NOT the “Javier Assad first start” game thread…

[PackLandVA]

….because they seem to lose when I start a game thread.

 

But, the kid showed some moxie in the first inning. Gave up a lead off late swing double followed by a wild pitch. Man on third, nobody out.

 

-gives up a late swing but hard hit ball to SS (playing halfway) and runner holds;

 

-gives up late swing, hard hit ball to 1b which Higgins throws out runner at home.

 

-gives up chopper to SS to get out of the inning without allowing run to score. Thirteen pitches, 8 strikes.

[minnesotacubsfan]

.....and then the cubs offense did what it always does and lets him down

[PackLandVA]

Couple of hard hit FOs, so there’s that.

[sneakypower]

oh no i got sniped on the thread

[PackLandVA]

The kid through a 1-2 heater on the outside corner, and the home plate ump gave him the call. Assad Ks future HoFer for his first MLB strikeout. Take that ball out of play!!!

[PackLandVA]

Follows up the K of Pujols with a full count BB. Then on 3-0, the other future HoFer (ya’ know, intangibles, and he plays the game the right way) swings at ball four. Then pops out weakly to first. Two innings in the book and looking decent.

[PackLandVA]

A shaky third inning with a hit and a couple of walks. But he escapes, leaving the bases juiced without giving up a run. Sixty pitches through 3 innings. Hopefully he can go at least one more inning.

[PackLandVA]

Assad gives up a lead off double, but escapes without giving up a run: K, pop out, weak ground out. He’s living a bit dangerously, but showing poise.

[UMFan83]

Assad gives up a lead off double, but escapes without giving up a run: K, pop out, weak ground out. He’s living a bit dangerously, but showing poise.

 

I'm not watching but it seems like he gets in trouble every inning but gets out of it. Like Rod Beck but as a starter.

[itisallpartoftheplan]

[UMFan83]

And the 1st 2 batters of the 5th reach. Lets see how he wiggles out of this one.

 

Edit: by being taken out of the game. very clever sir

[UMFan83]

And they wiggle out of it again. 8 base runners allowed in 5 innings and none of them scored.

[Irrelevant Dude]

Getting 6 scoreless out of Assad + Rucker is quite an unlikely feat.

[We Got The Whole 9]

Feel like we haven't scored more than 2 on Wainwright in the David Ross era

 

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[UMFan83]

You would be correct. Here are the Cubs results against Wainwright since the start of 2020. 1.52 ERA against the Cubs during that span

 

6, 2

7, 2

7, 0

8, 0

7, 1

6.1, 2

 

We lit him up several times in 2019

[We Got The Whole 9]

You would be correct. Here are the Cubs results against Wainwright since the start of 2020. 1.52 ERA against the Cubs during that span

 

6, 2

7, 2

7, 0

8, 0

7, 1

6.1, 2

 

We lit him up several times in 2019

I also feel like most of those runs (if not all) were scored in the 1st inning as well.

 

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[PackLandVA]

Didn’t see the 5th inning, but in the prior innings I thought Assad showed well. Had some runners on base in every inning. But for his first start, he didn’t seem to really get rattled. A lot of pitchers in their first starts would’ve unraveled. So kudos to him for giving up runners but not runs.

[UMFan83]

There's a 95% chance Yadi homers to tie it here

 

Edit: Nope he's actually just really bad. Now we just have to survive Wick pitching to the top of the Cardinals order.

 

Double Edit: Or Hughes. Wasn't sure if he was now the full time closer

[CubinNY]

Cubs beat that weakass team 2-0

[Transmogrified Tiger]

No WIllson in either game's lineup, the ankle must be hurting him still.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Madrigal post-DL up to 65 PA, .321/.400/.357, 6/7 BB/K

[We Got The Whole 9]

Completely flabbergasted that Brault's success at Iowa didn't carry over

 

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[squally1313]

Madrigal post-DL up to 65 PA, .321/.400/.357, 6/7 BB/K

About how valuable is that plus bad defense plus whatever he does on the bases (I have no idea)

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Madrigal post-DL up to 65 PA, .321/.400/.357, 6/7 BB/K

About how valuable is that plus bad defense plus whatever he does on the bases (I have no idea)

 

Entering tonight he was at 0.3 fWAR in August, that line tonight probably bumps it to 0.4. Extrapolating to a full season from this small a sample is pretty fraught because rounding does a lot of dirty work, but ballpark you're talking about a 3 win player. That's partly because UZR and Statcast both like his defense at 2B and DRS thinks he's neutral this year after being bad last year. That's only 120 games' worth of innings in his MLB career though, so not conclusive and therefore your mileage may vary on that front.

[sneakypower]

so what you're saying is, even with a .367 babip he's still pretty average