This game was a real flashback to the time when I introduced three stars of the game to this feature. Those were the days when losses were more common than the wins and the future was pretty bleak. As someone who tries to keep my recreation fun, particularly my baseball watching, I try to find the positive.
Many, many years ago, when I was in college, one of my friends had a tiny little sports radio show. Literally ones of our friends and family listened. But, for a period it worked to get us some
press access to some games. I was in Champaign at the time and I got to cover an Illinois team under first-year coach and former Bears assistant Ron Turner. For those of you not familiar with that era of Illinois football, Ron ended up being a pretty good coach for the Illini and accomplished some things. But that first year? The only one I covered? They lost every game. My lasting memory was Curtis Enis rushing for something like a million unimpressive yards on a snowy day in Champaign.
Some portion of whatever skill I have for doing this over the last decade started back in those days at Illinois. It was the first point in life of trying to think of my fandom on a more organized level. Not just watching the game, but looking for the story. The essence of what is going on. My first ever on air question followed a game where the Illini had been obliterated. My friend asked me something along the lines of ‘Is there any reason to think things will change in the near term?’
Obliterated. That was the word I categorized the game with. Like a 12-3 loss, I guess. Was there anything to suggest the tide would turn? No. Not really. But in that time, I did find it. The play was sloppy throughout. But in the fourth quarter, the teams had both made a lot of substitutions. Ron got some of his newer recruits that weren’t red shirted into the game. It was raw, but there was some athleticism. They made a few plays. Maybe. Maybe some of those guys showed something different. Some of those players would be on the field for a Sugar Bowl some years later (where they would also be obliterated, the game wasn’t as close as that final score).
The good news is that we’ve already seen the good in this Cubs team. The question is if they can get back there and/or sustain any portion of their remaining good play long enough to be competitive once the playoffs start. The bad news was this was a game I had carved some time out to stay up late and watch a good chunk of. The not as bad news was that I was able to go to bed when it was only 10-3 and not be a full zombie today. I’d rather every day of every week for the good news to be something you all could have enjoyed, say a 12-3 win, rather than loss. That would be better for all of you than me being well rested enough to maybe craft something worth reading.
This team looked good, not great in a three-game sweep in Anaheim, their second three-game road sweep of a California team this year. Months apart from one another. After a good, not great battle with the Brewers, it felt like the team was finding functionally good. I’ll tip the cap to a Giants team that was good for a while, fell apart and now has won four straight games against the Brewers and Cubs who have objectively been two of the best teams in the NL this year. The Giants have obliterated the Cubs so far in this series. Neither game was close and Wednesday night’s game ended with the backup catcher pitching. Not great.
For the second straight day, I go to the Three Stars part of this wanting to say that there basically weren’t any. Sorry, Nico. That homer was great. Very much like Matt Shaw’s RBI single the day before, it felt huge at the time. And then was barely a footnote by the end. Thursday’s game is a new opportunity. This one, I won’t be watching, after watching two straight. Maybe Murphy’s Law will strike and make this the good one.
Pitch Counts:
- Cubs: 137, 41 BF (8 IP)
- Giants: 138, 35 BF
Even noting that the Cubs only had to get 24 outs these numbers don’t quite look as garish as it felt. To be fair, this was an unusual game. This game simultaneously felt like one where every marginal play went the Giants way and also, the Giants executed in big situations when the Cubs didn’t. A ball that was redirected off the pitcher’s glove still ended up in an inning-ending double play. A floating pop fly ended up in two runs when the throw back to the field hit a runner after dropping in.
The only real garish number here is 17 excess batters faced for the Cubs. A little over 16 pitches per inning for the Cubs doesn’t feel like a dumpster fire. On the other side, the Giants get through on 15 plus per inning, only facing eight excess batters. The Cubs made them work, but just couldn’t punch through and extend their productivity. The Giants seemingly cashed in every time they had the opportunity.
Neither team’s bullpen worked particularly hard. The Cubs’ “A” relievers haven’t even warmed up in this series. Drew Pomeranz is the closest to an inner circle reliever to be used in this and he’s gradually drifted into outer circles as the bullpen got stronger.
Three Stars:
- Nico Hoerner has to get the nod. It was the only Cub hit with runners in scoring position. Nico hasn’t flexed much power this year, save for one week early this summer. But he got into this one quite good and for a moment this game was fun. He added a single and was hit by a pitch. He was a healthy chunk of all of the baserunners the Cubs managed.
- Seiya Suzuki lands in the second spot without putting a single ball in play. Walked twice, struck out twice. Just not much positive.
- Michael Busch got into the game late and drew a walk.
Game 133, August 27: Giants 12, Cubs 3 (76-57)
Reminder: Heroes and Goats are determined by WPA scores and are in no way subjective.
THREE HEROES:
- Superhero: Nico Hoerner (.349). 2-3, HR, HBP, 3 RBI, R
- Hero: Seiya Suzuki (.108). 0-2, 2 BB
- Sidekick: Dansby Swanson (.039). 1-3, R
THREE GOATS
- Billy Goat: Colin Rea (-.503). 4.2, 24 BF, 8 H, 2 BB, 7 R (6 ER), 2 K (L 10-6)
- *ninth lowest WPA score of the year by a Cubs player.
- Goat: Carson Kelly (-.170). 0-4, DP
- Kid: Justin Turner (-.165). 0-3, BB, DP
WPA Play of the Game: Nico Hoerner’s three-run homer with two outs in the second inning turned a one-run deficit into a two-run lead. (.278)
*Giants Play of the Game: With one out and the bases loaded, Carson Whisenhunt got Justin Turner to ground into an inning ending double play, preserving a one-run Giant lead. (.214)
Cubs Player of the Game:
Yesterday’s Winner: Matt Shaw 57-56 over Pete Crow-Armstrong (123 total votes).
Rizzo Award Standings: (Top 5/Bottom 5)
The award is named for Anthony Rizzo, who finished first in this category three of the first four years it was in existence and four times overall. He also recorded the highest season total ever at +65.5. The point scale is three points for a Superhero down to negative three points for a Billy Goat.
- Kyle Tucker +24
- Shōta Imanaga +22
- Matthew Boyd +20
- Jameson Taillon +16
- Michael Busch +15.67
- Julian Merryweather -15
- Carson Kelly -16
- Ben Brown -19
- Dansby Swanson -27.33
- Seiya Suzuki -28
Scoreboard Watching: Padres (Wild Card 2) lose (Cubs up 1.5). Mets (WC 3) win (Cubs up 4) and are now 7-3 over their last 10. Reds lose their third straight (Cubs up 8.5). The Reds need to finish 22-6 to reach 90 wins. And I’ll still take the over on 90 wins for the Cubs. This team is closing on a full lock on a playoff spot and the Reds are drifting out of contention.
Up Next: Third and final game in San Francisco. Shōta Imanaga (8-6, 3.03, 110 IP) starts for the Cubs. He is 2-3 with a 3.64 over his last seven. It’s been since July 30 since he recorded a win. It feels like he’s thrown better than that though. He has a 2.33 ERA in August. He’s been better during the day (2.76 vs. 3.25).
The Giants start Logan Webb (12-9, 3.13, 166.2). Webb has been around long enough and effective enough that I suspect most of you know him pretty well. Webb was a fourth round pick by the Giants in 2014 (118th overall). 3-3 with a 3.73 over his last seven, so he’s struggled a little while the team was struggling. He’s been a fair bit better at home (2.77 vs. 3.53). This is a tough matchup.
Imanaga has led the Cubs to victory so many times in his two years here following a loss. Hopefully he can get it done this time too. If he can dominate early, there is a well-rested back of the bullpen to nail it down. But he’s going to need the Cubs to find the offense that’s been largely absent in these two games against significantly lesser pitchers.
