Cubs (Taillon) vs Cardinals (Mikolas): 5/25/24, 6:15pm

[BKHoo]

Our managers decisions tonight were not good. 

[Andy]

2 minutes ago, BKHoo said:

Our managers decisions tonight were not good. 

There were probably more important decisions but I'm at the point where every single time the catcher is due up in a run producing spot in the middle or late innings it should be an automatic pinch hit decision.

Edited May 26, 2024 by Andy

[17 Seconds]

the brewers lost everything and they're still significantly better than the cubs

[Irrelevant Dude]

It is getting really hard to remain interested in this team.  They aren't very good.

[UMFan83]

2 minutes ago, Irrelevant Dude said:

It is getting really hard to remain interested in this team.  They aren't very good.

The thing that really irks me about this team is still that they are playing absolutely stupid baseball much of the time. Outs on the bases, defensive gaffes, poor situational hitting. I can handle a team slumping or being deficient in a couple areas but this team just continually shoots themselves in the foot.  I expected better from a Counsell managed team but I’ll stop short of actually blaming him for it because I really don’t know how much I should blame a baseball manager for. 
 

[Wilson A2000]

13 minutes ago, UMFan83 said:

The thing that really irks me about this team is still that they are playing absolutely stupid baseball much of the time. Outs on the bases, defensive gaffes, poor situational hitting. I can handle a team slumping or being deficient in a couple areas but this team just continually shoots themselves in the foot.  I expected better from a Counsell managed team but I’ll stop short of actually blaming him for it because I really don’t know how much I should blame a baseball manager for. 
 

Determining playing time is the only recourse Counsell has

[Tryptamine]

31 minutes ago, Irrelevant Dude said:

It is getting really hard to remain interested in this team.  They aren't very good.

And that's with both the #1 and #3 best ERA starters. Once Assad and Shota start trending back to their peripherals, this is going to be an absolute dumpster fire. 

[UMFan83]

13 minutes ago, Tryptamine said:

And that's with both the #1 and #3 best ERA starters. Once Assad and Shota start trending back to their peripherals, this is going to be an absolute dumpster fire. 

Well I would assume that the offense is also going to trend back towards their career numbers.  I don't know if that will end up evening out but a couple things are not right with this team:

1) The starting pitching is mostly way overperforming expectations

2) The hitting has been atrocious for the last 5-6 weeks, performing way below their abilities based on career numbers

3) The bullpen is blowing games at a historic rate.  They may be a bad bullpen, but as others have pointed out statistically they are not even a bottom 5 bullpen in the league.  They are probably getting quite a bit unlucky there.  If we only lost 4 games while having the lead in the 8th inning or later instead of 7, this team is 30-22 and 0.5 games out of first.  That's Marte's HR being hit 1 foot shorter plus the Cubs not blowing an 8-0 lead vs SD plus Amaya getting a tag down correctly tonight.  That's the difference between 27-25 and 30-22 right now.

While I'm extremely frustrated I still think this team is more likely than not to end up in the playoffs.

[Soul]

40 minutes ago, UMFan83 said:

Well I would assume that the offense is also going to trend back towards their career numbers.  I don't know if that will end up evening out but a couple things are not right with this team:

1) The starting pitching is mostly way overperforming expectations

2) The hitting has been atrocious for the last 5-6 weeks, performing way below their abilities based on career numbers

3) The bullpen is blowing games at a historic rate.  They may be a bad bullpen, but as others have pointed out statistically they are not even a bottom 5 bullpen in the league.  They are probably getting quite a bit unlucky there.  If we only lost 4 games while having the lead in the 8th inning or later instead of 7, this team is 30-22 and 0.5 games out of first.  That's Marte's HR being hit 1 foot shorter plus the Cubs not blowing an 8-0 lead vs SD plus Amaya getting a tag down correctly tonight.  That's the difference between 27-25 and 30-22 right now.

While I'm extremely frustrated I still think this team is more likely than not to end up in the playoffs.

I do appreciate the optimism but I just can’t see it right now.

[UMFan83]

8 minutes ago, Soul said:

I do appreciate the optimism but I just can’t see it right now.

I hear ya. I wasn’t very optimistic last June after we finished up a 12-26 stretch. Not to say that bouncing back from 9 games under .500 is the norm, and i recognize that we ultimately failed to make the playoffs last year. Just saying it’s a long ass season and the last 11 games will be a faint memory by September. I can’t see this team just completely cratering. 
 

That said, this team is absolutely not worth our time or attention right now. 

[Stratos]

3 hours ago, Wilson A2000 said:

Leaving Leiter in that long was a mistake

Leiter knew he didn't have his stuff or command the moment he took the mound.

[Stratos]

Cubs u gotta score more than 3 off Mikolas.

[Stratos]

1 hour ago, UMFan83 said:

I hear ya. I wasn’t very optimistic last June after we finished up a 12-26 stretch. Not to say that bouncing back from 9 games under .500 is the norm, and i recognize that we ultimately failed to make the playoffs last year. Just saying it’s a long ass season and the last 11 games will be a faint memory by September. I can’t see this team just completely cratering. 
 

That said, this team is absolutely not worth our time or attention right now. 

There's too much talent for them to spin their wheels for much longer.  If the offense wasn't in a terrible funk in May with injuries etc we'd have won a whole bunch of games.

Busch needs a couple of days off.

[Stratos]

3 hours ago, 17 Seconds said:

the brewers lost everything and they're still significantly better than the cubs

They have some SP issues.  But the offense and pen are solid.

Unlike the Cubs they got back talent for Burnes they could plug into the lineup instead of waiting 5 years for them to reach the majors.