Top Play (WPA): It’s the top of the sixth and despite some issues with his control, Jason Hammel has managed to limit the Marlins to just one run. There are two down and the game has been a thrilling battle of struggling offenses.
Then former-Cub minor leaguer Justin Bour comes to the plate. I remember Bour as another one of those players you see in minor-league box scores but never makes any top-prospect lists. So this game was the first time I actually saw what Bour looked like—he’s a big guy and he took Hammel’s first pitch and put all his considerable weight into it, launching a home run to right field (.197) to give the Marlins the lead.
It hurt for several reasons: because the Cubs have been struggling to score runs, because a guy that used to be in the system gave the other team the lead, and because you could sense this might be the deciding play of the game. Check it out—Hammel’s body language tells you how deflating this play was (and no he’s not looking for a contact lens):
Bottom Play (WPA): On close games like this, the bottom play is just what you would expect: the actual play where you lose the game. Addison Russell had a chance to play the hero by getting a base hit and driving Jonathan Herrera in from second.
But he didn’t. He battled to a 2-2 count and then struck out swinging on a change-up (-.132). Game over.
That ninth inning wasn’t pretty. Just as Len Kasper was talking about Herrera’s superior bunting ability, his attempted sacrifice went right back to the pitcher, who fired to second from his knees to throw out Chris Coghlan. Instead of taking advantage of Coghlan’s leadoff single and getting two shots to drive him in from second, the Cubs had to start over with one out, which didn’t help their cause.
It was a microcosm of the entire game, which was pretty boring and without incident (or excitement) until things got tense towards the end of the game. But you’ve heard it all before: Cubs pitch well, can’t score, and lose the game.
Here’s a video of a man giving his son a ball and then the son throws it away…kind of like how Cubs pitching has kept the team in most games and the offense just has been chucking it away:
Key Moment: In the eighth inning the Cubs found themselves trying to stay within striking distance (down by one) while the Marlins had the bases loaded with two outs. Travis Wood was facing J.T. Realmuto and got him to a full count, which meant the runners would be in motion.
It was the most tense moment of the game—both Realmuto and Wood battled hard as the Marlins catcher fouled off three pitches before finally striking out and keeping the Cubs close.
Wood managed to keep the Cubs within one run, which is what the pitching has been doing lately. Hammel pitched well despite some early control issues and the rest of the pen put up zeros. But it’s the offense, stupid. Or it’s the stupid offense. They just can’t score runs on a consistent basis and the main reason is—oh wait, that’s the next section of the recap…
Trends to Watch: If the Cubs keep running lineups out there with Chris Denorfia and Herrera in them, the offense is going to keep flailing. Which is ironic because Herrera hit a home run the day before and Denorfia has been hitting the ball well (including a single and a shot to deep left-center today).
The Cubs need their main players to get healthy and come back. They need the depth guys to provide depth, not to start. That means getting Jorge Soler, Tommy La Stella, Mike Olt (where he’ll play I don’t know—but still), and Javier Baez back on their feet and smashing baseballs.
The team is young and adjusting and growing, but if the Cubs are serious about making the playoffs this year, they either need to get healthy fast or make a move that will give them the production they were expecting from guys like Soler and Alcantara. Who knows, maybe the biggest move they make is shifting Bryant to the outfield so someone like Olt or Baez can play the infield—but it needs to happen sooner rather than later.
Coming Next: The Cubs made a deal right after the game—but unfortunately it’s got nothing to do with the offense. They traded for former Padre Clayton Richard in exchange for—well, nothing (except for some money). Turns out Richard has a weird clause in his contract that let other teams “express interest” in them and by giving him a spot on their active roster they can acquire him. I’ve never heard of a deal like that before, but it’s pretty cool.
Anyway, Richard is going to start Saturday for the Cubs. Hopefully they can get some fireworks going before the game ends, otherwise that recap will read just like this one. The Marlins aren’t a good offensive team (especially without Giancarlo Stanton) and if the Cubs can’t get their Ws against them, then maybe the playoffs aren’t a realistic expectation.
Lead photo courtesy of Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports