Chicago Cubs 2018 Season

#901      

champaignchris

C
champaignchris
Well, crap. Get 'em tomorrow.

Gotta question why Contreras wasn't told to bunt in the 6th. He pushes Happ to second instead of hitting into a double play, and the Cubs score at least one that inning.

Then Baez misses a fast ball up and in the zone later that inning. He normally crushes that pitch.

And there's your game.
 
#902      

Illiniaaron

I
Geneseo, IL
Illiniaaron
I would think they should have a huge advantage in tomorrow's game considering the travel schedule of whoever is coming in to play them. But its disappointing to think about what they lost today which was home field advantage throughout the playoffs. Now they will only have home field for the wild card game. I just don't trust this offense anymore. They were outhit 12-3 today. Bryant looks like he has anemia or something. He has 24 homers since the All-Star break of 2017.
 
#903      

ChiefIllini

C
ChiefIllini
Just saw tweet listing the most games with only 0 or 1 run scored this year. The only team with more than the cubs was the orioles(39 and 40 respectively). Not sure who or what to blame for that, but a) impressive as heck to win 90+ games given that fact and b) there needs to be a big offensive signing.

Brewers are due to cool off, and if it is the Rockies tomorrow, I favor the Cubs. Season isn't over yet, but this year showed that even complete teams can be derailed by injuries. Having extended absences by Morrow, Bryant, and Strop (late) really hurts. Really banking on Yu coming back next year, gonna need him.
 
#906      

illini80

illini80
Forgottonia
illini80
This is what I think of when I hear people say the early games don't really mean anything. Great talent. Good team. Been waiting all year for them to turn it on.
 
#907      

champaignchris

C
champaignchris
illini80 said:
This is what I think of when I hear people say the early games don't really mean anything. Great talent. Good team. Been waiting all year for them to turn it on.
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What the Hell is turning it on? They won 95 games. They had a winning record every month of the season. They only lost a total of two series in August and September. They quite literally had the best record in the League over a 162 game season. They beat the Brewers 11 out of 19 games they played against them. They had a phenomenal season.

If I told you at the beginning of the season that the Cubs would win 95 games and be tied for the best record in the League, every single Cubs fan would have been perfectly happy with that.
 
#908      

WhiteRhino

WhiteRhino
WhiteRhino
Despite all of the difficulties this season, the Cubs still won 95 games. Unfortunately, the Brewers picked up the two best players in the National League (in WAR) before this season and got red hot at the end, closing with eight wins in a row. With Morrow and Strop out, the Brewers bullpen is a lot stronger than the Cubs' and their hitters seem to be doing a much better job of coming through in clutch situations.
 
#909      

bdutts

bdutts
Houston, Texas
bdutts
some posters here didn't think the Brewers would finish in second, let alone first...
 
#910      

champaignchris

C
champaignchris
bdutts said:
some posters here didn't think the Brewers would finish in second, let alone first...
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Raises hand. And as recently as August 28, when they were 6 games out, I was right.

Who here (or anywhere else) predicted they would go 23-7 over their last 30? Or that Christian Yelich would suddenly turn into Barry Bonds and post a 1.300 OPS over that stretch?
 
#911      

ChiefIllini

C
ChiefIllini
I still didn't believe the brewers would finish second, even a week ago. That team is as dangerous as they come.

Freeland is pitching on three days rest right? He's electric, so hopefully we can take some pitches and get him worn down early.
 
#912      

bobbob

B
bobbob
Milwaukee outplayed their pythagorean by 4, Cubs by 1. Hats off to them, they were the hotter team the last two weeks. Cubs need to be the hotter team the next two.

Nobody thinks the games in early season don't matter. However, iff you try to put the emotional weight of the entire season on every game in April, your team is going to be spent and dead by July. You can't win the division in the fist half, all you can do is not lose it. That is why people don't freak out over early games.
 
#913      

champaignchris

C
champaignchris
Why is anyone talking about April? Last year that might have mattered. It didn’t because the division didn’t end up being very good last year.

This year the Cubs were 16-10 at the end of April. Perfectly fine.
 
#914      

KBLEE

KBLEE
Montgomery, IL
KBLEE
ChiefIllini said:
Freeland is pitching on three days rest right? He's electric, so hopefully we can take some pitches and get him worn down early.
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He gave up 11 hits in his last outing. He's pitched 50 more innings than he did last year, so maybe he's tiring. On 3 days rest it should be evident.
 
#915      

TwoElevenEastDaniel

TwoElevenEastDaniel
Cochrane's-Orchid-Tonic
TwoElevenEastDaniel
This could be a quick hook game. And while the Cubs clearly have prepared for the situation by rostering Hendricks and Hamels for this game, it's concerning. Hopefully the Cubs righty power bats will show up today since Freeland isn't a "stuff" guy.
 
#916      

bdutts

bdutts
Houston, Texas
bdutts
bobbob said:
Milwaukee outplayed their pythagorean by 4, Cubs by 1. Hats off to them, they were the hotter team the last two weeks. Cubs need to be the hotter team the next two.

Nobody thinks the games in early season don't matter. However, iff you try to put the emotional weight of the entire season on every game in April, your team is going to be spent and dead by July. You can't win the division in the fist half, all you can do is not lose it. That is why people don't freak out over early games.
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Certainly, the Brewers didn't panic. I think they went 1-7 or 1-8 v the Cubs in the early part of the year. Could have been much closer all year long had they played to 4-4.

However, you can dig yourself into too big a hole to come out of if you play too poorly early on. That's what happened to Houston in 2016.
 
#917      

bdutts

bdutts
Houston, Texas
bdutts
KBLEE said:
He gave up 11 hits in his last outing. He's pitched 50 more innings than he did last year, so maybe he's tiring. On 3 days rest it should be evident.
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Saw him pitch last August at Coors versus the Brewers. Brewers roughed him up pretty good that day. He's a better pitcher this year than last it would appear. Hope the Cubs are patient today.
 
#920      

KBLEE

KBLEE
Montgomery, IL
KBLEE
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#925      

illini80

illini80
Forgottonia
illini80
champaignchris said:
What the Hell is turning it on? They won 95 games. They had a winning record every month of the season. They only lost a total of two series in August and September. They quite literally had the best record in the League over a 162 game season. They beat the Brewers 11 out of 19 games they played against them. They had a phenomenal season.

If I told you at the beginning of the season that the Cubs would win 95 games and be tied for the best record in the League, every single Cubs fan would have been perfectly happy with that.
Click to expand...
If you are satisfied with the wild card game, good for you. I expect more from the talent on this team. 16-13 in their last 29 games is not what I call turning it on.

To be clear, I said they had a good season with great talent. I'm pretty sure Theo would not consider this a phenomenal season. Yet. They could still win it all and I'd love to be surprised.