OSS: Ian Happ blasts a HR to lead an exhausted Cubs team past the Reds.
Three up:
- Things weren’t looking great for the offense, but it all changed on one swing of the bat by Happ. It was his first hit in over a week.
- Cole Hamels gave up back to back jacks to Joey Votto (not so surprising) and Jose Peraza (wut), but was otherwise what the Cubs needed with a gassed/injured bullpen. Hamels struck out seven in 6.2 innings.
- Joe said it was going to be a different crew to close out this game, and it was Maples-Garcia-De la Rosa that picked things up from Hamels and hung on for the W. The ninth was a bit of an adventure, but Garcia’s inning looked nothing like his ‘start’ last weekend, thank the maker.
Three down:
- It looks like Pedro Strop is donezo for the regular season. I wouldn’t expect much in the postseason either, considering how little Joe trusted a similarly recently injured Strop in 2016.
- It was not a great day for The Greatest Leadoff Hitter of All Time, who went 0-4 today. Despite yesterday’s litany of complaints against Maddon I do like how he’s been rotating guys through the leadoff spot this year, challenging the very definition of the Lead Off Guy.
- The Cubs best scoring chance was in the fourth inning, when they had two on with no outs against Harvey. Bote hit into a DP and suddenly it was Hamels up with two out, fizzling the rally before it ever really started.
Next up: Jon Lester takes on Cody Reed at 3 PM CT.
Also, I’ll be in the Chicago burbs for work Sun-Wed: if anyone here wants to grab a beer somewhere let me know.
Comments
How is it that Matt Harvey can shut this team down?
dmick89Quote Reply
Always been lurker on this sight. But if anyone comes through central Illinois…Cub fan of course…I would be more than happy (especially Happy tonight) to buy a beverage at my place. Y-Zoe’s in Taylorville, IL.
Not a plug at all! I’m stuck in central IL having grown up in NW Indiana as a Cubs fan. Now I’m stuck in Cardinal territory.
brettQuote Reply
The Cubs can’t hit bad pitching.
dmick89Quote Reply
The fans could do better.
dmick89Quote Reply
Stop. Striking. Out.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
Willson!
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Votto walks on what should have been strike three.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Great outing by Lester.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
I’m beginning to think Kris Bryant isn’t himself right now.
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
It’s hard to believe this Cubs team has won 4 out of its last 5 games.
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
Neifi.jpg
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
Smokestack Lightning,
Haha holy shit. I listened to all 5 of those games and still did a double take when I read that.
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
No, he’s clearly still injured. I just hope we get him back healthy in 2019 and that this doesn’t become a thing. With his swing it very easily could be. I’m curious if he’s had this happen before.
dmick89Quote Reply
Go whoever Milwaukee is playing.
dmick89Quote Reply
If the Pirates beat the Brewers tonight, I’ll feel a lot better about the divisional race.
Also (dying laughing) Cardinals.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Seems I came across an article about Bryce Harper having a similar shoulder problem not too long ago. Wrecked the season he had the issue, but he’s been fine since.
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
Smokestack Lightning,
Was that the mysterious injury he had in 2016? Everybody in the organization denied it was a shoulder injury if I recall correctly.
dmick89Quote Reply
Brewers lose
dmick89Quote Reply
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
When is Schwarber going to be back? What about Heyward?
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
I heard as early as this next series for Schwarber, Heyward, and Morrow.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Heyward was just activated.
dmick89Quote Reply
La Stella was scratched due to back tightness.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
I wish the Cubs had someone like Castillo.
dmick89Quote Reply
Jesus, Addy.
dmick89Quote Reply
Maybe start running when you hit it?
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
It’s been so long, he forgot what a home run looks like.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Brewers lose.
dmick89Quote Reply
Brewers———-> the mean
andcountingQuote Reply
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
I think the cubs are being really smart by rationing all of their runs for the postseason you guys
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
At least they won’t face Greinke. I’m afraid they’d score below 0 runs if they did.
dmick89Quote Reply
Surely the 30 for 30 stretch can’t account for all the offensive woes, right?
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
dmick89,
They’re facing Corbin, though, who might be even better.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Smokestack Lightning,
Not all, but I imagine it’s a good part of it. Didn’t they also play 10 or 11 in a row before this stretch?
dmick89Quote Reply
They’ve had one day off since August 13th. I would imagine this isn’t as big a deal for the pitchers and Joe has tried to rest the hitters some so physically they might be okay. I’m guessing they’re mentally exhausted though.
dmick89Quote Reply
They look tired.
dmick89Quote Reply
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
This is the worst thing you’ve every said.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Sorry, just saw this.
I got the ref to the Harper injury from this piece:
https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/kris-bryants-shoulder-injury-has-zapped-his-power-and-may-ultimately-wreck-his-season/
Being that far back in the mists of time—2016, a veritable lifetime ago—I forgot there was some controversy whether he had a bum shoulder or not. So, may not be applicable.
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
On the plus side, Pat told the Ronnie-Mets-Toupée-on-Fire story for the 93,283rd time yesterday and although I groaned when he brought it up, it turns out he has really perfected his storytelling – it was a comedy masterpiece.
SKQuote Reply
RynoQuote Reply
Top-5 WR.
RynoQuote Reply
Ryno,
Too bad the Bears are already stacked at WR.
andcountingQuote Reply
TYLER CHATWOOD STILL LEADS THE LEAGUE IN WALKS ALLOWED BY A PITCHER BY 12 DESPITE NOT QUALIFYING FOR THE ERA TITLE HOLY SHIT
MylesQuote Reply
Tyler Chatwood would have led the league in walks in 2017. Also 2016, 2015, 2013, and 2011.
MylesQuote Reply
Tyler Chatwood has a higher BB% than Carlos Marmol did in any season of his career.
MylesQuote Reply
If you set the minimum to 51 IP, you have to go to 1987 to find a year where somebody had a higher walk rate than Tyler Chatwood. I was born in 1987!
MylesQuote Reply
You can make a compelling argument that Tyler Chatwood had the worst season in the modern era of baseball.
MylesQuote Reply
Sounds like someone has a crush on Tyler Chatwood…
RynoQuote Reply
andcounting,
If he’s right (big if), he’d improve any team’s WR corps. But yeah. SF and GB should be interested, though.
RynoQuote Reply
Speaking of GB, I bet b is at least mildly upset about the officials turning his team’s W into a tie.
RynoQuote Reply
“Oh hell no. That’s insanely violent and dangerous. 15 yards.”
The post-game explanation by the ref was great:
“Picked the QB up?” So we’re just making shit up now?
RynoQuote Reply
For a pitcher, I should have noted.
MylesQuote Reply
I knew Tyler Chatwood was going to suck because there was no reason to put much faith in the whole elite spin rate nonsense, but he took sucking to an entirely new level this year. If I was the Cubs, I’d pay him twice what he’s owed to go play for Milwaukee.
dmick89Quote Reply
RynoQuote Reply
Ryno,
It was a horseshit call, but I’m not going to pretend that Clay Matthews doesn’t have a mountain of bad karma against him when it comes to QB hits.
berseliusQuote Reply
Go Cubs boo Dbacks
berseliusQuote Reply
Probably nothing but changeups in this Javy PA.
berseliusQuote Reply
I don’t even know why I’m watching this game. My high school team would have had a better chance scoring against Corbin than this team.
dmick89Quote Reply
Was your high school team by chance the 1927 yankees
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
Brewers win
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
Welp. At least Willson ran that time.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
He can’t be that bad, he only has 4 fewer wins than de Grom
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
EnricoPallazzo,
(dying laughing)
berseliusQuote Reply
EnricoPallazzo,
1899 Spiders
dmick89Quote Reply
A run!
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Javy!!!!!!
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Xavi!
berseliusQuote Reply
This is like 2016 Hendricks.
dmick89Quote Reply
Bryant!!!!!
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
JD completely and unequivocally called that home run.
andcountingQuote Reply
KB!
Berselius is too lazy to loginQuote Reply
andcounting,
I mean, in advance. It was a thing of beauty.
andcountingQuote Reply
andcounting,
I am, of course, assuming everyone else is either at the game or watching via spreadsheet.
andcountingQuote Reply
andcounting,
I wrote an R script to follow this game.
berseliusQuote Reply
At this point, I’d let him go for the shutout. This is as automatic as Hendricks has looked since the 2016 NLCS.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Perkins,
Well, so much for that.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
http://www.obstructedview.net/cubs-5-dbacks-1/
berseliusQuote Reply