04/09 Cubs (Wood) vs. Brewers (Peralta) 07:05 CT WGN

[Bryants Disco Ball]

Would I pinch hit a dude who seems likely to ground into a DP? No. No I would not.

[Smack]

throw him a meatball

[KaiserCesar]

Fangraphs has the bunt adding .1% win expectancy.

 

At least they are pinch hitting for Lillibridge.

[Cubswin11]

Doesn't Hairston or Sappelt make more sense here?

[Sammy Sofa]

Wait, that was Castillo bunting? What the [expletive].

[Smack]

Would I pinch hit a dude who seems likely to ground into a DP? No. No I would not.

 

if he hits the ball on the ground he's not even going to start running to first

[Cubswin11]

It appears Navarro and Sandoval were on the same offseason diet

[Smack]

Doesn't Hairston or Sappelt make more sense here?

 

yes

[DiamondMind]

http://www.reactiongifs.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/incredulous.gif

 

http://i48.tinypic.com/oqk38h.gif

[Smack]

let him walk in a run

[SouthSideRyan]

One of my favorite things Sveum does is be willing to use his backup catcher to pinch hit.

[Guest]

At least he's pinch-hitting for Lillibridge, so he's not completely brain-dead.

 

Sveum is not at all brain dead.... for [expletive]'s sake.

[DiamondMind]

if you HAD to pick, axford or marmol?

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

if you HAD to pick, axford or marmol?

 

Axford.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

@BenBadler 1m

Even Luis Valbuena looks surprised someone would intentionally walk him.

[Guest]

I don't understand why people are so worked up over playing for one run in the 8th inning. Edited April 10, 2013 by David

[dfnowak]

Nice to see we're not the only team with closer issues

[bcl412]

I don't understand why people are so worked up over playing for one run in the 8th inning.

 

I prefer the three chances to score as opposed to two myself.

[Bryants Disco Ball]

I won't lie.

 

I want the Cubs to score here so bad. Score a lot here. So many runs that we end up winning the game and I can feel good about baseball and life for even just a few fleeting moments.

 

Please, Cubs, please just give me that.

[KaiserCesar]

I'd take Sappelt's speed and contact over Hairston here. Just need a non-DP ball in play.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

I don't understand why people are so worked up over playing for one run in the 8th inning.

 

It's not a very good way to play for one run.

[mul21]

One of my favorite things Sveum does is be willing to use his backup catcher to pinch hit.

 

Outside of the fact that most backup catchers are terrible hitters, I've always found that strategy to be completely irrational as well. If the game gets that late and your catcher gets hurt, oh well, get 'em tomorrow.

 

That looked like the proverbial unintentional intentional walk by Axford. Either that or he's deathly afraid of any LH hitter.

[Cubswin11]

if you HAD to pick, axford or marmol?

Marmol. Axford has completely lost control of his secondary pitches and his fastball, while faster at 95-97, is much straighter than Marmol's and guys can just sit on that now. At least Marmol still has innings where his offspead pitches are on and his fastball always has some tail/sink to it, so even if guys sit on Marmol's fastball they still will have a harder time squaring it up.

[Smack]

YES

[DiamondMind]

SAFE