Cubs Reds Game 3

[mk49]

5 minutes ago, chibears55 said:

If theyre going to be a legit playoff team, theyre going to need him, Boyd, and Imanaga to step up and pitch well in the second half.

Who knows when or if Brown is returning,  Peterson isnt someone they can count on, (wouldn't surprise me if hes DFA or put in pen once they get healthy after August 3rd) and who knows who Hoyer will be able to get at the deadline to help.

You know (like I do) Shota will pitch very well, when Amaya catches.  Boyd looked really good last time, and today, he was decent.  We'll see.  After Jamo, we get Cabrera back, then hopefully, Ben.  Then, Rea/Assad could go back to help the bullpen.  Palencia and Milner should be back.  I don't know what's going on with Riley Martin, though.  He was really good, before he got hurt.  I think we're heading (pitching-wise) to the right direction.  I mean, it can't be worse, right?

[Jason Ross]

6 minutes ago, mk49 said:

You know (like I do) Shota will pitch very well, when Amaya catches.  Boyd looked really good last time, and today, he was decent.  We'll see.  After Jamo, we get Cabrera back, then hopefully, Ben.  Then, Rea/Assad could go back to help the bullpen.  Palencia and Milner should be back.  I don't know what's going on with Riley Martin, though.  He was really good, before he got hurt.  I think we're heading (pitching-wise) to the right direction.  I mean, it can't be worse, right?

I had brought it up elsewhere, earlier, but the way I see it is that the Cubs have a lot of names who *could* comeback, but how they'll be back, and where they'll be back is up for debate. 

Between Cabrera, Brown, Steele, you probably hope one is in the rotation, one is in the pen in September, and if you get all three in any capacity, it's a major win. 

Between Palencia and Maton, you hope one of them gets back to being a mainstay at the end of a bullpen. Both have different questions as to whether or not they do.

Between Peterson, Rea, Assad, and Taillon you probably need one to eat innings in the rotation, and one to be a long-man. 

Wiggins is a wildcard. Could end up anywhere. 

Rollison, Webb, and Ferguson look like bullpen keepers. You hope or or two of the Thielbar, Thornton, Pomeranz, Hollowell cast of arms can stabilize and force you to keep them. 

In the end, you're probably left needing:
1 playoff starter
1 reliever you put in the 7/8/9 mix immediately and keep him there.
1 reliever in the 6th inning mix that you buy fairly cheaply and if he ends up off a playoff roster, so be it.

[mk49]

6 minutes ago, Dfan25 said:

54-42 at the break is outstanding all things considered . Counsell has to be in the manager of the year conversation at this point along with the Marlins skipper .

 

Basically when they play again two weeks away from the deadline . Hoyer needs to get busy and get 2 relievers and a SP

Yeah, I'm really happy with 54-42.  We lost every one in the rotation, except for Shota.  Our closer was hurt most of the time.  Maton sucked, Thielbar isn't like last year.....   It could've been much closer to .500,  

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

Hollowell looks legit when he's throwing strikes. Praying maybe Hottovy unlocked something with him

[mk49]

5 minutes ago, Jason Ross said:

Between Cabrera, Brown, Steele, you probably hope one is in the rotation, one is in the pen in September, and if you get all three in any capacity, it's a major win. 

Between Palencia and Maton, you hope one of them gets back to being a mainstay at the end of a bullpen. Both have different questions as to whether or not they do.

Between Peterson, Rea, Assad, and Taillon you probably need one to eat innings in the rotation, and one to be a long-man. 

Wiggins is a wildcard. Could end up anywhere. 

In the end, you're probably left needing:
1 playoff starter
1 reliever you put in the 7/8/9 mix immediately and keep him there.
1 reliever in the 6th inning mix that you buy fairly cheaply and if he ends up off a playoff roster, so be it.

I agree with most things you said.

If Cabrera, Ben and Steele come back, and pitch relatively well, I'd want Ben to be in the rotation, but I think Cabrera would be in it.  Ben and Steele could be the super long relievers, and that'd be great.

I don't have much hope for Maton, but I want to see Palencia start dominating again, like he did in the playoffs last year and WBC.

Between Peterson, Rea, Assad and Jamo, I bet Assad will be the best one, although I'm really hoping Jamo to pitch like his 2nd half last year.  I mean he was our best pitcher in the playoffs last year.

I don't think we'll see Wiggins this year, if most of them are healthy.  Like you said, a wildcard.

Yeah, it'll be interesting to see who we'll get at the deadline.  Pretty exciting.

 

[mk49]

12 minutes ago, Tangled Up in Plaid said:

Hollowell looks legit when he's throwing strikes. Praying maybe Hottovy unlocked something with him

Hollowell looked great today.  His first 2 games in the ST, he was great.  Not so great, after that.  So, I don't know how he turns out.  After we get more guys back, like Palencia and Milner, he'll probably go back to Iowa.  But, he might become something next year.

I'm really happy with the 1st half of the season, considering all the pitching injuries, and it should get better, when guys come back.  

Go Cubs!

Edited 1 hour ago by mk49

[Derwood]

Happ finished the first half just 9 K's shy of the all-time record for K's at the ASB.

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

1 minute ago, Derwood said:

Happ finished the first half just 9 K's shy of the all-time record for K's at the ASB.

[Jason Ross]

4 minutes ago, mk49 said:

I agree with most things you said.

If Cabrera, Ben and Steele come back, and pitch relatively well, I'd want Ben to be in the rotation, but I think Cabrera would be in it.  Ben and Steele could be the super long relievers, and that'd be great.

I don't have much hope for Maton, but I want to see Palencia start dominating again, like he did in the playoffs last year and WBC.

Between Peterson, Rea, Assad and Jamo, I bet Assad will be the best one, although I'm really hoping Jamo to pitch like his 2nd half last year.  I mean he was our best pitcher in the playoffs last year.

I don't think we'll see Wiggins this year, if most of them are healthy.  Like you said, a wildcard.

Yeah, it'll be interesting to see who we'll get at the deadline.  Pretty exciting.

 

With Brown it isn't that he wouldn't be capable. It's "is there enough time"? He's not throwing. We don't have a timeline. Whether or not he can build back up and get into a rotation is going to be hard. We don't even know if he's coming back this year. 

As it pertains to Maton, he's shown nothing in his stuff to suggest the arm is cooked. Maybe the knee is. But he was an excellent reliever last year, has been good multiple years in his career...I get he's been bad so far, but he's got potential to be very useful if he's 100% healthy. 

[squally1313]

4 minutes ago, Derwood said:

Happ finished the first half just 9 K's shy of the all-time record for K's at the ASB.

Are we sure that’s accurate? Schwarber has 19 more Ks this year. 

[mk49]

3 minutes ago, Jason Ross said:

With Brown it isn't that he wouldn't be capable. It's "is there enough time"? He's not throwing. We don't have a timeline. Whether or not he can build back up and get into a rotation is going to be hard. We don't even know if he's coming back this year. 

As it pertains to Maton, he's shown nothing in his stuff to suggest the arm is cooked. Maybe the knee is. But he was an excellent reliever last year, has been good multiple years in his career...I get he's been bad so far, but he's got potential to be very useful if he's 100% healthy. 

Yeah, I know about Ben.  

For Maton, I hope you'll be right.  He has one more season with us.  Even if he keep sucking this season, I'm still hoping he'll be good next year.

Edited 57 minutes ago by mk49

[Jason Ross]

2 minutes ago, squally1313 said:

Are we sure that’s accurate? Schwarber has 19 more Ks this year. 

Another thing: while Happ has certainly struck out a lot, I  believe we are playing a handful more games before the break than ever before. The league has pushed up OD by a magnitude of a few weeks the last couple of years, That has to play a role too.

[Derwood]

41 minutes ago, squally1313 said:

Are we sure that’s accurate? Schwarber has 19 more Ks this year. 

The previous (i.e. pre-2026) record was Adam Dunn with 134 in 84 games

Edited 17 minutes ago by Derwood

[Rcal10]

39 minutes ago, squally1313 said:

Are we sure that’s accurate? Schwarber has 19 more Ks this year. 

 

35 minutes ago, Jason Ross said:

Another thing: while Happ has certainly struck out a lot, I  believe we are playing a handful more games before the break than ever before. The league has pushed up OD by a magnitude of a few weeks the last couple of years, That has to play a role too.

Happ haters don’t need to be accurate or give the entire picture when presenting a negative stat on him. It has been this way for 6 years. When he is going bad the cherry picking of him sucking starts. Then when he is playing well it all goes away for a bit. In the end he ends up roughly the exact same player he was every year he has been in the league. Yet every year people will suggest he is done. 

[Derwood]

Overall record is 223. Happ is on pace for ~210

[Derwood]

1 minute ago, Rcal10 said:

 

Happ haters 

Pointing out a stat make me a "Happ hater"?

[Rcal10]

6 minutes ago, Derwood said:

Pointing out a stat make me a "Happ hater"?

Not really meant do you. I realized after I sent the post that you presented the stats. There are some here who constantly find time lines to show Happ sucking. In the end, Happ will end up around a 115-120 OPS+ guy like he does every year. But some people love to post negative numbers on him while he is playing poorly. That said, his streaky play is annoying. He frustrates me too. But I try remembering that is who he is and he will turn it around. 
But, to be fair, you did leave out Happ played 12 more games than Dunn and actually it is now Schwarber who holds the record. 

Edited 6 minutes ago by Rcal10