has actually looked better the last few appearances. A couple of Ks and less at'em hard contact.
Again - the Cubs have some hard choices to make. If healthy you have to assume Milner, Miller, and Brown at the very least are going to be part of the bullpen. Not to mention Cabrera, who probably doesn't go back into the rotation unless one of the other 5 guys is hurt.
-
Peterson is making a case to be part of the postseason rotation.
In place of Boyd or Shota?
-
Peterson is making a case to be part of the postseason rotation.
-
How do you give up a double to Rivas?
-
Nobody believes in Thornton, but that guy has got some "je nais sais quoi".
-
Bregman channeling his inner Brooks Robinson.
-
Then doubles by Hoerner and Taylor make it 4 - 2
-
Bregman and Busch homer back-to-back to make up for PCA's terrible baserunning.
Mariners second run was a gift.
-
Arozarena robs Amaya of a homer.
Going well so far.
-
After the patented 1-2-3 inning against Anderson, it takes one pitch for the no-offense Mariners to get the lead.
-
Kelly also failed to challenge two strikes to Ward who ended up walking before Raleigh's homer.
-
Palencia was on the hill when we wasted a challenge on the fan interference call in RF. He had two strikes on the hitter…think he struck him out on the next pitch.
We really need someone in the dugout who can tell the staff when are the optimal times to use challenges.
-
I didn't see any of the game. But box score showed a clean inning for Palencia, mostly strikes, 2K's and a grounder. Is that representative, did he look sharp? Getting a strike-throwing Palencia back could help a lot.
Velocity wasn't top by his standards (97-99) but he threw strikes and mixed in some decent offspeed looks.
-
I didn't see any of the game. But box score showed a clean inning for Palencia, mostly strikes, 2K's and a grounder. Is that representative, did he look sharp? Getting a strike-throwing Palencia back could help a lot.
-
This was the game. He never even looked. Arozarena actually stopped running, as if he knew he was dead to rights and was trying to start a rundown. Were the infielders not screaming “3” at Zeferjahn? I couldn’t tell…
I know Kelly was pointing and I would imagine he was probably yelling too. But honestly, why would Zeferjahn need to be reminded to make that play? Isn't that the foremost thing on your mind?
-
Arozerena dead to rights at third on the bunt and Zeferjahn never even looks at him.
This was the game. He never even looked. Arozarena actually stopped running, as if he knew he was dead to rights and was trying to start a rundown. Were the infielders not screaming “3” at Zeferjahn? I couldn’t tell…
-
I have little interest in prolonging this convo, but the winning hit landed a hundred feet past the infield dirt. If PCA's plays 10 feet closer in, he makes that catch. Easily.
https://www.mlb.com/news/leo-rivas-hits-walk-off-single-as-mariners-win-vs-cubs
-
The entire outfield should've been playing further in. Not only can Rivas not hit, he has 9 career extra-base hits in 289 at-bats. If PCA is 10 feet closer he catches that.
There's no way he catches that unless he's effectively playing as a 5th infielder. But he did come up ready to try and get a force at 2B if anyone had been covering (they weren't).
-
Hasn't been a well-played game.
Yeah, Nico error and then called balk cost a run.
Cubs 1-16 hitting with RISP— hit was in 1st inning and then zilch.
Zeferjahn apparently unaware that Cubs had wheel play on and ignored the dead-duck baserunner advancing to 3B. Very un-Cub like mental error on defense and a very bad time to happen.
Boo.
-
The entire outfield should've been playing further in. Not only can Rivas not hit, he has 9 career extra-base hits in 289 at-bats. If PCA is 10 feet closer he catches that.
Statcast xBA on that ball was .950.
Forget it. That’s a hit, period.
-
He would have had to be playing short center in a 16" softball alignment to catch that.
The entire outfield should've been playing further in. Not only can Rivas not hit, he has 9 career extra-base hits in 289 at-bats. If PCA is 10 feet closer he catches that.
-
Cubs hit 4 homers and 3 doubles but go 1-16 w/ RISP.
Seattle with one extra-base hit but go 4-7 w/ RISP.
Mariners two big hits from batters with a combined OPS of 993.
-
Why was PCA playing so deep against a .160-hitting doinker?
He would have had to be playing short center in a 16" softball alignment to catch that.
-
Counsell was ejected after the blown balk call earlier.
-
Why was PCA playing so deep against a .130-hitting doinker?
-
I really don't understand why you don't just stick with Webb there. Classic Counsell overmanaging.
-
Nevermind.
Guy hitting .130 wins it for Seattle. Fitting end to a shit game.
-
Got away with it so far though Z won't be winning any gold gloves.
-
Hasn't been a well-played game.
-
Arozerena dead to rights at third on the bunt and Zeferjahn never even looks at him.
-
Conforto has pretty much turned back into a pumpkin.
-
10 pitches. I'd send Webb back out there.
-
Or Bregman might tie it on a hanging slider.
-
Baseball is a funny game. Bregman in the first half and the second half - same guy, different player.
-
Gonna lose because of no ability to hit with RISP, an error by Hoerner, a phony balk call, and a 3-run homer to a guy hitting .156
-
No Boog that's not a Spiderman bat. One Piece.
-
Cubs 1-13 w/ RISP.
Mariners 3-5.
-
Well, he made up for it there as the Cubs waste their umpteenth great chance of the night.
-
Bad non-challenge by Raleigh there.
-
Seattle looks like about 80% Cub fans.
-
What is the fanduel odds that Anderson starts PCA off with a fastball?
-
But today: 5-2-0-0-0-8
-
Urquidy had pitched 10 innings all year, allowing 20 hits and 13 runs.
-
That left thumb cramp thing for Gausman was pretty bizarre. He says it's happened before but never under 100 pitches. Hopefully not an ongoing issue.
-
Bregman! Game winner!
-
Conforto, what a terrible AB. Chases two pitches. Then takes strike three, on a low-in-zone pitch that would have seemed ideally located to pull it to the right side and advance the winning run. Really poor.
-
Thielbar must have compromising photos of Counsell.
-
This Hudson as an anti-lefty opener thing didn't work too well.
-
Man, PCA...
-
Gausman is fascinating to watch. Tosses the ball to himself before every pitch, never saw a guy do that before.
-
@JesseRogersESPN
More PCA: 8th career game with 10 or more total bases, most by any player 24 or younger since 1900.
10:48 PM · Aug 17, 2026
@SlangsOnSports
Pete Crow-Armstrong is the seventh player with a leadoff and walk-off home run in the same game, joining:
8/7/10 Chris Young
7/19/09 Ian Kinsler
6/15/03 Reed Johnson
6/25/00 Darin Erstad
5/7/57 Vic Power
5/17/1893 Billy Hamilton
10:39 PM · Aug 17, 2026
-
Ohtani, meanwhile, also hit 2 HRs. As much of a two-man race as an MVP can be.
-
Imanaga (20), Webb (6), Peterson (4) with 30 swing-and-misses tonight.
On the other hand, Cubs pitchers with 8 walks and a HBP.
-
Jacob Webb has been truly amazing for the Cubs.
Meghan Montemurro
@mmontemurro.bsky.social
· 1h
Cubs' Jacob Webb has not allowed a run in 22 consecutive appearances, currently the longest such streak in MLB among relievers.
-
A note of thanks to the dopey Sox manager for pitching to PCA.
Think this may be an instance when PCA and Cubs helped by who was hitting behind PCA.
Guessing that Sox wanted to walk Suzuki—facing the lefty— and could not do that if walked PCA. Pick your poison.
After Suzuki, the lefty would have faced Busch and then Owen Miller (Bregman out of game). Then, if need be, Happ from his weaker side.
Lesson here is that the great ones can beat you regardless of platoon “advantage” and don’t give them the opportunity if you can avoid it.
-
Wow. What a game!
-
A note of thanks to the dopey Sox manager for pitching to PCA.
-
Well, I'm sure we all saw that coming!
-
Cubs win, Cubs win, Cubs win! PCA!!!
-
After wasting chances all night, could see that coming miles away.
-
The Cubs should really work on extending Seiya. PCA/Suzuki is such a great start to the lineup.
I would be cautious with the euphoria.
There are always a couple of monthlong stretches where Seiya goes completely into a funk and becomes basically unplayable. He’s also headed into is mid-30’s. If he’d sign a two of three-year deal at a reasonable cost, sure. Otherwise make him the QO - he might accept - and if not let him test the market.
It does help if you believe his defensive spike this season is sustainable.
-
The Cubs should really work on extending Seiya. PCA/Suzuki is such a great start to the lineup.
-
Cabrera says he had a blister (again), which was impacting him all game but he didn't say anything to Counsell or Hottovy. Some guys have chronic blister problems that never go away, some guys are head cases. Hopefully neither of those applies here.
-
Oblique injury, that's several weeks at least most likely. The Cubs are better equipped to deal with that than most teams, but the bench looks a whole lot weaker that way. Getting Shaw back would help that.
-
Pitching definitely looks improved.
-
Just said on the broadcast “left side discomfort” Yikes.
-
Something bad happened on a swing, hand or wrist. From way he acted afterward, did not look good.
-
Why is Swanson out of the game?
-
Cabrera picking up where Boyd left off.
-
Any wobble by Boyd at this time of year is unnerving.
-
A Baez doing miracles at Wrigley. Nothing changes.
-
One player in history has homered in his first three at-bats.
The fact that it's a Cardinal against the Cubs should shock nobody.
-
Another homer for Baez.
Seems like a swell idea to let Boyd face him again. If only we had a manager.
-
Another homer for Baez.
-
Gargantuan homer for Baez in his first at-bat.
Who couldn't see that coming?
-
How do you say MVP in Japanese?
Today it's 鈴木誠也, but the normal word is ピート・クロウ・アームストロング.
-
Zeferjahn escapes the 8th. 27 pitches to do it. Guessing that when looking at his season stats, probably looking at innings pitched will kinda under-represent how many pitches he's thrown. Probably a lot of long, hard innings.
A very salient point. Seems like he's at 20+ pitches almost every time out so back-to backs probably aren't an option with him very often.
About Mr. T... He lived in my town during my HS years, when the A Team hype was at its most insane and he was a very big star. Knew several people who crossed paths with him and pretty much all said he was a sweetheart of a guy.
-
Winning first game of series is really nice. Heh heh, erases any risk of getting swept. Can go 1-1 and still win the series. Maybe even a shot at sweeping. Great start.
-
Cubs win, Cubs win, Cubs win!!! Webb saves it again, man has he been on his spots lately. Great start to the series, Seiya the big game-breaker, and Holmes really effective. Would love to see Holmes rack up some more outings like that.
-
Zeferjahn escapes the 8th. 27 pitches to do it. Guessing that when looking at his season stats, probably looking at innings pitched will kinda under-represent how many pitches he's thrown. Probably a lot of long, hard innings.
-
Seiya! Way to go. Fun.
Holmes still at only 71 pitches through 6. Sat for a long time, so hope he didn't lose his rhythm. Probably hasn't pitched that deep since early spring, so not sure how deep Counsell will want to go with him.
-
How do you say MVP in Japanese?
-
Not MVP stuff there.
-
is this perfect?
-
Through 4
-
On Apple broadcast, just said those are just 2nd and 3rd times all MLB season that both SPs perfect thru three innings.
-
Through 3, another double-perfect game. Wouldn't have expected that in back-to-back games within 24 hours.
-
Not to belabor, but in my effort to be a peacemaker.... Seems both views have points. The numbers, Counsell's comments, and our eyes watching all support Nats being really good offensively.
But Chris's point is also more than fair, that composite season numbers do not necessarily prove the argument. Given that Wood is injured, Garcia was traded, and Mead was also traded. Those three guys were huge contributors to the composite season stats. .928 .873, .852 OPS's with Nationals this season. The lineup the Cubs pitchers faced this week did not have Wood, Garcia, or Mead, so using season numbers to prove the quality of this week's lineup personnel is unconvincing proof.
To my amateur eyes, though, the guys they still have this week, including the guys replacing Wood-Garcia-Mead, still look very talented and dangerous. That could be a really dangerous team down the road, especially if Cavalli stays healthy and can pitch like an ace the way he did yesterday.
-
Seems to me that Counsell is worth listening to. It’s on point. The numbers are the numbers too. The games are worth watching closely as well, where one can see the Nats having a lot of good ABs. Just a reality of baseball that good offensive teams tend to score runs. You can vent about the Cubs, great, I appreciate that, but seems to me that I’m just pointing out the obvious. This has already gone on too far but hope springs eternal. Just a discussion. You have your point of view. I get it.
-
That lineup is not the #1 scoring team in baseball. Doesn't matter what Counsell says. Why you keep pretending it is while ignoring the absence of Wood and Garcia is anyone's guess.
Venting? I made the factual comment that the Cubs allowed over 6 runs per game in the series despite no Wood or Garcia and then you went on a mission to somehow rebut it.
-
What’s there to argue?
That the #1 runs scoring team in MLB (by far) is a good offensive team?
I already mentioned previously what Counsel said about Nats offense. Evidently, you needed to hear it from the horse’s mouth—hence the “prop” otherwise known as the manager’s post-game comments.
Sometimes, when things don’t go well with the Cubs in some component of baseball, it could be that the opposing team is actually pretty good at that component—and not because of some failing of the Cubs. Venting is fine if needed but this not hard.
-
Nah, tired of arguing with you and whatever prop you now use to continue it.
-
Generally, they have been. But look at what they fielded in this series without Wood or Garcia. Not the same group. And the Cubs improved pitching didn't slow them down. Won the series but consistently gave up 6 runs a pop.
Again, you can argue with Counsel about Nats being a good offensive team right now.
See link at about 3:00.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0P2abpvboqk
-
Tell that to Craig Counsell. He said post-game in this series that Nats are a really good offensive team. And they are.
Generally, they have been. But look at what they fielded in this series without Wood or Garcia. Not the same group. And the Cubs improved pitching didn't slow them down. Won the series but consistently gave up 6 runs a pop.
-
Nats new 1B Ortiz—who replaced the traded Luis Garcia—looks like a hitting beast. I was at the Wednesday game at Nats Park and his upper deck job was reminiscent of some of the shots Bryce Harper used to hit as a Nat.
-
Yeah, Nats have a LOT of good young hitting talent. And guys who could improve into the future. That team could become a force, if they can stick together and add some good pitching. Cavalli is really talented.
-
Cubs have allowed 18 runs in 2-1/2 games to a team missing Garcia and Wood.
The Dodgers lost seven straight games.
-
Nats lineup today includes OPS values of .713, .762, .662, .684, .654.
Two of the others are kids with a combined 32 at-bats coming in.
Tell that to Craig Counsell. He said post-game in this series that Nats are a really good offensive team. And they are.
-
Busch's 2-strike blooper turns out to be the only hit.
-
Even without those guys, Nats are a good offensive team. Nats still lead MLB in Runs Scored by a wide margin. They have outscored the Dodgers by over 50 runs.
Nats lineup today includes OPS values of .713, .762, .662, .684, .654.
Two of the others are kids with a combined 32 at-bats coming in.
-
Cubs have allowed 18 runs in 2-1/2 games to a team missing Garcia and Wood.
Even without those guys, Nats are a good offensive team. Nats still lead MLB in Runs Scored by a wide margin. They have outscored the Dodgers by over 50 runs.
-
Bloop hit by Busch ends the no-hitter with 2 out in the 7th.
-
Cubs have allowed 18 runs in 2-1/2 games to a team missing Garcia and Wood.
-
Well, Gausman looked pretty great for 4 innings then got pounded.
Only thing left is it see if they can break up the perfect game.
-
Cavalli with a perfect game through 5.
-
Pete really should yard this guy here.
-
Gotta feel for Williams, he's got nothing and just taking one for the team.
-
Ramirez just keeps hitting.
-
Crazy. Fun. Brewers lost in extras, Cubs will pull within 3 games. Who'd have thought.
-
.759 OPS for Bregman now, ROFL.
-
FIRST 3 homer game for Bregman. What a WAR booster.
-
Bregman hopped up on the dope.
-
That was a super clutch hit for Seiya. Fun to see Bregman so hot. Crazy. That broke open awfully fast, wow.
-
Seiya and Bregman destroy the former Cubs farmhand Cruz. Sorry, kid.
-
Bregman's SLG creeping up, almost .400 at last. OPS all the way up to .740.
Well...
-
What a huge hit by Seiya.
-
Man, PCA took an absolute meatball 2-0 from Cosgrove and never got another pitch that good.
-
Might be a Rea/Assad day here.
-
Bregman's SLG creeping up, almost .400 at last. OPS all the way up to .740.
-
Bregman! 3-run homer, 4-1 Cubs! Wow, is he hot. OPS is now up to .740.
-
I know Ramirez has a real bad inning at 3B, but offensively - 2 ABs, single + walk, two SBs. He's such a mature hitter for 22.
-
Tough 2nd inning. Dansby rips a rocket but Nat's 3B makes a great diving grab, saves a run.
Bottom of 2nd, Ramirez errors a perfect double play ball. 1st and 2nd, no outs, bouncer right to 3B, catch and throw is easy DP, but he whiffs it. Then a little bases-loaded chopper and he whiffs on that one too, they gave a hit, but if he plays it clean I think he would have gotten an out.
Great job by Peterson, though, the first run on and bases loaded with no outs, he gets out with nothing more. Really impressive inning, nothing hit hard other than maybe one sharp grounder.
-
Miller can't get here soon enough. Webb has been great but the circle of trust isn't too comforting past that. Between Rea, Assad, and Civale CC is going to have to start trusting somebody in leverage situations until Palencia and Miller get here.
-
Brewers are down 8-1. Rough start for Kyle Harrison. Pulling back to within 4 games, that would be fun.
-
Jacob Webb! Wow, Cubs win, Cubs win. Webb has been amazing, what a an effective signing he was. Hoyer and Hawkins, that was a good signing. Likewise for Rollison.
Thornton with a really crucial 1-2-3 inning with 2 K's. I saw a 97 from him. Might be that if he gets a little more rest with the re-populated bullpen, might his stuff step up a little bit? That would be fun.
Great job by the offense stacking up runs.
-
Zefferjahn getting smacked around like a ragdoll.
why are we overusing him?
-
Zefferjahn getting smacked around like a ragdoll.
-
Bregman! HR, bumps leads back to 7-4. Very nice. Shota, 3HR's scattered over 4.2 innings. Nice for the offense to outscore given a rough start. Time for a bullpen night.
-
This is why Imanaga just may not be a guy you can start in the postseason, no matter how good he can be in stretches. Scoring goes way down, every run is huge, and it's a lot harder to string hits together. Those HRs can pop up at any moment and they're killers.
-
More on Zeferjahn and usage. CA rode him pretty hard in July and early August. He went through a 5-game stretch where he threw 20-21-10-23 and 31 pitches over the course of 10 days. He’s never thrown more than 57 innings and could be looking at a season extending into November, at least in theory. Even with a day off tomorrow using him in a blowout is extremely dubious managing. A break of several days would probably be the best thing for him.
-
Why use Zeferjahn in a blowout? And why is PCA DHing three times in a week?
Had he not pitched today, Zeferjahn would have had five consecutive days off before Cubs next game—and he might not be type of pitcher (not a control guy) who benefits from a long layoff.
As to PCA, it’s a long season and Cubs have played 17 days in a row. As Counsell explained: "Pete's dealing with what a lot of the players are dealing with. He's tired and I'm trying to recharge some batteries as best I can right now.”
-
Why use Zeferjahn in a blowout? And why is PCA DHing three times in a week?
-
Cubs up 10-2. Nice game by bats, lots of hits, Happ and Amaya with long HR's, Busch and Bregman 3 hits each. Boyd has been good, he looked just exhausted by end of the 7th.
Having used only Rea yesterday, only two more innings to cover today, and only two innings left to cover, the bullpen will be well rested when they come back on Tuesday.
-
A Happ hot streak would be much obliged.
-
Happ has exceeded his Ks of 2025 in 180 fewer PAs this season.
Well, he’s due for a hot streak at some point.
Meghan Montemurro
@mmontemurro.bsky.social
Ian Happ homers for a second straight day, this one a 2-run HR that puts the Cubs up 7-2 in the 6th against the Royals.
After breaking his 0-for-22 stretch, Happ has a hit in 5 of his last 6 at-bats including three extra-base hits.
-
The allegedly “cooked” Ian Happ having another big game on Sunday.
-
Nate Pearson looked more impressive than most of the Cubs' pen.
-
Holmes 92.9 on the sinker and 93.7 on the 4-seamer, both about 1 MPH off his season averages. Hopefully he's still ramping up, this would have been his third rehab start.
-
Not pitching around Caglione there is a great decision by Counsell.
-
The reports of Ian Happ's death are greatly exaggerated.
-
Agree. Both are good pitchers, Assad especially. Could be a big boost to the leverage reliever pool. May not need to have guys going back-to-back as often, or pitching 3 games in 4 days. But that wasn't available on Wednesday and Thursday, because both guys were coming off intense starts. Thornton has pitched back-to-back, and Webb 3-of-4, so not sure you want to use them tonight. Civale went 3 long innings on thursday, too. I wonder if Assad is ready yet, being on short rest. Rea certainly is, and Zeferjahn didn't pitch yesterday. Hopefully the offense can score some runs tonight, and Holmes can cover some innings.
-
Rea hasn't pitched since Sunday. He should be well rested and ready to pitch tonight, assuming Holmes fresh off IL is on a pitch-count and won't eat too many innings. By tomorrow, Assad will be on his 5th day, so by tomorrow he should be fully available for relief usage. This week Counsell has kinda been rolling with Rea and Assad on roster. but not actually in bullpen use yet, so kinda working two-arms short, in a sense. By tomorrow, he should be back to having full availability.
Will be interesting to see how the usage of Thornton adjusts, relative to Assad and Rea and also Zeferjahn.
If we're going to carry both those guys when Cabrera comes back, Counsell is going to have to trust them in leverage spots. You don't need two guys whose only job is to piggyback pitch count limited starts and save the staff in blowouts.
-
Rea hasn't pitched since Sunday. He should be well rested and ready to pitch tonight, assuming Holmes fresh off IL is on a pitch-count and won't eat too many innings. By tomorrow, Assad will be on his 5th day, so by tomorrow he should be fully available for relief usage. This week Counsell has kinda been rolling with Rea and Assad on roster. but not actually in bullpen use yet, so kinda working two-arms short, in a sense. By tomorrow, he should be back to having full availability.
Will be interesting to see how the usage of Thornton adjusts, relative to Assad and Rea and also Zeferjahn.
-
Somehow Thornton survives again despite his complete inability to miss a bat.
He hasn't allowed a hit in last three outings, in July he only walked a single guy. Not sure how sustainable his effectiveness can be, may be a lot of luck. But he does get a lot of ground balls, and with our defense that works pretty well. Yesterday he seemed a little out-of-control overthrowing to the middle batter, but first guy was a nice easy groundout, and third guy was a nice easy soft fly. Soft easy contact.
This is dumb I'm sure, but I wonder whether guys without overwhelming stuff sometimes have a foul-ball advantage... Some K-pitchers who get some whiffs, often when they don't get a whiff they still get very "off" contact that results in foul ball after foul ball. I wonder if guys with lesser stuff, what would be a foul ball with a stuffier pitcher is a little more likely to get enough contact to get in play?
-
Interestingly, Statcast showed Gausman throwing a changeup (twice) for the first time since 2022.
He also averaged 94.9 on the 4-seamer, which he seems very unlikely to be able to sustain. But his velocity was already pretty much in-line with the past several seasons so that shouldn't be a huge issue.
-
Ramirez everyday, with Conforto and Taylor platooning in left, the three of them rotating as DH. And either a mysterious IL stint or sanity break for Happ, who looks absolutely cooked.
Geez, a guy has a 4K game and a bad week and now he’s “cooked.”
Here are some facts.
Happ has a .802 OPS this season against righties. This is very close to his career norms against righties (.817).
His struggles have been hitting from the right side against lefties. This is a concern and that’s why Cubs traded for Taylor and perhaps this will be a strict platoon going forward. Not sure that Counsell has committed to that yet. We’ll see.
Happ is in a pace for a 2.5-3.0 WAR season—an above-average regular.
Happ has been in a very bad slump for the past week. We have seen this before from him. Typically, he comes out of it and gets hot again for a time. Maybe he needs a day or two off and we might see Conforto in there this weekend.
I get it. Folks remember what just happened. It’s vivid. But there was baseball played in America before this week.
-
Jacob Webb! What a run that guy's been on. He's kinda had a lot of relatively low stress saves in some of these games.
Cubs have a $2.5 M club option on Webb for 2027. Otherwise, he would have been a FA.
-
Winning a lot is more fun than losing a lot, that's for sure. I've been a little bit cautious on Gausman, but kind of fun for a guy who can throw his fastball for a strike kinda when he wants, and works so quickly. Nice debut.
Holmes obviously isn't going to give 7 innings, but hope he pitches even better tomorrow. Interesting that he's facing Lugo, a guy we once talked about pursuing, but seems to have relapsed a fair bit.
-
Ramirez everyday, with Conforto and Taylor platooning in left, the three of them rotating as DH. And either a mysterious IL stint or sanity break for Happ, who looks absolutely cooked.
-
Gotta wonder if Happ isn't hurt or carrying some emotional baggage at the moment. He looks terrible. As a FA he's killing his payday.
-
That Pedro HR, that was a line rocket.
He needs to be playing pretty much every day at this point.
-
That Pedro HR, that was a line rocket.
-
Jacob Webb! What a run that guy's been on. He's kinda had a lot of relatively low stress saves in some of these games.
Very nice win.
Gausman, well done. Thornton, well done.
-
Boy, Webb has been a revelation. Three days in a row he's pitched - need to sit him tomorrow and Sunday.
-
Yeah, I think Thielbar is about done. Like a million other pitchers, location/execution are essential, and his location just hasn't been good enough for his stuff.
-
Somehow Thornton survives again despite his complete inability to miss a bat.
-
Man, we're riding the luck train with Thornton but the sooner the cavalry gets here the better. I never want to see this guy in a leverage situation again.
-
Thielbar has to go when Milner comes back. He's done.
-
Can't ask for much more from a SP than that.
-
Happ has exceeded his Ks of 2025 in 180 fewer PAs this season.
Well, he’s due for a hot streak at some point.
-
Not to be greedy but it would be nice not to have to use Webb or Zeferejahn tonight.
-
Bregman going the other way has turned his season around.
-
Carson Wolf
@TheWrigleyWire
·
13m
Ian Happ since June 20th:
Vs RHPs
.192/.317/.308
123 PA | 2 HR | 9 RBI | 36 K
Vs LHPs
.114/.143/.205
39 PA | 0 HR | 2 RBI | 15 K
-
Gausman has gotten very efficient - now 81P in 6 innings. With Holmes tomorrow I think you have to try and get another inning out of him.
-
Gausman is a KISS sort of SP.
-
Lots of jam shots for Gausman off righties, as usual.
-
We have alternatives - we don't have to play Happ.
-
In other news, this umpire is a bad joke.
-
There are no odds you could have given me that would have convinced me to wager PCA would get this selective this quickly.
He's special.
-
There are no odds you could have given me that would have convinced me to wager PCA would get this selective this quickly.
-
Gausman looks like Gausman. 94-96 with lots of run on the fastball, heavy dose of splitters, some sliders that look like changeups. Same guy he's been for 12 years.
Yes. This isn't prime Verlander, Scherzer, or DeGrom. He's good. Temper your expectations.
-
Gausman looks like Gausman. 94-96 with lots of run on the fastball, heavy dose of splitters, some sliders that look like changeups. Same guy he's been for 12 years.
-
4-1 Cubs mid-2. Everything after first two guys were outs. PCA got a 2-out ground-ball single with bases loaded, a play where the defense wasn't great, where I think Hoerner would have gotten that out, but the throw was bad and let in the second run as well. Instead of getting 3rd out, Cubs end up scoring 4 runs when a Cubs defense would have gotten out of inning. Seiya followed with a two-run hit... off of Jose Cuas!
-
Gauman gives up a quick run in the first, a walk and three rockets, but escapes with only 1 run.
-
Gausman looks like he did the previous two months. Throwing cookies that are getting hammered.
-
Thornton has a 4.88 FIP and an 11.9% K-rate. Flexen was eventually DFA'd with a 5.04 FIP and 12.4% K-rate and hasn't pitched at all in the majors this season. Those are examples of being lucky at best.
I do think Hottovy is a pretty good pitching coach but overall I think quantity more than quantity is the headline with the Cubs and dumpster relievers. If nothing elese Hottovy gets more practice at trying to salvage them than anybody else.
Talking about FIP here misses the point, IMO, because it's explicitly *fielding independent* pitching.
Team defense is a major part of the strategy with the pitchers the Cubs acquire, and how they coach those pitchers and shape their arsenals. It's a cohesive run-prevention scheme top to bottom.
Nobody thinks Thornton is going to be good in the future.
The magic is the Cubs have gotten good results from him at all.
And yeah, they seem to do this repeatedly, at a rate ahead of most other clubs.
-
Ramirez has proven to be aseptic there too
-
…….Tangent, but Bregman is really good at 3B. Really good at attacking ground balls, charging them or whatever, and for double-plays gets his throws off to 2b so very quickly and accurately too. In first inning, prior to the balked-in run, Springer hit a soft grounder to 3B that I thought had zero chance for DP. But Bregman charged in so fast, ball-to-glove-to-hand-to-2B was so quick and smooth, they almost doubled up Springer on a ball that had no business being anything close to a DP. Obviously he made a good snag in extra innings as well. But his footwork and sense of balance and timing is really good…
Bregman leads all MLB 3B in Outs Above Average and is second to Chapman in Defensive Runs Saved.
-
I think they're way better than average. I don't have numbers to back that up, of course. Trent Thornton? Chris Flexen? Tyson Miller? The Dodgers are a great organization, but they're not turning ham-n-eggers into significant contributors the way the Cubs do. Their forte is amateur player development. Hottovy is a real difference maker in that regard.
Thornton has a 4.88 FIP and an 11.9% K-rate. Flexen was eventually DFA'd with a 5.04 FIP and 12.4% K-rate and hasn't pitched at all in the majors this season. Those are examples of being lucky at best.
I do think Hottovy is a pretty good pitching coach but overall I think quantity more than quantity is the headline with the Cubs and dumpster relievers. If nothing elese Hottovy gets more practice at trying to salvage them than anybody else.
-
Wow, what a fabulous comeback. Cease was so good. Perhaps without the wind, or a couple of feet toward center, and Bregman might have had anotherBullpen HR earlier in the game. Peterson good again, 1ER as usual. Bullpen, 6 innings with just one run. Civale nice job. Fun to see Thornton in those extra-inning games, he is so fired up when he gets out.
Seeing the Toronto lineup, man, is that ever bad right now. It's a reminder of how many kinda easy outs there are in a lot of lineups.
What a fun win.
Tangent, but Bregman is really good at 3B. Really good at attacking ground balls, charging them or whatever, and for double-plays gets his throws off to 2b so very quickly and accurately too. In first inning, prior to the balked-in run, Springer hit a soft grounder to 3B that I thought had zero chance for DP. But Bregman charged in so fast, ball-to-glove-to-hand-to-2B was so quick and smooth, they almost doubled up Springer on a ball that had no business being anything close to a DP.
Obviously he made a good snag in extra innings as well. But his footwork and sense of balance and timing is really good.
In the 10th, I thought for sure Kelly's hit was a game-winner.
-
Well Rolison only had one season and that was in Colorado.
I actually think their batting average with bullpen reclamation projects is probably pretty close to average. If every team claimed 10 of them a season they'd probably find 3 or 4 who were pretty decent. We've had plenty of whiffs too.
I think they're way better than average. I don't have numbers to back that up, of course. Trent Thornton? Chris Flexen? Tyson Miller? The Dodgers are a great organization, but they're not turning ham-n-eggers into significant contributors the way the Cubs do. Their forte is amateur player development. Hottovy is a real difference maker in that regard.
-
It's not just him. Look what they've done with Rolison. Lots of other examples, too.
Well Rolison only had one season and that was in Colorado.
I actually think their batting average with bullpen reclamation projects is probably pretty close to average. If every team claimed 10 of them a season they'd probably find 3 or 4 who were pretty decent. We've had plenty of whiffs too.
-
The Cubs seem to have some kind of pixie dust with Civale. He absolutely blows everywhere else but when they stick him in the pen he's very useful.
It's not just him. Look what they've done with Rolison. Lots of other examples, too.
-
The Cubs seem to have some kind of pixie dust with Civale. He absolutely blows everywhere else but when they stick him in the pen he's very useful.
-
Chris, I did not intend to either taunt or mock you. Believe what you will.
-
The person whose comments are being taunted or mocked is then told to lighten up.
-
It's interesting how the same people can infer things and complain about others even after a win.
Not uncommon, but interesting.
Jeez, Chris, lighten up. That was an observation, not a complaint. See Reb's follow up comment.
-
It's interesting how the same people can infer things and complain about others even after a win.
Not uncommon, but interesting.
-
Ron, it’s half-full or half-empty. To each his own.
-
Interesting how people watching the same thing can have such different takes. My take on the 10th inning was that it was defined by a great play by the Bluejays preventing the Cubs from winning then. And in the 11th inning, following a great throw to get Kelly, Pete's aggressiveness and speed not only got him to 3rd with one out, but it forced a bad throw to get the victory.
-
And then the Jays royally f'd that up after making two incredible plays.
Game felt like 1989 craziness.
-
PCA!!! Cubs Win!!!
-
Cubs f'd that up royally.
-
Bregman!!!!
-
Peterson with his usual 1-run outing. Unfortunately that was on a bird-brain balk. He forgot he'd already thrown to 1st twice, so with 1st-and-3rd two outs, he threw over on Springer who doesn't steal much anymore, and balked in the winning run.
Civale gives up a 2-out hit to Kirk in the 7th, now down 2-0.
-
I like yours, Jeff. Peterson for the moment seems deservinbg, but two months away, who knows.
-
If everyone were healthy I think Rea and Assad are redundant, it's one or the other. Peterson or Steele probably makes it (not both).
I would also bet on one of Shelby Miller or Harvey being on there (Miller more likely).
-
Cart before the horse question. What's your 13-man playoff pitching staff?
Gausman
Holmes
Boyd
Cabrera
Imanaga
Rea
Assad
Milner
Rolison
Webb
Brown
Zeferjahn
Palencia
-
Is this the last stand for Thielbar?
Milner and Palencia are days away barring a setback and Miller may not be far behind. Even Garrett would be a lefty option, as this is his last option year.
Webb and Zeferjahn have thrown a ton of pitches lately, worry about them running out of gas.
-
Is this the last stand for Thielbar?
-
PCA!
-
The Cubs were set to face Taillon tomorrow but the Blue Jays have moved his start up to today and moved Cease back.
Isn't that nice of them?
-
Ron, I do remember the Brewers swept all games last year against the Dodgers, then in the playoffs...
-
Zeferjahn looked good. 4-1 lead, throw strikes and don't walk guys. His fastball might not be great, but it's nice to have one good enough to challenge with in the strike zone and not need to depend on nibble and painting corners. Welcome to the Cubs! Stay healthy, and throw lots more 0-run innings!
It’s not his velocity that makes his fastball great.
-
I'm confused. I thought it was already established that the Dodgers were unbeatable, at least by the Cubs.
Seems like it might be boring to follow baseball when you know for sure beforehand what will happen.
I kind of enjoy the uncertainty and tension that go with waiting to see what might happen.
But, to each his own.
-
Zeferjahn looked good. 4-1 lead, throw strikes and don't walk guys. His fastball might not be great, but it's nice to have one good enough to challenge with in the strike zone and not need to depend on nibble and painting corners. Welcome to the Cubs! Stay healthy, and throw lots more 0-run innings!
-
I'm confused. I thought it was already established that the Dodgers were unbeatable, at least by the Cubs.
-
Nice win. Fun to have Assad outduel Skubal. 3.29 ERA as starter for Assad. 9 ER over his last 8 starts. He's in a nice groove. 6.5-game lead over Padres for the last wildcard spot.
-
Zeferjahn a bust, no Ks.
What makes him tough is the cut on the fastball at 97. The sweeper is obviously a cartoon pitch when it's right but he gets in trouble with it occasionally. He'll also make hitters look ridiculous with it (as he did Shohei). But's it's the 4-seamer that makes him unique. If he doesn't walk guys he's obviously good.
Zeferjahn Breaking ball Run Value is 92 percentile (Statcast). That is the sweeper. He throws the sweeper more often than he throws the 4-seamer and it’s his most effective pitch. Harder to control, yes, but 92nd percentile is elite.
The 4-seamer is 48 percentile. He has good movement on that pitch. Probably will get better. Maybe he can show Cabrera how to throw his 4-seamer.
More pre-deadline talk about Weaver and Hoffman than about Zeferjahn, but took Ballesteros/McGwire to get him. So, probably a lot of offers/chatter among the teams.
-
Sure is nice when Swanson contributes offensively.
-
Skubal was very good and the Cubs didn't do much, but he didn't have that overpowering presence he often does.
-
Cubs Win!
First two games of this series and beating Skubal tonight has to have them feeling confident if/when they play them on the postseason. Great win!
-
I want my closer missing bats, sorry.
Don’t have to apologize to me for that one sir. 👍
-
Happ allergic to challenging.
-
Seems like Hottovy ought to be telling him he has the best defense in the league behind him, so he doesn’t have to go all out trying to strike everyone out either.
I want my closer missing bats, sorry.
I do like the idea of having Brown, Shelby Miller, Palencia and Zeferjahn to finish games. One can dream.
Hoerner demonstrating the two diametrically opposite ways to get an RBI.
-
And Nico jacks one to put us up 5-1.
-
Seems like Hottovy ought to be telling him he has the best defense in the league behind him, so he doesn’t have to go all out trying to strike everyone out either.
-
Zeferjahn a bust, no Ks.
What makes him tough is the cut on the fastball at 97. The sweeper is obviously a cartoon pitch when it's right but he gets in trouble with it occasionally. He'll also make hitters look ridiculous with it (as he did Shohei). But's it's the 4-seamer that makes him unique. If he doesn't walk guys he's obviously good.
-
If the media cared about teams not in LA or on the East Coast, PCA might really have a shot at the MVP.
-
Has a hitter ever advanced in his approach more in one season than PCA?
-
Actually he’s warming up now.
-
How about a little steal of third here.
-
I think he does. He was starting to close for the Angels, right?
-
Oh, we do have him lol. But he threw 30 pitches on Sunday. If we get there, does he close?
-
Man, would have been nice to have Zeferjahn tonight.
-
Tucker should have caught that ball. Not an error but definitely playable.
-
You know, it's funny how the Cubs keep finding ways to take Assad out of the rotation when all he ever does is pretty much produce.
-
Definitely enjoying seeing Assad very much holding his own against Skubal through 5.
-
Tucker waited until coming to Wrigley to play at a high level.
-
Whenever they say Pages, it sounds like Pothead.
-
PCA took off pretty much as soon as Skubal came to the set, ROFL. We must have some intel there.
-
Dansby > Skubal
-
Ramirez starting at third 2 days straight is interesting.
-
Too bad Nico didn't do the same yesterday.
-
I thought Kelly had K'd for the third out (in the 6th, I believe) and didn't realize that the full count call had been successfully challenged. I was puzzled (and delighted) to see that Busch batted and singled.
-
At least the Dodgers are making quick work of it.
O ye of little faith
-
Busch hit was seeing-eye grounder. Some luck there.
Kelly AB preceding the Busch hit was terrific work, as he laid off/fouled away sliders that ate up Bregman previously.
-
We have a bunch of roster moves to make. Any clues
-
Nevermind. Busch singles and the Cubs lead 10-5. Big hit there.
-
Kelly also K's. That failure to score may be costly.
-
K's on 3 pitches. Pretty pathetic.
-
Bregman up with the bases loaded and one out in the 6th.
-
Great play by Seiya.
Whatever else we are, the D is legit. No question about that.
-
Wrobleski has been extremely lucky all season and reversion is a bltch. It's a good thing the Dodgers don't have four TORP waiting in the wings to replace him.
-
Silver lining from a pretty depressing deadline day is Pedro still being here.
-
Alcantara with two good ABs.
Time for Alcantara to reapply to Deeg Fave Club.
-
Three innings, three two-run homers for our guys. Up 6-4 now in the fourth.
-
Alcantara with two good ABs.
-
Seems the Cubs don't want to go along with that.
-
At least the Dodgers are making quick work of it.
-
Happ is sitting tonight in favor of Alcantara. Emasculating!
-
Jed is going to give up Hartshorn and/or Ayers for a non-TORP because they’re cheap and this franchise will regret it.
Edit: Wrong thread. And hopefully wrong conclusion (we’ll see).
-
Didn't he go to Stanford?
The school where you can't get less than a B if you show up to the minimum number of classes?
-
True about Nico, but many blown opportunities. Even Skubal wouldn't win on a day like today. What I find disappointing is today and Friday were the games Counsell was hired to win. They are the kind of games he would win in Milwaukee. Hard to believe Ross couldn't have done just as well.
-
Disappointing. Some missed opportunities. Hard to win lots when losing the HR game.
-
Didn't he go to Stanford?
-
Yeah, Hoerner has to be more heads-up in that situation.
-
very frustrating when the yankees catcher had challenged like 3 calls in the past 10 pitches
-
Hoerner doesn't challenge on ball 4 that would've tied the game.
Finding ways to lose.
-
Didn't see a minute of it, but looks like that was a great game. After facing so many excellent pitchers and on-their-game pitchers, being down 2-1 looked pretty gloomy. What a nice way to come back and win.
And another excellent game for Peterson, just the one HR earned run. What an unlikely boost he's been, thus far. Nice, nice, nice. Kinda unbelievable, really. And the bullpen, no runs. Timely win, getting swept always feels crummy. Now no chance, and maybe they'll score some runs and win the series tomorrow.
Not that unbelievable given the Mets' impressive ability to screw up pitchers. Peterson has been very decent until the second half of last season.
-
Didn't see a minute of it, but looks like that was a great game. After facing so many excellent pitchers and on-their-game pitchers, being down 2-1 looked pretty gloomy. What a nice way to come back and win.
And another excellent game for Peterson, just the one HR earned run. What an unlikely boost he's been, thus far. Nice, nice, nice. Kinda unbelievable, really. And the bullpen, no runs. Timely win, getting swept always feels crummy. Now no chance, and maybe they'll score some runs and win the series tomorrow.
-
Pedro.
-
trade
-
Don't
-
I wish we had gotten even more; two on and nobody out usually leads to at least one more run.
Thielbar in to try to get his third save of the year.
-
I believe his name is Jameson Thielbar
-
With home run Thielbar set to "close", that was a big run.
-
Great baserunning by Bregman there.
-
I get that you need six outs anyway, but with Webb burned who's the supposed closer?
-
Pete is an absurd baseball player.
-
Pedro's great AB leads to the go-ahead run. You cannot give this guy up in the middle of a playoff run.
-
Nico is the perfect guy to hit a HR into a gale like this.
Man, DO NOT trade Ramirez. He just keeps putting together unbelievable ABs.
-
Kelly's stuff can play at this level. Just a matter of command.
He might turn into a useful pitcher, but that comment applies to thousands of swinging dicks.
-
Kelly's stuff can play at this level. Just a matter of command.
-
Note to deeg: that last post was purple
-
If we had Skubal, I'm sure we wouldn't have gotten shut out
-
Cubs get blanked.
Seems like a bad idea with Cole and Fried to come.
-
Another day, another pitcher's duel. Through 5 innings, Will Warren 6K/0BB/2 hits, Shota 5K/0BB/2 hits. But per Shota's style both hits have been HR's, so Yankees look in control at 2-0. Warren at only 60 pitches through 5 innings.
-
Win some close ones. Lose some close ones. That’s Baseball.
-
Nice win. Assad, 1 run. That guy is a competitor for sure. Nice to pull out extra-inning win after losing last night's version.
-
Makes a bit for last night, especially since the Cubs were handed their first run when Nootbarr lost track of the outs.
-
Cubs hang on 4-2.
-
Clutch double by Bregman.
And Happ.
-
Walker comes within 3 feet of ending it.
On to the 10th again. Should be fun.
-
Creeping up on another walk-off loss.
-
PCA in this series: 1-13, 6 K
-
Great outing by Boyd. I only watched a couple of AB, but I think I saw him throw a 96, and maybe a 95. First-half 2025 when he was all-star Boyd, we saw those kinds of velocities. Earlier this season, I don't recall seeing such.
Think he's feeling pretty good.
-
Gruesome loss. Bad play by Nico put the tying run on, then a walk put the lead run on. Our defense is usually so superb, it's a reminder how rare it is for us to have a game-costly mis-play.
-
That was the first game the Cardinals have won when trailing by at least 2 runs in extras since Gm 6 of the 2011 World Series.
-
And yes, the bullpen should be trade priority.
-
And that is why the Cubs can never catch the Brewers.
I told someone I was sitting with that this felt like a walk-off loss even after the Armstrong homer.
-
Ramirez really puts together some good ABs.
-
Dustin May getting pulled after 5 shutout with low pitch count…lots of hugs and butt pats in the dugout…wonder if he’s gone now, or if some team told them to get him out of there and save some bullets…
-
Well, Dustin May just got traded, looks like.
-
Amaya not afraid to challenge.
-
Boyd looks very comfortable with all his pitches at the moment. Helps that the Cards are a really bad offense but it's been a good several weeks.
-
Effective outing by Rea. Scoring runs early is so helpful.
Cubs now have a 6.5-game lead on PIrates and Nats for last wildcard spot.
4.5-game lead for 4th seed. That gives 3 home games for playoffs, really significant, I think.
-
Happ never challenges, and he has a great feel for the zone…
-
Alex Cohen
@voiceofcohen2
·
1m
Pedro Ramirez is 14-for-29 at the plate over his last 8 games.
He is now hitting .326 in 34 MLB games with the Cubs.
-
Are the batter challenges compiled somewhere? Cubs batters have to challenge the least. It's baffling. Armstrong K's on a pitch 3-4 inches high and won't challenge. I don't think Suzuki even knows you can challenge.
-
Ramirez doesn't look like he should be able to run but he really can.
-
Gravity is finally asserting itself on the Cardinals and Bregman. They're not very good, and Bregman is better than his numbers have shown.
-
Crazy. After 2 innings, Cubs up 7-0. Rea's at 23 pitches, McGreevy taken out at 63 pitches with two outs in the 2nd.
Earlier in season, especially during the 10-game losing streak, Cubs were really struggling with RISP.
Of the 7 runs, the 3rd run scored on a 1-out sac fly from PCA>. But the first two runs in the 1st, two-out double by Happ. In the second, runs 4-5-6-7 all scored with two outs.
Bregman is 2-for-2, both hits to RF. He's normally been a committed pull hitter, that's where his power has always been. Today, two hits to right. Yesterday, he pulled a hit down the 3B line, but his HR was to right field and I think he had two other hits to RF. So, pull-hitter Bregman now has 5 hits to right in his last 7 AB. Some kind of adjusting going on there, I think. Or a brief fluke for the moment. But for the moment, his OPS is now up to .713. Very helpful.
-
And Bregman gets it to .705 with a homer and two doubles.
Nico and Bregman were certainly the two obvious guys to up their level in the second half. Hopefully they both stay hot.
Kyle Tucker .711 OPS (0.8 bWAR, 0.9 fWAR)
Alex Bregman .705 OPS (2.4 bWAR, 1.6 fWAR)
-
Jordan Bastian
@bastianmlb.bsky.social
"I told Ian that’s the best defensive play I’ve seen him make in the three years I’ve been here. ... He’s on the warning track. The ball kind of takes him a little bit backwards. And to be that accurate with the throw from a very long distance, I thought it was an incredible play." --Counsell
-
And Bregman gets it to .705 with a homer and two doubles.
Nico and Bregman were certainly the two obvious guys to up their level in the second half. Hopefully they both stay hot.
-
Can Bregman finally get the OPS over the mythical .700 number? He’s been flirting with it for a while.
-
Cubs up 3-1 in the third; one run in each inning. Already six of the nine men in the Cubs' lineup have hits.
Peterson through three at just over 40 pitches. Hopefully he can take us most of the way.
-
Good thing. It's damb hot.
-
Game scheduled to being at 8:30. Maybe.
-
Tarp on the field. Rain expected until around 7:45 in St Louis. Guessing the game doesn't start until 8PM or so.
-
Totally agree, Craig. Assad isn't great, but to get bumped for Taillon, that bites.
-
Taillon 3 HR and 7 runs on HR. Two walks in 4 innings, both walks preceded and scored on HR's.
I know Taillon is super-well liked and respected on the team. He's worked through things in past. Hottovy loves him and Hottovy always thinks he can fix veterans. So Counsell may continue to give him a longer leash than some of us might.
But man, Taillon is 2nd in mlb in HR's, despite getting saved a handful of them with some spring wind-in games at Wrigley, and despite missing 6-7 starts. He's been walking guys in front of his HR's. Assad has been excellent as a starter, but has been relagated to mop-up relief with Taillon back. Even Civale has been less-awful-than-Taillon when he's been used. Part of Counsell's success is being very patient with guys. But, how many more chances can Counsell give him? Sometimes the end comes, and management needs to make a change. It's kinda terrible, but Taillon reporting some kind of injury so you could get him off the roster, that might be really helpful. Guessing he's got one more start before the trade deadline, maye that will kind of be another shot?
-
Expected heat indices for the St Louis series:
111, 104, 103, 98
Lucky the first game isn't Sunday which is worse.
-
If anyone other than Amaya runs in the 5th, Armstrong would've had a cycle.
-
Imanaga 1 run in 18 IP over his last 3 starts.
-
I kinda regret counsell wasting 3-innings of Assad on a blowout. With taillon tomorrow, having Assad to cover a bunch of innings might have been nice. I’m kinda thinking that if you don’t start Assad, working him into leverage usage might be really productive
-
Wow, nice win!
-
Yes, and if the Cubs cared about winning they'd make serious attempt at Skubal after the year.
-
So far, giving Imanaga the QA seems to have been a good move by Hoyer.
-
Triantos singles in his first big league plate appearance. And comes around to score on a Pedro Ramirez (RH) double.
-
Even for a multiple Gold Glove winner, Ian Happ is an underappreciated defender. He's really excellent.
-
Skenes velo is definitely down. Stuff not as sharp.
Really looks like this PCA boom is sustainable. You never know but it doesn’t appear to be a house built on sand. He’s walking more than 2X as much, chase rate way down, raking off lefties.
-
Cubs have knocked out Skenes, beaten up on the bullpen, and now lead 8-0 in the 6th inning.
-
Cubs won, 3-2, in extra innings. Fantastic game and really significant win. Dansby with a 2-out line single to score in the 10th. With runners on 1st and 2nd, they went to a 2-0 count on PCA... and elected to intentionally walk him. That really shows the respect he's earned, crazy. Which worked out great, because they set up the run-scoring walk to Seiya.
Great to get that win. If Cubs were to lose out of wildcard, I think the Pirates might be the most likely team to catch them. Pirates pitching is so talented. with taillon sunday and skenes today, getting one win last night was pretty timely.
-
Hard to win with 1 run.
Losing two of three while missing Skubal and Mize.
-
Rea and Taillon starting ahead of Assad is certainly a choice.
-
Tigers tie it up on a homer from Spencer Torkelson.
-
Rea's stuff looks entirely unimpressive at the moment.
-
Cubs jump out to a 1-0 lead in the first thanks to a homer from Seiya. Colin Rea pitching for the Cubs, and the Tigers have Keider Montero on the mound.
-
I'm just now noticing that the Tigers had Zack McKinstry pitch the eighth and then their catcher Jake Rogers come in for the ninth. McKinstry mixed 80-MPH fastballs, 50-MPH slowballs, and 33-MPH eephuses, sometimes throwing all three to the same batter!
-
Tonight’s catch in the 7th was ridiculous, and he made it look easy. The distance he covered was beyond impressive.
-
PCA really does play the outfield like Griffey.
In Griffey's dreams.
-
Civale blows the shutout as Dingler continues to slaughter the Cubs.
-
Cubs add two more in the 7th and leave the bases loaded, then strand two more in the eighth. Save some of these baserunners for tomorrow!
Going to the ninth and it's 11-0. Maybe Civale can finish them off and have a scoreless Cubs debut.
-
PCA really does play the outfield like Griffey.
-
Wow, crazy, come out of a meeting to check the score, and it's 9-0 after 6, with Peterson at zero walks and 76 pitches! What a welcome outing from him! Crazy.
Framber not a very good outing. He's not a K guy, obviously, but he's got his share of HR's anyway, and a fair number of walks, 1.4 WHIP. Kinda glad we didn't commit a big long-term deal to him. I'd be pretty frustrated if we had.
-
On to the bottom of the fifth, where Swanson reaches base again, this time with a hit, and Conforto pinch-hits for Alcantara and hits a two-run homer to make it 9-0.
Yahoo gives the Cubs -1000000 odds of holding this lead.
Peterson is only at 65 pitches through 5 innings. Would be nice if he could pitch as deep into the game as possible.
-
Cubs jump out to a 6-0 lead in the first inning on a succession of singles and walks.
Now in the third, Dansby walks, steals second, and comes in to score on a PCA hit. 7-0.
-
Pitching is a big problem, but they could've easily won that game anyway. If Seiya or Bregman let Jansen walk them. If Hoerner doesn't make an error on DP ball in the 10th they likely at least go to the 11th.
-
Shame this offense is wasted because we can't put together a pitching staff.
Who is "we"?
Jed Hoyer can't put together a pitching staff. No one else needs to take the blame.
-
Assad deserved better.
-
Shame this offense is wasted because we can't put together a pitching staff.
-
Could put that one in the "find a way to lose" textbook.
-
Stark contrast watching these teams.
-
Thorton hit on the foot with a 109 mph rocket, has to leave.
-
Bregman sure is clutch.
Jansen would've walked Shawon Dunston that inning but Suzuki and Bregman let him off the hook.
-
How much does Counsell get paid again?
-
Suzuki and Busch with homers to trim the Tigers' lead to 4-3.
Taillon still in; going to the fifth.
-
Boy, Sutcliffe is really idiotic.
-
I just don't see how you can keep giving Taillon more chances. He's cooked.
-
Interesting that Pedro Ramirez is in the lineup tonight for third game in a row, not Conforto.
Kind of a tryout, perhaps. Thinking that maybe Cubs pondering whether to add at DH at trade deadline.
-
https://www.bleachernation.com/cubs/2026/07/19/jameson-taillon-return/
Bad news for rotation. Counsell has announced rotation, Taillon back tomorrow.... and the staff ace Assad is getting bounced. Taking my friend Assad out of the rotation, boo!!!
Agreed, should be Rea or Peterson.
-
https://www.bleachernation.com/cubs/2026/07/19/jameson-taillon-return/
Bad news for rotation. Counsell has announced rotation, Taillon back tomorrow.... and the staff ace Assad is getting bounced. Taking my friend Assad out of the rotation, boo!!!
-
Cubs win, 10-1. Nice dominant win. Shota 7 shutout innings. maton comes back to pitch a typically bad inning, but Bregman made a great diving grab to limit his damage to the single run.
-
Ramirez doubles and scores in the 2nd, 3-0. His sample size is so small that his numbers yo-yo all over the place. But for the moment, he has the 2nd-highest BA and the 3rd-highest OPS in the lineup. (.279 ave trails PCA's .283; .772 OPS trails PCA and Seiya .892 and .825.).
-
Bregman! 2-run 2-out HR in the first, 2-0 Cubs. Huge to get ahead early. And so helpful to get some RBI production from Bregman. He's within a hot day of touching .700 OPS on the year, which would be pretty fun to get up and over, and then to stay over hopefully.
Interesting that Ramirez is getting his second consecutive start against RHP, in place of Conforto. I know we've gotten some unanticipated contribution and power from Conforto. But I admit at least for the moment, I'd kinda rather see Ramirez in there. And would like to see him stacking some days with AB's, to see if he might settle in and help the offense in a platoon role?
-
FTR, Rizzo whiffed on this one too, the guy behind him backed him up and gave him the ball.
-
Why not get Maton an inning in a game that was basically lost?
-
The Pomeranz experiment can end any time, thanks.
-
Am I the only one surprised that Counsel picked Rea to start this game.Any idea why?
-
A Dempster game! Absolutely awesome!
-
Any news about the game today? Are they hoping the smoke clears before gametime?
-
Hard to overstate how important it would be to the offense if Bregman has a vintage Bregman 2nd half - say anything over .800 OPS.
-
Nice to run into the break coming off some winning weeks. A lot of teams bunched at the back bubble of wildcard. 6 teams are from 2.5-6 games behind the Cubs. So if Cubs go into a slump, it will pretty likely that a couple of those teams will be playing well. Pirates included. Cubs win, that's the way.
-
Putting aside the 4 runs the Reds got due to the missed call at 1st, nearly all the Cubs runs were a result of lucky breaks.
Not only the popup from Bregman that led to two runs, but the Alcantara grounder hitting the bag for two runs, and Suzuki's check-swing tapper over the mound that went for a hit leading to 3 more runs on Bregman's homer.
-
Reds gifted 4 runs after that DP that our great manager didn't challenge.
Now, he challenged the first one and MLB watched the out at first and came back with a safe call.
Then MLB overturns PCA's grounder on the exact play as the first.
Combined with the Cubs' refusal to challenge at the plate I ask again, why have the system in the first place?
-
Bregman with his second HR in two days (along with two other hits), as the Cubs win and now have a 54-42 record (a 91+ win pace) and the 5th best record in baseball (tied with the Yankees). This in spite of a decimated starting rotation and bullpen.
If Swanson and Bregman really have turned things around offensively, that bodes well as the Cubs get ready to enter the post-All Star break. The defense and offense have both been doing their job. Here's hoping Brown comes back strong and Boyd and at least one other starter can be solid members of the rotation and Palencia can come back strong as well. I respectfully disagree with craig, who wants the Cubs to stand pat on their pitching. I would like Hoyer to go hard after a front of the rotation pitcher if circumstances allow.
-
Cubs win, Cubs win, Cubs win! Bregman with a big 3-run homer to break it open. Webb saves it, again, man has he been on a run. He deserves some days of rest, that's for sure. Nice comeback after getting down 4-2 on 3-run homer from Suarez. A key hit was Alcantara with a 2-run single.... that bounced off 2nd base. Following that, PCA got a tie-breaking hit, only to get it recalled. Another turn through the order, he got a tiebreaking hit for real, in front of Bregman's HR.
Another game where opponent defense gave Cubs a break. Cubs got two runs in the first, but what set them up was a high shallow fly by Bregman. Somebody should have caught it, doubtless PCA would have. Steer got his glove under it but let it pop out, and he didn't seem that fast to charge in. I dind't think the 2B was that fast going out, either, I think Hoerner could have caught it. And that in turn was set up by manager having the infield in with PCA on 3rd one out in the first. Would have been an easy popout to 2B otherwise, and not even PCA could have scored had the infield not been pulled in.
Hollowell effective. 6 batters, one hit but 3K's no runs. I'd be kinda interested in using him a little bit more.
-
Boyd was really good his last outing. Would be fun if he could stack another good one, they could win somehow, and could go into the all-star break feeling good momentum.
And perhaps feeling like the pitching rotation has a chance to stabilize? If they could feel like Boyd is in a good place and could be solid, that would help. Assad has been pretty consistent. Shota's OK a lot of starts.
Taillon built up to 54 pitches yesterday, and got 3 K's. Guessing he might be back after the break? (He's obviously really struggled this year when healthy, so whether having him back will upgrade or degrade the rotation, hard to say. For example, having him take Assad's spot would probably hurt, but whatever...)
I'm partly wanting the rotation to stabilize a bit, so that they don't overpay the farm for some outside pitcher to sustain the wildcard run. I think we can have a solid wildcard run without an external rotation guy, myself.
-
Bregman! 2-run homer in the clutch, 5-3 Cubs win.
Important to get the win when ace Assad was starting! :):)
Thornton got the save. Rolison started the 9th, but put a couple of guys on. Counsel used Webb in the 8th, for the tougher part of the order.
Cubs have another base-stealer steal successfully and leave bag. This time Busch. He slid in feet first, but as usual couldn't stay attached and tried to connect with followup foot, but didn't connect before touch limb came off. Very obnoxious.
-
Not sure why Happ hitting next is reason to send Busch when Henderson had the ball as Busch touched 3rd. Happ can't get a hit? He had two hits in that very game. Also walks a lot.
If it were one out, it would be a bad send.
Two outs is a different situation with Happ coming up batting against a lefty. Happ has a huge splits difference this season (that’s why he was batting #7). Batting .160 against lefties with a 35% K rate (Happ’s two hits were against righties this game).
Is it possible Happ might get a hit? Sure, but a lower probability than O’s making a less-than-perfect relay. Think that likelihood of Busch getting thrown out is better than 50-50 but sometimes worth that risk when circumstances warrant.
Granted, if Busch is held and Happ gets a hit—it’s likely two runs because Hoerner is at second. So, that’s a factor too supportive of holding the runner.
Can be argued either way but, on balance, I had no problem with the send.
-
This Woodford stiff is so bad it almost deflected from the Cubs' anemic offense.
-
Not sure why Happ hitting next is reason to send Busch when Henderson had the ball as Busch touched 3rd. Happ can't get a hit? He had two hits in that very game. Also walks a lot.
-
The relay by the Cubs was terrible. If either PCA or Hoerner makes a good throw they nail the runner. Then there's the Cubs going 1-9 w/ RISP. Then there's the two hit batters before winning hit for the Orioles. Then there's Hoerner's rare SB in the 9th that he was out on for coming off the bag. Cubs could've stolen all day on Basallo. Armstrong had 2nd stolen early but Bregman--again--didn't take the pitch, then GIDP on the next one.
And Harris had no business sending Busch who was out by 5 feet. Yes two outs, but was a closer throw from left, and Busch was never making it from 1st base.
The Brewers are deeper and have the huge edge in pitching for various reasons, but they also play more sound, fundamental and, imo, smarter ball.
Agree with Craig that the Busch send was the right call in context. Happ on deck is hitting .170 against lefties and chances of O’s making a non-perfect relay better than that. So, Berry sending the runner with 2 outs is okay there.
Except for hitting in RISP, thought Cubs played a good game. Cubs fundamentals are not why trailing Brewers by seven. Cubs playing very good fundamental baseball this season. Very tough to stay with a club on pace to win 103 games. Cubs have 5th best record in MLB on July 9——guessing most everybody would have taken that pre opening day.
On the Hoerner at 2B play, yeah slide hard into 2B and deter those kind of defensive shenanigans. But not how baseball played anymore, for better or worse. It’s a different game in that way.
-
Ron Darling just mentioned a 4th option on MLB Now…slide in feet first and take out the leg blocking the bag…
-
Guys who are smarter than me. I'm curious about the base-stealing. Give me some thoughts?
Hoerner's steal was not particularly unusual for how guys go, or at least Cubs. Go sailing in at high velocity, touch the bag with your hand. The velocity is so high that it's really hard not to sail past, as was Hoerner case. Stealers have three options:
1. Hang on successfully with hand.
2. Let hand sail by, but make contact with leg/body while hand sails off.
3. Dive a wee bit sooner with slightly reduced velocity so that hand doesn't sail on by.
I think Cubs guys are routinely attempting BOTH 1 and 2, especially #2. Hope to barely hang on, maybe; but try to swing a leg on before you sail off or get bumped off.
In Hoerner's case, I think he argued on both counts. #1, That the guy kept applying tag to dislodge his hand. (Which he did, but it didn't take much tag at all; I didn't think the tag was an eggregious push.). And #2, that the guy's foot blocked the path of Hoerner's knee to contact bag before his hand sailed off. That definitely happened. Hoerner's mitt had a path, but then his leg was obstructed and came in outside the bag. Guessing the umps and booth review were maybe both right; given that his hand had clear path, obstruction wasn't the call. And the pushoff was so modest, that wasn't an obvious review overturn.
Other note: The risk of hand sailing off, that's pretty high frequency. Dansby's did on immediate succeeding play, he just was able to get his leg on. PCA often. Pretty high risk that mitt will sail off. I'd guess it's kinda 50-50 for successful steals, half of them the mitt itself stays on, half the trailing leg makes contact while mitt sails beyond.
In terms of pros and cons, I wonder how much time-to-base velocity loss there would be in diving a little bit sooner? To plan SB such that your hand will NOT sail over?
How about an alternative deal where you'd add some spike-like things to the oven mitts? Would need to NOT obstruct the slide into the bag. Extending out to one side or both, where it wouldn't drag when diving in, or catch sharply on the bag and sprain your wrist. But where you could immediately twist your hand on contact to have it catch and drag on the base in a controlled way? Or else maybe use longer mitts, and have some pegs extending from the underside of the forearm? No obstruction when reaching for the bag, but kinda hook on the edge of the bag, or perhaps curve hand-up-forearm down upon contact to drag on the bag? Perhaps with enough give, not steel spikes, so that it doesn't accidentally catch and sprain your wrist. But enough to give more drag and catch and deceleration on the bag? Just trying to think of some practical way to make it easier to avoid sailing off the bag.
OK, whack-o brainstorming.
-
Chris, I thought Busch send was appropriate. The play was very close. Was perfectly executed by Orioles, and it was still a close play. As JD noted, had Busch come in a little wider, he might have evaded the tag. Anything less perfect by Orioles and he might have made it. I think the odds of the Orioles not executing perfect and the run scoring, those odds were higher than that Happ would follow with a hit. Happ's a .220 hitter; I think much higher than 22% chance that the Orioles don't execute as well.
The Cubs play on Alonso, that was an easier one. Hoerner's throw was well off. Had Baltimore's throw been 1/3 as off as Hoerner's was, Busch would have scored. And that one was with only one out, I think?
-
Brewers on a pace to win 103 games. That’s the primary reason.
A difference in today’s game was the Orioles executing a perfect relay in 4th inning for an out at home and Cubs executing just an okay relay in 8th inning that failed to get an extremely slow runner at home. Typically, Cubs win these parallel defensive comps.
Cubs outhit O’s today 9-3 and lost. Cubs were outhit 14-8 on Wednesday and won. It happens sometimes.
The relay by the Cubs was terrible. If either PCA or Hoerner makes a good throw they nail the runner. Then there's the Cubs going 1-9 w/ RISP. Then there's the two hit batters before winning hit for the Orioles. Then there's Hoerner's rare SB in the 9th that he was out on for coming off the bag. Cubs could've stolen all day on Basallo. Armstrong had 2nd stolen early but Bregman--again--didn't take the pitch, then GIDP on the next one.
And Harris had no business sending Busch who was out by 5 feet. Yes two outs, but was a closer throw from left, and Busch was never making it from 1st base.
The Brewers are deeper and have the huge edge in pitching for various reasons, but they also play more sound, fundamental and, imo, smarter ball.
-
That game sums up why they're 7 behind the Brewers.
Brewers on a pace to win 103 games. That’s the primary reason.
A difference in today’s game was the Orioles executing a perfect relay in 4th inning for an out at home and Cubs executing just an okay relay in 8th inning that failed to get an extremely slow runner at home. Typically, Cubs win these parallel defensive comps.
Cubs outhit O’s today 9-3 and lost. Cubs were outhit 14-8 on Wednesday and won. It happens sometimes.
-
That game sums up why they're 7 behind the Brewers.
-
Bregman's inability to allow PCA to steal 2nd continues. Then he follows with a DP.
Could be a rain-shortened game. In which case it would behoove the Cubs to score.
-
A chimp could do Willie Harris' job better.
-
O'Neill had 3 homers all year. Now has homered on three straight swings.
-
Today is 6.75 Peterson day. Would be fun to have him give a competitive outing, and for the Cubs RH bats hit some HR's and score out another win.
I think it would be fun to win today, then maybe win 2-of-3 from Reds, and go into the break with some good vibes. We've got a pretty weak farm system, I'm not motivated to again be overpaying and giving away prospects for JAG pitchers who aren't actually going to help us meaningfully, and in a season where we aren't going to trade our way into a World Series pitching staff anyway. So yeah, would like to win into the All-star break; have Peterson look OK today and figure that Taillon can replace him soon, and maybe that Palencia and Cabrera will be back soon enough, and kind of roll with what we've got, for better or for worse.
-
Today's game moved up to 1:35 start time to avoid possible stormy weather
-
Jacob Webb! Three groundouts, no suspense, Cubs win, Cubs win, Cubs win! Last play was really tricky one, little swinging bunt by Alonso, Kelly got out pretty quick but had a really tough throw, blooped it over Alonso and Busch had a long reach stepping across in front of Alonso. Able to keep toe and get the out, but a little different spot and throw could have pulled him off; a little shorter he might have gotten plowed over by Alonso.
Nice win! 5 HR's, 7 runs on HR's. HR's are an efficient way to score!
-
Webb really ought to get a couple of days off at this point.
-
Dansby! Diving stab on a rocket! Holliday just barely missed Thielbar's 3rd HR of the inning, double, would have been 9-8 without the fabulous Dansby grab. But Thielbar endures, 9-7 heading into the 9th.
Webb has pitched 4 times in 5 days. Not sure he should go for the 9th. Might be Ferguson? But he's gone 3 of last 4. Man the pen has been worked.
-
9-7, three up, two out for Thielbar. 7HR in 24 innings isn't that great....
-
9-6, Thielbar gives up a bomb. 6 more outs to get, this should be a stresser as usual.
-
Swanson has hit a couple of rockets today.
Bregman three deep flies, one guy reached over wall to snag a HR.
Nice.
-
So enjoyable watching people like Swanson refuse to take a walk to get PCA up with multiple runners on.
-
Why do Cubs' hitters fail to challenge so often? Opponents challenge constantly and overturn calls left and right.
-
O's get a couple back off Pomeranz. Seiya's 3-runs so helpful. 9-5 way different from 6-5, that for sure!
-
If the Oriole needs a name, how about Orville?
-
Orioles got ahead 3-1. Cubs 3 solo-HR's in the 5th, then an awesome 5-run 7th. Huge 2-out 3-run blast for Seiya. But some interesting plays in that inning. PCA got behind a lefty, 0-2, but ended up staying patient, laying off chase, and taking a walk to load. Bregman got behind 1-2, but lofted a deep fly to right, sac fly. But both Dansby and PCA tagged, PCA barely slid in safe at 2nd. Great move when it worked; I was kinda nervous that he might get thrown out before the slower Kelly was able to score the run, but it worked. Lefty Busch to another walk, based loaded two out. Seiya got beyind 0-2, pitcher threw a high one and Rutschman missed it. Pitch was way high, but Rutschman got his glove on it, I thought he ought to have been able to snag it. Huge 2-out run at the time, 6-3. Then on 1-2 pitch Seiya blasted it way, way out, no doubter.
-
PCA OPS up to .931 now.
-
Getting back-to-back shutout work by starters, very refreshing.
Getting a lot of hits with RISP, very nice. Had a month without many, last night was disproportionately good.
Bregman with a double with a runner on base that led to a run; he had a 2-out RBI hit with RISP; he got a runner in from 3B with an out. The double was even hit semi-hard. Very refreshing.
Amaya getting two hits, a couple driven hard, and scoring 3 runs, very refreshing. He's yet to have a hot streak this season, would be fun if he could get hot for a little while.
-
As in Sunday’s game, Cubs win without homering.
Four games in a row with no homers—since the 23 runs game last Wednesday.
Boyd with 15 swinging strikes, terrific tonight. Bregman has doubled two games in a row. Nice game for Amaya, scored three of the Cubs five runs. Ferguson and Thornton, 6 up and 6 down at the back end.
-
Suzuki about singled-handedly trying to lose this game which should be a rout.
-
Has there ever been a player who's so totally transformed his approach as suddenly as PCA? He went from swinging at everything and being impossible to walk to one of the highest walk rates in MLB basically overnight. And it doesn't seem to be a mirage either.
-
Nice win. Good to salvage one win out of the series. As with so many Cubs wins, bad defense by opponent helped a lot?
Nice to get a win with Assad, the staff ace, going.
-
Swanson's diving catch saves the game.
-
https://x.com/JesseRogersESPN/status/2073837769332294128
-
3 runs in the series. Barring a comeback, will be a sweep and 5 of 6 losses to St Louis.
-
1 run in 2 games.
-
Cubs 1-26 with runners on base this series.
-
First two on in the 8th:
FC to 1st, K, K
-
These teams in a nutshell:
PCA got thrown out by 5 feet trying to steal second.
Alec Burlson stole second without a throw.
-
1 run in 15 innings.
Add in Fog Bowl conditions the umpires are ignoring and this appears headed for a shutout.
-
Death, taxes, and being embarrassed on national TV by the Cardinals.
-
1 run in 13 innings.
-
Bet they're sorry they sent Wicks down again now.
-
Seriously, which position player is going to take to the mound?
-
The 7-9 trio of Nathan Church, Jose Fermin, and Blaze Jordan have done about as much damage today as Bregman's done all year.
-
That +20 run differential the other day is all about to be reversed.
-
14-0
-
Sorry, make that 11-0.
-
8-0 now.
-
Getting crushed by the 99M payroll squad.
-
Peterson regressing to the norm in a hurry.
-
Clearly the Padres tanked two games to avoid having the Cubs embarrass Miller again.
-
Cubs win, Cubs win, Cubs win! Heh heh, a reminder of why composite stats, and team run-differential, can be kinda misleading. Also a reminder of why "bullpen" stats relative to "starter" stats can also be misleading. None of the Padres' use-when-winning guys pitching these last 24 hours.
Big series for Wildcard race. Came in only 2-game up on Padres, now 5 games plus tiebreak.
Cardinals will be another big wildcard series. Cubs up 2.5 games over Cardinals. Funny records. Cardinals and Cubs have same number of losses, but Cubs have played and won 5 more games.
-
Wicks to the mound in the 9th for the save.
-
Lots of different and unexplainable stuff happens in a 162 game season.
And more to come.
-
That 10 game losing streak seems long ago, doesn’t it?
-
Cubs 9-2 in the 5th. 9 runs might not necessarily be enough!
Rea has gotten out of two bases-loaded innings. Cubs also got lucky, inside-the-park HR maybe taken away by the ivy, guy got sent back to 2nd.
There might have almost been two inside-the-park HR's on back-to-backs. Machado hit one to the top of the wall in right. Seiya jumped for it, couldn't reach, and the ball bounced off the wall into his face. He's lying and rolling around on the ground, Machado is just jogging, not sure if it's a HR or what's going on. If he'd been sprinting, he might have had a shot for inside the park. PCA took a while to get over and get the ball. Then France hit a line drive, PCA dived for it, ball skipped back all the way to the wall. Not sure where Happ was, but Seiya had a long, long, long run to get over. France seemed well towards 3rd when ball dribbled into the ivy and Seiya hands up. I think Frace could/should have been able to score on it, otherwise.
-
seiya! 3-run HR in the first. PCA got a shallow single; stole 2nd, pitch was wild/passed-ball (catcher maybe distracted by PCA stealing?), and went to 3rd on the same play. Bregman walked, Busch had a terrible AB. Chased a bad ball; then guessed wrong and took a strike that looked like a good sac-fly type pitch; then guessed wrong and took a pitch right down the middle.
But Seiya blasted his. Nice how other guys coming through can cover some bad AB's.
-
Cubs have won season tiebreaker with Padres, and Phillies. Cardinals won 2-of-3 in only series they've played. As we saw last year, getting the 4th seed gets a 3-game home series in first round of playoffs. Finishing 4th vs 5/6 has advantages. (Revenue too.)
-
Nice win. Nice to get ahead early and stay ahead.
-
Cubs now on a pace for 90 wins.
-
Another homer for PCA. Still amazed at his new approach. Leads the majors in walks since 6/17 and by 3.
-
Hollowell, his control is so shaky. But when he's able to actually land some strikes, his stuff looks kinda hard to hit. Would love to see him lock in and have some good innings. I kinda like watching him.
-
Bregman had two hits, both in the air out of the infield. Single in the first was hit hard, a line drive. Hit in the 9th was a soft blooper, Dansby was heading back to 2nd at first, assuming it would be caught, before it looped beyind the infield. He also had a bases-loaded fly ball that got within a step or two of the warning track in RF.
Man would it be helpful if he started to get some hits, and wasn't hitting all grounders and pops.
-
I watched the 10-15 minute game highlights.
1. Tatis bloop single in the 9th, I thought Dansby could/should have caught that. He was out there in time, but he just kinda missed the catch. Didn't extend his arm to catch it, but he was there.
2. Tatis caught stealing in the 9th. I thought he was safe. *IF* the original call had been safe, I can't imagine they'd have overturned that into an out. Cubs got lucky that the original call went there way, and it was too close to decisively overturn.
3. There was a groundball single Padres got to Hoerner, somewhere in middle innnigs. He was playing way up the middle for RH hitter (can't remember which), grounder past Busch, Hoerner ranged way over, made a somewhat poor throw, I think runner beats it safe even with a good throw. But I wonder if that wasn't a Busch mistake? I thought that if he'd gone straight for the ball, instead of electing to run back to 1st, I think he'd have maybe had a better chance?
4. Cubs once again were the beneficiaries of inferior opponent defense. Suzuki scored first run, I think. He led off with a "double", high fly where LF Taylor had plenty of time, wind kept carrying, ball drifted, but he ended up missing the catch by a full step. He easily had room, and time, to catch it. Basically a free run for the cubs resulted.
5. Another play (Cubs wasted this one, I think..), I think Hoerner was on 1b, Conforto hit a DP ball, except Hoerner had been running. Machado I think caught the grounder, looked to 2B figuring to start the DP, except Hoerner was already getting in. Then Machado (or was it Bogaerts, maybe?) crazily took a step or two over to reach to tag Hoerner, but he was on the base; then by the time he finally threw to first, throw was a half-step late and Conforto was safe too. Basically gave Cubs and Conforto a free base, and a 1st-2nd-no-out scoring chance. (Which they didn't convert anyway.). But could have really been a game-changing blunder.
6. 9th inning, Machado muffed transfer on grounder from Dansby. Ball was hit sharply, he gloved the ball, he had time to throw Dansby out. But he fumbled the ball getting it to hand for the throw. Get the very first out, that inning could have played out very differently.
-
Padres have lefty JP Sears listed as starter tonight. I'm guessing this might be a rare start opportunity for Kevin Alcantara? I'd kinda like to see him get a start, since he has been kind of hot for Iowa recently, and he's traditionally had pretty strong platoon splits. Career Sears has allowed 101HR in 561 innings, so HR is his big vulnerability; might be the kind of guy off of which Alcantara could get his first big-league HR, maybe? With Shaw injured, and Seiya's knee not great, if Alcantara could show any hitting capacity he might earn some platoon opportunities, maybe?
-
“Yes,” Bregman said when asked if he regretted not running a little harder on that play. “And, I’ve also had 10 soft tissue injuries running down the first-base line specifically. So it’s kind of some give-and-take. But at the same time, yeah, I obviously wish I would have beat the throw.”
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7407828/2026/06/30/alex-bregman-lack-of-hustle-chicago-cubs/?source=dailyemail&campaign=601983&userId=212065&source=dailyemail
-
Seiya, I thought that ball was going out. then I thought LF had caught it…..
Replayed Seiya’s game winner in slow motion several times and hard to tell if LFer ever got ball inside the glove at any point. Seems like ball maybe initially brushed the ivy, so would have been a review even if he came down with the ball. That would have been wild and controversial had that happened. Fortunately, no controversy.
-
Seiya, I thought that ball was going out. then I thought LF had caught it. Wow, what an ending.
Bregman got a hit in the 9th inning, with runners on base. Bregman actually getting a hit in a clutch situation, how helpful might that be if that happened once in a while?
In the action, I was surprised Dansby didn't score on Bregman's hit. I think he'd have had a much better chance to score there than on the ensuing Busch fly. Even that, though, was probaby worth the risk. It was a very strong and pretty accurate throw.
-
Miller looked uncomfortable as soon as he got in. Threw a few hangers, missed badly twice including one that the catcher made an incredible stab on.
-
That was a hanger that Miller threw to Suzuki. Even the great ones can misfire. Great job by Seiya to take advantage of the mistake.
Cubs now tied with Phils for #1 WC spot.
-
Armstrong's approach at the plate the past 6 weeks has been about as starkly different as any I can remember. He's calmly taken more pitches in that span than he probably had the past two years combined. Golfed a slider off the plate with 2 strikes for that hit in the 9th leading to the win.
-
Mason Miller is the Cubs’ blt¢h.
Please wait til they're out of town, Deeg
-
Mason Miller is the Cubs’ blt¢h.
-
Great throw by Amaya just gets Tatis at 2nd.
Restructured BP doing well yet again. How about a run?
-
Happ refuses to appeal ball 4, then appeals strike 3…
Infuriating!
-
Padres are right in the wild-card group with the Cubs. Probably lots of adrenaline for the rival Brewers series, but Padres series almost more wildcard crucial. Getting swept would be bad. Winning the series would be good.
Against the Brewers aces, the hope was to hang in through the starter innings, then beat the relievers. Cubs didn't score until the 5th, 4th, and 7th in Brewers games.
That's different with the Padres. Now, the strategy is to take control early against vulnerable starters.
-
Those were two crazy non-challenges. Seiya didn't take one on bases-loaded 2-0 pitch (I think), that was decidedly inside. Fortunately instead of walking he got a 2-run hit, the extra run won the game. Kelly not challenging on a force-in-a-run walk, when it actually was a strike, that was kinda crazy too. Oh well. Wicks!
Heh heh, Jeff has long noted that lots of games are won by bad players. Bryce and Wicks the stars of the game?
Craig was tapping his hat from the dugout. I think the 1st base and 3rd base umpires should be watching the dugout and let the coaches challenge too. Why not?
-
And here I thought CC was being strategic about starting the 10th with Dean as the Manfred Man…
-
Counsell:
Matt Shaw had some wrist soreness which is why Justin Dean pinch hit for him in the 9th.
-
I wasn't watching, more checking game day periodically. But didn't Bryce pitch out of 1st-and-3rd one out one inning, then 3rd-no-outs the next? Then Wicks getting out of bases-loaded no outs to save it. Crazy.
Maybe Wilson can be this year's Flexen. Absolutely terrible pitcher with no business being in the majors getting by on fairy dust and blind luck for several weeks before the carriage turns back into a pumpkin.
-
Who predicted the Cubs taking two out of three from the Brewers in Milwaukee? Pretty good road trip: sweep Mets 4-0, beat Brewers 2-1, for 6-1 road trip.
Jordan Wicks was quite the hero, and who expected that? As was Seiya. And while the Cubs offense was not strong, their plate discipline was. Now 5.5 games behing the Brewers.
-
That’s Baseball!
-
I wasn't watching, more checking game day periodically. But didn't Bryce pitch out of 1st-and-3rd one out one inning, then 3rd-no-outs the next? Then Wicks getting out of bases-loaded no outs to save it. Crazy.
-
Those were two crazy non-challenges. Seiya didn't take one on bases-loaded 2-0 pitch (I think), that was decidedly inside. Fortunately instead of walking he got a 2-run hit, the extra run won the game. Kelly not challenging on a force-in-a-run walk, when it actually was a strike, that was kinda crazy too. Oh well. Wicks!
Heh heh, Jeff has long noted that lots of games are won by bad players. Bryce and Wicks the stars of the game?
-
Cubs win, Cubs win, Cubs win! Jordan Wicks with the save! :):):)
-
Not sure how they won, not sure they deserved to, but they somehow did.
I think.
-
Suddenly?
-
We are suddenly challenge-stupid…
-
"Protection" is a debatable issue, but I seem to notice that the batters in the lineup immediately ahead of him have none.
-
Yeah, that was not good baseball.
-
Bregman not only can't hit, his failure to run out a grounder that was bobbled just cost the Cubs a great chance to actually get a run.
-
The MLB leader (qualified) in average innings per start is Yamamoto at 6.55 per start.
Only about 10 SP average even 6 innings per start.
Nobody is going to be pitching 7+ innings on a regular basis. Nobody is doing that in MLB these days. Nothing to do with quality of anybody’s bullpen.
-
A few of us have noticed that no matter who is on the mound, this whole season Counsell begins pacing as soon as the 6th opens like his bladder is about to burst, and then, at the first sign of trouble, he almost sprints to the mound. And 40% of the time relief gives something up. Just sayin'
-
Can someone find stats on how often Counsell pulls starters in the 6th?
Even with the bullpen, this is what he has to do with the starting pitchers he currently has. They're all 4th/5th starters. If you get 5 good innings from them, you take it and hope the bullpen can hold the lead.
If Hoyer went out of his comfort zone and traded for Skubal (obviously not happening) or Ryan (almost as obviously not happening), Counsell would let them go 7+ innings every time. But he has the pitchers he has, so he has to manage this way.
-
Nice win. Nice work by bullpen. Scoring 4 runs after first two guys were outs, that's pretty great.
-
Can someone find stats on how often Counsell pulls starters in the 6th?
-
Don't love quick-hooking Peterson there with the bullpen in the state it's in.
-
That's more like it. Nico being Nico (two out RISP hit to right) and Happ lines one out on the first pitch.
Is 4 enough for this pen?
-
Couldn't have really asked more of Peterson.
But a pen vs pen matchup is not advantageous.
-
Brewers have a slew of big-armed, young pitchers too.
Must be nice.
-
Peterson looks like Peterson so far. Pitch to contact, fairly efficient, hope for the best. For us, that's an upgrade.
-
Anyone surprised that Peterson's first pitch was a homer?
-
He’s the RH Wicks…
-
Jaden Murray trade sure paying off.
-
Brewers get the runs they need to win with 2 out in the 7th.
-
Mis K's Happ with bases loaded. 107 pitches, he'll be done for sure, his highest pitch count of the season.
-
I've been listening, not watching, while working. Announcers said Swanson has made a couple of really good plays defensively. They also said that shaw made a great diving catch in the 2nd or 3rd, and made a good play on Churio in 5th, charging in to catch fly so that he'd have the throw-to-plate in front if guy tried to tag, rather than Hoerner running away from the plate.
Dansby's also had a couple of bad plays yesterday and today? In 5th, guy stealing, Kelly had poor throw, Coomer said guy had base stolen anyway, but Dansby tried to make a tricky catch-and-tag, and throw got threw and advanced the tying run to 3rd. Suggested he should have just focused on blocking the throw and keeping the guy on 2nd, even if he'd caught the throw he wasn't going to tag runner out anyway.
Last night, tie game in the 9th, guy hit a possible double-play to Swanson, or at least could have gotten one out. But Dansby tried a backflip to Nico and threw it behind him, they didn't get anybody. Webb pitched out of it. Defensive mistakes are much better and more forgettable when the pitcher actually escapes and doesn't allow any runs to result.
-
through 5, Rea and Mis are at 78 and 79 pitches. Perhaps one more inning each?
Cubs lead 1-0 on HR by Seiya to break up the no-hitter.
In 5th, Brewers had runner on 3rd, no out, and Rea pitched through the top 3 guys to keep shutout. In 1st, they had guys on 2nd/3rd with one out, and he escaped. Crazy.
-
Misiorowski is absolutely ridiculous. 105.5?
Not wishing anything on him, even as a Brewer (and a particularly obnoxious one). But how long can the human body sustain that?
-
More likely scenario tonight:
Misiorowski throws a no-hitter or gets 20 K's?
-
We’ve seen the Mets. This is a team with a $365M CBT payroll.
On top of that, Mets are paying about $120M in CBT taxes.
So, about $485 in payroll.
Yeah, Ricketts probably can spend more than Cubs $248.5M CBT payroll (per RR) but you have to be smart about what you’re doing, whatever your payroll may be.
Mets are Exhibit A.
-
All three regular Cubs runs were unearned, on a couple of errors involved.
But in that inning, Bregman got an XBH with a baserunner on! Up to 26 RBI. His 3rd double of June. June slug is up to .274.
-
Cubs slip past the Cardinals.
-
Cubs out-homered by the Mets 6-0 last two games and still win both. Gotta like all the unearned runs, thank you.
Cubs sweep season series from Mets 7-0, outscoring Mets 51-24.
Thinking about Ron Santo. He would have enjoyed seeing Cubs dominate the Mets.
-
Cubs win, Cubs win, Cubs win! :):)
Thornton with a nice 1-2-3 10th inning, nothing very hard hit.
PCA clutch game-winning double. Nice win, nice sweep.
-
By all means keep using Maton in crucial spots, it's working great.
-
Is this the time to offer something for Peralta?
-
The Cubs are something like 1-30 on various challenges this series. It's almost impossible.
-
That past/prior rule in MLBs rulebook clearly says PCA was safe. Even if he rolled over onto his back a foot away from the base and got tagged. His feet never crossed over to the past side of the bag.
BOOM. Wrong call. Ups Suck.
-
Stengel on Marv Throneberry on his birthday: "We would have bought you a cake, but we were afraid you'd drop it."
-
Last time the Mets had six infield errors in a game was the 1962 Amazin’ Mets.
I believe Marvelous Marv had three of those…
-
Hernandez sounds depressed (https://x.com/awfulannouncing/status/2069881483179790579) while gushing about PCA. Good. I still hate those 80s Mets.
-
Last time the Mets had six infield errors in a game was the 1962 Amazin’ Mets.
-
Ramirez is a player. Don't trade him.
-
Another funny thing: Score 10 runs, no runs for the top-5 guys in the order, the only hit by the top-5 was PCA's accidental bunt blooped over Bichette's head. 10 hits and 10 runs by the bottom four guys.
Crazy game.
But yeah, 6 errors, unbelievalble. And Dansby's tie-breaking triple was a miss too, that should have been caught. Cubs defense is so consistent, sometimes I forget how disadvantaged some of the bad-fielding teams are.
-
Dansby's bundle of hits has his batting average all the way up to .202. Wasn't sure that he'd see .200 again this season... OPS has sailed up beyond poor Bregman.
-
I believe that six errors is most by a MLB team in a 9 inning game since 2019—when Cubs did it in a game against Braves.
Yeah, unusual to win game when out-homered 4-0 but would be terrible to lose a game when opposing club made 6 errors.
Wow, Dansby with 11 RBI in the DH. What a difference.
-
Cubs win, Cubs win, Cubs win!
HR's are an efficient way to score runs. Pretty amazing to get out-homered 4-0, but win by 5 runs!
After going a month without winning any series, they've now gone four series without losing any. Crazy.
-
Webb works around two walks and holds the Mets scoreless in the bottom of the ninth, with Lindor making the last out. Cubs win!
-
Ramirez gives this team something it didn't have--someone who can do a bit of everything.
-
Yet another hit from Dansby, and Ramirez and Kelly come in to score and make it 10-5! Swanson steals second but the Cubs can't add more. On to the bottom of the ninth. No longer a save situation; Webb is coming in to hold it.
-
Two outs in the top of the ninth and the Mets make their sixth error. Let's get this run in and hold on to win the game. You can't lose a game in which the other guys make six errors.
...and we score! Ramirez comes up big again; Nico scores; it's 8-5.
-
Bo Bichette leads off the bottom of the eighth with a double, but a timely pop-up from Semien and a strikeout end the inning. Trent Thornton on the mound. We've got guys who must have been 25th on the pitching depth chart in spring training coming in and holding leads.
-
With the Cubs up 6-5 in the eighth, Pedro Ramirez reaches on an error, steals second, and then comes in to score on another Mets error that puts PCA on base. Pete steals second and moves to third on a passed ball, but Suzuki strikes out and can't get the run in.
We'd be tearing our hair out if we played defense like the Mets are today. Five errors in addition to the passed ball, plus a wild pitch from Manaea earlier.
-
I guess Suzuki's hot streak is over. 0 for 10 with 6 Ks on a day when his team scored 17 runs.
-
Shota gave up a couple of long HR's in the 2nd, to make it 3-1 Mets.
In 4th, Cubs have scored 3 runs, still two guys one and no outs, Manea finally getting pulled. Bunch of RISP hits. Tie-breaking hit was a hapless attempt by PCA to bunt, blooped it over Bichette's head. Should have scored even more off awful Manea, but strand the two no-outs baserunners, Bregman of course showing up to make the last out.
Shota quickly gives up a long, long bomb to tie it.
-
Cubs get some baserunners on in front of Bregman in the first. Funny, it's June 24 and he has one XBH versus lefty pitchers this season.
-
This happened to Nick Madrigal a few years ago, in case you all forgot…
https://youtu.be/xLusMLQKC1o?si=IZoOdzmBpL5VTC_c
That’s very helpful…and supports the notion that the PCA call was WRONG.
No way that PCA had both feet “past” the bag, either behind the bag or in a direction seeking to advance.
The article link accompanying Dave’s link notes the actual “past/prior” rule. Very helpful article there. The rule explains why this situation is different than a base stealer coming off the bag slightly.
Madrigal play probably called incorrectly too, but PCA call is more egregious. Clear example of the rule properly applied is the prior link of Eugenio Suarez advancing slightly toward home plate after a walk taking him to 3B.
The past/prior rule is fine. Problem was in the application.
-
The difference there, Dave, is that he was tagged off the bag. PCA was not. He was tagged coming in, the tag was lifted before he came off. Watch both closely.
-
This happened to Nick Madrigal a few years ago, in case you all forgot…
https://youtu.be/xLusMLQKC1o?si=IZoOdzmBpL5VTC_c
-
Yeah, was not too optimistic about this game thru 4 innings, down three runs with McLean carving up Cubs hitters.
But Cubs then score 10 unanswered runs! Nice job thereafter by Assad and bullpen, helped by some poor ABs by Mets hitters.
Offense rolling again. Remains to be seen if that will continue over a large bunch of games going forward. Maybe.
-
Cubs win, Cubs win. Behind Ace Assad, and 7 RBI by clutch Dansby! 3-run HR to break tie, grand slam to blow it out. Conforto got a 2-out RBI double in front of Busch's 2-out game-tying HR. Assad is now 6-1. Tyler with two perfect innings.
Crazy how games are different when offense scores runs.
Game 2 will have well-rested Shota. (9 days since last outing.). Havig one of the original rotaton guys starting, crazy!
-
No, it's not a dead ball. Technically. The runner can try to go to third if he wants, but he's in jeopardy.
It's basically dead before he touches 2nd base. Had Armstrong made a move to 3rd or to the dugout, sure. He made no move but was called out because he had contacted the bag on the dead-ball slide, lost contact and got tagged, and then regained contact.
That rule is garbage when it's a steal. This is 50'x worse.
-
PCA was clearly out if it wasn't ball four. I'm wondering if the crew at MLB headquarters knew the whole situation and just saw the tag play on what they thought was a steal. What if they were told that the Mets were challenging a safe call and said, "What, he's clearly tagged out." Somebody's getting a letter.
-
Wml, I'm just seeing your post from a few minutes ago; I agree with everything except the idea that it's technically the correct call. Under the recent no-oversliding rules, he never got the base he was entitled to. How can you be tagged out for advancing past a base you never got to take possession of? Either all those overslide tags count as stolen bases plus putouts attempting to take the next base (but they aren't), or he was obstructed from taking a base he was entitled to. The ruling seems to use a contradiction to justify calling him out.
-
I think we are on the same wave length Tuffy. A rule needs to be implemented for the fielder obstruction of a runner advancing to a base they are entitled to.
-
What an absolutely ridiculous call. It sounds like the umpires' logic was that it's not truly a dead ball on ball four; runners can attempt to take extra bases, and in coming off the base, PCA had already reached second (the base he was entitled to on the walk) and was attempting to advance further.
But that's now how these "coming off the base for a split second after touching it" plays have ever been seen; they don't give such runners credit for a stolen base followed by a pickoff. It goes in the books as a caught stealing, because he doesn't get the stolen base until he touches the base and remains on it. So in this case, PCA is entitled to the base, because it was ball four.
And even then, him coming off the base was caused by the slide move to evade the tag, so shouldn't the fielder be guilty of obstruction? He can't block a runner from reaching a base that the runner is entitled to.
Here's Eugenio Suarez getting back-picked by the Cardinals in a similar play:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3RhbTAKZgU
But in this case he has already taken third base, which the walk sent him to, and is taking a lead beyond it, thinking about advancing. PCA was tagged in a play that is normally seen as him not "acquiring" second base.
-
I say technically the correct call was made. There needs to be a rule adjustment if they are going to be looking at a play like that frame by frame to see if the runner came off the base for a microsecond. If on Ball Four the runner does not try to advance to third on a steal attempt he is to be ruled safe even if he overslides the bag.
It just makes common sense. The tag on his right hand that I say pushed his right hand to the side of the bag and made it slide past the bag while he was eventually tagged on the mit for that milisecond. That tag should have never been part of the play. Maybe thaey should have ruled interference by the fielder on the tag and the play called dead at that point. He interfered with the runner taking possession of the entitled base. You are not allowed to push a runner off a base to tag them. I see it as the same thing. Make a rule for this situation.
But I play D&D and we say RAW (Rules As Written) when it doesn't make sense to do something. RAW it was the correct call.
-
No, it's not a dead ball. Technically. The runner can try to go to third if he wants, but he's in jeopardy. The thing is, when I watch the replay, New York does not touch him with the ball after he gets to the base, even if he steps off. If he's out on the initial tag, that's looney tunes.
-
Armstrong never left 2nd anyway. He was tagged before getting there on ball four. Then stood on 2nd until they decided to call him out on a dead play.
-
Yes, the play's dead. The umps are imbeciles and baseball is embarrassing.
-
Wow…
He didn’t initially advance on the walk, he tried to steal but as soon as its ball four that’s a dead ball and the runner at first is awarded 2nd base. Right? Or am I missing it completely?
I guess it can be considered a forced out when he’s off 2b but ball four makes it a dead ball….
-
I missed this… anyone got a twitter clip?
-
Worst challenge that will be ever be made, a 5-minute waste of time, and then the clown who challenged is rewarded.
-
Baseball is embarrassing. They literally called an out on ball four.
It's not a serious sport.
-
Can you not protest a game anymore? That out call of PCA at second was ridiculous. For one thing how can you reverse a call that wasn't mafe?
-
Cubs lose, Cubs lose. Bummer loss.
-
Seiya got a rich hanging slider on 3-1 but fouled it off, before whiffing on the almost-wild-pitch. Missed opportunities.
-
Cubs load the bases with nobody out in the 8th.
Get one run on a grounder, then Suzuki refuses to walk and K's on a pitch that almost goes to the wall. Busch pops out to end the inning.
-
Cubs blow a 5-0 7th-inning lead. Now trail 8-5.
Once again, the starting pitching can not be blamed.
-
Shaw with a crazy AB to hit 3-run HR. 3-0 after two, Rea two perfect innings.
Shaw took strike one, what looked like a cookie. Corbin threw a 1-2 pitch that was almost entirely within the strike zone, but the ump whiffed the call and their catcher bizarrely failed to challenge for whatever foolish reason. Should have been a frustrating K. But then on full count got a pitch on the upper inside corner, right on the corner, and Shaw yanked it out. Fun AB.
-
PCA in June is now .406-435-906-1.341 with 4 SB.
-
Gausman used 44 pitches in the 1st inning. Wow.
-
Are you suggesting that a .417 BA with RISP is a good result?
Better than .017
-
10 for 24 with RISP.
Great job.
Are you suggesting that a .417 BA with RISP is a good result?
-
Cubs scored 16, get 24 at-bats with RISP, and leave 15 on base.
10 for 24 with RISP.
Great job.
-
Bregman got a hit with a runner on base today. He also hit a hard solid line-out with runners on. And in another spot with a runner on 3rd and 1 out, he actually drove him in, groundout too soft for a DP. Obviously those were not in leverage situations, but got to start somewhere.
-
Craig, Guerrero has had a tough year. With RISP, he ranks with Bregman and Happ. Really in a power outage.
-
Nice to get an easy win right out of the box. Tomorrow is key game, Rea has been terrible lately but might be overdue for an OK game. Patrick Corbin isn't that good. Would be nice to secure the series before facing Cease on Sunday. That will not be a favorable matchup. But if you won tomorrow, you'd get the series and still have a shot to sweep on Sunday. Guerrero came out with an injury today. Perhaps because game was already pretty big differential, but Toronto without Guerrero is not as dangerous.
In today's lineup, ex Cub minor-leaguer Yohendrick Piñango was their cleanup hitter, with 2nd-best OPS. Ex-Cubs Tommy Nance and Brendon Little both pitched. Another example of use-when-losing reliever usage.
-
Cubs scored 16, get 24 at-bats with RISP, and leave 15 on base.
-
Run differential widened today.
-
Cabrera out again with blister issues. Palencia out again with elbow issues (letting a pitcher finish an inning after complaining of an arm issue - always a good idea).
-
0-7 w/ RISP, 1-17 in the series.
-
Man, PCA is seriously en fuego.
-
Neither Shaw nor Ramirez is valuable enough right now to acquire any sort of meaningful, controlled pitching. Keep them.
-
Since we're stuck with Swanson, Bregman, and Nico as starters no matter how they perform (and in the end that might be fine), we do have the luxury of trading Ramirez or Shaw for pitching. Shaw is the one I would prefer. But I wouldn't give up Hartshorn, Rojas, Wiggins (yes, Wiggins) et al for any SP. And I wouldn't give up Shaw for a rental, since we're not a serious contender to go the WS this year anyway.
-
Ron, I'm optimistic that Brown, Assad, Shota, Cabrera will pitch us into the playoffs! :):). With Boyd, Taillon, Rea, Will Sanders covering #5! Let's go! Why not? :):).
And not sure the rotation guy you'd get for Shaw right now will be that much better than Boyd/Taillon/Rea/Sanders, or change the chances all that much. This is the roster we've got, lets get in with what we've got. Can tweak around the margins (DH, 5th starter, bullpen.).
I stand corrected. You are being optimistic, sort of, at least. I'm not as confident as you in those four. Maybe Steele will be back and help. But depending on what it takes and for whom, I hope the Cubs can pull out a trade for a pitcher who will significantly improve the rotation. As always, "we'll see" (Gust Avrakotos, Charlie Wilson's War).
-
I believe we'll make the playoffs, I just don't think we'll go very deep with this staff.
-
Ron, I'm optimistic that Brown, Assad, Shota, Cabrera will pitch us into the playoffs! :):). With Boyd, Taillon, Rea, Will Sanders covering #5! Let's go! Why not? :):).
And not sure the rotation guy you'd get for Shaw right now will be that much better than Boyd/Taillon/Rea/Sanders, or change the chances all that much. This is the roster we've got, lets get in with what we've got. Can tweak around the margins (DH, 5th starter, bullpen.).
-
Not too keen on trading for rotation help. Yes, I think the Cubs have at least a possible chance to sneak in as a wildcard team. The other wildcard-bubble teams aren't overwhelming. And yeah, last playoffs was fun, and Wrigley was hopping, and it would be fun to reproduce or go further. But I really don't see this team as a world-series-caliber team. So I don't want to trade much Buildican futures talent for some rotation help to boost our wildcard chances. And I don't think we've got the prospects to get more than a back-of-rotation guy anyway. Somebody better than recent version of Rea, or pre-injury Taillon? Sure, maybe we can do that. But I think I'd rather win or lose with the roster we've got, for better or for worse, than to trade either of Shaw, Ramirez, or Rojas for a wildcard booster. Let's keep all three of them. Seiya is expiring, and with Shaw and Ramirez I think we could live without Seiya. So *IF* they were to trade Seiya for some pitcher, I'd actually be just fine with that.
Who knows, maybe in a couple of weeks I'd rather pull up Will Sanders to replace Rea. Or maybe Boyd or Taillon will return sooner or later and perhaps be variably anti-awful, I don't know. But the deadline price for good pitching, that's always just too high to be worth it for the team that we've got. Keep our young talent, and win or lose with what we've got, or with some JAG pickup(s) that don't cost anything meaningful.
YIKES. What happened to craig the optimist?
-
Not so sure about that, but under different circumstances…I think the double could have easily been another triple.
In a MLB-TV interview, PCA essentially said that about his double.
-
Rolison, no chance Cubs would try to extend him a little bit, and try him out as starter? I think his splits are pretty strong, so he's probably best served to stay in relief, get used situationally, and gain confidence and stability in that role.
But the way Rea has been struggling, and given that both the younger Brown and Assad have popped in and been way better, part of me thinks it would be a cool story if some unexpected cat like Rolison would get an expanded shot to take over Rea's spot, and would end up emerging as a competent starter.
Not too keen on trading for rotation help. Yes, I think the Cubs have at least a possible chance to sneak in as a wildcard team. The other wildcard-bubble teams aren't overwhelming. And yeah, last playoffs was fun, and Wrigley was hopping, and it would be fun to reproduce or go further. But I really don't see this team as a world-series-caliber team. So I don't want to trade much Buildican futures talent for some rotation help to boost our wildcard chances. And I don't think we've got the prospects to get more than a back-of-rotation guy anyway. Somebody better than recent version of Rea, or pre-injury Taillon? Sure, maybe we can do that. But I think I'd rather win or lose with the roster we've got, for better or for worse, than to trade either of Shaw, Ramirez, or Rojas for a wildcard booster. Let's keep all three of them. Seiya is expiring, and with Shaw and Ramirez I think we could live without Seiya. So *IF* they were to trade Seiya for some pitcher, I'd actually be just fine with that.
Who knows, maybe in a couple of weeks I'd rather pull up Will Sanders to replace Rea. Or maybe Boyd or Taillon will return sooner or later and perhaps be variably anti-awful, I don't know. But the deadline price for good pitching, that's always just too high to be worth it for the team that we've got. Keep our young talent, and win or lose with what we've got, or with some JAG pickup(s) that don't cost anything meaningful.
-
Funny thing is if Pete had been running out of the box on that triple it's probably an inside the park home run. No cycle, but an extra run.
Not so sure about that, but under different circumstances…I think the double could have easily been another triple.
-
Jed will probably get us another Eli Morgan for Ramírez.
-
Cubs cycle history:
https://www.mlb.com/news/every-cycle-in-cubs-history
-
I really like Ramirez - I don't think you trade that guy. Handles the bat well from both sides, decent glove, seems to have a good feel for situation awareness.
Don’t see Cubs trading either Shaw or Ramirez at trade deadline. Both have roles on the club this season, so would be weakening one component to improve another component. Further, either is too valuable to trade for a non-Skubal rental.
After the season is a different story. Think you have to see what’s out there for either in pitching value. Guessing some teams might prefer Shaw and some might prefer Ramirez, so have to weigh the return. Would be surprised if both are back for 2027.
-
Funny thing is if Pete had been running out of the box on that triple it's probably an inside the park home run. No cycle, but an extra run.
-
Whenever trades come up, I shudder thinking about who's doing the trading.
-
Middle of our order failed with a man on third, 3 times, or was it four. Non-starters, Shaw and Ramirez win it.
Having Shaw and Ramirez on the roster is a nice luxury to have but I think it's just that, a luxury. With no controllable pitching and the infield committed to high-priced players for multiple years, I think you have to deal one of them for pitching. You could give them the two corner OF sports next season but that would be a huge gamble.
-
Middle of our order failed with a man on third, 3 times, or was it four. Non-starters, Shaw and Ramirez win it.
-
I really like Ramirez - I don't think you trade that guy. Handles the bat well from both sides, decent glove, seems to have a good feel for situation awareness.
-
Cubs win thanks to three walks, a throwing error, and a hit by Ramirez in the 9th.
-
Can't blame the starting pitching tonight.
-
He got the cycle, then was immediately picked off. A microcosm.
Sure, but it's not like anyone was going to drive him in anyway.
A sequential cycle, evern more rare. Pick-off or no, PCA has been legit great the last several weeks. In a world where Ohtani didn't exist he'd be a serious MVP candidate.
-
The Cubs practice failing with runners on base, I'm sure of it at this point.
-
He got the cycle, then was immediately picked off. A microcosm.
-
PCA a single away from this cycle this time. He should lay down a bunt.
Don't be ridiculous. He should hit a home run.
-
PCA a single away from this cycle this time. He should lay down a bunt.
-
Offense is pretty much PCA and call it a day at this point.
-
Cubs with 1 run through 5 against a guy with a 7.71 ERA coming in.
-
Atypical for him, Assad FIP almost identical to his ERA this season. Career, almost a run difference—which is unsustainable. Pitched with a lot of confidence yesterday. Could see that.
Tom Glavine career ERA was .41 better than FIP. Mariano Rivera .55 better. Whitey Ford was .51 better. A few guys do this over a career. Not a lot.
Yeah, it's fun when he's pitching with confidence and is locating. No margin for error when he isn't.
At this point, moving forward, his ERA should be expected to be better than his FIP. Cubs have a terrific defense, and their spending has prioritized defense. On average over long haul, Cubs pitchers should have ERA's better than FIP. Especially for pitchers who aren't HR-factories.
-
Cubs win, Cubs win. Getting multiple HR's sure helps. Scoring early, and seeing use-when-losing relievers helps too.
Bullpen with 4 no-hit innings. Maton faced five batters and retired 4 of them.
Cubs first series win in over a month. Nice.
-
Like to see PCA get the cycle here. If you want a triple this is the guy, the ballpark, and the OF defense you'd want.
-
Mixed it a up a little better that inning, more sinkers and a change. 86 pitches through five - almost surely done. Great pitchers win on off nights, so maybe this says as much about where Brown is as all those dominating performances.
-
Switch-hitters are good.
I'll take Ramirez over Shaw right now. Might be a better hitter today, but will be in the long-term either way.
-
Brown fighting, but definitely not sharp despite 1 run through 4. Good D and a bad offense saving him. He seems to be falling into old two-pitch habits - mostly 4-seamers and curves.
Also, Tyler Jones is a terrible umpire.
-
PCA a triple away from the cycle in the 4th, OPS over .800.
-
I don't know what happened to Amaya's athleticism but he looks slow and stiff at the plate. Maybe it's just all the injuries but he's a shadow of what he was.
-
Brown absolutely less sharp than he has been but fighting through it through 3. Dialed up to 99 on Devers and threw an 88 MPH curve that physics dictates should be impossible.
-
…Assad with only 1 walk, and with all the zillion groundouts, that's a good recipe. Sustainable, I have no idea. But the guy is in his 5th season in the majors and still has a composite ERA of 3.48 overall; 3.99 this year with a 1.0 WHIP. Might get shelled his next three starts, beats me, his margin of error seems slim. But when a guy gets a window of opportunity, fun to see him use it well.
Atypical for him, Assad FIP almost identical to his ERA this season. Career, almost a run difference—which is unsustainable. Pitched with a lot of confidence yesterday. Could see that.
Tom Glavine career ERA was .41 better than FIP. Mariano Rivera .55 better. Whitey Ford was .51 better. A few guys do this over a career. Not a lot.
-
Cubs won, have a 2-game winning streak! Assad really good game, 6-3-0-0-1-5-0, with 8/1 GO/FO.
Offensive uncharacteristically efficient. 5 runs on 6 hits/1 walk. Suzuki rocket double drove in the first run, he got to 3rd on a throw home that go away, Hoerner sac flied him in. Then real game-breaker was a 3-run HR by Busch, an actual hit with a RISP.
Assad with only 1 walk, and with all the zillion groundouts, that's a good recipe. Sustainable, I have no idea. But the guy is in his 5th season in the majors and still has a composite ERA of 3.48 overall; 3.99 this year with a 1.0 WHIP. Might get shelled his next three starts, beats me, his margin of error seems slim. But when a guy gets a window of opportunity, fun to see him use it well.
-
Cubs actually won today behind a Suzuki grand slam and homers from Kelly, and Bregman!
-
Since that will never happen, the next likely step is change for its own sake. A DFA of somebody you don't expect, Kelly dealt so Ballesteros has to catch, anything to shake things up.
If the front office wants Ballesteros to catch more, he'll catch more. The days when the front office just let the manager decide everything on the field are long gone. Don't have to trade Kelly to do that, if that's the plan.
Look, Cubs need SP and if can make a good trade long before the trade deadline, they will do that. But, don't see that much around the baseball industry---especially with just about every AL team in the Wild Card race. Teams wait.
A DFA of a marginal player is always a possibility. Conforto is 3 for his last 38 ABs. Maybe getting close to giving those ABs to somebody else.
-
They need to fire Jed Hoyer and Carter Hawkins.
Since that will never happen, the next likely step is change for its own sake. A DFA of somebody you don't expect, Kelly dealt so Ballesteros has to catch, anything to shake things up.
-
I hate sacrifice bunting, but, honestly, I wouldn't have minded had Nico moved Suzuki over in the 9th.
-
They need to fire Jed Hoyer and Carter Hawkins.
-
Gotta say, this is looking pretty grim.
-
2027 draft thread is starting to look more pertinent.
-
Hoyer gambled poorly.
-
Starting pitchers give up 9 in 4.2, and 3 in 5. 3.2 and 4 innings for the bullpens, zero runs for either side. I wonder if there would be any consideration to building up one of the relievers to start, and bumping one of the vet starters into relief? Probably not until they would give up on wildcard.
For Hoyer's five starting pitchers before injury forced Brown into rotation, ERA's are 6.0 (Boyd), 5.19 (Taillon), 5.19 (Rea), 4.99 (Cabrera), and 4.74 (Shota). Those seem deceptively mediocre, since most of them had some decent starts early on.
Last 4 or 5 starts (whichever looks worse)
Shota: 10.8 ERA, 13HR
Cabrera: 8.5, 8HR
Taillon: 7.8, 9HR
Rea: 6.0, 5HR
Cubs have had some bad teams, but not sure I can recall a month with such consistently awful rotation work by the majority of the staff, Brown excepted.
Rea is 35, Taillon 34, Boyd 35, Shota 32. Kinda knew going in this was an old rotation, and a pretty veteran roster in general. Hoyer kinda put his chips in on the vet starters.
-
His bat speed is now down to 16th percentile in the mlb. But! He does have 1.5 WAR already!
Bregman was just 21st percentile in 2023 when he hit 25 homers and had OPS+ of 122. Not his thing.
Think that Bregman’s offensive issues are something else other than bat speed. Had a very poor September last year too. Just out of kilter. Guessing he’ll come out of it but he’s really hurting us offensively right now. No getting around that.
Of course, it takes a village to be this bad for a month, not just one or two guys.
Since May 9–when the losing began—Cubs have wRC+ of 83 and slash line of 211-302-330.
Before May 9, it was wRC+ of 123 with slash line of 258-354-429.
If anybody can explain this coherently, have at it.
Padres have been even worse, a club with Tatis, Merrill, Machado, others, doing nothing offensively. Padres slash line since May 9 is 195-274-328. Go figure.
For me, remains to be seen whether Cubs offensive is very good, good, mediocre, or poor. It’s Baseball. We’ll see.
-
His bat speed is now down to 16th percentile in the mlb. But! He does have 1.5 WAR already!
-
$56.81 million in AAV for
.180/.285/.322/wRC+ 75
.243/.360/.342 /wRC+ 93
Until 2029 and 2030.......
-
I told you Bergman is washed.
-
And just a couple of injuries brings a good, not great, teams down hard.
-
If Jed has a theme song, it has to be "Stuck in the Middle With You".
-
Hoyer is really bad at his job.
If you build an entire team of good-not-great players, you're going to have some stretches where the entire team is bad-to-okay. But don't worry, they'll have another 12-2 streak soon. That also happens with entire teams of good-not-great players.
Their biggest problems--Jed Hoyer and Carter Hawkins--are still checking all the boxes for the Ricketts family.
-
Hard to believe we had to outbid Boston for him.
-
If Bregman got a buck for every clutch hit the Cubs could have him for free.
-
Baserunning sucks, as does Bregman,
-
Or give him a garbage can to bang on
-
No offense to him personally.
-
How about a fake injury for Bregman, that despicable and worthless c*u*m catching Astro cheating piece of s*hi*t?
-
Given that the Cubs were probably going to concoct a fake injury for Taillon anyway, the timing is good if nothing else.
-
Brown has allowed 5 ER in 6 starts (31.2 IP), and the Cubs are 4-2 in those games. Imagine how ghastly the last month would have been if not for him. 4-2 in Brown starts, 4-18 when everybody else starts.
-
15 games is about the length of time it has been since he moved to either 1 or 2 in the batting order.
-
Just Baseball
@JustBB_Media
PCA in his last:
30 gms: .287 AVG | 8 HR | 19 RBI | .937 OPS
15 gms: .368 AVG | 6 HR | 12 RBI | 1.201 OPS
7 gms: .517 AVG | 5 HR | 8 RBI | 1.632 OPS
On a different planet.🐻
-
If PCA continues the underlying metrics he's been putting up the past several weeks, his topline numbers are going to skyrocket. He's basically transformed himself as a hitter.
Yup.
Hard to overstate how good PCA has been at the plate, and not for just a few games either. He looks transformed - we'll see if he can maintain the good habits.
-
In last 15 games PCA has raised his OPS from .659 to .791.
-
Nice win! PCA, wow.
Rolison, nice job. Busch, nice job pulling the ball and advancing the ghost runner, then lucking into actually getting a hit besides.
Palencia gave up more hard contact in his 9th inning that the Cubs hit all game, probably. He was missing pretty badly with his fastball. Guessing with the Cubs winning so little, he's not gotten much work. Would be fun to win some games, because winning is intrinsically more fun. but think that would help him to stay sharp, too. Or to get sharp.
Brown wasn't as sharp, first-pitch ball to most guys. Nice to have enough confidence and enough variety of good pitches so that he can throw strikes when he gets behind, and his strikes have enough life to still get outs. Kind of a shame that his wonderful story this year has kinda gotten overshadowed by by the last month of losing.
-
So going into the 10th, it's PCA 2, Giants 2.
-
Another great managerial decision by the by far highest paid manager in the sport.
-
Brown another good shutout game into the 5th. He's become really good. At 87 pitches. Thielbar comes in, Devers hits long HR. Recent Thielbar has kinda joined the Shota/Cabrera HR-profile.
-
Guess it wasn't the blister.
-
Correction
Giants coming in: -63
Giants today: +16
-
Giants run diff coming in: -63
Giants run diff today: +13
-
At least we're paying Counsell a fortune.
-
Wasn't Cabrera supposed to be good?
-
Between Taillon, Shota, and Cabrera, the HR's are going to keep flying, I think... Boyd's a high-HR guy, too.
-
Serves up another 2 run HR in the 4th. 3.2 innings, 3HR, 8 runs on HR.
-
Cabrera serves up grand slam in the 4th. Cubs scouting and pitching infrastructure might not be as good as they tell themselves that it is?
-
Adames takes a 100mph FB about 440 feet.
-
Mo’s hard hit grounder hit the mound first, which probably created a good amount of spin coming off it…not as routine as it appeared…
-
No way that Moises ball was a hit. Routine grounder, error 100%,
Ballesteros ball should have been made in the big leagues but not a routine grounder: 103.9 exit velo and .470 xBA.
Suzuki’s ground single was a lucky ‘hit em where they ain’t” routine grounder that found a hole: .260 xBA.
PCA game winner was a blooper at .510 xBA. Bloop it over the 2B and some fall in. If RF played more shallow could have got to that ball but PCA has been driving the ball lately, so no reason to play him shallow to his pull side.
Obviously, takes luck to string together six straight hits but guys made contact and no Ks. So, sometimes stuff happens.
-
No way that Moises ball was a hit. Routine grounder, error 100%,
-
six straight hits, 5 straight singles. So much luck.
I probably write this too often, but seeing other teams' defense, some look rather inferior. Butler in right, man is he slow. Happ's ball hung up, I was surprised Butler didn't get to it. PCA's blooper was up for a long time too, but butler took forever to even get into camera range. The groundball single by Moises, that was hit hard but big-league SS's handle hard-hit balls all the time. I'd have been pretty mad if Cubs lost because Dansby or Hoerner whiffed on a ball like that.
Fun to sneak an unlikely win out.
-
Well, that wasn't on the ol' bingo card.
Given what's transpired over the past few weeks that has to go down as one of the most unlikely finishes ever.
-
Now that is also the PCA experience.
One of the more improbable wins of recent years.
-
Sums up the Cubs season and the PCA experience.
https://x.com/MLB/status/2062708247723700574
-
I've mentioned PCA's declining defense. He just lost a flyout that went for a 2-run inside-the-park homer.
-
4-0 A's now. No end to the losing in sight.
-
Cubs lose again. PCA whiffs on ball 4, huge swing as always. I wonder if he'd ever consider choking up a little bit, or cutting back some situationally? Probably not.
Bregman obviously not the guy you wanted up in RBI situation. But his last out was hit hard. He actually hit a number of balls hard today, usually foul. If he can pull some hard foul balls, maybe he's close to an adjustment away from getting some hard-hit balls in play?
-
As for PCA's improvement, he K'd with the tying run at 3rd and one out in the 10th, as anyone watching could've bet on.
-
Pitching to Kurtz with 1st base open in the 10th is one of reasons the Brewers don't miss Counsell.
-
This team sucks.
-
Palencia in for the second consecutive day in a non-save situation. Given how little he's pitched that's the right decision.
-
Very hard, but Maton gets an out without allowing a run. Gave up a rocket that was limited to a single it was hit so hard; tried to walk the next guy but he fouled off ball four; then hit a line drive for an out. Not many easy outs for poor Maton.
-
Thielbar bombs and Counsell turns to Maton to settle things down. Sounds like a hell of a plan.
-
Now with no lead, it's Maton coming in. Scary...
-
Thielbar gives up another run, tie game. 4-4.
-
Thielbar gives up a LONG HR to his first batter. 4-3 in the 8th.
-
If PCA continues the underlying metrics he's been putting up the past several weeks, his topline numbers are going to skyrocket. He's basically transformed himself as a hitter.
-
Cubs are winning, 4-2. Lots of XBH and power thus far after 4. Seiya hit a long HR to pull within 2-1, then PCA hit a 2-run shot for 3-2 lead. In 4th, Happ got a double, and after Dansby whiffed, Busch had a long, long AB against a lefty and ended up ripping a line drive. RF dove for it, missed and kind of rolled around, and didn't seem like CF was chasing. Busch easily got triple, it looked like if they'd sent him he'd had had a chance to score. But played it safe, and Ramirez his a quick grounder right to 1B, then Hoerner popped out. Would have loved to get that extra run.
Will be A's bullpen now, so Cubs will likely need to score off their relievers.
-
Gotta hope the blister was the problem.
-
Sigh, it’s just Ben Brown and pray for rain right now, which sure is saying something.
-
And yet, last night, he had the only RBI. Go figure.
-
...a lot of poor performance with 0 outs and RISP. For me, that's the key AB. The guy comes up with runners on base and does nothing with 0 outs. That’s how you have productive multi-run innings—by getting a hit there. Not much of that.
First inning tonight, Bregman up with runners on 2nd and 3rd. Got a run in with a routine grounder but did not advance the runner from 2nd and created an out. Meh.
...
Right. Nico and PCA led off both of last two 1st-innings on base, and 9th yesterday, and Bregman snuffed all three of those innings.
Heh heh, maybe he should bat 9th for a while after Dansby? As a groundball guy with no speed, would reduce Bregman's DP risk And when he does take a walk, his one present offensive skill, it would set up Nico/PCA?
-
When your starting pitcher only throws two or three good games a season and you blow one of them, that hurts.
-
This club is horrible right now.
-
Bregman has some great attitudes and desire to win, of which we heard prolifically off season. But man, he's been about as anti-clutch as I can remember. Would like to see him get some RBI hits for a change, or maybe just advance all baserunners. Poor guy has been kind of a rally killer.
Poor guy?
I think not. ;)
-
A lot of attention when a batter comes up with 2 outs and RISP. Cubs have not been good at that lately, obviously.
But, a lot of poor performance with 0 outs and RISP. For me, that's the key AB. The guy comes up with runners on base and does nothing with 0 outs. That’s how you have productive multi-run innings—by getting a hit there. Not much of that.
First inning tonight, Bregman up with runners on 2nd and 3rd. Got a run in with a routine grounder but did not advance the runner from 2nd and created an out. Meh.
So much soft contact tonight. Cubs hitless from one out in second inning all the way to the 9th inning. Hardest hit ball all night was a kind of routine PCA flyout in 3rd inning. A’s SP Jump with just 5 swing-and-misses thru 7 innings (Taillon had 18). Soft flyball contact and lots of called strikes. Boo.
-
Bregman has some great attitudes and desire to win, of which we heard prolifically off season. But man, he's been about as anti-clutch as I can remember. Would like to see him get some RBI hits for a change, or maybe just advance all baserunners. Poor guy has been kind of a rally killer.
-
Nice night for Taillon, wind blowing in, so he's gotten into the 5th inning with only 1 HR thus far. With wind in, his best game in a long time, only 2 runs, 1 walk, and 1 HR through 5.
-
The White Sox now have the best record in Chicago. :o :( >:(
-
If Wicks never throws another pitch for the Cubs it will be too soon.
-
Awful defense by the Cubs. Swanson olays a grounder, then Happ pulls up on a popup that should've been caught.
Cubs 0-5 w/ RISP, Bregman with a K and weak roller for two of those outs.
-
wicks finishes with only 3 runs in his two innings, improves ERA to 15.6. Roberts comes in and allows some more, so down 5-0 after 3.
-
Boyd's rehab start at Iowa:
4-4-3-2-1-2
-
With Wicks going today, nice to have won yesterday and make sure they don't get swept. Cubs have tomorrow off, Cardinals don't. So, Counsell could afford to go fairly quickly to the bullpen. Guessing Counsell will probably not let Wicks allow more than two HR! But baseball is a funny game, so maybe Wicks will have a hot game and be antiawful for a day? Would be fun if he could, been a long time since winning a series.
-
5% catch probability.
-
Watching the highlights, that change Brown threw to K Gorman (his final pitch) was absolutely filthy. In fact he threw 4 straight changeups that AB and also struck out Gorman on a change earlier. If he could do that consistently, the sky's the limit.
Also, PCA's catch in the 9th was absolutely bonkers.
-
Brown's success does not look like a fluke.
-
Brown was really, really good. So many strikes, so many fast innings, and yeah without the HR's. Shota and Taillon give up 2-3 HR per game, Brown game after game without. Crazy.
Nice to have added on. Cubs defense superior as usual.
Palencia gave up some hard-hit balls. With all the losing he hasn't pitched much.
Nice to have been able to add on. Getting to see a use-when-losing guy or two, very helpful.
-
PCA has really been hitting the snot out of the ball lately. Nice to see him finally getting some reward.
Brown just looks rock-solid. Honestly not sure about pulling him at 82 pitches.
-
Broadcast put up a graphic that Brown has now gone 51.1 consecutive innings without giving up a homer.
Last year, when a SP, Brown gave up 14 homers in 75.2 innings.
Night and day.
Brown really terrific tonight. Pitched out of trouble in 6th inning. Just great.
-
Cards getting outhit 5-2 and leading, sigh. Brown looking great again - 44 pitches in 4 IP.
-
Yeah, it seems that way at times, but SP in MLB this season have a cumulative ERA of 4.10 and relievers are at 4.00. So, difference is negligible. Not today.
Interesting that relievers are so little better than the starters. Cubs are obviously anomolous in that regard.
I'm guessing that if you took the cumulative ERA for relief pitchers when games are tied or their team is winning, versus the cumulative ERA when losing, that the "use-when-winning" collective would be considerably lower than 4.0, and the "use-when-losing" considerably higher.
Obviously that's different for starters. Always 0-0 when first inning starts.
-
Today would be a great day for Ballesteros to break out. A really terrible May for him so far.
Slash line of 093-206-148 (63 PAs), with just one extra base hit this month. Yikes!
If this continues much longer, could be looking at an option to Iowa. He’ll be fine in the long run but a struggle for now.
Also, gotta wonder about Pedro Ramirez mostly sitting around instead of getting more ABs at Iowa. Guess he returns to Iowa when Shaw returns——and Shaw might be back soon.
If Ballesteros is optioned at some point, possible that Ramirez stays—even when Shaw returns—to cover that lefty bench/DH role. Hoping that Ballesteros starts to hit soon so becomes a moot point.
Then there’s Alcantara, who’s not playing much either. He has over 750 career PAs at AAA, so hardly needs more minor league seasoning with him. Enough is enough. But not sure what his role is up here.
Veteran Owen Miller having a nice run at Iowa lately. This guy plays everywhere. Plays SS quite a bit at AAA and quite a bit of 1B in the majors (and 2B/3B). Don’t see a lot of guys with a 1B/SS parlay. Batting .300 at Iowa at the moment.
40-man currently is at 38, so room for somebody.
-
……..Better beat the starter, because the relievers are going to be way tougher. The two starters, 8 innings 9 runs. The two bullpens, 9 innings 2 runs.
Yeah, it seems that way at times, but SP in MLB this season have a cumulative ERA of 4.10 and relievers are at 4.00. So, difference is negligible. Not today.
-
Counsell brings in Maton, to give up the extra insurance run. Cubs get one back, but lose 6-5.
Tough when Shota and Taillon give up so many runs. Might be nice to pull them sooner, but what can you do.
But kinda typical of the modern game. Better beat the starter, because the relievers are going to be way tougher. The two starters, 8 innings 9 runs. The two bullpens, 9 innings 2 runs.
-
Gonna lose because of Velazquez' first homer in two years--his first AB as a Cardinal of course--and Saggese's first homer of the season.
-
There was a funny play early in the game. Swanson got a single, Pallante bounced a wild pitch well in front of the plate, Swanson got all the way from 1st to 3rd. Unfortunately PCA chased on the pitch that bounced in front of the plate, and on the bounce it had ticked off his bat, just a foul ball.
-
Counsell brings in Roberts in the 6th, he's throwing some 94's and 95's. Faster than in past. Gets 3rd out with some 94-95 fastballs, then gets the chase K on breaker.
-
5th, Shota gives up a deep one to right, I thought it was gone, but hung in there for Seiya.
Next guy launched one way back. So, 5 runs on 3 HR and counting. But Counsell is letting him stay in there for maybe HR #4.
Escapes the 5th with only 5 HR-runs. Shota ensures that Cub hitters will need to score off of use-when-winning relievers.
-
Shota endures into the 4th before his 2nd HR. Counsell will probably plan to leave him in for at least his 3rd HR, I'd figure, before eventually pulling him. 4-4. Cubs had zillions of chances against Pallante, but will now need to win a bullpen game.
-
Shota missing his spots by a couple of feet on lots of his pitches. But lucks out of the 3rd.
-
Mid 3, Cubs have outhit Cardinals 8-1, and are up by a single run, 4-3. Shota put two guys on in the first before HR by ex-Cub Nelson Velasquez. HBP and a walk. Shota's always going to give up Taillon-esque volume of HR's, but when those guys are putting guys on base, it's worse.
Tough 3rd inning for Cubs. Happ led off with a hard double, I thought he might get a triple but no. Suzuki got a single, I thought Happ might advance to 3rd but he didn't. Conforto with a real bad AB, fouled off a pretty fat strike, then took a pretty fat strike, then whiffed on a pitch way low. Kelly got to full count, could have loaded the bases, but chased a few high ball fours before popping out. Swanson hit a rocket, but 3B snagged it. Pallante's going to be gone soon, so chance to take command of games is gone, now it will be a bullpen game. And Shota's going to give up the lead pretty quick, seems like.
-
Mid 3, Cubs have outhit Cardinals 8-1, and are up by a single run, 4-3. Shota put two guys on in the first before HR by ex-Cub Nelson Velasquez. HBP and a walk. Shota's always going to give up Taillon-esque volume of HR's, but when those guys are putting guys on base, it's worse.
Tough 3rd inning for Cubs. Happ led off with a hard double, I thought he might get a triple but no. Suzuki got a single, I thought Happ might advance to 3rd but he didn't. Conforto with a real bad AB, fouled off a pretty fat strike, then took a pretty fat strike, then whiffed on a pitch way low. Kelly got to full count, could have loaded the bases, but chased a few high ball fours before popping out. Swanson hit a rocket, but 3B snagged it. Pallante's going to be gone soon, so chance to take command of games is gone, now it will be a bullpen game. And Shota's going to give up the lead pretty quick, seems like.
-
Cubs win, Cubs win, Cubs win! Nice outing for Thornton, two innings six batters. Rea was good. Happ big-time two-run HR broke 3-2 game open.
-
Also, Webb looks unsustainably good.
-
He's also regressed dramatically in the field.
-
It’s been lost in this tidal wave of futility but Crow-Armstrong has turned into a BB machine.
-
Obviously I've seen some rough stretches over the years. But given the context this is about as grisly a ten-game stretch as you could imagine. Utterly lifeless, dispirited, pathetic baseball.
-
7-1 Pirates and threatening.
Pirates have gobs of young pitching talent. They had to suck and win a lottery to get it, but they have a future.
-
How many times is Wicks going to suck before everyone just agrees that he sucks?
-
Ashcraft is tonight. Chandler is tomorrow.
-
Big pitching disadvantage tonight, then facing Ashcraft and Skenes.
-
They may have found a real SP at least.
-
Guess it goes without saying the Cubs lost again. Nine in a row.
13 runs scored the last 8 games.
Possible they will be in last by tomorrow.
-
Considering the Cubs are about to get swept at home by the lousy Astros, making it 12 losses out of 14, not sure I'm wrong here.
This is the same as last year. Great first 6 weeks, big lead on the Brewers, then collapse. Not many close losses here either.
-
This is what makes baseball great.
A team can have TWO 10-game winning streaks before the end of May and yet an astute fan can and will say that the club is undergoing a massive underachievement and somebody take the blame.
Not saying that’s necessarily an incorrect assessment, just saying that baseball often has so many highs and lows in a long season that hard to know what the heck is going on at any particular point in time.
What a game! Hate the losing streak but love the mystery.
-
Worst times to evaluate a baseball team with 100+ games to play:
(1) when playing great.
(2) when playing terribly.
Or, what Ron said.
-
The Cubs have obviously been underachieving lately, just as they were obviously overachieving earlier. But even with this tailspin, they are still on a pace for 90 wins, given the cushion they developed earlier. And with 110 games left to play it may be just a bit early to reach a conclusion about their season (just as it was when they had the third best record in MLB).
-
Who's going to take the blame for the massive underachievement this year?
The Cubs now trail two teams whose combined payrolls are lower.
-
At least they didn't suck with RISP. Then again, they didn't have an at-bat with RISP.
-
Some excellent Cubs defense as usual. Nico had a cool throw between his legs in the 4th-or-5th inning, throw was kinda wild but Busch had a nice stretch. PCA had a nice sliding catch, and comfortably jumped at the wall and caught a deep one.
I think it's fortunate that PCA got an unambiguous single, several inches inside the foul line. If Swanson's high pop-up to the 2B had been the only hit, would be a bummer for the Houston staff to lose a no-hitter on an easy popup.
-
Cubs down 3-0 after. Rea with 1K to 3 walks and two HR.
Teng in command, faced only one over minimum.
Dansby broke up no-hitter with two outs in 3rd with a high pop-up to 2B that the 2B lost in the sky. PCA followed with an actual hit, but then got gunned stealing on the first ensuing pitch.
-
0-9 w/ RISP, 11 LOB in another loss.
I'm tempted to bring up the '27 draft thread again.
-
Down 3 in a flash.
-
Greg Huss who does the Cubs on Deck podcast loved Misiorowksi and wanted the Cubs to take him. They usually have Kantorovich on for a show after the draft.
Cubs took Jackson Ferris at #47 and Brewers took Misiorowski at #63. If Cubs drafted the latter instead, really good chance that he goes to Dodgers in Busch trade, instead of Ferris, in any case.
-
In the 2022 draft, Misiorowski went 63rd. Cubs took Horton and Ferris ahead of him. A lot of teams passed on him to take guys we've not heard of yet, and a few we have.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022_Major_League_Baseball_draft
Greg Huss who does the Cubs on Deck podcast loved Misiorowksi and wanted the Cubs to take him. They usually have Kantorovich on for a show after the draft.
-
I thought the pitch selection was odd in spots.
-
Brown's changeup usage was trending up, and he was untouchable in two starts. Today only 2 in 82 pitches and he struggled.
-
In the 2022 draft, Misiorowski went 63rd. Cubs took Horton and Ferris ahead of him. A lot of teams passed on him to take guys we've not heard of yet, and a few we have.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022_Major_League_Baseball_draft
-
Well that's been 20 years. Plus, Misiorowski has about 5mph more.
-
Mark Prior says hello…
-
Can't even imagine what it's like to have a young talent like Misiorowski.
-
Pitching been lit up for a week and continues.
Season starting to look a lot like last year.
-
Maton has good last year, while he may not work out I can't really fault him for that signing.
Pressley and Neris weren't.
-
Too bad Einstein didn't actually say that "definition of insanity" thing, because it would really fit here.
It just boils down to being too cheap to sign high-velocity relievers with a track record. Going after washed-up former closers and junkballers is inherently fraught with peril.
Signing big ticket relievers is kind of Damned if you do, damned if you don’t proposition.
Biggest ticket free agent relief signings over last three free agent cycles. Lots of disappointments here:
Josh Hader-Tanner Scott-Edwin Diaz-Devin Williams-Robert Suarez-Tyler Rogers-Jeff Hoffman.
Jays not using Hoffman or Rogers to close but minimum salary Louis Varland instead, Hader and Diaz are hurt, Devin Williams mostly a bust, Tanner Scott a bust. Suarez good so far but not closing.
Some Hoyer bullpen decisions poor; some good. Kind of mystified why didn’t bring back Keller but passing on Pomeranz and Kittridge looks smart now. Maton has been a bust so far and that has hurt.
Cubs bullpen ERA was #5 and #6 in NL last two seasons. Not bad.
#8 so far in 2026—middle of the pack. Maton has a lot to do with that.
-
Kinda shocking that Hoyer's relief signings get worse each year. As bad as Neris was, kinda shocking that Pressly was worse, but not Maton has been worse yet.
Maybe next couple of years, don't sign any relievers from teams in Texas! :):)
Too bad Einstein didn't actually say that "definition of insanity" thing, because it would really fit here.
It just boils down to being too cheap to sign high-velocity relievers with a track record. Going after washed-up former closers and junkballers is inherently fraught with peril.
-
Think the BP luck has run out.
-
That was quick. Two pitches for Rolison. I know he's not as valuable as Palencia, but with Rolison having pitched each of last two days, I wonder if Palencia having pitched only one inning in the week prior to today, whether going a second inning might not have made better sense?
-
Sox strategy works out well. They did two intentional walks, to set up bases loaded for high-walk guys Bregman and Seiya. I'd not have done that, but Bregman hits a super weak grounder, and Seiya whiffs. Cubs get just the single run. More wasted opportunity. 2-for-14 with RISP. Conforto's HR was not with two outs, so I guess once we got to two outs, getting a hit was beyond reach! :):)
-
PCA makes last out. *IF* Cubs could get through the 9th, he's not the worst guy to be the Manfred Man in 10th?
Yet another reason to hate that incredibly stupid rule, even if it helps us today.
-
Nico fails again.
-
PCA makes last out. *IF* Cubs could get through the 9th, he's not the worst guy to be the Manfred Man in 10th?
Steals 3rd! Nice.
-
Palencia uses 14 pitches in 9th. I wonder if any chance he'd get used also for the 10th? Haasn't pitched much lately, 1.2 innings in the last week, 2.0 innings in the last 12 days.
-
PCA makes last out. *IF* Cubs could get through the 9th, he's not the worst guy to be the Manfred Man in 10th?
-
Cubs tie it up in the 9th.
-
Crazy error on Suzuki ball. Off the bat, sharp groundball with slow Bregman and slow Seiya, I thought that might be a DP game over. Lucky that Vargas threw to first, weird bouncer throw, and terrible play on Murakami's end.
-
The Conforto signing has worked out pretty well so far, I guess.
-
Wow wow wow! 7-7
-
Kinda shocking that Hoyer's relief signings get worse each year. As bad as Neris was, kinda shocking that Pressly was worse, but not Maton has been worse yet.
Maybe next couple of years, don't sign any relievers from teams in Texas! :):)
-
Two quick outs on 6 pitches. Then two base runners and a hr with 2 outs 7-4 Sox.
-
Maton signing is going swimmingly.
-
Milner's gotten four outs, but Counsell pulls him for Maton. Hope it works.
*Narrator voice* it infact did not work out.
-
Doesn't. Maton had 2 outs, nobody on, but then pitches around Benintendi and walks him easily. Gives up another hit to guy hitting .157, and gives up HR to #9 hitter.
Mighta been better to just go with Milner, and save 9.49-Maton for use-when-losing situations.
Oh well, Cubs had their chances early, and had their chance with Hoerner, but blew them.
2 outs has been tough. Runners on, they can't hit with 2 outs. Pitching, 2 outs hard time getting 3rd out.
Of the 2-out runs allowed, Rea walked one of the guys who scored; Rea hit another runner who scored; Maton of course walked the first runner who scored in the 8th.
Kind of a bummer when these finesse veteran pitchers are putting guys on base who end up scoring. Taillon kinda set up his first HR yesterday with a walk as well.
O well.
-
Cubs 1-10 RISP. Some interesting stragegy in 8th. Cubs get leadoff guys on, Shaw pinch running and PCA HBP, so lots of speed. Try to bunt with Swanson, and he succeeds. Questionable plan, because Sox could just walk Hoerner, and then have lefty-lefty on Busch with a ground-ball pitcher. But Counsell does the bunt. Then Hoerner gets a nice hittable pitch, but hits a shallow pop fly to left, good pitch to have lofted a ways. Busch flies out. Hoerner has been pretty good, but bummer failed opportunity there for him. Getting an actual hit with a runner on might be helpful, too... Oh well.
-
Cubs had a zillion chances early, but Sox now going with their premium relievers. Taylor is dominating.
Cubs 1-8 with RISP, Sox 3-7, lots of 2-out RBI for them.
-
Hoerner mis-played a DP ball. A little slow to catch and throw. And gave a really soft slow-toss, thinking Murakami wasn't as fast as he was. Kinda should have been a dp, but Murakami beat it out by a flash. The two typing runs scored when PCA missed a deep fly ball. He had time to get there, and kinda slowed down some to time his jump. But when he jumped, the ball wasn't beyond his glove, he just put his glove off to the side and missed it. Rare to have two defensive opportunities to get out of the inning missed by our two best defenders.
-
Tied up at 4.
-
Sox escape with only 4 runs given up by Fedde. 4-2 after four, Rea's at only 59 pitches, so Sox are going to get several more innings of opportunity against the vulnerable starter before the bullpen comes in. 4 runs will not win this game, Cubs need to score more!
-
Man oh man, Cubs have had a million opportunities in the the early innings against Fedde, but are only up 3-1 mid-3rd. Fedde's at 84 pitches through 3, so they might not get more than one more inning of opportunity. When you face a bad starter, you'd really like to get control of a game and blast him, and then get to face decidedly use-when-losing relievers. But now they're going to mostly face good-stuff relievers for most of the remaining innings. Opportunities wasted. *IF* they end up losing, it will be these wasted first three innings of opportunity where nobody could get a hit with RISP that will have cost them.
-
Taillon and Rea being essentially 5th starters makes it all the more critical that Cabrera doesn't pitch like one. Taillon and Rea are what they are, you aren't going to "fix" them. But Cabrera is another story. Is there a physical issue or is it mechanical or mental? His velocity is certainly down.
Don’t think velocity is really the story with Cabrera. Velocity was actually UP a bit this last outing from earlier. But, hit harder than you’d want.
Overall, sinker and 4-seam down a tick or so for the season but the sinker hardly getting any swing-and-miss. I wonder if he should put the sinker on ice—instead of throwing it 20% of the time. His bread and butter is change up and breaking stuff in any case. Said on the broadcast that Cubs working on getting his release point at higher angle, as in past.
A work in progress.
-
Roberts two more shutout innings tonight. He's done a good job.
-
Taillon and Rea being essentially 5th starters makes it all the more critical that Cabrera doesn't pitch like one. Taillon and Rea are what they are, you aren't going to "fix" them. But Cabrera is another story. Is there a physical issue or is it mechanical or mental? His velocity is certainly down.
-
Taillon gives up a couple more HR. He's also given up a variety of warning-tracking flies earlier. 5-0 Sox in the 3rd. He may need to suck it up and just give up the HR's and forget about ERA or run differential and just cover some innings.
-
3 up, 3 in for Sox off Taillon. Another 1st inning walk for him scores. Taillon is a nice craftsman when he can locate his pitches, but he's seemed to struggle with his location more this season. Hope Cubs can get some runs off 1.59-ERA Martin.
-
Cubs win! Nice to get a bunch of hits, and score a bunch of runs, and to come back and win after they got a nice lead but then Cabrera gave it right back.
-
Cabrera is broken.
-
What business does Murakami have getting picked off first? Terrible baserunning there.
-
That was a very impressive first-to-third by Moises on Kelly's single.
-
:)
-
I wish you all the best of luck this weekend. But I hope you go to sleep sad every night this weekend. This is not the Wsox team of the last couple years…. They have some great energy and surprisingly good fundamentals.
-
That's very interesting. Not many strikes, though, so not sure how often he's going to throw that. But maybe. Maybe he can throw enough for strikes, and some of the non-strikes will get chase, so that it's sometimes productive.
For a lot of pitchers, a change up is a "chase pitch" that is meant to be out of the strike zone when the batter swings at it. I don't know if that he the way Brown throws it, but I think that it is likely.
-
It's early but that feels like a pretty big win. A big psychological difference between getting swept and losing 2 of 3, which in Atlanta is nothing to cry over. Offense is still comatose but the pitching is really overperforming. I think Brown has legit turned the corner but the pitching is going to see some reversion soon, so hopefully the bats wake up before that happens.
Agree. Winning a tight, low-scoring one is helpful for sure. Playoff games are often like that. Another game where other team's defense being worse than ours helped Cubs to win. (Even after this 5-game streak with little hitting, Cubs as a team are still top-7 in most of the hitting stats other than batting average. (runs, OBP, OPS, slug, HR).
HItting often goes up and down with pitching. DeGrom, Sale, Cubs have faced some elite guys this week, and some others pitching well.
Interestingly enough, the Cubs will be at ERA-disadvantage in each of the White Sox games. Cabrera-Taillon-Rea are collectively well over 3 ERA-units higher than the guys the White Sox will be pitching, despite the ERA-help that our guys get from our defense. White Sox have a winning record, this isn't the bad team it was. Could be another difficult series where scoring runs will be challenging.
-
....Brown 8 change-ups (3 for strikes, 2 of which led to groundouts) in 67 pitches.
That's very interesting. Not many strikes, though, so not sure how often he's going to throw that. But maybe. Maybe he can throw enough for strikes, and some of the non-strikes will get chase, so that it's sometimes productive.