7/19 Cubs (Lester) vs Fathers (Lauer) 1:20CDT NBC Chicago

[Brian707]

Cubs have won 5 of 6 coming out of the ASB. They are hot like the high temperature tomorrow. 99 degrees or some horsefeathers

 

Go Cubs!

 

 

 

 

[jersey cubs fan]

[Cubswin11]

[squally1313]

[TMan92]

Searched "hot gifs" on Google. Needless to say I got sidetracked for a while.

[squally1313]

 

Erick Lauer vs RHB: .258/.308/.402 .302 wOBA

Erick Lauer vs LHB: .279/.340/.372 .311 wOBA

 

2018: .366 wOBA vs LHB, .341 wOBA vs RHB

 

Get your horsefeathers together Joe

[Brian707]

 

Get your horsefeathers together Joe

 

 

Almora again!, whats the definition of insanity?

[Cubswin11]

horsefeathering ridiculous

[Cubswin11]

I’m more pissed at Theo than Joe at this point, production over potential my ass.

[Schwarber Fan]

Wow @ that lineup. I can’t decide if Almora leading off or Russell batting 5th is more ridiculous.

 

Pop ups should be flying out of the park today. Some of the best hitting conditions Wrigley has ever seen between the heat and the wind.

 

In before a 1-0 game.

[Cubswin11]

Lost in the Almora leading off thing is that Javy probably shouldn’t be hitting second. He’s not getting on base, put him behind the guys who do to maximize the damage he can do.

[squally1313]

Yeah this feels like one of those 'down 6-0 after 2' Lester starts. If he can get through the lineup the first time, we should be fine.

[Cubswin11]

[champaignchris]

Batting your literally worst two regulars in OBP at the top of the lineup is exceedingly strange. I just don't get it.

 

The Cubs are 2nd in the NL in OBP. It's not like Maddon doesn't have other options to bat there.

[jersey cubs fan]

maddon routinely uses the top spot in the lineup as a catalyst to boost a guy who is struggling. I am guessing he is thinking it might work with these guys.

 

But I also think he makes lineups with a middle finger extended to Theo to say "these are the guys you gave me"

[Cubswin11]

maddon routinely uses the top spot in the lineup as a catalyst to boost a guy who is struggling. I am guessing he is thinking it might work with these guys.

 

But I also think he makes lineups with a middle finger extended to Theo to say "these are the guys you gave me"

I get doing it for a guy like Rizzo, but what does he think Almora gets boosted to? He just sucks.

[muntjack]

Gotta give Garcia and Schwarber time to cool off. Why not sit KB, too? Get Descalso going.

[Cubswin11]

The Orioles have 11 players this year that have a higher wRC+ than Almora (min. 88 PAs, but like 8-9 have well over 100).

[Andy]

Batting your literally worst two regulars in OBP at the top of the lineup is exceedingly strange. I just don't get it.

 

The Cubs are 2nd in the NL in OBP. It's not like Maddon doesn't have other options to bat there.

I think he said at some point that he was batting Javy in front of Bryzzo to try to get him better pitches to hit. For whatever that's worth.

[We Got The Whole 9]

I would not at all be mad if that were Russell leading off. Hes on a nice little run right now, might as well capitalize before he tanks again.

 

280/390/480 with a .80 BBK over his last 20 games.

 

Almora there is just a fat middle finger to us all.

[CyHawk_Cub]

"Batting order doesn't matter" has become "searching for rationales to explain WTF Maddon is doing."

[BigSlick]

maddon routinely uses the top spot in the lineup as a catalyst to boost a guy who is struggling. I am guessing he is thinking it might work with these guys.

 

But I also think he makes lineups with a middle finger extended to Theo to say "these are the guys you gave me"

I actually think Joe likes Almora. I dunno. I think he clearly sucks and his ceiling is a low OBP .700 OPS guy which is fine for a very good glove, but for gods sake stop giving him so many at bats.

 

Bote has also been quietly horrible for a while now. This is gonna be a rough night for offense.

[Cubswin11]

"Batting order doesn't matter" has become "searching for rationales to explain WTF Maddon is doing."

The like 5% of lineups mattering they’re horsefeathering up tremendously.

[squally1313]

"Batting order doesn't matter" has become "searching for rationales to explain WTF Maddon is doing."

The like 5% of lineups mattering they’re horsefeathering up tremendously.

Yeah, for me when I say 'lineups don't matter', I mean it in a sense of...there's no such thing as a prototypical lead off man, or you don't need your slowest, biggest power hitter batting fourth. To whatever degree it does matter, it's that your best players should be hitting more times than your not good players. Which is decidedly not the case here.

[Omar]

Great throw Lester.