Friday, April 05, 2024

Games 10-12 Thread: April 5-7 @ Cubs

Bellinger, back with the Cubs in 2024 for some kung fu fighting.

Fri 4.5 11.20a: Bobby Miller vs. Kyle Hendricks
Sat 4.6 1p: Yoshinobu Yamamoto vs. Jordan Wicks
Sun 4.7 11.20a: Gavin Stone vs. Shota Imanaga

The Cubs may have already lost ace Jordan Steele to injury, but they've still got some formidable arms, including Sunday starter Imanaga, aka "the Throwing Philosopher", who struck out nine in his MLB debut on April 1.

Of course, we've got our own Japanese superstar pitcher (who starts on Saturday), who has had mixed results in his two outings to date.

And it's another reunion with Cody Bellinger, who is back with the Cubs after signing a three-year, $80M deal with annual opt-outs. I liked Bellinger pre-shoulder injury, and though I was happy to see him return to form last year after two miserable post-WS years with the Dodgers, we've got plenty of ~.200 batters at the bottom of our current lineup with which to deal already (James Outman, Gavin Lux, Kike Hernandez, Chris Taylor--not to mention Jason Heyward, who is on the 10-day IL).

And look at that, we've got three of those awful hitters (Outman .120 BA / .387 OPS; Taylor .091 / .424; Lux .200 / .499) in the 7-8-9 spots for Friday's game! Surely at least one of those guys has to break out, right?

63 comments:

Steve Sax said...

GAME 1

Betts SS
Ohtani DH
Freeman 1B
Smith C
Muncy 3B
T Hernandez RF
Outman CF
Taylor LF
Lux 2B

Miller P

Steve Sax said...

This lineup is like a descent into the abyss

Betts .485
Ohtani .270
Freeman .375
Smith .406
Muncy .303 (which is super-impressive, Max! Keep it up!)

And then...

Teoscar .257

And then...

Outman .120
Taylor .091
Lux .200

(cries)

karen said...

IT"S MILLER TIME!!

Happy 25th Birthday Bobby. Make it a good one!

karen said...

If I'm not the only one here today....Did anyone else here what the girl who got Shohei's first homer said about getting merch from him but that the Dodgers treated her badly?? What up with that bitch?























karen said...

Bases juiced with 1 out for Max

karen said...

TeO brings in two...2-0 Boys T1

spank said...

@karen...i think she got sellers remorse. she was happy in the morning from what she got but by evening was all upset with everyone on social media telling her she should have got more. thats my take.

spank said...

TeO doing work

karen said...

Birthday Boy K's the side. 2-0 going to 2.

karen said...

@Spank...I had no idea what was up with her, I just saw her on the news and bitch was not happy.

karen said...

Crap crap crap Tied up in B2

spank said...

sack up Miller. don't choke with your homiez there at the game

spank said...

stupid pitch

spank said...

fuck

spank said...

Gotta laugh. all that hype about Miller's bday and dude gets run out in the 2nd. should have kept it low profile

karen said...

The things you laugh at Spanky!!

5-2 Bad Guys

karen said...

Diaz with some extremely questionable call behind the plate and Cubbys hitting the ball like there's no wind blowing in. 6-2 Cubs

karen said...

Sho Time is Back!! 6-4 Bad Guys

karen said...

Great throw by Slappy cuts Swanson down at second.

karen said...

Madrigal looking Arenado-esque at third.

spank said...

9-5 Cubs. damn. i should've not woke up from my nap

karen said...

Holy crap. 9-5 Cubs after 6

karen said...

TeO makes it 9-7...

spank said...

TeO took a quick step before he hit the bag. cost him being safe

spank said...

damn

karen said...

I cannot believe the defense by Cubs. Fat Lady singing. 9-7 Cubs

Steve Sax said...

Ugh.

Also, I’m not sure what to think about the woman who caught Shohei’s HR ball. But she should have at least have gotten a chance to meet him. And if it’s true that the Dodgers threatened to not authenticate the ball, that’s BS.

karen said...

Game 10

M Betts (R) 2B
S Ohtani (L) DH
F Freeman (L) 1B
T Hernández (R) RF
M Muncy (L) 3B
K Hernández (R) CF
C Taylor (R) LF
M Rojas (R) SS
A Barnes (R) C

Steve Sax said...

Thanks karen for the lineup post!!!

Steve Sax said...

(I also liked how you mixed up the format after yesterday’s loss. I’m right there with you on the superstitions!!!)

spank said...

Yoshi's kinda iffy so far.

Steve Sax said...

My god, the bottom of our lineup sucks.

Leadoff double from Muncy in the second and we can’t score him

Steve Sax said...

Leadoff single for Barnes. That’s surprising

Steve Sax said...

Muncy is on fire!

Steve Sax said...

Evan Phillips is getting hit here in the ninth, up 4-0

Steve Sax said...

Nico Hoerner flies to right. One out in the top of the ninth

Steve Sax said...

Mastrobuoni with a RBI groundout. 4-1 LA, two out

Steve Sax said...

Mike Tauchman PH for Gomes

Steve Sax said...

Oh that’s interesting, Michael Busch didn’t advance on that ground out. So he is still at second.

Steve Sax said...

Four-pitch walk for Tauchman, so now there’s first and second and the tying run at the plate.

spank said...

Phillips making it interesting

Steve Sax said...

Happ Ks swinging!

WIN

spank said...

woop

Steve Sax said...

First time the Dodgers didn’t score 5+ runs this year.

Steve Sax said...

GAME 3

M Betts (R) SS
S Ohtani (L) DH
F Freeman (L) 1B
W Smith (R) C
T Hernandez (R) RF
K Hernandez (R) CF
C Taylor (R) LF
G Lux (L) 2B
M Rojas (R) 3B

G Stone (R) P

Steve Sax said...

This is a weird lineup. MiggyRo at third instead of Muncy?! Why not have your best hitters against Imanaga?!

karen said...

Definitely the B lineup

karen said...

Sorry about the Game 10 yesterday. I wasn't home and my daughter posted the lineup for me

spank said...

Fuck

Steve Sax said...

Ugh. Should have put “game 11”—clearly I am to blame for that awful first inning.

3-0 Cubs through 1

Steve Sax said...

Rain sounds bad.

Steve Sax said...

I hate the MLB blackout rules.

Steve Sax said...

Stone walks the leadoff batter after having him 1-2

Steve Sax said...

When Muncy isn’t in the lineup, the horrible bottom of our lineup is too much of a liability. Kike, CT3, and Lux absolutely suck.

Steve Sax said...

4-0 Cubs on two deep flies.

Steve Sax said...

Rojas had a hit but fell running to first, so he’s out. Well done, miguel

Steve Sax said...

Mookie has been in a slump here

spank said...

Rain coming in clutch. good day for a rainout

5-0 CHI

Steve Sax said...

Rojas screwed by the weather conditions. That’s the third infield error by the Dodgers today.

spank said...

rain delay. 1 out bottom of 4th. 6-0 Cubs

Steve Sax said...

Someone wake up David Vassegh. We are going to a rain delay, Cubs up 6-0 B4

Steve Sax said...

Back from the rain delay, we look meek and are down 8-0 in the seventh. My god.

Steve Sax said...

Ugh