4/3 - Cubs (Hammel) @ Pirates (Rodriguez) 11:30 CSN

[David]

Starting this because the game is in a couple hours and there isn't one.

 

Looks like this may be starting early enough to get in

 

http://www.weather.com/weather/hourbyhour/graph/Pittsburgh+PA+USPA1290:1:US

 

http://www.accuweather.com/en/us/pittsburgh-pa/15219/hourly-weather-forecast/1310

[Guest]

Mark Gonzales ‏@MDGonzales 3m

From Cubs notes: Bonifacio's 9 hits in 1st 2 games as a Cubs are the most by any player to start his Cubs career since at least 1921

[Cubswin11]

Any of the bullpen guys getting sent down and anyone from Iowa coming up to get a fresh arm out there?

[Guest]

Any of the bullpen guys getting sent down and anyone from Iowa coming up to get a fresh arm out there?

 

Since it's only game three and they just had an off day, I think they'll be okay today. A good outing by Hammel would be very welcome though.

 

On the other hand, Villanueva does have to start on Sunday, so I wouldn't be surprised if there was a move of some sort. They may play it by ear to see if it's necessary though, if Hammel, Wood, and Shark throw 20+ innings before then there won't be as big a need. I wouldn't be surprised if Grimm was held out the next couple days as a handcuff/piggyback for Villanueva.

[Guest]

ChicagoCubsOnline ‏@TheCCO 1m

#Cubs vs. Pirates, Rodriguez (4/3): Bonifacio CF, Castro SS, Ruggiano RF, Rizzo 1B, Lake LF, Olt 3B, Barney 2B, Baker C, Hammel P

[mul21]

Did we ever hear any rationale as to why Kottarras was cut?

[Guest]

Did we ever hear any rationale as to why Kottarras was cut?

 

#ptr

[Guest]

I don't know if the fact that we could extremely easily be 2-0 right now is more encouraging or soul-crushing.

[NOLA]

I don't know if the fact that we could extremely easily be 2-0 right now is more encouraging or soul-crushing.

Encouraging for me. Our starters and bullpen have largely pitched very well, and some of these guys have to hit eventually, right? The difference in these 2 games even making it to extras was the lack of maybe 2 hits with RISP. Another 0-fer from Castro will start to get me uneasy though.

[Fro]

I don't know if the fact that we could extremely easily be 2-0 right now is more encouraging or soul-crushing.

Encouraging for me. Our starters and bullpen have largely pitched very well, and some of these guys have to hit eventually, right? The difference in these 2 games even making it to extras was the lack of maybe 2 hits with RISP. Another 0-fer from Castro will start to get me uneasy though.

 

It's both encouraging that we've played well (better than the Pirates for sure) and soul-crushing to lose in a frustrating way. But then again it doesn't really matter since it just means a better draft pick in 2015.

[Omar]

@CarrieMuskat

#Cubs lineup Bonifacio cf Castro ss Ruggiano rf Rizzo 1b Lake lf Olt 3b Barney 2b Baker c Hammel p

 

Pirates v. Hammel

                   PA AB  H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO   BA  OBP  SLG   OPS SH SF IBB HBP GDP missG
Travis Ishikawa    14 14  2  0  0  0   0  0  3 .143 .143 .143  .286  0  0   0   0         0
Russell Martin     14 13  1  0  0  0   0  1  2 .077 .143 .077  .220  0  0   0   0         0
Andrew McCutchen    9  9  3  0  0  1   1  0  1 .333 .333 .667 1.000  0  0   0   0         0
Gaby Sanchez        7  7  1  0  0  1   3  0  2 .143 .143 .571  .714  0  0   0   0         0
Pedro Alvarez       6  5  1  0  0  1   3  1  1 .200 .333 .800 1.133  0  0   0   0         1
Wandy Rodriguez     6  5  1  0  0  0   0  0  2 .200 .200 .200  .400  1  0   0   0         0
Neil Walker         6  5  2  0  0  0   0  0  1 .400 .500 .400  .900  0  0   0   1         0
Jose Tabata         4  3  1  0  0  0   0  0  0 .333 .333 .333  .667  1  0   0   0         1
Clint Barmes        2  2  0  0  0  0   0  0  0 .000 .000 .000  .000  0  0   0   0         0
Charlie Morton      2  2  0  0  0  0   0  0  0 .000 .000 .000  .000  0  0   0   0         0
Total              70 65 12  0  0  3   7  2 12 .185 .221 .323  .544  2  0   0   1   2  /div
Has not faced: Josh Harrison, Starling Marte, Jordy Mercer, Tony Sanchez and Travis Snider 

 

Cubs v. A Man Named Wandy

                      PA  AB  H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO   BA  OBP  SLG   OPS SH SF IBB HBP GDP missG
Starlin Castro        28  25  4  0  0  0   0  3  0 .160 .250 .160  .410  0  0   1   0         0
Darwin Barney         22  21  7  0  0  0   1  1  2 .333 .364 .333  .697  0  0   0   0         1
Emilio Bonifacio      14  12  3  0  0  0   0  2  2 .250 .357 .250  .607  0  0   0   0         0
Anthony Rizzo         12  10  3  0  0  0   2  1  1 .300 .417 .300  .717  0  0   0   1         0
Welington Castillo    10   9  3  0  0  0   0  0  2 .333 .400 .333  .733  0  0   0   1         0
Jason Hammel           8   7  0  0  0  0   0  0  4 .000 .000 .000  .000  1  0   0   0         0
Justin Ruggiano        5   5  1  0  0  1   1  0  1 .200 .200 .800 1.000  0  0   0   0         0
Nate Schierholtz       3   3  0  0  0  0   0  0  2 .000 .000 .000  .000  0  0   0   0         0
Luis Valbuena          3   3  1  0  0  0   0  0  1 .333 .333 .333  .667  0  0   0   0         0
Travis Wood            3   3  1  1  0  0   0  0  1 .333 .333 .667 1.000  0  0   0   0         0
John Baker             2   2  0  0  0  0   0  0  1 .000 .000 .000  .000  0  0   0   0         0
Jeff Samardzija        2   2  1  0  0  0   0  0  1 .500 .500 .500 1.000  0  0   0   0         0
Edwin Jackson          1   0  0  0  0  0   0  0                       0  1  0   0   0         0
Total                113 102 24  1  0  1   4  7 18 .235 .297 .275  .572  2  0   1   2         1
Has not faced: Ryan Kalish, Junior Lake, Mike Olt and Ryan Sweeney

[Guest]

@CarrieMuskat Veras,Villanueva,Wright not available for #Cubs today. Renteria says:"Everybody else is available for a little bit of work"

 

@CarrieMuskat As of now #Cubs Villanueva still on schedule to start Sunday.Renteria says they'll talk about options on Friday in Chicago

[Jake]

1. Starling Marte LF

2. Travis Snider (L) RF

3. Andrew McCutchen CF

4. Pedro Alvarez (L) 3B

5. Neil Walker (S) 2B

6. Travis Ishikawa (L) 1B

7. Tony Sanchez C

8. Jordy Mercer SS

9. Wandy Rodriguez (S) LHP

 

Looking at Weather.com I'd be surprised if they got the whole game in.

[Omar]

MLB.tv + Dedicated Proxy = Gold

[jersey cubs fan]

guess who got a hit

[PrimeTime]

Bonnie Boner rising even further

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Bonifacio at this point is like walking into a casino, finding a chip, tossing it onto a roulette table and quadrupling up*

 

* (I don't play roulette and have no idea if there's a 4:1 bet on the table somewhere)

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Castro hit that 395 feet.

[Guest]

There's been about a half dozen Wrigley home runs swallowed up by PNC in left center in this series.

[jersey cubs fan]

Bonifacio at this point is like walking into a casino, finding a chip, tossing it onto a roulette table and quadrupling up*

 

* (I don't play roulette and have no idea if there's a 4:1 bet on the table somewhere)

 

but it's a $1 chip and the pit boss eventually tells you that bet was void since you didn't bet the minimum.

[jersey cubs fan]

Castro's out was relatively well hit.

[apete6]

I imagine Theo trying to work the phones for a Bonifacio trade right now.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

BNBrett said that before that single, Bonifacio could have gone 0-for-33 and still been hitting over .200.

[jersey cubs fan]

Bonifacio was not picked off, and successfully stole a base.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

2-for-28. Regression is happening.