Lucky the Giants are doing just as bad!
Bad Defense and Bullpen is what stop this team.
The 9th inning was a perfect example.
Bad Defense and Bullpen is what stop this team.
The 9th inning was a perfect example.
Cubs lose 3rd straight series since being on SI
- Thread starter SIXERS24
- Start date
jeez, they wont 24 out of 30 or whatever. Its an 162 game season, it happens. We all cant have Cardinal Magic
The 9th inning is an example of their bad bullpen? I guess 3 unearned runs will dot that to you.
The 9th inning is an example of their bad bullpen? I guess 3 unearned runs will dot that to you.
You take the good with the bad. If Kris Bryant wasn't in the lineup so they could have a better defensive 3B, maybe they're still down 4-2 and a quiet 9th after the 3B makes that play and they still don't touch Chapman. It happens.
I've said all along that I expected this team to be streaky....they've simply surprised by having way more good streaks than bad. Before the last 3 series, they had won 7 of 11 series since the All-Star break, with 2 of the "non-wins" being series splits. We'll see how they go from here. They've earned themselves a cushion for days just like this one.
I've said all along that I expected this team to be streaky....they've simply surprised by having way more good streaks than bad. Before the last 3 series, they had won 7 of 11 series since the All-Star break, with 2 of the "non-wins" being series splits. We'll see how they go from here. They've earned themselves a cushion for days just like this one.
30 games for the Giants to make up 6 games, Nats to make up 9.
The Cubs implosion (or regression back to normal) is nigh. Cards will take 4/6, Pirates will take 3/4, then the downturn will get ugly. The Royals will put a nice stamp on it with a few games to go.
The Cubs implosion (or regression back to normal) is nigh. Cards will take 4/6, Pirates will take 3/4, then the downturn will get ugly. The Royals will put a nice stamp on it with a few games to go.
I have no doubt the Cubs will make the playoffs, but that bullpen isn't going to allow them to win a series. Need to be able to win games late in October.
This is the real #'s. Nice work but the Cubs will make the playoffs.
The playoffs are a crapshoot. Teams get hot, get a break, etc., etc. In this era there is not overwhelming favorites like the old Yankees, Reds, Pirates, etc.
The Cubs have historically amazingly good young talent - if they add Price watch out. About 99 % of the scouts agree about the young talent there. I know a scout who says they may be the best infield in the history of baseball in 2-3 years. Yes - the history of baseball.
Let's just pin this right to the top, right after the threads on Mark Prior and Wood rounding out the greatest rotation of all time..........
Today was the most frustrating loss. Losing 2-3 at San Francisco and Los Angeles isn't a great shame. They are good teams. The Cubs got into Chicago at 6 am Monday, and they looked really flat against the Reds from my spot in the RF bleachers. They looked better last night. Today was a drag. You don't stay as hot as they were forever. They still have 3 games starting against the D-Backs to right the home stand.
With the Giants' loss we can cross another day off the calendar with the Cubs still holding the same lead. Added bonus that STL and PIT lost yesterday, too. So now SF has 29 games to make up a 6.5 deficit.
The Giants schedule gets really easy and the cubs schedule gets much harder. This is far from over.
I don't mean to imply it's over, only that the Cubs have earned a cushion with their play in August and the Giants now have a steep climb. Every day that gets crossed off the calendar without the Giants gaining ground really trims their already slim margin for error. If the Cubs go 15-15 in their last 30 (Cubs' worst month to-date was a 14-14 record in May), the Giants have to go 21-8 in their last 29 just to force a playoff. Even with the easier schedule, it's going to be tough for the Giants to suddenly play at win 2 of 3 clip for a month if the Cubs simply play .500 ball, which they've done in every single month this season. Even the Cubs' scorching hot August was a 19-9 record.
At this point, the NL Wild Card race feels like a race to 91 wins. It's possible neither Cubs nor Giants get there, but I think one team will. Pittsburgh will almost certainly get there only having to finish 12-19 over their last 31. The Cubs would have to finish 16-14, Giants would have to finish 22-7, Washington would have to finish 24-6, Arizona would have to finish 26-2, San Diego would have to finish 27-2 and nobody else can mathematically get there. It's still a 4-team WC race for 2 spots, but realistically, the Pirates have a spot all but locked up and the Giants and Nats have a LOT of work to do.
The Bullpen cant over come one error?
two then a base hi, then a error, then a 3 run home run!
Left Field, Third Base, Right Field are well below average on defense!
That will hunt the cubs in the post season when everyone is pitching their best!
two then a base hi, then a error, then a 3 run home run!
Left Field, Third Base, Right Field are well below average on defense!
That will hunt the cubs in the post season when everyone is pitching their best!
The Cubs will make the 1 game playoff and most likely face Pitt.
The good news for the Cubs is Cole is pitching poorly!
The good news for the Cubs is Cole is pitching poorly!
That's where the playoffs become a crapshoot. If the Cubs are able to line up arms and get Arrieta into that game, I think the Cubs would have a very good chance. If they were to win that, they'd be able to open with Lester and be lined up to have Lester or Arrieta starting 3 of the 5 games. They'd be the underdog in the series, but they'd have a puncher's chance.
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That Cardinal magic only produced 3 runs out of 16 hits last night. That is not an easy feat.
Youre also 80-46 with Wainwirght down for the year and with Holliday, Adams, Jay missing significant time
Looks like I'm going to be a Giants fan for a month!
Good luck. the cubs have lost 6/8 and the giants have not made up any ground.
Giants lost big, too. Another day crossed off the calendar and the Cub lead goes up to 7. Giants now have 28 games to make up 7 and the Nats have 29 to make up 7.5. Tough sledding.
The last few days are a very good example why it's very hard at this point in a season to make up more than 4-5 games unless you get really hot or the team your chasing just collapses. Cubs lose 6 of their last 9 and because the Giants haven't been playing well, we're 10 days closer to the end of the season and the Giants have only picked up a half game. I would say that the Cubs have almost no chance of catching the Pirates if the Cubs didn't have games with them left -- and even as it is with those games, it's going to be pretty tough for the Cubs to pass them.
