So let me get this straight. After Friday’s loss to the Astros, here’s what Cubs manager Craig Counsell said he would do:
So what do we get as “something different”?
Pete Crow-Armstrong leading off, Nico Hoerner batting cleanup and
Ian Happ getting a day off. That’s it.
That’s not a “different look,” in my view.
The Cubs, over the last two days, have added two of their top prospects to the 26-man roster: Pedro Ramirez and Kevin Alcántara. Why not start them, Craig. I mean, how much worse could it have been than the pathetic, three-hit offense the Cubs put on the field Saturday in a depressing 3-0 loss to the Astros?
Both players got pinch-hit at-bats, both made outs and Alcántara played a couple innings in left field. Big whoop.
Or why not do this?
I mean, that was silly (and the Rays lost the game 8-1) but I mean, something, ANYTHING to get these guys to maybe have a little fun on the field. They sure don’t look like they’re having any.
Oh, the Cubs solved the RISP problem in this one by not having a single at-bat with runners in scoring position. The only time a Cubs runner got past first base was when Dansby Swanson and Pete Crow-Armstrong singled with two out in the third. Alex Bregman was at bat when PCA got thrown out trying to steal to end the inning [VIDEO].
The only other Cubs hit was a two-out single by Bregman in the ninth.
I’ve said many times that too much is made of lineup construction and I’ll stand by that but in a situation like this, where Counsell literally said he wanted to try “something different,” well, DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT! This wasn’t “different.” This was a proverbial “deck chairs on the Titanic” move.
Colin Rea deserved better, he made two mistakes, both of which were deposited in the bleachers by Christian Walker, a two-run homer in the first and a solo shot in the fourth. Rea threw seven solid innings, striking out four. He threw 98 pitches (56 strikes) [VIDEO].
Here are Rea’s four K’s [VIDEO].
Here’s a note on Rea’s outing from BCB’s JohnW53:
The only Cubs pitcher this season before Colin Rea today to pitch at least seven innings and allow three or fewer earned runs was Shōta Imanaga, who has done it three times, throwing 7.0 innings in each. He gave up no, one and two runs.
Trent Thornton and Ryan Rolison both threw scoreless innings in relief. So that’s good.
The other thing I can show you here is some good PCA defense. Here’s a nice sliding grab he made in the third [VIDEO].
Here, he leaps into the ivy for a grab in the sixth [VIDEO].
PCA seems a man on a mission in this series, about the only Cub producing any offense. In the two games against the Astros he’s 2-for-6 with a home run and two walks and several nice defensive plays.
Speaking of good defense, here’s an amazing behind-the-back flip from Hoerner [VIDEO].
So the Cubs are still playing solid defense and in this one they got good pitching. It’s just the offense that’s completely disappeared.
More notes on this loss from John:
The Cubs have scored seven runs in the last five games.
They scored five in a five-game span May 9-14. That is their only span of five games with fewer than seven runs since they scored six April 28-May 3, 2022. They have played 677 games since then.
…..
The Cubs have scored four runs in the last 40 innings and seven in the last 45.
Thus, Craig Counsell: When you talk about doing “something different,” please actually do that. I, personally, would like to see both Ramirez and Alcántara in Sunday’s starting lineup. Again: HOW MUCH WORSE COULD IT BE?
The Cubs will try to salvage one game of this six-game homestand on Sunday. Shōta Imanaga will start for the Cubs and Peter Lambert goes for the Astros. Game time is again 1:20 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via Marquee Sports Network.
