Bleed Cubbie Blue - Cubs vs. Rays Wednesday game threadsA Chicago Cubs Fan Community Since February 9, 2005https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47557/cubbieblue.png2017-07-05T17:40:06-05:00http://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/rss/stream/156744192017-07-05T17:40:06-05:002017-07-05T17:40:06-05:00Cubs 7, Rays 3: The Federalist tater
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<p>Jon Jay came through big-time and the Cubs won.</p> <p id="xtM1Xh">The first five and a half innings of this game were a slog through things that have been all too common through the <a href="https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/">Cubs</a>’ 2017 season.</p>
<p id="R1xUAa">First-inning run given up? Check. RISP failure? Check. </p>
<p id="DDn7zu">And then <span>Jon Jay</span> came up with two runners on and two out in the bottom of the sixth, an inning in which all four previous Cubs hitters had hit the ball hard off <span>Erasmo Ramirez</span>, two for hits and two for outs.</p>
<p id="gRiGNV">Jay, nicknamed “The Federalist” here for the similarity of his name to 18th-Century Supreme Court Chief Justice John Jay, came through big-time with two runners on:</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Jon Jay hits a pinch-hit, three-run home run to left-center field and ties the game at 3 in the bottom of the 6th inning!!! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ThatsCub?src=hash">#ThatsCub</a> <a href="https://t.co/G5CFum7irG">pic.twitter.com/G5CFum7irG</a></p>— TheRenderMLB (@TheRenderMLB) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheRenderMLB/status/882699254569066497">July 5, 2017</a>
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<p id="QGat3h">Jay’s three-run homer to the opposite field awakened a crowd that had mostly slumbered through the early parts of this game and tied it 3-3. That ball went pretty high in the air before landing in the bleachers:</p>
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<p lang="und" dir="ltr"><a href="https://t.co/8QvhzEmcPA">pic.twitter.com/8QvhzEmcPA</a></p>— Cubs Exit Velocity (@cubsexitvelo) <a href="https://twitter.com/cubsexitvelo/status/882698028896980993">July 5, 2017</a>
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<p id="B9zCDZ">That was Jay’s 11th pinch hit this year. He’s 11-for-28 (.393) as a PH with the homer and seven RBI. The Cubs’ team record for PH in a season is 20, set by Thad Bosley in 1985, tied by Dave Clark in 1997. Jay has a shot at that mark.</p>
<p id="988NzU">Before Jay’s blast, <span>John Lackey</span> had given up yet another first-inning run, on three singles. It might have been more, but he got <span>Steven Souza Jr.</span> to hit into an inning-ending double play.</p>
<p id="YUfXNn">Lackey in the first inning this year: 13 earned runs, 6.88 ERA<br>Lackey in all other innings this year: 44 earned runs, 4.05 ERA</p>
<p id="Wy6uAU">Off his first inning results only, Lackey’s a DFA candidate. In the rest of his innings, he’s a serviceable fifth starter. He did get touched up for two other runs, one in the third and one in the sixth, but completed those six innings throwing just 79 pitches (53 strikes). It was a perfectly good outing, and then Jay batted for him, so that worked out pretty well.</p>
<p id="27SN2l">Here’s one possible reason for Lackey’s troubles this year:</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cubs?src=hash">#Cubs</a> Lackey has been dealing with plantar fasciitis in his right foot</p>— Carrie Muskat (@CarrieMuskat) <a href="https://twitter.com/CarrieMuskat/status/882718839846338560">July 5, 2017</a>
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<p id="jqkYeE">Not to make too much of a pun out of that, but that’s a very painful malady that could give him real issues in, uh, planting his right foot, which could certainly mess things up for him. Maybe he gets used to it past the first inning and that’s why he’s been much better after that inning is over this year. This will be Lackey’s last start before the All-Star break, and (likely) the earliest he could go, presuming <span>Jon Lester</span> starts the first game after the break, would be the second game after the break — and most likely, later than that.</p>
<p id="FEn4Ev">So he’s got at least 10 days to rest that foot and get treatment. Presuming he’s healthy otherwise, I look for a better second half from Lackey.</p>
<p id="Ntnka3">The Cubs put together their game-winning rally in the seventh. The <a href="https://www.draysbay.com/">Rays</a> left Ramirez in to throw to <span>Kris Bryant</span>, but the righthander walked KB. Lefty sidearmer <span>Adam Kolarek</span>, throwing in just his third big-league game, gave up an opposite-field single to <span>Anthony Rizzo</span>, a real nice piece of hitting by Rizzo.</p>
<p id="2qYl59">When <span>Ben Zobrist</span> came up after that I thought he might bunt to keep the team out of a double-play possibility, and he did, executing a nice sacrifice to put the runners on second and third.</p>
<p id="lAoHbE"><a href="https://mediadownloads.mlb.com/mlbam/mp4/2017/07/05/1575455683/1499288348121/asset_1800K.mp4">That brought up Ian Happ [VIDEO].</a></p>
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<p id="a8dYyo">Happ’s single past the pulled-in infield gave the Cubs a 5-3 lead.</p>
<p id="9VSsKJ">In the top of the eighth, <span>Carl Edwards Jr.</span> retired the first two hitters (helped out by a slick stop by <span>Addison Russell</span>), then gave up a hit and a walk. This is something CJ does fairly often, and I’d like to see more 1-2-3 innings from him. <span>Koji Uehara</span> came in with <span>Evan Longoria</span> the scheduled hitter. This was clearly a move made by Joe with Uehara’s long history vs. Longoria from Koji’s days in the A.L. East. Longoria was 5-for-27 vs. Uehara with 13 strikeouts coming into the game, and Koji obliged this matchup by striking Longoria out to end the Rays threat.</p>
<p id="yjwdUY">With Wade Davis warming for a potential save, the Cubs extended the lead in the eighth. Pinch-hitter <span>Tommy La Stella</span> was hit by a pitch, and with two out Bryant walked again.</p>
<p id="MtRVY6"><a href="https://mediadownloads.mlb.com/mlbam/mp4/2017/07/05/1575484983/1499289810731/asset_1800K.mp4">Then Rizzo delivered [VIDEO].</a></p>
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<p id="J0fz9V">That was really nice to see — another Rizzo hit to the opposite field. He was thrown out trying to take third on a pitch that got away, but the Cubs had a four-run lead. Fun fact about Rizzo’s year so far:</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Anthony Rizzo (19 HR, 54 BB, 42 K) can be first <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cubs?src=hash">#Cubs</a> player with 15 HR & more BB than K before All-Star break since Andre Dawson in 1990</p>— Christopher Kamka (@ckamka) <a href="https://twitter.com/ckamka/status/882713433996709889">July 5, 2017</a>
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<p id="li3kWC">Out of the save situation leading by four in the ninth, Davis gave up a leadoff single.</p>
<p id="cS9Ked">Bryant then made a real nice stab to start this double play:</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Turn two!<br><br>And <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VoteKB?src=hash">#VoteKB</a>: <a href="https://t.co/gdRdxZdk6d">https://t.co/gdRdxZdk6d</a> <a href="https://t.co/BrynUhaZoP">pic.twitter.com/BrynUhaZoP</a></p>— #VoteKB (@Cubs) <a href="https://twitter.com/Cubs/status/882725810045636609">July 5, 2017</a>
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<p id="q11w3P">And after a walk, Davis got <span>Adeiny Hechavarria</span> to ground to Bryant to end it, and the Cubs had a well-earned split with the Rays with <a href="http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/news/boxscore.jsp?gid=2017_07_05_tbamlb_chnmlb_1">a well-played 7-3 win</a>.</p>
<p id="A79HL0">After so much frustration through the first four innings, when the Cubs had a runner in scoring position with less than two out in all four, it was really nice to see them do some excellent situational hitting after Jay’s homer tied the game. Those are the kinds of things we saw a lot in 2016, not so much this year. Let’s hope we start seeing much, much more of this going forward.</p>
<p id="ady902">The Cubs thus knock half a game off the <a href="https://www.brewcrewball.com/">Brewers</a>’ lead and trail them by three games in the division race. The Brewers play the <a href="https://www.camdenchat.com/">Orioles</a> in Milwaukee tonight, a game they moved up by an hour to 6:10 p.m. CT because the Brewers then have to bus to Wrigley for Thursday’s makeup of the May 20 rainout game. Personally, I don’t mind if the Brew Crew comes into Wrigley a bit tired out from tonight. Hopefully, the Orioles (who looked awful in the first two games of the series) can take one game out of their series at Miller Park.</p>
<p id="jdJ38O">In the Thursday afternoon contest, <span>Mike Montgomery</span> will go for the Cubs and <span>Zach Davies</span> for the Brewers.</p>
https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2017/7/5/15925968/cubs-rays-recap-jon-jay-ian-happ-mlb-scoresAl Yellon2017-07-05T15:20:02-05:002017-07-05T15:20:02-05:00Overflow thread 2: Cubs vs. Rays, Wednesday 7/5, 1:20 CT
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<p id="rfdxBt">——</p>
https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2017/7/5/15903126/overflow-thread-2-cubs-vs-rays-wednesday-7-5-1-20-ctAl Yellon2017-07-05T14:20:02-05:002017-07-05T14:20:02-05:00Overflow thread 1: Cubs vs. Rays, Wednesday 7/5, 1:20 CT
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<figcaption>Photo by David Banks/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p id="rfdxBt">——</p>
https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2017/7/5/15903106/overflow-thread-1-cubs-vs-rays-wednesday-7-5-1-20-ctAl Yellon2017-07-05T13:15:02-05:002017-07-05T13:15:02-05:00First pitch thread: Cubs vs. Rays, Wednesday 7/5, 1:20 CT
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<figcaption>Photo by Rob Foldy/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p id="LjerlX">Go get ‘em, John.</p>
https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2017/7/5/15908680/first-pitch-thread-cubs-vs-rays-wednesday-7-5-1-20-ctAl Yellon2017-07-05T11:32:01-05:002017-07-05T11:32:01-05:00Chicago Cubs vs. Tampa Bay Rays preview, Wednesday 7/5, 1:20 CT
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<figcaption>Caylor Arnold-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Cubs seek a split with the Rays, then say "See you in September."</p> <p>So far this year, the Cubs have been almost the epitome of a .500 ballclub. They haven't been more than four games over .500 or two games under .500 all season -- and since May 27 haven't been more than two games over or two games under the break-even mark.</p>
<p>It's time to get this talented club playing better and go on a long winning streak. Whatever it takes.</p>
<p>A few more notes:</p>
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<li> The Cubs bullpen has a 3.30 ERA for the season. That ranks third in the National League. </li>
<li> After striking out six on Tuesday, Jon Lester stands 29 strikeouts short of 2,000 for his career. His next start will be Sunday against the Pirates. </li>
<li> After scoring first and losing Tuesday, the Cubs are just 26-18 when they score first. The loss also made them 34-14 when scoring four or more runs. </li>
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<p id="xd18M6">Here are today’s particulars.</p>
<p id="Yv7Z7W"><a href="https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/">Cubs</a> lineup:</p>
<blockquote>Contreras C, Bryant 3B, Rizzo 1B, Zobrist RF, Happ LF, Almora CF, Baez 2B, Russell SS, Lackey P</blockquote>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Here is today's <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cubs?src=hash">#Cubs</a> starting lineup against the Rays.<br><br>Game preview: <a href="https://t.co/l2cO2e6lIW">https://t.co/l2cO2e6lIW</a> <a href="https://t.co/g1y3cKvcmB">pic.twitter.com/g1y3cKvcmB</a></p>
— #VoteKB (@Cubs) <a href="https://twitter.com/Cubs/status/882607991232528384">July 5, 2017</a>
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<p id="FbwPnv"><a href="https://www.draysbay.com/">Rays</a> lineup:</p>
<blockquote>Smith CF, Dickerson LF, Longoria 3B, Morrison 1B, Souza RF, Beckham 2B, Hechavarria SS, Sucre C, Snell P</blockquote>
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<span>John Lackey</span> vs. <span>Blake Snell</span>
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<cite>Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports</cite>
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<cite>Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports</cite>
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<p>All there really is to say about John Lackey is: I hope he's got something left in the tank, because after two decent starts he got hit hard in his last outing. He leads the major leagues in home runs allowed, which isn't a good look for a pitcher with Wrigley as his home park, although this year has made no difference as far as HR -- he's got 12 allowed both home and away.</p>
<p>Like his teammate <span>Jon Lester</span>, Lackey made plenty of starts vs. the Rays when he was in the A.L., 24 of them, though also like Lester, none since 2014. Current members of the Rays are hitting .298 (31-for-104) against him with four home runs, two of those by <span>Evan Longoria</span>, who's 14-for-40 (.350) lifetime vs. Lackey.</p>
<p>Blake Snell made 19 starts for the Rays last year and was pretty decent -- 3.54 ERA, 0.8 bWAR, though with a high walk rate, 5.2/nine innings.</p>
<p>His walk rate is even higher this year, 5.7 per nine, and he got hit hard enough in three May starts that he got demoted to Triple-A. Recalled last week, he wasn't good in his start against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bucsdugout.com/">Pirates</a> (five innings, four hits, five walks, six earned runs.</p>
<p>Obviously, he's never faced the Cubs or anyone on the current roster. Let's hope that by the end of the day the Cubs will have given him a high ERA against them.</p>
<p id="nEcD8O">Today's game is on CSN Chicago.</p>
<p id="y4SIM1"><a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/mediacenter/index.jsp?ymd=20140401#date=7/5/2017">Here is the complete MLB.com Mediacenter for today.</a></p>
<p id="Xe5URc"><a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2017_07_05_tbamlb_chnmlb_1#game=2017_07_05_tbamlb_chnmlb_1,game_state=Live">MLB.com Gameday</a></p>
<p id="cOzi2Y"><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/previews/2017/CHN201707050.shtml">Baseball-reference.com game preview</a></p>
<p id="G92wAe"><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/events/521975/pregame">SB Nation game preview</a></p>
<p id="AScVZw">Please visit our SB Nation <a href="https://www.draysbay.com/">Rays</a> site <a href="http://www.draysbay.com/">DRays Bay</a>. If you do go there to interact with Rays fans, please be respectful, abide by their individual site rules and serve as a good representation of Cub fans in general and BCB in particular.</p>
<p id="4R9cxt">The 2017 Game Thread procedure will be the same as the one used during 2016. Here's how it works.</p>
<p id="uNrOo7">You'll find the game preview posted separately on the front page, two hours before game time (90 minutes for some early day games following night games).</p>
<p id="Jy7Er2">At the same time, a StoryStream containing the preview will also post on the front page. The First Pitch Thread and all the overflow threads will be published in that stream, as well as the recap. The recap will also live on the front page as a separate post, and at the time I write the recap I will rename the stream "Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of Week) Game Threads" so you can go back and find every thread related to that particular game.</p>
<p id="F5ehVY">You will also be able to find the preview, First Pitch Thread, all the overflow threads and recap in the box marked "Chicago Cubs Game Threads" at the bottom of the front page (you can also find them in <a href="http://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/chicago-cubs-game-threads">this section link</a>). They will also appear in the game's StoryStream as noted above.</p>
<p id="pjBR1E">The First Pitch thread will post at five minutes before game time, then an overflow thread at one hour, two hours and 2:45 after the scheduled game time.</p>
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<p id="vngI0a">Discuss amongst yourselves.</p>
https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2017/7/5/15900836/chicago-cubs-tampa-bay-rays-preview-wednesdayAl Yellon