Whew! I think that about sticks a fork in the Cubs, as far as the division goes, but it'd sure be nice to grab the next two too, especially given who we'll have on the bump.
On ABS, I've said it before, so I won't belabor the point. My belief is that strikes have an aesthetic element, and that's a good thing. Not every pitch in the same spot should be a strike. I don't mind umpires valuing (consistently) vertical or horizontal edges, within reason. ABS exists to correct obvious errors in key situations, which is why the challenge system is a nice compromise. It theoretically gives control to the teams, especially when faced with either bad calls or excessively individual ones in crucial spots, while still allowing a strike to be subject to certain, fair bounds of interpretation. Moving into a binary world isn't a great thing. I'd prefer my strike zones slightly ambiguous, just as real life often is.
More than that, fans expecting players to challenge when they get the benefit of immediate feedback on a sphere bending and swerving at 95 mph belies the inherent uncertainty of balls and strikes. The whole point is for the pitcher to throw an edge pitch that the batter thinks is a strike but is actually not hittable. Giving everyone a flat, falsely certain strike zone wrecks that entire back and forth. Every AB is a three-way negotiation. I can live with introducing a robot as a limited arbitrator. The idea of making it the ultimate arbitrator all the time flattens the game and makes it less interesting. It takes a messy, nuanced, human process, and makes it flat and binary, giving us illusory defined edges instead of blurry borders. Let me look uncertainty full in the face rather than surround myself with a false blanket of truth.
As for other notes on the game, I'm pumped we got to see Chourio and Lara shine in the last couple innings. Joey Ortiz was excellent. Gasser probably won't get enough credit for what a strong performance that was. If Murph isn't treating this like a playoff game (good for him!), I doubt he brings in Patrick in the 5th. That move was a "this is for real" kind of move.
That 8th inning was just Brewers offense in a time capsule. They've done nothing all game, but they pressure the starter out, draw tough walks, hit a sac fly, and win by putting the ball in play, even with two strikes. Feels so good to take the lead in the 8th, knowing you only need three outs.
And what great defense in the ninth. Megill got hit pretty good, but credit to the Cubs for doing it. And, yeah, it's hard not to be impressed by their CF. Nearly won it for them single-handedly today. The easy SBs were impressive. When I watch that guy play defense, combined with everything else, it's hard not to see an MVP. I don't like him, but he's good.
With the Braves dropping one, we're back to a 3.5 game lead there. I wouldn't necessarily mind the Dodgers catching us for the one seed, but I'm getting more and more at peace with playing the Cubs in the playoffs. I'd rather not, but I doubt the Brewers are afraid of the emotional baggage fans like me have a hard time shaking.
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You never punt in baseball, but today definitely feels like a day where you're committed to giving the bullpen a lot of rest. Henderson, Sproat, Romero, and Uribe for a save situation. A sweep would be awesome. Can't wait to celebrate this division title. And let's try to make the Cubs sweat the playoffs as much as possible..thumb.png.30aa57c0e0b51d001b2b0fca40344975.png)
