Pirates @ Cubs: Liriano vs Arrieta (Game 65)

Submitted by CTSteve on Fri, 06/17/2016 - 5:38am

Back for some home cookin'--and the team that used to be the Pirates.

PIT (33-33): LHP Francisco Liriano (4-6, 4.92)
CHC (44-20): RHP Jake Arrieta (10-1, 1.86)
First pitch: 1:20pmCST

Arrieta beat Atlanta (7 IP, 2 ER, 3 K, 2 BB) on Saturday. He’s 2-0 with a 1.20 against the Pirates so far this year. Overall, they are 34-164 (.207) against him. Joyce is 7-17 with a HR.

Liriano is coming off a string of three straight losses, including one against the Cardinals in his last outing (6 IP, 1 ER, 8 K, 3 BB). He got lit up at Wrigley in May, giving up 8 ER in 4.2 innings. The Cubs are 25-109 (.229) against him. Bryant is 4-9 with a HR.

Niese (6-3, 4.60) versus Lester (8-3, 1.89) at 7:15pmCST (?!) tomorrow. Saturday nights are for fighting, massacres, and the occasional fever—not baseball. Thanks, Fox.

Go Cubs!

Tags: 
2016 Season Game Thread

Comments

Submitted by Old and Blue  on Fri, 06/17/2016 - 12:45pm  
I would like to make a formal apology to everyone here. We have seen Almora Jr and now Contreras come up, without one "bring him up" from me. See, the thing is, before, it was based on the fact that the Cubs were in such desperate need to rid themselves of journeymen, that my feeling was that almost ANY rookie was better than the roster fill they had. Obviously, those days are over. Carry on.

Submitted by crunch  on Fri, 06/17/2016 - 12:50pm  
well, now we have nothing left unless rizzo gets injured. you dropped the ball, guy. this season sucks.

Submitted by Old and Blue  on Fri, 06/17/2016 - 8:08pm  
Bring up Vogelbach. Just cuz.

Submitted by crunch  on Fri, 06/17/2016 - 9:08pm  
hardcore. that said, i wonder if he'll get a sept callup for the hell of it.

Submitted by crunch  on Fri, 06/17/2016 - 1:51pm  
baez's 1st walk since may 11th...77 PA between walks.

Submitted by Eric S  on Fri, 06/17/2016 - 3:06pm  
And Almora with his first MLB walk ... Feels like Cubs have left 20 guys on base and Rizzo has been hit ten times. When does Cutch get his?

Submitted by Cubster  on Fri, 06/17/2016 - 2:25pm  
Anyone know why the Cub radio broadcast has 10 second delay? Afraid Mark Grote or Ron Coomer are gonna let out an expletive?

Submitted by Brick  on Fri, 06/17/2016 - 3:05pm  
Not into consecutive bases-loaded-no-runs-scored innings... That's never been a turn-on for me.

Submitted by Brick  on Fri, 06/17/2016 - 3:19pm  
I'd like to clarify--there are situations where I enjoy a good bases-loaded-no-runs-scored inning.

Submitted by Rob Richardson  on Fri, 06/17/2016 - 3:22pm  
Crazy game. Are these guys really this wild, or in the ump all over the place?

Submitted by johann  on Fri, 06/17/2016 - 3:43pm  
Arietta was having a lot of issues with his release point in his last inning and while there are a few close pitches he really was throwing a lot of balls down and in. He finally found it but also got some help with the Pirates swinging at balls and not swinging at fastballs straight down the middle. Liriano was throwing a ton of balls but that's normal for him. Outside of his change up he has a lot of trouble throwing his secondary pitches for strikes.

Submitted by Rob Richardson  on Fri, 06/17/2016 - 3:45pm  
Thanks. Hard to see how they send down Almora, at least until the league adjusts to him.

Submitted by billybucks  on Fri, 06/17/2016 - 4:31pm  
Serious escape job by Jake in the 6th! 3 straight walks to load the bases, then goes 3-0, comes back for the K, then goes 3-1 and comes back for the K. Wow.

Submitted by johann  on Fri, 06/17/2016 - 5:53pm  
I was at work and had to tamp down the desire to curse out loud when he was walking people and jump up and shout when he got out of it. Would not have been a good look at all but my god am I all in on this team. He's been throwing too many pitches overall though despite having the second best ERA in baseball. The strikeouts are certainly necessary when he has people on base but maybe a bit more pitching contact would be good for him overall. Dunno just would like to see him go deeper more often.

Submitted by crunch  on Fri, 06/17/2016 - 4:21pm  
"Cubs released RHP Alex Sanabia. Sanabia was signed to a minor league deal a month ago but gets cut loose after posting a 6.34 ERA at Triple-A Iowa. He's headed back to the Mexican League."

Submitted by The E-Man  on Fri, 06/17/2016 - 4:48pm  
Wasn't his club, "El Chapo Rojo"?

Submitted by crunch  on Fri, 06/17/2016 - 4:40pm  
45-20!

Submitted by Rob Richardson  on Fri, 06/17/2016 - 5:15pm  
Okay what happens when Soler and TLS return?

Submitted by John Beasley  on Fri, 06/17/2016 - 5:33pm  
Almora and Contreras back down, probably, but Szczur could end up on the bubble if he slumps.

Submitted by crunch  on Fri, 06/17/2016 - 5:35pm  
the guys that could be cut or sent down seem limited to coghlan, almora, and contreras without further moves and assuming they want to keep their pen #s intact. almora+contreras could spend some time back down in the minors waiting for september... coghlan better step up and perform...and i wonder if they're looking to trade montero...and quite honestly almora is a luxury this season unless sczzuruzruzrurzr starts struggling (which doesn't look likely).

Submitted by johann  on Fri, 06/17/2016 - 5:47pm  
As Madden says it'll probably work itself out with other injuries or such but also will depend on how Almora and Coghlan are doing at that point. The question with him is when he slumps, as all players and especially rookies do, will he find ways to get on base since he doesn't walk. Madden has already said he wants Almora to get regular at bats and if he can't in the majors he will be sent back down since he does have options. If he is still tearing it up though and forcing himself into the lineup Soler also has options and might be sent down. I'd say Coghlan most likely would be the second odd man unless he's also tearing it up since I don't see both Soler and Almora getting sent down and Madden loves Stella and Szczur and neither have options. If Coghlan is tearing it up it is possible both Soler and Almora get sent down I suppose but as much as it would suck to see him get released after seeing how excited he was being back here I'd rather not have both of the younger players sent down for him. A trade is very possible though too for bullpen help though Theo has said he doesn't want to be reactionary with that. Soler is probably lower in value than Theo would like right now, Almora is probably not being traded, Coghlan, Stella or Szczur probably won't fetch a ton but maybe packaged with someone else, Baez is probably fairly high value right now though I'm sure Madden would pitch a fit thinking about trading him. I'm still firmly behind the idea that Soler will be a star and if he is traded I think we will come to regret it but with how in love Theo is with Schwarber I can see Soler being a trade piece if he starts getting hot again and gets his value up since with Almora in center, Heyward in right and Schwarber probably in left Soler is the odd man out in the future.

Submitted by The E-Man  on Fri, 06/17/2016 - 6:18pm  
I think Soler could be a star player - when not injured, or in a warmer city. I know they "love" him, but at some point you do what's best for the team long term. He has been on the DL every year as a professional player - several times for the same issue. If they can get a controllable #2 starter, or a power arm that has TOR stuff, ya gotta look at that seriously.

Submitted by johann  on Fri, 06/17/2016 - 6:44pm  
I think he'll get over the cold weather issue, but the injury part is certainly a concern. He'll be someone that you need backup for just in case until he shows he can stay injury free. It really sucks because he has a ton of talent and from everything I've read he is someone who is always a good person with a smile on his face. I really want him to succeed and like I said I think if we trade him we're going to see him tearing it up somewhere else but it is definitely difficult having to worry about not having him on the field at a key time.

Submitted by Old and Blue  on Fri, 06/17/2016 - 8:15pm  
The odds are way against all these Cubs prospects panning out - Baez was saved by the Great Maddonnini's play him everywhere philosophy, and I think he's getting a handle on his swing. Soler could be the one who doesn't make it, but man, he sure shows signs of being a dominant player, too. I'm rooting for him too, but I root for all these guys. Gotta love that Hollywood smile, though. Overall he goes a bit against the versatility/good fielding mantra of Maddon. He seems to be getting better so time will tell. If Theo got a good offer methinks he'd take it

Recent comments

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  • Arizona Phil 22 min 16 sec ago (view)

    Alfonso Rivas reminds me a bit of Rafael Palmeiro when Palmeiro first came up to the big leagues and was a "doubles machine" (before he started hitting home runs).   

    Rivas played D-1 baseball at the University of Arizona, so (just like Nico Hoerner, who also played in the PAC-12) I don't think he needs a lot of additional time at AAA before he's ready for MLB. He's a very advanced hitter, as long as you are OK with lots of doubles & lots of walks but not many HR.   

     
  • Dolorous Jon Lester 1 hour 24 min ago (view)

    I hadn't thought of that but I really like that option

     
  • bradsbeard 1 hour 29 min ago (view)

    I really hope Rivas has a chance at the LF job. Would ease some of the sting of Schwarber being cut loose. 

     
  • Arizona Phil 1 hour 30 min ago (view)

    CRUNCH: I got the impression that Ross had seen enough of Schwarber in LF, so implementing the universal DH may be necessary before Schwarber returns to the Cubs in 2021. I think the Cubs would be fine with Schwarber as their main DH going forward. 

    BTW, I strongly suspect that the universal DH will be included in the next CBA, but whether there will be a DH in the National League in 2021 is still TBA (which is really stupid, since clubs need to know right now for sure one way or the other whether or not there will be a DH in the N. L. in 2021). 

     
  • Arizona Phil 1 hour 41 min ago (view)

    Besides the guys on the 40, Cubs 2021 NRI relievers with a legit chance to win a bullpen slot in Spring Training include LHRPs Josh Osich and Rex Brothers, and RHRPs Jake Jewell, Trevor Megill, Dakota Mekkes, Michael Rucker, and Joe Wieland (presuming they are not taken in the Rule 5 Draft). 

    Brothers and Wieland are out of minor league options, however, so if added to the 40 they could not ride the "Chicago - Des Moines Shuttle" like the others could. 

     
  • crunch 1 hour 47 min ago (view)

    i am rooting for the cubs to retain schwarber.

    even though he's average on the best of days in LF (except his above average arm), i would like to see him and his work ethic remain in the cubs system...the homers from the left side of the plate are nice, too.

     
  • Arizona Phil 2 hours 9 min ago (view)

    At least as things stand right now, Kris Bryant is your Cubs de facto 2021 Opening Day LF! (Of course we know he will be traded before then...). 

    Otherwise, minor league NRI outfielders Ian Miller, Michael Hermosillo, and Rafael Ortega will be competing for Opening Day OF slots, with a legit shot to win a job.

    Even Alfonso Rivas (who was hitting rockets from foul line to foul line at AZ Instructs) and/or Eddy Julio Martinez (who has had a very good winter in the Mexican Pacific League) might have a shot.  

     
  • Arizona Phil 2 hours 12 min ago (view)

    I would think that both Colin Rea and Kyle Ryan must have signed contracts with minor league split salaries, otherwise I doubt very much that they would have been tendered. 

     
  • Arizona Phil 2 hours 23 min ago (view)

    With Tepera non-tendered and Winkler, Ryan, and Rea signed, the Cubs 2021 Opening Day bullpen (right now) would appear to be Kimbrel (clearly not tradeable), Wick (virtual lock), Winkler (can't be optioned without his consent), Underwood (out of minor league options), and Maples (out of minor league options), and then three from amongst Adam, Norwood, Rea, Ryan, Stock, and Wieck (each of whom can be optioned back & forth to AAA as needed).

     
  • Arizona Phil 2 hours 43 min ago (view)

    The Cubs have signed RHSP Colin Rea, LHRP Kyle Ryan, and RHRP Dan Winkler to 2021 MLB contracts (terms TBD) and tendered 2021 MLB contracts to all other unsigned players on their MLB Reserve List (40-man roster) except OF Albert Almora, OF-1B Jose Martinez, OF Kyle Schwarber, and RHRP Ryan Tepera.

    So Almora, J. Martinez, Schwarber, and Tepera are now unrestricted free-agents, free to sign an MLB or minor league contract with any club (including the Cubs) without any salary restrictions.   

    The Cubs MLB Reserve List now stands at 34 (six slots are open). 

     
  • Arizona Phil 3 hours 5 min ago (view)

    Keep in mind that as things stand right now the Cubs projected 2021 MLB payroll is almost $50M under the 2021 CBT threshold (which will be $210M), so they don't have to worry about contract AAV if they can sign a player to a multi-year deal with a low 2021 base salary and then substantially higher salaries post-2021 (when they should be able to generate their normal attendance-based revenues --.presuming CoViD-19 is no longer a problem by that time).     

     
  • Arizona Phil 3 hours 45 min ago (view)

    TIME OUT: As I mentioned in the post, the Cubs cannot cut Schwarber's base salary more than 20% without first non-tendering him, so if he is agreeable the Cubs could sign him for a relatively low base 2021 salary (something like $5M) combined with performance bonuses based upon actual PA (not pro-rated PA) maybe totaling $5M (which would cover the Cubs if the 2021 season is truncated), and then maybe an additional year or two (2022-23) for something like $10M per year plus performance bonuses (again, based on PA). Schwarber could get a player opt-out as well post-2021. 

     
  • crunch 6 hours 18 min ago (view)

    it's not surprising, but i also don't see the downside of giving him the $8m-ish he'd be owed.

    if you can hit 30+ homers that's usually money you can easily go get.

    i seriously wonder about this offseason and the amount of investment the cubs are going to make in the team.  i mean, it's fine if they go cheap yet somehow field a great team via off-season trades or other forms of black magic...i just don't trust how this off-season is unfolding so far.

     
  • Charlie 6 hours 24 min ago (view)

    From a sentimental perspective at least, non-tendering Schwarber blows. Several thumbs down.

     
  • crunch 6 hours 51 min ago (view)

    cubs pick up robert stock off waivers from the rsox...31 year old righty.

    throws hard (high 90s), has a slider (low 80s) , and a changeup (low 80s).  control and command isn't his best friend.

     
  • crunch 7 hours 25 min ago (view)

    schwarber non-tendered...almora, too...and jose martinez (yawn).

    bryant to be tendered a contract, but expected to be traded.

     
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