As the calendar turned to August last year, Joe Maddon would repeatedly lift Jason Hammel in the fifth and sixth inning of games at the first sign of trouble. And invariably, the lanky pitcher would get upset with the decision. Tonight, Maddon did it again after six innings but there was one crucial difference: I […]
Tag: Miami Marlins
Game 105 Recap: Cubs 5 Marlins 0
Some days, baseball takes it easy. Yesterday was not one of those days—but if you read the recap we published here, or watched the game, you know that already. Tonight was, though. The Cubs charged out to an early lead, scoring two in the first off of Marlins sacrificial lamb starting pitcher Adam Conley, and never really […]
Series Preview: Cubs vs. Marlins, August 1-3
I want to take you back to a simpler time, a time before iPhones, Twitter, and Google Docs. It’s 2003, and the Cubs are facing the Miami Florida Marlins at Wrigley Field in late July. Both teams are right around .500 and they weren’t exactly big rivals at the time, which makes the matchup pretty […]
Game 74 Recap: Marlins 6 Cubs 1
This series was a reminder that nothing good has ever come out of the existence of the Miami Marlins. Marlins Park is a giant boondoggle that has cost Miami-Dade County over $500 million. It’s a shame because they clearly could have saved a lot of money by not building an upper deck. Jose Fernandez is […]
Game 73 Recap: Marlins 9 Cubs 6
This infuriating game started ominously, with walking periodontal testimonial John Lackey throwing 26 pitches in the first inning and allowing a run to the ageless Ichiro Suzuki on the classic walk/stolen base/single/sac fly combination. The Cubs made us think everyone would be OK as they pulled ahead 4-1 on homers by Miguel Montero and Addison Russell, but they couldn’t […]
Game 72 Recap: Cubs 5 Marlins 4
Ding dong, the Streak is dead. Top Play (WPA): When Willson Contreras stepped to the plate in the top of the seventh inning, the outcome of this game was very much in doubt. Even when the ball left his bat, it wasn’t exactly a sure thing. Heck, even as Giancarlo Stanton charged and gloved the ball, […]
Series Preview: Cubs vs. Marlins, June 23-26
If one were to write a book about the first 72 games of Miami’s 2016 season it would likely be titled Slightly Above Average: The Story of the First 72 Games of Miami’s 2016 Season*. Their record is 38-34. Their third-order winning percentage is .509. Their run differential is even. Luckily for the Marlins, though, slightly above average […]