At least the Brewers have a seven game lead on the Reds to avoid finishing last in the division. Looking at the standings, there are five other teams in the NL with records as bad or worse than the Brewers. Remember when the Diamondbacks were viewed as having an outside shot at making the playoffs? (dying laughing).
Team Leaders
Cubs
- OBP: Kris Bryant (.401)
- ISO: Bryant (.276)
- HR: Bryant (36)
- R+RBI: Bryant (203)
- wRC+: Bryant (160)
- BSR: Bryant (5.4)
- SP K/9: John Lackey (8.82)
- SP BB/9: Kyle Hendricks (2.18)
- SP FIP: Hendricks (3.33)
- RP K/9: Aroldis Chapman (15.43)
- RP BB/9: Hector Rondon (1.24)
- RP FIP: Chapman (0.68)
- WAR: Bryant (7.8)
Rizzo still held a few of the offensive categories when I did this a week ago, now Bryant has all of them and it’s not even close. As good as he’s been somehow I don’t feel like I’ve appreciated just how dominant he’s been this year.
Beers
- OBP: Jonathan Villar (.377)
- ISO: Chris Carter (.269)
- HR: Carter (32)
- R+RBI: Carter (146)
- wRC+: Ryan Braun (134)
- BSR: Hernan Perez (6.4)
- SP K/9: Junior Guerra (7.56)
- SP BB/9: Zach Davies (2.20)
- SP FIP: Guerra (3.64)
- RP K/9: Tyler Thornburg (11.71)
- RP BB/9: Rob Scahill (1.86)
- RP FIP: Jacob Barnes (2.45)
- WAR: Braun (2.9)
The Brewers are a good baserunning team, so I guess they have that going for them. Too bad for them they don’t face Lester in this series.
Pitching probables
K/9, BB/9, ERA, FIP, projected ERA listed for each starter.
Monday: Cyle Hendricks, RHP (7.87, 2.21, 2.09, 3.33, 3.59) vs Zach Davies, RHP (7.56, 2.20, 4.07, 3.97, 4.08), 12:10 PM CT
Davies has been one of the few bright spots in this Brewers season. He’s not someone who has blow-you-away stuff, topping out at around 89, but controls the strikezone and throws a lot of sinkers and changeups. I’m not sure why that sounds so familiar… ?
Tuesday: Jason Hammel. RHP (7.52, 2.90, 3.14, 4.26, 4.11) vs Wily Peralta, RHP (6.47, 3.47, 5.53, 5.13, 4.86), 7:10 PM CT
For some reason I thought Peralta was traded months ago. Though given his numbers this season I’m guessing the Brewers couldn’t find many takers. He got send down in June and has actually been pretty good since his return at the beginning of August, including striking out ten Cardinals in his last start while allowing just a solo HR to Jedd Gyorko, like every other pitcher in the NL.
Wednesday: Mike Montgomery, LHP (9.41, 5.73, 4.09, 5.28, 4.42) vs Matt Garza, RHP (6.25, 3.46, 4.57, 4.44, 4.57), 7:10 PM CT
Monty’s pretty much just been cannon fodder to give the rest of the rotation a breather. He was great with the Mariners earlier this year, but the Cubs haven’t really seen that player since picking him up. I’d be shocked if he makes the postseason roster.
It sure is a lot of fun to win, Matt Garza. At least you know you wouldn’t crack the Cubs rotation this year anyway.
Comments
Montgomery might be fine in the bullpen. He even had a string of scoreless outings before the Cubs put him in the rotation. He seems to lose a lot of velocity when he has to pitch more than a couple innings.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
I’m sure he would be fine. But Zastryzny has been pretty good too. The Cubs have a ton of arms when they go to make their playoff roster.
berseliusQuote Reply
We are pencilling Rondon and Strop into the bullpen. That may not actually occur. I hope they have to leave several good, healthy players off the playoff roster, but shit has and does happen.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Was it Bill James who said not to bet on groundball pitchers? The Cubs have two (one extremely so) who have been amazing this past year to test that hypothesis.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Assuming health, Chapman, Rondon, Strop, Edwards, Grimm, Hammel, Wood and Cahill is my guess for playoff bullpen.
dmick89Quote Reply
Nice inning by Kyle.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Agreed. Only question is if they leave Hammel out entirely for another short reliever, at least for the first series.
berseliusQuote Reply
Baez is unreal with these tags
berseliusQuote Reply
berselius,
I’d assume they’d want Hammel just in case one of the other starters has to be pulled in the 2nd or 3rd inning. I wouldn’t mind seeing some relief outings from him this month.
dmick89Quote Reply
berselius,
Definitely the best tagger I’ve ever seen. (dying laughing)
dmick89Quote Reply
By Grapthar’s Hammer, what a TOOTBLAN
BerseliusQuote Reply
Soler!
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Soler!
berseliusQuote Reply
Coghlan!!!
dmick89Quote Reply
Coghlan!!!!
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Gennett!!!
dmick89Quote Reply
La Stella!
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Heyward!
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Heyward!!!
dmick89Quote Reply
Baez!
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Exclamation points!!!
BerseliusQuote Reply
Mi(dying laughing)kee
BerseliusQuote Reply
Coghlan again!
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
berseliusQuote Reply
Belated random screaming of names with !!!!!!!
Go Cubs
Rice CubeQuote Reply
I can’t keep up with all the comments.
dmick89Quote Reply
Zuleta!!!
MylesQuote Reply
The Cubs need to lose a few games to keep things interesting smh
BerseliusQuote Reply
I hope the Cubs get a nice big lead today so they can ease Rondon back into his high leverage role.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Bryant gets the day off, and Montero gets another start.
SKQuote Reply
i know the cubs have looked like shit for the past few months but keep the faith because FEDEX IS FINALLY BACK, YOU GUYS!!!!
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
EnricoPallazzo,
I don’t know. Are four catchers really enough? Maybe they should add a fifth one just in case.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Anybody check what Sandy Martinez is up to?
Wenningtons Gorilla CockQuote Reply
I wonder how Willson Contreras’s season would have gone if Schwarber was never injured.
SKQuote Reply
SK,
Probably about the same. I don’t think the Cubs had a whole lot of interest in putting Schwarber behind the plate. Joe barely did it at the end of last season and Kyle’s path to playing every day was in LF. Cubs would be a few wins better than they currently are. Crazy.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
So you think there would have been room for Contreras (who also has spent a bunch of time in LF) with Schwarber on the roster?
SKQuote Reply
That’s not the mark of an MVP. Do you think Todd Frazier takes days off? #realChitownMVP
ceruleanQuote Reply
I’m surprised Maddon didn’t wait until the day before the off-day to give Bryant a breather.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
I think if Schwarber were healthy, Heyward were hitting and Montero repeated his 2015 season, we’d still be hearing those 1927 Yankees comparisons.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
game thread up: http://obstructedview.net/cubs-brewers-game-thread-9-6-16/
dmick89Quote Reply
Edit: New shat.
ceruleanQuote Reply