Cubs drop six straight, bullpen falters again, standings, MLB news, more |
Next Game: Tonight, 7:10 PM. Cubs @ Brewers: Cole Hamels (0-0, 9.00 ERA) vs Corbin Burnes (0-0, 7.20 ERA).
Cubs’ Home Opener: 2 Days. April 8 vs. Pirates: Game time: 1:20 PM Central. (ABC-7, MLB.TV)
Friday’s Game Recap: The Cubs ventured to “Wrigley North” last night to open up a three-game series with the Brew Crew. Jose Quintana would get rocked for eight runs in just three innings, while Brandon Woodruff wouldn’t be touched until the fourth. The Cubs erased the deficit left by Quintana, but the bullpen faltered again, allowing five runs. Daniel Descalso, Jason Heyward and Willson Contreras all homered, but the Cubs dropped their sixth straight, but a final of 13-10. Of note: More errors for the Cubs, as Jason Heyward misplayed another ground ball in the outfield (his second such error in his last two starts), and Willson Contreras was called for another catcher’s interference (his second in 2 days). Losing streak: Before Thursday’s game, the Cubs possessed their 1st 5-game losing streak since 6/21-25/18 when they went 0-4 against the Reds and then 0-1 against the Dodgers. Until last night, the Cubs hadn’t lost six consecutive games since 5/26-31/2017 when they went 0-3 against the Dodgers and later 0-3 against the Padres. MLB reviews the Cubs: In an MLB article yesterday morning, Adam McCalvy pointed out some interesting, if not obvious, things. “Out of the gates, the Cubs' lineup has looked vastly improved over the final two months of last season, when the offense cratered.” McCalvy goes on to say that, “All the things manager Joe Maddon preached in Spring Training have shown up in the first handful of games. Sustaining that will be critical for the club, given its long list of pitching question marks.” McCalvey continues, “The Cubs are still sorting out who can be trusted in the middle innings between the starter's exit and Pedro Strop's entrance… Still, the Cubs' relief corps came in as a potential trouble area, and Maddon will use the next few weeks to sort out which approach is best for handling his arms.” McCalvy also points out that the average 4-seam velocity for all Cubs pitchers is averaging only 91.7 mph, which ranks 29th in MLB. Joe Maddon: Joe Maddon says that he wants his relief pitchers to “let ‘er fly” and not to overthink things. The way I’ve seen it, they’ve been letting it fly (everywhere but the strike-zone), although while I would agree that overthinking is a bad thing, Yu Darvish: Darvish (as of Friday) currently leads all MLB pitchers with 11 walks. Kyle Hendricks: "[We're] taking it upon ourselves to go out and set a better tone. Being more aggressive, making them beat us. We have to set a better tone." Jorge De La Rosa: The former Cubs’ reliever has signed a minor league deal with the Rockies. De La Rosa is one of very few pitchers that has had success pitching at Coors Field. Tyler Chatwood: Referring to the series in Atlanta, Chatwood says, "This series left a bitter taste in everyone's mouth." Minor League affiliate records: As of Friday, the four main Cubs minor league teams have gone 3-1. Iowa Cubs: 1-0, South Bend Cubs: 1-0, Tennessee Smokies: 1-0, Myrtle Beach Pelicans: 0-1, Eugene Emeralds: No record yet. Cub Birthdays: Birthday wishes (yesterday) to ex-Cubs Steve Clevenger (33), Ian Stewart (34), Jorge de la Rosa (38), Ross Gload (43), Greg Smith (52), Ron Campbell (79), Jimmie Schäffer (83), and posthumously, Don Prince (81) and Chuck Lauer (154). NL CENTRAL SCHEDULE (March 31 – April 6, 2019)
Cardinals: St. Louis has activated INF Jedd Gyorko from the 10-day IL and has optioned INF/OF Drew Robinson to Triple-A Memphis. LHP Brad Cecil is set to undergo carpal Tunnel surgery. Giants: SF outfielder, Michael Reed, has cleared waivers and been assigned outright to Triple-A Sacramento. Indians: The Indians announced that right-hander, Ben Taylor, who was designated for assignment last week, has cleared release waivers and is now a free agent. White Sox: The Sox say that there’s no timetable for the return of OF Jon Jay after he suffered a groin injury. TUESDAY’S SCOREBOARD CUBS NEWS AND NOTES:
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