Ski

While everything seems to be relatively tame: Quick, everyone envision the worst possible thing the Cardinals could do so it isn't as dejecting when it inevitably happens.

Great swing, Castro.

Hahaha. [expletive] you, Holliday.

Wood looking better so far this inning.

Cubs are 10-0 so far this season when they score 5 or more runs: http://www.baseball-reference.com/play-index/inning_summary.cgi?year=2015&team_id=CHC&submitter=1 So, do your thing, offense.

sounds like baseball Oh, I know. Doesn't make it any less frustrating.

Yeah, sure. We can't score off of scrappy Brewers relievers but they can threaten against one of our ace setup men. Sounds legit.

It just wouldn't be right if the Cub got too many breaks in one inning.

Karma.

http://i.imgur.com/plvCrYv.gif I love baseball. I also hate baseball. In any reasonable world we score 27 runs against these scrubs. Instead, we have 3 so far.

That'll show 'em. Oh yeah. "You guys were playing shitty baseball today. Stop playing shitty baseball. It's not hard." Cubs proceed to score 8 runs a game for the rest of the year.

Kinda hope Maddon tears into the team for putting on such a shitshow today. It's not like we're getting mowed down by Kershaw out there.

For [expletive]'s sake, this guy has an ERA of 5+. I don't expect us to put up 8 runs in the first, but we can at least get a freakin' hit off of him. [expletive], Cubs. You have good hitters. Start acting like it.

That wasn't a [expletive] strike.

I know we won today, but let's not suck against another mediocre pitcher again tomorrow, please.

Because of course Peralta is still sharp and hitting all his spots after 110 pitches. Please don't [expletive] this up, Cubs.

I know he's only had four starts so far, but entering the season, I don't think anyone had him pegged higher as a serviceable fourth or fifth starter, mainly due to his low strikeout rate last year (5.27 K/9, or slightly higher than one strikeout every two innings). However, this year, Kendricks is sporting a a K/9 of 8.27, or just under one batter an inning. It's still early in the season, but K/9 is one of the fastest pitcher stats to stabilize, at 70 batters faced. Hendricks has faced 87 batters so far this season, so his elevated strikeout rate likely isn't just a product of small sample size. His BB/9 is still low, at 1.74, and while BB/9 doesn't level off until 170 batters faced, Hendricks has always been a pinpoint control pitcher, so I don't think anyone is worried his walk rate suddenly spiking this year. Hendricks's elevated strikeout rate, combined with his traditionally low walk rate, makes his K/BB rate good for 23rd in baseball. He's also increased his ground ball percentage over last year (57.1% versus 47.8%). GB% is another encouraging pitcher statistic that stabilizes quickly, requiring only 70 balls in play (Hendricks has exactly 70). Not to mention that his FIP (3.32) and xFIP (3.29) are roughly two runs below his ERA (5.23), which can partly be blamed on a low strand rate (60.3%) and slightly high BABIP (.312). It's still early, but based on his peripherals, Kyle Hendricks is looking a lot closer to a #2 or #3 pitcher than a #4 or #5 pitcher so far.

So, Baseball Prospectus expects us to play at a .525 pace for the rest of the season, just .002 behind the Cardinals, at .527. I expect that the Cardinals losing Wainwright and the model probably being sunnier on Arrieta than it was before the season are huge factors in closing this gap. http://www.baseballprospectus.com/odds/

Bah. This didn't look like strike three on Rizzo.

Mike Leake is only slightly above average yet it feels like we always struggle against him. Hope to buck that trend tonight.

Well, that sucked.

With a better bullpen and/or bullpen management we probably sweep.

I know major league hitters can strikeout on fastballs down the middle. Doesn't make it any less frustrating.

Again, the Pirates get all the timely hits. Of course.

You're sick of a series where we stand a pretty strong chance of taking 3 of 4? I realize the outcomes have been good so far, but it feels like every game has been beyond frustrating. With this great offense and the number of times we've just missed a home run or failed to have a ball drop in, it'd be nice to have a blowout where we can cruise and enjoy the game the rest of the way. Naturally, emotions flare up in the heat of the moment.