7/10 - Cubs (Lackey) @ Pirates (Niese) - 12:35 WGN

[sneakypower]

The only real positive I can take from this is Javy's development and willing to take walks.

he's at 4.4% now lol

[soccer10k]

I'd like to be happy for that HR except I know Lackey will give it back soon enough.

[Schwarber Fan]

Alright Albert!

[KrisBryantisaBeast]

How many pitches will this lead last for?

[Sammy Sofa]

http://i.giphy.com/zCwb3PyTQcbbG.gif

[Hairyducked Idiot]

I mean, even if it all falls under the category of "the pitching," I'm not worried about them all at the same rate.

 

I doubt Lester has lost it forever. Lackey will probably be whatever counts as "fine" from him. Hammel always does this, this is who he is.

 

I am worried about Arrieta. I suspect that controlling his stuff requires insane athleticism and he can't maintain it at 30 with 375 innings since last April on his arm.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

I liked how Almora knew he crushed it

 

Let's all pretend what Contreras would have done/will do in that situation, I vote back hand spring to first base

[sneakypower]

Almora looked like Braun with that swing

[TruffleShuffle]

I don't know what people are hoping will happen with the starting pitching. Arrieta won the Cy Young award last year and was excellent for the first couple of months this season. Lester is on a big contract and made the all star team. Lackey was very good last year and was very good for much of May and June. Hendricks has been good. Really the only thing that can be done is to replace second half Hammel, unless you want to panic trade Arrieta or demote Lester or Lackey to the pen after 3 bad starts.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

If anyone can fix this team through sheer force of will and leadership, it is Almora. Anyone else hits that homer and we give it right back, but for him we hold it.

[Sammy Sofa]

I don't know what people are hoping will happen with the starting pitching.

 

Probably that they go back to pitching well. Just a hunch.

[weis21]

 

If you really weren't worried, you wouldn't be lashing out.

 

Relax, it can be fun no matter how they do.

lashing out? you're obviously just trolling and perpetuating pessimism. it's annoying as [expletive].

 

i'm not worried at all. it's frustrating for everyone. what's annoying as hell are these stupid posts that are not insightful or intellectual and do literally no good. complain about the play of the game in the game thread? fine. but talking about bag heads at wrigley is stupid and uncalled for. i know you are smart enough to understand this situation, so stop acting like you're not.

 

you're lying when you say you're not worried about the pitching. there's still a ton to be optimistic about, but this is getting into scary territory that was kind of unthinkable a couple months ago.

they are *still* the ERA leader in baseball for starting pitching. it's bizarre as hell, yes. but it doesn't make any sense. regression to the mean was predictable, but just not THIS drastic. it's concerning and frustrating. but nothing seems to indicate that it's from health-related reasons.

 

Theo has pretty much said he will trade for pitching so that's coming soon. EVERY pitcher seems to suck and it's incredibly crazy and frustrating but it is not sustainable - even less sustainable than how amazing they were in April. They're playing 24 games straight as of today and suck lately and have bad luck, etc etc etc.

 

nobody has any answer, but i can guarantee that the pitching will get better. regardless of any trades.

[Sammys Boombox]

The only real positive I can take from this is Javy's development and willing to take walks.

he's at 4.4% now lol

 

I haven't been paying close attention to the numbers and have only been sparingly watching this team the last week because it is soooo depressing, but it seems like he has been walking a ton the last week or two. He's also getting a lot deeper into counts, but again, that's just what it has seemed like to me.

[UMFan83]

I've never seen an OF have more balls bounce off his glove than McCutchen. What a weirdo

[Little Slide Rooter]

I'm not sure I've ever seen anything like this. The pattern of:

 

-Score first, give up lead

-Come back, tie it, strand chance to take lead

-Immediately surrender tie

 

Is going on like 10 games. Amazing.

 

 

Great offense and (hopefully temporary) awful pitching will do that.

 

There's also the fact that most of our leads over that stretch have been of the one run variety, which are generally more difficult to maintain than larger ones. Needless to say, the awful pitching makes it that much more difficult.

[Bryants Disco Ball]

What the duck is with this camera dude?

[weis21]

I don't know what people are hoping will happen with the starting pitching. Arrieta won the Cy Young award last year and was excellent for the first couple of months this season. Lester is on a big contract and made the all star team. Lackey was very good last year and was very good for much of May and June. Hendricks has been good. Really the only thing that can be done is to replace second half Hammel, unless you want to panic trade Arrieta or demote Lester or Lackey to the pen after 3 bad starts.

I pretty much agree, but I would love to move Hammel to the pen and add Hill to the starting rotation. But of course that depends on cost.

[davell]

The only real positive I can take from this is Javy's development and willing to take walks.

he's at 4.4% now lol

 

I haven't been paying close attention to the numbers and have only been sparingly watching this team the last week because it is soooo depressing, but it seems like he has been walking a ton the last week or two. He's also getting a lot deeper into counts, but again, that's just what it has seemed like to me.

 

You're talking to someone that thinks he's Marwin Gonzalez

[Transmogrified Tiger]

and that son, is the story of Andrew McCutchen, baseball's first blind all-star

[Bryants Disco Ball]

Almora looked like Braun with that swing

 

Wow. Great call.

[Bryants Disco Ball]

and that son, is the story of Andrew McCutchen, baseball's first blind all-star

 

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.

[sneakypower]

McCutchen is a 1B soon, right?

[TruffleShuffle]

I don't know what people are hoping will happen with the starting pitching.

 

Probably that they go back to pitching well. Just a hunch.

 

It's pretty funny how high people got when we had like 5 of the best 20 starters in baseball, but then when the inevitable regression happens - albeit rather annoyingly in a terrible 3 week stretch - people lose their minds. Did you really expect Lester to maintain a sub 2.00 ERA or Hammel to not turn into a post-June pumpkin?

[Tim]

McCutchen is a 1B soon, right?

He should really be a LF, if nothing else.

[UMFan83]

and that son, is the story of Andrew McCutchen, baseball's first blind all-star

 

He's a hero for all the Mike Olts out there looking to overcome their handicap and play in the bigs.