The Rundown: Offensive Outburst Boosts Cubs, Counsell Pushing for Playoffs, Hoyer Admits Opposition to Long-Term Deals, White Sox Lose Again
“Well, I know what’s right. I’ve got just one life in a world that keeps on pushing me around.” – Tom Petty, I Won’t Back Down
Craig Counsell thinks the Cubs still have a shot at the playoffs, and more games like last night’s 13-4 win over the Reds will make him a prophet. Chicago hammered one of Cincinnati’s best pitchers, left-hander Nick Lodolo (8-4), who exited with two outs in the 6th inning. He tied a career-high by allowing eight runs and 11 hits in his worst outing of the season. The last-place Cubs belittled the Reds with nine doubles and a two-run bomb by left fielder Ian Happ.
Kyle Hendricks pitched decently, the bullpen was a little better, and Porter Hodge handled the 9th inning. That’s significant because he and Nate Pearson will likely battle for the closer’s role through the end of the season. Jed Hoyer loves to bootstrap his bullpen each winter, so look for Counsell to determine who he thinks is useful today for a better tomorrow.
Many things have gone wrong this season, but no one would blame Chicago’s players for letting the relievers take the wind out of their sails. Adbert Alzolay and Héctor Neris weren’t the answers and Mark Leiter Jr. is gone. Hodge and Pearson have similar profiles with the kind of arsenals Counsell prefers at the back of his bullpen. Perhaps a little competition is just what this club needs to find its fire.
The Cubs have to have more drive for their upcoming series with the dreaded Cardinals. Believe it or not, the Cubs are just five games behind second-place St. Louis. Counsell, who has been a spectacular late-season manager, gets to prove his merits in the four-game set. The Brewers were 34-20 (.630) in August/September games last season, and a similar run this year by Chicago would put his team at 85 wins. Is that enough to get the Cubs into the postseason? Perhaps as a No. 6 seed.
Funny thing, the last two National League Champions (Phillies and Diamondbacks) entered the World Series as the sixth-best team in the senior circuit.
Still, the Cubs fans who often sacrifice informed hope for Pollyanna attitudes, should pause before their emotions get away from them. This is the same team that has left them frustrated for the better part of the season. Though last night’s win was a fantastic example of this club’s potential, they lack consistency at the plate and have a penchant for dropping one-run decisions. Counsell still has much to prove, too.
Don’t expect Chicago’s North Side Baseballers to sweep the Redbirds, but if they do, the sunny side of the street is going to feel a lot warmer. Shōta Imanaga takes the bump today, which portends a good start at the very least.
Cubs News & Notes
- Cubs players believe Wednesday night’s offensive outburst is a sign of good things to come.
- Chicago players also believe a push for the postseason is not inconceivable.
- The Cubs activated Caleb Kilian from the IL and then optioned him to Iowa.
- The availability of Isaac Paredes is the only reason the Cubs traded Christopher Morel, according to Jed Hoyer. The executive added that the decision to trade Morel was a difficult one.
- Hoyer also said that he is comfortable with Paredes’ pull-heavy approach, which he believes will still play in Wrigley Field.
- The president of baseball operations admitted he’s risk-averse when it comes to handing out long-term contracts to elite stars. “I would not say that I’m fundamentally opposed to it,” Hoyer said on the Parkins & Spiegel Show on Wednesday afternoon. “I think with any deal like that, there’s a lot of risk. And I think that obviously, at some level, you’re paying – with any of those deals – you’re assuming that when you sign that player in free agency, there’s an awareness that most likely the end of that deal is going to be highly inefficient and that you really have to gain the efficiency early in that deal. So yeah, I think there’s of course a lot of risk in that.” We can immediately put any lingering Juan Soto rumors to bed.
- Catcher Tomás Nido underwent surgery on his right meniscus and will miss 4-6 weeks, per Counsell.
- Keep an eye on right-handed pitching prospect Connor Noland. In his last four starts between Double-A and Triple-A, the former Razorbacks quarterback has fashioned a 1.82 ERA in 24.2 innings.
- The Cubs have announced a multiyear jersey patch deal with Motorola Mobility.
Odds & Sods
Marge was something, wasn’t she?
Reinsdorfs cousin #whitesox #selltheteam #firegetz pic.twitter.com/RYQYy41AxI
— JOE SOX (@JOESOX3) August 1, 2024
Sliding Into Home
The Cubs have 13 games remaining against NL Central opponents, and two of them, the Cardinals and Pirates, are within 2.5 games of the final Wild Card chair. Further, they do not play any of the other teams currently fighting for a Wild Card spot. The following four series will be the keys to Chicago’s postseason hopes:
- August 1-4 vs. St. Louis
- August 26-28 at Pittsburgh
- September 2-4 vs. Pittsburgh
- September 27-29 vs. Cincinnati
Central Intelligence
- Milwaukee (61-47): The Brewers’ pitching staff took another hit this week when closer Trevor Megill went on the 15-day IL with a lower back strain.
- St. Louis (56-52): The Cardinals received high praise from analysts after a surprisingly active trade deadline.
- Pittsburgh (55-53): The Pirates signed first-round pick Konnor Griffin and the 18-year-old shortstop intends to be a big part of the Pittsburgh community.
- Cincinnati (52-56): The Reds organization is being called out by fans for not being more active in the trade market.
How About That!
Brett Phillips, a former top outfield prospect, has converted to pitching, and though he sports a 97 mph fastball, he’s still getting lit up playing independent league baseball.
The White Sox were among the biggest losers at the MLB trade deadline according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today. Rookie GM Chris Getz will have to wait until November if he wants to trade Garrett Crochet and/or Luis Robert Jr.
On the other hand, Jesse Rogers and Kiley McDaniel of ESPN believe Getz did the right thing by hanging on to his only stars.
Crochet’s demands did not affect his tradeability.
The White Sox might be the worst MLB team of all time.
The Royals beat Chicago 10-3 last night, extending the South Siders’ losing streak to 17 games.
Orioles top prospect Jackson Holliday belted a grand slam in his return to the bigs after an April demotion.
The Mets released starter Adrian Houser yesterday. He looks like a perfect fit for the pitching-starved Brewers, his former team, once he clears waivers.
Since 1996 — the first full season with at least one Wild Card in each league — 117 of 162 eventual division champions held at least a share of their division lead entering Aug. 1. That’s 72 percent of division winners according to ESPN’s Sarah Langs.
For the first time in his career, Dodgers starter Clayton Kershaw was pulled before recording a single strikeout.
Extra Innings
It’s too bad Matt Shaw is now blocked by Paredes and Nico Hoerner. That’s what happens when the guy calling the shots likes to stockpile corner and middle infielders.
Matt Shaw (@Cubs) logs a career-high four knocks at Double-A!
MLB's No. 29 prospect is riding a five-game hitting streak with 10 knocks, including three homers for @smokiesbaseball. pic.twitter.com/IpyklPWp7w
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) August 1, 2024
Diamond in the Rough
The soundtrack to 1997’s Lost Highway might not be your cup of tea after a cursory glance, but I urge you to check it out if you are into edgy, ethereal music. If anything, it’s an appropriate and psychogenic time capsule for the late ’90s.
They Said It
- “We hit a lot of balls hard.” – Counsell
- “[When] you look at the lineup that we rolled on the last two days, I feel like on paper it’s the best version of us that we’ve had so far this year and I’m really excited to see what that looks like especially since it’s filled with guys that are going to be back in years to come as well. And so, we’re going to make, obviously, the most of this year, but fun to see what that holds. And I don’t think there’s really any reason to put ceilings on it.” – Hoerner
Tuesday Walk-Up Song
It’s a bit gospel-ish, but this song by U2 certainly defines the 2024 Cubs, at least to this point.