4/11 Brewers (Gallardo) at Cubs (Dempster), 1:20, WGN

[SouthSideRyan]

I'm pretty sure pitchers get hurt a lot more often pitching than they do hitting, running the bases, and fielding.

[bukie]

I mean, I hate to say it, but at this point, the reason the Cubs are 1-5 instead of 3-3 is a couple consecutive bad outings by Marmol and Wood, the two relievers I'm the least concerned about going forward, along with a bad inning by the 5th starter. That combined with the offense not being able to make up for the mistakes cost the Cubs a couple wins.

 

So, to me, this is an unfortunate blip that wasted some spectacular starting performances.

Edited April 11, 2012 by bukie

[SouthSideRyan]

Yes, everyone freaking out about how terrible the Cubs are because they're 1-5 are kind of missing the picture. Outside of the bullpen, (which whatever, it's a bullpen, who knows) they've actually looked good.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

I mean, I hate to say it, but at this point, the reason the Cubs are 1-5 instead of 3-3 is a couple consecutive bad outings by Marmol and Wood, the two relievers I'm the least concerned about going forward. So, to me, this is an unfortunate blip that wasted some spectacular starting performances.

 

That's perfectly true, to a degree.

 

But you can parse that sort of thing a lot of different ways to get to wherever you want to go. For example, without some serious help from the wind, Ryan Dempster's ERA is a lot less pretty right now.

 

They've been outscored 28-19 through six games. They may not deserve to be 1-5, but 2-4 would be a lot more fair than 3-3.

[Guest]

Yes, everyone freaking out about how terrible the Cubs are because they're 1-5 are kind of missing the picture. Outside of the bullpen, (which whatever, it's a bullpen, who knows) they've actually looked good.

 

My worry is that we're really going to want those 2 games back. Starting with this series, the easiest set of games in the next 23 is at Miami. Keeping afloat through the brutal early schedule would've given me some hope, and flushing two wins against one of the lesser teams we face will probably haunt them.

[bcl412]

1-5 to start the year sucks but I'm sure pretty much all playoff teams in the history of the game have had a 6 game stretch in which they only won 1 game. I'm not saying they're a playoff team at all but it happens.

 

It does suck that they had a chance to win every game so far aside from last night really but just can't do it. Turn that around and this can easily still be a decent season.

[XZero771679666304]

Dropping games like these hurts. I have/had no expectations of contention, but I feel it's possible if the team can keep within sight of .500 in the first half. I feel the tam will have a strong second half fueled by Rizzo, Jackson and a softer schedule.

[CincyCubsFan]

We're going to have a lot of games like this. Our offense isn't often going to score more than 3-4 runs. Our starting pitching will keep us close, but the bullpen and our putrid offense will cause us to lose a lot of close games.

[Hawk4Hall]

The offense sucks. That's the main problem.

 

It won't get better either unless some young guys come up and get hot either.

 

Mark my words. This Cubs team will be worse than last season's. They have a solid 1-3 pitching staff, but their 4 and 5 are awful, and the bullpen is shaky. Then you have the offense which is toothless.

[NewUserName]

you could also say that the Cubs have gotten better starting pitching than most people would have expected and they are still 1-5. How bad could it become if the starters regress?

[XZero771679666304]

The offense sucks. That's the main problem.

 

It won't get better either unless some young guys come up and get hot either.

 

Mark my words. This Cubs team will be worse than last season's. They have a solid 1-3 pitching staff, but their 4 and 5 are awful, and the bullpen is shaky. Then you have the offense which is toothless.

 

The back of the rotation is light years better than what was thrown out there most of last year. One bad start from Maholm doesn't change that. It's a solid if not spectacular rotation 1-5.

 

The offense and potentially Wood/Marmol (as we have seen) are the issues.

[Bryants Disco Ball]

I mean, I hate to say it, but at this point, the reason the Cubs are 1-5 instead of 3-3 is a couple consecutive bad outings by Marmol and Wood, the two relievers I'm the least concerned about going forward. So, to me, this is an unfortunate blip that wasted some spectacular starting performances.

 

That's perfectly true, to a degree.

 

But you can parse that sort of thing a lot of different ways to get to wherever you want to go. For example, without some serious help from the wind, Ryan Dempster's ERA is a lot less pretty right now.

 

They've been outscored 28-19 through six games. They may not deserve to be 1-5, but 2-4 would be a lot more fair than 3-3.

 

This is true. Because you could also say that Dempster's ERA might look just as pretty because he threw differently knowing he had the wind to his advantage and wanted guys to hit fly balls.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

This is true. Because you could also say that Dempster's ERA might look just as pretty because he threw differently knowing he had the wind to his advantage and wanted guys to hit fly balls.

 

You could say that, but it'd be kinda silly. He wasn't trying to let guys crush balls.

[Guest]

He's not intentionally laying in BP fastballs, but when you know there's little chance of a HR because of the elements, you can pitch in the zone more aggressively because there's less downside. Dempster was quoted to that effect. It's like facing Ryan Theriot a bunch of times in the same lineup. Go get him, because the worst case is a sliding double.

[Guest]

The offense sucks. That's the main problem.

 

It won't get better either unless some young guys come up and get hot either.

 

Mark my words. This Cubs team will be worse than last season's. They have a solid 1-3 pitching staff, but their 4 and 5 are awful, and the bullpen is shaky. Then you have the offense which is toothless.

 

Nonsense. Their 4-5 are not awful. Ridiculous.

[Guest]

This is true. Because you could also say that Dempster's ERA might look just as pretty because he threw differently knowing he had the wind to his advantage and wanted guys to hit fly balls.

 

You could say that, but it'd be kinda silly. He wasn't trying to let guys crush balls.

 

Dempster pretty much said that he pitched with the elements in mind.

[Little Slide Rooter]

The offense sucks. That's the main problem.

 

It won't get better either unless some young guys come up and get hot either.

 

Mark my words. This Cubs team will be worse than last season's. They have a solid 1-3 pitching staff, but their 4 and 5 are awful, and the bullpen is shaky. Then you have the offense which is toothless.

 

Nonsense. Their 4-5 are not awful. Ridiculous.

 

Move number 3 to number 2 and replace number 2 and 4-8 with better hitters and we're in business.

[Guest]

The offense sucks. That's the main problem.

 

It won't get better either unless some young guys come up and get hot either.

 

Mark my words. This Cubs team will be worse than last season's. They have a solid 1-3 pitching staff, but their 4 and 5 are awful, and the bullpen is shaky. Then you have the offense which is toothless.

 

Nonsense. Their 4-5 are not awful. Ridiculous.

 

Move number 3 to number 2 and replace number 2 and 4-8 with better hitters and we're in business.

 

Uhhhhhhhhh

[javy knows my name]

The offense sucks. That's the main problem.

 

It won't get better either unless some young guys come up and get hot either.

 

Mark my words. This Cubs team will be worse than last season's. They have a solid 1-3 pitching staff, but their 4 and 5 are awful, and the bullpen is shaky. Then you have the offense which is toothless.

 

Nonsense. Their 4-5 are not awful. Ridiculous.

 

Move number 3 to number 2 and replace number 2 and 4-8 with better hitters and we're in business.

 

GODDAMIT

[Backtobanks]

Yes, everyone freaking out about how terrible the Cubs are because they're 1-5 are kind of missing the picture. Outside of the bullpen, (which whatever, it's a bullpen, who knows) they've actually looked good.

 

Their offense has been terrible - .221/.294/.338

The offense has been the worrisome point since this team was put together. Obviously there's some cause for hopw when Brett & Rizzo are recalled, but we're in trouble until that happens. Lahair has been one of the bright spots offensively.

[Little Slide Rooter]

I don't think that anyone's so much freaking out as stating the obvious. The offense is bad. Sure, some are underproducing, but even if they pick up it would still be mediocre. We knew all along that if this te was going to be relavent, we'd be relying on starting pitching and rebound seasons from guys like Soriano, Soto, and Byrd and for Stewart and LaHair to be unlikely heroes and step in to fill the voids left by our 2 top power sources from last year. If it doesn't happen in the next few weeks, the truck will start backing up by mid June.

[SouthSideRyan]

We're going to have a lot of games like this. Our offense isn't often going to score more than 3-4 runs. Our starting pitching will keep us close, but the bullpen and our putrid offense will cause us to lose a lot of close games.

 

Why would a bullpen and putrid offense cause us to lose a lot of close games rather than just barely win close games?

[SouthSideRyan]

Yes, everyone freaking out about how terrible the Cubs are because they're 1-5 are kind of missing the picture. Outside of the bullpen, (which whatever, it's a bullpen, who knows) they've actually looked good.

 

Their offense has been terrible - .221/.294/.338

The offense has been the worrisome point since this team was put together. Obviously there's some cause for hopw when Brett & Rizzo are recalled, but we're in trouble until that happens. Lahair has been one of the bright spots offensively.

 

I'm Backtobanks and I don't understand relativity.

[Backtobanks]

Yes, everyone freaking out about how terrible the Cubs are because they're 1-5 are kind of missing the picture. Outside of the bullpen, (which whatever, it's a bullpen, who knows) they've actually looked good.

 

Their offense has been terrible - .221/.294/.338

The offense has been the worrisome point since this team was put together. Obviously there's some cause for hopw when Brett & Rizzo are recalled, but we're in trouble until that happens. Lahair has been one of the bright spots offensively.

 

I'm Backtobanks and I don't understand relativity.

 

I don't undestand what relativity has to do with my response that the offense sucks after you posted that "they've actually looked good".

[SouthSideRyan]

Yes, everyone freaking out about how terrible the Cubs are because they're 1-5 are kind of missing the picture. Outside of the bullpen, (which whatever, it's a bullpen, who knows) they've actually looked good.

 

Their offense has been terrible - .221/.294/.338

The offense has been the worrisome point since this team was put together. Obviously there's some cause for hopw when Brett & Rizzo are recalled, but we're in trouble until that happens. Lahair has been one of the bright spots offensively.

 

I'm Backtobanks and I don't understand relativity.

 

I don't undestand what relativity has to do with my response that the offense sucks after you posted that "they've actually looked good".

 

Because when I posted it, the Cubs were close to a league average offense, but you probably think a league average offense is something like 270/340/450.