Rockies (Quantrill) vs Cubs (Little): 4/3/24, 6:40pm

[Brock Beauchamp]

There is no chance this game will be played. How do I know that? Because I'm leaving Minneapolis in a few minutes to drive to Wrigley and my luck is never that good.

[Brian707]

35 minutes ago, Brock Beauchamp said:

There is no chance this game will be played. How do I know that? Because I'm leaving Minneapolis in a few minutes to drive to Wrigley and my luck is never that good.

[Outshined_One]

You should be fine! The snow isn't sticking.

...yet.

[Jason Ross]

Luke Little is a surprise. I mean, it's not going to get played...but that's a surprise. A fun one, kind of.

[We Got The Whole 9]

Cubs offense is 2nd in BB% and has the 2nd lowest K%. According to Statcast they have a 20% chase, tops in MLB by 3%, they have a very healthy zswing, and they are 3rd in contact. If they stay somewhere around those rankings they will probably be a top 5 offense. 

Edited April 3, 2024 by We Got The Whole 9

[Bertz]

Snow isn't sticking at all and the precipitation is supposed to let up by late afternoon.  I'd be pretty surprised if they don't get this one in.

[Jason Ross]

7 minutes ago, Bertz said:

Snow isn't sticking at all and the precipitation is supposed to let up by late afternoon.  I'd be pretty surprised if they don't get this one in.

Good news. Even with the pitching depth a little taxed (Little) the Rockies are so bad. Rather we play this than not.

[Rcal10]

15 minutes ago, 1908_Cubs said:

Good news. Even with the pitching depth a little taxed (Little) the Rockies are so bad. Rather we play this than not.

I think they will do all they can to play this one today. Tomorrow doesn’t look muc better until late afternoon/evening. I am pretty sure they don’t want Colorado playing a night game in Chicago on Thursday and then OD in Colorado on Friday. 

[WhyCantWeWin]

 I’d like to see Little get a few innings, like 2 or 3. I still have hopes he can be a starting pitcher. Seems more likely he just gets a single inning however. 

[Jason Ross]

46 minutes ago, WhyCantWeWin said:

 I’d like to see Little get a few innings, like 2 or 3. I still have hopes he can be a starting pitcher. Seems more likely he just gets a single inning however. 

Eh, I doubt this is a one inning thing. I'd guess it's more like you said, 2-3 innings. Little has starting experience and hasn't thrown alot this year. They need a little length out of him. He won't go five, but I bet he makes at least two.

EDIT: Well, I guess he pitched last night after I had moved to go to sleep like the old man I am. Yeah, he'll go one, probably.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

If you're planning on Little throwing multiple innings today, I don't think he throws 18 pitches at the end of last night's game.  I suspect he's there to go one inning against the top of the order that is somewhat lefty-dense, then they'll have Brown and possibly Smyly go multiple innings behind him.  I'd guess Brown goes first to face the more RHH heavy bottom half at least twice and since he's had more rest, but the game can dictate that.  With the off day tomorrow you can have a quick hook and all of your best relievers are on 2 days rest.

This would also provide an explanation of why Little did throw in the 9th yesterday, process of elimination.  He didn't want to use the late inning circle of trust(Alzolay, Neris, Merryweather, Leiter) in a blowout, Almonte was down from throwing on Monday, and they're hoping for length from Smyly/Brown today.  With Cuas throwing the 7th and 8th that only leaves Little.

[Bull]

7 minutes ago, 1908_Cubs said:

Eh, I doubt this is a one inning thing. I'd guess it's more like you said, 2-3 innings. Little has starting experience and hasn't thrown alot this year. They need a little length out of him. He won't go five, but I bet he makes at least two.

I'm a once-through-the-order piggyback guy. Once through with the tall lefty, once with the tall righty, then the short lefty, and finally the short righty.

Little

Brown

Smyly

Leiter

[Tim]

3 minutes ago, Bull said:

I'm a once-through-the-order piggyback guy. Once through with the tall lefty, once with the tall righty, then the short lefty, and finally the short righty.

Little

Brown

Smyly

Leiter

6' 2" is short?

Damn, I've been demoted.

[Rcal10]

18 minutes ago, 1908_Cubs said:

Eh, I doubt this is a one inning thing. I'd guess it's more like you said, 2-3 innings. Little has starting experience and hasn't thrown alot this year. They need a little length out of him. He won't go five, but I bet he makes at least two.

I think he will go one, but you might be right and he goes a few. If he does go to something like 30 pitches I wouldn’t be shocked if either him or Cuas got sent down to get a fresh arm for the pen. Both of those guys would be down a few days. 

[Jason Ross]

21 minutes ago, Transmogrified Tiger said:

If you're planning on Little throwing multiple innings today, I don't think he throws 18 pitches at the end of last night's game.  I suspect he's there to go one inning against the top of the order that is somewhat lefty-dense, then they'll have Brown and possibly Smyly go multiple innings behind him.  I'd guess Brown goes first to face the more RHH heavy bottom half at least twice and since he's had more rest, but the game can dictate that.  With the off day tomorrow you can have a quick hook and all of your best relievers are on 2 days rest.

This would also provide an explanation of why Little did throw in the 9th yesterday, process of elimination.  He didn't want to use the late inning circle of trust(Alzolay, Neris, Merryweather, Leiter) in a blowout, Almonte was down from throwing on Monday, and they're hoping for length from Smyly/Brown today.  With Cuas throwing the 7th and 8th that only leaves Little.

Oh did Little go last night? Change my opinion, assumed he hadn't when I saw he was starting as I had turned the game off to go to bed in the blowout. It's what I get for assuming.

[KCCub]

2 minutes ago, 1908_Cubs said:

Oh did Little go last night? Change my opinion, assumed he hadn't and had turned the game off to go to bed in the blowout. 

Yep he pitched the 9th. 

[Jason Ross]

11 minutes ago, Rcal10 said:

I think he will go one, but you might be right and he goes a few. If he does go to something like 30 pitches I wouldn’t be shocked if either him or Cuas got sent down to get a fresh arm for the pen. Both of those guys would be down a few days. 

Nah, I'm wrong. I had assumed when I saw he was starting today that he had been purposefully not used the last few days. Little did I know (pun intended?) that he did throw after I had moved on last night. 

[LBiittner]

I hope Brown looks like a pitcher today and not just a thrower

[PackLandVA]

Little threw 12 pitches last night.  Is that really such a stressor that he'd only be able to go one inning tonight??

[KCCub]

17 minutes ago, PackLandVA said:

Little threw 12 pitches last night.  Is that really such a stressor that he'd only be able to go one inning tonight??

 

 

[Transmogrified Tiger]

14 minutes ago, PackLandVA said:

Little threw 12 pitches last night.  Is that really such a stressor that he'd only be able to go one inning tonight??

Little has thrown on back to back days once in his professional career, and the one time he did it the second outing was 0.2 IP and 7 pitches.  It's not something he's accustomed to, and there's no reason to push him into the unknown in cold, crummy weather to try to steal another inning when they have 7 other pitchers they can call on(several which could go multiple IP) and an off day tomorrow.

 

Said another way, some other managers are probably just starting Brown today since he's likely to get the most outs, but instead of having e.g. Brown go 3.2, Smyly go 1.2, and Little go .2 in order to get to the 7th, they (correctly) believe the best matchups to succeed with those folks are having Little pitch the first and then (probably) Brown pick it up from there.

[Bull]

1 hour ago, Tim said:

6' 2" is short?

Damn, I've been demoted.

For a major league pitcher, yeah. At your local Wal-Mart, maybe less so.

Shorter than 6'8 and 6'6 anyway.

I'm just saying, if you have to do a bullpen game, maximize the change of look as much as possible.

Leiter is 6'0, but of course, you use him close and late.

[chibears55]

49 minutes ago, PackLandVA said:

Little threw 12 pitches last night.  Is that really such a stressor that he'd only be able to go one inning tonight??

Right, i think it'll depend on pitches thrown in the first that will determine if he gets a second inning or not.

[SOFNR]

Yah I think they just want to start him because of the matchups. Just treat it like a regular bullpen appearance. But that doesn't mean he couldn't go into the 2nd if he has a strong 1st. I'd be surprised if he pitches all the way through both innings. 

[Banedon]

Braves/White Sox already postponed to like...June or July...I forget which.  This game probably will be too.