Bleed Cubbie Blue - Cubs vs. Brewers Thursday Game ThreadsA Chicago Cubs Fan Community Since February 9, 2005https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47557/cubbieblue.png2015-08-13T17:40:22-05:00http://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/rss/stream/88558482015-08-13T17:40:22-05:002015-08-13T17:40:22-05:00Cubs 9, Brewers 2: Hey! Hey! Holy Cow! Home Runs!
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<p>The Cubs turned on the power bats Thursday and won their seventh in a row.</p> <p>I honestly cannot remember a <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/">Cubs</a> midsummer homestand that was as much fun as this one since at least 2008... and maybe before that.</p>
<p>Mike Bojanowski mentioned to me that this was somewhat reminiscent of a 1984 homestand in which the Cubs took six straight from the Expos and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.amazinavenue.com/">Mets</a> and solidified their hold on first place in the N.L. East, a hold they never relinquished.</p>
<p>Though the Cubs are nowhere close to first place, this season-high seven-game winning streak puts them solidly in charge of the second wild-card spot and if the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.vivaelbirdos.com/">Cardinals</a> beat the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bucsdugout.com/">Pirates</a> again tonight, just half a game behind Pittsburgh for the top wild-card position.</p>
<p>Thursday afternoon's <a href="http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/news/boxscore.jsp?gid=2015_08_13_milmlb_chnmlb_1" target="_blank">9-2 Cubs win over the Brewers</a>, played in warm temperatures, brilliant sunshine and a joyful full house of 40,799, was punctuated by home runs, a season-high five of them, two from <span>Kyle Schwarber</span>, who now has eight in just 103 at-bats.</p>
<p>The scoring started slowly, though, as the Cubs sneaked a run across the plate in the second on a walk to <span>Anthony Rizzo</span> and two singles off <span>Tyler Cravy</span>. That's when the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.brewcrewball.com/">Brewers</a> dusted off their scouting report on <span>Jon Lester</span> and started running like crazy on him in the third inning. They stole four bases and Lester made a... well, sort-of pickoff attempt that headed toward the Rizzo Memorial Tarp, but even at that, Milwaukee got just one run out of all that running and the game headed into the middle innings tied.</p>
<p>In the fifth, after a one-out walk to <span>Addison Russell</span>, <span>Dexter Fowler</span> hit a ball that bounced crazily off the top of the wall and back onto the field. There's no way a ball that bounces like that <i>didn't</i> hit over the basket, because in order to bounce like that, it had to hit the concrete top of the bleacher wall. Here, have a look for yourself:</p>
<p><iframe src="http://m.mlb.com/shared/video/embed/embed.html?content_id=365055183&topic_id=63817564&width=400&height=224&property=mlb" frameborder="0" height="224" width="400">Your browser does not support iframes.</iframe></p>
<p>That's an umpire review, separate from the challenge system. Russell scored easily and Fowler stood on second base while the review was going on -- far too long, in my opinion, this one should have been an easy call. It gave the Cubs a 3-1 lead and unleashed the power bats. Schwarber followed with his first homer of the day, and one out later, Rizzo smashed a homer to center field. It's been a while since the Cubs had a three-homer inning:</p>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">It's 1st time <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cubs?src=hash">#Cubs</a> have hit 3 HRs in 1 inning since Aug. 29, 2011, at San Fran. 1st time at Wrigley since June 21, 2008, vs <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.southsidesox.com/">White Sox</a></p>
— Carrie Muskat (@CarrieMuskat) <a href="https://twitter.com/CarrieMuskat/status/631922229694046208">August 13, 2015</a>
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<p>That gave the Cubs a 5-1 lead and Lester gutted out a sixth inning in which he allowed a run, but ended it with two K's, giving him 10 for the game, and that marked this note for Cubs franchise history:</p>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">The <a href="https://twitter.com/baseball_ref">@baseball_ref</a> play index goes back to 1914, and Jon Lester has most 10-K games by a <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cubs?src=hash">#Cubs</a> lefty in a season (4) over that span.</p>
— Christopher Kamka (@ckamka) <a href="https://twitter.com/ckamka/status/631926952467767297">August 13, 2015</a>
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<p>Granted that the Cubs haven't had too many great lefthanded starters in their history, but... more than Ken Holtzman ever had in a season, more than <span>Ted Lilly</span>, more than Hippo Vaughn. Lester didn't have his best stuff for this one, but had enough to put together six decent innings, and the offense did the rest.</p>
<p>Schwarber's second home run made it 7-2 in the seventh, and <span>Chris Denorfia</span>, who came in to replace <span>Jorge Soler</span> in right field after that inning hit one in the eighth, his second. Schwarber came up in that inning with Fowler on second, with a chance for a three-homer game. His RBI single completed the scoring and gave him a 3-for-4 day with two homers, two runs and four RBI. I imagine Joe Maddon will probably give him a break from left field during the White Sox series by having him DH at least one of the games, and perhaps catch one of the others.</p>
<p>The win put the Cubs 10 games over .500 at home, 34-24, and after a very slow start in Wrigley Field games this year the team is learning to win at home. The 34 home wins ranks fifth in the N.L., after the Mets, Cardinals, Pirates and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a>. That's why it would be nice to get into that first wild-card position and play whoever the other wild card is at home, because of those other four teams, only one (Cardinals) has a winning record on the road.</p>
<p>The Cubs now need go just 25-24 to win 90 games this year, and that's completely unexpected, I think you'll agree. I think we all figured the Cubs to be an improved club this year, but a 90-win team? 17 games up on 2014? No way. But the team Theo & Co. put together, and Joe Maddon's leadership, have put the Cubs on a playoff course. The current team winning percentage of .575 puts them on pace for 93 wins, and 28-21 would do that, and who's to say they can't?</p>
<p>This is tremendous fun. Baseball is awesomely fun when you win... and not only that, but this team is doing it with a complete team effort, with new heroes every day. Seven in a row. 13 of 14. 14 of 16. Keep it going!</p>
<p>Site note: if things seemed a little slow or off this morning, it's because I was part of <a href="http://chicago.suntimes.com/news-chicago/7/71/875689/comcast-xfinity-outage-north-side" target="_blank">this massive Comcast outage</a> which wasn't repaired until after I left for Wrigley. Spent the morning at two different Starbucks (the first one was having the same outage) in order to get last night's recap done.</p>
<p>Finally, remember this: while the Cubs are on a roll right now, it's not supposed to look this easy and no matter who they play, they have to focus their efforts on winning, one game at a time. I think they have the right manager to keep them on that path. The White Sox are coming off a sweep of a good <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.halosheaven.com/">Angels</a> team and they will certainly be primed for the Cubs and their fans to invade the South Side starting Friday, with ex-Cub <span>Jeff Samardzija</span> facing <span>Kyle Hendricks</span>.</p>
https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2015/8/13/9151103/cubs-brewers-recap-kyle-schwarber-dexter-fowler-mlb-scoresAl Yellon2015-08-13T16:05:01-05:002015-08-13T16:05:01-05:00Overflow Thread 3: Cubs vs. Brewers, Thursday 8/13
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<figcaption>David Banks/Getty Images</figcaption>
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https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2015/8/13/9091891/overflow-thread-3-cubs-vs-brewers-thursday-8-13-1-20-ctAl Yellon2015-08-13T15:21:01-05:002015-08-13T15:21:01-05:00Overflow Thread 2: Cubs vs. Brewers, Thursday 8/13
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<figcaption>Caylor Arnold-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2015/8/13/9091875/overflow-thread-2-cubs-vs-brewers-thursday-8-13-1-20-ctAl Yellon2015-08-13T14:20:02-05:002015-08-13T14:20:02-05:00Overflow Thread 1: Cubs vs. Brewers, Thursday 8/13
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https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2015/8/13/9091863/overflow-thread-1-cubs-vs-brewers-thursday-8-13-1-20-ctAl Yellon2015-08-13T11:30:01-05:002015-08-13T11:30:01-05:00Cubs vs. Brewers Preview, Thursday 8/13, 1:20 CT
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<figcaption>David Banks/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>The Cubs are going for their seventh consecutive victory.</p> <p>The Cubs have won six games in a row on three separate occasions this year. Once again, they will try for their seventh straight win, but somehow, this time feels different, <a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-miguel-montero-anthony-rizzo-cubs-brewers-spt-0813-20150812-story.html" target="_blank">as Miguel Montero said</a>:</p>
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<pre>Montero said the mood is similar to the atmosphere he experienced with the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.azsnakepit.com/">Diamondbacks</a> in 2011 when they ran away with the NL West title.
"We walked in and said, 'You know what? We're going to win today,'" Montero recalled. "The young guys are still getting better and better. There's no reason we shouldn't win."</pre>
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<p>That's the attitude you have to have when you're winning. I'm sure the veteran presence of guys like Montero, Jon Lester and <span>Dexter Fowler</span>, among others, helps the young players, as well as Joe Maddon's managing. It's a really good mix, in my view.</p>
<p>The last time the Cubs swept an entire homestand of at least seven games was in 2008, when they swept a three-game set from the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a> and then a four-game series from the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.purplerow.com/">Rockies</a> from May 26 through June 1. That was part of a 16-4 run. This team's on a similar run.</p>
<p>Keep up the good work.</p>
<p>Here are today's particulars.</p>
<p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/">Cubs</a> lineup:</p>
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<pre>Fowler CF, Schwarber LF, Coghlan 2B, Rizzo 1B, Bryant 3B, Soler RF, Ross C, Lester, Russell SS</pre>
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<p>Brewers lineup:</p>
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<pre>Segura SS, Lucroy C, Braun RF, Davis LF, Rogers 1B, Herrera 2B, Perez 3B, Schafer CF, Cravy P</pre>
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<h2><i>Today's Starting Pitchers</i></h2>
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<a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/7790" target="newwindow"><img src="https://cdn2.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/3926934/jonlester.0.jpg" alt="Jon Lester" border="1" height="480" width="320"></a><br><a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/7790" target="newwindow"> </a> <center>
<h2><span>Jon Lester</span></h2>
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<a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/9980" target="newwindow"><img src="https://cdn2.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/3953850/tylercravy.0.jpg" alt="Tyler Cravy" border="1" height="480" width="320"></a><br><a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/9980" target="newwindow">
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<p><span>Jon Lester</span> is the only Cubs starter who did not pitch in the four-game sweep at Miller Park a couple of weeks ago. However, his one start against the Brewers this year, <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CHN/CHN201505010.shtml" target="_blank">May 1 at Wrigley Field</a>, was one of his best: seven innings, no runs, just three singles and a walk allowed. Since July 1 Lester has a 1.79 ERA in seven starts covering 50⅓ innings (thus averaging over seven innings per start), with seven walks, 53 strikeouts and just one home run allowed.</p>
<p>Keep up the good work, Jon.</p>
<p><span>Tyler Cravy</span> has made three starts and one relief appearance for the Brewers this year, his first in the big leagues. Two of the three starts have been against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.vivaelbirdos.com/">Cardinals</a>. One was good, the other... not so much. The latter is <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/MIL/MIL201508070.shtml" target="_blank">this game</a>, six days ago. Here's hoping the Cubs hit him the same way. He has obviously never faced the Cubs or anyone on their roster.</p>
<p>Today's game is on ABC7 Chicago. <a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/chc/downloads/y2015/chc_ota_schedule.pdf" target="_blank">For coverage info in other Midwest markets click here</a> (link opens .pdf).</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://mlb.mlb.com/mediacenter/index.jsp?ymd=20140401#date=8/13/2015">Here is the complete MLB.com Mediacenter for today.</a></p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2015_08_13_milmlb_chnmlb_1#game=2015_08_13_milmlb_chnmlb_1,game_state=Live">MLB.com Gameday</a></p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/previews/CHC.shtml">Baseball-reference.com game preview</a></p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/events/484010/pregame">SB Nation game preview</a></p>
<p>Please visit our SB Nation <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.brewcrewball.com/">Brewers</a> site <a target="_blank" 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>The 2015 Game Thread procedure has changed a bit. Here's how it will work going forward.</p>
<p>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>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>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/game-threads">this section link</a>). They will also appear in the game's StoryStream™ as noted above.</p>
<p>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>Discuss amongst yourselves.</p>
https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2015/8/13/9091183/chicago-cubs-milwaukee-brewers-previewAl Yellon