Somewhere Ernie Banks is smiling. Doubleheaders may not be Joe Maddon’s favorite, but he has to be happy with the fact that the Cubs won easily and without drama in both games of today’s doubleheader. These wins are an appropriate balm for frustrating losses to the Cardinals on Saturday and Sunday. In the night game, the […]
Day: August 16, 2016
Game 117 Recap: Cubs 4 Milwaukee 0
Call it the Cahill and Montgomery game. Top Play (WPA): The Cubs were already leading the Brewers 1-0 when starter Matt Garza walked Dexter Fowler leading off the third inning. After a Kris Bryant pop out for the first out, a single by Anthony Rizzo put two on with just one out. Ben Zobrist hit […]
“Sugar,” Tommy La Stella, and Anticlimax
People are feeling all kinds of things about Tommy La Stella—anger, contempt, sympathy—but the writers so far who have best approximated my own feelings are the ones who get at how murky and elusive the story is. Here at Wrigleyville, Ken Schultz rejected the simple narrative—spoiled young player needs to toughen up and do what he’s told—and […]
It’s Time For The Cubs to Prepare for the Playoffs
With eight weeks of regular season baseball remaining, the Cubs have assumed a commanding position in the standings. Even allowing for Sunday’s loss to the Cardinals, Chicago still has a commanding twelve-game lead over St. Louis in the NL Central. With that kind of margin in mid-August, and a roster with as much talent as this one has, the Cubs […]
Series Preview: Cubs vs. Brewers, August 16-18
Heavy April rain has made this a four game series, with the oft-dreaded day-night doubleheader to open it, but the Cubs have been wildly successful in the last two weeks, winning 13 of their last 15. Losses on Saturday and Sunday to the Cardinals at the hands of the bullpen have certainly frustrated the fanbase, […]