7/27 Cubs (Big Dick Jon) at Reds (Miley) 5:40 CT Marquee

[soccer10k]

So Chatwood pitched well, the bullpen was solid and the offense had a big day. Normally we'd say it was only three games and one series but those three games were 5% of the season. This week is no different going to Cincinnati for four. Lester gets his first start of the year and hopefully it goes the way of Hendricks or Chatwood rather than Darvish.

 

Go CUBS!!

[squally1313]

Late July series with a team one game back in the division. Go take two out of three.

 

(Pointedly ignoring the growing signs that none of this will matter in about three days)

[Derwood]

Enjoy baseball while it last, as the Marlins are about to blow up the season

[Brian]

It looks like the Reds are not far from what the Marlins situation is too

[Ding Dong Johnson]

Late July series with a team one game back in the division. Go take two out of three.

 

(Pointedly ignoring the growing signs that none of this will matter in about three days)

And also ignoring that 4th game apparently.

[Brian]

Bryant

Rizzo

Baez

Schwarber

Contreras

Souza

Bote

Hoerner

Almora

[squally1313]

I know these guys have to play at some point, but speaking purely offensively I'll take Happ/Heyward over Souza/Almora, and I think they have the edge defensively as well.

[Derwood]

Bote at DH, I assume?

[Ding Dong Johnson]

Looks like runs! I expect to get 2.

[David]

Bote at DH, I assume?

 

Bryant in LF, Bote 3B, Schwarber DH

[Brian]

I expect at least 10 hits out of the 2-5 of Votto, Suarez, Nick C, & Aristides Aquino

 

there's also the threat of rain looming next to covid to knock this one out.

[squally1313]

No statistical evidence to back this up, but this season will be a fun experiment on Lester just having diminished stuff and truly being a back end starter vs Lester letting his focus wander over a long season and running into total blow up outings 4-5 times a year.

[Forgotmyoldlogin]

There’s nothing wrong with Caratini, right? Just asking because he left the game early yesterday and he’s not in the lineup tonight.

 

I guess maybe Ross just doesn’t like him against lefties.

[champaignchris]

No statistical evidence to back this up, but this season will be a fun experiment on Lester just having diminished stuff and truly being a back end starter vs Lester letting his focus wander over a long season and running into total blow up outings 4-5 times a year.

 

I hadn’t looked until today, but Lester had a .350 BABIP last year compared to his .303 career. He had a .297 the year before. His FIP was actually lower in 2019 than it was in 2018. He actually improved on his K/9 and BB/9 from 2018 to 2019 and his HR/9 was essentially the same from one year to the next despite the juiced ball. It was all about giving up more hits

 

I suppose some of that could be that he’s lost some stuff and is easier to hit. Some could be that the Cubs defense was really bad in 2019. But it seems to me that a huge component of that has to have been bad luck.

[PackLandVA]

Small sample size, but 'bert is 4 for 10 with a dinger off of Miley. Of course, even smaller sample size has Heyward as 3 for 7 with 3 RBIs.

[Brian]

This is not terribly reassuring to me

 

[tweet]

[/tweet]

[Sosa21MVP]

The Reds have cooties. :paladin:

[Derwood]

Insane storm over Cindy right now

[UMFan83]

Insane storm over Cindy right now

 

Ryno's revenge

[Forgotmyoldlogin]

I want to know how players are social distancing during a rain delay.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

I want to know how players are social distancing during a rain delay.

 

Poorly

[Brian]

I forgot Sean Marshall was part of the stable of former Cubs on Marquee

[Brian]

Marquee factoid department needs some help, they just had Jason Hammel on a list of lowest ERA by a reliever for the Cubs.

[PackLandVA]

Since I can't get Marquee, is there any word on a potential start time for the game?

[itisallpartoftheplan]

Marquee factoid department needs some help, they just had Jason Hammel on a list of lowest ERA by a reliever for the Cubs.

 

They also messed up the line score after Saturday and Sunday’s game. Saturday they had our runs in the wrong inning and Sunday they had us scoring no runs in the 8th.