Bleed Cubbie Blue - Cubs vs. Orioles Friday game threadsA Chicago Cubs Fan Community Since February 9, 2005https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47557/cubbieblue.png2017-07-15T08:00:05-05:00http://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/rss/stream/157111712017-07-15T08:00:05-05:002017-07-15T08:00:05-05:00Cubs 9, Orioles 8: Thank you, Addison Russell
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/cEQR0cn3cx4bhqheZ-93_3Nq_7s=/0x216:2770x2063/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/55724025/usa_today_10160390.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>That was... something.</p> <p id="Wlhvat"><strong>BALTIMORE</strong> — The <a href="https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/">Cubs</a> hit five home runs Friday night, matching their season high, and <a href="http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/news/boxscore.jsp?gid=2017_07_14_chnmlb_balmlb_1">defeated the Orioles 9-8</a>.</p>
<p id="hKYBDL">So all’s well, right?</p>
<p id="2ou0eV">Not... exactly.</p>
<p id="OQGZ80">Four of those home runs came in the first three innings and the Cubs raced out to an 8-0 lead. But when the Orioles put up single runs in the third and fourth, this annoying thought kept running through my head: “Please don’t blow an eight-run lead.”</p>
<p id="Om1qP3">Unfortunately, that’s exactly what the Cubs did. I’ll get to all of that, because despite the win, the complaint department is definitely not closed. But first, let’s have a look at Addison Russell’s home run, the one that bailed out all his teammates:</p>
<div id="RuG22v">
<blockquote class="twitter-video">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Addison Russell lines a go-ahead solo home run over the left-center-field wall, giving the Cubs a 9-8 lead in the top of the 9th inning!!! <a href="https://t.co/PM7HNk6u3J">pic.twitter.com/PM7HNk6u3J</a></p>— TheRenderMLB (@TheRenderMLB) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheRenderMLB/status/886065162712756224">July 15, 2017</a>
</blockquote>
<script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div>
<p id="GYPgRL">At first, that ball didn’t look like it was going to make it into the seats, but the line drive just kept rising and landed four rows deep. As the headline says: Thanks, Addy!</p>
<p id="6MGISP">Now let’s rewind this game to its happy beginning. The Cubs came out swinging their bats strongly against Orioles starter <span>Kevin Gausman</span>. <span>Ben Zobrist</span> doubled down the left-field line, a hit reminiscent of his 10th-inning double in Game 7. One out later, <span>Anthony Rizzo</span> singled and then <span>Willson Contreras</span> began the homer parade:</p>
<div id="ORgV2Z">
<blockquote class="twitter-video">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Willson Contreras launches a three-run home run to center field to give the Cubs a 3-0 lead in the top of the 1st inning!!! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ThatsCub?src=hash">#ThatsCub</a> <a href="https://t.co/ZK0WciZiz3">pic.twitter.com/ZK0WciZiz3</a></p>— TheRenderMLB (@TheRenderMLB) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheRenderMLB/status/886015662858096640">July 15, 2017</a>
</blockquote>
<script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div>
<p id="jaMwL7">That ball: <em>Crushed!</em></p>
<div id="BloKvr">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="und" dir="ltr"><a href="https://t.co/I1csZG60NU">pic.twitter.com/I1csZG60NU</a></p>— Cubs Exit Velocity (@cubsexitvelo) <a href="https://twitter.com/cubsexitvelo/status/886015681682182144">July 15, 2017</a>
</blockquote>
<script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div>
<p id="jyj0TO">Gausman’s very next pitch was also sent deep into the left-field seats by <span>Kyle Schwarber</span>, landing in nearly the same spot as Willson’s:</p>
<div id="z6fuFp">
<blockquote class="twitter-video">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Kyle Schwarber belts a solo home run to center field to give the Cubs a 4-0 lead in the top of the 1st inning!!! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ThatsCub?src=hash">#ThatsCub</a> <a href="https://t.co/Bu0lPA8qs6">pic.twitter.com/Bu0lPA8qs6</a></p>— TheRenderMLB (@TheRenderMLB) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheRenderMLB/status/886015870874660864">July 15, 2017</a>
</blockquote>
<script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div>
<p id="EbzVqN">433 feet to the opposite field is really, really impressive:</p>
<div id="NrNqGS">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="und" dir="ltr"><a href="https://t.co/QhJh5ScbCF">pic.twitter.com/QhJh5ScbCF</a></p>— Cubs Exit Velocity (@cubsexitvelo) <a href="https://twitter.com/cubsexitvelo/status/886015708542402560">July 15, 2017</a>
</blockquote>
<script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div>
<p id="Aftoc6">4-0 after one inning became 6-0 after two <a href="https://mediadownloads.mlb.com/mlbam/mp4/2017/07/15/1604568483/1500080185401/asset_1800K.mp4">when Zobrist went deep [VIDEO]</a> after Russell had doubled.</p>
<div id="DIxxuo"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"><video controls="" style="top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;">Your browser does not support HTML5 video.<source src="https://mediadownloads.mlb.com/mlbam/mp4/2017/07/15/1604568483/1500080185401/asset_1800K.mp4" type="video/mp4"></source></video></div></div>
<p id="ggFgIA">And 6-0 became 8-0 one inning later thanks to <span>Jason Heyward</span>:</p>
<div id="HQ5TK9">
<blockquote class="twitter-video">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Jason Heyward crushes a two-run home run over the right-field wall to give the Cubs an 8-0 lead in the top of the 3rd inning!!! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ThatsCub?src=hash">#ThatsCub</a> <a href="https://t.co/QTRcBx5SQp">pic.twitter.com/QTRcBx5SQp</a></p>— TheRenderMLB (@TheRenderMLB) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheRenderMLB/status/886024973592268801">July 15, 2017</a>
</blockquote>
<script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div>
<p id="fdlzot">Heyward had a really good night at the plate with the homer and a double. If J-Hey can get going offensively in the second half, that’s a huge boost.</p>
<p id="XdueV6">So it’s 8-0 and we’re still only in the third inning. What... could... possibly... go... wrong?</p>
<p id="7owvTE">Plenty, as it turned out, and I present to you this game as evidence that <span>Mike Montgomery</span> really shouldn’t be a starting pitcher. He retired the first six Oriole hitters easily, five of them on ground balls, and then former Cub <span>Welington Castillo</span> homered off him leading off the third. Two outs later he hit a batter and gave up a double to <span>Manny Machado</span> that was snagged by a fan in the front row in left field after bouncing on the warning track. After a lengthy discussion among the umpires and both managers, the original call stood — why this didn’t just go to review is beyond me — and no further runs scored. But Montgomery struggled again in the fourth, issuing two walks and giving up one more run.</p>
<p id="KOIAl9">Still, it’s 8-2 in the fifth. What could possibly go wrong?</p>
<p id="RLSqhL">After two more hits, one of them yet another ground-rule double in the fifth, Joe Maddon had seen enough. Montgomery was removed after 86 pitches that produced just 13 outs. <span>Justin Grimm</span> was summoned, and he’d been very good since his recall from Iowa in late May.</p>
<p id="p6EPBs">Not Friday night, though. Grimm gave up three singles sandwiched around a walk, the last of those hits a two-out, two-run hit by <span>Joey Rickard</span>, and it’s 8-6.</p>
<p id="HfWswU">Yikes.</p>
<p id="3k37sX">While all this was going on, the Cubs were simply not good. They had just three baserunners between the fourth and eighth innings, and just one (on Heyward’s fifth-inning double) got past first base. <span>Ian Happ</span> got himself picked off in the eighth.</p>
<p id="ttLwba">And Cubs relievers simply could not stop walking Orioles hitters. <span>Pedro Strop</span> walked two in the sixth, to the point where Joe had to call on <span>Brian Duensing</span> to get him out of that inning, which he did with a popup. <span>Carl Edwards Jr.</span> — two more walks in the seventh, though CJ got himself out of it by striking out <span>Adam Jones</span>.</p>
<p id="mLAEBa">Then it was <span>Koji Uehara</span>’s turn, and the former Oriole got a smattering of polite applause from the Baltimore fans on entering the game. <span>Jonathan Schoop</span> dumped a pop-fly single that Heyward nearly made a great sliding catch on, and then Koji served up a no-doubt-about-it home run ball to <span>Mark Trumbo</span>, and the game was tied.</p>
<p id="AcznCp">Despite Uehara’s 87 mile per hour fastball, he’d allowed just one home run this season before Friday night (to <span>Joey Votto</span> of the <a href="https://www.redreporter.com/">Reds</a>, nearly two months ago on May 16).</p>
<p id="6AU54c">It’s not that homer that bothers me so much. It’s all the walks and the failure of Cubs pitchers to throw strikes. Before <span>Wade Davis</span> came in to nail things down after Russell’s homer, Strop and Edwards in particular had trouble throwing strikes (Pedro, seven in 16 pitches; CJ, 13 in 24 pitches). And Montgomery struggled with command much of the evening, and really, I think, serves this club better in a bullpen role.</p>
<p id="Swe5f5">Anyway, Russell’s homer with one out in the ninth bailed out his teammates and Davis (17th save) struck out two of the three Orioles he faced to end this very, very long game (three hours, 42 minutes) that began after a 49-minute rain delay during which it wasn’t raining all that hard. Had the rain that delayed the start happened during play, they probably would have played through it. Given the delay and the length of the game, probably two-thirds of the crowd departed before it ended at 11:36 p.m. Eastern time, and the remainder, mostly Cubs fans, cheered loudly when Davis struck out <span>Johnny Giavotella</span> for the win.</p>
<p id="BX5mD5">One note about Davis’ 1-2-3 inning — he got some defensive help from Heyward on the out that wasn’t a K:</p>
<div id="7ivFu5">
<blockquote class="twitter-video">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Jason Heyward isn’t fair. <a href="https://t.co/EGvSWqzpbI">pic.twitter.com/EGvSWqzpbI</a></p>— MLB (@MLB) <a href="https://twitter.com/MLB/status/886074291451809792">July 15, 2017</a>
</blockquote>
<script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div>
<p id="61SCD7">I’ll have more to say about Camden Yards later in the weekend, but my first thoughts are that it hasn’t changed much in the 14 years since I’ve been there, except for some upgrades to the video boards. Orioles fans were pleasant, staff was attentive and overall, going to this ballpark is still the excellent experience I remember. There was lots of blue scattered around the orange-clad Orioles crowd, and I expect a larger Cubs fan contingent for the Saturday and Sunday games.</p>
<p id="lPhygj">The <a href="https://www.brewcrewball.com/">Brewers</a> also won Friday night, so the Cubs still trail by 5½ games in the N.L. Central. You didn’t really expect help from the <a href="https://www.thegoodphight.com/">Phillies</a> in Milwaukee this weekend, did you?</p>
<p id="m4UWos">Saturday night’s contest ought to be interesting. <span>Jake Arrieta</span>, who has not pitched in Baltimore since he was traded to the Cubs four years ago, will get the start for the Cubs. He’ll face Orioles lefthander <span>Wade Miley</span>.</p>
https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2017/7/15/15976046/cubs-orioles-recap-addison-russell-jason-heyward-mlb-scoresAl Yellon2017-07-14T20:50:02-05:002017-07-14T20:50:02-05:00Overflow thread 3: Cubs vs. Orioles, Friday 7/14, 6:05 CT
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/OjrRo6USUzEs6B-XDUxlidZltAY=/0x171:4363x3080/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/55649985/usa_today_10153091.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="pzFhww">——</p>
https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2017/7/14/15947204/overflow-thread-3-cubs-vs-orioles-friday-7-14-6-05-ctAl Yellon2017-07-14T20:05:01-05:002017-07-14T20:05:01-05:00Overflow thread 2: Cubs vs. Orioles, Friday 7/14, 6:05 CT
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/U5Nf9Euk8SZAnOAWGKZ_NPkZ3iY=/0x0:4107x2738/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/55649989/usa_today_10152956.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="pzFhww">——</p>
https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2017/7/14/15947200/overflow-thread-2-cubs-vs-orioles-friday-7-14-6-05-ctAl Yellon2017-07-14T19:05:01-05:002017-07-14T19:05:01-05:00Overflow thread 1: Cubs vs. Orioles, Friday 7/14, 6:05 CT
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/kJl0ID5u8Vm99E7fST4aOYkatRo=/0x0:4132x2755/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/55649997/usa_today_10152867.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="pzFhww">——</p>
https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2017/7/14/15947186/overflow-thread-1-cubs-vs-orioles-friday-7-14-6-05-ctAl Yellon2017-07-14T18:00:02-05:002017-07-14T18:00:02-05:00First pitch thread: Cubs vs. Orioles, Friday 7/14, 6:05 CT
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/HdG3F6XuldtoOIWFlB3YbOGfuN4=/0x90:1878x1342/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/55641637/809890124.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="ggUg86">Go get ‘em, Mike.</p>
https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2017/7/14/15947150/first-pitch-thread-cubs-vs-orioles-friday-7-14-6-05-ctAl Yellon2017-07-14T16:00:02-05:002017-07-14T16:00:02-05:00Chicago Cubs vs. Baltimore Orioles preview, Friday 7/14, 6:05 CT
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/weKLJLjNmi47BYd1ihCV_SbWkFI=/0x0:3920x2613/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/55648413/usa_today_10152957.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The second half has to be better than the first. (Right?)</p> <p id="xd18M6"><strong>BALTIMORE</strong> — I went to the last series (and to date, the only series) the Cubs played here in 2003. So it seemed appropriate to re-visit Camden Yards for this year’s series. Here’s a fun fact about this series:</p>
<div id="BEu1wU">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Tonight is <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cubs?src=hash">#Cubs</a> 1st game at Camden Yards in 5,146 days (or 14 years 1 month 2 days) since they met in June 2003 (thanks Ed Hartig)</p>— Carrie Muskat (@CarrieMuskat) <a href="https://twitter.com/CarrieMuskat/status/885923842136432640">July 14, 2017</a>
</blockquote>
<script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div>
<p id="to0UEw">Here’s a not-so-fun fact about the Cubs’ current status:</p>
<div id="sr1MdN">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cubs?src=hash">#Cubs</a> are 11th defending World Series champ to return from break (since 1933) with a sub-.500 record. None of the previous 10 made playoffs</p>— Carrie Muskat (@CarrieMuskat) <a href="https://twitter.com/CarrieMuskat/status/885926204670431232">July 14, 2017</a>
</blockquote>
<script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div>
<p id="1qhbG2">Let’s have the Cubs break that string!</p>
<p id="JFS2mb">Also, you might need to keep this handy tonight:</p>
<div id="IyBRdK"><img src="https://radar.weather.gov/lite/NCR/LWX_loop.gif"></div>
<p id="Z5UD4P">Here are today’s particulars.</p>
<p id="Yv7Z7W"><a href="https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/">Cubs</a> lineup:</p>
<blockquote><p id="iY5t2L">Zobrist LF, Bryant 3B, Rizzo 1B, Contreras C, Schwarber DH, Happ CF, Heyward RF, Baez 2B, Russell SS</p></blockquote>
<div id="FbwPnv">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Back in action. <br><br>Game preview: <a href="https://t.co/LilZsD348p">https://t.co/LilZsD348p</a> <a href="https://t.co/DIbLwU8YTe">pic.twitter.com/DIbLwU8YTe</a></p>— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) <a href="https://twitter.com/Cubs/status/885926762022141952">July 14, 2017</a>
</blockquote>
<script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div>
<p id="CL9XCI"><a href="https://www.camdenchat.com/">Orioles</a> lineup:</p>
<blockquote><p id="wkusyo">Jones CF, Machado 3B, Schoop 2B, Trumbo DH, Davis 1B, Mancini LF, Castillo C, Rickard RF, Tejada SS</p></blockquote>
<h3 id="uUA7L0">
<span>Mike Montgomery</span> vs. <span>Kevin Gausman</span>
</h3>
<div class="c-float-left"> <figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/SAwU5icf1EzZX0z5ZFwkupL16U0=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/8828785/usa_today_9928103.jpg">
<cite>Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports</cite>
</figure>
</div>
<div class="c-float-right"> <figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/boWVT3Q5xkpXSSK1omztPARey38=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/8828791/usa_today_9895371.jpg">
<cite>Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports</cite>
</figure>
</div>
<p id="8VoHUC">The choice of Mike Montgomery to start this game appears odd, on its surface. <span>Jon Lester</span> would have been on regular rest to start tonight, and Montgomery was pretty bad in his last two starts. And it’s not as if he has any sort of great track record against the Orioles, either; in his career he has made two relief appearances against them, three scoreless innings (both last year).</p>
<p id="LIKqIy">Chalk this up to another hunch by Joe, then, I suppose. Hope Mike does better than he did in his last two outings.</p>
<p id="0RNa42">Kevin Gausman had a very good year for the Orioles in 2016, posting 4.2 bWAR. This year he’s just been bad, with an ERA approaching six and negative bWAR.</p>
<p id="kYy46g">Gausman pitched against the Cubs the last time these two teams met, <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CHN/CHN201408220.shtml">August 22, 2014</a> at Wrigley Field. <span>Javier Baez</span> homered off him that day. <span>Ben Zobrist</span> is 6-for-11 against him with three doubles and four walks.</p>
<p id="SsnSMk">Maybe this one will work out in the Cubs’ favor.</p>
<p id="EgHDSp">Today's game is on CSN Chicago.</p>
<p id="y4SIM1"><a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/mediacenter/index.jsp?ymd=20140401#date=7/14/2017">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_14_chnmlb_balmlb_1#game=2017_07_14_chnmlb_balmlb_1,game_state=Live">MLB.com Gameday</a></p>
<p id="cOzi2Y"><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/previews/2017/BAL201707140.shtml">Baseball-reference.com game preview</a></p>
<p id="G92wAe"><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/events/521020/pregame">SB Nation game preview</a></p>
<p id="AScVZw">Please visit our SB Nation <a href="https://www.camdenchat.com/">Orioles</a> site <a href="http://www.camdenchat.com/">Camden Chat</a>. If you do go there to interact with Orioles 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="k3XlzI"></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"><strong>this section link</strong></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>
<p id="CLW0Sl"></p>
<p id="14mqou">Get tickets to Cubs games from our partner StubHub <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.stubhub.com%2Fchicago-cubs-tickets%2Fperformer%2F5644%2F%3Fgcid%3DchDIG-_-geoUS-_-genAllTix-_-dt170314-_-cmpEvergreenVoxOrganic-_-mktgrBRAND-_-partVox&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bleedcubbieblue.com%2F2017%2F7%2F14%2F15947134%2Fchicago-cubs-baltimore-orioles-preview-friday" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><strong>here</strong></a>.</p>
<p id="Sadkq8">Discuss amongst yourselves.</p>
https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2017/7/14/15947134/chicago-cubs-baltimore-orioles-preview-fridayAl Yellon