Brewers (Harrison) vs Cubs (Holmes): 08/31/26, 6:40 PM

[squally1313]

Shaw is not a shortstop. Play him at second if you want (Pedro has been pretty mediocre there, eye test wise) but shortstop is the most important position and you want your best guy there. 

Busch is your best option, outside of fatigue concerns we shouldn't be just hoping to fall into a worse hitter hitting better for whatever reason. 

[Jason Ross]

Asking to see BJ Murray start at 1b immediately is the ultimate shiny-new-toy syndrome. He's put in a lot of work and has had a pretty good year. He's also 26 and a repeater who had to go to Double-A to figure baseball-life out again. He doesn't need to start tonight. The Cubs are playing Milwaukee. Play the best players.

[ILMindState]

Is Ramirez OK? Who's spot is Murray taking?

[gflore34]

9 minutes ago, Jason Ross said:

Asking to see BJ Murray start at 1b immediately is the ultimate shiny-new-toy syndrome. He's put in a lot of work and has had a pretty good year. He's also 26 and a repeater who had to go to Double-A to figure baseball-life out again. He doesn't need to start tonight. The Cubs are playing Milwaukee. Play the best players.

It's my whacked up idea of trying to catch lightning in a bottle.

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

BJ Murray is a weird sept call-up.

[Jason Ross]

1 minute ago, Tangled Up in Plaid said:

BJ Murray is a weird sept call-up.

I think it makes some sense. You need a 1b somewhere on this roster. He's Rule-5 eligible (and we should assume it's going to happen until it isn't...even if it feels likely to follow the 2021-2022 offseason). So I have no issue with it. He's not exciting but as a 28th man you probably aren't going to be exciting.

[Rcal10]

5 minutes ago, Jason Ross said:

I think it makes some sense. You need a 1b somewhere on this roster. He's Rule-5 eligible (and we should assume it's going to happen until it isn't...even if it feels likely to follow the 2021-2022 offseason). So I have no issue with it. He's not exciting but as a 28th man you probably aren't going to be exciting.

I agree. I think he makes a lot of sense. Had a good year. He can switch hit. He plays 1st and 3rd. At the last bat on the bench he makes sense. They also had to make a decision on him anyway, in the off season. So putting him on the 40 man now isn’t a big deal. But is he active today? If so, who is dropped. Kind of an odd time for this. 

[Jason Ross]

2 minutes ago, Rcal10 said:

I agree. I think he makes a lot of sense. Had a good year. He can switch hit. He plays 1st and 3rd. At the last bat on the bench he makes sense. They also had to make a decision on him anyway, in the off season. So putting him on the 40 man now isn’t a big deal. But is he active today? If so, who is dropped. Kind of an odd time for this. 

Because it's August 31st, I would assume someone is unable to play today or that this move is pending a tomorrow official call-up. If he is officially called today. I would be concerned that Busch has a knock we don't know about. However, I hope it's more of a "Michael Busch is having a kid!" and can't play for two days type thing. 

[Stratos]

57 minutes ago, gflore34 said:

I'd pencil him in at 1B tonight.  Busch is really slumping and why can't the Cubs, for once, catch lightning in the bottle with a call up?  Every other horsefeathers team pulls this horsefeathers out their collective asses, why can't the Cubs?

If they wanted to rest Busch they should have done it long before tonight.  We're playing the Brewers so it's go time, even if the division seems out of reach

[Jason Ross]

We're clear. No injuries to report. Murray will be the September callup. He won't be active today.

[Rcal10]

4 minutes ago, Jason Ross said:

Because it's August 31st, I would assume someone is unable to play today or that this move is pending a tomorrow official call-up. If he is officially called today. I would be concerned that Busch has a knock we don't know about. However, I hope it's more of a "Michael Busch is having a kid!" and can't play for two days type thing. 

If we are hoping for someone who has to miss a few days for bereavement or a new child, can’t we hope it is Arias instead of Busch😅

[Stratos]

The pen is regressing to the mean a bit.  We knew guys like Thorton weren't as good as their results.  We need Palencia to get sharp and to get something out of Zeferjahn.

[Jason Ross]

14 minutes ago, Rcal10 said:

If we are hoping for someone who has to miss a few days for bereavement or a new child, can’t we hope it is Arias instead of Busch😅

If there was a case where the Cubs called up a 1b/3b today as opposed to tomorrow, it's not because of the backup SS. It's almost assuredly for a pretty bad situation.

Thankfully, he's just the Sept 1st callup. So crisis averted. 

[Soul]

24 minutes ago, Stratos said:

The pen is regressing to the mean a bit.  We knew guys like Thorton weren't as good as their results.  We need Palencia to get sharp and to get something out of Zeferjahn.

Palencia’s the key, right?  He needs to be Palencia again. Then Webb / Zeferjahn settle in to 7th / 8th duty, some combo of Civale / Assad / Shota / whoever else for longer relief.

Maybe then the pen would have a chance to catch its breath.  Clarify roles.

[BKHoo]

3 hours ago, gflore34 said:

People are way overrating the Phillies, I'm not saying the Cubs will surely beat them.  But, they're not some unbeatable super team, their not overall superior to the Cubs and are very, very, beatable.

Their starters run laps around ours in a playoff scenario. 

[chibears55]

2 hours ago, ILMindState said:

Is Ramirez OK? Who's spot is Murray taking?

Likely the September 1st call up tomorrow 

[Rcal10]

26 minutes ago, BKHoo said:

Their starters run laps around ours in a playoff scenario. 

I don’t even know what this is supposed to mean. Who cares! If you are telling me Holmes, Gausman and Boyd can’t hold the Phillies to 1 or 2 runs in 6 or 7 innings I would tell you that isn’t true. Sure Wheeler, Sanchez and Luzardo are all very good. But how did they do against the Cubs? Cubs have a better line up. If Swanson is back and they have all their regulars in place their pitchers can pitch a good game. I know people are worried about Boyd specifically. But the Phillies are bad against lefties. They can be beat. Why focus on the only thing the Phillies have over the Cubs instead of focusing on the Cubs having a far superior defense and offense. 

[gflore34]

Be awfully horsefeathers nice to delay the inevitable Brewers are the greatest team ever assembled piece from Trueblood by winning tonight Cubs.

[JHBulls]

One of the dumber challenges I’ve seen this year. 

[chibears55]

Taylor!!!

He jacked the shitt out of that one

[PeanutPunch33]

taylor should start over happ all the time 

[mk49]

Good to see his 1st HR.

Edited 4 hours ago by mk49

[chibears55]

8 minutes ago, JHBulls said:

One of the dumber challenges I’ve seen this year. 

Yea, we get upset when cubs don't challenge,  but we've seen team waste theirs early often

[PeanutPunch33]

great start 

[mk49]

Back to back!😄