8/2 Marlins (Fernandez) @ Cubs (Hammel) 7:05PM CST CSN

[Clem Fandango]

Looks like Adam Conley wasn't much of an issue yesterday. Unfortunately we've got to face the de facto best pitcher in baseball today with Kershaw on the DL in Jose Fernandez. I know fWAR says Syndergaard is the 2nd best pitcher in baseball, just in front of Fernandez, but when you're projecting to be far closer to 300 K's than 200 with elite numbers everywhere else, to me you're better than the other guy.

 

So yeah, we should probably be scared of the guy with the 13.18 K/9, but this being baseball you never know what will happen. Perhaps we will make him feel like this:

 

http://i.imgur.com/N7XHezb.jpg

 

He did give up 6 ER over 5.2 innings against the Braves of all teams, the only team to hit 2 home runs off of him in a single game all year long, and they only have one guy with more than 10 home runs. Stranger things have happened.

 

Meanwhile we've got Our Lady of Perpetual Anxiety, Jason Hammel, pitching for us today. He of the notorious "2nd half Hammel" which shows up after the ASB to be a steaming pile of hot garbage after he dominates the first half. We thought he showed up early, giving up 10ER on July 1st to the Mets, but believe it or not Jason Hammel has been, dare I say it, good in the 2nd half so far.

 

So good in fact he's been our 2nd best pitcher behind Our Lady of Perpetual Awesomeness, Kyle Hendricks (1.00 ERA since the ASB). Hammel has a 2.00 ERA since the ASB with an 18:5 K:BB ratio over 18 2nd half innings. He did say that he hopes he's fixed his 2nd half woes by eating potato chips between innings, so you know he means business now. Also, in case you missed it, that's not a joke:

 

Hammel is trying to find the right combination of hydration and sodium intake as he begins a quest for a better second half while putting behind him past cramping in his legs and hands.

 

“We’re addressing it,” Hammel said Friday. “There’s new things you can take that have a lot of potassium. Just trying to find the right formula. You might see me on the bench with a bag of chips because [team physician Stephen Adams, M.D.] said it’s the carbs and the salt.”

 

So there you have it. 2nd Half Hammel is now a thing of the past thanks to the curative powers of Potato Chips. And in true classy fashion, he doesn't eat that Lays horse horsefeathers. He eats Utz, like a true connoisseur of the finer things in life.

 

http://i.imgur.com/d2RHafi.jpg

 

Keep winning Cubs!

[David]

the cardinals just owned him too

[stitchface]

The best active pitcher in baseball threw a shut-out last night. duh.

[Clem Fandango]

the cardinals just owned him too

 

His shields are down. Time to fire the proton dongs.

[badger]

the cardinals just owned him too

 

[doom boner] which means we get no-hit because of their pixie dust and our lack of it. [/doom boner]

[Omar]

Prediction: Jason Hammel is going to give Ichiro his 3000th hit.

 

Marlins v. Potato Chips

Name                  PA  AB  H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO    BA   OBP   SLG   OPS SH SF IBB HBP GDP missG
Ichiro Suzuki         34  32 10  2  0  0   4  2  8  .313  .353  .375  .728  0  0   0   0         0
Martin Prado          23  22  7  1  0  1   3  1  1  .318  .348  .500  .848  0  0   0   0         0
Giancarlo Stanton     18  18  7  2  0  1   2  0  5  .389  .389  .667 1.056  0  0   0   0         1
Adeiny Hechavarria    12  11  1  0  0  0   2  0  1  .091  .083  .091  .174  0  1   0   0         0
Christian Yelich      12  12  4  1  0  1   1  0  4  .333  .333  .667 1.000  0  0   0   0         0
Dee Gordon             9   9  0  0  0  0   0  0  1  .000  .000  .000  .000  0  0   0   0         0
Jeff Mathis            9   8  1  0  0  0   0  1  3  .125  .222  .125  .347  0  0   1   0         0
Marcell Ozuna          9   9  3  0  1  0   0  0  4  .333  .333  .556  .889  0  0   0   0         0
J.T. Realmuto          6   5  0  0  0  0   0  1  2  .000  .167  .000  .167  0  0   0   0         0
Chris Johnson          5   5  3  1  0  0   2  0  1  .600  .600  .800 1.400  0  0   0   0         0
Tom Koehler            4   3  0  0  0  0   0  0  1  .000  .000  .000  .000  1  0   0   0         0
Derek Dietrich         3   1  1  1  0  0   1  0  0 1.000 1.000 2.000 3.000  0  0   0   2         0
Miguel Rojas           3   3  0  0  0  0   0  0  1  .000  .000  .000  .000  0  0   0   0         0
Jose Fernandez         2   2  1  1  0  0   0  0  0  .500  .500 1.000 1.500  0  0   0   0         0
Total                149 140 38  9  1  3  15  5 32  .271  .304  .414  .718  1  1   1   2         1
Has not faced pitchers: Kyle Barraclough, Andrew Cashner, Adam Conley, Mike Dunn, Brian Ellington, Dustin McGowan, Nefi Ogando, David Phelps, A.J. Ramos, Fernando Rodney and Nick Wittgren

 

Cubs v. Five Hour Energy

Name                PA AB H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO   BA  OBP  SLG   OPS SH SF IBB HBP GDP missG
Jason Heyward       10 10 4  1  0  0   0  0  4 .400 .400 .500  .900  0  0   0   0         0
Dexter Fowler        6  5 0  0  0  0   0  1  2 .000 .167 .000  .167  0  0   0   0         1
Miguel Montero       6  6 0  0  0  0   0  0  1 .000 .000 .000  .000  0  0   0   0         0
Ben Zobrist          6  5 1  0  0  0   1  1  2 .200 .333 .200  .533  0  0   0   0         0
Kris Bryant          3  2 0  0  0  0   1  0  1 .000 .000 .000  .000  0  1   0   0         0
Chris Coghlan        3  2 0  0  0  0   0  1  2 .000 .333 .000  .333  0  0   0   0         0
Willson Contreras    3  2 0  0  0  0   0  1  1 .000 .333 .000  .333  0  0   0   0         0
Anthony Rizzo        3  3 1  0  0  0   0  0  2 .333 .333 .333  .667  0  0   0   0         0
Addison Russell      3  3 0  0  0  0   0  0  2 .000 .000 .000  .000  0  0   0   0         0
Jason Hammel         2  2 1  0  0  0   0  0  1 .500 .500 .500 1.000  0  0   0   0         0
Matt Szczur          1  1 0  0  0  0   0  0  1 .000 .000 .000  .000  0  0   0   0         0
Total               46 41 7  1  0  0   2  4 19 .171 .239 .195  .434  0  1   0   0         1
Has not faced: Javier Baez and David Ross & Has not faced pitchers: Jake Arrieta, Aroldis Chapman, Carl Edwards, Kyle Hendricks, John Lackey, Jon Lester, Mike Montgomery, Joe Nathan, Spencer Patton, Hector Rondon, Pedro Strop and Travis Wood

[minnesotacubsfan]

The best active pitcher in baseball threw a shut-out last night. duh.

The truth in this should not go unnoticed

[JonJayCutler]

Hammel, please be a delicious bag of Old Dutch tonight.

[Omar]

Hammel, please be a delicious bag of Old Dutch tonight.

 

yeah but an actual flavor like sour cream & onions

 

not that ketchup horsefeathers

[CyHawk_Cub]

[tweet]

[/tweet]

[Tim]

Anyone else expecting a 4k game from Javy tonight?

[Cubswin11]

Anyone else expecting a 4k game from Javy tonight?

Yes

[Omar]

When was the last time the Cubs batted the catcher 2nd?

 

I'm guessing Barrett or Soto.

[Cubswin11]

When was the last time the Cubs batted the catcher 2nd?

 

I'm guessing Barrett or Soto.

Montero was pretty good last year, I wouldn't be surprised if he hit 2nd for a game at some point

[bcl412]

Anyone else expecting a 4k game from Javy tonight?

4 dongs and a quadruple play because he's horsefeathering javy

[Janelle-Alexis]

When was the last time the Cubs batted the catcher 2nd?

 

I'm guessing Barrett or Soto.

 

Kyle Schwarber last year.

[Sammy Sofa]

Anyone else expecting a 4k game from Javy tonight?

4 dongs and a quadruple play because he's [expletive] javy

 

Why not all of these things? I mean, it IS Baez.

[UMFan83]

Not worth its own thread but Joe Smith is with the team tonight and Patton has been sent down in the corresponding move.

[Omar]

joseph smith was a pitcher

dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb

[Omar]

No Ichiro. It looks like they want him to get #3000 at home to boost their abysmal attendance.

 

[raw]

No Ichiro. It looks like they want him to get #3000 at home to boost their abysmal attendance.

 

 

Their OF is really good and Marlins already said Ichiro will be in the lineup tomorrow.

[stitchface]

Anyone else expecting a 4k game from Javy tonight?

 

 

Hopefully he gets to bat 4 times but no - he won't k four times tonight.

[bcl412]

Anyone else expecting a 4k game from Javy tonight?

4 dongs and a quadruple play because he's [expletive] javy

 

Why not all of these things? I mean, it IS Baez.

I suppose it is possible for him to get 8 PAs in our 30 run dongfest

[soccer10k]

Dusty Baker is thoroughly confused as to why the two catchers are batting leadoff and 2nd tonight. He wasn't aware that was allowed.

[David]

Already up and not a single post about the game?