Game 66- Brad Brach and the Murphtones

There are two people in the 2019 season that have the power to derail any Cubs game. The first is Daniel Murphy (former Cub but I never rooted for him). Against the Cubs he is batting .529 with a 1.353 OPS. 9 hits, 5 RBIs, I could go on. Basically, whenever he plays the Cubs he produces and the Cubs often lose.

Brad Brach on the other hand is a Cub and came to the club in the offseason to help shore up the bullpen (ha!). His season-long ERA is 6.39, which is terrible, but even more terrible is his June ERA which is 48! When Brach is in the game the Cubs often lose.

So last night when Murphy AND Brach were in the same game, whoo boy that's a 10-3 loss. These two are playing sweet sweet music of Cubs L's and I am suffering no illusions on how the rest of this roadtrip is going to go.

Hamels is on the mound for the last Rockies game, great. Then 3 games in LA, great. Everything is great.

Cubs Games Watched: 10.5
Cubs Games Listened To: 38
BCB/CI: 17.5

Game 65- Yu Got Me

I feel like I am taking crazy pills every time Yu Darvish pitches. I watch him and he definitely has the stuff of a major league pitcher. Yet there seems to be something missing.

That missing component leads to lousy results and Yu has 8, count em, 8!, consecutive no decisions. That is crazy. Blah blah blah Coors Field, tough to keep leads yakkity smakitty but Yu was staked to a 4-0 lead off of a few Cubs homeruns.

After listening to the game, I go onto various Cubs fan sites (all excellent BTW) and I read things like "[Yu] threw very well despite allowing the four runs and two homers". Well, no he didn't if he is giving up those runs!

Sure we could talk about how the Cubs battled back and lost by a narrow 6-5 scoreline and we could talk about the offense continuing to do well but really I just can't figure out what to do about Yu. He drives me crazy and yet we are stuck with him for a long time. Do I hope that his stuff translates into wins? Surely but I almost don't want to follow the games he pitches anymore because I am just so perplexed about his talent vs. his results.

Welcome to life as a Cubs fan I suppose.

Cubs Games Watched: 10.5
Cubs Games Listened To: 37
BCB/CI: 17.5

Game 64- Da Sweep

The Cubs completed their domination of the Cardinals with another trouncing, this time with a 5-1 win. KB looked sharp, getting several hits (despite playing on a kinda sprained ankle when running from first to second) and CarGo got his first home run as a Cub.

Can we just focus on CarGo for a second? This guy was a 3 time All Star but before the Cubs picked him up he was hitting .210 for the Indians and the Tribe outright released him. Much like the Cubs picking up Hamels, a change of scenery is what CarGo needed. He has been paying dividends in the outfield which is leading to some weird statistical anomalies like this might be only the third time in the last 70+ years the Cubs have fielded an all left handed outfield for an appreciable part of the season.

Aside from the hitting, Hendricks pitched another 1 run gem. The ESPN announcing crew said several times that Hendricks was Maddux-like and I have to agree with them. He is really painting the corners and get strike outs and contact outs in a manner very reminiscent of Greg. Hendricks and Hamels are the H&H team that is getting it done for the Cubs.

After a week of getting healthy at home, the Cubs travel to Colorado at the beginning of this week and then to the Dodgers at the end of the week. These are two very strong NL teams so it will be great to see how the Cubs stack up with potential playoff scenarios.

Cubs Games Watched: 10.5
Cubs Games Listened To: 36
BCB/CI: 17.5

Games 62-63- Getting The Number

There are some teams that have the number of the Cubs. The Reds for one. But the Cubs have the number of other teams, namely the Cardinals. In this short weekend series the Cubs have dominated with pitching (Hamels pitching an absolute gem on Friday) and with hitting (the Cubs coming back from 4 runs to win 9-4).

Hitting home runs over the last few games is Javy and Kyle. The offense is definitely clicking as the team goes for the sweep today. Here is Cubs Insider's recap!

https://www.cubsinsider.com/2019/06/08/chicago-cubs-score-and-recap-6-8-19-cubs-9-cardinals-4-cubs-erase-early-deficit-to-pound-cardinals/


Cubs Games Watched: 9.5
Cubs Games Listened To: 36
BCB/CI: 17.5

Game 61- Meh

It never felt like the Cubs were in this one. Sure they got some timely hitting from KB leading to a RBIy from Javy but 1 run will not do it when the Rockies score 3.

That being said, it WASN'T a terrible pitching performance by Q, quite the contrary he looked sharp and didn't issue a walk in his almost 8 innings of work (yes a pitcher that lost 3-1 almost pitched a full 8 innings, such was the weirdness of this game).

I really don't have much to add on this one. The game really doesn't fit too neatly into the overall narrative for the baseball season or even within the recent arc of Cubs games. There are no broader trends here just a game that was a loss as the Cubs struggle to get any separation from the rest of the Central. The division will probably come down to the last week.

Cubs Games Watched: 9.5
Cubs Games Listened To: 36
BCB: 15.5

Game 60- Foggy Hijinks

The game was foggy my friends and a weird one.

Both starting pitchers did great for the first 4 innings (yes even Darvish, I am giving you credit!). Then the wheels started falling off.

The Cubs scored 3 runs in the 5th and the teams combined to score 8 runs in the 6th inning. What was a 0-0 game ended up being a 9-8 Cubs win.

The hero of the game clearly was David Bote. 4 for 4 with 7 RBIs will put anyone into hero status. It was basically Bote vs. the Rockies and thankfully Bote came out on top.

News broke during the game that the Cubs signed Kimbrel as the lockdown reliever over the next 3 years. Given that the bullpen gave up 5 earned runs last night, this signing needed to happen.

Cubs Games Watched: 9.5
Cubs Games Listened To: 35
Cubs Games BCB'd: 15.5

Game 59- Hendricks Delivers

Kyle has started 12 games going 6-4 in those starts. He has already accumulated 1.8 WAR which is tied for first amongst pitchers.

The staff has had a really up and down year but for the most part Hendricks has been a rock throughout. Last night he limited the damage in the innings he pitched to 3 runs, allowing the Cubs breathing space to tie the game on their own terms (meaning home runs) and then going ahead and winning 6-3.

Javy looked excellent now healthy (making great defensive plays and smacking a home run) and while the Cubs are very much a home run team at the moment, they aren't just relying on it exclusively, playing some small ball in the later innings.

The Cubs are looking healthy at home, let it continue (even with a Darvish start looming)!

Cubs Games Watched: 9.5
Cubs Games Listened To: 36
BCB'd: 13.5

Game 58- Pitching Is The Key

Yes the Cubs got hits (11 of them to be precise). Baez and Heyward combined for 5 RBIs on the night. New edition Carlos Gonzalez went 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored. Seemingly everyone contributed (KB laying down a bunt!).

However the real story of this game, to me was Jon Lester's pitching performance. Starting with 9 up and 9 down, Lester cruised through 6 innings and while he got into trouble in the 7th he only gave up 1 run.

Pitching is truly the wind that fills the sails of the Cubs. If the starting pitching doesn't get them too deep in a hole, they are competitive. If the relief pitching doesn't give up moonshots they are competitive. The Cubs have an offense that compete with anyone but too often this season they have been let down by their brothers in arms. Not so last night with the bullpen actually holding the lead and not giving up any additional runs.

A great start to the homestand.

Cubs Games Watched: 9.5
Cubs Games Listened To: 35
Gave Up, Read BCB: 13.5

Game 57- The Skid Continues

When you have a pitching duel it is great while watching it but then eventually one team has to win. Hamels and Wainwright pitched fantastically with Hamels giving up a run thanks to Contreras' terrible throw during a steal attempt.

Baseball can be a game of inches and an error leading to a run and the Cardinals playing small ball for their second and decisive run in the eighth were the difference.

The Cubs lost some tight games with the Reds and Cards playing them tough and the overall result is a 2-8 record in the last 10. A few bounces go the Cubs way and its probably 5-5 but it isn't and this stretch of games has been terrible.

Up next, the Angels makeup game. Since the Cubs have been middling at best against the Central (10-11) hopefully they can get healthy against an AL team.

Cubs Games Watched: 9.5
Cubs Games Listened To: 34
Another Youtube Sess: 13.5

Game 56- Playing In The Rain

The Cubs are just in it. They are in just in a rut of losing. Sure the 3 and a half hour rain delay didn't help matters. Chatwood was terrible breaking open a 2-2 tie all on his lonesome. I am glad I didn't watch this one.

Cubs Games Watched: 9.5
Cubs Games Listened To: 34
Gave Up, Youtube'd it: 12.5

Game 55- Robot Umps?

So I missed last night's game but apparently it was a nail biter with the game essentially being decided by a ball 4 that should have been a strike 3.

https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2019/6/1/18648351/cubs-cardinals-recap-yu-darvish-dillon-maples-mlb-scores

I've gone back and forth in my mind about whether to have robot umps. "To err is to be human" and baseball is a human game. Part of my memories of baseball involve manager blowups by Billy Martin and one of my favorite baseball books of all time is "The Umpire Strikes Back" by Ron Luciano. To me umpires being human is part of the game.

However, I can't help but think that baseball has turned a corner when it instituted instant replay (although there is nothing "instant" about it). By putting that system in, baseball is essentially saying that the calls that umpires miss/blow can be reviewed instead of discussed tirelessly in bars and home like they used to be in the past.

If the public accepts instant replay as a valid part of baseball then there has to be robot umps because if the emphasis is solely on getting the call right (rather than whatever benefits a human ump might bring to the game) then robot umps are an imperative.

Since the public seems to be calling for robot umps more and more I think it is only a matter of time. Sure the calls will be correct behind the plate but the game will have lost something in the process.

Anyway, the Cubs lost and their RiSP is terrible. Continuing to be its Achilles heel of this year's team.

Cubs Games Watched: 9.5
Cubs Games Listened To: 34
Gave Up: 11.5

Game 54- Lights Out

The Cubbies came out swinging again and that made all the difference. Bryant and Schwarber both hit solo shots and Hendricks showed up again and shut down the Astros. Given that this may be a pseudo-World Series preview it was great to see the Cubs battle to shut the Astros down and the pitching limit the damage.

Listening on the radio you never got the sense that Cubs were going to score many runs in this which usually leads to an impending sense of doom but Hendricks was so on (8 innings pitched, 1 run, 1 walk) that it didn't really matter.

Given the travails of Darvish and Lester it great to see the rock of Hendricks living up to his extension and anchoring this rotation.

Cubs have an off day and then a series against the Cardinals, can't wait!

Cubs Games Watched: 9.5
Cubs Games Listened To: 34
Gave Up, Read BCB: 10.5

Game 53- Bad Pitching Beats Homers

The Cubs had 5, count em 5!, home runs in the game against the Stros. Bote was a maniac with 2 blasts with 3 RBIs and making some great defensive plays. Game ball to him.

Who should NOT get the game ball is anyone on the Cubs pitching staff. Lester gave up 7 earned runs and only started the 6th inning because Joe desperately needed to give his bullpen yet another rest. Yes, let's keep trotting out a guy who clearly didn't have it because THERE WERE NO OTHER OPTIONS!

Then let's throw Brach out there to give up another two runs.

At the end of the day if the pitching can't stop anyone then it doesn't matter how many homers the Cubs hit. Plus, this could be a World Series preview. Sure the Astros are historically great offensive team but if Lester and Brach had kept the damage to a minimum the Cubs coulda won this. Instead the Cubs own pitching beat the rest of the team for this one.

Cubs Games Watched: 9.5
Cubs Games Listened To: 33
Gave Up, Read BCB: 10.5

Game 52- Never Had It

Given the travails of the pitching staff over the last 10 games it was great to see the Cubs get out ahead in the first inning with a 2 run homer by Rizzo. With Bryzzo on the shelf due to KB's injury, Rizzo has been kicking butt recently (hitting .500 with 14 hits in 7 games will do that to your stats). What has been great about this 2019 Cubs is that players continue to step up as others cool off (Heyward, I am looking at you).

Of course Hamels goes down in flames in the third inning giving up 5 runs and the Cubs get down 6-2 pretty quickly. With Hamels and Lester on the wrong side of the 30 year old line, Darvish is off in his own universe, it is quickly coming down to how Q and Hendricks pitch to give the Cubs any chance at all to get out of the 5th inning.

Did the Cubs try and come back? Sure. Scoring 3 runs in the last 2 innings will get you healthy against most teams. However, the failures of the starting pitching meant the Cubs couldn't come all the way back and here we are, another loss. Good times.

Cubs Games Watched: 9.5
Cubs Games Listened To: 32
Gave Up Read BCB: 10.5

Game 51- Wheels Fall Off

I listened to the first 5 innings and things were going rather predictably against the Reds. Meaning... the Reds got up early and the Cubs bats were cold. I am not sure why the Cubs can't play well against the Reds (currently 2-4 against them) but the Reds have the Cubs number and unless the Cubs come out guns blazing it was going to be a long day.

I didn't listen to the remainder of the game and I am glad I didn't. First of all the game last 3 and a half hours and with the Cubs ultimately losing 10-2 I am happy I didn't have to suffer through all of that .

Speaking of suffering KB (playing the outfield, something I have NEVER agreed with) left the game injured and while the Cubs staff is playing coy with his condition, he did fly with the team to Houston so signs are hopefully positive.

Houston is a tip top team, hopefully the Cubs come to play.

Cubs Games Watched: 9.5
Cubs Games Listened To: 31.5
Gave Up: 10

Game 50- Offense Saves The Day

Yu Darvish didn't pitch great today (as ever pitched WELL this year?). He gave up 5 runs in 7 innings. Then because of Maddon's lack in faith in the bullpen (and who could blame him so far?) Darvish comes out in the 8 and gives up another home run leaving the game tied.

I want to step back for a moment about Yu because both BCB and Cubs Insider echoed Joe Maddon's comments that Yu pitched a gritty game and both websites framed it as he was rounding into form. I am sorry, I just can't buy that narrative.

Even if Yu pitches a good game, he does so infrequently and really you have zero idea on what is going to happen in any given start. It has gotten to the point where I assume the Cubs will lose during a Darvish start and am pleasantly surprised when they win and I haven't seen any indication he is "rounding into form".

Otherwise though the offense again bailed out the pitching having to score 2 runs in the 8th and 8 overall to do so but they did it. Major props go to KB and Almora for timely hitting and also Rizzo for two RBIs.

Until Maddon can figure out the bullpen and Darvish the hitters are going to have to, well, hit but Theo's maximum offense strategy in drafting is paying off here and keeping the Cubs afloat on top of the Central. The Cubs close out the Reds series today, hoping they win!

Cubs Games Watched: 11.5
Cubs Games Listened To: 29
Read The Web: 9.5

Game 49- 50/50

I don't know at this point, I just don't know. Hendricks looked great, until he didn't. 1 run through 5, 2 runs allowed in the 6th alone.

The offense looked great until they stopped hitting. 4 runs through the first 3 innings, only 1 run thereafter.

The bullpen looked good until they gave up a 2 run homer in the ninth. 3 runs total from the 7th inning on.

On the plus side, Bryzzo, Inc. was back in business this game, giving the Cubs all the runs they shoulda needed to win. I think this is a game where the Cubs both won and lost it although in the end it resulted in a L.

All I can hope for is that they have a W and a W results in a W tomorrow.


Cubs Games Watched: 10.5
Cubs Games Listened To: 29
Gave Up: 9.5

Game 48- Eh?

When it rains it pours. Jon Lester is a very good pitcher who typically isn't good in the first inning. He wasn't good in yesterday's first inning (2 runs) or the third inning (another 2 runs) nor the fourth inning (3 runs!).

The fact the Cubs battled back in this game is a testament that with this offense, they are never truly out of it. Rizzo 4 for freaking 5. Schwarber 2 for 4, heck even Chatwood went 1 for 1 with a DOUBLE.

As terrible as Lester was, the bullpen was also terrible giving up an additional 2 runs which ended up being the difference in this game.

Given the start Lester had, the team had no legitimate chance of winning but it is still crazy that they almost had one but for the bullpen. Still and L is a L although this definitely felt like a playoff series. Maybe this will be revisited in October?

Games Watched: 9.5
Games Listened To: 29
Gave Up: 9.5

Game 47- Powerball

The Cubs seemingly had one goal last night. Get as many people on base as possible and then hope someone hits a home run. Down 3-0 Rizzo stepped up and hit a 3 run homer. 2 innings later, the Cubs loaded the bases and as soon as the announcing team stated that Almora has never had a grand slam, he hit one.

Capping everything off was Baez having a solo shot in the 7th meaning every single Cubs run was scored due to a home run.

I think what we have seen is the Cubs finding a way to win in a variety of circumstances. Earlier this year they have shown they can small ball the heck out of a team and now they are showing they can homer to death a team.

They needed all the homers they could get as Hamels basically threw an entire game's worth of pitches in the first 4 innings. Chatwood came in and got the W and looked sharp (except for the homer to McCutchen).

In the end though it is all about the dingers, er offense. The Cubs are averaging 5.38 runs a game which leads the NL (which is even more impressive that early in the season they were averaging 4 runs a game and middle of the pack). Last game against the Phils this morning/early afternoon!

Cubs Games Watched: 9.5
Cubs Games Listened To: 28
Gave Up Read BCB: 9.5

Game 46- By Gawd That's Baez Music

This game felt like a repeat of the several games that came before. Starting pitching gave the Cubs a chance to win.

The offense sputtered (with a similar RISP issue) but still the Cubs were leading going into the 7th.

Then of course the wheels came off with the bullpen giving up 2 in the seventh (on a single VERY similar to what happened in Game 45 with Realmuto).

I was sitting at home, listening to the game thinking, welp bullpen you have cost the Cubs yet another game. Joe Maddon looked at the clubhouse and saw hobbled superstar Javy Baez who raised up and defeated the Night King, err came in and got the winning hit!

Let's face it, the Cubs are grinding. So many close 1 run games recently. It sets your teeth on edge. But when you have KB running the base paths and Baez hitting you will win much more than you will lose. Rubber game today!

Cubs Games Watched: 9.5
Cubs Games Listened To: 27
Couldn't Do It: 9.5