Cubs (Steele) vs Pirates (Jones): 8/27/24, 5:40pm

[squally1313]

This is all confusing because I was told repeatedly that because we scored runs last night we weren’t going to score tonight and also that Steele was going to get rocked 

[Donzo]

Still a few innings away, but if this holds, I want Hodge in the 9th. No need for Lopez to finish. What an easy spot to give Hodge more 9th inning experience.

[chibears55]

13 minutes ago, Donzo said:

Can Smyly pitch or is he in limbo?

Thinking the pen will pitch the last four innings. Steele with 93 pitches.

Kinda don't want to risk him getting hurt or lit up if you really want a team to claim him. 

[Donzo]

Yeah, there's that.

[JHBulls]

PCA trying to steal second against Willson Contreras catching and Javier Baez receiving the ball at second base. 
 

I would pay money to see that.

Edited August 28, 2024 by JHBulls

[Tryptamine]

Better have a real short leash on Keegan.

Edited August 28, 2024 by Tryptamine

[squally1313]

Just needed a couple to find his sea legs 

[Tryptamine]

Just now, squally1313 said:

Just needed a couple to find his sea legs 

Damn I guess. He looked miserable the first couple hitters, then just straight up destroyed the next 3.

[Tryptamine]

Starting to feel like there's a pretty small chance Bellinger is opting out. No one is going to give him the 100M deal it's going to take when he's sporting a 108 wRC+.

[squally1313]

2 minutes ago, Tryptamine said:

Starting to feel like there's a pretty small chance Bellinger is opting out. No one is going to give him the 100M deal it's going to take when he's sporting a 108 wRC+.

Yeah you have to imagine the mega contract dream is dead at this point. Maybe there’s an angle where he wants job security and takes like a five or six year, $80-$90 deal so he doesn’t hit free agency in two years? Beating a dead horse on my end, but going Chapman instead would have been really nice. 

[Irrelevant Dude]

I could have sworn Dansby's mom was older than that.

[squally1313]

102 from palencia with some movement (admittedly after the pirates catcher turned around 101 at the knees and almost hit it out)

[squally1313]

Some loud contact what seems like good stuff. 

[JHBulls]

PCA speed is crazy wow. How does he dive for the baseball, miss the catch, slip on the surface and still sprints after the baseball at the wall and gets to it before Ian Happ.

[squally1313]

Kinda want to see Cruz time up a fastball and shatter the exit velocity records 

[chibears55]

10 minutes ago, Tryptamine said:

Starting to feel like there's a pretty small chance Bellinger is opting out. No one is going to give him the 100M deal it's going to take when he's sporting a 108 wRC+.

Yea, he'll probably stay and hope for a better season in 2025 to decide if he wants to opt out after then.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Annoying to have to use Hodge after Palencia had strike 3 on Reynolds go uncalled to end the game

[Derwood]

5 hours ago, CubinNY said:

Palencia was recalled, Neely was sent down. A fresh arm, hopefully he can throw strikes

NARRATOR: "He could not throw strikes"

[squally1313]

WW. Go get Skenes tomorrow. 

[mfcubs22]

9 minutes ago, Transmogrified Tiger said:

Annoying to have to use Hodge after Palencia had strike 3 on Reynolds go uncalled to end the game

Don’t like the result for Palencia, but also don’t mind Hodge throwing a few pitches there. He hasn’t pitched since Friday and there’s an off day after tomorrow. 

[mfcubs22]

7 minutes ago, squally1313 said:

WW. Go get Skenes tomorrow. 

Hendricks vs Skenes. Surely we’ll complete the sweep this time. 

[Bertz]

More hard contact than you'd like, but I love that the bullpen is in a place where the B team goes 8 Ks to 2 BBs.

Resign Lopez and add one more late inning option and I don't think you need to worry next year, even early.

[Derwood]

Annoyingly, everyone ahead of us in the WC chase also won

[UMFan83]

21 minutes ago, Derwood said:

Annoyingly, everyone ahead of us in the WC chase also won

There's really no point to watch the scoreboard.  The season is effectively over.  For instance here is a scenario:

The Cubs would need to go 21-8 to reach 88 wins

In order to pass the Braves, Atlanta would have to go  15-15 or worse

or

The Padres would have to go 11-17 or worse

or

The Diamondbacks would have to go 12-18 or worse

or

The Brewers would have to go 12-19 or worse

It's definitely possible, but the likelihood of the things that need to happen are so low, its not worth scoreboard watching.

Of course, I'm not going to tell anyone how to fan.  Obviously the Cubs winning games has been fun and its fun to have hope.  Just giving general advice based on how low the odds are.  I'm just enjoying watching the team play well and using it as hope that things will be different next year.  Unfortunately it was just a bad season to take 2 months off since the bar for the Wild Card (and division) is so high this year.  Last year teams made the WC in the NL with 83 and 84 wins.  This year there is a very real chance that all 3 WC teams will have over 90 wins.

Hopefully this is a lesson to Jed that he can't aim for building 85 win teams

Edited August 28, 2024 by UMFan83

[Irrelevant Dude]

I agree that those things aren't happening.  It's a bit frustrating that 1 of the 3 teams didn't give the Cubs are least a small opening, but as long as there is still a non-zero statistical chance of making the playoffs, we can naively enjoy watching the Cubs play good baseball and just forget about what the other teams are doing.  Unfortunately though, the hole was just too deep.