Final: Nats 9, #Cubs 4. pic.twitter.com/34PIyEPioP
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) August 11, 2018
The story of the game is 3.2, eight earned.
A stunned sold out Wrigley Field watched Jon Lester walk off the field after pitching just 3.2 innings while giving up eight earned runs against the Nationals. The outing raised his 2nd half ERA to 10.33 after compiling a 2.58 first half mark. The start contributed to the Cubs pitching woes -- they ranked 9th in starter’s ERA in the NL coming into the game. — Jesse Rogers.
Anything else is academic. The details are in Al’s recap. I confess — I took a nap and woke up in the eighth. I have no real need to go back and see what happened.
Sometimes there’s no story to the story. The Manny Machado rumors are a good example of something apparently drummed up by a player’s agent and aided by a willing accomplice in the baseball press. Most of us think that the Bryce Harper speculations are of just that breed. The Cubs already have Jason Heyward, who has dramatically improved his offense this year and is a far better defender than Harper. They already have Anthony Rizzo and Kyle Schwarber, plus Ian Happ’s lefty side and the occasional long ball from Ben Zobrist or Heyward for LH power threats, and wouldn’t seem to need another lefty swinger. Or a righty swinger, for that matter. There really isn’t any pressing need in the starting nine, other than perhaps somebody besides Rizzo in the leadoff hole. A healthy KB, sure, and David Bote riding the pine, playing in Joe Maddon’s creative lineup rotation.
The starting rotation is where there is some need, with the likes of Yu Darvish, inconsistent when on the mound and currently on the DL air bnb, the walk-the-ballpark exploits of Tyler Chatwood, and the decline of Brian Duensing and an innings pile-up forcing Mike Montgomery back to the relief corps. Jon Lester’s ups and downs have to be a cause for concern, and Jose Quintana hasn’t exactly been lights-out.
But the team can win games with the group they have, given careful management and a little bit of luck. Plenty of them, and sometimes that gets buried in all the hue and cry for this arm or that glove or bat.
As always * means autoplay on, or annoying ads, or both (directions to remove for Firefox and Chrome).
Cubs News and Notes:
Best of all, Bryant doesn't feel any pain in his shoulder. #Cubs
— Carrie Muskat (@CarrieMuskat) August 11, 2018
The Cubs have mostly good news regarding their walking wounded though they are still taking it slow with all of them. Yu Darvish (elbow) will throw a 2nd simulated game this Tuesday while closer Brandon Morrow (biceps) is scheduled to throw again after playing long toss on Friday. Kris Bryant (left shoulder) took some swings on Friday as well but no batting practice session is scheduled for him just yet. Meanwhile, Drew Smyly (tommy john) is feeling fine but says he needs to reduce his recovery time between throwing, in order to advance his rehab as he continues to build arm strength. He’s hopeful for a Sept. return. — Jesse Rogers.
Darvish likely to throw live BP tomorrow before Sunday Night Baseball. As one wag noted, "ARod should stand in." #Cubs
— Bruce Miles (@BruceMiles2112) August 11, 2018
New #Cubs pitcher Brandon Kintzler says he will dance in the bullpen if he’s there for a HR. “Maybe when it does happen I’ll dance by myself.” — Carrie Muskat.
#Cubs Baez swinging his way to MVP-caliber season https://t.co/u8zFU4zVwC via @MLB
— Carrie Muskat (@CarrieMuskat) August 11, 2018
- Sean Sears (NBC Sports Chicago*): A huge portion of Cubs fans surprisingly don’t want Bryce Harper in Chicago. “An NBC Sports Chicago poll showed out of roughly 4,000 voters, 78% of people would prefer to see Harper sign with another team.”
- David Haugh (Chicago Tribune* {$}): Harper is a $300 million fantasy the Cubs can’t afford. “...wanting Harper on the Cubs is different than the organization needing him.”
- Paul Sullivan (Chicago Tribune* {$}): Cubs-Nationals rivalry has become theater of the absurd. “The intensity is usually always up with the Nationals here,” said Rizzo.
- Jon Greenberg (The Athletic {$}): ‘If the game went the other way, it’s another game’: Rollercoaster Cubs know a win isn’t worth more than one game. “The Cubs are just kind of existing, fouling off pitches, staying alive.”
- Tony Andracki (NBC Sports Chicago*): Jon Lester’s struggles have hit the alarming stage for Cubs. “...you can’t blame Cubs fans for being frustrated with the results of late...”
- Chris Kuc (Chicago Sun-Times* {$}): Cubs to skip Montgomery’s next start. For reasons discussed above.
- Evan Altman (Cubs Insider): Montgomery available in pen as Cubs skip his next start to conserve innings. “...the Cubs are looking to pull back on the reins a little as the southpaw swingman heads toward career highs in innings and pitches thrown.”
- Brendan MIller (Cubs Insider): Pedro Strop’s ‘new’ pitch makes him harder to hit. “...he’s throwing the cutter once every three pitches.
- Matthew Matell (MLB.com*): Rizzo cracks single for 1,000th career hit. “Rizzo’s first career hit, a triple, also came against the Nationals, on June 9, 2011.” Next is 500 walks. He has 489.
- Teddy Greenstein (Chicago Tribune* {$}): Kris Bryant starting to swing bat, ‘totally confident’ he will play again this season. “If not for the sore left shoulder that has sidelined him since July 24, Bryant would not have altered a demanding practice regimen that he now views as overly counterproductive.”
- Carrie Muskat (MLB.com*): Bryant pain-free after taking dry swings. Slugger pleased with slow but steady rehab process: “‘What we’re doing is working. ’”
Food for thought:
That glow may come from a hydrogen wall that represents where the sun’s influence wanes. https://t.co/vuAE2luGjs
— Science News (@ScienceNews) August 11, 2018
Rising global temperatures are making it more difficult to combat bacteria with antibiotics. https://t.co/rTJGwSTc6b
— Popular Science (@PopSci) August 11, 2018
The idea that North America’s first settlers came via an ice-free inland corridor is regaining ground over other popular proposals, like traveling down the Pacific coast. https://t.co/iNi33bgnnA
— Science News (@ScienceNews) August 11, 2018
Thanks for reading.