Aaron_Kennelly

Time to go on a run of 10 in a row, spread out over three weeks, because every other game gets rained out.

The Pirates horsefeathering suck. It's quite possible we win another 1-0 game if we start literally anyone but Chatwood. Stop giving him chances. Enough already.

horsefeathering DL Russell already. horsefeathers.

Time for the dongs.

Man, I'm glad we aren't the Astros.

Just how the Chili-Ballin' 2018 Cubs drew it up: shutdown starting pitching and dongs being our only offense.

Not good at all. And completely unexpected. I was prepared for this exact news but about Quintana. Go find some pitching that cleared waivers.

There's a 95% chance Craig Edwards wrote that under a pseudonym.

I'm rooting for whatever combination prevents both of them from making the playoffs -- whatever that might be.

I think pretty much the only time I've referenced RD seriously this year was in early May or whenever when we were a couple games over .500 but the VRD said we had played better. I thought it was fluky that our offense was so boom-or-bust with so many 12+ run games and the long droughts. They've been a lot more stable offensively since then. And our Pythag record is now the same as our actual record. I agree that we haven't played well lately. We were probably unlucky then and are lucky now. But that horsefeathers happens. I think it's silly to take a completely arbitrary VRD sample out of a larger whole, though. I don't think it's silly at all to simply point out that, not coincidentally, they've had a pretty unremarkable stretch at best where, again, not coincidentally, the offense has looked...uninspired. It doesn't mean they're horsefeathers, or that this will continue, and it's awesome that the stupid Brewers remembered who they were at about the same time, but basically taking a "LALALALALALALALA, I CAN'T HEAR YOU APPROACH" to how one of the things most stable about them is how little they score for weeks now is a tad goofy. There's better things to start swinging your dick over, that's all. I've been swinging my dick for three straight years now and the Cubs have remained the best team in the division the whole time. A three-week slump from the offense isn't going to make me stop swinging. The Cubs have more talent than everyone and they've played pretty good baseball this year on the whole. I remain convinced that will continue to be the case. And the reason I haven't been listening to any of the wailing and bemoaning "real collapse potential" is because the Cubs haven't been in any real danger all year. Here is the Cubs' playoff odds progression this year. They've been over .500 in every month. They've consistently been a good baseball team. But I'm the goofy one for not constantly freaking out.

My main thing with the starting pitching is that I just don't care. I think people have focused way too much on it as the Cubs have played their way to the best record in the NL despite it. If there was any optimism from me in the rotation turning it around, it had way more to do with the hundreds of quality inning we've seen from them before this season. It takes more than 80 innings for me to fully accept that this is the new normal. The only one who has really fooled me is Quintana. I did think he was going to turn it around, at least somewhat. I thought there were signs of progress. But I only thought there might be progress because of what he's done the rest of his career. If he had pitched like Eddie Butler before this season, my thinking would be a lot different. Anyway, I was wrong. If anything, he's gotten worse. I've since given up on him. But, oh well. Still in first. Still the best team in the NL.

That's not to say that our RD the last few weeks doesn't matter at all. It means that we are a lesser team than I would have thought three weeks ago. But three weeks ago, I thought we might challenge 100 wins. But the last three weeks are still only a part of the whole.

I know this is your thing now, but what was the threshold that they passed in the first half where you decided that the RD was legit and not just an arbitrary collection of endpoints? 40 games? 50? 60? Like, it just seems SLIGHTLY ahead of yourself to be getting all cocky on their offense right now. I think pretty much the only time I've referenced RD seriously this year was in early May or whenever when we were a couple games over .500 but the VRD said we had played better. I thought it was fluky that our offense was so boom-or-bust with so many 12+ run games and the long droughts. They've been a lot more stable offensively since then. And our Pythag record is now the same as our actual record. I agree that we haven't played well lately. We were probably unlucky then and are lucky now. But that horsefeathers happens. I think it's silly to take a completely arbitrary VRD sample out of a larger whole, though.

1-0 doesn't help our L23 VRD very much, though.

Nice win. 20 games over .500 for the first time this season. Largest lead of the season at 3.5 games.

Javy Tags will never get old.

I'm usually not optimistic when it comes to injuries, and I'm not with Bryant, either. I do agree with the sentiment that Bryant could come back at any time and not be a complete zero with the bat. When he returns, I think he'll be more of a singles and doubles hitter that can get on base at a decent rate. He probably could be that right now. If he just needs rest, then rest him. Let his shoulder heal as much as possible and get the best version of him possible in the lineup for the playoffs. To do that, he can't be trying to play through it and exacerbating anything. But, as far as this year is concerned, no, I don't think we'll be seeing MVP Kris Bryant. He'll just be a guy. He'll try to play through it and he won't be anything close to the same. But oh well. Nothing we can do about that now.

Quintana is pitching Sunday, so you're not costing us anything then.

Yep. Rene Rivera would be a perfect addition for that role.

Actually Urena is the only one in the live-ball era to do it, apparently. Lackey is the last starter thrown out after hitting the first batter, but it must not have been on the first pitch.

The last one to do it? You guessed it... John Lackey.

Really shitty thing to do under any circumstance, but with where the two teams sit in the playoff race, even more shitty. Cowardly.

We passed Detroit in post-ASB VRD today.

Fly it!