Cubs Organizational Recaps
Game 11 Recap - Cue the Banjo Music
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | ||
Cubs | 0 | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 | 0 |
1 |
0 | 1 |
2 |
11 | 3 | |
Astros | 3 |
2 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 | 0 | 4 |
x | 11 |
16 |
1 |
The Gist: The odds were pretty low heading into the game that the Cubs could win it with the Astros best pitcher going and the Cubs going with a guy on a 45-50 pitch count limit. At least they didn't waste our time making it suspenseful. It started with the first batter for the Astros with Michael Bourne taking advantage of the lefty making his first major league start. Knowing that he's going to be falling off to the third base side of the mound and probably just worried about throwing strikes with that pitch count limit, Bourne executed a perfect bunt to the first basemen that Russell had no chance to get to the base in time. And then they did the exact same thing with the next batter. Give 'em some props for the smart baseball.
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Game 10 Recap - Another One Run Game
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | ||
Cubs | 2 | 2 |
0 |
1 |
0 | 0 |
0 |
0 | 0 |
5 |
8 | 1 | |
Astros | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 | 3 | 0 |
0 | 4 |
10 |
0 |
The Gist: The first three times through the order, the Cubs one through three hitters went 7/8 with a walk and the Cubs first stolen base on the season(overall 7/13 with 2 BB's). The 4-9 hitters went 1/21 with 4 BB's for the night. The lesson learned? Try to bunch your hot/good hitters together if possible. It's insightful anaylsis like this that keeps you folks coming back for more. Castro, Barney (with a sweet hit'n run triple) and Byrd did the most damage with an assist by Soriano on a clutch 2-out double in the first (that being the 1 of the 1/21 from above). In all seriousness though, managers do tend to worry about protection and putting guys in front of other hitters to see good pitches. It does seem - and I'm sure there have been studies on this - that just putting your 3-4 best hitters next to each other is the better plan.
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Game 9 Recap - Casey with the Bat
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | ||
Cubs | 2 | 1 |
1 |
0 |
0 | 0 |
1 |
0 | 0 |
5 |
11 | 0 | |
Brewers | 2 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 | 0 | 2 |
0 | 6 |
11 |
0 |
The Gist: I didn't watch anything of the game, so not much to add. It's disappointing the Cubs couldn't get the win after getting to Yovani Gallardo, but disappointment and the Cubs go together like fire and gasoline. The bullpen blew it's second lead of the season, this time Kerry Wood being the culprit, leaving a fastball over the plate with Soto set up low and inside. Aramis and Byrd had the big days with the bat. Fukudome left after a few innings with a mild hamstring strain and is listed day to day. The Mendoza Line has been activated for Carlos Pena. I think I've found my new nickname for him.
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Game 8 Recap - Prince is King for a Day
The Gist: Chris Narveson pitched a gem, Matt Garza did not. Not much else to say. I believe the first two times through the Brewers lineup, the top 4 hitters had all reached base safely, somethingl ike 6/6 with a BB and a sac bunt and the bottom 5 were 0/10. Space that out and the Cubs are probaly not down 4-0, but such is the game. The big hits came from Prince Fielder of course who knocked in 4 of the 5 runs off Garza all on a bunch of lousy pitches and lousy location.
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Game 7 Recap - Baker's Big Day
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | ||
Cubs | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 12 | 0 | |
Brewers | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 8 | 2 |
The Gist: They took away streaming video or music from my day job which means these recaps are gonna be a lot shorter and lot less interesting. I think I got home just in time to see Kerry finish his inning and the Cubs finishing it off in the 9th. The big day obviously went to Jeff Baker who clubbed a two out, 3-run home run off Randy Wolf in the 4th off a cookie that Wolf left up in the zone. Unearned runs at that, as Rickie Weeks muffed a pop-up to start the inning. Baker then later tagged Wolf again in the 6th for the Cubs sixth run and scored the seventh run in the 9th when Byrd doubled. He ended up with 4 hits on the day, all off lefties. There's something reassuring when a platoon split works out like that.
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Recent comments
Raisin101 (view)
Hi Arizona Phil!
Exciting to see Naz Mule in box scores a few times. What's his stuff like now after the TJS?
Childersb3 (view)
Mastrobuoni can't come back, yet
Wisdom does have an option left. He can hide in Iowa if Jed DFA's someone else
Does Brennan Davis get shown the door? I know it's too early for that, but these injuries are crunching the roster of a 12-7 team playoff demands and BDavis isn't going to help anytime soon.
Someone has to go to add Peralta. And Canario isn't going to get to play everyday regardless of RHers or LHers. Neither is Tauchman. Also don't see PCA getting a chance over Peralta.
If Jed does those moves:
4 OF: Belli, Peralta, Canny, Tauch
2 C: Gomes and Amaya
2 DH: Cooper and Mervis
5 INF: Busch, Nico, Dansby, Morel, Madrigal
Little short on OF depth but two injuries will do that
Arizona Phil (view)
I have had the pleasure of watching some of the young A's pitchers lately (first Joe Boyle the last day of Minor League Spring Training in March, and more recently Luis Morales last week and Steven Echavarria yesterday at Extended Spring Training), and it reminds me of the Miami Marlins a couple of years ago. A really nice collection of young pitchers. It will be interesting to see what the A's will get for two years of ex-Cub Paul Blackburn at the Trade Deadline (there should be a robust market for Blackburn).
Childersb3 (view)
Good deal
MB needs some talent infusion!
Arizona Phil (view)
Childersb3: Very possible. Suriel, too.
Arizona Phil (view)
DJL: if a pitcher is recalled to be the 27th man for a doubleheader and then is optioned back to the minors the next day, the 15-day "clock" does NOT reset. The one day call-up for the doubleheader is treated like it never happened with respect to a pitcher having to spend at least 15 days on optional assignment before he can be recalled.
Arizona Phil (view)
Probably the only reason David Peralta is still in the organization (he is at AAA Iowa) is to be available in case anything bad were to happen to Ian Happ (which it just did). So if Happ needs to go on the IL, the Cubs can select Peralta to play LF, DFA Wisdom (and hope he and what remains of his $2.725M salary gets claimed off waivers), and recall Mervis to platoon at DH with Cooper (with Canario / Tauchman sharing RF), at least until Suzuki and Happ are back...
crunch (view)
i'd just like to take a moment to express to the world i'm still pissed willson contreras is not a cub when the pricetag was 5/87m (17.5m/yr).
it would be nice to have a legacy-type player to stick around, especially one with his leadership and the respect he gets from his peers. cubs fans deserved more than 1 season of contreras + morel...that was gold.
crunch (view)
happ, right hamstring tightness, day-to-day (hopefully 0 days).
he will be reevaluated tomorrow.
Childersb3 (view)
I guess I'm not looking for that type of AB
Just a difference of opinion