Series Preview: Brewers (7-9) at Cubs (12-3)

In Series Previews by berselius161 Comments

The red-hot Cubs head back to Chicago for a four game set against the more scuffle-y Brew Crew. The Brewers are coming off series losses to the Twins and Reds, both at home. Their pitching has been about average, but their big problem is that their offense hasn’t gotten in to gear – they currently have a team wOBA of .293. Christian Yelich and Ryan Braun are sitting on slash lines of .175/.288/.456 and .143/.182/.190, so it’s fair to say that their stars haven’t really stepped up yet this season. Here’s hoping they wait another week or so to regress to their means.

Team Leaders

All based on 2019 numbers, too lazy to look these up for guys the teams have signed since.

Beers

  • OBP: Yelich (.429)
  • ISO: Yelich (.342)
  • HR: Yelich (44)
  • R+RBI: Yelich (197)
  • wRC+: Yelich (174)
  • BSR: Yelich (8.5)
  • Defense: Cain (9.0)
  • SP K/9: Peralta (11.61)
  • SP BB/9: Woodruff (2.22)
  • SP FIP: Woodruff (3.01)
  • RP K/9: Hader (16.41)
  • RP BB/9: Hader (2.38)
  • RP FIP: Houser (2.99)
  • WAR: Yelich (7.8)

Cubs

  • OBP: Rizzo (.405)
  • ISO: Happ (.300)
  • HR: Schwarber (38)
  • R+RBI: Bryant (185)
  • wRC+: Bryant (135)
  • BSR: Bryant (3.8)
  • Defense: Baez (15.7)
  • SP K/9: Darvish (11.54)
  • SP BB/9: Cyle (1.63)
  • SP FIP: Cyle (3.61)
  • RP K/9: Wieck (16.20)
  • RP BB/9: [picture of dumpster fire]
  • RP FIP: Wick (2.82)
  • WAR: Bryant (4.8)

The biggest takeaway from the 2019 numbers, aside from Yelich being really good, is that losing Grandal was a bigger blow than I expected.

Who isn’t available?

Jose Quintana is still recovering from his thumb injury, and it’s possible that he might be in the pen for the rest of the year given the short season and ramp-up time. James Norwood is on the IL with shoulder inflammation, and Brad Wieck is on the IL with a hamstring injury. Descalso is still on the long term IL with David Patton disease. Mark Zagunis is the only Cubs org guy that seems to have opted out.

On the Brewers side, Braun and Brett Anderson both recently returned from trips to the IL for various finger issues. Lorenzo Cain and Shelby Miller opted out from the season at the beginning of the month.

Pitching Matchups, game times

2019 K/9, BB/9, ERA, 2020 Projected ERA listed for all starters

Thursday: Brett Anderson, LHP (4.60, 2.51, 3.89, 4.78) vs Yu Darvish, RHP (11.54, 2.82, 3.98, 3.41), 6:15 PM CT

Anderson is a worm-killing machine to have had success with that strikeout rate.

Friday: Brandon Woodruff, RHP (10.58, 2.22, 3.62, 3.79) vs Tyler Chatwood, RHP (8.69, 4.34, 3.76, 4.20), 7:15 PM CT

Saturday: Adrian Houser, RHP (9.46, 2.99, 3.72, 4.16) vs Alec Mills, RHP (10.50, 2.75, 2.75, 4.95), 7:15 PM CT

Sunday: Josh Lindblom, RHP (in KBO, 4.67) Jon Lester, LHP (8.65, 2.73, 4.46, 4.30), 1:20 PM CT

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Comments

  1. Author
    berselius

    To-day’s base ball squadron

    2B Hoerner
    1B Rizzo
    SS Baez
    DH Contreras
    LF Schwarber
    CF Happ
    3B Bote
    RF Souza
    C Caratini

    P Darvish

    Bryant scratched with lingering hand soreness from yesterday.

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  2. andcounting

    I know batting average is overrated, but if it winds up being .000 for a team over the course of an entire game, that’s still a big deal, right?

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  3. EnricoPallazzo

    andcounting,

    it’s fine, they only need to play 23 games in 6 days. absolutgely no reason that this can’t be done. if 80s movies have taught me anything, my strategy would be to have like 8 different squads of “cardinals” all playing make-up games simultaneously. The squads would all ostensibly be real players, but in actuality, the players would be mostly stand-ins (coaches, one kid standing on another kid’s shoulders, perhaps an orangutan or two, pieces of furniture that have shown a propensity to play, etc) who are wearing elaborate disguises*.

    *neck tattoos

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  4. andcounting

    So the Cardinals are scheduled to play 53 games in 44 days, with 4 doubleheaders in August and seven in September and what looks like two off days in September.

    Even if we could assume the COVID side of things stabilizes, because of course it will this time, the baseball aspect is bananas. I’m sure the expanded playoff berths will help mitigate some teams’ frustrations, but it really does feel like a rejected Adam Sandler movie.

    https://www.mlb.com/news/cardinals-postponed-games-rescheduled

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  5. Perkins

    andcounting,

    It sucks for teams like the Cubs, who have to play those doubleheaders against them, but I have no sympathy for the Cardinals players, who will doubtless be running on fumes.

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  6. Author
    berselius

    To-day’s base ball squadron

    CF Happ
    1B Rizzo
    SS Baez
    LF War Bear
    C Contreras
    RF Heyward
    3B Bote
    DH Kipnis
    2B Hoerner

    P Mills

    Chatwood scratched with back stiffness, is day to day.

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  7. Rizzo the Rat

    Ok, this is the first time I’ve been annoyed at Davis Ross. Mills should not be allowed to go through a lineup a third time, especially with a rested bullpen.

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  8. uncle dave

    Looks like the eRds are gonna miss a couple of games now. They should change the rules so that the team with the most total wins gets the division regardless of win percentage.

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  9. Author
    berselius

    To-day’s base ball squadron

    3B Bryant
    1B Rizzo
    C Contreras
    DH Schwarber
    LF Souza
    CF Happ
    RF Heyward
    SS Hoerner
    2B Kipnis

    P Lester

    Day of for Javy

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  10. Rizzo the Rat

    Cubs up 3-0 early?

    I’ve seen this one before.

    (I kid! I’m not that cynical yet!)

    — Bleacher Nation (@BleacherNation) August 16, 2020

    Just so we all know whom to blame for this.

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  11. andcounting

    Oh yeah. Two Cubs games today. I’ve probably never been less excited about the 1st place Cubs playing two against the Cardinals in August.

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  12. andcounting

    I’ll be kinda shocked if the Cubs don’t strike out three times here in the 7th. The Heyward K was . . . something.

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  13. andcounting

    WaLi,

    I didn’t envision him putting so much stank into it, but that was somehow so much worse than it looks in print. He said it with the same disdain he’d typically reserve for Cub fans.

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  14. Author
    berselius

    To-day’s base ball squadron

    LF Happ
    1B Rizzo
    SS Baez
    C Contreras
    DH War Bear
    3B Bote
    RF Heyward
    2B Perez
    CF Almora

    P Lester

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  15. Author
    berselius

    EnricoPallazzo:
    it is just simply unbelievable how consistently horrible these xfinity radio ads are. every year. just so fucking bad.

    At least they stopped running the fawning Newsmax ads that were popping up at the beginning of the season.

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  16. Author
    berselius

    berselius,

    Also, that couple from the commercial has extreme standing in the front yard with a pink polo shirt and a long gun vibe. Maybe they just need to speak to Lily from AT&T’s manager.

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  17. Author
    berselius

    To-day’s base ball squadron

    RF Happ
    1B Rizzp
    SS Baez
    LF War Bear
    C Contreras
    DH Kipnis
    3B Bote
    2B Hoerner
    CF Almora

    P Lester

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  18. Author
    berselius

    Sounds like Angel Hernandez is in mid season form.

    I always forget that Coomer was in the middle of the play that got Steve McMichael ejected after singing the 7th inning stretch (dying laughing).

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  19. Perkins

    Anyone else think it’s kinda lame that the Cubs played yesterday and talked about how Heyward was adamant that they play the game? Even if that was the case, seems like the rest of the team should have sat out alongside him, as the Dodgers did when Mookie Betts said he was going to.

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  20. Rizzo the Rat

    Here is my take. Jason Heyward is an intelligent, articulate adult who made his wishes clear. His teammates listened and honored his wishes instead of assuming he was lying or that they knew better than he did what was best. Going against his stated wishes and sitting out the game would have been paternalism.

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  21. Perkins

    Rizzo the Rat,

    I think that’s fair, though I also look at it through the lens of someone who doesn’t want to burden a partner, but the right thing for the friend/partner to do is to have his back, even when he says not to worry about it. Not sure if I’m saying that clearly.

    Obviously Heyward is an intelligent and thoughtful person, so I’d also worry about coming across as paternalistic. I’m thinking more of the team dynamics of it. A “you go, we go” type of thing.

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  22. dmick89

    I think the Cubs should have had the Bucks backs. I knew they wouldn’t because baseball is much more conservative and I think the Cubs players are especially conservative.

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  23. Smokestack Lightning

    Seems fitting that the very best the Cubs will get out of Darvish will be what’s largely felt like a glorified exhibition season (minus the glory),

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  24. Perkins

    The Pirates have won 9 games this year, and 7 of those have been against the Cardinals or Brewers. If they hang on today, it’ll be 8 of 10.

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