Top Play (WPA): The Cubs might not end up winning the division, but taking three of four from the Pirates moves them ever closer to the coveted first Wild Card spot. This game was, as many of the recent games have been, a wild rollercoaster ride of a baseball game, but the end result was worth it. […]
Author: David Blumberg
Bonus Round: Constructing the 2015 Cubs Playoff Roster
The Cubs are going to the playoffs. There. I said it. Yes, it might be a tad overconfident for me to declare this race over and won, but the facts tell us that it would require a massive collapse for the 2015 Cubs not to be at least the second wild card. As of September […]
GAME 135 RECAP: CUBS 6 DIAMONDBACKS 4
Top Play (WPA): Everyone loves a sweep, and this one was especially sweet, given how trying the series with the Reds ended up being. Defense, offense, and pitching all came together in this one, as the Cubs played a great overall game and came away with the win because of it. There were a number […]
GAME 128 RECAP: DODGERS 5 CUBS 2
Top Play (WPA): The Cubs came into this game on a three-game losing streak, but with Jon Lester on the mound, it was easy to feel good about the team’s chances in this one. Lester, prior to the seventh inning, had justified the optimism of most by pitching extremely well en route to allowing only […]
That’s Just Some Cub Luck: How Chance Has Affected the 2015 Cubs
Cubs fans tend to have a certain fatalism about them. When things are going well, we’re constantly searching for where and when things can and will go wrong. When things are going poorly, we lose our minds and declare all hope lost. This is understandable, given the context of the Cubs’ existence. Going 107 years […]
GAME 120 RECAP: CUBS 5 BRAVES 3
Top Play (WPA): The Cubs, having failed to plate the tying run in the fifth inning, came to bat in the sixth looking to even the score. You had to feel good about their chances, too, given that the near-lethal combination of Chris Coghlan, Anthony Rizzo, and Kris Bryant were all due up. Coghlan began […]
GAME 114 RECAP: CUBS 6 WHITE SOX 5
Top Play (WPA): It seems that whenever the Cubs and White Sox get together, regardless of the relative strengths of the two teams, that fans on both sides can expect excitement. This game was no exception, as the two teams traded the lead back-and-forth, beginning in the first inning. Neither starting pitcher was very sharp […]
These Old(-Er) Cubs: Veteran Presence on the 2015 Cubs
It takes a village, or so people always say. This is, of course, certainly true of the 2015 Cubs. The team is hot right now, and the focus has been on the rookie group of Kris Bryant, Addison Russell, Jorge Soler, and Kyle Schwarber. There’s no question that the youngest members of the Cubs have […]
GAME 105 RECAP: CUBS 5 PIRATES 0
Top Play (WPA): The Cubs grabbed the lead early, added to it along the way, and never were in any serious danger of losing this game. Given how often the Cubs have been involved in nail-biters, it was nice to pick up a drama-free victory over a direct competitor for a Wild Card spot. This […]
Half an Inch of Water, and You Think You’re Gonna Drown: Surviving a Season When the Cubs are Good
Many of you may have noticed that the Cubs just won six of their last seven games, including a four-game road sweep of the Brewers. This has left most fans feeling cautiously optimistic about the 2015 season and the team’s chances of making the playoffs. However, just one week ago, the Cubs were coming off […]