Well, that was about as bad as you could draw it up. Manny Rodríguez threw a good inning, Frank Schwindel snuck a home run out of there, and Alfonso Rivas had two hits, but that was about as bad as you could draw it up. Kyle Hendricks is really struggling. Really, really struggling. And what a rough day for Ian Happ and Patrick Wisdom, next to one another in the order no less.
One thing that’s making me, at least, happier is that the production from the offense does provide a path forward this offseason in which the Cubs pick up a big free agent in, say, the outfield but focus the rest of their efforts on starting pitching, giving guys like Schwindel and Wisdom a full season of run to try to prove they can repeat what they’ve been doing. Adding an ace and a solid rotation-filler to Hendricks/Alec Mills/Adbert Alzolay? That sounds competitive, both in 2022 and 2023. Which brings me to how I’ve been thinking about 2022—it’s a testing ground for 2023. It’s the first step of a two-step process.
***
Draft Watch:
The Nationals lost, so the Cubs are still seventh in the lineup. Big series with the Twins coming up in this regard.
The Diaspora:
Whoooooooooa boy. If you haven’t heard, Javy Báez returned fire towards Mets fans, saying he, Francisco Lindor, and Kevin Pillar were booing them back with their thumbs-down celebrations after big hits. The Mets front office, evidently fans themselves, released a whiny statement about how fans are allowed to boo and players aren’t allowed to give the thumbs down. You can change ownership, but you can’t change the Mets.
Kris Bryant sat again yesterday as his side recovers. Jorge Soler hit his twentieth home run of the year. Andrew Chafin got the save on Sunday Night Baseball, striking out two.
Around the Division:
The Reds lost to the Marlins again, and the Marlins are one of those teams that I know isn’t good but I never notice losing. It’s like trying to catch your eyes looking a different direction in a mirror. Anyway the Reds are now just a game and half up on the Padres, who inexplicably had a Sunday off, and the Cardinals are still three and a half back because they gave up a monstrous walk-off home run to Yoshi Tsutsugo in Pittsburgh. Mike Moustakas conspicuously didn’t play for Cincinnati after hurting his hip on Saturday.
The Pirates fired hitting coach Rick Eckstein, saving me from continuously noticing him in the dugout and saying, “Is that David?” every time they play the Cubs.
Up Next:
Two with the Twins, but not until tomorrow.
