Yesterday Joe Maddon talked a bit about what the Cubs might do if they beat the Pirates on October 7th. Jon Lester would start Game 1 against the Cardinals and then what? Jason Hammel and Kyle Hendricks haven't exactly pitched great down the stretch. The Cubs have had a couple bullpen games recently due to double-headers that have turned out fairly well for the Cubs.
Travis Wood, Clayton Richard and Trevor Cahill are all more than capable of taking the ball for a few innings. This would eliminate the need to for the starter to face the lineup a 3rd time. Hopefully, much of the lineup would not even see a second at-bat against the same pitcher.
Hammel hasn't been the same since returning from injury earlier this year. Going back to July 21st, Hammel's starts have not lasted particularly long. He's had the following number of innings in each start since then: 5, 3.2, 5.2, 4, 5.2, 3, 6.1, 5, 5, 6, 3.2, 5.
In those 58 innings, he's allowed 66 hits and 37 runs. He's walked 22 and struckout 60 while giving up 11 home runs. Opposing batters have hit .281/.346/.515.
This is a small sample, but I can see where Joe is coming from.
Kyle Hendricks hasn't fared a whole lot better since the All Star break. He's been a bit more consistent in terms of innings pitched. He's lasted at least 5 innings in all but 3 starts this year (April 12, August 14 and September 17). The results haven't been a whole lot better lately though.
Since the break he's thrown 63 innings, allowed 65 hits and 8 home runs. He's struckout 63 while walking 24 and hitting 8 batters. Opposing batters have hit .264/.337/.431. If the Cubs 3rd starter is being chosen based on performance late in the season, it should be Kyle Hendricks.
I'd still take Jason Hammel as I think the entirety of this season, as well as the previous season would indicate he's a better pitcher than Hendricks. If you're going to go with a bullpen day, it ought to be considered that these two pitchers combine in one of them. You could have one or the other start and then the other one relieve them hoping to get through 6 or 7 innings total. The other bullpen game could be the reverse of this or you could use any combination of these two, Travis Wood, Trevor Cahill and Clayton Richard.
Personally, I'd probably go with Jason Hammel in that potential Game 2 and Kyle Hendricks in Game 4.
First, let's just get in the playoffs and then beat Pittsburgh.
Comments
I lived in Portland, Oregon for a year and I barely saw any Cubs baseball that season. It was 1999 so they sucked and I didn’t miss anything, but I know what you mean. It didn’t help that I didn’t even have cable that year so the only way I could watch them was to go to this microbrewery down the street, which I did way too much of. The owners were from Iowa so they were Cubs fans too. I can remember going down there at 11 am for games. They were long, long days after that.
dmick89Quote Reply
I’d love to see somebody have the balls to do a bullpen game with the right personnel. The piggyback system sounds good.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
I was initially thinking this would be a good idea for the WC game, but starting with Grimm and followed by Rondon and Strop, and then followed by matchups. That would preserve Arrieta for game 1 of the NLDS.
Then the high leverage relievers not named Rondon had a string of poor outings and the Cardinals got somehow less scary than the Pirates, so Arrieta seems to be the way to go for that game. That and bullpen game has held down the Cardinals pretty well, so it may be a decent strategy against them in the LDS.
Gotta figure Maddon will have a very quick hook with Hendricks and Hammel in the playoffs anyway, so those are effectively bullpen games anyway.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Rice Cube,
Seems like Hammel/Hendricks for 3-4 innings then going to Travis Wood (lefty) the next 3-4. Tempt the opposing manager to play the platoon advantage.
JonKneeVQuote Reply
Great to have you back, Perkins.
berseliusQuote Reply
The Jake Arrieta median start:
7 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 SO, 0 HR
The Zack Greinke median start:
7 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 SO, 0 HR
The Clayton Kershaw median start:
7 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 9 SO, 0 HR
Pick the Cy Young.
mylesQuote Reply
myles,
Don’t tell me what to do
berseliusQuote Reply
Thanks! I’ve been following/lurking for awhile, but the platform shift made me get off my ass and re-sign up for an account. Seems like the band’s getting back together.
Good to be back, and great to see all of you folks.
PerkinsQuote Reply
myles,
Obviously not the one that gives up twice as many runs. He must suck.
Suburbank IdQuote Reply
cubby-blue.com (or @cubbybluedotcom) has some of the coolest Cubs artwork. I want some for my house. I see when Brett retweets it, but I just went there and looked at bunch of his portraits and animations. Really cool.
JonKneeVQuote Reply
JonKneeV,
I think the only Cubs artwork that I would want would be Zambrano ejecting an umpire.
berseliusQuote Reply
berselius, Comments like this make me miss the ability to vote up a comment. (dying laughing)
dmick89Quote Reply
I think if Arrieta ends up with 22 wins and Greinke doesn't win any more then Arrieta will win the Cy Young even with their ERA disparity. If Greinke is only 2 wins behind or if he gets to 20, Greinke wins. Pretty sad that this might come down to the most useless pitching stat.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
Just look at it this way: just pretend Arrieta gets it because he has a superior FIP, xFIP, fWAR, SIERA, etc.
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
this jabroni is trying to do power rankings without using a highly technical +/- system:
http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/story/25313503
i mean i like that the cubs are #1 but without the +/- system, the ranking is totally arbitrary
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
I will second this. This should be a fresco along the Wrigley concourse.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Right next to one of Ted Lilly bowling over Yadier Molina.
PerkinsQuote Reply
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Suburbank IdQuote Reply
Arrieta. There. That wasn’t so hard.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
To day’s base ball squadron
Fowler
Schwarber
Bryant
Rizzo
Soler
Montero
Baez
Russell
Hendricks
berseliusQuote Reply
Perkins,
Our very own Monument Park.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Thank god for replay. That was a terrible call.
dmick89Quote Reply
I’m not used to seeing a pitcher look this good against the Cubs.
dmick89Quote Reply
Live look at the Cubs offense:
uncle daveQuote Reply
(dying laughing)
dmick89Quote Reply
uncle dave,
That had to hurt.
dmick89Quote Reply
Holy crap, Schwarber!
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
(dying laughing) @ Schwarber
dmick89Quote Reply
(dying laughing) at schwarber defense
Nate the old recalcitrant one from a long time agoQuote Reply
That was hilarious
dmick89Quote Reply
Not so funny is any Justin Grimm sighting these days.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
Don’t worry. Maddon brought Rosscup in.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Damn, that was smoked.
dmick89Quote Reply
Do we really need to be able to order pizza with a fucking emoji?
dmick89Quote Reply
New shit:
http://obstructedview.net/commentary-and-analysis/paul-sullivan-is-pissy-theo-rules-all/
aisle424Quote Reply