World Series IGT: Chicago Cubs @ Cleveland Indians Game 1

[Novak]

Well, it was fun while it lasted. Cubs are done in this series.

 

[AmazingGrace17]

What??? Are you so fucking arrogant now that the Cubs have turned the corner that you're discounting other teams' talent? Jesus Christ, get a grip on reality.

-:whitesox:

Russell, Rizzo, Bryant, and Javy are as good as anybody in baseball. Rizzo OR Bryant could both rightfully be called the NL MVP. Yeah I would take that over pretty much any other team's infield in the whole league. Not "arrogance" and perfectly acquainted with "reality".

 

[AmazingGrace17]

well, coghlan sucked, Joe did not use Soler to pinch hit for Ross with the bases loaded when Ross was coming out of the game anyway, then they blew the lead anyway.

Good thing was cubs got Miller to throw 50, and I know that wont keep Francona from using him every game, but the cub lineup got to see 50 pitches. That always helps this team. It was kind of a given that the indians had the edge this game, Coghlan in the lineup was calling no joy, but the feeling out process is done and the task at hand is beat each starter not named Kluber in game 2,3,5 and 6

I saw a stat last night that said the last manager to let a guy go again on consecutive days after throwing that many pitches was Terry Francona in 2004. So I won't be surprised if they do it. I also won't be surprised if we make them pay too. They were making good contact and they're gonna wind up forcing him in to a mistake and making him pay for it.

 

[TC in Mississippi]

Well, it was fun while it lasted. Cubs are done in this series.

No they're not.

 

[TC in Mississippi]

Momentum is not real; if it was, the Giants would have eliminated the Cubs in five games after coming back in the bottom of the eighth of game 3 on the Cubs best pitcher and then throwing eight shutout innings. That massive momentum turned into their elimination in about three minutes in game 4.

The Cubs were a lot unlucky to not score last night but it was to expected that they would struggle to score runs against Kluber/Miller/Allen. Nothing that happened last night changed my mind about this series in terms of the offense.

This series has and will likely depend strongly on the Cubs ability to score runs against Bauer/Salazar/Tomlin in games 2, 3, and 5. Winning last night would have been a huge bonus but losing was not a penalty. 538 puts Indians/Cubs at 55/45. That's essentially a coin flip.

What I'd love to see tonight is

Fowler - CF
Schwarber - DH
Bryant - 3B
Rizzo - 1B
Zobrist - RF
Baez - 2B
Contreras - LF
Russell - SS
Montero - C

Late in game, you can PH for Montero with Soler or Heyward and then move Contreras to C and Soler/Heyward to the OF.

Right with you on the lineup. If our guys have as many solid AB as they had last night we're going to score some runs.

 

[Novak]

No they're not.

Historically, the odds are stacking against them. If they lose tonight, the series is most certainly over.

But hey, facts and stuff.

 

[zack54attack]

As weird as it sounds, the World Series format actually benefits the team w/o home field advantage if they can get a split in the first two.

Win tonight and you have 3-straight at home.

 

[zack54attack]

I agreed with everything you wrote except this. I did not understand Coghlan starting Game 1 of the WS. If you are using Schwarber in the DH spot and are fine with sitting Heyward, then it was a no-brainer to me to have Contreras in the OF, IMO. I'm guessing Coghlan won't be starting anymore WS games, which is equivalent to Maddon admitting a mistake.

This.

I don't see anything Coghlan does that warranted a start over Heyward. Coghlan's offense isn't much better than Heyward. And his defense is certainly not comparable. I thought Willson should have started if they benched Heyward.

 

[TC in Mississippi]

Historically, the odds are stacking against them. If they lose tonight, the series is most certainly over.

But hey, facts and stuff.

The Indians have one good starting pitcher and he was amazing last night. I agree it might be different if they lose tonight. They aren't losing tonight.

 

[Spunky Porkstacker]

Well, it was fun while it lasted. Cubs are done in this series.

Indians49-10 Cubs ?

 

[zack54attack]

The Indians have one good starting pitcher and he was amazing last night. I agree it might be different if they lose tonight. They aren't losing tonight.

Cleveland had to win the Kluber game, and they did. A win tonight for the Cubs and the series has a different feel.

 

[DJMoore_is_fat]

I expect tonight to be a battle of the bullpens. Bauer has really struggled lately and Arrieta has had command issues, as well. I think Miller laboring through 41 pitches last night will certainly help us in Game 2. I think both pens will be called on by the 4th or 5th inning. Hopefully Maddon stacks the line up with offensive players so we can jump on Bauer early.

I'd prefer Montero doesn't catch tonight -- only because Jake hasn't been good enough with him to warrant a personal catcher. And I have a lot of concerns with Jake's slow delivery and Montero's struggles to throw runners out. With Jake's command issues, I just don't think he'll last long. But I suspect Montero will be in there. So I think DanTown has it right -- put Zorilla in RF and play Contreras in LF. Contreras HAS to be in the line up tonight.

CF Fowler
3B Bryant
1B Rizzo
RF Zobrist
DH Schwarber
2B Baez
LF Contreras
C Montero
SS Russell

 

[fatbeard]

This.

I don't see anything Coghlan does that warranted a start over Heyward. Coghlan's offense isn't much better than Heyward. And his defense is certainly not comparable. I thought Willson should have started if they benched Heyward.

Coghlan's triple slash since returning to the Cubs is .252/.391/.388; a .779 OPS. While I would have preferred Contreras as well, can this forum please stop pretending like Coghlan is some sort of offensive black hole?

 

[TC in Mississippi]

I expect tonight to be a battle of the bullpens. Bauer has really struggled lately and Arrieta has had command issues, as well. I think Miller laboring through 41 pitches last night will certainly help us in Game 2. I think both pens will be called on by the 4th or 5th inning. Hopefully Maddon stacks the line up with offensive players so we can jump on Bauer early.

I'd prefer Montero doesn't catch tonight -- only because Jake hasn't been good enough with him to warrant a personal catcher. And I have a lot of concerns with Jake's slow delivery and Montero's struggles to throw runners out. With Jake's command issues, I just don't think he'll last long. But I suspect Montero will be in there. So I think DanTown has it right -- put Zorilla in RF and play Contreras in LF. Contreras HAS to be in the line up tonight.

CF Fowler
3B Bryant
1B Rizzo
RF Zobrist
DH Schwarber
2B Baez
LF Contreras
C Montero
SS Russell

I'd agree with you on Contreras except that Arrieta's ERA with him is over 5. I'd have the same lineup as you put here though. Contreras needs to play.

 

[SilenceS]

Good analysis. The kind of stuff i expect from someone watching the Cubs full time. On paper, there are many valid points on why Arrieta against Bauer should be a game Cubs win 6-7 times out of 10. The concern (for someone wanting to back Cubs) really is this Indians momentum which seems to offset the intrinsic value of matchups and if has throughout the playoffs. Both their hitting and pitching is just coming way above where it should be.

Baseball momentum last as long as the next starter. Also, the Indians have not hit this post season. You sound stupid with that.

 

[Mitchapalooza]

People are such meatballs. During game 6 of the NLCS, I had some dumbass fan tell me that the curse is real. He said "when those players are up to bat in the playoffs, of course they're thinking of the goat, the curse, bartman and all that shit." I literally laughed at him. I said "why would players, who had absolutely nothing to do with that time period or that cubs team think about stupid shit like that?" I'm sure they're nervous and shit but like they actually think about something that happened 50 years before they were born? Shut the **** up. I can't stand sports fans sometimes, the majority are so fucking dumb.

 

[DanTown]

Coghlan's triple slash since returning to the Cubs is .252/.391/.388; a .779 OPS. While I would have preferred Contreras as well, can this forum please stop pretending like Coghlan is some sort of offensive black hole?

That's an unsustainable walk rate and with poor defense in RF, entirely replacement level production. Not sure how you give him any advantage over Contreras or Soler.

 

[fatbeard]

That's an unsustainable walk rate and with poor defense in RF, entirely replacement level production. Not sure how you give him any advantage over Contreras or Soler.

I don't believe I said anything of the sort.

 

[roadwarrior_joe]

That doesn't tell the tale in terms of the flow and momentum of the game. I'd like to see the calls broken down by inning, because it seemed to me that there were two different strike zones through the first three innings, after which things normalized and were fairly consistent. I don't trust myself to be an unbiased observer on this, but a number of disinterested parties saw it as well: Smoltz mentioned the calls Kluber was getting early, Sheehan saw it, etc.

By the time Lester started getting low strike calls the Cubs were already down a crooked number and their hitters were skittish from the calls they'd already experienced.

Spot on.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Ej63090]

People are such meatballs. During game 6 of the NLCS, I had some dumbass fan tell me that the curse is real. He said "when those players are up to bat in the playoffs, of course they're thinking of the goat, the curse, bartman and all that shit." I literally laughed at him. I said "why would players, who had absolutely nothing to do with that time period or that cubs team think about stupid shit like that?" I'm sure they're nervous and shit but like they actually think about something that happened 50 years before they were born? Shut the **** up. I can't stand sports fans sometimes, the majority are so fucking dumb.

Yeah like Baez is thinking about a goat while playing with Lindor's hair.