Alex Wood (9-8, 3.70) vs. Jake Arrietta (16-6, 2.22).
Put any thoughts of sweepage out of your mind, Dodger fans. First, this game is on national television, a stage on which we do not perform well. Second, three Cubs regulars have >.500 batting averages against Alex Wood (over the last five years): Starlin Castro (.500 BA); Chris Coghlan (.667), and Chris Denorfia (.800). Third, Arrietta (the Cubs' ace) is third in the majors for ERA, behind Zack Greinke and Sonny Gray--and is 10-1 on the road.
Going into play tonight, we're at 16 games over .500, as high as the Dodgers have been all year long. Enjoy the altitude now, because a sixth-consecutive win in front of a national audience would be downright shocking.
(but wouldn't it be awesome if we won?!)
image idea from SoSG Dusty Baker!
117 comments:
Added image thanks to Dusty Baker's idea!
Rollins, SS
Utley, 2B
Gonzalez, 1B
Ethier, RF
Crawford, LF
Grandal, C
Pederson, CF
Hernandez, 3B
Wood, P
Joc gets a rare start...but Turner sits?!
Now added a video to the GT. That's a pretty funny skit.
Probably more smiles there than we'll get in today's game.
(sad trombone)
Hope the boys in blue slather up with the sun screen
Oh, and Ron Roenicke just heard: he can't have children
STL 7, SF 5 (T9)
Tim Kurkjian on ESPN is extolling Jake Arrietta's virtues, sharing a story that Arrietta can walk across the clubhouse on his hands.
If Arrietta can do that, there's no way we're winning today.
(sad trombone)
Buster Olney and his hairpiece are both reporting from Dodger Stadium. Olney is recounting Mattingly's pre-game comments in which he described the Giants as "cockroaches," in that they won't go away.
That comment is going to come back to haunt us, I'm sure.
(sad trombone)
Baseball Tonight team talking about how the Giants are 9-3 against the Dodgers this year, with seven head-to-head games to play.
We are doomed.
(sad trombone)
Baseball Tonight team predicting the Giants will win five of the seven head-to-head games.
No hope.
(sad trombone)
Giants in the bottom of the ninth, first batter (Adrianza) Ks.
But they still have two outs, and they're only down by two runs.
(sad trombone)
Marlon Byrd, Giants trade-deadline pickup, has 4 RBI today.
Mat Latos, Dodgers trade-deadline pickup, has zero wins in four games started for the Dodgers.
(sad trombone)
Giants' Susac gets Kd, and then Nori Aoki grounds out to end the game. St Louis wins.
But the Giants are still only four games back of the Dodgers, with seven head-to-head games to play. They'll narrow that gap.
(sad trombone)
And I feel bad that I even had to root for St. Louis, in the first place.
(sad trombone)
And now ESPN is doing a big feature valentine piece on Joe Maddon, our opponent's manager. It's hard not to love the guy after this piece.
Public sentiment will swing the Cubs' way tonight.
(sad trombone)
Japan trailed 10-2 in the LLWS, and ended up winning 18-11?! Wow, that's impressive!
There's no way we can mount a comeback like that, not with this offense.
(sad trombone)
Dodgers only 20-31 vs. teams above .500; 12-23 vs. playoff competitors.
(sad trombone)
We are going to have to start calling you Sad Saxy.
(sadder trombone)
Well crap. How did they get 2 runs??? Other than it being a national game and all??
Spanky...Did you see what Byrd did today? I think we're right about him. He's going to be the 2015 version of Cody Fucking Ross.
did Curt Schilling become a Caitlin? he sounds like a woman.
yeah, Karen. it was bound to happen. if we had gotten Byrd he'd still be looking for his first hit as a Dodger.
Nah, he'd be on the DL!!!
Wood certainly seems to be getting everything in the neighborhood called his way, though I missed the first. I was stuck in the drive-thru at Taco Bell, and they still forgot my Meximelt.
/sad trombone
holy crap! Jessica Mendoza replaced Schilling in the broadcast booth.
noice
ESPN: At least four innings of blather about shadows per game. Guaranteed.
Alex Wood has given up two runs, five hits, and gotten only five outs.
2-0 CHC, top 2
(sad trombone)
Alex Wood and his ridiculous delivery is totally missing the strike zone. He's not even close.
51 pitches, still in the second. That means we'll have to go to the bullpen early.
(sad trombone)
@Cliff: because Collaspo sucks
Wood Ks Bryant for the third out, stranding two.
But the Cubs are still up 2-0.
(sad trombone)
^Collapso
Callaspo with the 2015 Dodgers: OPS+ of 79. Plus two errors.
(sad trombone)
Arietta makes very quick work of the Dodgers. He's got a no-hitter through two.
(sad trombone)
Sax...Get out of my head! When he said 6 up, 6 down I thought the same thing.
Goddammit. I want Uribear back.
Now the ESPNers talk about Posey being underrated and an MVP candidate, because of course during a Dodgers-Cubs game.
/rusty trombone
Did anyone hear Vin telling the story about Oyster Pubes when the Evildoers were trying to sign Jon Lester? Oyster Boy showed up on Lester's doorstep and said 'Hi. I'm Buster Posey and I'd like to be your catcher for the next 6 years'.
Alex Wood barely gets out of the third inning, stranding another two Cubs. Still 2-0 CHC.
(sad trombone)
Pederson returns to the starting lineup and promptly strikes out.
(sad trombone)
Hit or error?
Hernandez reaches base but only because Starlin Castro can't handle a ball hit right to him.
Doesn't matter, as Kruk is focusing on how foolish Pederson looked in his K.
(sad trombone)
@karen: scorers rule it an error, so Arrietta's no-hit bid is still intact
(sad trombone)
Damn. Error.
Still no hits.
Thompson's Water Seal has just about the most boring outdoor advertisement possible, digitally positioned for ESPN behind home plate. What is that font, Times New Roman? How 1990s.
(sad trombone)
There you are in my head again...
WE HAVE A BASERUNNER!
And Rollins strikes out, as expected. 2-0 Cubs through three.
(sad trombone)
Arrieta still has a no hitter
Arrieta still has a no hitter
Arrieta still has a no hitter
Arrietta does indeed have a no-hitter through four. Of course, this would be a great highlight for ESPN Sunday Night Baseball when it happens.
(sad trombone)
Shit. I knew I should've picked up Amari Cooper in my fantasy drafts.
/hindsight sad trombone
My cat could K Joc these days.
Joc Pederson has the walk on a 3-1 count, but his check swing goes over so he doesn't get the walk. And then he Ks.
Arrietta's no-hitter is intact through five.
(sad trombone)
STILL NO HITS
STILL NO HITS
STILL NO HITS
STILL NO HITS
#BlameSax
(mournful bassoon)
Watching Joc in the batter's box just makes me sad now.
Alex Wood finally has a 1-2-3 inning in the sixth.
The Cubs still lead, 2-0.
(sad trombone)
Juan Nicasio is already up in the bullpen, as Alex Guerrero comes in to PH.
Nicasio.
(sad trombone)
Guerrero hits a first-pitch comebacker. Nice AB there, Alex; way to make Arrietta work!
(sad trombone)
Didn't we just get no hit last week?
Rollins walks, but Utley promptly flies out to left to end the inning. No-hit bid is still alive through six full.
(sad trombone)
ESPN is reporting (and I use that loosely) that the Cubs will wear their pajamas on the flight home tonight.
The Dodgers, arguably, have not even put on their uniforms for this game.
(sad trombone)
Nicasio is now in.
(sad trombone)
Nicasio surrenders a leadoff double.
(sad trombone)
Nacasio off to a great start...
Unbelievable. Comebacker to Nicasio, had he opts to throw back to second base, but very high. Rollins has no chance for the tag on Fowler--AND, the runner reaches first. Now there's two on with none out.
Way to go, Juan. Idiot.
(sad trombone)
This is getting painful
I may have to break out the Ben and Jerry's...
Nicasio gets a gift called strike three on Bryant.
But there are still two on with one out.
(sad trombone)
Bases now loaded. One out.
Nicasio about to self-destruct on national television.
(sad trombone)
Nicasio amazingly gets 4-6-3 double play to get out of it.
The Dodgers still don't have a hit and are down 2-0.
(sad trombone)
The devil jumps up!!
JAKE ARRIETA IS PITCHING A NO HITTER
JAKE ARRIETA IS PITCHING A NO HITTER
JAKE ARRIETA IS PITCHING A NO HITTER
Gonzalez grounds out on the first pitch.
Arrietta is now eight outs away from a no-hitter.
(sad trombone)
WTF Dre??
Andre Ethier's K there was so weak, he looked like a wet noodle.
Two outs in the seventh, only seven outs for the no-hitter.
And Crawford lines out to second for the final out of the inning.
(sad trombone)
Ethier fooled badly.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Va5_rn3vG3A
Nothing like national television to expose how bad our offense is.
(sad trombone)
Howell comes in and immediately gives up two basehits, including one to Arrietta.
Two on, one out, T8
(sad trombone)
Camera shows two old guys in the crowd wearing Koufax shirts. They could probably pitch better than Howell right now.
(sad trombone)
Howell gets out of it with a GIDP.
The Dodgers are still down 2-0 and have no hits, with only six outs left.
(sad trombone)
Grandal looks foolish in his K, to start the eighth.
Chris Arrietta is five outs away from a no-hitter.
(sad trombone)
5 OUTS FOR A NO HITTER
Arrietta does not have a no-hitter in his career.
But he is making us look foolish tonight. Pederson, a strike away from a K.
(sad trombone)
NO HITTER NO HITTER NO HITTER
4 OUTS FOR A NO HITTER
Pederson flies weakly to right.
Two out.
(sad trombone)
I blame Curt Schilling
Arrieta reminds me of a bumgarner/Brian Wilson hybrid. Fuck this guy.
3 OUTS FOR A NO HITTER
Sax, in HTML5 form
Hernandez grounds out, so it's a no-hitter through eight innings.
McGwire frickin' blows. The Dodgers' approach to these at bats is pathetic.
(sad trombone)
@Jason: I'd like to thank you for that link, but my google chrome just crashed again, mid-animation.
(sad trombone)
Fowler has a leadoff single in the ninth, and is looking to add an insurance run for the Cubs.
(sad trombone)
Baez gets a strikeout, but it won't matter. We're still losing.
(sad trombone)
3 OUTS FOR A NO HITTER
3 OUTS FOR A NO HITTER
3 OUTS FOR A NO HITTER
3 OUTS FOR A NO HITTER
3 OUTS FOR A NO HITTER
3 OUTS FOR A NO HITTER
This feels like Kris Bryant's 15th at-bat of the night.
Baez strikes out Bryant (called strike three), and even he is surprised with the unexpected call.
We don't expect a good outcome.
(sad trombone)
Single to right gets Fowler over to third, since Puig isn't playing RF and Andre's arm is a fraction better than Juan Pierre's
(sad trombone)
ESPN keeps showing pained expressions on Chase Utley's face, as if he is not happy to be here
(sad trombone)
We need to find out who tonights official scorer is and send Spanky to pay a call on him
Dodgers get out of it, so now it's to the bottom of the ninth to see Arrietta jubilant, on national television
(sad trombone)
NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO
HITTER HITTER HITTER HITTER
FUCKDRE FUCKDRE FUCKDRE FUCKDRE
At this point, Vin Scully has to be reassessing his decision to come back next year.
(sad trombone)
We hadn't been no hit this year until we got Chutley...I blame him.
And ARod
I don't even care about losing at this point, the Cubs still gain a game over the gnats in the wild card race. I just don't wanna get no-hit.
Idiot fans behind home plate have their backs to the plate. Embarrassment to LA fans.
(sad trombone)
Turner fans on a pitch in the dirt. One out in the ninth.
(sad trombone)
2 OUTS FOR A NO HITTER
It's so bad, they are doing the "charge" music when there's a 1-2 count.
(sad trombone)
Rollins' second strike is so slow, it's still crossing the plate.
(sad trombone)
Rollins just watches strike three go by.
Great effort there, Jimmy!
(sad trombone)
1 OUT FOR A NO HITTER
Fucking Roenicke, losing streaks, no hitters, Vin announces his final year. He's the living incarnation of every baseball curse of legend.
Butt.
And, Utley with a weak K to end it. Dodgers no-hit for the second time in the blink of an eye.
(sad trombone)
FUCK RACHEL DRATCH ALL UP IN BOTH EARS
PGT up.
Believe me, I had this one queued early.
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