Chicago Cubs 2017 Season

#426      
IanKEvans2
With the Cardinals' loss yesterday, the magic number is down to 4 for both the Brewers and Cardinals.

In other MLB news, the Indians are only one game back of the Dodgers for best record in baseball.
 
#428      
IanKEvans2
Cubs can eliminate the Cardinals from the division chase with one win in four chances starting tonight in St. Louis.

The Brewers are off today, so technically the Cubs cannot clinch with a win tonight.
 
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#429      
champaignchris
Never want to take things too much for granted (2004 happened, after all) but it certainly looks like the Cubs are headed to a third straight post season for the first time since 1906-07-08.
 
#430      
South Farms
a division title is basically a fore gone conclusion at this point


Cubs will open at Nationals on Friday 10/6.
Let the roster speculation begin:


Position Players (13)


Catcher:
Contreras
Avila


First
Rizzo


Second
Baez
Zobrist


Third
Bryant


Shortstop
Russell


Utility
LaStella


Outfield
Almora
Happ
Heyward
Jay
Schwarber


Pitchers (12)
Arrieta
Lester
Hendricks
Quintana
Lackey
Montgomery
Edwards
Duensing
Davis
Wilson
Strop
Rondon
 
#431      
KBLEE
They don't need 5 starters in the playoffs. Remove Lackey and replace with Leonys Martin.
 
#432      
South Farms
KBLEE said:
They don't need 5 starters in the playoffs. Remove Lackey and replace with Leonys Martin.
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I just don’t think Joe is going to do that . I think Lackey’s intangibles to the team outweigh what Martin adds with his skill set

Lackey has said he would do whatever Joe asked of him in the playoffs
 
#433      
champaignchris
Use 14 position players and 11 pitchers for the short series. Reevaluate if you make it past that. That’s been Maddon’s modus operandi the last two years.

Contreras, Avila, Rizzo, Zobrist, Baez, Happ, Russell, Bryant, Schwarber, Jay, Almora and Heyward are all locks. That leaves two of LaStella, Rivera and Martin. LaStella has had a great year as a pinch hitter. So he’s in. Rivera’s been a better player than Martin, but it’s hard to see how he contributes. Martin can be a pinch runner and late inning defensive replacement. So he’s in.

Lester, Arrieta, Hendricks, Quintana, Montgomery, Davis, Strop, Edwards, Duensing. That’s 9 locks. Is Rondon healthy? How much confidence does Joe have in Grimm or Wilson? Can Lackey be effective out of the pen? I would probably pick Wilson and Rondon - if healthy, Grimm otherwise. The fifth starter is pretty much always left on the sideline (see Dan Haren in 2015 and Jason Hammel in 2016) and this year Lackey is that 5th starter, and not even a particularly good one.
 
#434      
South Farms
champaignchris said:
Never want to take things too much for granted (2004 happened, after all) but it certainly looks like the Cubs are headed to a third straight post season for the first time since 1906-07-08.
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Im 56 years old, and finishing above .500 three years in a row is rare air for this team since 1961.


Thank the baseball gods for the Rickets', Theo, and Joe. Its made all the difference.


Now, if we can just get the McCasksky's to sell
 
#439      
champaignchris
Justin Wilson with 17 hits and 18 walks allowed in 15.2 innings pitched since coming over from the Tigers. I’ve never seen anything like it, someone having such a great year before a trade and then completely falling apart. You saw Maddon’s frustration with him when he took Wilson out last night in the middle of an at bat.

Can’t imagine he’ll be on the playoff roster at this point. So i’m Thinking Lackey takes his place and is used as Jake or Lester insurance. Since both of those guys have been looking pretty shaky. Lackey could come in early in the game if one of them don’t have their stuff in a game.
 
#440      
IanKEvans2
champaignchris said:
Justin Wilson with 17 hits and 18 walks allowed in 15.2 innings pitched since coming over from the Tigers. I’ve never seen anything like it, someone having such a great year before a trade and then completely falling apart. You saw Maddon’s frustration with him when he took Wilson out last night in the middle of an at bat.

Can’t imagine he’ll be on the playoff roster at this point. So i’m Thinking Lackey takes his place and is used as Jake or Lester insurance. Since both of those guys have been looking pretty shaky. Lackey could come in early in the game if one of them don’t have their stuff in a game.
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That and Snake's hamstring isn't 100%, as he revealed postgame last night.
 
#441      
JIllini
If we haven't done enough to the Cardinals yet, a win by the Cubs tomorrow would eliminate them from the wild card race I believe.
 
#442      
IanKEvans2
JIllini said:
If we haven't done enough to the Cardinals yet, a win by the Cubs tomorrow would eliminate them from the wild card race I believe.
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:thumb:

And this would be from a lineup likely to be filled with September call-ups, giving the starters a day off to rest their heads.
 
#443      
South Farms
IanKEvans2 said:
That and Snake's hamstring isn't 100%, as he revealed postgame last night.
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Lackeys last 5 starts , the Cubs are 4-1

W 2-0
L 0-2
W 8-2
W 5-4
W 5-1

2 or fewer walks in each game . His control has been excellent

How can you not start him in a game ?
 
#445      
BWBW
Hmmm.

1.8 runs over 5 games, assuming Lackey gave up all 9 runs. That's some good pitching. It is fair to assume Lackey helped the Cubs into the post season and is peaking for a good postseason run.

Don't have time to check right now, but a comparison with the other 4 starting pitchers over their last 5 games seems to be in order.

I don't have a dog in this fight, but go ahead and bite me. :)
 
#446      
IlliniJim20
While Lester has the better track record, hasn't he struggled lately? Seems to be up and down.

Like BWBW, I don't have a dog in this fight, but . . .NOT A cub fan, but like Hendricks. It seems he has struggled as well.
 
#447      
South Farms
The last 4-5 weeks, Lester & Arrieta have been very unpredictable. Minor injuries being the excuse .

Lackey , Quintana and Hendricks have all had pretty good months .

If Jake is not 100%, then I might not slot him in this series .

No one is arguing Lackey isn’t the 5th best pitcher on the staff , but baseball is a game of streaks , and right now he’s pitching like he’s the ace . Don’t think Joe hasn’t noticed .
 
#448      
IanKEvans2
IlliniJim20 said:
While Lester has the better track record, hasn't he struggled lately? Seems to be up and down.

Like BWBW, I don't have a dog in this fight, but . . .NOT A cub fan, but like Hendricks. It seems he has struggled as well.
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Hendricks has been very good since coming back from the DL in late July. I think there is zero chance he's left out of the rotation.

And they are going to ride Arrieta as long as he's effective, for similar reasons as Chapman last year. He's not going to be a Cub in 2018.
 
#449      
KBLEE
IanKEvans2 said:
Hendricks has been very good since coming back from the DL in late July. I think there is zero chance he's left out of the rotation.
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Hendricks has the highest WAR of any Cubs starter. I'd like to see him start Game 1.
 
#450      
IlliniJim20
IanKEvans2 said:
Hendricks has been very good since coming back from the DL in late July. I think there is zero chance he's left out of the rotation.

And they are going to ride Arrieta as long as he's effective, for similar reasons as Chapman last year. He's not going to be a Cub in 2018.
Click to expand...

KBLEE said:
Hendricks has the highest WAR of any Cubs starter. I'd like to see him start Game 1.
Click to expand...

Thanks, I just seem to recall a few games he struggle. Small sample size I admit.
 
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