Bleed Cubbie Blue - Cubs vs. Mets Wednesday game threadsA Chicago Cubs Fan Community Since February 9, 2005https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47557/cubbieblue.png2018-08-29T17:40:26-05:00http://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/rss/stream/175352652018-08-29T17:40:26-05:002018-08-29T17:40:26-05:00Mets 10, Cubs 3: Lessons learned
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<figcaption>Jim Young-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Cubs lost and their winning streak ended at seven, but we found out some things.</p> <p id="zKFQ4v">Heavy rain overnight faded into drizzly, cloudy skies in Chicago Wednesday afternoon, a hint of autumn to come, and after an exciting walkoff win in the suspended game from Tuesday night, <a href="http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/news/boxscore.jsp?gid=2018_08_29_nynmlb_chnmlb_1">the Cubs turned in a clunker of a 10-3 loss</a> to the <a href="https://www.amazinavenue.com/">Mets</a> in the regularly-scheduled game Wednesday, ending their seven-game winning streak. For the Mets, the 10 runs were just one fewer than they had scored in their previous six games combined.</p>
<p id="eP5Eqp">This game was not without lessons, though! First, we found out that <span>Alec Mills</span> actually might be a decent fringe big-league starter. Sure, the results (five innings, four runs) weren’t great, but those runs were the result of one bad pitch, a fastball that <span>Todd Frazier</span> crushed into the left-field bleachers with the bases loaded in the first inning.</p>
<p id="hcAjwh">And really, the game was more or less over at that point. Mills settled down and threw four more innings reasonably well, allowing just two more hits and a walk after Frazier’s slam. What really hurt was walking <span>Michael Conforto</span> just before the slam. <span>Mills</span> struck out five, and honestly he’s thrown pretty well in the two starts and one relief appearance he’s made for the Cubs this season. He’s probably earned another start as the Cubs switch to a six-man rotation for the time being.</p>
<p id="vSVOpS">The other thing we learned in this game is that <span>Brandon Kintzler</span> is likely only going to throw in garbage time the rest of the year and is likely going to be left off any postseason roster. Kintzler was awful again, getting pounded for five hits in an inning and a third and, after <span>Randy Rosario</span> couldn’t quite get the third out in the seventh inning, those hits led to a four-run inning that pretty much put the game away for the Mets.</p>
<p id="WYzH0a">Kintzler as a Cub: 13 appearances, nine innings, 17 hits, six walks, nine earned runs (9.00 ERA, 2.556 WHIP), only five strikeouts. Yikes, that’s horrific.</p>
<p id="D3jcq8">The Cubs’ only run before the ninth was driven in by Ian Happ. Willson Contreras doubled leading off the second, went to third on a groundout by Mills and scored on Happ’s single. Contreras also singled in the ninth and scored on <span>Victor Caratini</span>’s <a href="https://www.mlb.com/video/caratinis-2-run-home-run/c-2441043983">first Wrigley Field homer [VIDEO]</a> (he had one last year at Miller Park).</p>
<p id="DqkhpS">A quirky little thing about this game was that both teams were permitted a 26th man for the regularly scheduled game, since it was not known when the suspended game resumed how long it would take. Both 26th men pitched in the ninth, <span>James Norwood</span> for the Cubs (two runs, one earned due to his own error) and <span>Jacob Rhame</span> for the Mets (allowed Caratini’s home run).</p>
<p id="SoO7Jh">Some amusement happened when <span>Kyle Schwarber</span> caught a fly ball for the first out of the seventh, <a href="https://www.mlb.com/video/schwarber-chases-flock-of-birds/c-2441004083">then chased away a flock of pigeons [VIDEO]</a> that were apparently having a snack on the field.</p>
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<p id="ICZqwK">Got to find entertainment when the game isn’t really of interest, right?</p>
<p id="UCVgCl">The conclusion of the suspended game was certainly entertaining, after <span>Jesse Chavez</span> had gotten out of the top of the 11th with a line-drive double play.</p>
<p id="Gl6eD6"><span>Javier Baez</span> worked an 0-2 count into a walk (nice work!) and when Caratini attempted a sacrifice, Mets pitcher <span>Paul Sewald</span> threw the ball in the general direction of Addison Street. The runners wound up on second and third, after which Schwarber was intentionally passed. <span>Albert Almora Jr.</span> struck out, but <a href="https://www.mlb.com/video/zobrists-walk-off-knock-in-11th/c-2440130783?tid=277827014">Ben Zobrist came through [VIDEO]</a>.</p>
<div id="m98DE1"><div style="max-width: 960px;"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.2493%;"><iframe src="https://www.mlb.com/video/share/zobrists-walk-off-knock-in-11th/c-2440130783?tid=277827014" style="border: 0; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no"></iframe></div></div></div>
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<p id="5YtK1u">The two innings played of the suspended game took about 40 minutes, so the regular game started at 1:30 instead of 1:20, and quickly got us wishing it hadn’t started at all.</p>
<p id="sT4nmw">But the Cubs meatloafed the series and had a 6-1 homestand and there’s certainly nothing wrong with that. Hope the Cubs got all the bad play out of their system before the important road trip that begins Thursday night in Atlanta with a rainout-makeup game against the <a href="https://www.talkingchop.com/">Braves</a>. Another lesson learned, from the suspended game: Jesse Chavez is the pitcher the Cubs hoped Brandon Kintzler would be. He’s been a revelation and is almost certain to be on any postseason roster.</p>
<p id="S0EThl">The Cubs will have to make a roster move before Thursday’s game, as <span>Mike Montgomery</span> is expected to be activated to make the start. The Braves will go with <span>Mike Foltynewicz</span>. Game time Thursday is 6:35 p.m. CT and TV coverage is on WGN (and also MLB Network outside the Chicago and Atlanta markets).</p>
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https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2018/8/29/17798060/cubs-mets-recap-alec-mills-victor-caratini-mlb-scoresAl Yellon2018-08-29T15:30:02-05:002018-08-29T15:30:02-05:00Overflow thread 2: Cubs vs. Mets, Wednesday 8/29, 1:20 CT
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<figcaption>Patrick Gorski-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p id="eAh3Qz">——</p>
https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2018/8/29/17771194/overflow-thread-2-cubs-vs-mets-wednesday-8-29-1-20-ctAl Yellon2018-08-29T14:30:02-05:002018-08-29T14:30:02-05:00Overflow thread 1: Cubs vs. Mets, Wednesday 8/29, 1:20 CT
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<figcaption>Patrick Gorski-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2018/8/29/17771192/overflow-thread-1-cubs-vs-mets-wednesday-8-29-1-20-ctAl Yellon2018-08-29T13:25:02-05:002018-08-29T13:25:02-05:00First pitch thread: Cubs vs. Mets, Wednesday 8/29, 1:20 CT
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<figcaption>Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p id="z05DQw">Go get ‘em, Alec.</p>
https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2018/8/29/17771008/first-pitch-thread-cubs-vs-mets-wednesday-8-29-1-20-ctAl Yellon2018-08-29T11:00:01-05:002018-08-29T11:00:01-05:00Chicago Cubs vs. New York Mets preview, Wednesday 8/29, 1:20 CT
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<p>Here are the details for Wednesday’s scheduled game.</p> <p id="CCkIJp">There’s not a lot more that can be said about this rain-delayed series, so without further ado, here are today’s particulars, but not before a note that Joe Maddon mentioned Tuesday:</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Maddon: "I was already writing out tomorrow's lineup against Vargas because it's going to be an interesting lineup tomorrow, so don't miss it. It's an opportunity to give guys days off of their feet in 23 consecutive."</p>— Tony Andracki (@TonyAndracki23) <a href="https://twitter.com/TonyAndracki23/status/1034586638846967810?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 28, 2018</a>
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<p id="Vergm4">The <a href="https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/">Cubs</a> and <a href="https://www.amazinavenue.com/">Mets</a> lineups for the scheduled game were not available at posting time for this preview. Please check the BCB Twitter feed for the lineups.</p>
<p id="GUjxM2">And, a reminder that a Suspended Game thread will post at 11:55 a.m. CT. It will appear in the Tuesday StoryStream and the Chicago Cubs Game Threads section at the bottom of the front page. Use that for the suspended game; a complete set of game threads for the scheduled game will post later.</p>
<p id="roQfF3">Here are the particulars for the scheduled game. </p>
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<span>Alec Mills</span>, RHP vs. <span>Jason Vargas</span>, LHP</h2>
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<cite>Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports</cite>
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<cite>Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports</cite>
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<p id="g5TrHj">Alec Mills was just outstanding in his start last Friday against the <a href="https://www.redreporter.com/">Reds</a>. He doesn’t throw with great velocity, mostly just touching 90, but locates well. He also mixed up his pitches in that start, and also worked quickly. Fielders like that.</p>
<p id="IZqYqK">Mills was rewarded for that by being given, at least for now, a spot in the rotation. He has never faced the Mets or anyone on their roster. Hopefully, that will be an advantage for him.</p>
<p id="TRQ9VD">If you look at Jason Vargas’ overall numbers for this year: 6.96 ERA, 1.608 WHIP, 14 home runs allowed in just 64⅔ innings, you might think this would be an easy win for the Cubs.</p>
<p id="0tl2S5">Don’t think that way. The Cubs don’t. And in Vargas’ last start, August 24 vs. the <a href="https://www.federalbaseball.com/">Nationals</a>, he threw six shutout innings. His last three starts: 2.08 ERA, 0.981 WHIP, only three walks in 17⅓ innings.</p>
<p id="cTQUOV">Vargas last faced the Cubs in 2013. The only Cubs who have faced him are <span>Anthony Rizzo</span> (0-for-6) and <span>Ben Zobrist</span> (12-for-29, four doubles, a home run). </p>
<p id="HKo7oe">Also, FWIW the Cubs are 19-9 vs. lefthanded starters this year.</p>
<p id="jkfRKZ">Today’s game is on NBC Sports Chicago. It’s also on MLB Network (outside the Chicago and New York markets).</p>
<p id="47IVCe"><a href="https://www.mlb.com/live-stream-games/2018/08/29">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_08_29_nynmlb_chnmlb_1">MLB.com Gameday</a></p>
<p id="iDRiK8"><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/previews/2018/CHN201808290.shtml">Baseball-reference.com game preview</a></p>
<p id="AScVZw"><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/events/536912/pregame">SB Nation game preview</a></p>
<p id="c01E3n">Please visit our SB Nation <a href="https://www.amazinavenue.com/">Mets</a> site <a href="http://www.amazinavenue.com/">Amazin’ Avenue</a>. If you do go there to interact with Mets 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="d03f0j">Discuss amongst yourselves.</p>
https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2018/8/29/17703874/chicago-cubs-new-york-mets-preview-wednesdayAl Yellon