Brewers at Cubs; Thursday, August 21 @ 1:20 p.m.: Quinn Priester (3.48 ERA, 4.32 FIP) vs. Shota Imanaga (3.06 ERA, 4.32 FIP)

[Joseph Zarr]

37 minutes ago, edfunderburk said:

If Joey Ortiz lands on IL …

Who is the best defensive SS in the minors … on 40-man & off 40-man?

 

I think if Ortiz has a major hammy they likely go with Zamora. He isn't going to hit for essentially any power to any field other than the rare occasion he barrels and gaps a ball. BUT, he's proven clutch in key spots moving runners and scoring them. His defense has only gotten better and more consistent since his promotion to Triple-A last season. He capably makes web gem type plays. I don't think the moment would be too big. Ethan Murray only just got called up to Triple-A. I love him. Plus defense and arm everywhere in the infield with some pop. BUT he doesn't have tenure.

Obviously Pratt and Made are the blue chippers but they aren't ready and they won't do that. Made has stated his case he has the most defensive upside in addition to that insane switch hitting pop.

I just don't see a need for Dunn to be on the 40-Man if this injury is indeed serious. Let's hope it isn't.

 

[RobertCrawley]

11 minutes ago, edfunderburk said:

And yet you read all the posts like the rest of us addicts 😂

It must be awful having someone shove a computer in front of his face and forcing him to read bulletin board posts.

[Cool Hand Lucroy]

13 minutes ago, owbc said:

Today was a ~10% swing in divisional winning odds. 

Cubs started the day at 13% with a chance to get to ~18% with a win, instead they are at 8% now. 

They had 7% odds at the start of the series, so they gained essentially nothing. 

 

That tracks. You lose a game (and a half) in the standings but take out 12 percent of the schedule. We just got a keep stacking wins. 

[markedman5]

Meanwhile in Chicago 

 

[TURBO]

30 minutes ago, baseball101 said:

The second half of yesterday’s game thread was unreadable with the hot takes about the Brewers downfall. 

It's the In Game Thread.  IGT's are not for the faint of heart, and not for eternal optimists.

Geez.

If you are offended by what transpires here, this probably isn't the place for you.

[TURBO]

4 minutes ago, markedman5 said:

Meanwhile in Chicago 

 

Well, he does make some valid points...

[Fear The Chorizo]

Despite all the hand-wringing, a couple of hard hit balls find holes at certain times and this could've easily been a 4-1 Brewer series win on the road against a team desperate to try and make up ground.

Close August out strong and get Chourio back innthis lineup!

[Nola Beery]

I just saw the ESPN highlight reel headline saying that we won today to avoid a "sweep." Maybe someone needs to tell that silly ESPN intern that we won the first game 7-0 and avoided the sweep from game one. 
Does ESPN pay people other than the usual obnoxious blathering heads to work there these days? <end of rant>

[tmwiese55]

51 minutes ago, TURBO said:

Well, he does make some valid points...

Yea he's not totally wrong.  Not a fan of that style of ranting but that's the world these days.

If I was them, if Tucker is hurt then DL him today and backdate it.  But if you need to play him due to who he is, today probably should have been an off day for Happ.  He's been ok this series but in general he's been rough this year. Tough to bench the rookie today after how he's played, so get him out in left.   So then it comes down to Castro/Shaw, just go with Shaw since he's been good these games. Castro has been fine too though so not much to get worked up about on that decision. 

ETA: With how this is going. doubt Tucker is back though which is good for us. They gave a good package for him including a good cheap starting OF for the next 7 years in that deal. Could have had their whole OF set with him, PCA, the new rookie all for league min the next 5-6 years. Tucker is costing himself a fortune unless he can prove he's been hurt. Still, not like he's not gonna get 200 mil from someone.

[narwhalattack]

2 minutes ago, Nola Beery said:

I just saw the ESPN highlight reel headline saying that we won today to avoid a "sweep." Maybe someone needs to tell that silly ESPN intern that we won the first game 7-0 and avoided the sweep from game one. 
Does ESPN pay people other than the usual obnoxious blathering heads to work there these days? <end of rant>

Gotta have those big market sycophants driving up ratings

[adambr2]

At the end of the day, we leave Chicago only a game worse than when we came in, 7 up versus 8 up.  The Cubs needed every game worse than us, at least for divisional purposes. The Cubs needed craziness. We just needed a boring old non-disaster. Mission accomplished. 

Winning 2 of 5 on the road against probably a top 5 team in baseball in a series where a lot of things and bounces didn’t go our way, can’t be considered disappointing.

[sveumrules]

1 hour ago, willie key said:

Done lead the league in lead off walks from our pitchers though.  Godsakes

In the Year of our Internet 2025 this information is available.

Entering today’s game the Brewers 94 walks to batters leading off an inning were 12th most in MLB.

Their .687 OPS allowed to batters leading off an inning was 8th lowest.

Looking biggest picture, the leadoff batter every inning plus everyone else that hits in a game and then how infrequently they end up scoring…the Brewers 3.87 runs allowed per game were 4th lowest in MLB before surrendering one run today.

[willie key]

Also.    What in the hell was monosterio doing.     That was the most ridiculous thing I’ve seen 

[BarremlensTSSC]

1 hour ago, TURBO said:

It's the In Game Thread.  IGT's are not for the faint of heart, and not for eternal optimists.

Geez.

If you are offended by what transpires here, this probably isn't the place for you.

I love it here.  Unreasonable despair and unreasonable joy are both part of baseball fandom.  People just need to let each other talk them down when they're desparing, but hey, enjoy the hell out of the wins.  I've been to (and have now left) other Brewers fan sites with game threads and it's way more tolerable (and tolerant) here (although I've only been hanging out on game threads here for a couple of weeks now).  I also very much appreciate the lack of groupthink that I see on other sites and the absence of complete intolerance for disagreement once a particular user expresses their opinion.  That is rife on other sites.

[BarremlensTSSC]

Was at work during the game today and just watched a (very) condensed version that was a long highlight reel.  I don't want to make stupid grand pronouncements, but that Collins hit was massive.  Decent chance they win without it given Megill's performance but Collins pushing it to 4-1 was a cleanser after 3 games of abject frustration.  Really happy for them.

[Cool Hand Lucroy]

1 minute ago, BarremlensTSSC said:

Was at work during the game today and just watched a (very) condensed version that was a long highlight reel.  I don't want to make stupid grand pronouncements, but that Collins hit was massive.  Decent chance they win without it given Megill's performance but Collins pushing it to 4-1 was a cleanser after 3 games of abject frustration.  Really happy for them.

Especially after Mona's baserunning error. The Cubs gave us an out on the basepaths too today, which was helpful.

I'm also glad Collins getting picked off second didn't bite us.

[Sixtolezcano]

11 hours ago, Ron Robinsons Beard said:

The Cubs are a solid team. No doubt about that.

The Brewers are better, though.

OK!

[adambr2]

7 minutes ago, BarremlensTSSC said:

I love it here.  Unreasonable despair and unreasonable joy are both part of baseball fandom.  People just need to let each other talk them down when they're desparing, but hey, enjoy the hell out of the wins.  I've been to (and have now left) other Brewers fan sites with game threads and it's way more tolerable (and tolerant) here (although I've only been hanging out on game threads here for a couple of weeks now).  I also very much appreciate the lack of groupthink that I see on other sites and the absence of complete intolerance for disagreement once a particular user expresses their opinion.  That is rife on other sites.

Very, very well said. Glad to have you here. 

[willie key]

That will be the biggest win of the regular season when it’s all said and done

[markedman5]

Going 4-4 on a road trip through Cincinnati and Chicago doesn’t seem bad at all…….although the way we got there was a little nerve racking.

[BarremlensTSSC]

39 minutes ago, markedman5 said:

Going 4-4 on a road trip through Cincinnati and Chicago doesn’t seem bad at all…….although the way we got there was a little nerve racking.

It was.  The schedule literally ended up designed to favor the Cubs in that 5 game series.  It's disappointing to lose it, no doubt, but it's actually not bad outscoring the Cubs on the road over the course of the series and taking 2 of 5 from them given the absence of Chourio (and Hoskins I suppose?) and the way the staff had to be used given this brutal stretch of 19 games in 18 days.  

[young guns]

1 hour ago, Nola Beery said:

I just saw the ESPN highlight reel headline saying that we won today to avoid a "sweep." Maybe someone needs to tell that silly ESPN intern that we won the first game 7-0 and avoided the sweep from game one. 
Does ESPN pay people other than the usual obnoxious blathering heads to work there these days? <end of rant>

Well you see Monday was the makeup game from the last series so it doesn't count towards this series.

[Playing Catch]

57 minutes ago, markedman5 said:

Going 4-4 on a road trip through Cincinnati and Chicago doesn’t seem bad at all…….although the way we got there was a little nerve racking.

Yeah, I said last week that I'd be happy with 4-4, and I am!

Today's game, and the series as a whole, I think probably ends up a bit disheartening for Cubs fans merely improving by a game in the standings.

[yourout]

1 hour ago, willie key said:

That will be the biggest win of the regular season when it’s all said and done

Possibly but lots of variables left in the equation.

[young guns]

2 hours ago, markedman5 said:

Meanwhile in Chicago 

 

Cubs new manager according to this guy.