IST:Cubs@Phillies

[TL1961]

Phillies were really reeling before sweeping this series. Cubs had a team that was on the ropes for the post season but this series just saved their playoff hopes.

I checked the WC teams and MAYBE other than the Dbacks , I don't think the Cubs could beat any of these teams in a 1 game WC game : Phils, Giants, Mets, Brewers, Washington.

They would beat the Phils and Brewers and how in God's name are the Giants on this list??

 

[TL1961]

The GB to Happ he dove for. Your "should have been outs" is overly dramatic.

Watch it again.
The fact that this guy has to dive for it is the first sign something's wrong.

 

[Parade_Rain]

Who?

I don't work in the front office.

 

[Parade_Rain]

Watch it again.
The fact that this guy has to dive for it is the first sign something's wrong.

Yes. What was wrong is the pitcher threw a pitch the batter was able to hit hard a bit too far to the right of Happ, who isn't a particularly good defender.

 

[Parade_Rain]

For all that's been said of the Cubs winning culture since the JM hire...yes looking at the big picture, but... does JM get credit for the losing on the road part of that culture ?

He gets credit in the annals of baseball. It's called a W-L record.

 

[SilentLurker]

Didnt the Cubs have a 9th inning come back walk off grand slam at home by Heyward vs the Phils last season? Baseball Karma I guess.

 

[TL1961]

Yes. What was wrong is the pitcher threw a pitch the batter was able to hit hard a bit too far to the right of Happ, who isn't a particularly good defender.

A. It wasn't hit hard.
B. It wasn't that far from Happless. He is just slow. And twice he got a glove on a ball but didn't field it. Why - with a four run 9th inning lead - is a "not particularly good fielder" on the field?

Why play defensive players at the end of games only when it's a one run deficit? Are we afraid of winning by too much?

I guess we really have no better - our average defensive second baseman was butchering the SS position because we sent our only other SS to Iowa to appease the fans.

 

[Parade_Rain]

Julie DiCaro is on the Score making some good points. Maddon DOES deserve blame for taking Darvish out with only 93 pitches. This was a critical game....and a horrible decision by Maddon to take him out. But blame goes to Theo too for keeping Strop on the roster....and for the rest of his horrible acquisitions this season. This is an organizational failure. The whole season.

Maddon deserves blame for thinking his bullpen wouldn't give up 5 runs in the last 2 innings? LOL. That isn't a good point.

 

[Fred Garvin]

Strop being on the roster is a no brainer. That is not a mistake.
Who were the horrible offseason acquisitions?

Descalso and Brach. Those were like the only ones of note he did. Why let Murphy go in lieu of Descalso? Same age basically...and last I checked Murphy was hitting .289. Haven't checked in a while....and Brach has been DFA'd. The Castellano pickup was good. I'll give him that...But Tony Kemp? Blech. I know not every acquisition is gonna be a home run...but Theo has had a really bad couple of years.

 

[TL1961]

Maddon deserves blame for thinking his bullpen wouldn't give up 5 runs in the last 2 innings? LOL. That isn't a good point.

When DOES he deserve blame?

One minute, he is excused for the pen fucking up because it is short handed.

The next minute, he gets excused for pulling a starter who was untouchable after 93 pitches because he should expect the pen to finish it off.

If he manages for Mariano Rivera to close it out, and Mariano fails, it is not a wrong move.

If you have a pen that struggles constantly and is missing key pieces and he pulls the starter, how is that not a mistake?

If one of his relievers allows two hits, he faces a 3rd batter. If he gets two weak outs, he gets pulled for a L-L or R-R matchup.

He can't get out of his own way.

 

[Parade_Rain]

A. It wasn't hit hard.
B. It wasn't that far from Happless. He is just slow. And twice he got a glove on a ball but didn't field it. Why - with a four run 9th inning lead - is a "not particularly good fielder" on the field?

Is Kemp a better 2B than Happ? Where was Baez? Oh, yeah. He was a scratch.

Why play defensive players at the end of games only when it's a one run deficit? Are we afraid of winning by too much?

Monday morning quarterbacking is easy for you. You've never played past Little League.

I guess we really have no better - our average defensive second baseman was butchering the SS position because we sent our only other SS to Iowa to appease the fans.

You mean the other guy who couldn't hit a lick? There is a reason he's down in Iowa and it has jack shit to do with appeasing fans.

 

[Parade_Rain]

When DOES he deserve blame?

One minute, he is excused for the pen fucking up because it is short handed.

The next minute, he gets excused for pulling a starter who was untouchable after 93 pitches because he should expect the pen to finish it off.

If he manages for Mariano Rivera to close it out, and Mariano fails, it is not a wrong move.

If you have a pen that struggles constantly and is missing key pieces and he pulls the starter, how is that not a mistake?

If one of his relievers allows two hits, he faces a 3rd batter. If he gets two weak outs, he gets pulled for a L-L or R-R matchup.

He can't get out of his own way.

Good night, Chi55.

 

[TL1961]

Descalso and Brach. Those were like the only ones of note he did. Why let Murphy go in lieu of Descalso? Same age basically...and last I checked Murphy was hitting .289. Haven't checked in a while....and Brach has been DFA'd. The Castellano pickup was good. I'll give him that...But Tony Kemp? Blech. I know not every acquisition is gonna be a home run...but Theo has had a really bad couple of years.

Descalso was a mistake. Murphy was not. You don't go into a season playing a butcher like murphy at 2nd regularly. I have no issue with not bringing him back even if cheap.

LaStella playing as he did sure looks like a miss on the part of our management. I forgot about Descalso. That was a bad move. If Descalso played his career best, it was still not good.

 

[Parade_Rain]

Descalso and Brach. Those were like the only ones of note he did. Why let Murphy go in lieu of Descalso? Same age basically...and last I checked Murphy was hitting .289. Haven't checked in a while....and Brach has been DFA'd. The Castellano pickup was good. I'll give him that...But Tony Kemp? Blech. I know not every acquisition is gonna be a home run...but Theo has had a really bad couple of years.

It wasn't Murphy who was let go for Descalso. That was Tommy LaStella.

 

[TL1961]

Is Kemp a better 2B than Happ? Where was Baez? Oh, yeah. He was a scratch.

Monday morning quarterbacking is easy for you. You've never played past Little League.

You mean the other guy who couldn't hit a lick? There is a reason he's down in Iowa and it has jack shit to do with appeasing fans.

We lost two games in this six game road trip because our second baseman couldn't field a ball that most second basemen field. And you mention hitting.

Defense matters.
Apparently many fans can't comprehend that - even the ones who make childish, ignorant comments about "you never played" when they don't have a fucking clue.

Happ had a big hit tonight. How did that save us?

We allowed SIX runs in the 9th when it should have been zero. Takes a lot of hitting to offset that.

 

[SilenceS]

After further review, the pitch to Harper was off the plate. He was just sitting dead red on it.

 

[Fred Garvin]

Theo is in charge of the roster. You don't wanna blame Maddon because he can only play the guys he has..fine. Then you blame the guy who put this garbage, clown show bullpen together. This team has blown over 20 games that should have been wins if not for bullpen meltdowns. As far as Maddon goes though...part of his job is the "timing" of his moves. Joe should know this bullpen is crap....and Darvish was only at 93 pitches. This was as brutal a loss as I can remember in the Maddon era. The last two games of last year were bad...but they weren't "choke it away" type losses. They were just limp dick can't hit type losses. Sure..just keep "Stropy"....keep Holland cuz he's so great against lefties. Lol...and watch this division and the playoffs just slip away. Honestly, I'm not sure the Cubs will even have a winning season. Maybe they will....but who cares. As currently constructed they are going nowhere anyway.

 

[TL1961]

Excluding Zobrist, who has been unavailable, we have had teh following at 2nd base:

Garcia
Descalso
Happ
Bote
Kemp
Russell

Not one of them has hit nearly enough to justify bad D.

Russell is far and away the best defender of that bunch.
He didn't hit. But if he was sent to Iowa fo rthat alone, then why wasn't Bote?

Bote strikes out 40% of the time, has not hit for power, plays poor D, and has no speed. What is he bringing to the table???

Russell hit like shit. But he isn't in Iowa for that alone. He is still a better player than Garcia and Descalso and Bote and Kemp.

Happ hits just enough to get playing time from Joe at two positions where he worsens the D, but his hitting doesn't outweigh the bad D.

 

[CSF77]

I didn't follow the game.

I noted on the Cubs site back to back ball deflects off of Happ to Almora.

Before that Bote an error.

Strop pops a guy.

Then Holland gives up a G.S.


I'll just say this slowly.

Bote is not a short stop. The fact that he is playing the position is a joke.

Happ is a butcher at 2B. back to back deflections?

Strop is done.

Now they should have started Strop in the 9th. Wick did his job in the 8th. The was no reason to extend his outing.

Better yet have Chatwood pitch the 9th. At least he is getting guys out now.

So I'll just say hang it up on the season right now. This team looks lost right now. You blow a 5 run lead after your starter pitches his ass off is jacked up. Every player that did that should commit Seppuku for dishonoring Yu's family.

 

[Fred Garvin]

Cubs aren't the only team making mistakes in the front office...and Maddon isn't the only manager making bad decisions...and I will admit..alot of this is very disappointed "venting" on my part. I know talking about all the problems with this team is just piling on at this point.....and I wish I could feel better about this team....but the issues are just so glaring. But at least with the 100 loss Cubs you understood why. This team is grossly underachieving....and it's just really disappointing to see this play out.