Pitching Woes

After taking three out of four from the rebuilding Phillies in less than dominant fashion, the Cubs have dropped the last two to the resurgent Yankees.  Friday's loss was a bummer.  Hendricks, who is increasingly becoming the only really reliable starter in the rotation who doesn't give up a crooked number in the first inning, pitched well.  Tough luck for Rondon, who had been very good to that point, giving up the home run to Gardner after forty pitches.

The Cubs made some roster moves after blowing out the bullpen.  They designated Szczur for assignment in order to add another reliever, then demoted Grimm to bring up a fourteenth pitcher.  To me there is something wrong with roster management and bullpen usage when you need to carry more than twelve pitchers, but fourteen is a step too far.

In any case, there are really two causes for this situation.  One is that Maddon really prefers using his relievers for a single inning.  This is fine if your starters are getting out of the sixth inning snf preferably the seventh, but not so good if they are not.

The Cubs starters, even the proven veterans, are not.  More often than not, they are getting beaten up in the first inning.  Are these guys warming up?  Are they so predictable in their pitch selection the other team is ready until they adjust?  Is warming up in the indoor bullpen affecting things?  Not questions a fan can answer, but something is wrong here.

One thing that is definitely wrong is Brett Anderson, who is always full of excuses, but who is just very likely not the pitcher he or baseball guys think he is.  As readers of this blog are aware, I never thought much about bringing Anderson on over the winter and handing him the fifth starter role, a role which I and most other observers though would go to Montgomery on merit and potential.

Acquiring Anderson effectively relegated Montgomery to relief and, coupled with Wood electing free agency, created another hole with respect to having a second lefty for short relief.  With Anderson proving a complete flop and now headed to the DL, the problem is compounded, but possibly creates an opportunity to achieve an appropriate resolution.

I was sorry to see Szczur wind up on the short end here.  He was surely not an integral part of the team, but he was a good bench player who gave it his all.  I hope he lands somewhere where he can get more playing time.