While it’s easy for myself and other and other BP Wrigleyville writers to fault Jason Hammel for his lack of recent success, the reality is that Hammel for the vast majority of the season was one of the top fifth starters in baseball. While this sounds like a back handed compliment it’s not; over time a strong fifth starter […]
Tag: Game Recap
Game 148 Recap: Brewers 11 Cubs 3
If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear, does it make a sound? The Cubs were blown out at home against a rebuilding team this afternoon. Does anyone care after all the emotions expelled yesterday? The Brewers were able to temporarily delay the Cubs march to a hundred victories, […]
Game 147 Recap: Cubs 5 Brewers 4
We Are Good. It’s been the unofficial motto of the Cubs for two seasons now, outlasting the somewhat limp corporate sheen of “Let’s Go,” and packing the same pithiness as the slogan-du-jour, “Try Not to Suck,” and it’s been evident that these Cubs are good since at least the middle of last season. Running laps […]
Game 146 Recap: Brewers 5 Cubs 4
Imagine telling yourself two years ago that you’d be quibbling over how the Cubs clinched the division, not that they had at all. And imagine that it would be the second year in a row that they’d be headed to the playoffs. How wonderfully bizarre. Like last season, the Cubs positioned themselves tonight to clinch their playoff spot […]
Game 145 Recap: Cubs 7 Cardinals 0
The Cubs reduced their magic number to one in ruthlessly efficient fashion, cruising blithely through St. Louis as if the Cardinals were a light spring rain. It was a game that took just over two and a half hours and yet still managed to be relaxing, even pleasantly boring. Finding myself in Vegas, I put […]
Game 144 Recap: Cardinals 4 Cubs 2
Dexter Fowler got the scoring started in the first with his 21st career lead-off home run, and the night did not get kinder to Cardinals starter Jaime Garcia from there. He lasted just one and two-thirds innings for what was the shortest start of his career. Alex Reyes came on, and after striking out Kris […]
Game 143 Recap: Cubs 4 Cardinals 1
In the midst of his breakout season, pitching for a team on the precipice of clinching their division with more than two weeks remaining in the season, Kyle Hendricks entered Monday night’s start with very little left to prove in 2016. He then proceeded to come within three outs of pitching a no-hitter. Hendricks faced one […]
Game 142 Recap: CUBS 9 ASTROS 5
Even during Maddon’s September rest rotation for everyday position players, after a three game stretch with the offense held at bay, something had to give. Tonight, the floodgates opened once again. Though irksome command issues surfaced toward the end of Arrieta’s outing, he took care of business with a four-hit, three-run performance and (backed by […]
Game 141 Recap: Astros 2 Cubs 1
The Astros outhit the Cubs for the second straight game, but this time managed to score two runs first. Two runs is apparently the most runs teams are allowed to score while playing in Houston. So it was a good strategy by A.J. Hinch to call for an early Alex Bregman home run. A couple […]
Game 140 Recap: Cubs 2 Astros 0
Third time is the charm after all. The Cubs are no longer stuck on 89 wins. They have now won 90 or more games in back to back seasons for the first times since the 1930 season. Milestones like this have been a frequent occurrence, and that is to be expected when watching the best […]