The Phillies are in the middle of about as tough a stretch as any team could face. They just got swept by the Dodgers in LA, head to Wrigley to face the Cubs for a four game series, then are rewarded with a trip home to face the Nationals. They did manage to rip off a six game winning streak before hitting this speed bump (speed wall?), so I guess they have that going for them.
Team Leaders
Phightins
- OBP: Cesar Hernandez (.374)
- ISO: Freddy Galvis (.207)
- HR: Hernandez / Maikel Franco (4)
- R+RBI: Hernandez (29)
- wRC+: Hernandez (137)
- BSR: Michael Saunders (1.4)
- SP K/9: Vince Velasquez (9.28)
- SP BB/9: Jeremy Hellickson (0.90)
- SP FIP: Aaron Nola (3.06)
- RP K/9: Eudbray Ramos (14.04)
- RP BB/9: Hector Neris (2.13)
- RP FIP: Pat Neshek (2.21)
- WAR: Hernandez (1.1)
Cubs
- OBP: Kris Bryant (.396)
- ISO: Anthony Rizzo (.247)
- HR: Rizzo (6)
- R+RBI: Rizzo (32)
- wRC+: Bryant (137)
- BSR: Jon Jay (1.6)
- SP K/9: Jake Arrieta (10.55)
- SP BB/9: Arrieta (2.48)
- SP FIP: Jon Lester (3.58)
- RP K/9: Pedro Strop (12.91)
- RP BB/9: Brian Duensing (0.00)
- RP FIP: Wade Davis (1.25)
- WAR: Bryant (1.2)
Injuries, News, Blood Oaths, etc.
The Phillies are down a couple of regular starters. Aaron Nola is down with a back strain and the Phillies were hoping that he would return this series, but he experienced more soreness after throwing a bullpen session on Friday. Clay Buchholtz had elbow surgery in the spring and is donezo for the year, and erstwhile 2b Howie Kendrick is out for a few weeks with an ab strain.
Pitching Probables
K%, BB%, ERA, projected ERA listed for each pitcher.
Monday: Vince Velasquez, RHP (23.2%, 12.6%, 6.33, 4.12) vs Brett Anderson, LHP (15.2%, 12.0%, 3.54, 4.40), 7:05 PM CT
Velasquez had a promising first season with the Phillies last year, but things have not gone quite so well in 2017. He is still striking out plenty of batters, but he is issuing far more walks and is getting crushed by opposing batters. He has given up at least three runs in all of his starts this year.
Anderson is getting tons of ground balls, but teams have been making good contact against him. Somehow he has managed to keep his ERA down.
Tuesday: Jeremy Hellickson, RHP (9.6%, 2.6% 1.80, 4.27) vs Jon Lester, LHP (20.8%, 7.2%, 3.68, 3.19), 7:05 PM CT
You know that you;ll get one thing from Hellickson – a whole lot of strikes. He actually had a quietly decent first season with the Phils, posting 3.2 fWAR. He's another fly ball pitcher, so things could be flying out of Wrigley this week.
Wedneday: Jerad Eickhoff, RHP (21.9%, 8.6%, 3.56, 3.97) vs Jake Arrieta, RHP (27.6%, 6.5%, 4.66, 3.20), 7:05 PM CT
I'm guessing Eickhoff's main drive to reach the big leagues has been channeled rage that his parents gave him such a stupid first name. He was knocked around by the Red Sox in his last start, so at least he has that in common with the Cubs pitching staff.
Thursday: Zach Eflin, RHP (15.3%, 4.2%, 1.89, 5.07) vs John Lackey, RHP (23.1%, 6.9%, 5.10, 3.74), 1:20 PM CT
I'm guessing that Eflin is more or less the replacement for Nola until he gets back. He went seven innings against hte Dodgers in his last outing, which is more than any Cubs starter can say right now. He doesn't strike many out, posting a mere 4.41 K/9 over his eleven starts last year, but has gotten off to a much better start in 2017.
Comments
I know you’re all very interested in the NFL Draft around here, so I’m here for the next five hours to answer your questions.
RynoQuote Reply
And can the Iowa fans quell my anger toward the CJ Beathard pick by SF? Other than the fact that Kyle Shanahan (who probably knows more than I about this) said he was the only QB he wanted from this draft, I can’t find any reason SF needed to pick him in the third round.
RynoQuote Reply
Ryno,
He had a great 2015, but struggled some in 2016. He didn’t have much to pass to last year so that didn’t surprise me. I don’t think he’s 3rd rounder and honestly, I don’t think he sticks around in the NFL.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
That’s pretty much what I had heard, the 2015-2016 part. Some drafts just don’t produce good QBs and this could be one.
Thanks, dmick89.
RynoQuote Reply
Watching the 2015 game against Michigan State and I can see flashes of what Shanahan wants. He’s capable of throwing with anticipation. He has a good arm. Stands in the pocket. Though. Threw a nice deep ball to start the fourth quarter.
Honestly, he looks like a more conservative Kirk Cousins.
And George Kittle looks awesome, btw.
RynoQuote Reply
Ryno,
Worse move – Bears trading up to get Trubisky or Jags drafting a running back at 4?
Berselius is too lazy to loginQuote Reply
Addison Russell is in a deep, deep funk.
MylesQuote Reply
Myles,
So is Kyle Schwarber. And Javier Baez.
dmick89Quote Reply
Berselius is too lazy to login,
At this point, I’d say the Bears moving up.
Fournette was an elite prospect at RB, though that pick is a little rich for my blood.
CHI gave up a lot to move up one spot for a QB that didn’t separate himself from the pack, imo. I just don’t think any QBs in this draft really stood out in that regard. If Trubisky becomes a franchise QB, the extra picks won’t be a big deal, though.
RynoQuote Reply
So looking at the Mets right now, is anyone else reminded of the Cubs in 2004-5?
PerkinsQuote Reply
Actually more like 2004-2006.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Ryno,
I think the Bears trade is worse too, I’m just giving an extra (dying laughing) bonus to the Jags for the sheer amount of assets they’ve poured in to the RB position over the past few years.
Berselius is too lazy to loginQuote Reply
Sounds like he needs to chat with Coomer and get some FunkAway
Berselius is too lazy to loginQuote Reply
Perkins,
Probably the worst stretch of being a Cubs fan in my lifetime.
RynoQuote Reply
Berselius is too lazy to login,
Yeah, it’s tough to find a good zone runner. /eyeroll
My main issue with what the Bears did at QB is that they spent a ton of money on Mike Glennon and assets on Trubisky, who they hope will be as productive as a healthy Jay Cutler.
RynoQuote Reply
Worse move: Drafting Fournette No. 4 overall or picking up Bortles’ fifth-year option just now?
RynoQuote Reply
Without a doubt.
“If Wood and Prior stay healthy, this team will be great!”
There’s a certain amount of Schadenfreude seeing the Mets go through that now.
PerkinsQuote Reply
i work with a few guys that are big mets fans and i was giving them shit before but now i just feel bad for them. it’s just getting ridiculous.
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
EnricoPallazzo,
I feel bad for Thor and Harvey, and the game is definitely better when they’re healthy. As to Mets fans? Meh.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Ryno,
Bortles option by a mile
Berselius is too lazy to loginQuote Reply
The Bears draft just seems like it sucks, at least on paper. End up with just 5 players, with it unlikely that either of your top 2 picks end up as starters this year? I hate this team so much.
EdwinQuote Reply
I advise you to move your Bears status into “owner death mode.”
MylesQuote Reply
To-day’s base ball squadron
Schwarber
Bryant
Rizzo
Zobrist
Heyward
Contreras
Baez (SS)
Anderson
Jay
berseliusQuote Reply
berselius,
It would be nice to see some big games from Schwarber and Baez. Couldn’t hurt.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
I hope they hurt some baseballs.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
They started this game in the rain?
dmick89Quote Reply
These first innings are insufferable.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
I’m hoping for a rainout.
dmick89Quote Reply
Rizzo the Rat,
It’s the opposite of last year.
dmick89Quote Reply
Ugh.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Come on, rainout.
PerkinsQuote Reply
This is the Phillies.
dmick89Quote Reply
Well, Len said the Phillies have had trouble with the 9th inning. So that fits well with the 2017 Cubs’ MO of getting in a hole early and coming back.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Also somehow Anderson has been as good/bad as Hammel to this point, and Hammel has a pretty ugly xFIP. I’m more concerned with the seeming decline of the rest of the rotation, but maybe having Brett Anderson start every fifth day isn’t a great idea.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Yeah, Brett Anderson sucks about as much as I thought he did.
dmick89Quote Reply
The Cubs are going to be down by 30 after the 1st whenever they play the Nationals.
dmick89Quote Reply
WHY WAS CONTRERAS RUNNING DOWN SEVEN RUNS?!?!?!?!
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
God, this team is stupid sometimes.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
The “glass half full” part of me says the Cubs are still in first despite having a ton of shit go wrong.
The “listens to his eyes” part of me says “what the fuck is this shit?”
PerkinsQuote Reply
I’m wondering how long before Montgomery takes over the 5th starter slot, but I’m also not sure if Anderson will be anymore effective in long relief.
PerkinsQuote Reply
I foresee an Anderson cut/DL stint and a La Stella return.
ceruleanQuote Reply
cerulean,
La Stella couldn’t be much worse as the 5th starter. I’d rather pay Anderson to go away.
dmick89Quote Reply
To me, they got two good players and a third who could be good if used right. If they all pan out, that’s a good draft. Unfortunately, they wasted resources getting those guys and left good players on the board with the rest of their picks.
Trubisky – The best QB in the draft based on his 2016 film. Limited upside.
Shaheen – Man, that’s a big, athletic TE. Don’t be too mad at this one.
Jackson – Looked like a possible first rounder before he broke his leg last season. Not overly physical, but has decent chance as a single high safety in Cover 3 looks.
If I were the Bears (without knowing their needs), I would have probably gone:
1. Jamal Adams, S, LSU
2. DeShone Kizer, QB, Notre Dame
3. Derek Rivers, Edge, Youngstown St.
4. Dorian Johnson, OL, Pitt
5. Jordan Leggett, TE, Clemson
6. Brad Kaaya, QB, Miami
7. Isaiah Ford, WR, Virginia Tech
RynoQuote Reply
On a happier note, Miguel Montero and his wife became US citizens yesterday:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-miguel-montero-citizen-20170501-story.html
PerkinsQuote Reply
Perkins,
RynoQuote Reply
Just for clarification, that’s not my reaction to the Monteros’ news. It’s just one American’s reaction.
RynoQuote Reply
Ryno,
Shaheen seems interesting, but from what I’ve heard he’s very much a developmental project at this point. Jackson seems interesting, but a guy with that many injury problems in college just makes me nervous about how he’ll hold up at the NFL level. The running back they took seems like an interesting situational guy, but at this point can they really afford to look for role players when they clearly need 3 down help?
Overall it just doesn’t seem like the type of draft a rebuilding team should be going for.
EdwinQuote Reply
Edwin,
No it’s not. And it starts with trading up for an average QB. The draft I posted earlier would have gone further toward a rebuild.
I was trying to go for a silver-lining approach, but it’s a tough sell.
RynoQuote Reply
Are the Saints going to be good this year? Or maybe the Chiefs? I think I need a new NFL team for the next couple seasons.
EdwinQuote Reply
On the positive side for Anderson last night: He only walked one batter.
EdwinQuote Reply
I’m ready to pay Brett Anderson to go away.
MylesQuote Reply
Just call up Duane Underwood Jr. and give him a chance while you stretch out Montgomery.
MylesQuote Reply
Edwin,
KC will still be good, but I’d consider Tennessee and Cleveland if you’re looking for a team that’s close to ascending.
RynoQuote Reply
Though his reaction could be because he doesn’t know Venezuela isn’t Mexico.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Perkins,
Trump probably thinks Latin America is a continent flooded with terrorists.
dmick89Quote Reply
Perkins,
I hear Venezuela is doing well right now. Free refrigerators and zero crime. They welcome all journalists, so I thought maybe I would get into journalism just for the opportunity to spend time there. Media outlets are rolling in dough and have a lot of credibility, so even if I don’t get to that paradise, I can’t imagine not being able to make a comfortable living regardless. But that’s silly to think that I wouldn’t be greeted with open arms: The world loves America and Americans, especially now that the power of the Trump brand Trump is in power. God bless America. And Venezuela too.
ceruleanQuote Reply
cerulean,
Bigly. Yuge love for America.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Myles,
I’d like to see what he can do at AAA first. I’m fine with Montgomery in the rotation and I don’t even care if the Cubs have a lefty in their bullpen. They have bigger issues right now than a LOOGY.
dmick89Quote Reply
I meant more like giving him 2 spot starts while Montgomery stretches out. I don’t think he is ready for the majors full time, but he’s the best prospect near the majors we have (sadly).
Myles HandleyQuote Reply
Myles Handley,
is pierce johnson for sure not a starter? i don’t remember what’s going on with him. his bref page indicates a move to the bullpen although i don’t recall if it was because he sucked as a starter, he got injured, or some other reason.
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
EnricoPallazzo,
Little column A, little column B.
EdwinQuote Reply
Apparently bigly is a word. But not so apparently he is saying big-league, and it doesn’t have the same meaning as bigly. Donald Trump is one of the best communicators in the world—he says what people imagine they are hearing.
ceruleanQuote Reply
cerulean,
His words are the best. Just beautiful, tremendous words. You know it. Everyone says so.
PerkinsQuote Reply
But he’s so humble about it. He could lord his mastery of language—not just English—LANGUAGE—lord it over all of us.
But he doesn’t. He COULD. But that wouldn’t be very humble, unless it was our humility that needed to be felt, in which case, he has the correct kind of genitals to tell us how it is—to really make it felt.
But he usually doesn’t resort to that. We know what we did. Like a cowering dog. We know. Unless we are part of the dishonest media. So arrogant, they need to be humbled—and the way they act—they WANT to be humbled, because nobody would act that way if they didn’t need to feel the back of a hand.
But that’s not the way it usually is. No. I mean that wouldn’t be very humble. And his self-professed humility is second none. It’s not an exaggeration to say he is the humblest man alive today—the humblest man ever second to Jesus. Any blessing or rebuke from him is second only to Jesus.
And Jesus was the Word, so Trump certainly has the best words. They are such a part of him that we cannot even begin to understand them for him to describe them, big league.
ceruleanQuote Reply
cerulean,
Jesus didn’t have to put up with the fake, dishonest media the way Trump has.
dmick89Quote Reply
To-day’s base ball squadron
Schwarbryzzobrist
Russell
Heyward
Contreras
Lester
Baez
Berselius is too lazy to loginQuote Reply
How many runs do the Cubs give up in the first inning? I’m going with 2 and it takes 32 pitches.
dmick89Quote Reply
I wish we could just start games in the second inning.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
FFS with these early runs
Berselius is too lazy to loginQuote Reply
Sigh.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Bryant!
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Bryant!
PerkinsQuote Reply
KB
Berselius is too lazy to loginQuote Reply
Lester getting squeezed
Berselius is too lazy to loginQuote Reply
dmick89,
You clearly missed all of the “he was no angel” posts in the Jerusalem Post after he got crucified. Typical media treatment of a black victim of state violence & etc.
uncle daveQuote Reply
uncle dave,
(dying laughing)
Berselius is too lazy to loginQuote Reply
What kind of unhinged loser attacks moneychangers and disparages our heroic Centurions for keeping the peace? SAD!
PerkinsQuote Reply
Perkins,
(dying laughing)
uncle daveQuote Reply
Also I heard Jesus took 40 days of vacation in the desert rather than preaching and feeding the hungry. Real low energy!
PerkinsQuote Reply
Looks like we got a two-team bullpen game brewing here.
uncle daveQuote Reply
Javy!!!
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Perkins,
I’d add more, but I can’t keep up with the pace of the bullshit to parody it.
uncle daveQuote Reply
Balk calls are so weird.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Crap.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Schwarber!!!!!!!!!!
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
WAR BEAR
/delayed
Berselius is too lazy to loginQuote Reply
Bryant! Zobrist!
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Trackman must have crapped out again. I got no specs on the Schwarbomb.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Strikes, please.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Maybe it isn’t a good idea to load the bases with a four-run lead?
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Throw. Strikes.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Rizzo the Rat,
You’d make a terrible reality TV show creator.
ceruleanQuote Reply
cerulean,
Usually a good sign of someone with Presidential potential.
dmick89Quote Reply
Why didn’t Altherr just keep going? No way Lester throws home.
dmick89Quote Reply
That could have been worse.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
dmick89,
Lester already threw him out attempting to steal second.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Javy again!!!!
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Javy nearly doubled his wRC+ on the year, going from 60 to an even 100. I think a league-average bat from Javy is acceptable.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Good thing Maddon didn’t waste Davis in yesterday’s tie game. He’s so much more useful protecting a five-run lead.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
That was a recent game I enjoyed in person
Rice CubeQuote Reply
???????? <—relevant emoji (thanks wordpress)
ceruleanQuote Reply
http://obstructedview.net/cubs-8-phillies-3-5-2-17/
berseliusQuote Reply