Cubs (Imanaga) vs Cardinals (Gray): 8/10/25, 6:10pm

[Tryptamine]

What a shock, the Brewers are up 6-1 through 4

[nihilist]

3 minutes ago, Tryptamine said:

What a shock, the Brewers are up 6-1 through 4

Laying waste to all of baseball, doesn't look like they'll lose again until spring. Cubs had to go all in at the trade deadline and balked because of prospect's prospects. I am sure the letdown trade deadline moves hurt morale deeper than anyone will say

[squally1313]

4 minutes ago, nihilist said:

Laying waste to all of baseball, doesn't look like they'll lose again until spring. Cubs had to go all in at the trade deadline and balked because of prospect's prospects. I am sure the letdown trade deadline moves hurt morale deeper than anyone will say

I kinda feel like the more the brewers win, the less angry I get about the trade deadline being so bad? Like, they’re 5 games clear of every team in baseball. Gore and Cabrera might not have been enough. 
 

(I still like our chances in a series with them)

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

The Pirates had 3 hits tonight with an xBA of .300. Jesus.

[soccer10k]

Is there any doubt that against Skenes tomorrow, the Brewers will be down 1-0, 2-1 or 2-0 after 5 or 6 innings and then win something like 5-2? Just seems like a mortal lock.

[chibears55]

6 hours ago, Tangled Up in Plaid said:

Why does it feel so ******?

Cause while the Cubs decided to start playing 500 ball the last 30 games, the Brewers chose to take advantage and started playing 800 baseball over that time.

IF Cubs would have won 5 more and the Brewers loss 5 more then all would be good in cubs country 😏

[chibears55]

14 hours ago, Rex Buckingham said:

I think part of Tucker's struggles are the fact that everyone else is tanking and they just don't have to pitch him the same way. With Seiya and PCA especially struggling, there's nobody behind him teams are worried about, so his OBP is holding steady but his slugging has gone in the tank because anecdotally, it seems like pitchers don't have to challenge him in the zone most of the time right now

This is what I felt a couple weeks ago, his OB and OPS were study because of mostly all the walks he has been taking. 

His Avg and Slg has dropped because hes simply not getting pitches to hit or drive anymore.

I dont think after 2 months that finger is still bothering him and if it was/is then they should of taken advantage of the AS break and IL him the week before to give his finger time to heal instead of playing with it.

[Geographyhater8888]

17 hours ago, Rcal10 said:

But it kind of is. Reality is the Cubs have a 95% chance to make the playoffs. I think we all would have been happy with that before the season started. We have some suggesting they will be lucky to get in and be stomped out immediately. Others suggesting this is an 83-86 win team. Again, that’s just negative commenting. Once the playoffs start the best team probably has a 15% chance of winning it all. The worst team maybe a 6% chance. Bottom line is, now and has always been, get in and hope to get lucky. Because even the best teams need to get lucky to be playing well when they get in. 

Sure, if you’re referring to people telling you the season is over despite having a 7 game lead in the wild card standings, I’d agree that’s over the top. 
I think we’re all bitter rooting for a team third in net profit with mid-high 80’s win aspirations. Ownership and the front office by extension would rather have a 6% chance of winning a World Series on a budget over being in that 15% category.

 

Edited August 12, 2025 by Geographyhater8888

[Rcal10]

1 hour ago, Geographyhater8888 said:

Sure, if you’re referring to people telling you the season is over despite having a 7 game lead in the wild card standings, I’d agree that’s over the top. 
I think we’re all bitter rooting for a team third in net profit with mid-high 80’s win aspirations. Ownership and the front office by extension would rather have a 6% chance of winning a World Series on a budget over being in that 15% category.

 

I think they built the team with 90 wins in mind. But I don’t disagree with you that they should have done more. I think they backed themselves into a corner by not getting another quality starter at the start of the season. Pivetta, as an example, would look good on this team. I would feel ok resting Horton a bit had they had Pivetta. A top 3 in a series of Imanaga, Boyd and  Pivetta would have looked good. I know people love to rip Jed for what we currently have, but IMO his off season was a result of what TR wanted, period. He spent what he could. I don’t blame him for not trading what he had to trade to make up for the mistake of not spending enough in the off season.  How happy would people be with Gore if we had to lose Horton and Shaw? I imagine Ryan came with a crazy price too. And would it even matter? Brewers would still be where they are. Most other years we would be happy to have the record we have. And we would probably be in first by 3 to 5 games. Jed can’t do anything about the Brewers, except beat them when they play them. And, tbh, if we get them in the playoffs I think we have a good chance. 

[Geographyhater8888]

35 minutes ago, Rcal10 said:

I think they built the team with 90 wins in mind. But I don’t disagree with you that they should have done more. I think they backed themselves into a corner by not getting another quality starter at the start of the season. Pivetta, as an example, would look good on this team. I would feel ok resting Horton a bit had they had Pivetta. A top 3 in a series of Imanaga, Boyd and  Pivetta would have looked good. I know people love to rip Jed for what we currently have, but IMO his off season was a result of what TR wanted, period. He spent what he could. I don’t blame him for not trading what he had to trade to make up for the mistake of not spending enough in the off season.  How happy would people be with Gore if we had to lose Horton and Shaw? I imagine Ryan came with a crazy price too. And would it even matter? Brewers would still be where they are. Most other years we would be happy to have the record we have. And we would probably be in first by 3 to 5 games. Jed can’t do anything about the Brewers, except beat them when they play them. And, tbh, if we get them in the playoffs I think we have a good chance. 

Meryl Kelly too. He’s 36 and doesn’t come with the extra year of control tax. They gave Suarez away for peanuts. I don’t know exactly what Texas gave up for him and what the equivalent cubs package would’ve been but it’s ridiculous we’re almost 5 months in and Brown is still in the rotation. I also don’t think Jed would’ve hesitated to outbid the Yankees for a sure thing Like Max Fried if he had the financial means, instead of hoping to strike to hit the moneyball jackpot in Boyd. It’s a chicken and egg kind of thing we’re looking at. 

I don’t know what the hell to make of the Brewers, we always hear about how lucky they are but they’re a perennial 90 win team with a recent history of folding in the playoffs, akin to the early-mid 2000’s Twins ground balling and duck snorting teams to death. Their rotation is what worries me. 

I’m more in the boat of asking which Michael Busch PCA and Suzuki will we be getting for last month 1/2. Is it just a slump or a slump coinciding with a regression to who they truly are as players over the course of 6 months? Because the rotation ideally has Horton in it come playoff time and that entails throwing more pitches than he ever has. And it won’t be the cubs path towards a deep playoff run, it’ll be scoring runs with all 3 trending closer to their first half performance, and that’s with the assumption that Tucker figures things out too.
 

 

Edited August 12, 2025 by Geographyhater8888

[CubUgly]

1 hour ago, Rcal10 said:

I think they built the team with 90 wins in mind. But I don’t disagree with you that they should have done more. I think they backed themselves into a corner by not getting another quality starter at the start of the season. Pivetta, as an example, would look good on this team. I would feel ok resting Horton a bit had they had Pivetta. A top 3 in a series of Imanaga, Boyd and  Pivetta would have looked good. I know people love to rip Jed for what we currently have, but IMO his off season was a result of what TR wanted, period. He spent what he could. I don’t blame him for not trading what he had to trade to make up for the mistake of not spending enough in the off season.  How happy would people be with Gore if we had to lose Horton and Shaw? I imagine Ryan came with a crazy price too. And would it even matter? Brewers would still be where they are. Most other years we would be happy to have the record we have. And we would probably be in first by 3 to 5 games. Jed can’t do anything about the Brewers, except beat them when they play them. And, tbh, if we get them in the playoffs I think we have a good chance. 

Yet, I agree - looking back on this if the issue is it cost too much, and I'm not saying it doesn't, then we need to move in the offseason and not hope the stars align.  Either way it's a Jed and Tom problem, gotta quit trying to always thread the needle.  I mean I want to give them the benefit of the doubt I'm not one of the everything they do is wrong folks - I know alot of those.  But man the really stepped in their own horsefeathers here.  

[Andy]

8 hours ago, soccer10k said:

Is there any doubt that against Skenes tomorrow, the Brewers will be down 1-0, 2-1 or 2-0 after 5 or 6 innings and then win something like 5-2? Just seems like a mortal lock.

They'll probably torch Skenes just for the hell of it and win 8-3. They do whatever they want to do at this point.

[chibears55]

4 hours ago, Rcal10 said:

I think they built the team with 90 wins in mind. But I don’t disagree with you that they should have done more. I think they backed themselves into a corner by not getting another quality starter at the start of the season. Pivetta, as an example, would look good on this team. I would feel ok resting Horton a bit had they had Pivetta. A top 3 in a series of Imanaga, Boyd and  Pivetta would have looked good. I know people love to rip Jed for what we currently have, but IMO his off season was a result of what TR wanted, period. He spent what he could. I don’t blame him for not trading what he had to trade to make up for the mistake of not spending enough in the off season.  How happy would people be with Gore if we had to lose Horton and Shaw? I imagine Ryan came with a crazy price too. And would it even matter? Brewers would still be where they are. Most other years we would be happy to have the record we have. And we would probably be in first by 3 to 5 games. Jed can’t do anything about the Brewers, except beat them when they play them. And, tbh, if we get them in the playoffs I think we have a good chance. 

Since July 1st cubs are 18-16 which would normally be ok, but for the Brewers being on a crazy run over that span, theyre 27-8, on a 10 game win streak, and have only loss 4 games since the ASB going 18-4.

So if cubs had won 3 more games and Brewers loss 3 more over that span, there would be less freaking out with fans..lol

So, who knows what will happen over these final 45 games for these 2 teams, and I dont know if the Cubs will win 7 more then the Brewers over this stretch but I dont doubt that the cubs will continue to play over 500 baseball and will make the postseason. 

Beating Brewers in playoff, how many times have we seen over the years especially since the WC started where the dominant team between the two playing during the season ends up losing in a playoff series between the two..   happens alot

 

So, im not gonna tell anyone how to fan and yes the Cubs are just threading water the last 35 games but theres still 45 games left to play, including 5 against the Brewers, this series could likely determine whether or not the Cubs can still have a shot at the Division or pretty much bury them.  But even if they get buried for the Division, they still have the WC and outside of a total melt down for them and the Reds or Cardinals playing like the Brewers, i just dont see either teams making up the 8-9 games theyre back in the loss column in just 45 games.

 

[Rcal10]

1 hour ago, chibears55 said:

Since July 1st cubs are 18-16 which would normally be ok, but for the Brewers being on a crazy run over that span, theyre 27-8, on a 10 game win streak, and have only loss 4 games since the ASB going 18-4.

So if cubs had won 3 more games and Brewers loss 3 more over that span, there would be less freaking out with fans..lol

So, who knows what will happen over these final 45 games for these 2 teams, and I dont know if the Cubs will win 7 more then the Brewers over this stretch but I dont doubt that the cubs will continue to play over 500 baseball and will make the postseason. 

Beating Brewers in playoff, how many times have we seen over the years especially since the WC started where the dominant team between the two playing during the season ends up losing in a playoff series between the two..   happens alot

 

So, im not gonna tell anyone how to fan and yes the Cubs are just threading water the last 35 games but theres still 45 games left to play, including 5 against the Brewers, this series could likely determine whether or not the Cubs can still have a shot at the Division or pretty much bury them.  But even if they get buried for the Division, they still have the WC and outside of a total melt down for them and the Reds or Cardinals playing like the Brewers, i just dont see either teams making up the 8-9 games theyre back in the loss column in just 45 games.

 

I agree with you, but have to also add, to date the. Brewers have not dominated the Cubs this season. They are 4-4. So Cubs could win the season series and still probably lose the division. A playoff series against them would be fun. 

[chibears55]

23 minutes ago, Rcal10 said:

I agree with you, but have to also add, to date the. Brewers have not dominated the Cubs this season. They are 4-4. So Cubs could win the season series and still probably lose the division. A playoff series against them would be fun. 

Was meaning more if the Brewers go on and take 4 or sweep that series, and the way they caught and separated themselves from the cubs in the second half.

But yes, a playoff series which could be in the NLCS between these two could be a real fun watch 

[squally1313]

1 hour ago, chibears55 said:

So if cubs had won 3 more games and Brewers loss 3 more over that span, there would be less freaking out with fans..lol

Village optimist checking in here (it's been a few days), but I keep going back to a version of this, which isn't the Cubs actually playing better but the Brewers just being a normal level of hot and not this historic run. Instead of 27-8, let's just say they've gone 22-13. We'd be a game and a half back from the Brewers with those five games still coming, ahead of the Dodgers and Padres, down a couple games to Philly, still comfortably up on the Mets. And then it's like....all those last facts are still true.

Granted, obviously that's not reality, and also granted I think we were all expecting a better roster post trade deadline than we currently have. But the Brewers didn't really improve themselves either, especially if you, like me, believe that the Andrew Vaughn Summer was a mirage. It might be too late to catch them, but I don't see why we should be taking ourselves out of playoff consideration at this point. 

(Though, yes, things are very annoying and bad right now, will not argue against that)

[chibears55]

52 minutes ago, squally1313 said:

Village optimist checking in here (it's been a few days), but I keep going back to a version of this, which isn't the Cubs actually playing better but the Brewers just being a normal level of hot and not this historic run. Instead of 27-8, let's just say they've gone 22-13. We'd be a game and a half back from the Brewers with those five games still coming, ahead of the Dodgers and Padres, down a couple games to Philly, still comfortably up on the Mets. And then it's like....all those last facts are still true.

Granted, obviously that's not reality, and also granted I think we were all expecting a better roster post trade deadline than we currently have. But the Brewers didn't really improve themselves either, especially if you, like me, believe that the Andrew Vaughn Summer was a mirage. It might be too late to catch them, but I don't see why we should be taking ourselves out of playoff consideration at this point. 

(Though, yes, things are very annoying and bad right now, will not argue against that)

Yes it annoying more so because the Brewers with basically the same guys that they have had all season, have turned into the 1927 Yankees the last 6 weeks, then the Cubs just keeping their head above water during that span.

What didn't help and aggravating is Jed not addressing the SP need at the deadline with someone that could of given them a spark but instead added a guy that had injury concerns, likely because he didn't cost much in prospects.

That wasn't the time to take a chance on a guy and hope to fix his problem, and especially since he was the only SP you got to help a rotation that needed two SP to begin with.

 

[mul21]

13 minutes ago, chibears55 said:

Yes it annoying more so because the Brewers with basically the same guys that they have had all season, have turned into the 1927 Yankees the last 6 weeks, then the Cubs just keeping their head above water during that span.

What didn't help and aggravating is Jed not addressing the SP need at the deadline with someone that could of given them a spark but instead added a guy that had injury concerns, likely because he didn't cost much in prospects.

That wasn't the time to take a chance on a guy and hope to fix his problem, and especially since he was the only SP you got to help a rotation that needed two SP to begin with.

 

Go check the starter's ERA since the break.

[chibears55]

12 minutes ago, mul21 said:

Go check the starter's ERA since the break.

That cool but just because theyre pitching well doesn't mean they didnt/dont need SP depth going into the deadline. 

You're lying if youre going to say they didn't 

 

 

 

 

[mul21]

5 minutes ago, chibears55 said:

That cool but just because theyre pitching well doesn't mean they didnt/dont need SP depth going into the deadline. 

You're lying if youre going to say they didn't 

 

 

 

 

The point is that starting pitching hasn't been the issue since the break.  I won't argue I'd like to have seen another arm.

[chibears55]

2 minutes ago, mul21 said:

The point is that starting pitching hasn't been the issue since the break.  I won't argue I'd like to have seen another arm.

Ok, but the discussion wasn't about the SP being an issue on the field, it was about Hoyer not addressing the depth  need there at the deadline.

[We Got The Whole 9]

If Jed just fixed the 6 slumping hitters 

[Derwood]

6 hours ago, Andy said:

They'll probably torch Skenes just for the hell of it and win 8-3. They do whatever they want to do at this point.

I predict that Skenes pitches a complete game no-hitter but the Brewers score on a walk, stolen base, sac bunt and wild pitch

[Backtobanks]

1 hour ago, We Got The Whole 9 said:

If Jed just fixed the 6 slumping hitters 

He did pick up a .160 hitter with an OPS of 15 that can play 6 positions though.

[soccer10k]

12 hours ago, Andy said:

They'll probably torch Skenes just for the hell of it and win 8-3. They do whatever they want to do at this point.

Welp you had the more accurate prediction.