IST: Brewers at Cubs (8/11-8/13)

[CRM 114]

Cubs have the 4th best record in MLB right now.

Ahead of them are the Cards, Pirates and Royals.

What a ridiculous year for the NL Central.

I still can't believe it. Who would have thought this would be the case a year ago?

 

[SilenceS]

I still can't believe it. Who would have thought this would be the case a year ago?

Me cause Im a gangster. #calledit

 

[ijustposthere]

Arrietta is better no doubt, but it won't be "fairly easily."

With the way Arrieta's been pitching, they should take that game easily.

 

[Parade_Rain]

With the way Arrieta's been pitching, they should take that game easily.

Baseball is a funny game. I wouldn't count any game as easy.

 

[brett05]

Baseball is a funny game. I wouldn't count any game as easy.

:clap:

 

[CSF77]

Going to predict that the Cubs are going to pass up the Pirates over this month. Think they are at 2.5 right now.

Cards are another story. That team is too stable. But right now the Cubs have been able to win games off of them. If they meet up it could go either way.

 

[beckdawg]

I haven't looked at the 2nd half numbers on Soler but he must be on a bit of a tear. He's quietly gotten up to .271/.330 when he's spent most of the season in the .240/.310 range IIRC.

Edit: just had a look. He's hitting .299/.371/.379 in the 2nd half with a .424 BABIP. On the plus side, his bb/k rate is 9.3%/27.8% which is up about 3% on walks and down about 4% on k's.

 

[CSF77]

I haven't looked at the 2nd half numbers on Soler but he must be on a bit of a tear. He's quietly gotten up to .271/.330 when he's spent most of the season in the .240/.310 range IIRC.

Edit: just had a look. He's hitting .299/.371/.379 in the 2nd half with a .424 BABIP. On the plus side, his bb/k rate is 9.3%/27.8% which is up about 3% on walks and down about 4% on k's.

Not surprising. He was a complete hitter coming in. He has a pretty good shot at being a .300 hitter.

 

[TC in Mississippi]

Going to predict that the Cubs are going to pass up the Pirates over this month. Think they are at 2.5 right now.

Cards are another story. That team is too stable. But right now the Cubs have been able to win games off of them. If they meet up it could go either way.

I think you may be right but I'm not 100% positive that's a good thing. A playoff game at Wrigley and all the hoopla that entails will be a lot to handle for a young team. They might have a better chance on the road. Still you want them to win as many games as possible so if they overtake the Pirates so be it. It's quite something that three of the best records in baseball are in the NL Central.

 

[FrankieLyrical]

We're a better team than Pittsburgh, Idk why but I really don't feel threatened by them. San Fran was my biggest worry and now that we have a sizable lead on them, I'm confident that we will catch PITT

 

[Diehardfan]

I haven't looked at the 2nd half numbers on Soler but he must be on a bit of a tear. He's quietly gotten up to .271/.330 when he's spent most of the season in the .240/.310 range IIRC.

Edit: just had a look. He's hitting .299/.371/.379 in the 2nd half with a .424 BABIP. On the plus side, his bb/k rate is 9.3%/27.8% which is up about 3% on walks and down about 4% on k's.

All the numbers in the world are fine but his real improvement has come from between his ears. His patience at the plate has grown enormously particularly his laying off the low outside stuff he was reaching for most of the first half. He's making the pitchers come to him which is what most good hitters do.

 

[brett05]

I think you may be right but I'm not 100% positive that's a good thing. A playoff game at Wrigley and all the hoopla that entails will be a lot to handle for a young team. They might have a better chance on the road. Still you want them to win as many games as possible so if they overtake the Pirates so be it. It's quite something that three of the best records in baseball are in the NL Central.

It is very nice. Doesn;t hurt to have two of the worst in the division either.

Seriously. As a known White Sox hater, the 2015 Cubs give me a scare.

 

[Parade_Rain]

It is very nice. Doesn;t hurt to have two of the worst in the division either.

Seriously. As a known White Sox hater, the 2015 Cubs give me a scare.

With that logic, there are several teams in first place in other divisions who should have 75 wins already.

 

[brett05]

With that logic, there are several teams in first place in other divisions who should have 75 wins already.

No, I think you can safely assume that the Red and Brewers are the worst two teams in baseball. Certainly since the trade dump.

The Mets are playing better and the Nats are one of this year's great disappointments IMO

 

[Parade_Rain]

No, I think you can safely assume that the Red and Brewers are the worst two teams in baseball. Certainly since the trade dump.

The Mets are playing better and the Nats are one of this year's great disappointments IMO

The Mets are playing well? The Cubs swept them. San Fran? The Cubs swept them. The records in the NL Central aren't about beating up on the little sisters of the poor.

 

[brett05]

The Mets are playing well? The Cubs swept them. San Fran? The Cubs swept them. The records in the NL Central aren't about beating up on the little sisters of the poor.

Not exclusively, nope.

 

[TL1961]

All the numbers in the world are fine but his real improvement has come from between his ears. His patience at the plate has grown enormously particularly his laying off the low outside stuff he was reaching for most of the first half. He's making the pitchers come to him which is what most good hitters do.

He is laying off low and outside while they ste still called strikes on him way too often. Thst's hard to do.

 

[Diehardfan]

You know, I had no idea what to expect when I looked this up...but it's pretty surprising what I found. In games vs. any National League team NOT in the Central...the Cards are 30-17, the Cubs are 30-19 and the Pirates are an astounding 32-10. They are the top teams because they are beating everybody....except the American League. The only one doing well is Pitt at 13-7, even the Cards are only 11-9....Cubs are a sad 6-7.

 

[Diehardfan]

He is laying off low and outside while they ste still called strikes on him way too often. Thst's hard to do.

It's really a tossup which is more annoying...the off the plate calls influenced by pitch framing or the strikes called on a regular basis on pitches that are 7 or 8 inches below the batters knees. If the strike zone was changed, fine but if not then the incompetence is wide spread.

 

[SilenceS]

Pirates and Cards are better then us. Get hot at the right time and anything can happen but I believe the Pirates are the best team in the NL. The way they win and are never out of anything is remarkable. The Cards truly don't scare me as much as the Pirates. That offense can be shutdown with good not great pitching. They still have a horseshoe up their ass from time to time but luck eventually runs out.

Now, who is completely over rated. The Dodgers. They are something like 44-22 against teams under .500. They are under.500 against the better teams. There offense is hit or miss. The only thing that scares you is Grienke and Kershaw. Their bullpen blows.

Now, I know we beat the Mets in 7 games but that is a scary team in a playoff series. The pitching is real and the offense has turned it on since Uribe and Cespedes arrived. That kind of top of the rotation pitching can get you far. Just hope they are young and falter if we do get a chance to face them.