IGT: NL Wild Card Game: Chicago Cubs vs Pittsburgh Pirates 7:08PM TBS

[wklink]

Arrieta was really good, but let's give some credit to the defense behind him. Russell blew a scalding GB trying to keep it in the IF and got another scorcher to turn the DP. Castro with a smooth turn. Threat over. Next inning Bryant gloved the A-Ram hot shot and the Cubs turn 2. ERA is a team dependent stat. Yes. Jake had a great night, but the kids playing positions did a great job backing him up.

Very true but the same could be said about a couple of hot shots the Cubs hit in that game too. These are professional players, the best of the best and are expected to make those kinds of plays. Great players make the difficult look routine. These guys are playing better defensively that I expected early on but good players should make those plays. Arrieta was supposed to get ground balls. That is what he got for the most part. Sometimes they do make it through but a ball hit on the ground has a higher probablity of being fielded for an out than a line drive or even a fly ball.

 

[TC in Mississippi]

I still can't believe how dominant Arrieta has been. I thought this might be a trap game since we were young, inexperienced and probably pretty hyped up but man, what an excellent game in all phases. I mean this is a huge win, on the road, against what is arguably the best team in the Majors right now. We shut them down, and might have taken that best team in the majors mantle. We still have to beat an experienced St. Louis club and a very very good Los Angeles club but to me this was THE hurdle.

Im not looking past the Cardinals at all but if they do move on I'm reasonably certain it will be the Mets they'll be facing not the Dodgers who still look awkwardly constructed to me.

 

[TC in Mississippi]

Very true but the same could be said about a couple of hot shots the Cubs hit in that game too. These are professional players, the best of the best and are expected to make those kinds of plays. Great players make the difficult look routine. These guys are playing better defensively that I expected early on but good players should make those plays. Arrieta was supposed to get ground balls. That is what he got for the most part. Sometimes they do make it through but a ball hit on the ground has a higher probablity of being fielded for an out than a line drive or even a fly ball.

I think it's an unreasonable expectation to expect players to make great plays. You expect them to make good plays and everything they should make but the great ones elevate a team and you never know where those comes from. That's why they play the games.

 

[brett05]

Anybody who thinks the NL game needs a DH is dumb. This is why pitchers are in the batters box.

DUH..I'm STOOPID

GO Cubbies!!!

 

[brett05]

Jake Arrieta is God

#confirmed

(sorry brett)

That some people worship him as such. not surprised.

 

[brett05]

Cub fans still partying around Wrigley and downtown.

GO CUBBIES!!!

 

[wklink]

Im not looking past the Cardinals at all but if they do move on I'm reasonably certain it will be the Mets they'll be facing not the Dodgers who still look awkwardly constructed to me.

Awkward or not facing arguably the best 1-2 combination in baseball, during the playoffs when four and three man rotations are the norm, is hard to beat. I agree that the Dodgers are a flawed team but that 1-2 punch can go a long ways, especially if they get 2-3 runs per game.

 

[wklink]

DUH..I'm STOOPID

GO Cubbies!!!

I see an argument for both. If Arrieta had taken a season ending injury because of this then it would have been devestating to our chances. At the same time I am not exactly enamored with the idea of having one guy on your team that is there only to hit the ball. To me it seems to take away from the game. There is nothing in the rules that says a pitcher has to be an easy out, it just seems that once these guys specialize the time spent working on hitting goes down. Most of these guys could hit the ball in high school and even in college. It is only while in the Majors that they seem to lose the ability. At least in the NL there is some effort made to get pitchers some hitting practice.

 

[brett05]

I see an argument for both. If Arrieta had taken a season ending injury because of this then it would have been devestating to our chances. At the same time I am not exactly enamored with the idea of having one guy on your team that is there only to hit the ball. To me it seems to take away from the game. There is nothing in the rules that says a pitcher has to be an easy out, it just seems that once these guys specialize the time spent working on hitting goes down. Most of these guys could hit the ball in high school and even in college. It is only while in the Majors that they seem to lose the ability. At least in the NL there is some effort made to get pitchers some hitting practice.

The hitting goes down because there is no time to practice it and hone it. The pitcher is paid to pitch. No one comes to a game looking for a pitcher to hit. Not a single fan. That's not what they are paying their money for. To me, as I am dumb per the resident genius, Position players don't pitch, why make the pitcher bat.

 

[Globetrotter]

The hitting goes down because there is no time to practice it and hone it. The pitcher is paid to pitch. No one comes to a game looking for a pitcher to hit. Not a single fan. That's not what they are paying their money for. To me, as I am dumb per the resident genius, Position players don't pitch, why make the pitcher bat.

Zambrano was fun to watch hit.

 

[TC in Mississippi]

Awkward or not facing arguably the best 1-2 combination in baseball, during the playoffs when four and three man rotations are the norm, is hard to beat. I agree that the Dodgers are a flawed team but that 1-2 punch can go a long ways, especially if they get 2-3 runs per game.

It'll be a good series and those two pitchers are hard to beat for sure but the Mets pitching is nothing to sneeze at either and I think the Dodgers have a hard time getting out of their own way. Could go either way but I'm picking NY.

 

[Chief Walking Stick]

Going to be a fun first series with the Pirates next year.

Also... don't forget the bad blood between Cubs/Cards for this next series.

 

[Parade_Rain]

Cub fans still partying around Wrigley and downtown.

GO CUBBIES!!!

Some idiots thought that was the World Series. That's what too much beer will do for you.

 

[Shawon0Meter]

Some idiots thought that was the World Series. That's what too much beer will do for you.

I should've had more beer then

 

[Parade_Rain]

The hitting goes down because there is no time to practice it and hone it. The pitcher is paid to pitch. No one comes to a game looking for a pitcher to hit. Not a single fan. That's not what they are paying their money for. To me, as I am dumb per the resident genius, Position players don't pitch, why make the pitcher bat.

Well not surprisingly, both of you missed the point. Even though Arrieta did not hit anyone deliberately, an opposing pitcher felt it necessary to tattoo him. Of course there was a warning, but the pitcher put Arrieta on notice. That doesn't happen in the AL, which is a problem with the DH.

 

[Parade_Rain]

Zambrano was fun to watch hit.

So is Madison Baumgarner.

 

[brett05]

Zambrano was fun to watch hit.

And his hitting sold zero tickets. No one paid to watch that.

 

[brett05]

Well not surprisingly, both of you missed the point. Even though Arrieta did not hit anyone deliberately, an opposing pitcher felt it necessary to tattoo him. Of course there was a warning, but the pitcher put Arrieta on notice. That doesn't happen in the AL, which is a problem with the DH.

No, I caught that. Just not important. You can get the same results by beaming a professional hitter.

 

[brett05]

So is Madison Baumgarner.

And no one pays to watch him hit either.

 

[brett05]

Whatever, the fact is Arrieta was masterful. His performance was record making. Quite nice.