It’s Tuesday night here at BCB After Dark: the hippest hangout for night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. Come on in and join us. There’s no cover charge. We still have a few tables available. Let us know if you need anything. Bring your own beverage.
BCB After Dark is the place for you to talk baseball, music, movies, or anything else you need to get off your chest, as long as it is within the rules of the site. The late-nighters are encouraged to get the party started, but everyone
else is invited to join in as you wake up the next morning and into the afternoon.
The Cubs beat the Braves tonight 6-1 as they assured themselves their third-straight winning season. I know that sounds pathetic to some of you, but I can remember when the Cubs went ten years in a row without a winning record. Of course, the important part is to make the playoffs and the magic number for that is currently 10 as we await the results of the Giants/Diamondbacks game.
Last night I asked you who should be closing in Daniel Palencia’s absence. Your faith was in Brad Keller, who got 53 percent of the vote. Porter Hodge came in second with 22 percent. I love the bravery of the four percent of you who voted “Jaxon Wiggins.”
I don’t normally talk movies on a Tuesday, but if you want to continue to offer your thoughts about a possible science fiction tournament this winter, you can do so. But I always have time for jazz, so that’s now. You can skip it if you want.
Tonight I’m featuring a performance from pianist Julius Rodriguez for public radio WRTI in Philadelphia. Joining Rodriguez is Brian Richburg Jr. on drums, Jeremiah Edwards on bass and Alonzo Demetrius on trumpet.
This is from 2023.
Welcome back to everyone who skips all that jazz.
It won’t be a problem in the best-of-three Wild Card series, but assuming the Cubs win that (Yeah, big assumption but we’re thinking big tonight), the Cubs will most likely need a fourth starter in the Division Series and beyond.
So tonight’s question is pretty simple: Who is your choice for the fourth starter? I think it’s pretty clear that the first three starters are Matthew Boyd, Shōta Imanaga and Cade Horton. Not necessarily in that order, but those three will start a three-game Wild Card series.
But even if the Cubs manage to win the Wild Card series in two, they’ll still need a fourth starter in the next round. The days of starters going on three-days rest in the playoffs are all but extinct. If it does happen, it’s usually in a do-or-die Game 7 of the World Series where the pitcher won’t have to pitch again until April.
With the news that Jameson Taillon is going to be activated off the injured list tomorrow (or today if it’s Wednesday) to pitch against the Braves, I see three choices for the fourth starter.
One is obviously Taillon, who is 9-6 with a 4.15 ERA in 19 starts this year. His second-half stats are excellent, but that’s just two starts after the All-Star Break before he went on the injured list. However, one of those starts was a big win over Milwaukee, allowing just one run over six innings. He also had a quality start at American Family Field in May, although he got banged around for five runs in four innings against the Brewers at Wrigley in July
The second choice is Colin Rea, who is 10-6 with a 4.20 ERA over 24 starts and five relief appearances. He’s also slowed down in the second half and has a 5.59 ERA this year against the Brewers, the most likely second-round opponent.
Those are the two most-likely options, but I’m going to give you the opportunity to vote for Javier Assad. Assad has missed most of the season with an injury, but since returning he’s 2-1 with a 4.62 ERA over five starts. Assad hasn’t faced Milwaukee this year, but his career ERA versus the Brewers is 2.19. I’m not sure 12 1/3 innings really means much—especially since none of those numbers came this year, but I thought it best to mention it anyways.
Or you can go off the board with your own answer.
So who is your choice for the Cubs’ fourth playoff starter?
Thank you for stopping by tonight. We’re always glad to see a friendly face. Get home safely. Recycle any cans and bottles. Tip your waitstaff. And join us again tomorrow evening for more BCB After Dark.
