2024 Cubs Heroes and Goats: Game 43

Pete Crow-Armstrong wasn’t the only one hitting a wall in Atlanta. Well, I guess for the rest of the team, they ran into that wall on Monday. One of my least favorite times in every season occurs when the Cubs simultaneously run into a good team, some really strong pitching and a lot of games without too many days off.

Under the best of circumstances, this Cubs team is not a top tier baseball team. I enjoy this team, but I think even fully healthy and clicking on all cylinders, they are probably a second tier team. They aren’t playing even at second tier level right now. But they were, not even 10 days ago. And those games, those wins, that fight they had isn’t erased by a rough stretch of baseball.

I’m never here to tell anyone how to consume or enjoy their baseball experience. But I’ll never understand the emotional roller coaster that some people go through. For some, I think they fall into and out of love with this team repeatedly over the course of the season. Do you react to your spouse, your kids, your friends and/or your job that way too? Ok, that last one is pretty easy, most of you surely don’t love your job.

To be fair, you guys that come in here daily are a great group. I don’t see nearly as much gloom and doom as I do elsewhere. I’ve set out for years to try to keep this a positive place no matter how high or low things get. I can’t do that alone and you all, for the most part, have bought into what I’m selling. It surely doesn’t mean we don’t express some frustration here. Some games really are frustrating. And, of course, it is hard to watch this team just not be competitive.

That is the precise difference between Monday’s game and Tuesday’s game this week. On Monday, it was clearly apparent that the Braves were a better team than the Cubs. The Cubs were on red alert, at battle stations basically from the first pitch until the last. The Braves? They were a machine filled with so much confidence that they didn’t even look bothered by game that was scoreless for six innings. Like it was fated that they’d eventually pull it out. Conversely, on Tuesday the Cubs were just over matched. At times, this looked more like a scrimmage against a minor league or foreign team rather than two teams that could eventually meet in postseason play.

The good news is I think the number of completely uncompetitive games this season can probably be counted on one hand. To be sure, that hand is running out of space. But I think it still matters that, even against some of the best teams, they’ve been competitive virtually every night. This stretch will pass and this team is very much still in the thick of the long hunt for a playoff spot.

Keep your chins up. We’ve all seen Cubs teams that started well before fading into oblivion, but there isn’t a lot of reason to believe that this one will do that. This is one of those times that the combined weight of competition, the grind and the injury bug have them backed into a corner and getting battered. To be sure, the metaphorical referee would have been checking on them as they were getting pummeled and didn’t even have their guard up. No doubt they could benefit from the bell ending the round and giving them a chance to go to their own corner, catch a breather and hydrate a little before going back into the fray.

I’m sure none of us are throwing in the towel yet. So let’s take a collective deep breath and wait for this to pass.

In the meantime, let me see if I can dig through the wreckage and find anything positive that happened.

1. I think it has to start with Tyson Miller. In his return to the Cubs, he got through two scoreless inning. He faced seven batters, allowing one hit and striking out one. To be sure, this was as low a leverage situation as it can get. But certainly a positive outing.
2. Patrick Wisdom had the Cubs only extra-base hit. And it’s definitely a rough day when I’m looking at a pitcher who “held the line” on a seven-run deficit and a hitter who struck out three times for the top spot.
3. I’m looking at batted ball data again. Nope, no desperation here. But none of that is particularly eye popping either. So give me Jose Cuas and two scoreless innings. His were a little messier, a hit and a walk among the eight batters he faced. Again, really low leverage. No pitcher looks forward to trying to survive once through this Braves order.

Game 43, May 14: Braves 7, Cubs 0 (24-19)

Fangraphs

Reminder: Heroes and Goats are determined by WPA scores and are in no way subjective.

THREE HEROES:

• Superhero: Pete Crow-Armstrong (.039). 0-2, HBP
• Hero: Jose Cuas (.004). 2 IP, 8 batters, H, BB, K
• Kid: Tyson Miller (.001). 2 IP, 7 batters, H, K

THREE GOATS:

• Billy Goat: Jameson Taillon (-252). 4 IP, 23 batters, 7 H, 3 BB, 7 R (2 ER), 2 K, WP (L 3-1)
• Goat: Patrick Wisdom (-.066). 1-4, 2B
• Kid: Mike Tauchman (-.065). 0-4

WPA Play of the Game: With runners on first and third and one out in the first inning, Matt Olson batted against Jameson Taillon. The game was still scoreless until this double. One run scored and it turns out it was the only they’d need. (.105)

*Cubs Play of the Game: As happens with some frequency, the very next play is the other play of the game. With runners on second and third with one out and the Braves now up one, Taillon got Travis d’Arnaud out on a line drive back to the mound. (.065)

Cubs Player of the Game:

Yesterday’s winner: Shōta Imanaga 167-2 over other. It certainly wasn’t a dominant outing, so I won’t die on this hill for a unanimous poll. Though I am at a loss for much of anything positive for any Cub over these two games.

Rizzo Award Cumulative Standings: (Top 4/Bottom 4)

The award is named for Anthony Rizzo, who finished first in this category three of the first four years it was in existence and four times overall. He also recorded the highest season total ever at +65.5. The point scale is three points for a Superhero down to negative three points for a Billy Goat.

• Shōta Imanaga +12
• Mark Leiter Jr. +10
• Javier Assad +9.5
• Jameson Taillon +7
• Ian Happ -7
• Miguel Amaya -9
• Adbert Alzolay -10
• Kyle Hendricks -14

Up Next: Good, bad or indifferent, there is only one game left in this series. Javier Assad (3-0, 1.70, 42⅓ IP) starts for the Cubs. This will be his ninth start of the season. He struggled a bit the last time out in Pittsburgh, leaving after recording only 13 outs. But he limited them to one run. He made one start and two relief appearances against the Braves last year and it didn’t go great. He allowed five runs in 6⅔ innings. Javier has been a rock for this team. I recognize that there are some crazy votes at times in the MLB.com Cy Young polls but nice recognition for Javier.

Charlie Morton (3-0, 3.14, 43 IP) starts for the Braves. If your memory says that Charlie has been around forever, you are right. The 40-year-old was drafted by the Braves way back in 2002 in the third round (95th overall). The right hander has a career mark of 133-113 with a 3.98 ERA in 360 career appearances (359 starts). This is his fourth year into his second tour of duty with the Braves. Last time out he threw seven innings against the Mets, allowing one run on three hits and a walk and picking up a win. He made one start against the Cubs and picked up a loss. He was charged with five runs in 4⅓ innings of work. That was in a month where he was 4-1 with a 1.91 ERA. So I’m saying there is a chance.

Let’s sneak out of Atlanta with one win.