It’s easy to get lost in the hyperbole of a rough stretch of games, especially ones against so-called “playoff preview” opponents, so the recent four-game sweep at the hands of the Mets during said stretch has left a stinger in the palm of many Cubs fans, though maybe not the players themselves. All of this […]
Tag: Game Recap
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 […]
Game 90 Recap: Cubs 3 Rangers 1
Top Play (WPA): Let’s take a moment to swoon over Yu Darvish’s slider: a dirty, pretty thing that eludes batters with its sudden downward drop-off. In just his fourth start of 2016 and his first following a DL stint for shoulder discomfort, Darvish wielded his standout pitch brilliantly, striking out seven Cubs by the time […]
Game 89 Recap: Cubs 6 Rangers 0
We witnessed a near-perfect 2016 Cubs performance on Friday afternoon, beginning the ceremonial second-half with a bang against the AL-best Rangers. Good pitching, patient and timely hitting, savvy managing, and superb defense: this game was a good one on all fronts. Top Play (WPA): Although the fireworks would come later, it was the Cubs’ half of […]
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 […]
Game 88 Recap: Cubs 6 Pirates 5
Oh, how they needed that. Top Play (WPA): With Dexter Fowler injured, “You go, we go,” has become a more fitting slogan for the Cubs’ opponents, who have persisted lately in hammering Cubs pitching almost immediately after the Cubs’ batters put runs on the board. Such was the case again in today’s cat-and-mouse game. Ben […]
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 86 Recap: Pirates 8 Cubs 4
Top Play (WPA): Let’s start with some good vibes, shall we? Before the Cubs Cubsed their way to maybe the Cubsiest loss all Cubs season, it looked like it might be a vintage Good Cubs comeback victory behind strong pitching from their ace. The Cubs scraped one run off of the Pirates’ lead in the […]
Game 81 Recap: Mets 14 Cubs 3
An age-old sports question is what is the most preferable way to lose. Is it more damaging to be blown out or to suffer a nail-biting defeat? Cubs fans have gotten a side-by-side comparison throughout the four-game rematch of the 2015 NLCS. The answer is that they both suck, especially when they happen four straight […]
Game 80 Recap: Mets 4 Cubs 3
Look, before starting this recap, go search “cute dogs” or something. The All-Star break is near, the Cubs are scuffling, and Jake Arrieta is out of whack. The Cubs have dropped the first three games of the series to the dreaded, hated, despicable, unfathomably evil Mets. Top Play (WPA): The lone bright spot in this […]