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Today’s Reflections
What a remarkable end of a Cubs homestand!
Two dominant Cubs’ wins over the Dodgers Monday and Tuesday appeared to be well on its way to being triplicated Wednesday before the bullpen turned a 7-1 game into a 7-6 win to sweep the series.
What an MVP duel between Pete Crow-Armstrong and Shohei Ohtani! PCA had the slight edge statistically with an additional extra-base hit and an extra RBI, but Ohtani got the dramatic edge with his eighth-inning homer to put the Dodgers within one.
With all the MVP-ing going on, ***** Imanaga pitched a great five innings to put the Cubs in position for the win. While he gave up the complimentary Cubs Starter solo home run, Imanaga stranded seven other hits, did not allow a walk and struck out six.
The Toronto game appeared to be one that combined the let-down for the stars of the Yankees and Dodgers leaving town, and the dominant performance of Dylan Cease shutting the Cubs down for seven innings with 10 strikeouts. The blazingly obvious moment of the team’s possible lack of concentration was David Peterson’s balk due to three disengagements was stunning. After the way the game turned out, we can look back make a joke about it, as I’m sure that Peterson would have been glad to have given up the complimentary Cub Starter solo home run instead.
That aside, Peterson overcame that embarrassment to battle for five innings without allowing another run, despite having allowed seven hits and three walks.
Aaron Civale’s outing saw him allow what seemed to be a game-clinching run, but he otherwise pitched an outstanding three innings of relief, and was the anchor of six innings of great relief pitching by the bullpen with no additional runs allowed.
The bullpen was fully depended on, thanks to the two-strike, two-out, bottom of the ninth home run by Alex Bregman to send the game into extras. THAT was game changing!
But, coming full-circle is the winning run of the game by PCA. It was manufactured by a single, a steal of third base and scoring on a throwing error to pull out the victory and a 5-2 homestand!
PCA dominated the stats for the Cubs in the two games, going 5-for-10 with two home runs, a double, four RBI, four runs scored and that key stolen base. For the four-game week, he went 8-for-18 with seven runs scored, a double, two home runs, three stolen bases and five RBI.
Bregman was the only other hitter other than PCA to get two hits Thursday, going 3-for-9 in the two games with three RBI. Wednesday, Nico Hoerner went 3-for-4 with a run and RBI. Carson Kelly went 3-for-5, and Michael Busch 2-for-5 with a run scored.
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Thursday’s Game Stories:
- Vinnie Duber (Chicago Sun-Times): Clutch Cubs victorious on Alex Bregman blast, Pete Crow-Armstrong steal: ‘Good teams find ways to win’. “Down to their last strike in the bottom of the ninth, the Cubs got a game-tying homer from Bregman, then an extra-inning stolen base from Crow-Armstrong to snag an improbable win and cap a statement-making home stand.”
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- Paul Sullivan (Chicago Tribune {$}): Column: Chicago Cubs cap manic homestand with a ‘sick’ comeback for a dramatic 3-2, 11-inning victory. “Everything changed on a dime, and a manic Cubs season went off the rails again.”
- Mike McGraw (Daily Herald): One curve too many: Bregman’s clutch home run rescues Cubs offense. “In baseball, one swing can turn a day of failure into a thrilling victory.”
Wednesday’s Game Stories:
- Vinnie Duber (Chicago Sun-Times): MVP race is more like heavyweight fight between Pete Crow-Armstrong, Shohei Ohtani as Cubs sweep Dodgers. “In three all-around performances, the Cubs established themselves as worthy challengers to the Dodgers’ throne, while Crow-Armstrong went toe-to-toe with Ohtani in a Wednesday slugfest that cranked the NL MVP race to 11.”
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- Meghan Monteburro (Chicago Tribune {$}): Pete Crow-Armstrong and Shohei Ohtani put on a show at Wrigley Field as MVP talk heats up. ‘So, three hours before Wednesday’s series finale against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Crow-Armstrong decided he would swing at the first pitch he saw if it was in the zone.
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Assorted MVP Talk:
- Casey McAleer (DaWindyCity): Pete Crow-Armstrong is the kind of superstar baseball needs. “The Cubs center fielder scored the winning run against Toronto and showed why every moment feels different when he is involved.”
- Zachary Draves (ClutchPoints): MLB insider bashes WAR in PCA vs Shohei Ohtani MVP discussion. “MLB insider has quite the take when assessing the ongoing battle for the NL MVP Award between Pete Crow-Armstrong and Shohei Ohtani.”
- Elias Schuster (Chicago Cubs On SI): Cubs Sweep Dodgers: Pete Crow-Armstrong Now MVP Leader? ***** is Back, More. “The Chicago Cubs looked like a true World Series contender with their sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers.”
- Joey Mistretta (ClutchPoints): Cubs’ Pete Crow-Armstrong gets brutally honest on MVP race vs. Shohei Ohtani, “Pete Crow-Armstrong discussed the National League MVP race against Shohei Ohtani after the Cubs’ sweep of the Dodgers.”
- Jordan Bastian (MLB.com): Shohei’s leadoff HR pads MVP case, then PCA says ‘not so fast’. “In what has been a statement series for the North Siders so far, Chicago’s star center fielder made a statement of his own with that powerful swing.”
- Zachary Davies (ClutchPoints): MLB analyst shuts down Shohei Ohtani, Pete Crow-Armstrong MVP debate. “Famed MLB analyst Harold Reynolds cites one stat to declare Shohei Ohtani is more worthy of the NL MVP than Pete Crow-Armstrong.”
- Matt Snyder (CBSSports.com): Cubs sweep Dodgers behind Pete Crow-Armstrong’s mounting NL MVP campaign vs. Shohei Ohtani. “Crow-Armstrong and Ohtani both homered twice Wednesday and are now tied in the NL MVP odds.”
Continued (Positive) Fallout from the Trade Deadline:
- Jordan Bastian (MLB.com): 3 takeaways from Cubs’ aggressive moves at Trade Deadline. “When the smoke cleared on this year’s Trade Deadline, the Cubs stood out as one of the more aggressive teams among the buyers.”
- Carson Wolf (Just Baseball): Cubs Gear Up for World Series Push With Strong Trade Deadline. “After addressing all of their major needs at the trade deadline, the Chicago Cubs look poised to make a deep postseason run.”
- Brandon Glick (Cubbies Crib): Cubs’ stunning decision to trade Moises Ballesteros is a gutsy gamble on their real catcher of the future. “We’ll miss you, Mo’ Baller, but it’s his time to shine.”
Aaaack!!! Pitching, Pitching, Pitching (in a good way!):
- Vinnie Duber (Chicago Cubs Sun-Times): Cubs’ best-in-baseball glovework has pitchers jazzed to join: ‘This is the defense you want to pitch behind’. “A legitimate shot at October glory and the electric atmosphere at Wrigley Field are selling points, sure, but the newly arrived Cubs pitchers are mostly thrilled to play in front of a dazzling defense.”
- Paul Sullivan (Chicago Tribune {$}): Column: How will Craig Counsell manage a Chicago Cubs rotation that went from a shortage to an overflow? “The Chicago Cubs went from not having enough starters to maybe having too many, a dilemma that can only be a problem if the pitchers don’t buy in.”
- Sahadev Sharma (The Athletic {$}): Too much pitching? There’s no such thing, but the Cubs could have lots of options soon. “The Cubs acquired four arms at the trade deadline, and numerous other pitchers are close to returning from injury.”
Assorted Stories:
- Evan Altman (Cubs Insider): PCA Avoids Burnout by Letting Mind Wander at Times. ““You’ve gotta check out sometimes so you can lock it back in.”“
- Jared Wyllys (AllChgo.com): Cubs pitching staff ignited after weathering injuries. “Find a Cubs fan in late March and list for them the injuries to the pitching staff the team will have sustained by the first week of August, and then ask them to predict the team’s record.”
- Vinnie Duber (Chicago Sun-Times): Daniel Palencia nearing return from IL, but Cubs will be ‘flexible’ while Jacob Webb shines as go-to reliever. “Palencia’s coming return from the IL might not be accompanied by a slide back into his former job as Cubs closer while the team plans to get his innings up. Thankfully for them, Webb has been excellent as the go-to reliever in games’ biggest moments.”
- Jordan Campbell (Cubbies Crib): Cubs signal excitement over Braxton Garrett trade with latest roster move. “Turns out, the Braxton Garrett era starts now.”
- Elias Schuster (Chicago Cubs On SI): Cubs Call Up Newcomer Braxton Garrett Sooner Than Expected – What is Their Plan?. “The Chicago Cubs will give Braxton Garrett a chance after a rough go with the Marlins this season.”
- Theo DeRosa (MLB.com): New key to success unlocked: ‘Lucky Benjamin’. “And in a quintessential display of baseball superstition, Imanaga credits his recent run of success to … a new cellphone background?”
Food For Thought:
Gary D. Davis (April 30, 1896 – May 5, 1972), known as Reverend Gary Davis and Blind Gary Davis, was an American blues and gospel singer who was also proficient on the banjo, guitar and harmonica. Born in Laurens, South Carolina, and blind since infancy, Davis first performed professionally in the Piedmont blues scene of Durham, North Carolina, in the 1930s, then converted to Christianity and became a minister. After moving to New York in the 1940s, Davis experienced a career rebirth as part of the American folk music revival that peaked during the 1960s.
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