May 30, 2008
Everything but the Runs
The Cubs defeated the Rockies 8-4 Thursday night, and now own the best record in the major leagues. Chicago is the only team playing .600 ball, with a current winning percentage of .600. What's interesting to me about the win, however, is that the game wasn't close. Both teams picked up eleven hits. The Rockies did have two fewer base runners, as they walked three times while the Cubs drew one more walk and had a batter hit. Chicago picked up one more total base, 17-16. Each team committed two errors.
Missed opportunities played a huge role. The Cubs hit .250 with runners in scoring position, 3 for 12. That's nothing to write home about, but the Rockies were just 2 for 17. Mostly, the Cubs did a better job of concentrating their hits. The Rockies only had two innings with multiple hits, while Chicago put together four such frames. Sometimes it's all about timing, and that hurt Colorado in this game.
Posted by David Pinto at
08:05 AM
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The Cubs actually "deserve" a little better record with their +88 run diff, which is more than a run and a half per game and easily the best in the majors.
Back in the days of no nights at Wrigley, you might expect the famous June swoon. But with the sun not baking the players dry any more, the Cubs should stay in contention all year, and they have to be rated the favorites for the pennant.
Meanwhile, what''s with the suddenly parity-bound AL? No team in the league has a run diff even close to one per game. The Cubs' good friends on the south side lead with an underwhelming +39. Unless a few teams start dominating real quick, we could have a nice pileup for the AL postseason slots.
Wouldn't you know, soon as I write something nice about the Cubs, they stumble to a 7-0 deficit to the Rockies in the third. Blog commenter's jinx.
Blog meta commenter's un-jinx. Cubs win 10-9.
Yeah, what a bizarre set of decisions by Clint Hurdle. Starter gives up 3 home runs in 6 innings? Send him out for the 7th. Starter gives up yet another home run? Let him keep pitching. Oh, a single? guess it's time to put in the worst reliever in the pen. Who (predictably) proceeds to give up a double, a home run, and a single without getting an out. meanwhile, a GOOD reliever (one of 4 available) throws a 1-2-3 8th after the team is losing by a run.
Sometimes it feels like idiots are conspiring to give the pennant to the cubs this year. This is at least 5 games in which opposing managers, all from unique teams, made inexplicably bad decisions with the game on the line.
(btw, this isn't second guessing, everyone in cardinals nation was saying this as the game was going on this morning)
