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