Reds (Littell) vs Cubs (Imanaga): 8/5/25, 7:05pm

[Derwood]

Just now, Wilson A2000 said:

I don’t understand this logic. Tucker is a big part of the problem right now. He is the scenery. 

It's just psychology. If this team slumps its way out of the playoffs, why would he want to stick around (even if he's partially responsible)? If he has a disappointing season (by his standards) in his one year in Chicago, why would he want to stay?

[BKHoo]

7 hits in 18 innings. 

[DYMNO]

Just now, BKHoo said:

7 hits in 18 innings. 

That’s sad and unacceptable.

[Wilson A2000]

1 minute ago, Derwood said:

It's just psychology. If this team slumps its way out of the playoffs, why would he want to stick around (even if he's partially responsible)? If he has a disappointing season (by his standards) in his one year in Chicago, why would he want to stay?

He’s already basically said he likes Chicago. If the Cubs are the highest bidder, he’ll sign even if the Cubs fall apart in the second half. The issue is that the Cubs almost certainly won’t be the highest bidder.

[DYMNO]

1 minute ago, Wilson A2000 said:

He’s already basically said he likes Chicago. If the Cubs are the highest bidder, he’ll sign even if the Cubs fall apart in the second half. The issue is that the Cubs almost certainly won’t be the highest bidder.

And if he doesn’t turn things around quickly, I’m not convinced they should be.

[gflore34]

Think I’m taking break for a while, this horsefeathers isn’t worth my time.  Good luck.

[Wilson A2000]

11 minutes ago, DYMNO said:

And if he doesn’t turn things around quickly, I’m not convinced they should be.

It depends. If somehow this slump continues the entire second half, possibly. But I only see that happening if he’s playing through an injury and that does make evaluating him tough. Tucker is too good of a player to play this poorly for this long unless he’s hurt. My fear is that more than once the Cubs have let players play through injuries rather than IL them and that is happening again.

Edited August 6, 2025 by Wilson A2000

[JD94]

1 hour ago, UMFan83 said:

At this point, the 5 game series is an advantage for Milwaukee.  Yes the opportunity is there to win 5 straight and gain 5 games.  It's more likely than winning the actual lottery but less likely than the Bulls winning the draft lottery in one of their 40-42 seasons.  if the Brewers lose 3 of 5, they knock 5 games off the schedule and only lose a game in the standings (and lose the tiebreaker I guess).  If they go 3-2, 4-1 or 5-0 they obviously benefit.  Cubs only make a dent if they go 4-1 or 5-0

I’m just pointing out that the opportunity is there. We will see what they do with it 

[Stratos]

Did the Brewers series break them or something?

[Longhorn20]

53 minutes ago, BKHoo said:

7 hits in 18 innings. 

 

2 minutes ago, Stratos said:

Did the Brewers series break them or something?

another feeble performance

[Longhorn20]

50 minutes ago, DYMNO said:

And if he doesn’t turn things around quickly, I’m not convinced they should be.

amen, brother

[WhyCantWeWin]

Swanson has a 96 wRC+

[Stratos]

36 minutes ago, JD94 said:

I’m just pointing out that the opportunity is there. We will see what they do with it 

Cubs still have 2 full weeks until the Brewers series, there's lots of time to get the bats going before then and have the pen settle down.

It's a huge series and we'll see what the Cubs are made of.   They lost the 1st game in Detroit earlier in the year when they were the 2 best teams in the MLB and both teams were clearly fighting to prove something. They completely fell apart in the first game of the last Brewers series.   Screw sample size, they need to step up next Brewers series and show they're the better team.

 

[NorthsideAvenger]

5 hours ago, Stratos said:

Cubs still have 2 full weeks until the Brewers series, there's lots of time to get the bats going before then and have the pen settle down.

It's a huge series and we'll see what the Cubs are made of.   They lost the 1st game in Detroit earlier in the year when they were the 2 best teams in the MLB and both teams were clearly fighting to prove something. They completely fell apart in the first game of the last Brewers series.   Screw sample size, they need to step up next Brewers series and show they're the better team.

 

That series with the Brewers will end the division race and most likely damage the Cubs WC chances unless the players want to put on their big boy pants and prove us wrong.

This season is trending, to me at least, towards a bitter ending. 

 

[Eeyore]

7 hours ago, Caesar said:

Cut it out! This is not the 2016 team. Not even close.

I agree. Let's not act like Bears' fans. "Member that time when we were good forty years ago?"

[CubinNY]

They look tired to me. They are still playing mostly error free ball and the effort is there. 
 

This is on Jed and his people. And to a lesser extent Counsell. 

[NorthsideAvenger]

36 minutes ago, CubinNY said:

They look tired to me. They are still playing mostly error free ball and the effort is there. 
 

This is on Jed and his people. And to a lesser extent Counsell. 

Agreed. I also think the players were expecting a jolt at the deadline and were left disappointed. None of the players acquired are bad players, definitely are players that can help but like fans, players were expecting a spicy pickup up.

The trade deadline can make or break a team. 

[Soul]

If Tucker doesn’t finish strong I wouldn’t reward him for that with a blockbuster deal.  Can’t just disappear for a half season and expect top dollar.  That would make the decision pretty easy for me.

[Geographyhater8888]

They’ve basically been on a linear decline for 2 months now and it’s finally slapping everyone in the face with one acceptable performance from the bats in the last 9 games and the long overdue regression from the pen. It’s the reverse of last year where they can’t hold a deficit instead of a lead this time.

[17 Seconds]

before the series, i thought to myself that i'd be happy with 1 out of 3. that keeps the WC lead at 6.5 instead of 4.5

my hopes were that low, and yet

[CubUgly]

9 hours ago, DYMNO said:

That’s sad and unacceptable.

And it's been against mediocre pitching, that's just a fact.  We appear very tight at the plate, the pressure is wearing on us.  Kinda reminds me of the 2007 and 2008 playoff teams that looked like Deer in headlights at the plate and they were done before the at bats started. 

[Geographyhater8888]

Haven’t won a game where the pitching staff allows more than 4 runs since June 21st either. The Colorado series wasn’t a blimp in the radar.

Edited August 6, 2025 by Geographyhater8888

[DrCub]

19 minutes ago, Geographyhater8888 said:

Haven’t won a game where the pitching staff allows more than 4 runs since June 21st either. The Colorado series wasn’t a blimp in the radar.

I remember saying that and being told I was a moron.  Good times.  

[Geographyhater8888]

2 hours ago, DrCub said:

I remember saying that and being told I was a moron.  Good times.  

That was the night I created a 20 page thread after that extra innings loss to the Phillies pointing out the potential of a negative regression to the mean from the offense. Cubs were 14 games over at that point, now only 17.

Edited August 6, 2025 by Geographyhater8888

[Brian707]

The Cubs longest losing streak has been 2 games this year, they will get back on track today.

Counterpoint, I think their longest winning streak has been 5 games