4/25/24 - Astros (Justin Verlander) @ Cubs (Javier Assad) - 1:20P WFT on Marquee

[PackLandVA]

 

This guy

 

versus

This guy

 

I had to "edit" one of the pictures. 

 

A series win is awesome! A series sweep would be....also awesome!

 

Edited April 25, 2024 by PackLandVA

[Bertz]

It is very nice to have the series win locked in already heading into this matchup.  Verlander is no longer a star but between him and the bullpen rest disparity the Astros feel like pretty comfortable favorites tomorrow.

[JD94]

This team is injured to hell and held together by duct tape at the moment, just keep on keeping on scratching and clawing out victories until we get our dudes back. I don’t even care if they are ugly wins. Just keep fighting until we get healthy in another month or so. This is a fun team and a tough team. To be 15-9 with all the adversity is quite the accomplishment in this young season. 

[UMFan83]

FYI @PackLandVAthe game will be played on 4/25, not 4/24 😃

[PackLandVA]

1 hour ago, UMFan83 said:

FYI @PackLandVAthe game will be played on 4/25, not 4/24 😃

Good catch, although maybe subconsciously I’m hoping for another result like today.

[JHBulls]

 

2 hours ago, JD94 said:

This team is injured to hell and held together by duct tape at the moment, just keep on keeping on scratching and clawing out victories until we get our dudes back. I don’t even care if they are ugly wins. Just keep fighting until we get healthy in another month or so. This is a fun team and a tough team. To be 15-9 with all the adversity is quite the accomplishment in this young season. 

 
Yep, play .500 ball until some of the injured players come back and then attack the final, uh….. 75% of the baseball season.

horsefeathers hell it’s a long season.

[CubinNY]

Verlander's life is too good. He deserves to lose this game. He's not the pitcher he once was. Cubs will sweep.

[BigbadB]

So have we determined that Happ is out for awhile, or will he be available today?

[Bertz]

3 minutes ago, BigbadB said:

So have we determined that Happ is out for awhile, or will he be available today?

I would expect less Mervis and more PCA in the OF and Happ at DH over the next week or so.

[Rex Buckingham]

Seems like a straight defensive replacement, if PCA is up, might as well let him play D if the lineup allows in the late innings

[squally1313]

I understand the struggles PCA has had offensively this year, but I'm still a little skeptical that he'd be unable to essentially match Canario or Wisdom-as-RF's production on an overall basis. Would probably accept that there might be a slight step down, but to me it's not meaningful enough to outweigh turning PCA into a defensive replacement for like 6 weeks and robbing him of at least somewhat consistent ABs. 

[KCCub]

8 minutes ago, squally1313 said:

I understand the struggles PCA has had offensively this year, but I'm still a little skeptical that he'd be unable to essentially match Canario or Wisdom-as-RF's production on an overall basis. Would probably accept that there might be a slight step down, but to me it's not meaningful enough to outweigh turning PCA into a defensive replacement for like 6 weeks and robbing him of at least somewhat consistent ABs. 

Agreed. His defense and baserunning alone would add value. Especially to a team who has not been aggressive at all on the base paths this year.

[Jason Ross]

28 minutes ago, squally1313 said:

I understand the struggles PCA has had offensively this year, but I'm still a little skeptical that he'd be unable to essentially match Canario or Wisdom-as-RF's production on an overall basis. Would probably accept that there might be a slight step down, but to me it's not meaningful enough to outweigh turning PCA into a defensive replacement for like 6 weeks and robbing him of at least somewhat consistent ABs. 

I did a lot of digging into PCA last night when discussing him with someone else off this board. I came to some weird conclusions at first, and then with more information, I've at least come to a thought process of what's happening. He's having a weird year offensively:

1. His in-zone whiff% is down 5% (good!) and his contact% is up 4% (good!)

2. His chase rate is comically bad: 45%+. It's over 53% (double last year) in hitters' counts.

3. Pitchers are using this to their advantage. He's seen an increase of 6% of non-competitive strikes. This doesn't seem like an accident. You've got a guy who will essentially offer at anything right now, especially when he's ahead. 

4. His swing% in general is way up.

5. Pitchers are more consistently attacking up and out on him and he's not responding well to that pitch

I'm hoping a little break from Triple-A and a few days as a defensive replacement will calm him down a bit. The numbers look like a hitter who's struggling mentally right now and is way deep inside of his head. I can't say I know PCA the person, but my educated guess on looking at the data and the way he plays is that he's an emotional kind of guy and perhaps he's let his emotions get the better of him. He appears to be pressing, especially when he gets ahead in the count...he's trying to do too much. Perhaps he's desperately trying to force his way to Chicago, or prove that he's ready. Maybe he's struggling and letting that compound. Either way, the data makes me think this is a mental thing for him. 

[Bertz]

12 minutes ago, squally1313 said:

I understand the struggles PCA has had offensively this year, but I'm still a little skeptical that he'd be unable to essentially match Canario or Wisdom-as-RF's production on an overall basis. Would probably accept that there might be a slight step down, but to me it's not meaningful enough to outweigh turning PCA into a defensive replacement for like 6 weeks and robbing him of at least somewhat consistent ABs. 

Yeah even if we believe PCA can't hit at all in the short term, which I am not comfortable conceding, he's still probably our third best outfielder at the moment.

Like I'm open to arguments like platooning PCA and Canario, or not wanting PCA and Gomes in the same lineup for fear of too soft a bottom of the order, but I can't really see an argument for PCA starting less than 3-4 days a week.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

I'm less certain of the floor PCA offers, and I expect that it'll be something like a 'platoon but also not paired with Gomes/Madrigal' sorta thing unless form changes.  But Mastrobuoni was an option if they were just looking for an OF-capable body, so I suspect he's here to play more than Counsell's bench roles have so far.

[We Got The Whole 9]

Let the kid get his first hit already. That's probably part of what's been weighing him down. He's been awful for the last 3 months of his baseball career and he's not used to it. But imagine you 0-fer in your cup of coffee and then have that stew in your brain for 6 months. That's gotta horsefeathers you up pretty good mentally. 

[chibears55]

Anyone know more about this guy, figured I'd ask here before the game starts..

Looks pretty good numbers wise since returning from TJ

 

 

Edited April 25, 2024 by chibears55

[WhyCantWeWin]

19 minutes ago, We Got The Whole 9 said:

Let the kid get his first hit already. That's probably part of what's been weighing him down. He's been awful for the last 3 months of his baseball career and he's not used to it. But imagine you 0-fer in your cup of coffee and then have that stew in your brain for 6 months. That's gotta horsefeathers you up pretty good mentally. 

I think this is exactly it. Hate the way he was utilized last year. And looks like PCA is getting the start in CF today, hopefully he can get that hit. 

[KCCub]

 

 

[Crusader]

19 minutes ago, KCCub said:

 

 

PCA and Madrigal in the same lineup. Camaro is already kind of questionable too. Oof. Really hope Assad is dealing because chances are he’s not getting much help from the offense…

Edited April 25, 2024 by Crusader

[Rcal10]

14 minutes ago, KCCub said:

 

 

That is a very weak line up. 

[Bertz]

Baseball gods really helping as much as they can keep Tucker and Alvarez in check you love to see it

[Derwood]

Entire outfield are backups/injury replacements, plus no Morel

[Rex Buckingham]

Don't love PCA against Verlander

Edit: not that there are a lot of good options right now

Edited April 25, 2024 by Rex Buckingham

[BigbadB]

I might have swapped Dansby and Busch in that lineup. Is Busch trying to do too much hitting cleanup? Because he hasn't looked too good there since he was given that job. 

Other than that, I see a sweep today.