10/18 NLCS Game 3: Cubs (Jake) @ Dodgers (Rich Hill) & Stupid Old Umpire 7:00 PM CT FS1/670

[DurbanJer]

Oh, and horsefeathers that guy with the goat around his neck.

[We Got The Whole 9]

Apparently there is no hitting that pitch

[Derwood]

That pitch is magic. It looks like our hitters are RIGHT ON every single one of them but they swing right through it.

[Outshined_One]

Typical.

[Aaron_Kennelly]

And count me in as a big "NO" to starting Lester tomorrow. I've been arguing against starting guys on short rest throughout the playoffs, and I guess I never thought of that being a thing for us. But starting Lester back-to-back outings on short rest seems like a really bad idea to me.

 

Also, I still like how this thing lines up for us, without needing to resort to desperation. For one, it's 2-1. Everyone needs to calm down. Secondly, Urias has barely been used, hasn't been exerted in awhile, is really young, and isn't Clayton Kershaw (yet). Who knows how he'll come out tomorrow? I'm not shaking in my boots or anything. Get it to 2-2 and let Lester do his thing before heading home. And if they want, go ahead and start Kershaw on short rest against Lester, if it's tied. That would be one way to turn this series on its head, if Lester, at full strength, out duels him.

 

Use Lackey tomorrow. Put him on a short leash. Win. Then we quit freaking out.

[Irrelevant Dude]

It seems like the narrative is all about the Dodgers. The announcers must have mentioned Urias starting tomorrow at least 5 different times, but I don't know if they have even said Lackey's name.

[Little Slide Rooter]

 

Starting Lester in Game 4 will make me want to scream into a pillow, a capper on a truly garbage baseball day

 

You are smart. Why is it such a bad idea when the dodgers are a completely different team against LHP? They are like the 95 Indians against righties and the....206 NLCS Cubs against lefties.

 

Ok maybe that's a liiitle bit extreme but I don't trust us to win 3 of 4 games when 3 of the games will be started by right handed pitching. It's a bit of a gamble because of the 3 days but I feel better knowing Lester is going 2 more times. He's had a really light work load lately.

 

Now you respond with 500 reasons why my thinking is all wrong and change my mind

 

Because Jon Lester is not Jon Lester on 3 days rest, and Jon Lester is especially not Jon Lester when you start him back to back on 3 days rest. It's especially because of the latter that you don't do it, because you either start Lester doing his best Lackey equivalent in Game 7, or you have a need to start Lackey anyway prior to that point.

 

No, on 3 days rest, Jon Lester is not Jon Lester. On 3 days rest, Jon Lester is actually Gary Heffernan, and he sells supplemental medical insurance policies out of the trunk of his '97 Malibu. Times is hard for Jon Lester when he's Gary Heffernan. You see, the hand to mouth lifestyle of a cold-calling insurance salesman is a far cry from the lavish one of a major league pitcher, much less a star one. But Gary manages to get by, though he secretly hopes that Joe Maddon doesn't start him on 3 days rest, so that he can be Jon Lester.

[Cubswin11]

And count me in as a big "NO" to starting Lester tomorrow. I've been arguing against starting guys on short rest throughout the playoffs, and I guess I never thought of that being a thing for us. But starting Lester back-to-back outings on short rest seems like a really bad idea to me.

 

Also, I still like how this thing lines up for us, without needing to resort to desperation. For one, it's 2-1. Everyone needs to calm down. Secondly, Urias has barely been used, hasn't been exerted in awhile, is really young, and isn't Clayton Kershaw (yet). Who knows how he'll come out tomorrow? I'm not shaking in my boots or anything. Get it to 2-2 and let Lester do his thing before heading home. And if they want, go ahead and start Kershaw on short rest against Lester, if it's tied. That would be one way to turn this series on its head, if Lester, at full strength, out duels him.

 

Use Lackey tomorrow. Put him on a short leash. Win. Then we quit freaking out.

Yes. This

[We Got The Whole 9]

1st time around, Cubs donged on Urias

2nd time he shut us down

I'm not all that confident in our ability to adjust right now and LHP are making us look silly... after being worldbeaters this season

 

horsefeathers this horsefeathering sport

[JonJayCutler]

Like I said earlier, we just need to win one of the next two games, because we're not losing either horsefeathering game at Wrigley.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

At least they wasted Jansen for 21 pitches. Hopefully the Cubs benefit, not Cleveland or Toronto.

[Thusly Boned]

Not particularly worried yet. That'll change in a hurry if we lose tomorrow.

[ScrubMD]

Lineup tomorrow:

 

Fowler - CF

Bryant - 3B

Baez - SS

Contreras - LF

Coghlan - 2B

Ross - C

Almora - RF

Rizzo - 1B

[Little Slide Rooter]

And count me in as a big "NO" to starting Lester tomorrow. I've been arguing against starting guys on short rest throughout the playoffs, and I guess I never thought of that being a thing for us. But starting Lester back-to-back outings on short rest seems like a really bad idea to me.

 

Also, I still like how this thing lines up for us, without needing to resort to desperation. For one, it's 2-1. Everyone needs to calm down. Secondly, Urias has barely been used, hasn't been exerted in awhile, is really young, and isn't Clayton Kershaw (yet). Who knows how he'll come out tomorrow? I'm not shaking in my boots or anything. Get it to 2-2 and let Lester do his thing before heading home. And if they want, go ahead and start Kershaw on short rest against Lester, if it's tied. That would be one way to turn this series on its head, if Lester, at full strength, out duels him.

 

Use Lackey tomorrow. Put him on a short leash. Win. Then we quit freaking out.

 

Quit freaking out? Perish the thought and heaven forbid. Take a short hiatus from freaking out? Time will tell.

[Bryants Disco Ball]

If the Cubs end up losing the series I'm going to contend that Vegas had something to do with it considering sports books said they'd lose a lot of money if the Cubs won it all.

[Letzdothis]

Where did the fun games go? Pajama party needed.

[KatJ]

Would someone please point me to a good thread or article explaining why Arrieta has been so streaky since the All Star Break? I mean, I love how Hendricks found his inner Greg Maddux, but I'm not liking how Arrieta is resembling Forrest Gump's box of chocolates whenever it's his day to start.

[cubscausestress]

They've not lost 3 in a row since the All-Star break, right?

[Thusly Boned]

Would someone please point me to a good thread or article explaining why Arrieta has been so streaky since the All Star Break? I mean, I love how Hendricks found his inner Greg Maddux, but I'm not liking how Arrieta is resembling Forrest Gump's box of chocolates whenever it's his day to start.

 

He pretty much said himself that he hasn't had consistent command of his cutter this season, and that he works off of that pitch a lot, iirc.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Lineup tomorrow:

 

Fowler - CF

Bryant - 3B

Baez - SS

Contreras - LF

Coghlan - 2B

Ross - C

Almora - RF

Rizzo - 1B

 

Taking the field:

Soler LF/Fowler CF/Heyward RF

Rizzo 1B/Zobrist 2B/Baez SS/Bryant 3B

Contreras C

 

Lineup:

Fowler

Baez

Bryant

Bryant wearing Rizzo's jersey

Contreras

Bryant in blackface wearing Heyward's jersey

Bryant in gingerface wearing Zobrists jersey

Soler

Lackey

[UMFan83]

Geez I'm sick of all the horsefeathering lefties. All lefty lineups l, 75% lefty rotation. You'd think this team was sponsored by Ned Flanders Leftorium

 

I'm sure this is by some specific design by Friedman purposely to make Theo look bad but it's annoying nonetheless

[UMFan83]

Would someone please point me to a good thread or article explaining why Arrieta has been so streaky since the All Star Break? I mean, I love how Hendricks found his inner Greg Maddux, but I'm not liking how Arrieta is resembling Forrest Gump's box of chocolates whenever it's his day to start.

 

He pretty much said himself that he hasn't had consistent command of his cutter this season, and that he works off of that pitch a lot, iirc.

 

Yes but he's also recently said that he's found the command again and is comfortable using the pitch again. In his last start he threw it 29 times, the most since April. Not sure how many times today but either way it doesn't seem to be translating to any sort of added success.

[TMan92]

They've not lost 3 in a row since the All-Star break, right?

 

The haven't been shut out two days in a row in two years.

[Thusly Boned]

Would someone please point me to a good thread or article explaining why Arrieta has been so streaky since the All Star Break? I mean, I love how Hendricks found his inner Greg Maddux, but I'm not liking how Arrieta is resembling Forrest Gump's box of chocolates whenever it's his day to start.

 

He pretty much said himself that he hasn't had consistent command of his cutter this season, and that he works off of that pitch a lot, iirc.

 

Yes but he's also recently said that he's found the command again and is comfortable using the pitch again. In his last start he threw it 29 times, the most since April. Not sure how many times today but either way it doesn't seem to be translating to any sort of added success.

 

I'm pretty sure he said that during the SF series. Plus, there's a difference between throwing it, and consistently commanding it. I mean clearly Jake's issues have stem from losing command at points, mostly within starts. when he was ruling the world last year, he and others attributed his success to repeating his mechanics. I'd bet the inverse is true when he struggles.

[tawfiqmp]

If the Cubs end up losing the series I'm going to contend that Vegas had something to do with it considering sports books said they'd lose a lot of money if the Cubs won it all.

Vegas took the Cubs offense's powers Space Jam style