OSS: Kris Bryant bags a hat trick.
Three up
- The Cubs offense exploded for six home runs, with Bryant providing half that total. All three of Bryant’s home runs landed in the Cubs bullpen – maybe he was dive bombing them in revenge for trying to blow the game?
- I’m not sure what is more impressive – Bryant homering three times or Almora hitting a 445 ft bomb of a HR off Max Scherzer of all people. Almora can’t hit righties, but somehow has homers against Scherzer and Kenley Jansen this year.
- Kyle Schwarber had a big day at the top of the lineup, and was actually the Cubs top player by WPA today. War Bear walked three times and homered following a thirteen pitch at bat.
Three down
- Hamels’s stat line was fine in this one, but he could have gone a lot deeper were it not for a spotty strike zone from the home plate umpire.
- The Cubs bullpen put up a homage to the Nats performance in Game 5 of the 2017 NLDS in the seventh inning. After a few baserunners got on against Kintzler, Edwards came in an promptly balked in a run, then threw a wild pitch for what should have been another Nats run. Instead the ball bounced back to him and he was able to tag Dozier out.
- Descalso had a 0-3 day, and his number continue to slide. Luckily the guy he effectively replaced isn’t doing anything with the Angels..
Next up: Jon Lester takes on Stephen Stasburg in another marquee matchup. First pitch at 6:15 PM CT
Comments
All those things I said about Kris Bryant a couple weeks ago look really stupid about right now.
dmick89Quote Reply
Cubs probably should use the Arenado contract as a baseline for a KB extension. Kind of wishing they’d locked up Baez before he broke out.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Perkins,
It might be better for both sides to just wait and see on the new CBA at this point.
berseliusQuote Reply
berselius,
Yeah, I don’t really see either agreeing to an extension at this point. Not sure Bryant ever would have. Seems he wants to go year to year from what I’ve read.
I’m still hesitant to throw a ton of money at Baez. I wish he was walking more, but to his credit he’s having better at bats than ever this season. He still goes way outside the zone, but also seems more willing to wait for his pitch.
dmick89Quote Reply
Career 3-home run games:
Kris Bryant: 2
Babe Ruth: 2
Hank Aaron: 1
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
dmick89,
I can’t find the quote, but I remember reading a few years ago that a baseball exec said of Lindor and Baez that Lindor is the kind of player you build a team around, and that Baez is the kind of player you build a religion around.
I guess what I’m saying is that as an atheist, maybe I could use something to believe in (dying laughing).
PerkinsQuote Reply
dmick89,
I understand any suspicion about Baez potentially regressing. Imagining what could happen down the road if you commit nine figures to Baez could be pretty terrifying. I have to think, though, that it’s even scarier to imagine what your team could miss out on if he keeps getting better. If it turns out that his best years are ahead of him, letting him walk would be disastrous.
Fortunately, as you say, he’s quite hesitant to walk.
andcountingQuote Reply
The Athletic has a hockey writer named Dom Luszczyszyn. How do you pronounce that?
BVSQuote Reply
BVS,
Just like it’s spelled.
andcountingQuote Reply
BVS,
I am going to assume it’s Polish. Every time you see a *z* following an *s* or *c*, swap it for an *h*. The *y* is something like a short *i*.
Luszczyszyn —> Looshchishin.
Don’t ask me where the stress goes. I don’t speak Polish.
ceruleanQuote Reply
If it’s anything like my elderly Polish neighbor, the stress goes everywhere.
Wenningtons Gorilla CockQuote Reply
What was the story with the black and green caps last night?
I’m asking random questions today to the O-V-ingensia.
BVSQuote Reply
BVS,
Apparently it’s Armed Forces Day this weekend. Gotta wear that camo to support The Troops.
berseliusQuote Reply
BVSQuote Reply
As an Army veteran, I think it’s gauche as shit.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Perkins,
My FIL is a Navy vet from the Vietnam era. He digs this stuff.
Regardless, those caps were U-G-L-Y last night.
BVSQuote Reply
I might be in Chicago on June 9 with time for a game. Cards in town. Anyone got tix they’d like to unload?
BVSQuote Reply
Glanville with a really good piece in NYT about stuff
SKQuote Reply
SK,
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/18/opinion/sunday/doug-glanville-cubs.html
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
Love it whenever Granville writes stuff, though I certainly wish the prompt for this one was never a thing.
berseliusQuote Reply
Stupid Rangers.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Bote!
andcountingQuote Reply
BVS,
Still ugly tonight too
BVSQuote Reply
Strasburg is good
berseliusQuote Reply
Brewers lose.
PerkinsQuote Reply
dmick89,
Great piece and very insightful. I guess I still disagree to some extent. For instance if the fuckbag in Australia flashed every sign in the alphabet foes that make it white power? We need to not give in to some if these things because imo intent is what matters
I’m mostly white though and have never to my knowledge dealt with racism so my word carries little weight
WaLiQuote Reply
WaLi,
I think intent matters and it was smart of Glanville to say that we may never know the true intent this guy had, but that’s primarily because the white nationalists choose things like this because they’re ambiguous. At some point it just becomes fairly apparent that things are racist and this was probably (though not definitely) one of them.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
Reading between the lines on that Glanville piece, I think they looked into this dude’s social media to help make their decision.
berseliusQuote Reply
To-day’s squadron de beisbol
LF Schwarber
3B Bryant
1B Rizzo
SS Baez
C Contreras
2B Descalso
RF Heyward
CF Almora
P Cyle
berseliusQuote Reply
berselius,
Probably a good place to start, but I also think it’s better to just make a point that will not in any be accepted at Wrigley Field. I’d have been fine if the Cubs banned him without even a second of time spent investigating.
dmick89Quote Reply
Good work Rangers.
Man has Andrew Miller become a shadow of himself.
berseliusQuote Reply
Aww, Dexter, come on.
andcountingQuote Reply
berselius,
Dammit Rangers.
berseliusQuote Reply
Cardinals lose.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Nice Molina-esque lean by Contreras.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Ugh.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
I’m beginning to think it wasn’t such a good idea to trade La Stella and replace him with Descalso.
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
Love the choke-up homer to the opposite field.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Tony!
berseliusQuote Reply
Feels like the Cubs should have put up 30 on Hellickson, not 3
berseliusQuote Reply
Heyward got screwed.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Uh oh.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Ugh…fingers crossed for javy
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
Stop getting hurt!
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Rizzo got screwed.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
What happened to Baez?
dmick89Quote Reply
I’m watching at a bar with no sound so not really sure but looks like he rolled his ankle. He stayed in though. Hopefully he’s fine.
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
dmick89,
He looks like he’s walking around fine
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
dmick89,
Came up gimpy after a good defensive play. Seems to be ok now but would not be surprised to see him get his first game off tomorrow.
berseliusQuote Reply
Nothing like getting absolutely squeezed out of a perfect game.
andcountingQuote Reply
Not saying russell is great but why is he not starting over descalso? I get it, hellickson is a righty, but descalso has just looked like shit the last few weeks and doesn’t russell have reverse splits anyway?
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
Báez!
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Hendricks!
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Cyle!
andcountingQuote Reply
Bryant!
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
I like the games where the Cubs just get on base a lot and then avoid striking/popping out too much. It’s frustrating they don’t score more, but a run per inning isn’t too bad.
andcountingQuote Reply
andcounting,
A run per inning the rest of the season would probably bullpen-proof most of the games so that would be nice.
dmick89Quote Reply
EnricoPallazzo,
fucking idiot
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
andcounting,
Scratch that, the Cubs should be ashamed of all their wasted opportunities this game. (dying laughing)
andcountingQuote Reply
This home plate ump is jacked
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
Good thing Soto didn’t try to score there, for some reason.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Hard to believe this is basically the same team that was called the best defense ever in 2016.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
This game sucks.
dmick89Quote Reply
Runs, plz.
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
Relief pitcher hitting alert.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
I wish I loved anything as much as Joe loves relief pitchers batting.
berseliusQuote Reply
M———> inverted
berseliusQuote Reply
I hope the Cubs aren’t on too many Sunday night games. I hate listening to Arod. He makes up so much crap. Assume he was all over Zo, Darvish, Russell, and CJ tonight with made up controversies. Missed first 6 innings, so there was plenty of time for his BS. Tried bringing up Pat and Coomer, but they wete ahead one pitch from streaming espn.
BVSQuote Reply
http://www.obstructedview.net/cubs-6-nats-5/
berseliusQuote Reply