Cubs (Imanaga) vs Orioles (Burnes): 7/10/24, 5:35pm

[UMFan83]

Cubs have won their past 2 series. Prior to that they were 1-13 in their previous 14 series of 3 games or more. 
 

Weird ass team

[Bertz]

The Cubs are 3.5 out of a playoff spot and depending on how you feel about the top of the AL Central the schedule is pretty light until September.

[jersey cubs fan]

[UMFan83]

The Orioles are 1-4 against the Cubs over the last 2 seasons and 157-91 against everyone else

[BKHoo]

Hendricks to start Friday. That almost ensures an opening game W for St Louis. 

[Stratos]

12 minutes ago, Bertz said:

The Cubs are 3.5 out of a playoff spot and depending on how you feel about the top of the AL Central the schedule is pretty light until September.

They still have a shot at being better than all the teams in the wild card hunt besides the Braves because they'll all mediocre like the Cubs.

This could get interesting.   I wonder how close they think Shaw is.  He's hit really well the last month, another month of that could get him closer to playing 3b for Cubs and sticking Morel at DH or demote him and let Suzuki DH especially once Tauchman is back.  Maybe another pen arm and/or catcher in trade.  Getting Merryweather back will be nice.

[PeanutPunch33]

If the Cubs win tomorrow then horsefeathers it, I'm getting excited again 

[mfcubs22]

52 minutes ago, Bertz said:

The Cubs are 3.5 out of a playoff spot and depending on how you feel about the top of the AL Central the schedule is pretty light until September.

Fool me once…

[LBiittner]

25 minutes ago, BKHoo said:

Hendricks to start Friday. That almost ensures an opening game W for St Louis. 

I wish we could say goodbye kyle, nicely. We need someone different in his position, but who?

[mfcubs22]

Cubs have a chance to sweet the Orioles for only the 3rd time in the O’s last 119 series. They went 106 straight series over a couple years without being swept before being swept for the first time vs the Cardinals in May. They got swept one more time in June (@ Houston). Hopefully #3 is tomorrow. Additionally, both of those series were on the road for the Orioles, so this could be their first time getting swept at home since 2022. 

[Bertz]

12 minutes ago, mfcubs22 said:

Fool me once…

Honestly they haven't really had a prolonged easy stretch this season.  They were supposed to have one in late May/early June with that heavy dose of Pirates and Reds, and then they got Skenes and Jones both Pirates series and Greene/Lodolo both Reds series.

[NorthsideAvenger]

47 minutes ago, PeanutPunch33 said:

If the Cubs win tomorrow then horsefeathers it, I'm getting excited again 

I'm waiting till they get back to .500 before I get invested in them again.

[Sosa21MVP]

They have my attention again, I'll take that given how rough the last two months have been. 

[CubUgly]

9 hours ago, LBiittner said:

I wish we could say goodbye kyle, nicely. We need someone different in his position, but who?

I wish I could too, he'll be an all-time favorite of mine for as long as I'm around.  But when are Assad, Wicks and Brown coming back?  Need 'em all cause I still don't think we can trust Hayden right now either. 

[Derwood]

Rotation is great right now

Bullpen finally getting it together

Offense seems to be waking up 

 

[CubinNY]

23 hours ago, CubinNY said:

I think there is a little bit of a fire lit under this team as they head to the ASB. It's likely not sustainable, but in a short series, all bets are off. 

I can see the Cubs winning this game if Shota can keep the ball in the yard. 

 

[Bertz]

32 minutes ago, CubUgly said:

I wish I could too, he'll be an all-time favorite of mine for as long as I'm around.  But when are Assad, Wicks and Brown coming back?  Need 'em all cause I still don't think we can trust Hayden right now either. 

Assad is starting one of the games of the doubleheader on Saturday unless there's a setback.  Wicks I believe is trending towards the end of the month, and Brown sounded not too far off until pregame yesterday they mentioned his neck is still bothering him.  So tough to say on that last one but the others are close.

[squally1313]

10 hours ago, LBiittner said:

I wish we could say goodbye kyle, nicely. We need someone different in his position, but who?

It's not by any means "good", but since the demotion after the April From Hell, he's got a 5.31/4.24/4.23 ERA/FIP/xFIP line, and that's with allowing 9 ERs in his last 5.2 innings. League average is 4.07, so it's been just a struggle more than a disaster for a couple months now. 

[Bertz]

Curious if this is an "it's broken" IL trip or an "he needs a couple days and the ASB is Monday so might as well" IL trip.

 

[UMFan83]

9 hours ago, Sosa21MVP said:

They have my attention again, I'll take that given how rough the last two months have been. 

I was at a 0.5/10 care a few days ago.  I'm at a 1.5/10 now.  We knew they would eventually have to play a better at some point, they weren't a 55 win caliber team.  They still have a shitload of ground to make up.  They showed they could (almost) do it last year and their starting pitching will keep them in most games, but it would still take a prolonged stretch of great play to make it interesting.

The only difference is, I don't think Jed is as eager to sell as he was last year (nor does he have the chips to do so) so they probably have a bit more time to work with assuming they showed some sustained improvement.

[Stratos]

1 hour ago, CubUgly said:

I wish I could too, he'll be an all-time favorite of mine for as long as I'm around.  But when are Assad, Wicks and Brown coming back?  Need 'em all cause I still don't think we can trust Hayden right now either. 

Wesneski He seems to do better as a SP

[squally1313]

15 minutes ago, UMFan83 said:

I was at a 0.5/10 care a few days ago.  I'm at a 1.5/10 now.  We knew they would eventually have to play a better at some point, they weren't a 55 win caliber team.  They still have a shitload of ground to make up.  They showed they could (almost) do it last year and their starting pitching will keep them in most games, but it would still take a prolonged stretch of great play to make it interesting.

The only difference is, I don't think Jed is as eager to sell as he was last year (nor does he have the chips to do so) so they probably have a bit more time to work with assuming they showed some sustained improvement.

Feel like the only thing that could make this season more annoying than it already has been is to go on a run immediately after putting themselves far enough out of range that it's basically impossible to get there. There's 69 (nice) games left, they have to go 41-28 to get to 85 wins, which obviously isn't a guarantee. Going like 39-30 seems, in a way, way more frustrating than just limping to 74 wins or whatever. 

[Bertz]

8 minutes ago, squally1313 said:

Feel like the only thing that could make this season more annoying than it already has been is to go on a run immediately after putting themselves far enough out of range that it's basically impossible to get there. There's 69 (nice) games left, they have to go 41-28 to get to 85 wins, which obviously isn't a guarantee. Going like 39-30 seems, in a way, way more frustrating than just limping to 74 wins or whatever. 

The schedule should hopefully help.  After they leave Baltimore they don't play another scary team until the Yankees in early September.  There will certainly be tough series between now and then, but it's very much dependent on how the starting pitching lines up.  E.g. the Pirates are scary if you draw Skenes and Jones in a series, very manageable if you don't.  Ditto the Tigers' depending on whether or not you face Skubal.

September's a little rougher, you have 

vs. Yankees

@ Dodgers

@ Rockies (I worry about games at Coors no matter how bad they are)

@ Phillies

But it's also interspersed with some light Nationals and A's matchups.