Cleveland Indians

Cubs Continue To lose Close Games

Posted on by Mark Gauthier

Indians 1, Cubs 0

There wasn’t much the Cubs could have done in their 1-0 loss to Cleveland. Well, there was a whole bunch they could have done but leaving runners stranded was a big thing. The truth is that both teams played a very tight game like they were in a recent World Series or something.

The viewpoints differ  amongst teammates.

“I feel like we’re underperforming a little bit,” third baseman Kris Bryant said even before the game. “We’re pretty average right now.”

Or then there’s Albert Almora.

“You think of the 2016 team, and you’re spoiled when you think of that kind of caliber we played all year,” center fielder Albert Almora Jr. said of the Cubs’ 103-win, wire-to-wire run to the division title. “But I like where we’re at, and I think we’re playing at a really high level right now with the intensity. We’ll see. It’s still early.”

Which he’s right about that. It is still early, but the Cubs can’t find ways to win like they used to. Jon Lester put in a solid performance.

“I think he’s found his voice and it’s fun to watch,” Maddon said. “He’s a veteran, he’s earned the right to be here, the big contract, and now that some of the guys he’s worked with in the past, whether it’s David [Ross] or John Lackey, are gone, Jon is carrying on. Those guys were his mentors and he deferred to them. Now Jon’s carrying the torch.”

But the Cubs were stymied last night. They’ll sure take last night’s loss over their ten run beat down the previous night. Even if a Manny Machado signs with the club, would he make a huge difference? He suddenly would come onto the team and half to gel with the rest of them, I don’t believe his impact would be huge. Remember, everyone thought the Cubs had the best rotation going into the season. The Cubs have a great shot at Bryce Harper next year and I like them odds a little better. Addison Russell will be dealt at the deadline, that I’m convinced about.

“I think we are better than what our record shows. We’ve just got to continue to be us and play our game and focus on everyone in this clubhouse and care about each other. I feel like we do a really good job of that. If we just continue to do what we believe in, good things are going to happen.” Kyle Schwarber said.

They struggled in the first half last year.

Believe it

 

The Cubs Are At The Dawn of a New ERA

Posted on by Mark Gauthier

Indians 10, Cubs 1

Well that was an ugly game, now wasn’t it? In their 10-1 loss to Cleveland, Cubs pitcher Tyler Chatwood gave up six walks in just over two innings.

“He’s got a busy delivery when he throws the baseball — it’s busy what he does with his hand,” Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. “It’s something he’s done for a while. It’s not something he can change easily. … You can see the movement from the side, how good it is. We’ve got to harness it somehow. I spoke to him on the bench and reassured him that it’ll be fine. He knows that. Man, that’s good stuff. We’ve just got to get him in that zone.”

It’s been his Achilles Heel all season and even though it looked like he’s been trying to overcome it, last night it was bad.

“It’s definitely frustrating, because one at-bat I’ll feel really good, and the next at-bat I’m fighting myself,” Chatwood said. “It’s even more frustrating that I’m putting us behind a guy like [Trevor] Bauer, the way he’s throwing the ball right now.

Although the Cubs played well behind the plate garnering ten hits, the problem was not advancing the runners. If a ball club chalks up that many hits, they’ve got to get those guys home. 0-10 with RISP isn’t going to cut it.

“I’m trying to force pitches rather than just letting it happen,” Chatwood said. “Little mechanical thing. I’m drifting down the mound. I don’t know where I’ve created that bad habit. … Last time I was able to stay into rhythm. Tonight I was battling rushing rather than staying back. It’s just keeping that feeling and maintaining that.”

The ironic part is that the Cubs were expecting huge dividends from their starting rotation and so far this season, they’re 27th in team ERA with 3.42

That has to change.

Is there any truth to the rumour of Manny Machado in the pinstripes?

“What we have here is a special unit, a special team,” Albert Almora said. “Like [Machado] said, and like I’m saying right now, that’s up to the front office guys to make those kinds of decisions. We have a great team here as we stand, so we’ll see what happens.”

Believe it

Cubs Show Moxy But Not Enough

Posted on by Mark Gauthier

Image result for chicago cubs

The Cubs, without Kris Bryant in the lineup, were downed by Cleveland 4-1. They went into the game facing a hot pitcher in Trevor Bauer, who by weird stroke of stupidity, I benched in our Fantasy League.

Go figure?

“I didn’t think we were up there just swinging without a plan,” Joe Maddon said. “But [Bauer] is on top of his game right now. They kept coming back [to the dugout] saying, ‘He is throwing the ball exactly where he wants to.'”

The bats couldn’t get anything into the air, but on the mound, Jon Lester rebounded to have a solid outing.

“I feel like we’re just kind of at that point where we need to put like three games together,” Lester said. “I feel like we’re just trying to get over that hump with that third game, and it’s kind of rolling from there. We’ve been playing well, but we’ve had some ups and downs on both sides of the ball.”

Um, I’ve been saying that all April. Yes, the Cubs are having a see saw kind of Spring and it might work but chances are, they’ll need to do exactly what Lester has indicated, and put together three wins in a row. Listen, we all want them to dominate, so perhaps they need to win a couple of series in a row to stay relevant come August.

Yesterday’s game was a different beast altogether. The Cubs could have/should have come out victorious but the end resulted in Cleveland just getting all the really good knocks.

“Whoever says solo homers can’t beat you (is wrong), I guess,” Lester said. “The only pitch that was a bad decision on my part — and I shook to it — was the pitch to Guyer. The other two, Lindor goes oppo and a ball on the ground that Encarnacion hits out. That’s the game, unfortunately.”

Andrew Miller got injured and that wasn’t enough for the Cubs to take advantage of? I also believe that Anthony Rizzo needs to get going. He’s their “Unofficial” leader in the clubhouse and when he returns to form, the Cubs should be getting back on track.

Believe it

 

Holy Cow! The Chicago Cubs Are 2016 World Series Champions!

Posted on by Mark Gauthier

Chicago Cubs

I have to apologize to my friends, my family and to my co-workers. Yet, I’m dedicating this win to them at the same time because they have endured the same heartache, pain and suffering as every Chicago Cubs fan that’s ever lived, breathed and experienced the tumultuous relationship that Cubs fans have had with their beloved North Siders. To my wife, I love you. It’s been an amazing ride.

Now that it’s done with;

The Chicago Cubs are 2016 World Series Champions!

In what will go down as one of the greatest Game 7 World Series ever played and in true Chicago Cubs way, an 8-7 victory was almost lost and kept fans on their feet until the wee hours of the morning. There’s no point in questioning Joe Maddon’s decision to pull Kyle Hendricks in the 5th inning now. What’s the use in crying about inserting a tired, beaten and used up Aroldis Chapman with four outs to go. No, there’s no use arguing the manager of the Cubs.

“When I pitch this much, especially this many days in a row, that’s what happens to me,” Chapman said through Cubs interpreter Matthew Moreno. “My velocity always goes down.”

You see, I still believe that Kyle Hendricks could have pitched another inning and have put this Cubs fan to bed much earlier than the 1pm clock striking warning that occurred. For me, it was David Ross’s home run that was the high point of the night. Gramps Rossy delivered in his final game of his career and made his teammates believe. His home run was a tribute to Ernie Banks and Ron Santo, the two tried and true North Siders that never wavered, never faltered in their undying loyalty to these Cubs that tested their faith and yet, in their lifetime never saw a championship. You believed. Harry Carey, Holy Cow!!!!

“It was like a heavyweight fight, man,” said Ben Zobrist, who was named World Series MVP. “Just blow for blow, everybody playing their heart out. The Indians never gave up either, and I can’t believe we’re finally standing, after 108 years, finally able to hoist the trophy.”

It doesn’t matter that some of the players won’t be returning in the spring. Their paycheques will be stamped with services rendered and they’ll move on. However, that warm November night in 2016 will be etched in their memories for years to come. This is the reason they chose baseball as their profession. An end to a supposed curse. A reason to believe, and a dream to come true.

Thank you Chicago Cubs, for making this fan believe in the impossible. Thank you Cubs for keeping me up well past my bedtime. Thank you for making me write over 1000 posts. I will be talking about The Game for days to come but for now, enjoy it.

“I’m just so happy for Cubs fans over the last 108 years, generations, some still here, some not. They were all here tonight. Everybody who’s ever put on a Cub uniform, this is for you. It took a group of unbelievable men, connected with each other, never quitting. Everyone’s prone to hyperbole, but tonight, it was kind of epic, right? It was the way it had to happen.” Cubs President Theo Epstein.

Let’s do it again 2017. Let’s play two,

Believe it

 

Cubs Force Game 7. Tonight, One Drought Will End

Posted on by Mark Gauthier

World Series

The Chicago Cubs accomplished the near impossible in their 9-3 demolishing of the Cleveland Indians to force a game 7 tonight. They came back from a 3-1 series hole to tie it. When young Addison Russell hit his grand slam, the packed Cleveland crowd fell silent and suddenly, the hearts of Cubs players beat a little faster. In fact, Russell became the second youngest player in the history of the game to hit a grand slam in a World Series. Geez, they have stats on everything.

“I think tomorrow we’re going to come to the clubhouse with a lot of confidence and a lot of energy,” Russell said. “Game 7, it’s a kid’s dream.”

Tonight, one team will hoist the Commissioner’s Trophy. Tonight, the Chicago Cubs have the chance to end the longest championship drought in sports history. It’ll be one of the most watched sporting events in the history of broadcast television.

No pressure.

Joe Maddon’s decision to move Kyle Schwarber to the number 2 position proved to be the difference in the game. It provided a cushion for Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo to do their Bryzzo things. They did. Each got a solo home run and the Cubs never looked back.

The head scratching began when Maddon made the call to the pen in the seventh for Aroldis Chapman. Why would he call Chapman with the Cubs having such a huge lead?

“I mean, seventh inning there because they came up, the middle of the batting order was coming up — Lindor, Napoli, Ramirez possibly — all that stuff,” Maddon said. “So I thought the game could have been lost right there if we did not take care of it properly.”

So here we are Game 7 tonight. This is the night that every Cubs fan has been waiting for. It’s fitting that Kyle Schwarber will bat probably second. It’s stunning and thrilling that Aroldis Chapman has pitched more than he has in such a long time. He might be tired, he might not. Is he ready?

“One hundred percent,” Chapman said through Cubs translator Mateo Moreno. “Last game? Of course, yes. I’m ready for whatever he asks me. I don’t recall [throwing so many pitches]. It’s only mental. It’s the seventh game, the reason they brought me here.”

Kyle Hendricks gets the start. My favourite player in baseball’s most important game. Baseball’s ERA leader for the season and NLCS hero over the Dodgers and Clayton Kershaw has an opportunity to go into the history books. It’s fitting it should end this way. Whether the Chicago Cubs win or lose tonight makes no difference. They fought back in the World Series to be at this point. Underdogs to the end. That’s the Chicago Cubs way.

“Anybody who plays this game grows up dreaming of winning a World Series,” Kris Bryant said. “You know, we get to play in a Game 7. That’s pretty special.”

We get to watch the Chicago Cubs play in a game 7, that’s pretty special too.

Believe it

Chicago Cubs Staring History In The Face

Posted on by Mark Gauthier

Chicago Cubs

Tonight’s game in Cleveland is poignant in many ways. The Chicago Cubs are down in the World Series 3-2. They’re underdogs. Despite having the best record in baseball all season, the Cubs at this point in the season are true underdogs; and they like it.

Yesterday, I pointed out which teams were the ones that came back in their series to go on and win but today, I’m going to tell you exactly how the Chicago Cubs are going to win. Yes, I said win. I am a Cubs fan and even if they lose, they’ll still win.

Why?

There’s always next year.

It would have been nice to win it at Wrigley Field. The Cubs were tied in the series. All they had to do was go back to Wrigley and win three straight. BOOM! done History has been rewritten, Bill Murray gives Joe Maddon the biggest hug he’s ever had and becomes the celebrity spokesman for Kleenex.

Things aren’t that simple in Wrigleyville. Here we are in game 6 at Progressive Field in Cleveland a day after all spirits rose to walk the earth, including curses and dead goats. Tonight, the Cubs have their reigning Cy Young winner on the mound. Who better to stare down batters a day after Halloween than Mr. Fear The Beard himself, Jake Arrieta.

“We know if we lose we go home,” Arrieta said. “We’ve won three in a row many times this year, even more than that.”

Forget about tomorrow, the Cubs concentrate on tonight and get the job done. They know what they have to do. There’s no speech Joe Maddon could give that the players don’t all ready know in the back of their heads.

“Getting back to Cleveland with Jake Arrieta and Kyle Hendricks rested and Kyle Schwarber back in the lineup presents itself differently,” Maddon said. “I think everything changes at that point.”

This is how it’s going to play out. There’ll be no shutouts, no hitters or perfect games. Arrieta’s pitch count will be between 85 to 90 before handing the ball over to Aroldis Chapman. You see, there won’t be an opportunity for set ups because Arrieta will be focused and his pitches will be controlled. He will go 8 1/2 innings of lock down baseball. There you have it.

Under strange circumstances, Schwarber was made for this series. At Progressive Field the Cubs will look to his bat for guidance.

“I don’t know there’s anybody in the league that can do that,” Ben Zobrist said. “It’s really, really difficult to wake up and get out of bed after six months … and be a great hitter like he is.”

Yes, Schwarber will be the home run kid tonight. The bats will be out tonight after been woken up on halloween. Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo will contribute and lead this team where no other Chicago Cubs team has been in over 100 years.

“It’ll be nice — especially there,” Anthony Rizzo said of getting Schwarber’s left-handed bat back. “It’s a shorter porch to right. It’ll be warmer. He’ll have good at-bats and he’ll be ready for them.”

Believe it.

 

Cubs Force Game Six in Thrilling Win

Posted on by Mark Gauthier

Wrigley Field

There’s no denying that Joe Maddon is baseball’s most creative manager out there, but last night at Wrigley Field, with the Chicago Cubs down 3-1 in the series, he pulled the most creative stunt to date; Aroldis Chapman‘s entry into the seventh inning. The creativity worked. Eight outs later, and the Cubs defeated the Cleveland Indians 3-2 and force a game 6 in Cleveland.

“That was our best opportunity,” Maddon explained. “I thought right now, based on the bullpen usage recently, he’s actually kind of fresh. He hasn’t been overused in the last part of this season nor throughout the playoffs. So, again, with him, like a lot of relief pitchers, late-inning relief pitchers, you want to talk in advance of the moment. We did. So he was definitely aware of what may happen tonight.”

I’ve always thought of Chapman as a three out pitcher as we’ve witnessed earlier in the postseason. He has a tendency to get into trouble if he’s stretched out for at least six outs.

“I always appreciate it if they let me know that I’m going to pitch more than the ninth inning,” Chapman said. “I physically prepared myself to come in as early as possible.”

The Cubs are facing elimination. It sucks, but there’s no use in sugar coating it. The big bats have to come out and in the fourth inning they did. Kris Bryant led off with a home run and the faithful at Wrigley roared. Anthony Rizzo didn’t want to be out done by his Cub  brother and connected with a double one At Bat later. Addison Russell launched a single and then, in his final Wrigley Field appearance, David Ross sacrificed a fly ball in order to get the  three runs in. Jon Lester was brilliant through six innings.

“It’s a grind,” said Lester, who threw 90 pitches allowing two runs and four hits while walking none and striking out five. “I mean, that’s what postseason … that’s what makes it fun at the same time.”

That’s what they pay him the big bucks for.

“There’s not a crazy sense of urgency, but certainly we want to get some runs there so that they’re not going to go to [Andrew] Miller and Allen with the lead,” Bryant said. “For me, I wasn’t going out there trying to hit a homer or anything like that. It was, ‘Have a good at-bat,’ and it’s nice that it went over the fence. Obviously, I haven’t been swinging the bat too great, but it was nice to kind of get one to kind of help us all out.”

So there you have it. The Cubs are sort of back in the series, although I’m hesitant to say that facing elimination. They go back to Cleveland tomorrow with Jake Arrieta on the mound and the DH rule in effect. I think normally this wouldn’t fare in the Cubs favour but with the way Kyle Schwarber‘s been swinging, it could be the series changer. The Cubs were down in their series against Los Angeles and look how that turned out?  The Cubs are in good shape. They’re two wins away and I’m confident that if they win Tuesday, they’ve got the series.

“From an entertainment perspective, if you’re a baseball fan or looking to become a baseball fan, it was wonderful tonight, outstanding. But I like to believe we’re going to catch or gain some momentum from this game going back over there.”

Believe it

Cubs Prepare For Greatest Comeback In World Series History

Posted on by Mark Gauthier

World Series

The Chicago Cubs are in deep. last night, the Cubs fell to the Cleveland Indians 7-2 and have a 3-1 deficit in the World Series. It seemed that for everything the Cubs did, the Indians answered back . That’s October baseball. The real question is, Can the Cubs come back?

“We know we have to win out,” Chicago’s Kris Bryant said. “If we want to get to the last game, we have to win the first one, then the next one. It’s one game at a time, don’t change anything, have fun, smile, just be ourselves.”

He’s partially right. If you’re going to play that cliche, then yeah, it is one game at a time. The good news is that next up is Jon Lester tonight, then Jake Arrieta and Kyle Hendricks. Now is not the time for the Cubs to panic. Within a 24hr period, they’ll have to reconnect with the team that won 103 games and reach down deep and play ball. They can come back in this series. They’ve had 16 three game winning streaks this year. Of course, none of them were against this Cleveland Indians team. Only five teams in World Series history have come back from a 3-1 hole.

1985 Kansas City Royals

1979 Pittsburgh Pirates

1968 Detroit Tigers

1958 New York Yankees

1925 Pittsburgh Pirates

So you see, it’s not impossible. If there is any team in baseball capable of staging the greatest comeback in post season history, it’s these 2016 Chicago Cubs.

Why?

They’ve gotten to know this Cleveland team. Joe Maddon is going to keep things loose in the locker room by not allowing players to report until 90 minutes before the game. Hey, they know what’s at stake and I feel that if they try to do too much at this point, it might throw the equilibrium way off balance.

“They’re all trying to hit a grand slam with nobody on,” Miguel Montero said of the Cubs’ young hitters. “It’s not going to happen. We need to take our walks. We need to be a little bit more patient at the plate. We need to play small ball. … We’re all trying to launch the ball 110 miles per hour off the bat, launch angle, whatever. No, we need to get a freaking ground ball through a hole. As simple as that.”

There you have it. Small ball. Forget Bryant’s home run capabilities, get Dexter Fowler on base, move the runners and perhaps lay down a bunt.  They key is exactly what Montero said. Guys like Javier Baez, Addison Russell and Willson Contreras have to keep the ball on the ground because if the Cubs win tonight, it goes back to Cleveland where the DH rule applies and you know what that means?

Kyle Schwarber is back in the game.

“We have to have a one-game winning streak tomorrow,” manager Joe Maddon said. “And if we do that, I really would be feeling pretty good about going back to Cleveland.”

Believe it

Cubs Down 2-1 in World Series. They Will Win Tonight.

Posted on by Mark Gauthier

Chicago Cubs

It wasn’t supposed to be like this. Billy Williams threw out the first pitch and Bill Murray sang the seventh inning stretch. The first World Series game played on Wrigley Field soil was in fitting style, a loss.

The Cleveland Indians blanked the Chicago Cubs 1-0 in game three to take a 2-1 series lead. Nobody could blame Kyle Hendricks for getting into a tough situation early on. By keeping the Cubs into the game by not allowing a run and still not finishing the fifth inning, says a lot about how the game went.

“I wasn’t sharp, but they had a good game plan against me,” Hendricks said. “They were laying off some good pitches, putting together good [at-bats]. I didn’t have the feel today for myself, so I just had to battle through it.”

Of course he didn’t have the “feel” because in reality, last night’s game was centre stage for Chicago and sports. If there was anyone who needed to take the mound, it was Hendricks.  His cool demeanour and always thinking stance kept the excited crowd calm. However, the Cleveland pitching dictated the events. Josh Tomlin kept the ball away from the explosive bats of the Cubs. If there are curses to be had, then blame the fact that the wind was blowing out and the game ended in a one run victory.

“It’s rare that you see those conditions, and it’s a 1-0 baseball game,” Joe Maddon said. “But that’s how it works out sometimes. … From our perspective, we got out of the zone way too much. We’ve got to get our strike zone organized again for tomorrow night’s game.”

It’s easy to think that every game is a must win game, but tonight is exactly that. John Lackey gets the call and he’ll have to be razor sharp, competitive and bring his temper because Corey Kluber is his opponent. The Cubs will have to run the pitch count, get some foul tips and really work the count against Kluber. The long ball need not apply tonight regardless if the wind blows out or not. The Cubs have been shutout four times this post season and still end up in the World Series. So they’ve faced great pitching and their bats haven’t erupted lately, big deal! Tonight, it’s grind it out, sandlot baseball. Get mean, get dirty and if Anthony Rizzo has to draw a walk by getting hit, so be it?

“This is why you play the game,” Lackey said. “This is why I’m still playing at this stage of my career, at this age. I’m trying to win championships and trying to be a part of something special.”

Yeah, tonight’s going to be the game that decides which way the Cubs are going. I predict that if the Cubs win tonight, they’ll win it all. I know it’s a bold prediction but when you think about it, their #4 guy going up against Cleveland’s #1 if he wins and guys like Kyle Schwarber and Rizzo come through, well history will be rewritten.

Believe it.

Wrigley Field, Where Dreams Come True

Posted on by Mark Gauthier

Chicago Cubs

Kyle Schwarber gets ready to take to the field.

There hasn’t been a game played at Wrigley Field this late in the season in 71 years. The city of Chicago is embracing a celebration tonight. A chance to welcome their hometown Cubs back to October baseball. This is a story that’s bigger than sports. It transcends any high salary that the players will be making, this goes deeper than any supposed curse. The Chicago Cubs playing tonight at Wrigley Field is about hope.

Why should people care if the Cubs win the World Series?

“Ray, people will come Ray. They’ll come to Iowa for reasons they can’t even fathom. They’ll turn up your driveway not knowing for sure why they’re doing it. They’ll arrive at your door as innocent as children, longing for the past. Of course, we won’t mind if you look around, you’ll say. It’s only $20 per person. They’ll pass over the money without even thinking about it: for it is money they have and peace they lack. And they’ll walk out to the bleachers; sit in shirtsleeves on a perfect afternoon.

“They’ll find they have reserved seats somewhere along one of the baselines, where they sat when they were children and cheered their heroes. And they’ll watch the game and it’ll be as if they dipped themselves in magic waters. The memories will be so thick they’ll have to brush them away from their faces. People will come Ray. The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game: it’s a part of our past, Ray. It reminds us all that once was good and it could be again. Oh… people will come Ray. People will most definitely come.”

Terrence Mann–Field of Dreams

You can substitute Chicago for Iowa but that’s it. The reason people care about this team, this field and this opportunity to become World Champions is simply because, as Terrence Mann says, It reminds us all of what was once good and it could be again.

People can trace back the roots of other professional sports leagues but baseball, man? They’ll be debating that for centuries. The game of baseball is a common thread throughout North America and the world. A game marked by no time limit. Imagine that? We are not reminded by our own mortality, we are enthralled by legends past like Ted Williams and Babe Ruth. These heroes doing extraordinary things and this year’s version is Kyle Schwarber. He went out two games into the season with a torn ACL but is back in the World Series without missing a beat.

Tonight, we all have reserved seats at Wrigley Field. Most of us will be in the cheap, cheap seats but our hearts are there at the corner of Clark and Addison. We will be brought back in time as we watch Kyle Hendricks dissect the Cleveland order, cheer when Kyle Schwarber steps up to the plate, nod our heads when Dexter Fowler reaches base and pass Bill Murray a tissue when he needs one the most. If you’re lucky enough to catch a glimpse of Steve Bartman, give him a hug, say you’re sorry but please let him sit somewhere else.

Ernie Banks and Ron Santo are smiling. Harry Carey is calling the game and sharing a Bud with St. Peter. This one’s for them and all those Cubs who built the brick work piece by piece. The heartache, the joy and now the reward. There’ll be no speech from Joe Maddon, the player’s know what’s at stake. It took 71 years to get here again and before I suggest the next comet be named “Cubbie’s Comet” enjoy this moment with family and friends.

“You’re blessed and you’re healed the first time you walk into Wrigley Field.”

Eddie Vedder- All The Way

Believe it.