10/21 Mets (Matz) @ Cubs (Hammel) 7:07 pm TBS

[Omar]

Tonight: Jason Hammel pulls a first-half-like start out of hus butt and goes 7 scoreless innings. Kris Bryant hits a grand slam off Steven Matz to fuel the Cubs offense. Cubs win, 5-1.

 

Tomorrow: Jon Lester pitches 8 strong, striking out 12 Mets. Rizzo and Schwarber hit homers in a close, low scoring game that the Cubs claim on a walkoff, 3-2.

 

Game 6: Arrieta puts the team on his shoulders and throws a CGSO. Starlin Castro with the game winning RBI in an eventual 4-0 Cubs win.

 

Game 7: Hendricks struggles early but the Cubs manage to fight back and enter the late innings in a 3-3 tie. Chris Coghlan comes up with a clutch two out RBI in the 8th to put the Cubs up 4-3 and Strop/Rondon close out the miraculous comeback.

 

Cubs in 7.

 

And then you huff and puff and pass it to the next person

[ScrubMD]

[kente777]

Tonight: Jason Hammel pulls a first-half-like start out of hus butt and goes 7 scoreless innings. Kris Bryant hits a grand slam off Steven Matz to fuel the Cubs offense. Cubs win, 5-1.

 

Tomorrow: Jon Lester pitches 8 strong, striking out 12 Mets. Rizzo and Schwarber hit homers in a close, low scoring game that the Cubs claim on a walkoff, 3-2.

 

Game 6: Arrieta puts the team on his shoulders and throws a CGSO. Starlin Castro with the game winning RBI in an eventual 4-0 Cubs win.

 

Game 7: Hendricks struggles early but the Cubs manage to fight back and enter the late innings in a 3-3 tie. Chris Coghlan comes up with a clutch two out RBI in the 8th to put the Cubs up 4-3 and Strop/Rondon close out the miraculous comeback.

 

Cubs in 7.

 

I love your optimism, but what the hell are you drinking?

[Cubswin11]

Just get this thing back to NY

[kente777]

My hope is that the Cubs don't lay down. Give it the best you got. There's always a chance, no matter how slight.

[Guest]

DON'T LET US WIN GAME 4

[Guest]

i like kevin millar.

[Andy]

i like kevin millar.

Nothing to apologize for, he's a little gooberish sometimes, but I like his enthusiasm.

[Rex Buckingham]

please, just don't give up a run in the first inning

[Fro]

please, just don't give up a run in the first inning

 

Start Rondon, have him throw 2 innings. Hammel comes in to face bottom of the Mets lineup.

 

Arrieta closes (this should be his side session day).

[Cubswin11]

i like kevin millar.

Wasn't he thought about as a guy to be a bench coach or 1B coach for us at some point in time recently? I agree, I don't mind him

[Butterscup1679666578]

this team has been so damn fun and i don't want to be really sad in about 10 hours. it'd be cool to see them win at least one more game.

[USSoccer]

It would be cool if we got a leadoff hitter on base at some point tonight.

[Guest]

It would be cool if we got a leadoff hitter on base at some point tonight.

 

I'd be happy with a scoreless first and a homerless game for [expletive] murphy

[sneakypower]

Tonight: Jason Hammel pulls a first-half-like start out of hus butt and goes 7 scoreless innings.

edit: Hammel goes 3-1/3 perfect but gets pulled after allowing a baserunner and Joe gets too nervous

[USSoccer]

Also I think someone should lock La Stella in the equipment locker for the rest of the series.

[Cubswin11]

Also I think someone should lock La Stella in the equipment locker for the rest of the series.

http://i.ytimg.com/vi/CvVorYh_mng/0.jpg

[BigSlick]

Given Bryant's play at 3rd all series, La Stella has a role on this roster

[USSoccer]

Given Bryant's play at 3rd all series, La Stella has a role on this roster

 

His role should be limited to "get Bryant his glove before he goes back on to the field, resume sitting down on bench"

 

Bryant's been poor but La Stella just brings nothing to the table. Bryant could break out of his slump at any point.

Edited October 21, 2015 by USSoccer

[Cubswin11]

Given Bryant's play at 3rd all series, La Stella has a role on this roster

Are you saying we should be using LaStella as a late inning defensive replacement?

[sneakypower]

what's funny is that TLS is basically Daniel Murphy, more or less

[RammyFanny]

Also I think someone should lock La Stella in the equipment locker for the rest of the series.

I posted this in the last thread, but I'll post it again:

 

Last 28 days (20 games) LaStella is hitting .371/.425/.514. He ain't a problem.

[Guest]

Just put up a good fight, Cubs. As a math major, I can't get excited, knowing how much the odds are against us. Please play like you care and prove me wrong. Not this apathetic pile of misery that's been on display the last three games.

 

I like how you're pounding this "THEY'RE NOT EVEN TRYING!!!" idea you have so damn hard.

I know this isn't true it, but damnit, I wish there was a better explanation for our collapse than 'playoff beisbol.'

Was spitballing with some folks on twitter about how the "Moneyball doesn't work in the playoffs" might actually have some truth and not just rhetoric behind it. I mean its possible, I'm not sure its entirely true, that high-contact guys and power pitching gives you a slight edge over three-true-outcome guys that have contact problems like so much of our lineup has.

 

It would explain why the Royals are enjoying playoff success with a team that doesn't have much power but *does* have the ability to put the ball in play. It could also be, merely statistical noise in a tiny sample size that can't be helped.

Well let's be clear about what moneyball actually is - which is finding market inefficiencies. If the market favors slap hitters, moneyball will get slap hitters. I don't think that's exactly true to what Theo is doing. He has a specific plan and it will move less than a guy like Beane who just has no choice but to find the absolute best bang for his buck.

 

Beyond that point though, Theo has said the edge that you are looking for is incredibly small. If the moneyball/analytics/whatever edge is 52/48 edge that's pretty significant for overall roster construction and pretty much insignificant in a seven game series. So sample size is definitely an issue in the playoffs and the best we can do is plan for sustained success and consistent playoff opportunities.

[Guest]

Yea I really don't get the Stella hate. The double switching is a little peculiar, but he's basically exactly what you expect a bench guy to be.

[ConstableRabbit]

Yea I really don't get the Stella hate. The double switching is a little peculiar, but he's basically exactly what you expect a bench guy to be.

It's only kinda peculiar -- Javy has looked pretty shaky in the field.