Bleed Cubbie Blue - Cubs vs. Reds Saturday game threadsA Chicago Cubs Fan Community Since February 9, 2005https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47557/cubbieblue.png2017-09-30T19:30:01-05:00http://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/rss/stream/161268432017-09-30T19:30:01-05:002017-09-30T19:30:01-05:00Cubs 9, Reds 0: The Schwarber and Rivera show
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<figcaption>Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Now that was fun!</p> <p id="9DlARE">It was, again, great fun to watch a September game at Wrigley Field that didn’t mean anything, but know that there is meaningful baseball to come in less than a week’s time.</p>
<p id="RoOHMf">The <a href="https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/">Cubs</a> emptied their bench in spring-training fashion and plenty of them got a chance to hit and run around the bases. <span>Kyle Schwarber</span> and <span>Rene Rivera</span> homered in <a href="http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/news/boxscore.jsp?gid=2017_09_30_cinmlb_chnmlb_1">a 9-0 blowout of the Reds</a>, who couldn’t throw strikes or, seemingly, catch balls hit into the tough late-afternoon autumn sun.</p>
<p id="LINTHk">First, Schwarber, with <span>Willson Contreras</span> on base in the second inning:</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Kyle Schwarber getting the Cubs' bullpen dancing early <a href="https://t.co/5lmszUTZ30">pic.twitter.com/5lmszUTZ30</a></p>— Cubs Talk (@CSNCubs) <a href="https://twitter.com/CSNCubs/status/914228188435197952?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2017</a>
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<p id="8YoyH2">The homer was Kyle’s 30th of the season. That accomplished this:</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Anthony Rizzo & Kyle Schwarber:<br>first time in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cubs?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cubs</a> history they had multiple 30-HR lefties in a season</p>— Christopher Kamka (@ckamka) <a href="https://twitter.com/ckamka/status/914235407285485569?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2017</a>
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<p id="TYuLDz">For one inning, Kyle had the lead in a category you don’t really want to lead: fewest RBI in a season for anyone who hit 30 or more home runs. That gave Kyle 57 RBI; the leaders in this oddball category are <span>Curtis Granderson</span> and <span>Jedd Gyorko</span>, both of whom hit 30 home runs with just 59 RBI last year.</p>
<p id="39616x">It was a heck of a blast to the opposite field, too:</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Schwarber's HR was 2R shut, 110.9 mph exit velo and it traveled 437 feet. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cubs?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cubs</a> lead 2-0 in 2nd</p>— Carrie Muskat (@CarrieMuskat) <a href="https://twitter.com/CarrieMuskat/status/914227874944753664?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2017</a>
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<p id="G37ZyN">Obviously, “shot,” not “shut.” And that was hit into a pretty strong wind blowing in; without the wind that might have wound up on Waveland.</p>
<p id="Jj35oe">Kyle then came up with the bases loaded and two out in the third. His two-run single made it 4-0, and tied him with Granderson and Gyorko in the above-mentioned stat. With one RBI Sunday, he’d push past those two with 60.</p>
<p id="E19zsC">Meanwhile, <span>Jon Lester</span> looked very, very good in shutting out the Reds for five innings and 75 pitches. His velocity and location were both good and he wound up allowing four hits and no walks, with seven strikeouts. Just two Reds got past first base off Lester.</p>
<p id="fdcUAV">Then Joe Maddon started substituting for the starters who played the early innings of the game. Only Schwarber and <span>Ian Happ</span> played the full game, and Happ played the second half of the game at third base again, his second day in a row at the position. And you know what? He actually looked pretty good there, given the fact that he had played exactly one professional inning there (last month) before Friday. He made a nice stop in the seventh inning and started a double play, and handled another chance flawlessly. He’s got a pretty good arm and looks fairly natural at third base. This gives Joe another option there, and yes, I’d even do it in the postseason if needed.</p>
<p id="sudBGk">The Cubs bullpen threw four innings and allowed four hits and struck out eight. <span>Justin Wilson</span> allowed a hit, but got out of it with the double play started by Happ. <span>Carl Edwards Jr.</span> issued a walk, but was otherwise untouched. <span>Pedro Strop</span> allowed a leadoff single to <span>Zach Vincej</span> (his first big-league hit, and that’s an accomplishment for a guy who was a 37th-round draft pick in 2012, the only selection from that round who’s ever played in the major leagues), then struck out the side. And Wade Davis, who hasn’t looked sharp lately, allowed two singles (both of which might have been stopped had <span>Javier Baez</span> or <span>Addison Russell</span> still been in the game), then also struck out the side to end it.</p>
<p id="w8c5q0">The Cubs piled on against two Reds relievers in the sixth; the inning included a pop-fly single by Rene Rivera that Reds right fielder <span>Scott Schebler</span> lost in the sun that scored two runs, and three straight walks issued by <span>Ariel Hernandez</span>, the third of which forced in a run in the four-run inning.</p>
<p id="4b8GXt">Good thing to see: <span>Albert Almora Jr.</span> back in center field, making good throws and hitting a double (on a weird bounce). He looks fine and should be ready for the postseason.</p>
<p id="oQE5Ro">Other fun things in this game included a 17-pitch battle that <span>Tommy La Stella</span> had with Reds reliever Asher Wojiechowski, which included six consecutive foul balls after he ran the count full. Yes, fun, even though TLS struck out. I believe that’s the longest at-bat for any Cubs player this year. Here’s a graphical look:</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Battle. <a href="https://t.co/B7u9mGDGQM">pic.twitter.com/B7u9mGDGQM</a></p>— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) <a href="https://twitter.com/Cubs/status/914245354496851968?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2017</a>
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<p id="ggRGL3">Also fun, Rene Rivera’s solo homer in the seventh, which bounced up into our section, the second one that’s been hit there this month:</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">My friend Jeff got Rene Rivera's home run! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cubs?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cubs</a> <a href="https://t.co/Y0GyiK7TFH">pic.twitter.com/Y0GyiK7TFH</a></p>— Al Yellon (@bleedcubbieblue) <a href="https://twitter.com/bleedcubbieblue/status/914258931622477824?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2017</a>
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<p id="rKMQxg">It truly is entertaining to have games like this, played like the team would play early spring games with substitutions, only the guys coming in aren’t wearing numbers in the 90s, with the results meaning nothing, although it’s certainly good for the Cubs to keep tacking extra numbers onto the win column. They still lead the <a href="https://www.pinstripealley.com/">Yankees</a> by one win, and that conceivably could be important if the Cubs and Yankees manage to meet in the World Series (certainly possible). The team with the better record gets home field; if the Cubs win Sunday they’d have home field in a Cubs/Yankees match. (The only other team they’d have home field over in the A.L. playoff field is the <a href="https://www.twinkietown.com/">Twins</a>.)</p>
<p id="GEEqfo">Fun fact: Cubs pitchers struck out <span>Joey Votto</span> three times (two by Lester, one by Strop). That’s just the second time this year Votto has K’d three times in one game. The other: <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/ATL/ATL201708180.shtml">August 18 vs. the Braves</a> (two by <span>R.A. Dickey</span>, one by <span>Arodys Vizcaino</span>).</p>
<p id="vR0RMp">One last fun fact from this win:</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cubs?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cubs</a> are now 292-192 under Maddon. He's 5th manager in team history to have a record at least 100 games over .500</p>— Carrie Muskat (@CarrieMuskat) <a href="https://twitter.com/CarrieMuskat/status/914284048209645570?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2017</a>
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<p id="2gUaht">The other four: Frank Chance, Joe McCarthy, Cap Anson and Charlie Grimm.</p>
<p id="kY7BSo">One more day of fun before the Cubs prepare for serious baseball starting again Friday. Sunday’s game begins at 2:20 p.m. CT, as all of MLB starts games in the hour beginning at 3 p.m. Eastern time. <span>Mike Montgomery</span> will go for the Cubs and <span>Deck McGuire</span> for the Reds.</p>
https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2017/9/30/16391066/cubs-reds-recap-kyle-schwarber-rene-rivera-mlb-scoresAl Yellon2017-09-30T17:50:02-05:002017-09-30T17:50:02-05:00Overflow thread 3: Cubs vs. Reds, Saturday 9/30, 3:05 CT
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<figcaption>Photo by David Banks/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p id="dovuJJ">——</p>
https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2017/9/30/16361784/overflow-thread-3-cubs-vs-reds-saturday-9-30-3-05-ctAl Yellon2017-09-30T17:05:02-05:002017-09-30T17:05:02-05:00Overflow thread 2: Cubs vs. Reds, Saturday 9/30, 3:05 CT
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<figcaption>Photo by David Banks/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p id="dovuJJ">——</p>
https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2017/9/30/16361768/overflow-thread-2-cubs-vs-reds-saturday-9-30-3-05-ctAl Yellon2017-09-30T16:05:01-05:002017-09-30T16:05:01-05:00Overflow thread 1: Cubs vs. Reds, Saturday 9/30, 3:05 CT
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<figcaption>Jim Young-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p id="dovuJJ">——</p>
https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2017/9/30/16361754/overflow-thread-1-cubs-vs-reds-saturday-9-30-3-05-ctAl Yellon2017-09-30T15:00:02-05:002017-09-30T15:00:02-05:00First pitch thread: Cubs vs. Reds, Saturday 9/30, 3:05 CT
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<figcaption>Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p id="Lf5TG1">Go get ‘em, Jon.</p>
https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2017/9/30/16362466/first-pitch-thread-cubs-vs-reds-saturday-9-30-3-05-ctAl Yellon2017-09-30T13:00:02-05:002017-09-30T13:00:02-05:00Chicago Cubs vs. Cincinnati Reds preview, Saturday 9/30, 3:05 CT
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<figcaption>Photo by David Banks/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>The Cubs go for their fourth straight win.</p> <p id="y4SIM1">Notes for the regular season’s final Saturday game:</p>
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<li id="NpHUQM">The Cubs seem to be peaking at the right time. Since they were swept by the Brewers earlier this month at Wrigley Field, they are 14-3. That’s tied with the Astros and Indians for the best record in baseball in that span.</li>
<li id="kuZvM3">Friday, the Cubs surpassed their 2016 run total of 808. They’re at 812 runs and counting with two games to go. That’s just six runs behind the Rockies for most in the National League, and is second only to the 2008 Cubs (855 runs) for the most scored by the franchise since 1935.</li>
<li id="DOG721">A win today would give the Cubs 92 wins, tying the 1969 team for fourth-most since 1945 (2016, 103; 2008, 97; 2015, 97).</li>
<li id="z6S05F">Last year, the Cubs set a franchise record with 656 walks. This year’s total is currently 615, second in MLB behind the Dodgers, and sixth-most in franchise history. (Next up: 621, by the 1974 Cubs.)</li>
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<p id="a1yffd">Here are today’s particulars.</p>
<p id="7qVOj7"><a href="https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/">Cubs</a> lineup:</p>
<blockquote><p id="MQsCpY">Happ CF, Bryant 3B, Rizzo 1B, Contreras C, Schwarber LF, Russell SS, Heyward RF, Baez 2B, Lester P</p></blockquote>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Here is today's <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cubs?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cubs</a> starting lineup.<br><br>Game preview: <a href="https://t.co/tPZWUylZsx">https://t.co/tPZWUylZsx</a> <a href="https://t.co/cMOMeknbAU">pic.twitter.com/cMOMeknbAU</a></p>— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) <a href="https://twitter.com/Cubs/status/914154370442375168?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2017</a>
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<p id="nqhLb6"><a href="https://www.redreporter.com/">Reds</a> lineup:</p>
<blockquote><p id="wm4ePm">Hamilton CF, Suarez 3B, Votto 1B, Gennett 2B, Duvall LF, Schebler RF, Peraza SS, Turner C, Stephens P</p></blockquote>
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<span>Jon Lester</span> vs. <span>Jackson Stephens</span>
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<cite>Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports</cite>
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<cite>MLB.com</cite>
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<p id="d8DR3L">Jon Lester has had some very good starts, including his last outing vs. the Cardinals, and some clunkers since he returned from the DL September 2.</p>
<p id="fwHOoO">Against the Reds this year his overall numbers are awful: three starts, 10.13 ERA, 2.025 (!) WHIP in 13⅓ innings. However, seven of the 15 earned runs he’s allowed to the Reds this year came in a 1⅔-inning outing on August 17, right before he went on the DL. His previous Wrigley start vs. the Reds, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CHN/CHN201705180.shtml">May 18</a>, was better: six innings, three runs, five strikeouts.</p>
<p id="0mkc8x">I’d like another one of those today, please.</p>
<p id="TywxQm">Jackson Stephens, the man with two last names, made his major-league debut against the Cubs <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CIN/CIN201707010.shtml">July 1 in Cincinnati</a> and it was a decent start: five innings, three runs. Two Cubs homered off him: Jon Jay and Willson Contreras.</p>
<p id="xglD3N">Stephens returned to the minor leagues after that and since his recall this month has made three relief appearances and two starts, the last of which was pretty good: <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CIN/CIN201709240.shtml">six innings of two-hit ball</a> against the Red Sox last Sunday.</p>
<p id="ccUefo">Stephens is 23 and has talent, although he kind of came out of nowhere. He wasn’t on MLB.com’s <a href="http://m.mlb.com/prospects/2017?list=cin">preseason top 30 Reds prospects list</a>.</p>
<p id="mXnWbm">Let’s hope the Cubs hit him today.</p>
<p id="EEz3N9">Today’s game is on CSN Chicago.</p>
<p id="47IVCe"><a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/mediacenter/index.jsp?ymd=20140401#date=9/30/2017">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_09_30_cinmlb_chnmlb_1&mode=classic">MLB.com Gameday (classic mode)</a> (Note: Going forward, I am going to link to the “classic” Gameday here because <a href="http://mlb.com/">MLB.com</a> broke the links I used to use to get to their “new” Gameday. If you click on this link, you can then click on “New Gameday” at the bottom of the page to get to the updated version. Note that the “classic” Gameday won’t load until just before game time.)</p>
<p id="iDRiK8"><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/previews/2017/CHN201709300.shtml">Baseball-reference.com game preview</a></p>
<p id="AScVZw"><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/events/523033/pregame">SB Nation game preview</a></p>
<p id="c01E3n">Please visit our SB Nation <a href="https://www.redreporter.com/">Reds</a> site <a href="http://www.redreporter.com/">Red Reporter</a>. If you do go there to interact with Reds 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>
<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%2F9%2F30%2F16362526%2Fchicago-cubs-cincinnati-reds-preview-saturday" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">here</a>.</p>
<p id="F26pQn">Discuss amongst yourselves.</p>
https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2017/9/30/16362526/chicago-cubs-cincinnati-reds-preview-saturdayAl Yellon