Opening Series Thread: Nationals @ Cubs 4/5 to 4/8

[Rice Cube]

No disagreement. Strasburg didn't have many strikeouts mainly because barely anyone got to two strikes.

 

[ZAN]

I think Dempster would've tried to get more ground balls and keep the ball low if the wind weren't blowing in like a typhoon.

He was leaving sinkers up in the zone. If he wanted to pitch to the conditions, you'd have seen many more 4-seam fastballs. There's a 3-4 mph difference between his sinker/splitter and his 4-seam. I'd be scared to leave a splitter belt high with Hurricane Katrina sitting in the bleachers. He was begging Zimmerman to put one in the seats...and he about did....twice...

 

[Rice Cube]

He was leaving sinkers up in the zone. If he wanted to pitch to the conditions, you'd have seen many more 4-seam fastballs. There's a 3-4 mph difference between his sinker/splitter and his 4-seam. I'd be scared to leave a splitter belt high with Hurricane Katrina sitting in the bleachers. He was begging Zimmerman to put one in the seats...and he about did....twice...

I noticed that too, but considering you could hear the wind on the crowd mikes, if you were going to make a mistake, today was the day to do it.

 

[Shawon0Meter]

Nobody should be bitching.

today's approached sucked

 

[Chris J]

He wanted to keep the sinker up so hitters would hit it in the air.

 

[Chris J]

I have no problem with the Cubs losing this year because of the skill level of games but I have a big problem with losing games by walking hitters and making mental errors. and thats exactly what today was

 

[dabynsky]

Well it was what we thought it would be. Have to be encouraged by the results Dempster got. If he has a solid few months, we might actually be able to turn him into something useful long term.

 

[JosMin]

Well it was what we thought it would be. Have to be encouraged by the results Dempster got. If he has a solid few months, we might actually be able to turn him into something useful long term.

I said a few months ago that Dempster should bounce back and have a decent season. Our defense is going to be garbage, so that definitely won't help keep his ERA down, but he did prove today that he can still (even with some help from the elements) strike guys out. I expect 200 innings and 200 strikeouts from Dempster.

And it sounds silly, but I wouldn't mind resigning him after this year, even with a rebuilding team. With nothing but uncertainty around us, you know you get with Dempster -- 200 innings, around 200 strikeouts, 12 to 15 wins, an era hovering around 4. With Dempster having a few more years left, why not finish it out with the Cubs?

 

[Rice Cube]

Depending on whether Hamels or Greinke reach the open market it might not be a bad idea to sign Dempster to an extension. He's getting up there in years though.

 

[JosMin]

Depending on whether Hamels or Greinke reach the open market it might not be a bad idea to sign Dempster to an extension. He's getting up there in years though.

Hamels is going to be getting a ridiculous deal. I'm sure he'll get something between what Matt Cain just got and what was given to Cliff Lee.

 

[Rice Cube]

Hamels is going to be getting a ridiculous deal. I'm sure he'll get something between what Matt Cain just got and what was given to Cliff Lee.

Hamels is older than Cain, I think, but they're pretty comparable (I think Hamels might be better, will have to look that up). The deal is probably going to be about the same.

 

[nwfisch]

Glad to see the Cubs are in midseason form.

 

[Rice Cube]

Matt Cain Statistics and History - Baseball-Reference.com

Cole Hamels Statistics and History - Baseball-Reference.com

I guess that was sort of right. All else being equal I think Hamels gets a bigger contract than Cain does.

 

[Rice Cube]

Play of the game!

Baseball Video Highlights & Clips | WSH@CHC: Murray throws out first pitch at Wrigley - Video | MLB.com: Multimedia

 

[dabynsky]

If this was 2011, the Cubs starter would have gotten rocked for five runs and the bullpen would have to have thrown 4 innings...

 

[Rice Cube]

If this was 2011, the Cubs starter would have gotten rocked for five runs and the bullpen would have to have thrown 4 innings...

Almost right...

April 1, 2011 Pittsburgh Pirates at Chicago Cubs Box Score and Play by Play - Baseball-Reference.com

 

[Uman85]

Dempster should have finished the 8th. As soon as I saw Wood come in, I knew the Cubs weren't going to get out of the inning with the lead still intact. I understand the Wood signing from a PR standpoint and from a rebuilding aspect as well, but he just doesn't have it anymore. Marmol picked up right where he left off last year, blowing it in the 9th again. I know this is a rebuilding year, but that doesn't mean it's going to be easy to watch this team, especially if they can't score any runs and their bullpen pitches as poorly as they did today and also makes mistakes like today as well.

Just my $.02.

 

[dabynsky]

Game 1 of 162 was painful, and my guess is we are in for quite a few more. But it is exactly 1 of 162...

 

[Rice Cube]

It's kinda hard not to blow a save or a lead when the offense only gives you a single run to work with. The defense didn't exactly do the pitchers any favors, though the play that DeJesus tried to make on that Chad Tracy double was pretty difficult.

Can't blame the pitchers all the time, but Kerry Wood walking the entire Nationals team was bad.

 

[dabynsky]

It's kinda hard not to blow a save or a lead when the offense only gives you a single run to work with. The defense didn't exactly do the pitchers any favors, though the play that DeJesus tried to make on that Chad Tracy double was pretty difficult.

Can't blame the pitchers all the time, but Kerry Wood walking the entire Nationals team was bad.

You go to throw strikes, but it didn't help that the strike zone was pretty small today. Unfortunately only one team seemed to be aware of that fact.