MLB 2018 Season

[#UnleashSean]

Ok, just because I have to.... How have the Cubs fared against the likes of the Reds and Marlins?

About like Marquette against Belmont 

[Vander Blue Man Group]

Ok, just because I have to.... How have the Cubs fared against the likes of the Reds and Marlins?

Why do you have to?  Can't help yourself?

I was merely giving context that a good portion of this recent hot streak was against teams that aren't great and the Cardinals have taken care of business.  Will that continue once the schedule gets tougher? 

[Vander Blue Man Group]

There's no way around it - Quintana has been extremely disappointing thus far this season. 

[DegenerateDish]

There's no way around it - Quintana has been extremely disappointing thus far this season.

I say this as a credit to the Cubs, but with their injuries, and their starting pitching being blah, I'm surprised by how good their record is this year. Since July, Quintana, Lester, Darvish have given the Cubs next to nothing (obviously Darvish is hurt). Chatwood's been below average but finds ways to keep them in games. Hendricks has been steady of late, and obviously Hamels has been a gigantic add.

They find ways to win games like they did the other night against Washington, but I look at the state of their starting pitching staff and keep wondering how they have the best record in the NL.

[wadesworld]

Sunday was a huge missed opportunity for the Brewers.

First you lose a game that you pound out 19 hits in (in my opinion that one was on Counsell.  You go into the game knowing Soria is on the DL, Knebel is awful, and Hader is unavailable having pitched 2 innings the previous night, you have Anderson getting hit around for 4 runs in the first 2 innings and a high pitch count and then settling in to get 6 of the next 7 hitters out, you are tied going into the top of the 5th and you lead it off by pinch hitting for Anderson, sitting at 82 pitches, with...Chacin?  And then, when you get a 2 run lead in the top of the 5th, you throw out Knebel who gives 1 back right away, then put in Burnes who is a starter and pitched the night before, pitching back to back days for the first time in his career, and there goes the 2 run lead you had.  You needed to let Anderson go back out there in the 5th and try to make it to the 8th with the lead and let Jeffress go 2 innings there).

Then the Cubs go into the 9th down 3 and win the game.

Could've, and probably should've, come into this series with a 1 game deficit in the NL Central.  Now you're going to get a win but you're still 2 back.

[TallTitan34]

I say this as a credit to the Cubs, but with their injuries, and their starting pitching being blah, I'm surprised by how good their record is this year. Since July, Quintana, Lester, Darvish have given the Cubs next to nothing (obviously Darvish is hurt). Chatwood's been below average but finds ways to keep them in games. Hendricks has been steady of late, and obviously Hamels has been a gigantic add.

They find ways to win games like they did the other night against Washington, but I look at the state of their starting pitching staff and keep wondering how they have the best record in the NL.

Also have their closer and MVP third baseman on the DL.  Granted Bote and Strop have done very well in their absences.  Hopefully they can get these guys back before the stretch run.

[BM1090]

Sunday was a huge missed opportunity for the Brewers.

First you lose a game that you pound out 19 hits in (in my opinion that one was on Counsell.  You go into the game knowing Soria is on the DL, Knebel is awful, and Hader is unavailable having pitched 2 innings the previous night, you have Anderson getting hit around for 4 runs in the first 2 innings and a high pitch count and then settling in to get 6 of the next 7 hitters out, you are tied going into the top of the 5th and you lead it off by pinch hitting for Anderson, sitting at 82 pitches, with...Chacin?  And then, when you get a 2 run lead in the top of the 5th, you throw out Knebel who gives 1 back right away, then put in Burnes who is a starter and pitched the night before, pitching back to back days for the first time in his career, and there goes the 2 run lead you had.  You needed to let Anderson go back out there in the 5th and try to make it to the 8th with the lead and let Jeffress go 2 innings there).

Then the Cubs go into the 9th down 3 and win the game.

Could've, and probably should've, come into this series with a 1 game deficit in the NL Central.  Now you're going to get a win but you're still 2 back.

Disagree on Anderson. If CC leaves him in and he gives up another run everyone is saying it's clear he was getting hit around and should have been taken out earlier. Not wanting him to go again through the order made sense with the off day the following day. You have to be able to trust your bullpen. Knebel, Jennings, Burnes all failed. Burnes needs to be able to pitch back to back days. He's been in the bullpen for months.

I don't really understand pinch hitting Chacin but I'm guessing he just wanted to save a position player.

[wadesworld]

Disagree on Anderson. If CC leaves him in and he gives up another run everyone is saying it's clear he was getting hit around and should have been taken out earlier. Not wanting him to go again through the order made sense with the off day the following day. You have to be able to trust your bullpen. Knebel, Jennings, Burnes all failed. Burnes needs to be able to pitch back to back days. He's been in the bullpen for months.

I don't really understand pinch hitting Chacin but I'm guessing he just wanted to save a position player.

If he would've continued to struggle and put guys on base but find ways out of the 3rd and 4th I'd be with you.  But he settled in very nicely and had a quick 3rd and 4th, giving up only a 2 out walk in the 4th before getting out of the inning.  I thought he should've gotten the chance to go back out there for one more inning knowing you didn't have your best weapons outside of Jeffress available in the pen.

But you are right.  If he throws Anderson back out there and Anderson continues to get knocked around it also looks bad.

[Vander Blue Man Group]

I say this as a credit to the Cubs, but with their injuries, and their starting pitching being blah, I'm surprised by how good their record is this year. Since July, Quintana, Lester, Darvish have given the Cubs next to nothing (obviously Darvish is hurt). Chatwood's been below average but finds ways to keep them in games. Hendricks has been steady of late, and obviously Hamels has been a gigantic add.

They find ways to win games like they did the other night against Washington, but I look at the state of their starting pitching staff and keep wondering how they have the best record in the NL.

The Cubs Pythagorean record in the 1st half was unlucky and they've been lucky since the All-Star break. 

Regression was coming for Lester but he's been as bad as any starter in baseball the lats 4-6 weeks.  Hopefully he can right the ship. 

Quintana has been extremely frustrating.  Montgomery has been solid, which is all you can ask there. As you mentioned, Hamels has been huge so far.  The team needs a big start from Hendricks tomorrow and the bats to wake up. 

As Titan mentioned, getting Bryant, Morrow, and Darvish back for September is crucial. 

[buckchuckler]

Why do you have to?  Can't help yourself?

I was merely giving context that a good portion of this recent hot streak was against teams that aren't great and the Cardinals have taken care of business.  Will that continue once the schedule gets tougher?

I was just giving context to the fact that those can still be dangerous teams.

By the way, wow.  Shane Baz as the PTBNL for Archer.  Wow.  That really changes the return for that trade.  The Rays killed it. 

[buckchuckler]

There's no way around it - Quintana has been extremely disappointing thus far this season.

The Sox traded him just at the right time.  And in a year where a lot of their higher profile prospects have been injured, Eloy and Cease have been the two biggest bright spots. 

[TallTitan34]

The Cubs Pythagorean record in the 1st half was unlucky and they've been lucky since the All-Star break. 

Regression was coming for Lester but he's been as bad as any starter in baseball the lats 4-6 weeks.  Hopefully he can right the ship. 

Quintana has been extremely frustrating.  Montgomery has been solid, which is all you can ask there. As you mentioned, Hamels has been huge so far.  The team needs a big start from Hendricks tomorrow and the bats to wake up. 

As Titan mentioned, getting Bryant, Morrow, and Darvish back for September is crucial.

On the plus side, Hendricks has been trending in the right direction in his past several starts. 

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

The best part of the game today was that it appears Couns has finally taken Knebel out of the closer role. Love Knebel but he has just not had it this season.

[MUBurrow]

By the way, wow.  Shane Baz as the PTBNL for Archer.  Wow.  That really changes the return for that trade.  The Rays killed it.

Early reports were that the PTBNL would be someone of significance, and they weren't lying. What is that, 1, 2 and 4 from Pitt's system? Using Archer as a comp, there might literally not be a package big enough for the Mets to get value for De Grom.

[BM1090]

The best part of the game today was that it appears Couns has finally taken Knebel out of the closer role. Love Knebel but he has just not had it this season.

He did this after the disaster last Thursday against San Diego. Hader pitched the 9th Saturday in Atlanta for a save. Knebel pitched I believe in the 5th Sunday in Atlanta. Then obviously today Knebel pitched in a blowout.

Counsell said it'd be awhile before we see him in late game, high leverage situations

[TallTitan34]

Haha Ben Zobrist had his first career ejection today.  Zobrist doesn’t swear so what was the magic phrase?

“That’s why we want an electric strike zone.”

[wadesworld]

Haha Ben Zobrist had his first career ejection today.  Zobrist doesn’t swear so what was the magic phrase?

“That’s why we want an electric strike zone.”

I mean if he didn’t get ejected we might still be waiting to play the 9th inning.

[GGGG]

Interesting story on the background of the dropped third strike rule.

https://sabr.org/research/dropped-third-strike-life-and-times-rule

[jsglow]

Haha Ben Zobrist had his first career ejection today.  Zobrist doesn’t swear so what was the magic phrase?

“That’s why we want an electric strike zone.”

When the strike zone makes the highlights, you know it was a bad day for the umps.  That pitch wasn't even close and I'm a Brewers fan.

[buckchuckler]

Haha Ben Zobrist had his first career ejection today.  Zobrist doesn’t swear so what was the magic phrase?

“That’s why we want an electric strike zone.”

Personally, I really want it just for the stupid pitch framing conversation to go away forever.

Also, unrelated, my bold prediction is that Bryce Harper ends this season on the Dodgers or Cardinals. 

[buckchuckler]

When the strike zone makes the highlights, you know it was a bad day for the umps.  That pitch wasn't even close and I'm a Brewers fan.

It probably only made highlights because he got ejected.  The pitch was a ball, but it wasn't a completely horrible call (honestly didn't see it in the game, but in reading an article they showed a gamecast which showed the previous pitch to be significantly more out of the strike zone).  It was still a bad call, but Nick Castellanos was called out to end the Sox game on a much worse pitch.

Really great moment in the Sox - Tigers game by the way.  Foul ball hit down the line.  Not sure about this part, but it looked to me like a guy caught it and gave it to a kid, probably 11 or 12 or so.  That kid, after the next pitch was shown running down and gave the ball to a younger kid.  After the next pitch they showed the littler kid running back up to shake the older kids hand.  Just a really cool deal.

[MU82]

As a youth umpire, it makes me feel good to see the best umpires in the world miss calls.

I work for $40-60 per game as part of a 2-man crew (and solo in a couple of leagues), and the coaches think I should never miss a call. I want to ask them: "Did you see the MLB game on ESPN last night? Did you see the 5 calls missed by the best umpires in the world, guys who are making upwards of $5,000 per game?"

But I don't say anything. I've got thick skin and I'm pretty good a diffusing tense situations. I have tossed only 2 coaches in 6 years, and one of those guys was going after my partner not me.

Having said all that, I'd rather MLB umps get every call right. And I do think a computer will be used to call balls and strikes in the not too distant future. The technology exists, it will make the strike zone the exact same for every pitcher and every batter, so they might as well use it.

[Jockey]

I guess telling a home plate ump that his calls are the reason we need an electronic strike zone is a sure way to get tossed.

[JWags85]

Personally, I really want it just for the stupid pitch framing conversation to go away forever.

Also, unrelated, my bold prediction is that Bryce Harper ends this season on the Dodgers or Cardinals.

Best Fans in Baseball would last until the Cards lose a playoff series before losing their SH** about the flair and edge he plays with and how its detrimental to the team and how it goes against the beauty of the game or some nonsense.

[TallTitan34]

Personally, I really want it just for the stupid pitch framing conversation to go away forever.

Also, unrelated, my bold prediction is that Bryce Harper ends this season on the Dodgers or Cardinals. 

Dodgers I'll give you.  Cardinals might be a tough sell for anyone after the Dexter Fowler experience and Bud Norris snitching on/hazing teammates.