OSS: The Cubs prevail in a nerve-wracking pitchers duel.
Three up:
- The obvious highlight of the game was the lone run scored in the game, a bomb by Javy Baez that looked like it was ticketed for Waveland but was almost blown back onto the field before hitting the basket. I’d like to say that this was the result of the hard work the Cubs did to drive up Cueto’s pitch count, but this was the eighth inning.
- Both pitchers were fantastic tonight. Early on it was clear that the ump was giving Cueto a pretty wide outside zone to left handed hitters, and he more than executed with that in his back pocket. Lester couldn’t quite paint that corner the other way, but still managed to keep the Giants off balance and off the scoreboard all night. I don’t expect to see any throwaway comments from Gordo anytime soon about the size of that contract.
- David Ross was incredible behind the plate tonight, gunning down a base-stealer in the first by a mile and later picking a runner off first. This was probably the main reason Javy was at second and not third in this game.
Three down
- Holy shit was this broadcast fucking terrible. As GW pointed out, the CF cam looked like it was being shot from a blimp, and there were all sorts of bizarre camera angles early on. We got the usual awful mid-game manager interviews, made even more annoying by having pre-recorded Maddon talking over the first real Cubs action of the day (a double by Bryant). The frosting on the cake was when they started shoving in all sorts of annoying sidebar ads in the middle of the ninth inning. Lots of people were complaining that the crew was in the bag for the Giants too, but I wasn’t really feeling it.
- The only real jam that Lester got into was due to a misplay by Zobrist that led to a double for Angel Pagan. It probably would have led to a run too were it not Posey running the bases. He got Crawford to ground out to end the threat.
- Chapman got the save, but he looked pretty wild today. It didn’t help that it looked like Willson had no idea where the ball was going on half the pitches, but given how hard Chapman throws that’s somewhat understandable.
Next up: Jeff Samardzija faces Kyle Hendricks at 7 PM CT. Let’s get em again fellas.
Comments
A blow out would be nice. Help us out here, Shark.
SKQuote Reply
People always think the TV crew is pulling for the other team.
EdwinQuote Reply
I didn’t notice the announcer bias, but I wasn’t listening to them too closely and synched up the radio feed for the last inning.
SKQuote Reply
FWIW, Cueto averaged 15.01 pitches per inning this year and was at 99 pitches through 7 (14.14). The difference in my opinion can be attributed to the umpire’s generous outside corner for Cueto (especially against lefties), but I thought the Cubs could have made him work more than they did.
The announcers said about 8 times that the Giants were the hardest team to strikeout in the NL. Good. That’s why Lester’s pitch count was so awesome. Hard to believe that the announcers see low strikeout rate as ONLY a positive.
dmick89Quote Reply
The worst camera angle was when they showed the pitch location according to Gameday or whatever tool they were using. It was off center. (dying laughing)
dmick89Quote Reply
Let’s make it less exciting tonight. I’m getting too old for this.
umbraQuote Reply
Kawasaki is oddly unimpressed.
SKQuote Reply
Brooks didn’t hate the zone for Cueto
GWQuote Reply
I know. I will happily take a 50 pitch 0 K SHO by Hendricks tonight if the Giants will oblige and Matt Murton every ball they hit.
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
I couldn’t get over how grainy that angle was. How the hell does that happen?
GWQuote Reply
Pretty amazing how close Javy’s homer ended up being. That was a bomb.
http://www.hittrackeronline.com/detail.php?id=92016_20&type=hitter
https://twitter.com/darenw/status/784596587590905856
GWQuote Reply
https://twitter.com/darenw/status/784603470372409344
GWQuote Reply
It made me long for the days of getting SD broadcasts over my rabbit ear antenna, which would have been more clear than that picture.
berseliusQuote Reply
Even more hilarious when that was the camera angle they were using to judge the strike zone (dying laughing)
berseliusQuote Reply
Put that cosmetology degree to work!
berseliusQuote Reply
GW,
It also looked like they had the brightness dial turned to 11. It was weird and the least baseball-y thing I’ve ever seen.
dmick89Quote Reply
I know. Why not have 10 be the highest setting?
EdwinQuote Reply
Guess at today’s lineup
Fowler
Bryant (LF)
Rizzo
Zobrist
Russell
Heyward
Baez (3b)
Contreras
Cyle
berseliusQuote Reply
berselius,
You don’t think he tries to wedge Coghlan or LaStella in there?
SKQuote Reply
SK,
Yeah, I’m guessing Coghlan in LF.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
Would suggest Montero in, but Willson has been catching for Hendricks a lot and Montero will catch Arrieta so maybe not.
Rice in limboQuote Reply
I think it’s more that there’s no way he keeps Baez out of the lineup after yesterday, and they probably want a good defensive alignment with Hendricks pitching.
berseliusQuote Reply
berselius,
Agree but Joe doesn’t always keep a guy in because he had a good game. Or he could put Javy at SS. If it were me, I’d go with your projected lineup but Joe likes him some LHB.
SKQuote Reply
Cialis fucks with your enjoyment so you can enjoy fucking with Cialis.
ceruleanQuote Reply
cerulean,
(dying laughing)
BerseliusQuote Reply
Pat and Ron tonight since I’m too cheap to bump up to mlbn
BerseliusQuote Reply
Berselius,
Also Pat Hughes >>> last night’s broadcast
BerseliusQuote Reply
Berselius,
They got Len Kasper in there too in some places. I’m definitely doing the homemade simulcast tonight.
SKQuote Reply
SK,
So great that he can give Coomer/our ears a break from his usual 5th inning play by play, and his interviews are great too.
berseliusQuote Reply
Berselius,
Pat’s awesome. I was radio-only for about 90% of the games I caught this year due to my work schedule. Love listening to him even when he has Ron Coomer tied to his ankle.
SK,
How do you sync up the audio, just pause the tv until it matches up?
uncle daveQuote Reply
uncle dave,
Yeah, or vice versa depending which is ahead. I have to fiddle with it a bit.
The current Windows media player for PC on MLB Audio doesn’t have a pause button, but At Bat for iPhone will pause the stream in place when you stop it briefly. I’m looking to connect my phone to some decent speakers too.
SKQuote Reply
I’ve actually come to enjoy Coomer. He’s obviously not anywhere as polished as Pat is but Ron has been pretty good this year. I really dont like the third guy, cant remember his name. He sounds like the little kid in the neighborhood who acts obnoxiously to get the older kids’ attention.
mcalis2Quote Reply
mcalis2,
Coomer has improved, and familiarity helps. But it’s still a bad idea to make him do PBP for an inning.
Mark Grote is the third guy and his voice grates on me. Actually makes me miss Judd Sirott.
SKQuote Reply
SK,
Grote. That’s the clown. He brings nothing redeemable to the broadcast booth. Seriously, wtf.
mcalis2Quote Reply
berselius,
Nailed it except for Zobrist in LF and Baez at 2B.
SKQuote Reply
Grote and Coomer are just doing an homage to the days when Santo was this close to murdering Sirott on every broadcast.
BerseliusQuote Reply
For you cERA buffs…
https://twitter.com/CubicSnarkonia/status/784850833749848064
Rice in limboQuote Reply
Folks are surprised Soler isn’t starting against F7. Does he have good numbers vs F7 or something? SSS may apply…
Also I feel having a decent defense behind Hendricks trumps a non-trivial but still probably marginal addition to offense.
Rice in limboQuote Reply
Rice in limbo,
I think Joe’s thinking is that when you have a guy who almost always only gives up 0-2 runs, go ahead and use the best D to make sure Coghlan or Soler doesn’t fuck it up. If someone with a 4 ERA was starting he might de-emphasize D. I dunno.
SKQuote Reply
Hendricks is a groundball pitcher. Baez is good at fielding ground balls. I really think it’s as simple as that.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Huh, looks like I get MLBN after all. DTV done fucked up (dying laughing)
berseliusQuote Reply
game thread up: http://obstructedview.net/nlds-game-2-giants-cubs-game-thread/
dmick89Quote Reply