11/1 World Series Game 6 Cubs (Arrieta) @ Cleveland (Tomlin) 7:00 CDT Fox

[TruffleShuffle]

i guess i should have looked more carefully at the image and realized that it's don rickles.

[RammyFanny]

This has probably been literally posted for for about 10 pages, but holy crap at this awful depressing ass postgame. How the horsefeathers do you care THAT much that they used Chapman for the most important at bat of the game and the next inning. He obviously wouldn't have started the 9th of the lead was expanded earlier.

 

But the worst part was the horsefeathering depressing interview questions.

 

Rosenthal's first words to Arrieta, "Jake, how dissappapinted were you that you could only go 5 and 2/3rds and you guys had to bring Chapman into the game?"

 

To Kipnis: "No loss is a good loss, but you guys have to at least feel good you got Chapman into the game, right?"

 

No you douche, feel bad that he owned you and will so again tomorrow. How awesome would it be if Chapman just went 3 dominant innings tomorrow and looked filthy?

[Tryptamine]

Guy only threw 20 pitches and people act like he's now unavailable. I'd be surprised if he doesn't go 2 tomorrow should the Cubs have the league.

[David]

i don't think i posted much, if at all, last night (if i did, i wouldn't remember) but holy horsefeathers guys what a horsefeathering game

[Billy_Buck]

I love it. Chapman is broken but the starter who will pitch three times in a series is fine.

Seriously. It seems particularly asinine given that an early lead will be huge, if not determinative. I'm braving for a lot of commentary about how great innings 7-8-9 set up for Cleveland, though down 3.

[bukie]

In scoring 9 runs, the Cubs scored more in game 6 than the Blue Jays did in the ALCS.

[bearjuice]

Does anyone have a stat as to how the Cubs hit in warm vs colder weather? It seems to me that the Cubs bats picked up once the weather improved ... or am I wrong? It's in the 70's tonight again in Cleveland! Need to jump on Kluber early tonight.

[Billy_Buck]

This one held up surprisingly well. Though the Cubs' early leverage was decisive enough that Francona wasn't tempted into using Miller or Shaw.

 

Alright, had do something with my Cubs-driven nervous energy, so here's a game 6 wishcast for your fanfic burn pile:

 

Cubs score early off Tomlin; seems most positive storylines for us start here, I'm thinking a Bryant homer on a hanging curve. Then with a 2-3 run lead in the fourth, the Cubs have another rally burning: 2 on, none out. Forces Francona to choose which of his shutdown guys he wants to use to keep it close, but at risk of fatigue for potential game 7.

 

So Miller or Shaw comes in early. And then comes the twist that tilts things towards the Cubs a bit. Someone (eg Baez, Contreras) has an unexpectedly great AB--as if coached to take everything except a grooved fastball. Finally a couple of our ropes fall in, plating two more. For the first time one (or two) of the Indians' stud relievers now faces the prospect of pitching consecutive days, but the Indians don't have a lead or even a terribly close game to show for it.

 

Jake makes it through 6, effective but not dominant. Cubs add a couple more off Clevinger/Salazar types, win 7-2.

 

Headlines going into game 7: Did the Cubs change their approach against Miller in game 6? And, how effective will Chapman be on Wednesday after throwing another 30 pitches tonight?

[UMFan83]

Yes I still don't understand what all the uproar is about. Do I understand people disagreeing with Joe's decision to use Chapman in a 5 run game after throwing 42 pitches 2 days ago and with game 7 tomorrow? Of course. However I still think Joe made a reasonable call that is not worth being THE story of Game 6. I think it was important to shut the door on Cleveland in the 7th, absolutely no problems with that. Once you have him in and warmed up, I think its reasonable to have him pitch the 8th to put most doubt away.

 

The only issue I had, which TT and others brought up, is that Joe did not have anyone warming in the bullpen to start the top of the 9th. The chances of Grimm or Wood pitching in Game 7 are almost 0, so there is absolutely no harm in having them warm up to start the inning in case the Cubs scored. Actually at that point with the indians needing 5 runs with only 3 outs, I would have took Chapman out regardless because I think even the Reds bullpen would have a 99% chance of shutting the door on the game and if you can't trust Strop, Rondon, Wood, Grimm, Edwards and Lackey to shut the door you probably don't deserve to win. At that point, the win probability was so high that it makes sense to prepare for Game 7. But even if you were ok with Chapman pitching the 9th in a 5 run game, they should have been warming up in case the Cubs scored. I don't think those 4 extra pitches will matter for Chapman, he was throwing 98 mph fastballs just to get through the batter so Strop could come in, but its still a bit careless on Joe's part.

 

Anyways, most of this was a series of defensible decisions. You can make a compelling argument that he was wrong, but it wasn't a "OMG WTF WAS STUPID JOE DOING HE RUINED THE CUBS TONIGHT" type of decision.

[Banedon]

Yeah, too much is being made of it. Plus I don't think we've ever seen Chapman' be bad as a result of too much work...I think his poor outings have been after extended rest/disuse, actually.

 

That said, tonight should be the biggest game of "screw the closer" the Cubs have ever played.

[Billy_Buck]

To add here: In a weird way, Rajai Davis may have helped save Chapman for game 7:

 

Davis beats out a grounder in T8 of game 5 despite the great Rizzo snag, with Chapman failing to cover.

 

Lindor bounces one to Rizzo in B7 of game 6, and Chapman beats him to the bag. By a hair. On replay. Maybe he's there in time anyway; but he damn sure remembered to cover last night.

 

Fail to get that out, it's bases loaded with Napoli up. Not saying Chapman doesn't get out of it, but he could've ended up throwing significantly more high-leverage pitches than he did. 20 total, with a handful of them waste pitches in the ninth, is one thing; 30+ that are mostly high-stress are another thing entirely. It could've been a lot worse.

 

(Related: appreciate Rizzo showing the range, but watching that Lindor ball again, it certainly looks like a routine play for Javy if Rizzo just goes to the bag. Hope they defend that better if it happens again.)

[itisallpartoftheplan]

Guy only threw 20 pitches and people act like he's now unavailable. I'd be surprised if he doesn't go 2 tomorrow should the Cubs have the league.

 

The league will be all ours tomorrow night, for sure. :wink:

[Thusly Boned]

Yeah, too much is being made of it. Plus I don't think we've ever seen Chapman' be bad as a result of too much work...I think his poor outings have been after extended rest/disuse, actually.

 

That said, tonight should be the biggest game of "screw the closer" the Cubs have ever played.

 

The bad outing in Colorado came after pitching in four games in four days. I remember him coming into that game with noticeably diminished velo.

 

I'd guess he'll be pretty amped tonight, though.

[Banedon]

[Ding Dong Johnson]

jesus christ, I actually remember watching that game live

[JonJayCutler]

but watching that Lindor ball again

 

http://www.za.all.biz/img/za/catalog/4590.png

[ScrubMD]

jesus christ, I actually remember watching that game live

 

Me too. I was 6, but as soon as it mentioned Dawson going nuts it came back as clear as day.

[Andy]

That is one outlandish look Dan Roan is displaying in that video.

[Banedon]

That is one outlandish look Dan Roan is displaying in that video.

 

The early 90's "Parker Lewis Can't Lose" look.

[Tracer Bullet]

jesus christ, I actually remember watching that game live

 

Yep. I was 13. He was my favorite player by then. I had walked alongside Dawson with a crowd of kids in St Louis that summer from the old Busch to the Cubs hotel. Seems like it wasn't much before that game. He refused to sign autographs but he was cool as hell and talked baseball with all of us while we walked as close as we were comfortable walking next to him.

[JudasIscariotTheBird]

jesus christ, I actually remember watching that game live

 

Yep. I was 13. He was my favorite player by then. I had walked alongside Dawson with a crowd of kids in St Louis that summer from the old Busch to the Cubs hotel. Seems like it wasn't much before that game. He refused to sign autographs but he was cool as hell and talked baseball with all of us while we walked as close as we were comfortable walking next to him.

Until two years ago, he was easily still my favorite Cub. ...but Schwarber is neck and neck now. Can probably pass him up, game 7 pending.

[Tracer Bullet]

jesus christ, I actually remember watching that game live

 

Yep. I was 13. He was my favorite player by then. I had walked alongside Dawson with a crowd of kids in St Louis that summer from the old Busch to the Cubs hotel. Seems like it wasn't much before that game. He refused to sign autographs but he was cool as hell and talked baseball with all of us while we walked as close as we were comfortable walking next to him.

Until two years ago, he was easily still my favorite Cub. ...but Schwarber is neck and neck now. Can probably pass him up, game 7 pending.

 

Dawson's timing was right as I was 9 in 1987 when he won MVP and when I spent an inordinate amount of time hitting off the screen HRs with him in RBI baseball.

[David]

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well this just horsefeathering amplified my nerves x100

[JudasIscariotTheBird]

Whenever I see that trophy, all I can think about is tying it to the back of my car and doing donuts in a parking lot.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

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well this just horsefeathering amplified my nerves x100

 

I don't get emotional at sports very often, but in 2010 when they showed the Cup waiting in the hallway with four minutes to go in Philly, it got dusty.

 

There will probably be something like that tonight that gets me, but right now I'm still pretty numb. How can it really all come down to one simple baseball game?!