Today’s game underscored a lot of concerns, some recent (Jason Hammel’s effectiveness vis a vis the status of his leg), some long-standing (Jorge Soler’s routes and range in right field), and some significant (the offense, generally). So, while you don’t want to overreact to a single blowout, you do mentally note that many of today’s issues were issues about which we were already worried. And that’s never fun.
Also never fun? Getting swept by a last place team at the worst possible time when you’re trying to keep things positive heading into the Trade Deadline and, hopefully, a run in August and September. One series doesn’t kill you (unless it’s in late September, I guess), but we’d be fools to act like this isn’t a seriously damaging series sweep.
Back to the game … the Cubs got a two-run homer from Addison Russell in the 8th, which was nice. And then Joe Maddon let David Ross pitch the 9th, with Kyle Schwarber in left, and Chris Coghlan at first. Of course Schwarber immediately got a fly ball (caught it!), and of course Coghlan immediately got a high throw after a nice sliding play by Russell (Coghlan leapt and caught it).
It was genuinely a fun inning, and I don’t know about you (or the players), but I really needed it. Also, Ross didn’t just pitch a scoreless 9th: