IST: Cubs @ Mets

[CubsFaninMN]

Regardless, I bet we still see an outfield of Schwarber, Happ and Heyward in LF, CF, RF. Joe can't resist the three lefty bats in the OF against RH pitchers.

 

[CSF77]

Regardless, I bet we still see an outfield of Schwarber, Happ and Heyward in LF, CF, RF. Joe can't resist the three lefty bats in the OF against RH pitchers.

Odds on LaStella at 3B?

 

[CSF77]

Think people are missing the point. Almora doesn't sit because Maddon doesn't think he's good enough. He sits so that he will be fresh in October. I mean I don't hear the same sort of drum banging for La Stella who has a 132 wRC+ to Almora's 126. You can make a case for everyone on the positional roster to start games save for Gimenez who's clearly just a back up catcher. But like I said La Stella could start for a number of teams and be a pretty decent 2B.

The reason Maddon does this is because historically the thinking was that you win as much as you can and then coast. However, what we've seen in the playoffs is it tends to be a bit of a crap shoot. One possible explanation for this is that the best teams coast for the last month of the season while the teams fighting for the wild card have to play their best baseball night in and night out or they are home in October. Maddon has just changed the dynamic a bit. Rather than resting guys a bunch in September he more periodically does it throughout the season and then puts the pedal to the floor late in the season.

There's idealogical points to be made on that debate so I'll leave it to another time. But that's the reason he does this. It's also the reason unlike other managers that he runs an 8 man bullpen. These 2 aspects are glove in hand. Fewer positional players means that its easier to give 12 guys 400-500 PAs and more BP arms reduces wear on the BP as a whole. Now there's obviously the risk of them not playing well by doing this but look at the results broken down by half. The past 3 years they are 143-120(.543) in the first half and 149-73(.671) in the second. Generally speaking if you're better than .500 in the first half and can consistently win 65% of your second half games you're going to the playoffs. And the thing is you can always adjust if you start very poorly.

But frankly, I prefer this approach to riding guys every day. Baseball players are stubborn and will try to play through nagging stuff and will often hurt themselves more later on just because they want to be tough guys. If you think about the cubs since Maddon took over you'll notice they've been a fairly healthy team.

I’ve kinda thought that LaStella is underused myself. To be honest he did lead off with Atl in his Rookie season and Naddon really hasn’t maxed out his potential

 

[chibears55]

Same lineup

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[TL1961]

Not many of you were fans in the late 60s, but one of the reasons for the collapse in 1969 was Durocher's insistence the starter play almost ever game. Billy Williams played 163 games, Santo 160 and Kessinger 158. On the pitching side it was even crazier: Jenkins had 23 complete games and Hands had 18. Wimps now cant get past the 5th inning. Durocher nearly killed these guys

It was the 163rd game that really did Billy Williams in.

 

[chibears55]

Brewers and Cardinals won.....



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[TL1961]

Guide says Cubs-Mets are on Fox.

I have women's golf, and MLB is blacked out. Dammit.

 

[Globetrotter]

Way to blow it.

 

[chibears55]

Guide says Cubs-Mets are on Fox.

I have women's golf, and MLB is blacked out. Dammit.

You just missed a typical cub inning offensively
Load the bases and 3 strike outs
No runs 3 LOB

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[Diehardfan]

It was the 163rd game that really did Billy Williams in.

It's legit. I think it had to do with an early season day game that got called by darkness, I don't really remember...might have been a rainout or something but it's not a typo.
He played 1117 straight games, so he missed nothing.

 

[Diehardfan]

You just missed a typical cub inning offensively
Load the bases and 3 strike outs
No runs 3 LOB

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I thought it was successful inning. I think he threw 25 pitches. Nobody does much against this guy....not likely to knock him out. Gotta hope for him to knock himself out with pitch count but Monty has to keep the game close.

 

[TL1961]

It's legit. I think it had to do with an early season day game that got called by darkness, I don't really remember...might have been a rainout or something but it's not a typo.
He played 1117 straight games, so he missed nothing.

I remember Leo getting grief for ending the streak, longest ever in the NL at the time.

 

[TL1961]

You just missed a typical cub inning offensively
Load the bases and 3 strike outs
No runs 3 LOB

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Found it on FS1.

 

[chibears55]

I thought it was successful inning. I think he threw 25 pitches. Nobody does much against this guy....not likely to knock him out. Gotta hope for him to knock himself out with pitch count but Monty has to keep the game close.

Yea but usually if you don't get a stud pitcher when he struggles early, you don't get to him cause they normally get it going right after

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[Diehardfan]

Yea but usually if you don't get a stud pitcher when he struggles early, you don't get to him cause they normally get it going right after

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Did you really think they were getting to him? A bunch of broken bat bloopers....all it did was piss him off. He's only going out on pitch **** tonight.

 

[chibears55]

Did you really think they were getting to him? A bunch of broken bat bloopers....all it did was piss him off. He's only going out on pitch **** tonight.

It was a golden opportunity..

1 more hit
A Sac Fly

That had a great chance to get at least 1 run there..

But

My point was, with stud pitchers ..
If you have a chance to score on them in first 2 innings because they either start out a bit wild or gives up back 2 back hits and you don't cash in..
Usually they settle down and give up nothing after that..

Right now that what seems to be happening

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[chibears55]

Looks like the only way their winning this game as Degrom locked in..

Hope Montgomery and whoever follows keeps putting zeros on the board and the cubs get to their bullpen late...

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[TL1961]

Maddon made the comment that you need to score with an out against top pitchers, and they missed that chance in the first.

We just have to hit a mistake. He hasn't thrown enough pitches to expect an early exit.

 

[TL1961]

Nice work thus far from Montgomery.

5 IP 0 R, 1 H, 1 BB. 61 pitches.

 

[TL1961]

3-0.

Rizzo, allow hm to walk you!

EDIT: Get a bloop hit to drive in a run. He really should never have swung at that. But we will take it.