OSS: The Cubs sweep the Reds out of Wrigley in their first home series of the season.
Three up:
- Jason Hammel was the Cubs WPA leader on both sides of the ball today, posting a .136 WPA with the bat due to awful Reds defense and .326 WPA due to awful/unlucky Reds offense. The normally surehanded Brandon Phillips bricked a Hammel grounder off the heel of his glove in the third, and Jay Bruce made one of his many bad-looking defensive plays on a ball that Hammel hit over his head. Bruce later made a great catch and immediately canceled it out by throwing a ball to a bag that no one was covering. He has a rep as a plus plus defender in RF, but has only two good seasons by both UZR and DRS. Certainly this series in general has not reinforced that narrative. Or perhaps his trade value for the Reds, heh.
- Kris Bryant continued heating up, smacking his second homer in as many games. If he's hitting them out in 40 degree weather with the wind blowing in, I can only imagine how this matchup would have gone if this game were played in June instead.
- Dex had three hits and a walk, including a sweet bunt hit down the third base line, and drove in two during the Cubs rally in the seventh to turn the game from a nice win to a laugher. He also made an amazing play, catching a ball hit over his head while running towards the wall late in the game.
Three down
- Despite being the runaway WPA leader on the day, I thought Hammel looked pretty shaky in his last two innings on the mound. The Reds were hitting a lot of balls hard, especially a line drive that Votto hit right at Rizzo to end the Reds rally in the fifth. It looked like something might have been going on with his release point or something, but I wasn't paying close attention to what Len and JD were speculating.
- The Cubs had several chances to put runs on the board early, and none bigger than Rizzo coming to the plate with the bases loaded in the third. He struck out to end the inning.
- Heyward went 0-5 today, but had plenty of good at-bats anyway. Hard to nit-pick with this team
Next up: The Rockies face the Cubs for a three game set. The Rockies have posted a 7+ ERA on the season, and the Cubs are scoring more than 7 runs a game. Kyle Hendricks faces Chad Bettis at 1:20 PM CT.
Comments
OMG the luxury of rooting for a team whose SP allows 0 runs overs six innings and that’s the worst thing that happened all game.
Suburban kidQuote Reply
Still hoping Theo makes a move for something ace-like before the postseason. But it looks like Hammel won’t kill us most days. At least not until mid-July.
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
It’s weird seeing a team that has no weakness. I feel like I’m on the complete other end of the spectrum here, where the past couple seasons have been boring because the Cubs have been so terrible, and now I find the Cubs boring because they’re so much better than teams like the Reds/Rockies/Diamondbacks.
MillertimeQuote Reply
Millertime,
Feel free to add 27 other teams.
Cubs are even better than themselves.
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
I know this is a tangent, but I REALLY hate that the MLB is using the term Papa Slam. Like…I really fucking hate it.
AkabariQuote Reply
Akabari,
You think that’s a tangent, how about this: y=f(a)+f'(a)(x-a).
MillertimeQuote Reply
Millertime,
Thanks for using that equation! Now I can finally share this post o my LinkedIn profile with that share button!
AkabariQuote Reply
I don’t know whether to give this post the finger—because I also really fucking hate it—or a punch in the face. Papa Slam this ????????
ceruleanQuote Reply
For the record, I don’t mind the branding tie in, even saying that when there is a grand slam you can pick up the papa slam—but refering to Bryce’s hit as a Papa® Slam™—????
ceruleanQuote Reply
what the fuck is a papa slam
Suburban kidQuote Reply
Suburban kid,
You’re better off not knowing. Seriously.
dmick89Quote Reply
Suburban kid,
I think it’s when people get together to talk critically of Papa Roach.
MillertimeQuote Reply
Suburban kid,
I just have Hammel Derangement Syndrome these days.
berseliusQuote Reply
berseliusQuote Reply
cerulean,
Yeah when I get a notification on my phone that says Kris Bryant with a PAPA SLAM In the 7th inning is the moment I throw away my phone.
AkabariQuote Reply
To-day’s base ball squadron
Fowler
Heyward
Zobrist
Rizzo
Bryant
Soler
Montero
Russell
Hendricks
berseliusQuote Reply
Javy ——-> Cubs
Mune ——> Iowa
berseliusQuote Reply
berselius,
Last night’s win was so effortless that there’s absolutely no “day game after a night game” lineup bullshit. 24 guys (obviously not kawasaki) had a great night’s sleep.
Suburban kidQuote Reply
By June the umps are going to be calling strikes a foot outside the zone just so they can go home and get some sleep
berseliusQuote Reply
I’m starting to think the Cubs are so good that I’ll be irrationally disappointed with an NLCS loss if that’s what happens.
mylesQuote Reply
http://www.hardballtimes.com/tht-live/the-day-i-made-willie-stargell-tear-up/
berseliusQuote Reply
umbraQuote Reply
myles,
That isn’t an irrational response. Hell, even last year with few expectations at the beginning of the season was it rational to be disappointed in losing to the Mets, especially the Mets. The playoffs are a crapshoot and I don’t believe their structure goes far enough in deciding which team is the best—and that in and of itself is highly disappointing—so to lose to those vagaries, even if eviscerated as the Cubs were last year—is rightfully disappointing.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Come to think of it, I don’t know that any disappointment can ever be irrational. The fact that we can be disappointed is probably because we are thinking beings. I am disappointed with everything. But then again, I do suffer from an addled brain.
ceruleanQuote Reply
New Shit
http://obstructedview.net/series-preview-colorado-rockies-5-4-vs-chicago-cubs-8-1/
my New Shit posts automatically at 1PM CST
mylesQuote Reply