8/10 Nationals (Hellickson) @ Cubs (Hendricks), 1:20 PM CDT NBC Sports Chicago, MLBN

[Cubswin11]

 

His point still stands: Hendricks has been just OK since then and he's now the anchor by default. That's not good. If post-SF Hendricks was expected to be, say, the 3rd best starter the Cubs have? Great!

Eh, I’m fine with him being our game 1 starter/best playoff option. Hopefully some of Lester, Q, Hamels, Yu rise above him though.

 

You're a braver person than I am. Dude is still giving essentially a dong a game. Today has all the makings of a '18 Hendricks Special: go 5-6 innings, giving up 3 runs and netting a half dozen k's so that at first glance it looks like a plain ol' QS and that he's not That Bad, despite having put his team down right away yet again and basically pitching from back on his heels the entire time.

 

Like, it's not bad, but it's really not good, either, especially when that's really what he's showing is his realistic best case scenario.

Oh I agree. It’s far from ideal but I can live with it and think we can still win games and he still can shut teams down as he’s shown a few times recently. My hope is Chavez, Monty, Smyly, Hamels (whoever is in the pen as longish guys in playoffs) are ready to come in right away and these SP have short leashes so like right now I’d hope one of those guys are ready to go come the 4/5th inning here if Hendricks allows a guy or two (maybe someone like Kintzler or Strop come in, in the inning then you go to a long guy for ~2ish innings).

[Bertz]

I don't see an issue with Kyle being our #1 starter if he's throwing like this. The problem is that he's the only guy you can feel decent about in a playoff game as currently constructed. Montgomery and Hamels are fine, but not guys you want going in the playoffs, Lester looks broken, and Quintana doesn't look totally broken but there's clearly something wrong.

 

Q needs to get fixed and Yu needs to come back healthy or we're going to have to try and bullpen our way through the playoffs. It's not a death sentence, the Indians (and IMO Yankees) showed it works if you've got a pen like ours, but it's not ideal.

[Schwarber Fan]

This team is not good right now and there aren’t many signs of them improving.

[stitchface]

this team is too subject to BABIP - pitching doesn't get enough ks and offense doesn't hit enough homers.

[Sammy Sofa]

Eh, I’m fine with him being our game 1 starter/best playoff option. Hopefully some of Lester, Q, Hamels, Yu rise above him though.

 

You're a braver person than I am. Dude is still giving essentially a dong a game. Today has all the makings of a '18 Hendricks Special: go 5-6 innings, giving up 3 runs and netting a half dozen k's so that at first glance it looks like a plain ol' QS and that he's not That Bad, despite having put his team down right away yet again and basically pitching from back on his heels the entire time.

 

Like, it's not bad, but it's really not good, either, especially when that's really what he's showing is his realistic best case scenario.

Oh I agree. It’s far from ideal but I can live with it and think we can still win games and he still can shut teams down as he’s shown a few times recently. My hope is Chavez, Monty, Smyly, Hamels (whoever is in the pen as longish guys in playoffs) are ready to come in right away and these SP have short leashes so like right now I’d hope one of those guys are ready to go come the 4/5th inning here if Hendricks allows a guy or two (maybe someone like Kintzler or Strop come in, in the inning then you go to a long guy for ~2ish innings).

 

Again, I'd feel better if this was the anticipated plan for Hendricks and maybe one other starter instead of seemingly all of them. And the starers' propensity to give up runs from the jump really undercuts being able to swing to the bullpen to avoid them running into real trouble; the Cubs' starters are seemingly in some degree of trouble right from the beginning of the game far too often.

[stitchface]

This team is not good right now and there aren’t many signs of them improving.

 

 

They will get better if their best position player and best pitcher can return healthy.

[Cubswin11]

horsefeathers you BABIP Gods

[stitchface]

another lucky hit

[NotSoSober]

the BABIP gods are horsefeathering furious today. I'll sacrifice this bottle of vodka to appease those assholes

[Sammy Sofa]

And someone reassure me that the Indians really did "bullpen it." My perception is they had good starters AND a good bullpen that allowed them to go to it comfortably to start the 6th, and not routinely having to rely on the latter to bail out the former after just 4 innings on a regular basis.

[stitchface]

And someone reassure me that the Indians really did "bullpen it." My perception is they had good starters AND a good bullpen that allowed them to go to it comfortably to start the 6th, and not routinely having to rely on the latter to bail out the former after just 4 innings on a regular basis.

the Indians didn't win. it's possible to create an argument that bullpen overuse was part of the reason they blew a 3-1 WS lead.

[Cubswin11]

And someone reassure me that the Indians really did "bullpen it." My perception is they had good starters AND a good bullpen that allowed them to go to it comfortably to start the 6th, and not routinely having to rely on the latter to bail out the former after just 4 innings on a regular basis.

I’ll look in to this, give me a few minutes

[Flames24Rulz]

This team is not good right now and there aren’t many signs of them improving.

 

 

They will get better if their best position player and best pitcher can return healthy.

 

that's kind of a big if considering their status right now.

[Brian]

And someone reassure me that the Indians really did "bullpen it." My perception is they had good starters AND a good bullpen that allowed them to go to it comfortably to start the 6th, and not routinely having to rely on the latter to bail out the former after just 4 innings on a regular basis.

the Indians didn't win. it's possible to create an argument that bullpen overuse was part of the reason they blew a 3-1 WS lead.

 

and SP overuse too, Kluber 3 times in 7 games didn't work out in the end, and what's his face not drone boy didn't fare well on short rest in Game 6

[Bertz]

And someone reassure me that the Indians really did "bullpen it." My perception is they had good starters AND a good bullpen that allowed them to go to it comfortably to start the 6th, and not routinely having to rely on the latter to bail out the former after just 4 innings on a regular basis.

 

Their playoff rotation was only three pitchers:

 

Kluber - Amazing

Trevor Bauer - Mediocre at that point of his career, and missing half a finger at that specific point in time

Josh Tomlin - 4.40 ERA and even worse peripherals that year

 

They didn't throw any full on bullpen games, but aside from Kluber it was basically two times through the order and then hit the showers for the starters.

[squally1313]

2016 Cleveland

69.1 starter innings at a 3.12 ERA

64.2 reliever innings at a 2.23 ERA

 

For comparison

 

2016 Cubs

93.1 starter innings at a 2.60 ERA

61.2 reliever innings at a 3.94 ERA

[Sammy Sofa]

2016 Cleveland

69.1 starter innings at a 3.12 ERA

64.2 reliever innings at a 2.23 ERA

 

For comparison

 

2016 Cubs

93.1 starter innings at a 2.60 ERA

61.2 reliever innings at a 3.94 ERA

 

Interesting. Thanks for pulling that.

[Brian]

It's going to be a waste of Scherzer's talents to go against these guys

[Brian]

Pointless bunt attempts, he really wants to be a Cub

[itisallpartoftheplan]

Sometimes Jeremy Hellickson is on his A game.

[profisme]

This offense looks pathetic against a crappy pitcher with not very good stuff.

[NotSoSober]

Pointless bunt attempts, he really wants to be a Cub

He'll fit right in

[itisallpartoftheplan]

horsefeathers off Kyle

[Bryants Disco Ball]

We appear to be a complete mess. That really just happened. Schwarbs really just tried to bunt 0-2 and totally whiffed.

[Sammy Sofa]

Yowza. It never fails to boggle my teensy-tiny brain how high this team ranks in offensive stats (minus dongs). There's some kind of willful Trump supporter-like disconnect that is making me refuse to believe it.