Frank Schwindel…I mean, what do you say? The monster homer followed by the walkoff single with the slide and two celebrations, I just…what a lovable player. What a story. Hope he keeps it going forever. 162 wRC+, .414 wOBA, .342 xwOBA. Some good luck, but still good contact. And the longer he does it the more expectations deservedly rise.
Other highlights from yesterday:
- Willson Contreras is back! Returned from the IL. Fun to have him again.
- Rafael Ortega had another big game.
- Alfonso Rivas came through with a high-leverage single.
- The bullpen was great again, with Trevor Megill contributing before Michael Rucker, Rex Brothers, and Scott Effross did the heavy lifting.
And one lowlight:
- Kyle Hendricks was bad, and not just by his standards.
***
The Diaspora:
Javy Báez homered and doubled yesterday. Kyle Schwarber doubled. Ryan Tepera and Craig Kimbrel had good outings.
Around the Division:
The Cardinals lost while the Reds won, returning the Cardinals to two and a half back in the wild card race, which the Reds still lead by half a game over the Padres. Willy Adames left yesterday’s game with a quad injury, which is scary for the Brewers.
Up Next:
The Cubs go for the sweep.
***
Whom:
Cubs vs. Pittsburgh
When:
1:20 PM Chicago Time
Where:
Wrigley Field
Weather:
Gorgeous. Temperatures around eighty degrees. Sunny. Wind blowing out towards right and a little across at about ten miles per hour.
Starting Pitchers:
Zach Davies vs. Wil Crowe
The Opponent:
It’s been a rough go for Crowe, who has a 5.72 FIP and 5.37 xERA over 94 innings of work this season.
The Numbers:
The Cubs are -144 favorites on the consensus, with the Pirates at +134 for an implied Cubs win probability of about 57%. The over/under’s at nine and favors the over.
Cubs News:
Keegan Thompson is going on the IL for a bit, seemingly just to rest and reset.
Cubs Thoughts:
Win it, guys. But most importantly, keep hitting and keep posting encouraging bullpen results. Also, seems like a good day for another Michael Hermosillo start just saying.
