Reds (Lodolo) vs Cubs (Pomeranz): 5/31/25, 1:20pm

[gflore34]

Cubs will break out tomorrow and pick another game on the pissbirds.

[Derwood]

Cubs averaging 5.75 runs/game, though they've been under that number for 5 straight games

[Ding Dong Johnson]

YAY Ben Brown

YAY Bullpen (incl. Pomeranz)

YAY Reds defense

[CubUgly]

2 hours ago, PeanutPunch33 said:

Can't really say enough good things about Palencia.  He's been like the best closer in baseball the last month. 

I bet he wishes he had that 0-2 pitch to Hill back.  He'd have a pretty clean sheet had he thrown a fastball there. 

[squally1313]

2 hours ago, CubUgly said:

I bet he wishes he had that 0-2 pitch to Hill back.  He'd have a pretty clean sheet had he thrown a fastball there. 

The obsession over this pitch is maybe the funniest running subplot on the board for me 

[muntjack]

1 minute ago, squally1313 said:

The obsession over this pitch is maybe the funniest running subplot on the board for me 

I personally love it because I said outloud, "now a slider off the plate" to my gf.  I was evidently the only one who wanted that pitch. 

[BKHoo]

Both of our runs were off Cin miscues. Neither should have been a hit. 
 

I don’t know how Palencia is going to work out. I think he throws too many groovers right in the middle of the plate but one thing I love is he really wants the closer job. He wants that pressure.  

[We Got The Whole 9]

Dodgers passed us in runs scored and have so far pushed the Yankees down to +97 on the year, we are at +93.

Edited June 1, 2025 by We Got The Whole 9

[BKHoo]

3 hours ago, Derwood said:

Cubs averaging 5.75 runs/game, though they've been under that number for 5 straight games

Cubs have scored 13 runs in their last five games! That’s 2.6 per game and somehow they are 4-1. 
 

I can’t believe the Cardinals were the hottest team in baseball and now it is the Brewers. Hopefully the division beyond the Cubs cools off. 

[Rcal10]

1 hour ago, muntjack said:

I personally love it because I said outloud, "now a slider off the plate" to my gf.  I was evidently the only one who wanted that pitch. 

I said the same thing. And, had he got the slider off the plate that would have worked too. But squally is right. It is done.  No sense discussing it any longer. 

Edited June 1, 2025 by Rcal10

[Bertz]

As of right now, Ben Brown is 18th in xFIP amongst pitchers with 50 or more IP.  The two guys just ahead of him are Chris Sale and Framber Valdez, the two guys right behind him are Dylan Cease and Max Fried.

He's good.  Really really good.  Don't let SSS batted ball data try to convince you otherwise.

[squally1313]

50 minutes ago, Bertz said:

As of right now, Ben Brown is 18th in xFIP amongst pitchers with 50 or more IP.  The two guys just ahead of him are Chris Sale and Framber Valdez, the two guys right behind him are Dylan Cease and Max Fried.

He's good.  Really really good.  Don't let SSS batted ball data try to convince you otherwise.

But he Only Has Two Pitches and therefore he sucks because Starters Need Three Pitches 

[Stratos]

13 hours ago, Geographyhater8888 said:

Book on Dansby is similar to PCA. Nothing but curves and changeups, just a little closer to the zone.

PCA has looked terrible vs breaking balls from LHP.  And LHP in general.

[Stratos]

11 hours ago, Illiterate Scholar said:

Love to see the catch probability on that 2nd out. 

Great catch by PCA.  Also congrats to PCA for his first career multi-walk game.

[Stratos]

5 hours ago, Bertz said:

As of right now, Ben Brown is 18th in xFIP amongst pitchers with 50 or more IP.  The two guys just ahead of him are Chris Sale and Framber Valdez, the two guys right behind him are Dylan Cease and Max Fried.

He's good.  Really really good.  Don't let SSS batted ball data try to convince you otherwise.

FIP/xFIP aren't perfect either.  He's likely had some bad BABIP luck but he's also been hit really hard this year and last according to Savant (EV and hardhit%).  I still like Brown though.

I like the opener idea, got to miss some lefty bats and miss the top of the order in the 1st inning.  He's been really bad in the 1st inning so maybe this helps that a bit plus lets him go longer without 3rd time through vs the heart of the order.

[Stratos]

12 hours ago, Hot Sauce said:

Dansby respected 90! 

Ok boomer.

[CubUgly]

11 hours ago, squally1313 said:

The obsession over this pitch is maybe the funniest running subplot on the board for me 

Losses like that one always stay with me longer, and I don't find it particularly amusing - but I do think it was a good learning moment for Palencia.  Some players you do a favor by slowing their bat down.  Hill is absolutely one.

Yeah, MAYBE a good slider gets him, but 101 at the top of the zone definitely does.  My obsession continues!!  I know, I know it's only one of 162,it's over move on....yada, yada, yada. 

[NorthsideAvenger]

.

Edited June 1, 2025 by NorthsideAvenger

[squally1313]

49 minutes ago, CubUgly said:

Losses like that one always stay with me longer, and I don't find it particularly amusing - but I do think it was a good learning moment for Palencia.  Some players you do a favor by slowing their bat down.  Hill is absolutely one.

Yeah, MAYBE a good slider gets him, but 101 at the top of the zone definitely does.  My obsession continues!!  I know, I know it's only one of 162,it's over move on....yada, yada, yada. 

I think my bigger point, and I guess I’m genuinely asking this, is like…have you followed Derek Hill’s career closely? Is this based on a deep dive of his metrics and scouting reports? Because my suspicion is that it’s based on watching like, at most a single digit handful of his at bats, or even just the two prior pitches. Which is fine, and totally normal, for a terrible baseball player on a terrible baseball team.
 

But that is absolutely not how I want my Major League Baseball team with millions of dollars spent on scouting and analytics to operate! Like 30% of MLB pitchers can touch upper 90s these days, hitters flat out incapable of hitting that kind of speed simply don’t make the majors. His first AB of the year he pulled upper 90s from Skenes for a 110 EV double. I mean, the Rajai Davis home run is seared in everyone’s memories. It’s just not that simple. 

[Derwood]

xFIP is a good indicator of how a pitcher might perform going forward, but it doesn't excuse/erase poor performance in the past. Brown has had bad results, full stop

[CubUgly]

9 minutes ago, squally1313 said:

I think my bigger point, and I guess I’m genuinely asking this, is like…have you followed Derek Hill’s career closely? Is this based on a deep dive of his metrics and scouting reports? Because my suspicion is that it’s based on watching like, at most a single digit handful of his at bats, or even just the two prior pitches. Which is fine, and totally normal, for a terrible baseball player on a terrible baseball team.
 

But that is absolutely not how I want my Major League Baseball team with millions of dollars spent on scouting and analytics to operate! Like 30% of MLB pitchers can touch upper 90s these days, hitters flat out incapable of hitting that kind of speed simply don’t make the majors. His first AB of the year he pulled upper 90s from Skenes for a 110 EV double. I mean, the Rajai Davis home run is seared in everyone’s memories. It’s just not that simple. 

Hill is married to a high school classmate of mine's daughter, hand to God.  So, I'm willing to bet there are few if any Cub fans who has followed his progress or seen more of his at bats than me, and also the 2 pitches before that in my opinion should not be summarily dismissed at all.   Sometimes I think too much data and analysis can make the easy decision more difficulty than it needs to be.  

But I promise - I won't mention that pitch anymore - I agree it's time for me to move on.....I will.  And i think Palencia is doing great and I'm thrilled to have a couple of homegrown bullpen arms finally having some success with the club and this pleases me. 

[Geographyhater8888]

17 hours ago, Derwood said:

He's been on base 3 times today

You got me. He hasn’t had an extra base hit in 8 games. That’s where I’m going. 

[Geographyhater8888]

12 hours ago, squally1313 said:

The obsession over this pitch is maybe the funniest running subplot on the board for me 

If they miss the playoffs or even a higher seed by 1 game and none of the higher seeded teams blew a save thanks to a bad pitch selection, then the subplot is no laughing matter. 

 

[BKHoo]

10 hours ago, squally1313 said:

But he Only Has Two Pitches and therefore he sucks because Starters Need Three Pitches 

He is not a starter anymore. He is a second pitcher. 

[gflore34]

12 minutes ago, Geographyhater8888 said:

If they miss the playoffs or even a higher seed by 1 game and none of the higher seeded teams blew a save thanks to a bad pitch selection, then the subplot is no laughing matter. 

 

I don't think it was about bad pitch selection, it poor execution by Palencia, had he not hung that slider Hill probably strikes out.  I also believe a high fastball would have struck Hill out as well.