Top Play (WPA): The Cubs continued to cement their World Series contender status while racking up their win number 93—their fourth straight victory—a satisfying blowout of the lowly Reds. Interestingly, it took a few innings for the Cubs’ offense to get going, despite the lopsided final score. The Reds actually had the edge in win expectancy […]
Author: Zack Moser
Getting Deep, Going Deeper
I’m a historian by trade—or, more correctly, by bachelor’s degree. Before I started writing for BP Wrigleyville, I was much more likely to pump out 3,000 footnoted words on Andre Dawson and collusion than an accessible analysis of Addison Russell’s changed approach at the plate. Given that background, I have a natural tendency to revisit things […]
Game 152 Recap: Brewers 4, Cubs 1
Top Play (WPA): Kyle Hendricks, wonderfully profiled by our own Rian Watt, pitched very well against the Brewers Wednesday evening, but not well enough to best baby-faced Zach Davies in the game that will be forever known as The Battle between Two Pitchers Who Look Considerably Younger Than This 23-Year-Old Author. Hendricks cruised through four and […]
Andre Dawson and the Overlooked Collusion Cases of the 1980s
The collective sigh of relief when Kris Bryant debuted on April 17th not only signaled the end of Cubs fans’ anxiety, clamoring for their superstar in making—it also signaled an end to the annoyance and frustration of those tired of reading about Bryant’s service time clock, the issue that dominated baseball’s late-winter news cycle. After […]
Game 143 Recap: Pirates 5, Cubs 4
Top Play (WPA): This game felt like it was over early, with Jason Hammel struggling to get through even the 3 2/3 he did complete and the offense’s ineptitude versus peak Gerrit Cole. The Cubs would eventually relinquish the ballgame late, another episode in the team’s recent reliever struggles. Despite this, the afternoon’s top play […]
Can Rizzo Really Hit Lefties This Well?
Earlier this week, fellow BP Wrigleyville writer Matt Trueblood and I had a fun conversation on Twitter regarding Anthony Rizzo’s true hitting prowess versus left-handers. The crux of our “argument” rested in my belief that Rizzo can continue to hit lefties as well as he has this season, while Matt casts a bit of side-eye […]
Game 136 Recap: Cubs 9, Cardinals 0
Top Play (WPA): This one was never in doubt. The Cubs have an opportunity to gain ground on both Pittburgh and St. Louis this week, and the Cubs’ 9-0 victory over their arch rivals is a good start to a key series. The game’s top two plays both came from the Cubs’ sparkplug, Dexter Fowler. […]
Hammel’s Second Half Blues, Part Deux
Jason Hammel failed to throw six innings again Wednesday, a modest feat he’s only accomplished twice since the beginning of July. After failing to retire Joey Votto and Brandon Phillips in the sixth, Joe Maddon sauntered to the mound to once again pull Hammel early. The Cubs’ recent skid, in which they’ve lost three consecutive […]
Game 125: Giants 4, Cubs 2
Top Play (WPA): This was one of those games in which the first inning is played in a certain style… and then the rest of the game is a complete departure from that style. In this one, some weird defensive miscues and some close calls led to our top play. Leadoff man Kyle Schwarber popped […]
Game 119 Recap: Cubs 7 Braves 1
Top Play (WPA): After a couple of disappointing losses to the Tigers in which the Cubs scored eight runs each, this game served as a good palate cleanser. The Cubs took the lead in the third and never looked back. After back-to-back Addison Russell and Dexter Fowler singles and a Kyle Schwarber flyout, Chris Coghlan […]