Bummer

Went out to the ballpark Thursday night, probably for the last time this season as there are only a handful of dates remaining.  Really cold as the night wore on and kind of irritating as well.  I've been to a lot of Cubs games in my time, but I cannot recall seeing half-a-dozen infants within about eight or ten rows ever.  Nor as many grinning fools taking selfies while play was going on.

Oh, well.  The Cubs started out like a house on fire, building up a 4-1 lead behind Wada, who has pitched quite well since joining the team, at least for the first six innings or so.  Given he is returning from surgery, I wonder if his lack of stamina is a result of this factor and, of course, whether he will improve over the off-season.  For some reason, the Cubs have always owned Greinke at Wrigley Field, and that was the case last night.

Once Wada hit the showers, the Cubs bullpen proceeded to blow the game, more or less as they did in the Toronto series last week.  Ramirez had nothing.  Virtually every Dodger hitter just teed off on him.  He was ill-served by the Watkins error, but that doesn't explain his failure completely.  For some reason, Renteria continues to be stubborn about his bullpen and there is never anyone warming up when a guy is obviously having an off night.

Actually there is not a lot to like about Reneria's handling of the team over the last few weeks.  I know it is September and I know Castro is out for the year and Rizzo has missed a lot of time and Soler needs an occasional off day, but these lineups are killers lately.  And the strategy or lack thereof is upsetting.  For example, the first four Cubs reach base and the Cubs score twice in the first inning without recording an out.  Kalish, who for some reason is playing CF and for some equally inexplicable reason is batting fifth, bunts.  Naturally, the Dodgers get the force at third, likely because neither of the Cubs base-runners thought anyone would be dumb enough to call a bunt or do so on his own.

Besides the Watkins error - now we know why the Cubs tried to convert him to the outfield, as he clearly cannot play 2B - the Cubs played a very sloppy game in the field and on the bases.  What is Valbuena thinking trying to take second on Gonzalez's error with Puig in RF?  These kinds of failure are perhaps natural to a young team, but there continues to be little improvement in play and virtually no consequences for those who mess up.

Actually, besides the loss of Castro and Rizzo, another reason the Cubs have played worse in September than August is the way the team has been handled, especially the pitchers.  Switching to a six man rotation means not only do you see an inferior starter 20% more often, but that your starters are pitching on an extra day's rest, which, at least for some pitchers, is not a good thing at all.  The other thing is that, having so many bullpen options, Renteria has chosen to alter a lot of the established roles his relievers have enjoyed and to use these guys at much longer intervals of rest.  Again, not necessarily a good thing, and not something that really tells you much about the future.

In any case, I left early and missed most of the really depressing play.  The last three innings took what seemed like several hours to play.  When I flipped on the TV at home, they were still playing.  To my horror, I thought I picked up the sound of these idiots who howl all the time in the late innings when all the sane people have gone home.  Say it isn't so.