Schwarber goes ballistic in loss, Maddon on Contreras, King of Wrigley, and MLB News |
Next Game: Today’s 1:20 PM game (Angels @ Cubs) has been cancelled due to weather- no makeup date has been announced at this time.
MONDAY: 6:10 PM, Cubs vs Marlins. Yu Darvish vs RHP Trevor Richards (0-1, 2.00). Saturday’s Game Recap: In Game-2 of an interleague match between the Angels and Cubs, LA sent righty, Chris Stratton (0-1, 6.48 ERA) to the mound to face “The Professor,” Kyle Hendricks (0-2, 6.48 ERA). Both pitchers have struggled this year, each allowing 6 ER in 8.1 innings pitched. The Professor dug the Cubs a three-run hole that took until the bottom of the eighth to finally overcome, but they couldn’t cover the three runs given up by the bullpen; two of which were walked in). Final score Angels-6; Cubs five. Kyle Schwarber: Schwarber struck out to end yesterday’s game on a check-swing. The half-swing was appealed to the third base ump (Gabe Morales) who rung Schwarbs up, sending him into a rampage. Schwarber charged up the third-base line, with expletives flying, but to no avail, as the call stood. Schwarber was ejected as the uproar ensued. Schwarber said, “I was a little hot.” Watch @kschwarb12 lose his mind as he's called out on a check swing to end the game by 3rd base ump Gabe Morales. Terrible call. @Cubs #GoCubsGo pic.twitter.com/dXCQaA6Bis
Javier Baez: Javy held Schwarber back after the called third strike. Javy says, "He's a big dude, and he played football. I never played football in my life. He took me with him, but I held him really good." When asked if Javy needed to work on his “offensive-line skills,” El Mago replied, “Yeah, he moves to the side pretty good. He almost got by me.” Walk this way: Nope, not the Aerosmith song, rather what seems to be the mantra of the Cubs’ bullpen again. Yesterday, the pen issued a total of 7 walks (Hendricks issued just one), resulting in three runs being scored- two of the walks came with the bases jammed. One bright note- Brandon Kintzler (3.52 ERA) had another spotless inning. Cubs/Marlins Probable Pitchers: Monday: RHP Yu Darvish (0-2, 7.50 ERA) vs RHP Trevor Richards (0-1, 2.00 ERA). Cubs/Marlins Probable Pitchers: Tuesday: Jose Quintana vs RHP Pablo Lopez (1-2, 6.60 ERA). Wednesday: Cole Hamels vs RHP Sandy Alcantara (1-1, 4.24 ERA). Cole Hamels: “Hollywood” Cole Hamels possesses the all-time lowest ERA (1.61) of any pitcher with at least ten starts at Wrigley Field. .@ColeHamels' 1.61 ERA at #WrigleyField is the lowest all-time among pitchers with at least 10 starts there.#EverybodyIn pic.twitter.com/Yrw6TY1j9z
Maddon on Contreras: Joe Maddon has referred to Willson Contreras as the “physically best catcher in the National League.” Maddon went on to say, "He looks so much more similar to when he was really hot the second half of '17 when he got hurt. He looks exactly like that.” “...He had a chance for 100 RBI, probably 25 homers and it all went away with an injury.” Kris Bryant: Joe Maddon gave KB an off-day yesterday, electing to start David Bote at 3B instead. Bryant continues to struggle at the plate this month, slashing only .205/.295/.282 in April, with 38 at-bats. Bryant has no homers, only 2 RBI, and has walked four times while striking out 13 times in April (32.4% of the time). For the entire season, KB is slashing .231/.333/.365 in 60 plate appearances, with one homer, 12 hits (4 doubles), tallying 6 RBI, while walking seven times and striking out a total of 15 times (25% strikeout rate). El Mago: In case you didn’t know, Javier Baez was born left-handed and functions in life that way, except for playing baseball, and now he’s experimenting with that. In batting practice yesterday, he smoked a left-handed homer off the video board. Hmmm… I wonder how long it’ll take before he decides to start switch-hitting. That’s Javy Baez hitting left-handed in batting practice. There were homers. #Cubs pic.twitter.com/4zi53cXI6o
Craig Kimbrel: For those still holding out hope that the Cubs will sign Kimbrel, consider this: Kimbrel initially sought a 6-year, $120M deal. When no offers came, he dropped his asking price to 5-years, $100M, but obviously, he still seeks an average annual value of $20M a year. The Cubs have never spent big-money in the closing department, so the likelihood of them paying $20m/year now is pretty remote, especially when you consider that they’re still trying to recoup the $328M that’s been invested in Jason Heyward, Yu Darvish and Tyler Chatwood. Cub Birthdays: Birthday wishes (yesterday) to ex-Cubs Doug Strange (55), John Stephenson (78), and posthumously, Jake Mooty (107), Roy Walker (126), and Claude Hendrix (130). Blue Jays: Toronto has reinstated RHP Clay Buchholz from 10-day IL and has optioned INF Richard Ureña to Triple-A Buffalo. Brewers: Milwaukee is reporting that late-inning-man, Jeremy Jeffress will be returning to Brewers after one more rehab outing (shoulder issue). Rockies: Good news for Rockies first-baseman (and former Cub), Daniel Murphy, who fractured an index finger during a game recently. He will not require the surgery that the doctors initially thought he’d need to repair the finger. Tigers The Tigers have placed infielder, Jordy Mercer on the 10-day IL (right quad strain). Yankees: NY will be without the services of reliever Dellin Betances, until sometime in June (bone spur in right shoulder). The Yanks have, however, reactivated CC Sabathia from the IL. CUBS NEWS AND NOTES:
NL CENTRAL SCHEDULE (April 14 – April 20, 2019)
MLB News:
YESTERDAY’S MLB SCOREBOARD
