Bleed Cubbie Blue - Cubs vs. Brewers Wednesday game threadsA Chicago Cubs Fan Community Since February 9, 2005https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47557/cubbieblue.png2018-06-13T16:40:02-05:00http://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/rss/stream/172125672018-06-13T16:40:02-05:002018-06-13T16:40:02-05:00Brewers 1, Cubs 0: A whole lot of nothing
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<figcaption>Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Cubs got great pitching, but were blanked again.</p> <p id="XLFIWh">The <a href="https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/">Cubs</a> did just about everything right in this game, at least from a pitching standpoint. Just four hits and two walks were allowed on the afternoon by <span>Mike Montgomery</span>, <span>Justin Wilson</span>, <span>Steve Cishek</span> and <span>Brian Duensing</span>.</p>
<p id="HOlUCV">Unfortunately, one of those hits was a solo homer by <span>Lorenzo Cain</span>, and the Cubs could not solve <span>Jhoulys Chacin</span> and three <a href="https://www.brewcrewball.com/">Brewers</a> relievers, and thus <a href="http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/news/boxscore.jsp?gid=2018_06_13_chnmlb_milmlb_1">lost the game 1-0</a> and the series two games to one.</p>
<p id="Hnejk7">Montgomery was, again, magnificent in his fourth start since taking over for <span>Yu Darvish</span> after Darvish hit the disabled list. You can’t do much better than this:</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Mike Montgomery last 4 starts:<br>1.14 ERA in 23.2 IP, 13 Hits, 3 BB, 14 K. <br>1 or 0 runs allowed in all four. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cubs?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cubs</a></p>— Christopher Kamka (@ckamka) <a href="https://twitter.com/ckamka/status/1006993034452533248?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 13, 2018</a>
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<p id="Mjhn1e">There’s going to be a conversation, I suppose soon, about what’s going to happen to Montgomery when Darvish returns. (<span>Tyler Chatwood</span> is going to be part of that discussion, I’d think.)</p>
<p id="WQbzmr">It’s the first time the Cubs have been shut out in back-to-back games since April 1 and 2, when the <a href="https://www.fishstripes.com/">Marlins</a> and <a href="https://www.redreporter.com/">Reds</a> (!) shut them out. The 1-0 loss to the Reds April 2 still stands as Cincinnati’s only shutout this year.</p>
<p id="MaurTK">The bottom line is that the Cubs just ran into a couple of hot pitchers the last two games, and they allowed the Brewers just seven runs in the entire series, so Cubs pitching wasn’t an issue, either. The entire season series between the Cubs and Brewers has gotten quite interesting, pitching-wise:</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">11 games between <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cubs?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cubs</a> & <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Brewers?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Brewers</a> this season<br>7 shutouts<br>5 won by Cubs<br>2 won by Brewers</p>— Christopher Kamka (@ckamka) <a href="https://twitter.com/ckamka/status/1007006190734397440?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 13, 2018</a>
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<p id="OUmQAS">Also of interest regarding this game:</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Two 1-0 games already today.<br>- <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Rays?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Rays</a> over <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BlueJays?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BlueJays</a><br>- <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Brewers?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Brewers</a> over <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cubs?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cubs</a><br><br>That makes 27 of them so far this season.<br><br>There were 29 all of last season.</p>— Christopher Kamka (@ckamka) <a href="https://twitter.com/ckamka/status/1007006872375832576?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 13, 2018</a>
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<p id="ABrB6B">There were two other things of interest that happened late in this contest. The first is depicted at the top of this post, <span>Anthony Rizzo</span> getting into it in the eighth inning with plate umpire Jim Reynolds over a pitch that Rizzo thought was ball four. Reynolds called Rizzo out on strikes, and honestly I don’t think I’ve ever seen Rizzo quite that animated over a ball-and-strike call. Fortunately, Joe Maddon came quickly out of the dugout and neither was ejected.</p>
<p id="g2BhgC">And looking at this, it appears Reynolds’ call was correct:</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Anthony Rizzo did not appreciate this called strikeout against Josh Hader, and told plate ump Jim Reynolds so. <a href="https://t.co/ESB1MRcF6S">pic.twitter.com/ESB1MRcF6S</a></p>— Adam McCalvy (@AdamMcCalvy) <a href="https://twitter.com/AdamMcCalvy/status/1006998944600285185?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 13, 2018</a>
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<p id="Y1VcAx">Can’t really argue with that, the location (pitch 6) appears in that image to be the same as two previous pitches in the zone during that at-bat. Close, but on the line. It’s a pitch that the <a href="https://twitter.com/cubsump">@CubsUmp</a> Twitter account was silent about, thus not one that occasionally is called a ball by any umpire.</p>
<p id="kVv1DQ">You can’t really say that squelched a rally, either; it was the second out of the inning. <span>Ian Happ</span> singled after that, but nothing further happened when <span>Kyle Schwarber</span> struck out on a 96 mile per hour fastball from <span>Josh Hader</span>.</p>
<p id="1ZUaHZ">Then Joe started some shenanigans in order to try to keep the game close. With the Brewers having alternating righthanded and lefthanded hitters due up (including expected LH pinch-hitter <span>Eric Thames</span>), Joe began the bottom of the eighth with Steve Cishek on the mound. <span>Orlando Arcia</span> hit a ground ball that most infielders wouldn’t have even been able to slow down; <span>Javier Baez</span> did, but there’s no way his throw would have beaten <span>Arcia</span> even if it had been on line.</p>
<p id="uAp4KR">So with Thames due up, Joe put Cishek in left field and brought Brian Duensing into the game. Schwarber, who had made the last out of the top of the inning, left the game. Duensing struck out Thames, and then headed to left field while Cishek returned to the mound. Cishek got Cain to ground out, and since you can only make that pitcher-to-left-field swap once, when Duensing returned to pitch to <span>Christian Yelich</span>, <span>Willson Contreras</span> entered the game in left field. (Contreras was going to have to bat in that spot anyway in the ninth inning.)</p>
<p id="MCLnBc">Sure enough, Yelich hit Duensing’s first pitch (which was actually Duensing’s <em>fifth</em> pitch) into the left-field corner where Willson snagged it. And in case you’ve forgotten:</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> outfielders under Joe Maddon include:<br>- Travis Wood<br>- Pedro Strop<br>- Spencer Patton<br>- Steve Cishek<br>- Brian Duensing</p>— Christopher Kamka (@ckamka) <a href="https://twitter.com/ckamka/status/1007004395773579264?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 13, 2018</a>
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<p id="qXJGCt">The Cubs had their shot at it in the ninth, but Baez (who had two hits earlier in the game), <span>Chris Gimenez</span> and Contreras were retired 1-2-3 by <span>Corey Knebel</span> to end it.</p>
<p id="b1QPdY"><span>Kris Bryant</span>, as I had forecast, got the entire afternoon off. KB is in an 0-for-15 slump (five strikeouts), and by sitting him all day (he likely wasn’t getting in this game unless it went to extra innings), that essentially gives him three full days of rest, since the Cubs don’t play again until Friday night. Joe has done this before with slumping players, to give them a break so they can clear their heads, and it’s worked in the past. Bryant will eventually be fine.</p>
<p id="hw1PJZ">Give the Brewers credit, they did what they needed to do in order to shut down the Cubs offense. Like the Brewers, the Cubs scored seven runs in the series — all of them in Monday night’s win. This is just part of the ups and downs of a long season.</p>
<p id="7Dzmjz">Oh, one last thing:</p>
<blockquote><p id="JWF4Cs"><strong>Blue alt:</strong> 5-12<br><strong>Road gray:</strong> 13-2</p></blockquote>
<p id="FuwlJv">The Cubs will surely enjoy their Thursday off — at home, in Chicago — before heading to St. Louis to begin a weekend series against the <a href="https://www.vivaelbirdos.com/">Cardinals</a>. Friday night, <span>Jon Lester</span> will face <span>Michael Wacha</span>, and both are having excellent seasons. Game time Friday is 7:15 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be on ABC7 Chicago. (Please wear the road grays in St. Louis!)</p>
https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2018/6/13/17461634/cubs-brewers-recap-mike-montgomery-brian-duensing-mlb-scoresAl Yellon2018-06-13T15:55:01-05:002018-06-13T15:55:01-05:00Overflow thread 3: Cubs vs. Brewers, Wednesday 6/13, 1:10 CT
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<figcaption>Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p id="b6ZmrF">——</p>
https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2018/6/13/17448516/overflow-thread-3-cubs-vs-brewers-wednesday-6-13-1-10-ctAl Yellon2018-06-13T15:10:01-05:002018-06-13T15:10:01-05:00Overflow thread 2: Cubs vs. Brewers, Wednesday 6/13, 1:10 CT
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<figcaption>Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p id="b6ZmrF">——</p>
https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2018/6/13/17448510/overflow-thread-2-cubs-vs-brewers-wednesday-6-13-1-10-ctAl Yellon2018-06-13T14:10:02-05:002018-06-13T14:10:02-05:00Overflow thread 1: Cubs vs. Brewers, Wednesday 6/13, 1:10 CT
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<figcaption>Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p id="b6ZmrF">——</p>
https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2018/6/13/17448506/overflow-thread-1-cubs-vs-brewers-wednesday-6-13-1-10-ctAl Yellon2018-06-13T13:05:01-05:002018-06-13T13:05:01-05:00First pitch thread: Cubs vs. Brewers, Wednesday 6/13, 1:10 CT
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<figcaption>Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p id="yXGDXC">Go get ‘em, Mike.</p>
https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2018/6/13/17447208/first-pitch-thread-cubs-vs-brewers-wednesday-6-13-1-10-ctAl Yellon2018-06-13T11:30:01-05:002018-06-13T11:30:01-05:00Chicago Cubs vs. Milwaukee Brewers preview, Wednesday 6/13, 1:10 CT
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<figcaption>Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Cubs look to take this three-game series in Milwaukee.</p> <p id="iyrf8A">Notes for a (hopefully) meatloaf Wednesday:</p>
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<li id="GdNg4N">Mike Montgomery has allowed one or fewer runs while going at least five innings in each of his first three starts this season. He’s the first Cub to do that since <span>Jon Lester</span> last season. Just four Cubs starters since 1908 have done so in each of their first four Cubs starts to a season: Hippo Vaughn in 1919, <span>Greg Maddux</span> in 2006, <span>Rich Harden</span> in 2008 and <span>Jason Hammel</span> in 2016.</li>
<li id="uo8lxJ">Happy birthday to two Cubs pitchers. <span>Pedro Strop</span> turns 33 today, and <span>Drew Smyly</span> is celebrating his 29th birthday.</li>
<li id="LgdMM5">Tuesday night’s loss snapped a seven-game winning streak against the Brewers. Dating back to their final meeting of 2017, the Cubs are 9-2 in their last 11 games against the Brewers and have outscored them 41-15. Cubs pitchers have a 1.18 ERA (13 ER/99⅓ IP) over Milwaukee in that span, including six shutouts (five this season), and have limited the Brewers to a .161 batting average (55-for-342) and a .463 OPS.</li>
<li id="o8Xj8e">
<span>Justin Wilson</span>, in his last six outings since May 30, has struck out 15 of 27 batters faced (56 percent). Since May 1, he has a 0.50 ERA (1 ER/18 IP) in 18 games, having struck out 26, walked 10 and held the opponent to a .133 average (8-for-60).</li>
<li id="HsYp9u">Another Strop note: Since joining the Cubs in a trade with Baltimore July 2, 2013, Pedro has thrown 299⅓ innings of relief for the ballclub. Another two-thirds of an inning and Strop will become just the 17th pitcher to reach 300 relief innings for the franchise. Further to that:</li>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Here's an obscure <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cubs?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cubs</a> career leaderboard...<br>Most games pitched in franchise history without any starts:<br>329 Pedro Strop<br>300 Bruce Sutter<br>296 Héctor Rondón<br>276 Terry Adams<br>265 Michael Wuertz</p>— Christopher Kamka (@ckamka) <a href="https://twitter.com/ckamka/status/1006668302842777600?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 12, 2018</a>
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<p id="t0V5qc">Note, those are different things. Some of the 16 pitchers who have thrown 300+ relief innings for the Cubs have made starts. The five listed in the tweet never started any games for the Cubs. The Cubs’ career leader in relief innings is <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/e/elstodo01.shtml">Don Elston</a>, who threw 659 relief innings for the club between 1953 and 1964.</p>
<p id="lzg9mh">Here are today’s particulars.</p>
<p id="Vergm4"><a href="https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/">Cubs</a> lineup:</p>
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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> lineup against the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Brewers?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Brewers</a>. <br><br>Game preview: <a href="https://t.co/sbLSwbYnNM">https://t.co/sbLSwbYnNM</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EverybodyIn?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EverybodyIn</a> <a href="https://t.co/MfjPw0e8o0">pic.twitter.com/MfjPw0e8o0</a></p>— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) <a href="https://twitter.com/Cubs/status/1006920374347534336?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 13, 2018</a>
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<p id="paTjw6"><a href="https://www.brewcrewball.com/">Brewers</a> lineup:</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Here’s the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Brewers?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Brewers</a> lineup for the rubber match of our series against the Cubs. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ThisIsMyCrew?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ThisIsMyCrew</a> <a href="https://t.co/2gIaCzb7rl">pic.twitter.com/2gIaCzb7rl</a></p>— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) <a href="https://twitter.com/Brewers/status/1006910166296645633?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 13, 2018</a>
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<h2 id="v9ViLH">
<span>Mike Montgomery</span>, LHP vs. <span>Jhoulys Chacin</span>, RHP</h2>
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<cite>Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports</cite>
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<cite>Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports</cite>
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<p id="HYmPnH">Mike Montgomery has been excellent as a starter this year: three starts, 1.02 ERA, 0.736 WHIP, just one home run in 17⅓ innings.</p>
<p id="BCGyKn">All we can do is hope that will continue. MiMo has one relief appearance vs. the Brewers this year, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/MIL/MIL201804060.shtml">April 6 at Miller Park</a>, and he allowed the winning run in the bottom of the ninth, recording an out, then allowing a walk and two singles.</p>
<p id="swGOO4">Hopefully the good version of Montgomery shows up today.</p>
<p id="hUsiMQ">Jhoulys Chacin had a decent (2.5 bWAR) year for the <a href="https://www.gaslampball.com/">Padres</a> in 2017, but they declined to re-sign him and the Brewers picked him up as a free agent.</p>
<p id="qkt7ms">That’s turned out to be a pretty good signing so far. Chacin has a 3.58 ERA and 1.248 WHIP in 14 starts and is on target to have a similar year to his 2017 season.</p>
<p id="EWTQBk">His last start against the Cubs was <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CHN/CHN201706200.shtml">June 20, 2017 at Wrigley Field</a>. He allowed two runs in six innings, including a home run by <span>Anthony Rizzo</span>.</p>
<p id="4r7Jsk">Interestingly, the Cubs starter that night was... Mike Montgomery, who threw six shutout innings. Different team, sure, but hopefully the same result for MiMo.</p>
<p id="e9bjvO">Today’s game is on WGN.</p>
<p id="47IVCe"><a href="https://www.mlb.com/live-stream-games/2018/06/13">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=2018_06_13_chnmlb_milmlb_1">MLB.com Gameday</a></p>
<p id="iDRiK8"><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/previews/2018/MIL201806130.shtml">Baseball-reference.com game preview</a></p>
<p id="AScVZw"><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/events/537019/pregame">SB Nation game preview</a></p>
<p id="c01E3n">Please visit our SB Nation <a href="https://www.brewcrewball.com/">Brewers</a> site <a href="http://www.brewcrewball.com/">Brew Crew Ball</a>. If you do go there to interact with Brewers 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 2018 Game Thread procedure will be the same as the one used during 2017. 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="Any2vq">Discuss amongst yourselves.</p>
https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2018/6/13/17447174/chicago-cubs-milwaukee-brewers-preview-wednesdayAl Yellon