Cubs (Boyd) vs Brewers (Gasser): 09/07/26, 1:10 PM

[BruisedCrew]

1 minute ago, willie key said:

Gasser right now might be the number three starter in playoffs.    Cubs can hit and he’s had a couple of decent outings against them

This evaluation of playoff starters changes every cycle through the rotation. Maybe we should just wait to see how it looks when the time comes. 

[adambr2]

7 minutes ago, Jim French Stepstool said:

Chourio had the huge hit, but that bottom of the 8th was about so much more. Ortiz with a magnificent AB, beginning to end. Yelich, clean out of nowhere, suddenly executes some terrific takes to get to 3-1. And Bauers goes from 0-2 to a walk, setting up the sac fly. Memo to Lara.....when an opposing pitcher is hanging himself, DO NOT cut the noose for him. I'm sure he'll learn. 

Two short ones for Gasser, but both looked promising.

I think Lara is benefitting from a lot of reps. He's made some circus catches w/o necessarily taking great routes or being fundamentally sound. But the one in the 9th was textbook. Serious talent, he & Pratt both.

Lara & Ortiz getting a lions' share of PT from here on out is a no-brainer. Still I can't wait until the first game one of them isn't in the lineup. I'll know because I'll see smoke coming from my device😄. But yeah, they've earned it.

On Lara, his bat hasn’t been great. But it’s also not “so bad we have to question if his defense is enough to offset it.” 

He does some good things offensively where he works quite a few deep counts. Keep in mind he did have a nice hit today where he ended up scoring the first run of the game. 

The AB in the 8th, even though it was another deep AB, you’d definitely like to see better. Clearly was committed to swinging on 3-2 from the get-go as that pitch wasn’t close, though I kind of understand why given the situation, Hopefully his instincts will improve as he develops and he can start finishing some of those ABs. But yeah, it’s definitely the weak point of his game right now. 

[baseball101]

3 minutes ago, willie key said:

Gasser right now might be the number three starter in playoffs.    Cubs can hit and he’s had a couple of decent outings against them

He stepped up big today. Honestly. Miz. Henderson. Bullpen game.

[adambr2]

1 minute ago, BruisedCrew said:

This evaluation of playoff starters changes every cycle through the rotation. Maybe we should just wait to see how it looks when the time comes. 

I’m really hoping Harrison has a much better game next outing with it being a home game. It’s a big one for him. 

[HarryDoyle]

4 minutes ago, willie key said:

Gasser right now might be the number three starter in playoffs.    Cubs can hit and he’s had a couple of decent outings against them

Just getting him through five innings would be a victory.

[adambr2]

3 minutes ago, baseball101 said:

He stepped up big today. Honestly. Miz. Henderson. Bullpen game.

Yeah, this is the answer. They’re not really going to have a traditional 3rd or 4th starter in the playoffs. 

You’ll see a lot of guys for 3-4 innings or 2-3 for guys like Patrick who aren’t all the way stretched out. They approach it this way almost every postseason.

They don’t usually carry 13 pitchers in the playoffs but I think this year they might. That will help them lean on their bullpen more heavily and they just don’t really have a need for either Naylor or Lockridge. 

[Jopal78]

1 hour ago, adambr2 said:

It wasn’t the same for both sides and often did have a lot more than a minuscule impact. 

“Good at using challenges” isn’t some inherent competitive advantage that some teams are just lucky to have and some teams aren’t. The solution is to get better at using them, not just hope and pray that the randomness of umpire error evens out and doesn’t hurt us in a big game. 

It is minuscule. Where the team most likely to win turned a pitch being called a strike when it was a ball or vice versa is probably less than 1%. Over 162 games it didn’t impact any team’s finish. 
 

But the sports echo chamber insisted it was a problem, and now they have a goofy system where the technology to call balls and strikes instantly exists and they still use humans to do it, and dare teams to call them wrong. 

[HarryDoyle]

What a great atmosphere these holiday day games are, especially when you win it in your last at bat against a hated rival. Historically, we have to be killing it on holidays.

[willie key]

9 minutes ago, adambr2 said:

I’m really hoping Harrison has a much better game next outing with it being a home game. It’s a big one for him. 

Harrison would have to look really good for 2-3 games to even consider him imo.   May is a no go.   He’s too much like suppan.     

[Jim French Stepstool]

3 minutes ago, adambr2 said:

On Lara, his bat hasn’t been great. But it’s also not “so bad we have to question if his defense is enough to offset it.” 

He does some good things offensively where he works quite a few deep counts. Keep in mind he did have a nice hit today where he ended up scoring the first run of the game. 

The AB in the 8th, even though it was another deep AB, you’d definitely like to see better. Clearly was committed to swinging on 3-2 from the get-go as that pitch wasn’t close, though I kind of understand why given the situation, Hopefully his instincts will improve as he develops and he can start finishing some of those ABs. But yeah, it’s definitely the weak point of his game right now. 

That's the Achilles heel right now for him. He shows all the qualities of someone who can consistently put up pain-in-the-arse (for opposing pitchers) ABs but it's intermittent, sometimes within the same trip to the plate. Just watching him, I have a lot of confidence that aspect of his game will only get better---which is exciting because it ain't all that bad now at age 21. Just kinda comes & goes.

Frelick still has a role here & will get on the field some, but in the 1B-RF dynamic with him, Lara, Vaughn & Bauers Lara certainly is ahead of Frelick.

[adambr2]

1 minute ago, Jopal78 said:

It is minuscule. Where the team most likely to win turned a pitch being called a strike when it was a ball or vice versa is probably less than 1%. Over 162 games it didn’t impact any team’s finish. 
 

But the sports echo chamber insisted it was a problem, and now they have a goofy system where the technology to call balls and strikes instantly exists and they still use humans to do it, and dare teams to call them wrong. 

Because that’s just how big change works. They were always going to start slow with this. You’ve got to ease the traditionalists in. That’s how replay started - first, just HR boundary calls. Then expanded to most out/safe calls on the field, and further. Now ABS.

Give it another 3 years and I’d bet pretty heavily that the current ABS system won’t be the same as the one used now, and wouldn’t be surprised if it’s totally automated within 5 years. 

[Bulldogboy]

PCA for Mitchell and Frelick. Who says no? 😀

[Jim French Stepstool]

Recency can be a b****. Let's let the last seventeen games play out for May, for Harrison. Hell, even for Sproat, before declaring what they should or shouldn't do in a 3rd playoff game.

[Jopal78]

3 minutes ago, adambr2 said:

Because that’s just how big change works. They were always going to start slow with this. You’ve got to ease the traditionalists in. That’s how replay started - first, just HR boundary calls. Then expanded to most out/safe calls on the field, and further. Now ABS.

Give it another 3 years and I’d bet pretty heavily that the current ABS system won’t be the same as the one used now, and wouldn’t be surprised if it’s totally automated within 5 years. 

Don’t get me started on replay either. It’s equally stupid. Just have all the close plays be confirmed by video. It’s what the NFL and FIFA the two biggest leagues in the world have done for years.  The challenge system, Ohntani rule, etc. are all MLB’s knee jerk attempts to ruin their game in order to satisfy the sports media echo chamber. 

[adambr2]

1 minute ago, Bulldogboy said:

PCA for Mitchell and Frelick. Who says no? 😀

Clearly the Cubs, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Frelick gets shipped this offseason. 

[willie key]

First time Megill has been shaky in awhile.   But still got the save.   That works

[adambr2]

2 minutes ago, willie key said:

First time Megill has been shaky in awhile.   But still got the save.   That works

He definitely gave up some hard contact today.  Defense won this game. The defense from yesterday’s Brewer game would have lost today’s.

Everything mattered, Lara’s catch, Chourio’s catch, Patrick working out of trouble in the 5th. And the insurance run in the 8th, 

[BruisedCrew]

23 minutes ago, adambr2 said:

I’m really hoping Harrison has a much better game next outing with it being a home game. It’s a big one for him. 

I don’t think he’ll be starting this weekend.

[liveforoctober]

Ironically/Unironically I think Frelick would do really well back home in Boston. They love the gritty Brock Holt/Dustin Pedroia hustler types.

When Boston calls this next winter for their annual check in I'm sure we can pair Frelick up with someone to grab our next Priester/Harrison ;)

In the meantime though, Sal is good Mitchell insurance in case he gets hurt. Lara should be playing every day that Bauers doesn't start though...

[HarryDoyle]

8 minutes ago, Jim French Stepstool said:

Recency can be a b****. Let's let the last seventeen games play out for May, for Harrison. Hell, even for Sproat, before declaring what they should or shouldn't do in a 3rd playoff game.

I would love if Miz and Henderson take care of business the next two days, get the magic number down to five and clinch the division ASAP so we can play the roster a little more loosely to give guys more rest than usual, especially our pitchers.

[willie key]

Interesting battle for the last wild card spot

[adambr2]

8 minutes ago, BruisedCrew said:

I don’t think he’ll be starting this weekend.

Murphy has already announced that he will be.