This is the weird new version of the interleague rivalry series that unfolds whenever teams are playing some division other than their direct counterpart in interleague play that year. As such, the Cubs and White Sox will play four consecutive games this week, but split them between their two home parks. Accordingly, each side will […]
Author: Matthew Trueblood
You’re Probably Underrating Addison Russell
A while ago, a columnist in Boston wrote an article charging that Kris Bryant is overrated. I wrote a refutation of it, noting that Bryant just isn’t the kind of player that columnist wants him to be; he’s something different. He’s tremendous, a superstar who figures to be a vital part of the Cubs for […]
Game 93 Recap: Mets 2 Cubs 1
Tuesday night’s game was one of the biggest wins of the Cubs’ season to date, and the scoreboard didn’t even show it. The Arrieta Section: Unsure where this should fall in the narrative of the game itself, I decided it was worth simply breaking it out into its own space. Jake Arrieta, the ace who carried […]
Series Preview: Mets at Cubs, July 18-20
If things go according to plan, this series could be the last time a diminished Cubs team takes the field. Dexter Fowler could be back by the end of this week. From the sound of it, Jorge Soler might not be far behind him. That convalescence comes as the clock starts ticking a bit more […]
Game 91 Recap: Rangers 4 Cubs 1
A bad sequence John Lackey didn’t stop soon enough, and a dominant performance by Cole Hamels prevented the Cubs from sweeping the Rangers, but the wins Friday and Saturday ensured the team would begin the second half on the right foot. Top Play (WPA): For two uneasy innings, it looked like Hamels might shut the Cubs […]
Montero or Hammel Could Be Casualties of Cubs’ Long-Term Plan
Quietly, Miguel Montero and Jason Hammel have been huge parts of the Cubs’ success over the last two seasons. Montero was worth 3.9 WARP in relatively modest playing time last year, and has been worth 1.3 WARP already this year—in addition to which, he’s been Jake Arrieta’s partner in crime, Willson Contreras’s mentor, and one […]
All-Star Game Recap: American League 4, National League 2
This is an exhibition, so even if WPA was tracked for it somewhere (and I have no doubt that it was), we’re not going to do a WPA-centric, standard-issue recap. Instead, the highlights, the local interest, and then some big-picture thoughts, below. Old Awards, New and Wonderful Names Prior to this game, MLB officially renamed […]
Wrigleyville Preview: the All-Star Game
Like most things in life, the MLB All-Star Game is what you make of it. If you want, you can be cynical about it and credibly put it down–the silly red carpet run-up, the stretching of commercial breaks, and especially, the fact that 41 players were officially named NL All-Stars this year. On the other […]
Game 87 Recap: Pirates 12 Cubs 6
The Cubs’ pitching staff is an abject mess right now. It’s roughly that simple. Okay, it isn’t, but we’ll get into why soon enough. For now, that first sentence is a sufficient explanation of the team’s 15th loss in 20 games. Top Play (WPA): Things began so promisingly. A one-out Kris Bryant walk begat a two-out, two-run, […]
Game 84 Recap: Reds 5 Cubs 3
Another day, another close loss. The Cubs could have won this one, but the fact that they didn’t isn’t especially galling. They just need to keep plugging. Top Play (WPA): Superstardom seems forever right around the corner for Addison Russell, and it’s never felt closer than it did during this series. Russell came up with […]