*****Official Cubs 2024 Thread 🪦*****
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Well unless Steele was going to pitch a complete game shutout tonight, it turned out about as well as we could have hoped. Ran up Skene's pitch count but left 8 men on base in the first 3 innings. Couldn't rally against the Pirates bullpen, unlike last week. What a change a few days can make in baseball.
If the Cubs lose tomorrow, they will finish 6-7 against Pittsburgh and will have a losing record against all NLC teams, except the Cubs of course. 😉
That is no way to win the NLC.
Just sayin'.
If the Cubs lose tomorrow, they will finish 6-7 against Pittsburgh and will have a losing record against all NLC teams, except the Cubs of course. 😉
That is no way to win the NLC.
Just sayin'.
Cubs Twitter seems to be pissed at Hendricks for blowing this game. I didn’t realize he was likely to hold Pittsburgh to -1 runs. I’ll take 5 innings, 2 runs every time from him. Gotta cash in something on those bases loaded chances early when they had Skenes on the ropes.
So just playing the math game because I like to stay in my analytical space, the Cubs need to get to 87-88 wins to have a shot at the WC. Coming into this series, that meant going 17-8 the rest of the way to get to 88. They’ve now burned 2 losses on the Pirates. So….the path is still there, but now they have to go 17-6 against a schedule that has 9 games against the Yankees, Dodgers and Phillies, plus we don’t know if Justin Steele will be able to make his next start. If the Cubs “just” win every series left (including 3 of 4 vs. WAS) plus win tomorrow, that’s 16-7 to get to 87 wins.
To make the playoffs, the Cubs are going to have to sustain the run they were on over the last 15 games the rest of the way, basically.
It was a long shot but also was shocking ly nice to have a whiff of still being alive for post season in September, something none of us thought back in July.
Yeah, I think I'm done with my investment for this season, too. I held on longer than many, but the Cubs put themselves in a position in which there was really no room for error, and losing a series at home to a non-contender is a big error. Time to sit Paredes and see if Busch can still play 3B. Brennen Davis has actually been healthy for a week - dump Mastrobuoni and give Davis a chance to show if he can hit MLB pitching and earn his right to keep his 40-man spot for yet another offseason. Maybe even give Wisdom a fake injury and see if Mervis can increase his trade value this month. Might as well shut down Merryweather and Wesneski, and give Hendricks a farewell party, which would give Kilian, Neely and Palencia some more MLB experience. Time to look to the future.
They will drag it out to try and keep attendance up to sell beer, and maybe sell a few stray tickets.
It isn't impossible to make the playoffs at this time, but if they are out 2 weeks from now I hope they do cut ties with a few guys we all know won't be around next season, and give a few ABs to some guys they have to make 40 man decisions on. And, play them. No pinch hit. ABs, play them. Give Swanson and Happ days off.
Shota had a no hitter through 7 ... and they took him out. 95 pitches.
It's bad enough Lopez got hurt, but then he is replaced with a 30 yo journeyman whose Major League career is probably about over. Why not bring in someone who has a future with the team who needs some more MLB experience?
Gotta keep that arm fresh for the postseason that they're not going to make....
Eh, don't have a problem with pulling him. With the arm issues pitchers are having in MLB this year, no need to damage him in this game.
I like Porter Hodge as a closer. I mentioned that way up thread weeks ago. Hope he becomes that guy.
Milt Pappas threw the last Cubs no-hitter at Wrigley almost 52 years ago to the day against the Padres. Milt had a perfect game through the first 26 hitters only to walk the 27th hitter on a full count on a borderline strike/ball pitch. Milt was upset with the HP umpire but did retire the next hitter for the no-hitter.
That was the second no-hitter of the year by a cub at Wrigley. Burt Hooton also had one in April.
There were a rash of no-hitters at Wrigley over a few years there. Ken Holtzman threw one against the Braves in August of 1969 and remarkably, he didn't strike out a single batter. Can you imagine that happening in today's game?
Just a little more history on no-hitters and the Cubs.
Before yesterday's game, the last no hitter at Wrigley was pitched by Cole Hamels of the Phillies at that time, on July 25, 2015. That broke the Cubs consecutive games streak of not being no-hit which stood at 7,920 games, which is a major league record which covered nearly 50 years. The previous no-hitter against the Cubs was Sandy Koufax's perfect game on September 9, 1965 in Los Angeles.
Below are a couple of clips of the final out(s) on those 2 no-hitters. The second clip is actually Vin Scully's radio call on the game in 1965.
One other little tidbit on Koufax's game is that the Cubs leadoff hitter that night was a rookie named Don Young, making his ML debut. Younger Cubs fans may not realize that Don Young would later be held to blame for a critical Cubs loss against the Mets in the 1969 pennant race when he misplayed a couple of fly balls in a game the Cubs should have won.
Koufax Perfect Game Box Score
Before yesterday's game, the last no hitter at Wrigley was pitched by Cole Hamels of the Phillies at that time, on July 25, 2015. That broke the Cubs consecutive games streak of not being no-hit which stood at 7,920 games, which is a major league record which covered nearly 50 years. The previous no-hitter against the Cubs was Sandy Koufax's perfect game on September 9, 1965 in Los Angeles.
Below are a couple of clips of the final out(s) on those 2 no-hitters. The second clip is actually Vin Scully's radio call on the game in 1965.
One other little tidbit on Koufax's game is that the Cubs leadoff hitter that night was a rookie named Don Young, making his ML debut. Younger Cubs fans may not realize that Don Young would later be held to blame for a critical Cubs loss against the Mets in the 1969 pennant race when he misplayed a couple of fly balls in a game the Cubs should have won.
Koufax Perfect Game Box Score
Ultimately, the 3 errors cost him 6 pitches. His error in the 1st was immediately wiped out by a DP grounder, but his first error in the 6th extended the inning and allowed for his 2nd error (1 pitch plate appearance), which extended the inning to the Cruz K (5 pitches). At 89 pitches vs. 95, there’s a fair shot he’d have gotten the 8th, but I’m not sure they’d have allowed him to finish either way.
I saw on BCB that Paredes has 9 errors since he joined the Cubs? I hope nobody in the Cubs organization is feeling he is owed a roster spot next season. Besides the errors, he's looking kind of chunky. I am all about Ballesteros getting a shot to come whack away at the ball, but Paredes really isn't bringing much to the team, and in no way should he stand in a young player's path.
Don't even get me started on Matt Chapman... If we could have had him on a Giants type deal, he would have solved a lot of problems this season.
Don't even get me started on Matt Chapman... If we could have had him on a Giants type deal, he would have solved a lot of problems this season.
I think there was long-term value in finding out on Morel at 3B. Paredes has been a disaster. I don’t think he’s this bad at all, but agree that he doesn’t have to be locked into next year. He’s certainly a trade candidate this offseason. Not sure he’s blocking Moises playing 3B, but agree to the larger point. Could apply to Triantos or Shaw, just as easily.
As for Chapman, the Giants just signed him to the contract I absolutely did not want the Cubs to give him next season. I think he’s going to age poorly and he’s basically making exactly Swanson money now. His $17M this year plus 6/$151 is 7/$168M for another guy who is good, but generally more glove-first and streaky with the bat.
Sorry, I wasn't suggesting Ballesteros winds up at 3B, just that he has a non traditional body type, shall we say. But, he's a hitter, find a spot for him if he can produce. Parades isn't producing, and he's an error machine.
Shaw has mostly played SS, so that confuses me a little. We have 5 more years of Swanson, and quite a few more SS options. 3B is the most glaring hole in the line up, that begs to be filled by a younger, cost controlled player. Or, 2B, if the team moves Hoerner in order to get more production from that spot. And, Busch could easily play 2B. He's rounding into a good 1B, but there is that option if you are so inclined to add thump at 1B.
