5/10 Cubs (Hendricks) @ Brewers (Garza) 1:10 WGN

[halplm]

You guys are insane. You do not try and throw high fastballs past a guy in that situation. You go for the double play, you have five [expletive] infielders

 

All 5 infielders were in front of the bases, they clearly weren't trying to roll 2.

 

And the question is why not? You don't need the play at home there!

[Guest]

WHY WERE YOU THROWING HIM HIGH FASTBALLS

 

To get swings and misses or pop ups.

 

Dude. A pop up to shallow RF wins the game.

 

No, a pop up to shallow RF is the next best thing to a K, because Soler catches it and Braun doesn't dare run on a shallow pop up that Soler catches.

[bukie]

You guys are insane. You do not try and throw high fastballs past a guy in that situation. You go for the double play, you have five [expletive] infielders

 

All 5 infielders were in front of the bases, they clearly weren't trying to roll 2.

Unless rolling two involved home to first.

[DiamondMind]

This is stupid. I'm getting qdoba.

[DiamondMind]

You guys are insane. You do not try and throw high fastballs past a guy in that situation. You go for the double play, you have five [expletive] infielders

 

All 5 infielders were in front of the bases, they clearly weren't trying to roll 2.

Unless rolling two involved home to first.

 

It wasnt obvious that was what I meant???

[Guest]

motte before rondon is [expletive] embarrassing, joe.

that part I'll agree with.

[ScrubMD]

I do not have high hopes for the Mets series. This team is a trainwreck right now.

[DiamondMind]

Agree to disagree - awful managing, awful bullpen usage, awful pitch sequence, awful game

[Little Slide Rooter]

This team stopped being fun in a hurry.

[halplm]

It makes no sense, they should not have walked the bases loaded... and they should not have pitched him that way... this was Joe managing with some other priority than winning this game... like saving rondon for a different situation or tomorrow, or whatever. We can know why he was doing it this way, so it probably made sense to him... but it made no sense the way that pitch sequence went.

 

We must really not have anyone he thinks can get a strikeout on demand.

[bukie]

I do not have high hopes for the Mets series. This team is a trainwreck right now.

No, no, the game threads are a trainwreck. The team is just struggling.

[CyHawk_Cub]

He replaces Montero (hottest bat not named Rizzo) for Matt [expletive] Szczur for the supposed RH vs. LH matchup, but refuses to use Rondon in extra innings. Weird...to me at least.

[Guest]

After Rondon was uncomfortable yesterday and labored through that inning, do we even know for certain he was available?

[halplm]

After Rondon was uncomfortable yesterday and labored through that inning, do we even know for certain he was available?

If not, he's not a closer.

[Guest]

After Rondon was uncomfortable yesterday and labored through that inning, do we even know for certain he was available?

If not, he's not a closer.

meh, my bad anyway, that was two days ago.

[Guest]

After Rondon was uncomfortable yesterday and labored through that inning, do we even know for certain he was available?

 

He was warming up in the 8th, 9th, and 11th.

[bukie]

After Rondon was uncomfortable yesterday and labored through that inning, do we even know for certain he was available?

If not, he's not a closer.

Yeah if you can't use your closer every single day despite looking uncomfortable, he's not a closer.

[Little Slide Rooter]

motte before rondon is [expletive] embarrassing, joe.

that part I'll agree with.

 

And if we somehow took the lead, would you prefer Motte be the one to protect it?

[CincyCubsFan]

motte before rondon is [expletive] embarrassing, joe.

that part I'll agree with.

 

And if we somehow took the lead, would you prefer Motte be the one to protect it?

This is rich, even for you.

[Guest]

After Rondon was uncomfortable yesterday and labored through that inning, do we even know for certain he was available?

 

He was warming up in the 8th, 9th, and 11th.

I was really asking the question because I had forgotten that his awful outing was two days ago instead of yesterday. He should have been used.

[Guest]

motte before rondon is [expletive] embarrassing, joe.

that part I'll agree with.

 

And if we somehow took the lead, would you prefer Motte be the one to protect it?

I'd rather have the chance to begin with.

[Guest]

motte before rondon is [expletive] embarrassing, joe.

that part I'll agree with.

 

And if we somehow took the lead, would you prefer Motte be the one to protect it?

 

YES!

 

By holding Rondon back, you're essentially saying that:

 

A) Any runs given up and you lose the game. This situation exists in the present moment

 

is less important than

 

B) Give up an unknown number of runs(probably one, could be 2, 3, 7) and the game is still tied, more than that and you lose the game. This situation may not even exist if you fail at A above.

 

It's complete madness. On the road in extra innings, use relievers in descending order of quality. I would've forgiven Russell for the 10th as an effort not to waste Rondon on the bottom of the order, but leaving him behind for the heart of the order was bad bad bad.

[Guest]

No need for the additional qualification there. In extras, always use relievers in descending order of quality.

[ARCubsFan]

Only excuse I could see is Rondon is hurt and they want to avoid using him, but Maddon literally had him warming up 3 times.

[Vinestal]

WHY WERE YOU THROWING HIM HIGH FASTBALLS

Because that's all Motte is capable of throwing. I've never seen him throw anything but a fastball, not sure he has anything else.