4/5 Arizona (Enright) @ Chicago (Cashner) 1:20PM CSN

[wekim81]

When Steve stone's right, Steve Stone's right - Castro can't play SS

[inari]

Hm... I'm not sure that was the right call.

[JudasIscariotTheBird]

Theriot would scapped that ball to 1st somehow, too, at least before we ruined him.

[CubmanPi]

So far I am liking what I see from the offense in general. They haven't done any one thing particularly great, but they have done a lot of things good, including working the count and overall having patience.

 

If it keeps up, it would easily change my perception of this team from my preseason prediction of 75-80 wins to something around 83-88 wins.

 

Someone said this offense reminded them 2008's. Not in the sense that they'll score 200,000 runs but in the sense that there are few serious weaknesses. In the normal lineup, I'd consider Barney to be the only hitter a team really doesn't have to be worried about. Everyone else is a threat to do something at some level.

 

I know that a late inning lead is no time to bring this up, but this is also the type of offense that can congeal into one large black hole. It isn't at all inconceivable that Ramirez, Soriano, Byrd, and Pena all have overlapping heavy slumps. If that happens during a stretch of 3 games in which Castro does NOT post a 1.650 OPS, things have the potential to get frustrating in a hurry.

 

I really hope it doesn't come to that.

 

 

What offense would do well when three of the top hitters have heavy slumps?

 

I wasn't saying that if our 3 top hitters went into slumps, we'd be in trouble. I was saying that our top hitters all seem to have a significant-enough likelihood of hitting a slump that, current success aside, season-long offensive stability doesn't sound very plausible.

[NotSoSober]

Wow, what a play. Who was screaming no

[inari]

Not the Bloom again!

[Guest]

Is Stephen Drew hurt?

 

Yes. Abdominal strain, I believe.

[inari]

I'm not sure I like that Bob is talking about pitching around Bloom to get to Kelley Johnson, the guy who hit ~30 homers last year.

[Sammy Sofa]

FINISH HIM.

[Guest]

Hm... I'm not sure that was the right call.

 

Two bang-bang plays at first in the inning and each team got one to go their way.

[Sammy Sofa]

BA-BOOM.

 

CUBS WIN!!!

[Guest]

YES! CUBS WIN!!

[Guest]

That Castro barehanded grab and throw and Colvin dig is just fun baseball! Especially when you win!

[Rob]

Feels good to be over .500.

[CubmanPi]

Feels good to be over .500.

Did anyone ever figure out when exactly it was that this happened last?

[Guest]

Is Stephen Drew hurt?

 

Yes. Abdominal strain, I believe.

 

Yeah. He pinch hit yesterday. A day to day thing.

[Guest]

Feels good to be over .500.

Did anyone ever figure out when exactly it was that this happened last?

 

End of the 2009 season.

[Sammy Sofa]

Feels good to be over .500.

Did anyone ever figure out when exactly it was that this happened last?

 

The last day of the 2009 season.

[Guest]

Feels good to be over .500.

Did anyone ever figure out when exactly it was that this happened last?

 

1908

[Guancous]

Was there ever a doubt?

[inari]

Byrd has pissed me off with some of his early ABs but damn is he a nice guy.

 

Cashner's gonna have a beautiful career. I agree.

[Little Slide Rooter]

That was quite the roller coaster. Hopefully Cashners OK.

[CubColtPacer]

Um, hi. Excuse me. Why is Reed Johnson playing for Fukudome?

 

I guess to allow Marshall to pitch the 10th if need be?

 

That's what I'm presuming as well. Marshall would be up 5th in the bottom of the 9th otherwise and it would be hard to take him down at that point with only Grabow left.

 

He would've been leading off, wouldn't he?

 

No. He would have been the 7th spot if the double-switch hadn't happened and the Cubs would have had 3-4-5 coming up in the 9th. He was switched to the leadoff spot.

[UMFan83]

Feels good to be over .500.

Did anyone ever figure out when exactly it was that this happened last?

 

1908

 

Sure feels like it

[Flames24Rulz]

Let's sweep these douchebags tomorrow.