The Cubs magic number is down to five, so there’s an outside chance that they clinch the division on the Cardinal’s home field. This would be something that I would be okay with. Their last division clincher was also against the Cardinals and witnessed by yours truly, though it was at Wrigley. It’s been a long road back to the top.
Team Leaders
Cubs
- OBP: Kris Bryant (.395)
- ISO: Bryant (.273)
- HR: Bryant (37)
- R+RBI: Bryant (206)
- wRC+: Bryant (156)
- BSR: Bryant (6.0)
- SP K%: Jon Lester (24.7%)
- SP BB%: Kyle Hendricks (6.2%)
- SP K-BB%: Lester (17.9)
- SP FIP: Hendricks (3.36)
- SP ERA: Hendricks (2.10)
- RP K%: Aroldis Chapman (44.4%)
- RP BB%: Hector Rondon (3.5%)
- RP K-BB%: Chapman (35.5%)
- RP FIP: Chapman (0.71)
- RP ERA: Chapman (1.37)
- WAR: KB (7.8)
Cardinals
- OBP: Matt Carpenter (.390)
- ISO: Brandon Moss (.276)
- HR: Jedd Gyorko (26)
- R+RBI: Stephen Piscotty (159)
- wRC+: Carpenter (143)
- BSR: Randal Grichuk (1.6)
- SP K%: Carlos Martinez (20.4%)
- SP BB%: Mike Leake (3.8%)
- SP K-BB%: Leake (12.9%)
- SP FIP: Adam Wainwright (3.65)
- SP ERA: Martinez (3.05)
- RP K%: Seung Hwan Oh (34.3%)
- RP BB%: Seth Maness (6.0%)
- RP K-BB%: Oh (27.9%)
- RP FIP: Oh (2.01)
- RP ERA: Zach Duke (0.59)
- WAR: Carpenter (3.2)
Pitching Matchups
K/9, BB/9, ERA, FIP, projected ERA listed for all pitchers
Monday: Cyle Hendricks, RHP (7.91, 2.24, 2.07, 3.36, 3.59) vs Mike Leake, RHP (6.39, 1.44, 4.61, 3.84, 3.81), 7:15 PM CT
Leake spent a few weeks on the shelf with shingles, which is not something you usually hear come across the baseball newswire. He’s still got a little rust to knock off, as evidenced by his 4.1 innings in his first start back.
Tuesday: Jason Hammel. RHP (7.54, 2.91, 3.50, 4.38, 4.16) vs Jaime Garcia, RHP (7.67, 2.93, 4.58, 4.30, 3.89), 7:15 PM CT
Something has been going on with Garcia lately, as he has given up five or more runs in five of his last six starts. It could be that he’s given up nine homers in that span. Not sure if these two things are correlated ?
Clinchday?: Jon Lester, LHP (8.74, 2.40, 2.51, 3.55, 3.26) vs Carlos Martinez, RHP (7.56, 3.26, 3.05, 3.65, 3.59), 12:45 PM CT
For all the incongruous headlines Hendricks has been getting, Lester has been just about as good. Of course, Lester is making something like 40 times what Hendricks is making, so I guess not quite as much surprise. Still, the Cubs are getting their money’s worth.
Unlike Garcia, Martinez has been rolling lately. This will be his fourth time facing the Cubs this season, and results have been mixed. He shut them down back in April, then got shelled a month later. He had the most nominal of quality starts in August, part of a streak of three straight 70+ game score outings.
Comments
Go Cubs woo
SKQuote Reply
SK,
Sorry, I accidentally downvoted your comment.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
SKQuote Reply
http://nypost.com/2016/09/10/how-ex-met-michael-cuddyers-heroics-saved-his-teammate-from-911-disaster/
This is one of a couple times I can think of the outcome of a baseball game being literally the difference between life and death.
PerkinsQuote Reply
SK,
Noted.
dmick89Quote Reply
Also, this is an article about Javy Baez I recently enjoyed:
http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/the-elite-skill-you-wont-find-on-javy-baezs-scouting-report/
PerkinsQuote Reply
dmick89,
i saw that this had 8 downvotes, laughed in confusion, and then immediately clicked downvote.
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
Kind of cool that the last six series of the year are all against divisional opponents. Last eight if you include the Astros for nostalgia reasons (dying laughing).
berseliusQuote Reply
EnricoPallazzo,
It’s got 11 now. It’s the most disliked comment in OV history. I couldn’t be more thrilled to have that honor.
dmick89Quote Reply
According to Carrie, Russell is only the fourth shortstop in Cubs history to have a 20 homer season. Jesus this franchise.
SKQuote Reply
The last time the Cubs won the World Series, the entire team didn’t hit 20 homers.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
To-day’s base ball squadron
Fowler
Bryant
Rizzo
Zobrist (LF)
Russell
Montero
Heyward
Baez
Hendricks
berseliusQuote Reply
The Superfriends are clearly doing it wrong. Hitting homeruns is not the Cubs Way™.
ceruleanQuote Reply
berselius,
Is… something wrong with Contreras?
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
I guess I’m overreacting a bit. I know Maddon likes to give multiple days off in a row, and probably even more so for catchers.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Rizzo the Rat,
He’s been in a slump and Montero has been hitting so it makes sense to give the guy a breather at least until they clinch.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
I think he thinks Montero is on a hot streak, and he also seems to want to keep Baez playing, which means an OF spot has to go to an infielder.
SKQuote Reply
Rizzo the Rat,
I wonder if he has the same bug that hit Arrieta and Grimm
berseliusQuote Reply
No time to get a game thread together. Sorry.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
you are at 26 total downvotes on this thread. i’ve never seen OV this fired up. a few more downvotes and you might get banned.
(please continue to provide free content for us though.)
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
Zobrist!
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Zobrist!!!
When was his last home run?
dmick89Quote Reply
EnricoPallazzo,
I’m very well liked around here. People love me.
dmick89Quote Reply
Why are Cardinals fans booing Heyward? If I was one I’d give him a standing ovation for signing with another team.
dmick89Quote Reply
august 20th. i must have missed that game because i also thought it was much longer than that. july 9th was the one before that.
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
Pretty pathetic at-bat by Hendricks. At least he’s pitching well.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Hendricks is so bad at hitting, it’s tempting to have him bunt, but he’s a terrible bunter, too.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Wow, Leake made Bryant look bad there.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Attaboy, Ant. Let’s break this one open and put these clowns under for good.
uncle daveQuote Reply
Cashner sucks
GWQuote Reply
dmick89,
The BFIB are so gracious that they have to boo. It’s like cheering an opposing player who makes a good play, right?
uncle daveQuote Reply
GW,
I thought that draft pick worked out nicely for the Cubs.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Apparently the Cardinals game plan is to swing early and often tonight.
dmick89Quote Reply
Dexter!!!!
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Wow. Fowler!
dmick89Quote Reply
Ryan Theriot wore number 3, but it was with the Cardinals. I’m just pointing this out to you magic number people here.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
It is what it is.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Russell!
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Heyward!
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
I hope Joe brings in Almora as a defensive sub for Zobrist.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Hendricks is working on something here.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Perkins,
A smile?
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
1.99 ERA.
There is a point when being the ERA leader matters, FIP be damned.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Just got home, sure seems like there is no reason to tune in to this game
berseliusQuote Reply
berselius,
I did not tune in and now I’m afraid to. Am following on GameDay.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Rice Cube,
Well, now you’ve jinxed it. Thanks a lot.
ceruleanQuote Reply
That walk may have ruined his chances at a Maddux.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
We’re close…
umbraQuote Reply
????
berseliusQuote Reply
At 93 pitches, Maddon should pull Hendricks to save him for the postseason.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Who was the guy around here some years ago who was the eternal optimist from South Carolina? No amount of analytics could knock him off the idea that Campana, Volstad, and Brett Jackson wold be superstars, iirc.
BVSQuote Reply
cerulean,
He might get a blister!
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
When was the last time the Cubs had two no-hitters in a season?
umbraQuote Reply
umbra,
1972 (Hooton and Pappas).
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Hendricks longest fly out of year
BVSQuote Reply
umbra,
When was the last time a team had two different consecutive Cy Young winners?
ceruleanQuote Reply
Crap.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Fuck.
dmick89Quote Reply
Jeremy Fucking Hazelbaker.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Well shit
umbraQuote Reply
cerulean,
Braves? Maddux, Maddux, Maddux, Glavine?
dmick89Quote Reply
What’s going on here?
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
Joe is stalling the game so Chapman can warm up.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
dmick89,
That’d be my guess, but since Hendricks’ ERA is back above 2, it doesn’t really matter.
EDIT: It was Maddux then Smoltz in 1995–96.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Did Johnson and Schilling go back to back?
dmick89Quote Reply
He ended up giving up the no-hitter, so it’s kind of like a Maddux.
ceruleanQuote Reply
dmick89,
Schilling never won the Cy.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Bubblesdachimp?
JKVQuote Reply
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
JKV,
Yes. Thanks. Guess he has moved on?
BVSQuote Reply
berseliusQuote Reply
Cardinals announcers right now:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9myYc8Pn8o
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Rizzo the Rat,
I’ve got an extra $20 if you’re selling
BVSQuote Reply
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
http://obstructedview.net/cubs-4-cardinals-1-9-12-16/
berseliusQuote Reply