Diamondbacks (Nelson, 6 - 6, 4.98 ERA) vs. Cubs (Steele, 2-3, 2.71 ERA) 1:20 CDT

[mul21]

[squally1313]

lol of course

[mul21]

1 minute ago, squally1313 said:

lol of course

[squally1313]

Copy/pasting over here

Some assorted thoughts before I realize Brock mul has beaten me to setting up this game thread:

• Cubs were hot, hopefully Cubs ride Shota's shut down ASG inning and stay hot
• This series doesn't count double but they are yet another team going for a wild card spot, so knocking them down a peg would help out more so than a normal win
• Hendricks going Saturday is a choice, but I guess with a 4.26/3.52/4.13 line since being added back to the rotation (in 5 starts), he's earned a normal role. 
• Tauchman off the IL, Canario back to AAA
• Remember when PCA hit 2 dongs in St Louis? That was fun
• Got like 10 days here to keep themselves in the race before the people who have been calling for a sell off since May start yelling even louder. Good matchups today and Sunday, let's start with today.
• Mad Men gif? Mad Men gif. Me wanting to be buyers because why not, it's more fun:

[Brock Beauchamp]

Thank you for starting this thread. I totally forgot baseball resumed today. I've been living in blissful ignorance of the world for the past 72 hours.

[WhyCantWeWin]

Mastrobuoni over Tauchman is interesting, clash of two beloved 30 year old journeymen 

[Andy]

3 minutes ago, WhyCantWeWin said:

Mastrobuoni over Tauchman is interesting, clash of two beloved 30 year old journeymen 

"Beloved" is a strong word

[Bertz]

This is about as must win as games get.  Cubs probably need to go 4-2 on this homestand to keep the buyer dream alive, and this is the easiest matchup of the 6.

[chibears55]

12 minutes ago, squally1313 said:

 

• Got like 10 days here to keep themselves in the race before the people who have been calling for a sell off since May start yelling even louder. Good matchups today and Sunday, let's start with today.
• Mad Men gif? Mad Men gif. Me wanting to be buyers because why not, it's more fun:

They don't have much to sell if they go that route but if they make any major moves either way, they likely will wait til the 31st.

So, yea they have 11 games til then and to move the needle to adding significant players for a strong playoff push, im gonna say they'll need to win at least 7 of them.

Otherwise,  I think theyll basically stay as is with some minor moves both ways, adding and subtracting.

[mul21]

3 minutes ago, WhyCantWeWin said:

Mastrobuoni over Tauchman is interesting, clash of two beloved 30 year old journeymen 

I think this is the biggest indicator of the end of the Morel at 3B experiment.

[WhyCantWeWin]

3 minutes ago, Andy said:

"Beloved" is a strong word

With the amount of leeway and playing time Mastro has gotten with his 42 wRC+, i think it’s safe to assume he is beloved to someone on the coaching staff/FO

[Bertz]

Also weird that we got word on Tauchman but not on whatever the pitching move is to backfill for Palencia at the same time.  It's presumably Merryweather.

[WhyCantWeWin]

3 minutes ago, mul21 said:

I think this is the biggest indicator of the end of the Morel at 3B experiment.

Yeah seems like, probably the best decision if they are going all in to win. Losing that DH spot is going to make it a lot harder to get all those outfielders consistent at bats when Bellinger is back

[Bertz]

I should have waited a few more minutes to post about the Palencia spot

 

 

 

[chibears55]

1 minute ago, mul21 said:

I think this is the biggest indicator of the end of the Morel at 3B experiment.

If that the case then they should look to trade him and get pitching in return. I'm sure there will be playoff teams willing to part with a good A or AA pitching prospect for his bat.

They have or can add in offseason a player who can mainly be a DH all season for them.

[Bertz]

10 minutes ago, mul21 said:

I think this is the biggest indicator of the end of the Morel at 3B experiment.

I didn't realize he'd only started one of the last 10 there.  Yeah looks like, kind of like we talked about in the offseason, he can maybe get some time there if flyballers like Shota or Taillon are pitching but absolutely not on Steele or Hendricks (or Wicks if he were alive).

[Outshined_One]

5 minutes ago, Bertz said:

I should have waited a few more minutes to post about the Palencia spot

 

 

 

Ugggggggggggggh.  I get that Wicks will be eligible to return this season, but I was hoping for good news for him coming out of the All Star Break.

[mul21]

Well that Wicks news blows.  Was there any indication that would happen?  I don't recall it being that dire when he went down.

[Bertz]

2 minutes ago, Outshined_One said:

Ugggggggggggggh.  I get that Wicks will be eligible to return this season, but I was hoping for good news for him coming out of the All Star Break.

I'm hoping it's less setback and more the fact that we're already 35 days in to his IL stint.  Although Brown's 41 days into his IL stint so not sure how to interpret him not being transferred instead?

[CubinNY]

Good news fellas, Dansby says he's a better person for sucking balls in the first half. 

[PackLandVA]

35 minutes ago, mul21 said:

I think this is the biggest indicator of the end of the Morel at 3B experiment.

Not really certain the everyday DH thing is working either.

[squally1313]

Very weird how Morel gets a lot of 'well look at the advanced stats, he's just been getting really unlucky, there's a bounceback coming' support for his 51 point difference in wOBA and xwOBA but you don't seem to hear the same thing for Dansby and his 45 point difference.

(Good to be back)

[mul21]

2 minutes ago, squally1313 said:

Very weird how Morel gets a lot of 'well look at the advanced stats, he's just been getting really unlucky, there's a bounceback coming' support for his 51 point difference in wOBA and xwOBA but you don't seem to hear the same thing for Dansby and his 45 point difference.

(Good to be back)

I'd bet a lot of that is the fact that Morel's K/BB numbers are improved over last year and Dansby has looked like he's never seen a baseball before frequently at the plate this year.

[LBiittner]

2 hours ago, WhyCantWeWin said:

Mastrobuoni over Tauchman is interesting, clash of two beloved 30 year old journeymen 

I wonder if Wrigley organist will be adopting the "I touch myself" walk up song for mastro since St Louie organist thought it humorous last weekend?

[CubUgly]

1 hour ago, WhyCantWeWin said:

Yeah seems like, probably the best decision if they are going all in to win. Losing that DH spot is going to make it a lot harder to get all those outfielders consistent at bats when Bellinger is back

It bothers me that guys like Madrigal and Mastro seemed to put in short but concentrated work and became fairly good defenders at 3B and Morel can't seem to improve there much at all.