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 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 32- Jump Jive and Wail

One of the reasons the Cubs were always in the hole in the first part of the season was that the starting pitching would give up a ton of runs in the first innings. Later, the Cubs had to keep scoring because in no way would the bullpen would hold leads.

The ship has been righted in a lot of great ways and so when the Cubs jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning one could think, great offensive output, Hamels on the mound this game is on ice.

Yet the Marlins kept chipping away and the Cubs RISP issue once again raised its head. Cubs hitters got walk after walk in this and barely scored a run.

Then Strop came into the game and the wheels fell off. Walks and hits led to 3 Marlins runs and while the Cubs got one back at the end of the frame the Cubs lots 6-5, thus much wailing.

There isn't much I can say, the Cubs hitting put them in position to win, Cole didn't screw it up too bad with his start but unlike recent games the Cubs just couldn't pull out a close game on this one. Onward to tomorrow!

Cubs Games Watched: 7.5
Cubs Games Listened To: 17.5
Gave Up BCB: 6

Game 13- Solid Is Solid Does

Cubs getting out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning off of 2 home runs and a, GASP, KB hit? Solid.

Hamels pitching 8, EIGHT, innings and only giving up 1 earned run? Solid.

The bullpen giving up NO runs? Very Solid.

This game showed the power of the Cubs and why many preseason prognosticators picked them to be WS contenders. Hitting that will score 4+ runs a game. Pitching from the starters that will staunch the attack. The bullpen seems to have settled down some which makes the Cubs even that much more potent.

Also unheralded, the Cubs making less and less errors. It is almost like the first 10 games were an extended preseason which sucks because those games count but if that means the Cubs are turning a corner here then so be it.

Cubs Games Watched: 3.5
Cubs Games Listened To: 8
Bleed Cubbie Blue: 1.5

Game 3- Put Some English On It

Wow does Hamels put some English/spin on his pitches or what? An insanely tight strikezone aside, Hammels was painting corners all day like an artist.

Schwarber also put some English on a long bomb to give the Cubs an earlier lead and then there was some English in balls hit in the 3rd with Almora getting a squibber through the infield and Caratini hitting a double that hit off a brick wall AND a security guard.

Of course, yet again the Cubs put up a great early offensive effort only to see their 4-1 lead evaporate on a grand salami and they are staring down the barrel of another loss. Heyward of all people came through with some timely hitting including a great single in the 6th to tie the game.

Then the Cubs started discovering small ball. Getting clutch slap hits. Some crazy bunt attempts. The Cubs seemed much more like the baseball of yesteryear than postmodern baseball of launch angles and true outcomes.

And I LOVE it! I mean, baseball is much more interesting than either a strikeout or homerun and this game had it in spades.

Still the pitching staff was atrocious and the Cubs ended up losing 11-10. I have no words on how insane it is that the Cubs put up 28 runs in 3 games and LOST 2!


Watched Cubs Games: 1
Listened To Cubs Games: 2
Ignored Everything and Read Bleed Cubbie Blue's Recap: 0


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Spring Training Game 5

The Texas Rangers play at Surprise Stadium, a baseball stadium that seats over 10,000 people! Sloan Park, home of the Cubs, can seat 15,000. These numbers are just crazy to me but speak to baseball's enduring popularity that for one month out of the year there will be 10-15,000 people watching a baseball game that doesn't really matter.

In any event, the Cubs traveled to Surprise to play the Rangers. How did they fare?

Looking at this lineup, I was most intrigued how Happ and Bote would make out, considering their quiet-ish Spring so far and of course, how Hamels looked.

Cole was an absolute revelation last year and singlehandedly kept the pitching staff afloat after being traded from the Rangers. Sure his final record was 4-3 with a 2.36 ERA but he was crucial I tells ya.

Hamels picked up where he left off pitching 2 innings of shutout baseball scattering 2 hits. Sure is he 35 years old and just one of several aging pitchers on this staff? Yes but I think he is going to be very solid going forward.

Happ once again did next to nothing in this game going 0-3 but Bote had his breakout game, going 2-3 with 2 runs scored. And yes Contreras had a great game with a homer and other Cubs played well in the 9-5 win but I am intrigued by Bote who had a great season last year and seems to be a jack of all trades on the field (something very valuable in Maddon's defensive schemes).

In any event, another day, another win and the Cubs offense seems to be alive this preseason. Whether that translates into the regular season, we will see.