4/6 cobs (kyle) @ vb (banedon) @ 7:10 on nbcsc+

[soccer10k]

if morrow can’t pitch when we need strikeouts we shouldn’t have signed him.

Why wasn't he available this time?

 

Because it wasn’t a save situation.

[Sammys Boombox]

Really want to know what that conversation was between Bryant and Butterfield in the dugout. Definitely seemed like KB didn’t like something (I’m assuming something with the strategy in the last AB). Also, seemed like Butterfield really wanted him to take it off camera.

[soccer10k]

At least Morrow will be available to warm up again tomorrow.

[treebird]

hopefully maddon has a good pajama or animal day soon to cancel out all his bullpen incompetence Edited April 7, 2018 by treebird

[Cubswin11]

Just dumb

[Cubswin11]

If the ball is juiced still crazy we can’t quite seem to tap in to it. So much WTP. Seems like Bryant’s or Russell’s ball should’ve gone out Edited April 7, 2018 by Cubswin11

[17 Seconds]

brewers lose their best reliever on accident, cubs lose their best reliever on purpose

[cubsclapp]

Theo said before the season this was going to happen: Morrow is going to be a save situation-only guy and they particularly want to be careful with his injury history.

 

They mainly got him to be a weapon in October. And sure, you have to get there first, but we know that's unlikely to be an issue despite how annoying they are so far.

 

“With Wade going exclusively in the ninth, that structure allowed him to stay healthy and thrive,” Epstein said. “That should serve Morrow well also. This is one of the areas where optimal analytical usage butts against reality. The best way to play someone like Morrow is matching up against different parts of the order in different innings. That’s where you can get the greatest impact from a shutdown guy. But in reality, using him the way we used Davis should allow him to thrive over what we expect is a seven-month season. I’ll take suboptimal usage on a nightly basis for a better chance to stay healthy over the course of seven months.”

[17 Seconds]

Theo said before the season this was going to happen: Morrow is going to be a save situation-only guy and they particularly want to be careful with his injury history.

 

They mainly got him to be a weapon in October. And sure, you have to get there first, but we know that's unlikely to be an issue despite how annoying they are so far.

 

“With Wade going exclusively in the ninth, that structure allowed him to stay healthy and thrive,” Epstein said. “That should serve Morrow well also. This is one of the areas where optimal analytical usage butts against reality. The best way to play someone like Morrow is matching up against different parts of the order in different innings. That’s where you can get the greatest impact from a shutdown guy. But in reality, using him the way we used Davis should allow him to thrive over what we expect is a seven-month season. I’ll take suboptimal usage on a nightly basis for a better chance to stay healthy over the course of seven months.”

 

we knew this, and nobody had/has a problem with it. the problem is that there will be times when there isn't a save opp for a while, and if maddon is completely unwilling to use him in a tie game on the road (even against the brewers/cardinals), then it goes from sub optimal to wasteful. even if it means he's unavailable tomorrow, he should have pitched the 9th tonight.

[cubsclapp]

Theo said before the season this was going to happen: Morrow is going to be a save situation-only guy and they particularly want to be careful with his injury history.

 

They mainly got him to be a weapon in October. And sure, you have to get there first, but we know that's unlikely to be an issue despite how annoying they are so far.

 

“With Wade going exclusively in the ninth, that structure allowed him to stay healthy and thrive,” Epstein said. “That should serve Morrow well also. This is one of the areas where optimal analytical usage butts against reality. The best way to play someone like Morrow is matching up against different parts of the order in different innings. That’s where you can get the greatest impact from a shutdown guy. But in reality, using him the way we used Davis should allow him to thrive over what we expect is a seven-month season. I’ll take suboptimal usage on a nightly basis for a better chance to stay healthy over the course of seven months.”

 

we knew this, and nobody had/has a problem with it. the problem is that there will be times when there isn't a save opp for a while, and if maddon is completely unwilling to use him in a tie game on the road (even against the brewers/cardinals), then it goes from sub optimal to wasteful. even if it means he's unavailable tomorrow, he should have pitched the 9th tonight.

 

I 100% agree (and wanted Morrow in for the 17-inning game as well), but am just saying that I don't know if this one is as much on Joe. He's doing as told with Morrow's usage.

 

The good news is that, over a full year, it's not going to be as big of an issue. This has been an unusually weird stretch with no save opportunities, this is a deep bullpen with a few very good options and two guys capable of going several innings, the starters are going to go deeper, etc.

 

Montgomery is also usually going to be able to get through that inning (and it took a slow-roller and blooper for him not to). Joe's bullpen management can drive me bonkers sometimes but I had no problem with it tonight.

[treebird]

morrow pitched in the 17 inning game when it wasn’t a save situation. i’m very confident that quote about save situations isn’t meant to be taken so literally. i think what he was really saying is that morrow isn’t going to be a fireman coming in to pitch the eighth and ninth or really on back to back days ever. which is fine! if we are only going to get one inning out of morrow, though, it should would be nice to have it be an inning that actually takes place in the game and not only in joe’s imagination after the cubs score a run in the top of the tenth.

[Sammy Sofa]

tree, you are now gam thread.

[ScrubMD]

Also, I’m pretty sure you’d be less likely to have an injury if you just let him pitch an inning when he warmed up than if you have him warm up 5 times.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

I actually didn’t mind the bullpen usage that much last night. Maddon went all in to stop a few rallies(successfully!), and he consistently optimized to get the best relievers against the heart of the order(like Edwards pitching the 8th after Cishek threw like 2 pitches). With Santana leading off the 9th I can accept Montgomery trying to get through 2 before going to Morrow for the heart of the order again.

[Sammy Sofa]

Guys, the real answer is that the offense early on in the season is a bag of farts that hinges on convoluted nonsense like multiple batters to score a measly single run, or a lunatic getting conked on the head by a thrown baseball so he can pull off an inside the park HR, instead of just cutting to the chase and smothering us all in DONGS.

 

Keep it simple, stupid: more dongs = more wins.

 

THIS IS ALL SCIENCE.

[CubinNY]

I fell asleep before the 9th (I’m getting old) and expected the Braun hit a dong. The description of what actually happened is worse. Edited April 7, 2018 by CubinNY

[UMFan83]

[Liam Neeson]

 

http://www1.pictures.gi.zimbio.com/Carlos+Zambrano+Larry+Rothschild+Pittsburgh+O_J3LbTRzqol.jpg

[soccer10k]

I actually didn’t mind the bullpen usage that much last night. Maddon went all in to stop a few rallies(successfully!), and he consistently optimized to get the best relievers against the heart of the order(like Edwards pitching the 8th after Cishek threw like 2 pitches). With Santana leading off the 9th I can accept Montgomery trying to get through 2 before going to Morrow for the heart of the order again.

 

The problem I have is that Morrow almost certainly would have been warming up in the 10th again just in case the Cubs scored just like he was a week ago.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

I actually didn’t mind the bullpen usage that much last night. Maddon went all in to stop a few rallies(successfully!), and he consistently optimized to get the best relievers against the heart of the order(like Edwards pitching the 8th after Cishek threw like 2 pitches). With Santana leading off the 9th I can accept Montgomery trying to get through 2 before going to Morrow for the heart of the order again.

 

The problem I have is that Morrow almost certainly would have been warming up in the 10th again just in case the Cubs scored just like he was a week ago.

 

I can see the argument, but with Morrow and Montgomery as the only truly available relievers left, I’m not upset by the decision.