Geez. Watching the Dodgers is like watching the Cubs. Thirty strikeouts in two games. Two runs in 22 innings. At least they won. I've been rooting for them to beat the Brewers anyway, mostly because I cannot stand the Brewers and also because one can never root for a red state team in the playoffs.
For those fans who yearn for the Cubs to pursue Machado in free agency, it may pay to watch him closely during the post-season. Machado is a good hitter to be sure. So far he reminds me a lot of Baez, which, of course is good and bad. The real deal is that he seems to be a head case. He has so far tried to maim Brewers middle infielders on two occasions as well as going out of his way to kick the Brewers first baseman in he ankle on a close play at first base. Also, on the winning hit moments ago, it looked like he paused for a bit before running hard to home plate. He made it, but you have to wonder. Two outs, solid hit, you're on second base. You run like crazy, don't you?
As to the AL series, I like the Red Sox. both because of the red state/blue state formula, but also because I rather think they are the best team right now. The Astros are good, though. Either one is likely to be the champion.
Tuesday, October 16, 2018
Friday, October 12, 2018
Chili Davis Out
One cannot blame the Cubs for dismissing Davis based on the team's performance. They really had only a few streaks where they were clicking on all cylinders. Maybe not his fault, but it was pretty brutal watching the team play, especially in September. Bryant's injury and missing Russell and Heyward and Zobrist for longish stretches undoubtedly had a lot to do with it, but still, they were a mess.
The Chicago Tribune gives a list of potential replacements. I'd prefer Magadan myself.
The Chicago Tribune gives a list of potential replacements. I'd prefer Magadan myself.
Friday, October 5, 2018
A Disappointing End
Actually, disgusting is a better description. The final two games were pretty depressing. Once again, no offense. The pitching was terrific over 13 innings; the hitting non-existent.
I cannot carp too much about Maddon's game management in this one. One might question leaving Hendricks in when he got in trouble with two outs in the 13th, but you have to figure he can retire a .170 hitter. Similarly, removing Lester for a pinch hitter to begin the 7th was a questionable move.
I did not have the same opinion, however, on his use of the bench. Batting Heyward with the bases loaded was, although defensible, an awkward move. Pinch running for Rizzo with Gore was also defensible. It's hard to take out your best player, but it was obvious that Maddon had no confidence in scoring that run unless he did something unusual. In the end, they tied the score. What puzzled me, though was leaving Gore in the game. I mean, Caratini was available to play first base.
Gore batted twice in the ensuing innings. It is plain that Gore is not a real baseball player, just a pinch runner. He seemed to be thinking about bunting both times, but he clearly cannot bunt. A guy with that kind of speed ought to learn how to bunt. The last at-bat in the 13th was a joke. Couldn't he at least have pretended to be grazed by that inside pitch instead of just standing around looking bewildered before running down to first base?
Maddon does a lot of magical thinking in his game management. This was a really bizarre move and I am kind of surprised there has not been more criticism.
More tomorrow about personnel and the future.
I cannot carp too much about Maddon's game management in this one. One might question leaving Hendricks in when he got in trouble with two outs in the 13th, but you have to figure he can retire a .170 hitter. Similarly, removing Lester for a pinch hitter to begin the 7th was a questionable move.
I did not have the same opinion, however, on his use of the bench. Batting Heyward with the bases loaded was, although defensible, an awkward move. Pinch running for Rizzo with Gore was also defensible. It's hard to take out your best player, but it was obvious that Maddon had no confidence in scoring that run unless he did something unusual. In the end, they tied the score. What puzzled me, though was leaving Gore in the game. I mean, Caratini was available to play first base.
Gore batted twice in the ensuing innings. It is plain that Gore is not a real baseball player, just a pinch runner. He seemed to be thinking about bunting both times, but he clearly cannot bunt. A guy with that kind of speed ought to learn how to bunt. The last at-bat in the 13th was a joke. Couldn't he at least have pretended to be grazed by that inside pitch instead of just standing around looking bewildered before running down to first base?
Maddon does a lot of magical thinking in his game management. This was a really bizarre move and I am kind of surprised there has not been more criticism.
More tomorrow about personnel and the future.
Monday, October 1, 2018
Tense Loss
Some observations on the tiebreaker loss.
The Cubs are just so inconsistent on offense. On Monday, they were in full swing mode. Granted Chacin was throwing strikes, but there are other ways to raise the pitch count, like spoiling pitches and fouling balls off. When the Cubs are in swing mode they never score unless they hit a home run. Should they survive the Wild Card Game vs. Colorado, they are not going to advance unless they straighten out their heads.
I probably would not have removed Quintana with such a low pitch count even though there were some hard hits. Pitching to Yelich with a runner at third was dumb and cost them a run. Removing Quintana unnecesssriky worked out well because Chavez was able to go two scoreless innings, but, still, Maddon has a tendency to pull his pitchers too early and given the almost complete meltdown of the relief corps since the Strop injury, this is a luxury he cannot afford.
Maddon was out-managed throughout the game by Counsel. Granted the Brewers have a superior bullpen, using the combination of Wilson and Cishek in the eighth inning was a big blunder. These two, along with Edwards and Kintzler, have been largely ineffective all through September. They ought to be better, but they are not. If you wanted a lefty to start that inning, the better options were Rosario or De La Rosa or Garcia. Why you would want a lefty in that spot is a bit of a puzzle. Presumably to keep Shaw on the bench.
Bottom line, the Cubs hitting approach is just completely messed up right now, but Maddon has to stop the micro-managing or at least do a better job of it. I like their chances against the Rockies tonight. Lester is a big game pitcher. Freeland is pitching on short rest. Should they survive, they have every chance to beat the Brewers who are bound to cool off sometime. The Cubs have superior starting pitchers, though that is balanced out by the Brewers bullpen strength. Position for position the Cubs are a superior team with the exception of Cain and Yelich. Of course, they have not played like that for a month.
The Cubs are just so inconsistent on offense. On Monday, they were in full swing mode. Granted Chacin was throwing strikes, but there are other ways to raise the pitch count, like spoiling pitches and fouling balls off. When the Cubs are in swing mode they never score unless they hit a home run. Should they survive the Wild Card Game vs. Colorado, they are not going to advance unless they straighten out their heads.
I probably would not have removed Quintana with such a low pitch count even though there were some hard hits. Pitching to Yelich with a runner at third was dumb and cost them a run. Removing Quintana unnecesssriky worked out well because Chavez was able to go two scoreless innings, but, still, Maddon has a tendency to pull his pitchers too early and given the almost complete meltdown of the relief corps since the Strop injury, this is a luxury he cannot afford.
Maddon was out-managed throughout the game by Counsel. Granted the Brewers have a superior bullpen, using the combination of Wilson and Cishek in the eighth inning was a big blunder. These two, along with Edwards and Kintzler, have been largely ineffective all through September. They ought to be better, but they are not. If you wanted a lefty to start that inning, the better options were Rosario or De La Rosa or Garcia. Why you would want a lefty in that spot is a bit of a puzzle. Presumably to keep Shaw on the bench.
Bottom line, the Cubs hitting approach is just completely messed up right now, but Maddon has to stop the micro-managing or at least do a better job of it. I like their chances against the Rockies tonight. Lester is a big game pitcher. Freeland is pitching on short rest. Should they survive, they have every chance to beat the Brewers who are bound to cool off sometime. The Cubs have superior starting pitchers, though that is balanced out by the Brewers bullpen strength. Position for position the Cubs are a superior team with the exception of Cain and Yelich. Of course, they have not played like that for a month.
Sunday, September 30, 2018
Tied
Not the last out of the regular season, though, as they must face the Brewers Monday afternoon to determine who is the division winner and who must play in the Wild Card game. Colorado and Los Angeles must play a similar tiebreaker later in the afternoon. I feel pretty good about the Cubs chances. Quintana will get the start for the Cubs against probably Chacin for the Brewers. I saw a game earlier this month with the same matchup. Quintana for some reason dominates the Brewers, as he did that night.
Go Cubs!
Thursday, September 13, 2018
Brain Cramps
I have to say that Joe Maddon has done a remarkable job keeping his team on track despite notable injuries to a number of key players in the course of the season. Over the year, he has lost two of his starters, Darvish and Chatwood, the one to injury, the other to incompetence. He has also lost his closer Morrow for most of the season. Plus significant DL stints for Rizzo, Bryant, Zobrist, Russell, and Heyward.
That having been said, his performance as a game manager leaves a lot to be desired. I recollect Theo Epstein having said they never really considered game management skills in selecting the manager. In this respect, he was being unusually frank.
Not since Game 7 of the 2016 World Series have I seen a worse managed game and there were some honest excuses for that performance. The worst of all decisions was allowing Pedro Strop to hit with the bases loaded and one out in a one run game. I know he wanted to keep Strop in the game to pitch the bottom of the 10th. But Strop has never pitched three innings in his life. So with this decision, you might have told Strop to just stand there and take a strikeout. After all, Rizzo was on deck. Or you might have had him bunt. Worst case scenario, Strop hits into a double play. Even worse, he gets hurt. Bingo. Incidentally, the guy who is warming up who is obviously such a risk that his appearance is worth all this drama, Rosario, breezes through bottom of the inning to gain the save.
That was the most egregious blunder, but not the only one. Top of the fifth, Mongomery is breezing along with a 2-1 lead. He gives up a single. Captain Hook emerges from the dugout, takes him out after 62 pitches, and promptly watches the lead disappear. Six more relievers follow, all but Edwards holding the Nationals in check.
Next questionable decision: hitting Contreras for Caratini with the bases loaded. Caratini is the hottest hitter in the lineup over the past week next to Bryant. Contreras strikes out.
Next odd decision: Zobrist bats for Bote with the bases loaded, an odd choice in itself, strikes out. Zobrist does not remain in the game. He is replaced by Gore, who, I think, has one hit in his whole career. Sure enough, Gore comes up later in the top of the ninth with a man on base, bunts into a double play. You would think that a guy whose only asset is speed would have figured out how to bunt, wouldn't you? Perhaps that explains why he has only one hit.
Anyway, they survived what I thought was an absolute must win game. Back to Chicago now to face the Reds.
That having been said, his performance as a game manager leaves a lot to be desired. I recollect Theo Epstein having said they never really considered game management skills in selecting the manager. In this respect, he was being unusually frank.
Not since Game 7 of the 2016 World Series have I seen a worse managed game and there were some honest excuses for that performance. The worst of all decisions was allowing Pedro Strop to hit with the bases loaded and one out in a one run game. I know he wanted to keep Strop in the game to pitch the bottom of the 10th. But Strop has never pitched three innings in his life. So with this decision, you might have told Strop to just stand there and take a strikeout. After all, Rizzo was on deck. Or you might have had him bunt. Worst case scenario, Strop hits into a double play. Even worse, he gets hurt. Bingo. Incidentally, the guy who is warming up who is obviously such a risk that his appearance is worth all this drama, Rosario, breezes through bottom of the inning to gain the save.
That was the most egregious blunder, but not the only one. Top of the fifth, Mongomery is breezing along with a 2-1 lead. He gives up a single. Captain Hook emerges from the dugout, takes him out after 62 pitches, and promptly watches the lead disappear. Six more relievers follow, all but Edwards holding the Nationals in check.
Next questionable decision: hitting Contreras for Caratini with the bases loaded. Caratini is the hottest hitter in the lineup over the past week next to Bryant. Contreras strikes out.
Next odd decision: Zobrist bats for Bote with the bases loaded, an odd choice in itself, strikes out. Zobrist does not remain in the game. He is replaced by Gore, who, I think, has one hit in his whole career. Sure enough, Gore comes up later in the top of the ninth with a man on base, bunts into a double play. You would think that a guy whose only asset is speed would have figured out how to bunt, wouldn't you? Perhaps that explains why he has only one hit.
Anyway, they survived what I thought was an absolute must win game. Back to Chicago now to face the Reds.
Tuesday, September 11, 2018
Terrific Game
The Cubs moved back to a two game lead with a 3-0 win over the Brewers Tuesday night. It was a tense and exciting game despite the low offensive production of both teams. Just as Monday's game was decided by a mistake, this one was as well. Monday it was a wild pitch and failure to cover home by Edwards. Tuesday it was Chacin's wild throw attempting to pick Baez off second base. Baez continues to influence the game and force errors. Not to be forgotten is Quintana's masterful performance. Nor should Caratini's two grinding at-bats, both of which resulted in key RBI hits. Caratini continues to impress as a player who definitely belongs in the majors.
I was at the game Tuesday. I sat in the nosebleed section of the upper deck. Hadn't sat there in a while. It does give one a pretty panoramic view of the defenses. I thought the Brewers seemed to deploy an exaggerated shift against the Cubs left-handed batters where the second baseman played fully sixty feet behind the infield dirt, or so it seemed from my vantage point. At first I thought it was just for Murphy, but it seemed they used the same deployment for virtually every left-handed Cubs hitter. The defense took away two or three hits from the Cubs. I rather think that setup has been working against the Cubs both here and in Milwaukee because the Cubs are in a stretch where they are not using the entire field.
Bottom line what I am getting at is the Brewers have contained the Cubs defensively at times more from their scouting and positioning rather than their being any good in the field. That's the way Tuesday's game played out anyway. In addition to the Chacin throw, Shoop continued to bollix up pretty easy chances. The Cubs, on the other hand, are a superior defensive team. Witness the two astonishing plays Russell made in the ninth to help preserve the win.
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