Pirates (Jones, 2-4, 2.68 ERA) vs. Cubs (Steele, 0-0, 4.73 ERA) 6:40 CDT

[mul21]

The Cubs avoided the sweep in ATL and managed to remain 1.5 games behind the Brewers.  The pitching matchups probably slightly favor the Cubs in this series, but the Bucs aren't sending any slouches out there.  The vaunted™️Brewers face off in a 3 game set against the Astros this weekend, so there likely won't be much help coming in the form of Brewers' losses but you never know.

 

Go Cubs!

[Bertz]

Houston's won 4 in a row, they appear to be pulling out of it.  Though the pitching matchups this weekend are not great.

On the Cubs side, much like the road trip I view this series and the next as a package deal.  You want to go 4-3 in these 7.  That probably looks like 3/4 this weekend and 1/3 against the Braves?  But with the Cubs having the off day Monday while the Braves play a wraparound series, plus the way the pitching matchups work out, beating the Braves this 2nd go around is much more reasonable than it would have been this past series.

[squally1313]

Hendricks Skenes tomorrow is a hilarious pitching matchup

[Brock Beauchamp]

1 hour ago, squally1313 said:

Hendricks Skenes tomorrow is a hilarious pitching matchup

Good lord.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Happ is back, Nico is not

Amaya starting also means that Gomes will get to face Skenes again, so that'll be funny at least

[WhyCantWeWin]

Guess the plan is to play Happ exclusively against NL central teams now 

[profisme]

5 minutes ago, WhyCantWeWin said:

Guess the plan is to play Happ exclusively against NL central teams now 

Probably the only way you can justify playing him over PCA at the moment.  I still would like to see PCA in the lineup.  Never know what you will see from him on any given day.  That kind of excitement that prime Javy used to provide.

[PackLandVA]

I think the Cubs hitters will fare at least a little better facing these two rookie pitchers for the second time in a week.

[Bertz]

 

 

[PackLandVA]

16 minutes ago, Transmogrified Tiger said:

 

Amaya starting also means that Gomes will get to face Skenes again, so that'll be funny at least.

 

Neither is really hitting anyone yet this season. So I think letting them face a pitcher they've each seen less than a week ago is not a bad move.

[Bertz]

Wesneski and Brown fit very cleanly into the bullpen.  I do wonder if, assuming no more injuries in the meantime, Wicks' return is when something potentially drastic happens with Hendricks.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

6 minutes ago, PackLandVA said:

Neither is really hitting anyone yet this season. So I think letting them face a pitcher they've each seen less than a week ago is not a bad move.

I'm more specifically talking/joking about Gomes' bat slowing down to the point where he's an extreme underdog to make contact with anything 95+, so him facing Skenes again(he went K, K the first time), is going to have predictable results.

[JHBulls]

30 minutes ago, Transmogrified Tiger said:

Happ is back, Nico is not

Amaya starting also means that Gomes will get to face Skenes again, so that'll be funny at least

Keep the good news coming. 

[squally1313]

23 minutes ago, profisme said:

Probably the only way you can justify playing him over PCA at the moment. 

Is this really how we should be evaluating things

[Stratos]

6 hours ago, Bertz said:

Houston's won 4 in a row, they appear to be pulling out of it.  Though the pitching matchups this weekend are not great.

On the Cubs side, much like the road trip I view this series and the next as a package deal.  You want to go 4-3 in these 7.  That probably looks like 3/4 this weekend and 1/3 against the Braves?  But with the Cubs having the off day Monday while the Braves play a wraparound series, plus the way the pitching matchups work out, beating the Braves this 2nd go around is much more reasonable than it would have been this past series.

I think Cubs should not be satisfied unless they win every home series.  1-3 vs Braves at home is still a failure IMO.  Braves aren't even hitting that great right now.

Can't win in the playoffs against postseason quality teams if you're content on losing to them at home.

[Stratos]

32 minutes ago, profisme said:

Probably the only way you can justify playing him over PCA at the moment.  I still would like to see PCA in the lineup.  Never know what you will see from him on any given day.  That kind of excitement that prime Javy used to provide.

I'd rather they play the best player, whoever that is, rather than the most exciting player.  I think winning is the most exciting thing anyways.

[Rcal10]

4 minutes ago, Stratos said:

I think Cubs should not be satisfied unless they win every home series.  1-3 vs Braves at home is still a failure IMO.  Braves aren't even hitting that great right now.

Can't win in the playoffs against postseason quality teams if you're content on losing to them at home.

Well they only play 3 against the Braves, so they can’t go 1-3.

[Stratos]

Mike Tauchman is the poor man's Ben Zobrist, outfield version.  I'll take that any day of the week.

Edited May 16, 2024 by Stratos

[UMFan83]

It's gonna be interesting when Wicks come back.  If Hendricks has a couple more good starts do you send him to the pen?  Or do you send Wicks to the pen?  Or a 6 man rotation?

Good problem to have.

[Stratos]

5 minutes ago, Rcal10 said:

Well they only play 3 against the Braves, so they can’t go 1-3.

1 of 3 I meant

[Transmogrified Tiger]

If Hendricks is pitching well I wouldn't be surprised to see Wicks go to Iowa.  He's less useful in the pen than Wesneski or Brown, and Smyly can serve as a similar option as a stretched out LHRP once healthy too.

[chibears55]

1 hour ago, Transmogrified Tiger said:

Happ is back, Nico is not

Amaya starting also means that Gomes will get to face Skenes again, so that'll be funny at least

Cubs went from missing two outfielders for awhile with injuries to now missing both middle infielders with injuries 

🙄🙄

[Bertz]

28 minutes ago, Stratos said:

I think Cubs should not be satisfied unless they win every home series.  1-3 vs Braves at home is still a failure IMO.  Braves aren't even hitting that great right now.

Can't win in the playoffs against postseason quality teams if you're content on losing to them at home.

This is a silly way of looking at things.  The playoffs allow you to tactically align and leverage your pitching in a way that's not reasonable in the regular season so it's really apples and oranges.

[JHBulls]

Well, horsefeathers. 

[WhyCantWeWin]

Is this the beginning of the end for Steele?