Cubs at Dodgers, 7:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA, ABC7
Bud Norris (6-10, 4.69 ERA) goes for the Dodgers against Mike Montgomery (4-5, 2.69 ERA) of the Cubs. Norris’s last start was only 3 2/3 innings when he gave up six runs on seven hits and four walks. Montgomery made his first start for the Cubs his last time out; he went 4 1/3 innings and gave up one run on 60 pitches. He came over from the Mariners at the trade deadline.
Lineup:
Tonight's Dodger lineup vs. Cubs:
Kendrick LF
Seager SS
Turner 3B
González 1B
Hernández CF
Ruiz C
Reddick RF
Utley 2B
Norris P— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) August 26, 2016
http://www.espn.com/blog/los-angeles/dodger-report/post/_/id/21138/new-battery-short-circuits-dodgers-in-the-clutch Winnipeg Dave, you called that one right. I do feel for Ruiz.
Unfortunately the accompanying video is all about the dingers and doesn’t show the actual wild pitch. The target was low and inside, but the ball was outside at the level of the batter’s head. Doesn’t fit the narrative, but that was a wild pitch. Would AJ have caught it? Who knows? Does the runner score on the subsequent fly ball in any event?
http://m.mlb.com/video/v1101712583/chclad-heyward-scores-gametying-run-on-wild-pitch/?game_pk=448774
Ha ha. Thanks Bob – way to remember my crazy musings about that! As for last night – and even in general – I realize to a lot of what I post in the moment is emotionally driven. (Or to get a laugh, but that’s another story.)
And even last night I knew it would be pointless to figure out how AJ would have handled it, but rather was trying to guess if Grandal would have gotten up there to get it. I don’t disagree in the wildness of the pitch – just wondering in the moment if it could have been stopped from getting behind the catcher.
It was an interesting point on the height issue and I spent some time trying to see if there was anything on the internet on the topic. All I found was something on framing, which concluded that the catcher’s height was not determinate. Guess that the data would be hopelessly muddled, because WP and PB come in all shapes and sizes
Love the research you do. It adds so much to the conversations we have on here. Always good to have a voice of reason during the season as well!
Ruiz takes the blame. That is what catchers, of the leadership variety, do.
NPUT @ 1110 PT
Where is it?
Glad it’s not just me not seeing!
This reminds me of when I do online banking but I don’t record it in Quicken. Or I DO record it, but don’t do the transfer . . . makes reconciling the account a fun time . . . not!
Not 2310, which would be 11:10pm. 1110 is AM. Tomorrow’s Game Thread will post at 11:10AM tomorrow morning.
I’ll set my alarm for 11:09, then . . . since it’s 0000 now.
Military time. When Link cleans the house, he is actually stowing stuff.
Pfui. That was a winnable game.
It was blown.
Offense at least bounced back. Unfortunately, that’s only one aspect of the game.
Cubs are very good. (In Kris Bryant, Vegas may have another MLB player who was ROY, then MVP — after Bryce Harper.)
I need to get my love for this team back. It helps to have everyone’s posts to read.
I’m not sure who said it, but it’s true — we root for laundry.
Brian Wilson is the most recent example of cheering (or at least tolerating) someone we formerly detested . . . both reactions because of the uniform worn.
In the case of an AJ, or a Chase Utley (look at the reaction he received in Philly), the player will remain beloved no matter what laundry they wear.
I have not got my love back yet.
Love seeing grass stains on Utley’s uniform.
OK Josh. Wipe away the last few weeks with a big hit right here.
Helps to swing friend.
A little life left.
Hmm, Ruiz instead of Grandal.
I wonder which is worse: adding a player that has lots of issues (Chapman, for example) or losing someone everyone loves (AJ)?
Losing AJ, for me.
Adding Chapman doesn’t seem to have hurt the Cubbies. I don’t think losing A.J. hurts the Dodgers either.
Can’t be fun to bat against this guy.
What a disaster.
And getting worse.
The hit was off Kenley as were the two WP. (Heyward would have scored on the fly ball in any event).
I know, I know.
Counter-factual history is problematical. Kenley is 100 percent at fault this time.
And now we get experience Chapman.
Yikes!
Can’t help but feel like this goes back to messing with our team chemistry. Magical thinking, I know, but there it is.
I fully agree. F and Z majored in sabermetrics. Chemistry was an elective that they didn’t take.
And we were just being tantalized by AGon’s dinger?
Yup.
I wasn’t expecting to win this before it started, but now I’m crushed that we will probably lose.
Uggghhh.
Lotta Cubbie fans in attendance.
Oh, brother.
And oh sister too!
Seager to start it off.
OK, now for a walkoff.
Gnats won. Now we need to.
No, they didn’t. The Barves lost.
It was high but Ruiz should have had that last one.
Not sure I agree. Pretty high.
Is Ruiz shorter than Grandal?
Grandal is 6-2, Ruiz 5-10.
So Grandal might have had a better chance to grab it.
Meh. It’s not as if they are standing up.
Ruiz certainly jumped up when he went for the pitch though.
Relooking. I see your point. But Ruiz looked a little crossed up as well.
Normally a wild pitch if the catcher has to come up from his squat. Ball traveling very fast.
Oh good grief. Really?!?!
Gah.
I can barely watch.
It’s tense times.
And this is why.
Like I said, Cubbies don’t quit.
Oh dear.
KJ time.
How important was AGon’s dinger?
Hopefully important enough to be the game winner!
Sad that we have to use Blanton in the 7th and 8th.
Meaning? Nobody else good?
Exactly. Clearly we need one more trustworthy late inning arm in the pen.
Can’t keep doing 5 outs with Blanton and 4 with Jansen.
Doc has been doing this for about a month and it has largely worked, with Libby coming in to deal with tough lefties.
But it feels like a receipe for a lot of dead arms end of September and into October.
Or, at least 2 dead arms.
Blanton, an ex-starter, should be able to handle it for a while.
True. As usual Bob, I trust your baseball acumen.
Guessing that Coleman would assume the role of coming in for the sixth pushing Baez to the seventh once he gets back.
Man, these Cubbies don’t give up, do they?
Reddick finds himself in an unusual position, on base.
You are on fire this evening.
Ha! Not used to being there.
No joshing.
So is that why he gets caught stealing
Reddick did it! Got a single!
Maybe it can be the start of something for him.
Don’t be Reddickulous.
Oh no you didn’t.
Have to keep up with Bob Hendley!
Now enters into a new phase, learning how to run.
AGon with the sweet swing!
AGONE!
Utley, the human vacuum.
The combination of Baez, the human rain delay, and a bunch of foul balls by Heyward has certainly slowed things down.
Best description ever.
Reddick needs to reddlax.
What a play by Utley. So good.
Play of the day by Chutley!
Chase!
What! A! Play!
Went off of Utley’s glove.
Nud’s pitch count getting up there a bit.
I don’t think Norris is pitching this well – the box score at MLB.com has him at 64 pitches – and 62 strikes!
After refreshing they have changed it to 68 and 43.
With that double, Corey now tied for NL lead.
So cool.
Thanks to bad official scoring.
I agree. Should have been a single and an error for sure.
Utley’s double would have been so sweet instead of Reddick’s strikeout last inning.
Had the very same thought.
Bud bunt (very well).
Great inning Bud.
Clayton and AJ’s problems pale in comparison to these two: Canadian couple forced to live apart after 62 years
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-37198168
Nud appears to have settled down.
Argh.
Reddick – the opposing pitchers’ escape clause.
We are getting some gifts. Hope we can cash them in.
Reddick up.
Hmmm.
Ruiz swinging 3-0.
Dodgers have already doubled last night’s hit total.
Leg double by Corey. Now one behind NL leaders (Rizzo and Murphy).
https://twitter.com/DodgerInsider/status/769368900194607104
That’s a fun fact.
Barves have blown big opportunities in each of first two innings, and trail Gnats 3-0.
Reddick could go on hitting like he has, but it seems unlikely.
Tattooed that one pretty well
Reddick smoked that ball but, had it gone past the pitcher, it might have been a DP – depending on the shift.
According to Jon, Maeda was optioned to AZL to make room for Stewart.
Um, creative, I guess.
You guess?
But can come back for next start because their season will end. Creative use of the system to increase flexibility and to effectively increase the roster.
The Dodgers have their work cut out for them tonight.
Best record in the bigs, the Cubbies, right?
Conflict! The UH-Cal football game is on ESPN at the same time that this game is on! What to do, what to do?
That’s between you and Scoop.
Channel-flipping. The game is in John from Aus’ territory in the ANZ stadium in Sydney.
Was he going to the game?
Probably not enough chaos. Australian football almost seems like a game of keep-away in comparison.
The Cubbies have a less than formidable line up, when you just look at BA and you wonder how they score so many runs. And then you look at OBP and SLG.
Bud keeping the ball down, but a little too much.
I wish that Puig were on the team; if so, he’d probably start tonight.
Must say that I miss ol’ Puig as well. And without SVS now (the SVS of past years really), we come up short on right handed bats.
Also missing Trayce Thompson.
Rats! Fox Sports is showing the Cardinals and not the Cubs.
Ugh.
Nice to get a break from the intensity of the series with the giants. So, what do we get, the Cubbies! Jeez.
The Gnats get four with the Cubbies at Wrigley, soon.
We have lineups:
Tonight would be a fine night for both Hernandez and especially Reddick to start hitting. Otherwise, this lineup has several big holes in it.
Quique is not in the lineup. Chooch is, still a credible RHH.
I thought Kiké was in center.
I was misinformed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gC29ArkGG0
Ha. Your winnings sir.
I’m hopeful that in 3 weeks or so our rotation will look more like: Kershaw, Hill, Maeda, McCarthy, Kashmir. Getting a bit tired of Bud.
Kashmir? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vbeilE0UrQ
Ha ha. Auto correct for the win.
This Bud is not for you (or me).