20 games left.

[zack54attack]

Predict the Cubs record in this final stretch.

I'll say 11-9.

 

[CSF77]

I'll take that.

 

[Parade_Rain]

I was going to say 10-10. 11-9 sounds realistic, too.

 

[greg23]

10 home
10 road

13 vs sd-pit-cin
7 vs stl

We're not playing too well, kind of banged up, pitching a bit shaky...but vs that schedule...

I'd say anything less than 12-8 is disappointing and missing the playoffs is in the realm of possibilities

I'll say we pick it up and go 13-7.....prompted by a nice run over next 10 games (sd-pit-cin)

 

[zack54attack]

9-straight vs. SD, PIT and CIN. Need to go 7-2 or 8-1. That would be huge.

 

[greg23]

9-straight vs. SD, PIT and CIN. Need to go 7-2 or 8-1. That would be huge.

10 straight beginning yesterday.

8-2 would be nice to set up final 10 games (7 vs stl)

 

[CSF77]

I feel kinda gross thinking that the Cubs have to bottom feed their way in. If they can't beat the teams that matter then they have no business even being there.

 

[greg23]

I feel kinda gross thinking that the Cubs have to bottom feed their way in. If they can't beat the teams that matter then they have no business even being there.

Most teams with winning records feast on bad teams and hover around. 500 vs good teams (see almost every good team this year; esp in the al)

 

[greg23]

10 home
10 road

13 vs sd-pit-cin
7 vs stl

We're not playing too well, kind of banged up, pitching a bit shaky...but vs that schedule...

I'd say anything less than 12-8 is disappointing and missing the playoffs is in the realm of possibilities

I'll say we pick it up and go 13-7.....prompted by a nice run over next 10 games (sd-pit-cin)

Nevermind

 

[pablovi]

7-13

 

[greg23]

2-2 thru 4 games....was hoping for 3-1 but on road, 2-2 is stellar for this team this year ?

Positive note.....take care of business next 3 vs pit team traveling in from sf and guaranteed to pick up games on division and-or wild card as mil and stl play each other (mil has very easy schedule after this series)...of course get swept at home and guaranteed to lose ground.

 

[CSF77]

Holding to 11-9. They are a .500 over the 2nd half and nothing tells me that they are not this.
Mar: 1-2
Apr: 14-10
May: 16-12
June: 14-15
July: 12-11
Aug: 16-12
Sept: 5-6
78-68
So for the most part they have been hoovering around .500-.600 for the season.

My take is Darvish has made the step to be a play off pitcher.

Hendricks has to be on his game that day as he lacks velocity.

Lester is past his prime and not worthy of being a play off pitcher.

Hamels is 60% of what he was. He should look at what Kershaw did when he lost velocity. Went with the off speed stuff more which sets up his fastball vs using a 91MPH fastball to set up his off speed. He is still a vet and a competitive player but he needs to adapt to his current talent. So it is more about using off speed in fastball counts for called strikes vs using it for a swing and miss.

Q is Jekyll and Hyde. I still don't understand this cat.

At the end of the day it revolves around these 5 guys.

 

[anotheridiot]

we need to see some fire. We know as soon as Javy can squeeze his glove or a bat he will want to be back. But splitting series is only helping remove calendar days from the division leaders.

 

[CSF77]

we need to see some fire. We know as soon as Javy can squeeze his glove or a bat he will want to be back. But splitting series is only helping remove calendar days from the division leaders.

They already anounced that Javy is out for the regular season. What you see is what you get outside of Russell. And I would rather see Nico get the regular play.

IMO they should just put it in Cruz control

They squeek in cool. But the goal should be to see what they have right now.

Is Wieck and Wick set up quality?

Nico a MLB every day short stop or is he a 2B?

Is Russell good enough to play every day or do you trade him?

Is Happ a 2B or is he a OF only option.

I would even let Chatwood start and go 6 starters. See if he is a starter or a pen arm.

If they get in fine. But that really shouldn't be the priority right now.

 

[Castor76]

I don't disagree at all. Short of miracle of miracles, the Cubs aren't winning the series this year. Might as well see what kind of fight these guys have in them and start planning for next season.

Trade Bryant? What's the offer they'd take? What's the offer they'd make? Depending upon what in house guys do, one person I'd love to see the Cubs target in a trade is Whit Merriman from KC. He's been strong at lead off and plays decent 2B. He could solve a good number of problems. I also wouldn't scoff at them perhaps targeting one of the two top 3B free agents. Move Bryant to RF and Heyward to CF.

 

[CSF77]

I don't disagree at all. Short of miracle of miracles, the Cubs aren't winning the series this year. Might as well see what kind of fight these guys have in them and start planning for next season.

Trade Bryant? What's the offer they'd take? What's the offer they'd make? Depending upon what in house guys do, one person I'd love to see the Cubs target in a trade is Whit Merriman from KC. He's been strong at lead off and plays decent 2B. He could solve a good number of problems. I also wouldn't scoff at them perhaps targeting one of the two top 3B free agents. Move Bryant to RF and Heyward to CF.

Maybe on Whitt. With Nico we might have a younger version anyways.

IMO it would take one or the other in the OF it this came to pass.

 

[CSF77]

I do like the Rizzo experiment though. He is built to get on base and is a fighter at the plate.

So I would hold onto Schwarber to split up the RH hitters with Heyward.

 

[Castor76]

I'm not going to pretend to know what it would take to get Merriman if KC was even willing to trade him. I would guess it would be 3 players who are low cost. Schwarber might look good to them if they want to put Soler back in RF or Almora could look good to them for CF or maybe one of our C prospects. But if we say Almora and a C prospect gets it done. Then the Cubs sign Donaldson to move Bryant to RF and Heyward to CF. You could have a line up to looks like this

Merriman 2B
Bryant RF
Rizzo 1B
Donaldson 3B
Baez SS
Schwarber LF
Contreas C
Heyward CF

 

[greg23]

Update (d)

4-2

Going to gain a game on either stl tonight

Dont look now but only 1.5 behind wash for 1st wild card

And

Wash plays stl mon thru wed

Win 3 or 4 vs pit-cin and will pick up ground on the division or more secure in wild card race

One other item

Mil finishes with
4 vs sd
3 vs pit
3 at cin
3 at col

No yelich but they can easily sneak their way in.....prefer they lose tomm to stl to give us 1-2 game cusion over them.

 

[greg23]

2 weeks left and its essentially down to 4 teams for 3 spots...any team can win the central, any 2 can make the wild card and any of these 4 can miss the playoffs all together.

Stl
Wash .5 gb
Chi 2 gb
Mil 3 gb

This week:

Stl 3 vs wash 4 at chi
Wash 3 at stl 3 at Mia
Chi 3 vs cin 4 vs stl
Mil 4 sd 3 vs pit

Technically we could go 5-2 this week; yet be on the outside looking in next Sunday evening....imperative we take at least 2 vs cin and preferably all 3.

Mil is the dark horse with their schedule.....need the pads to return the favor and spilt with them.

Hopefully Rizzo is fine and only misses a game or two....without him; we're back to square one and in trouble.