Bummed, But Not Yet Worried About Hector Rondon and Other Bullets

hector rondon cubsI’m headed to The Brother-In-Law’s bachelor party weekend thing up in northern Michigan today, so there’s a long drive ahead of me. There’s beer and whiskey and gambling and shooting guns ahead of me, too, though hopefully not all at the same time.

  • You don’t always get punished for making a bad pitch over the plate. Too often, in fact, I think we ignore bad/mistake pitches because the result happens to be good, but rip guys apart when those same bad/mistake pitches happen to yield a bad result. We should land somewhere in the middle: bad/mistake pitches will happen, and you try and minimize them so that the negative results are also limited. So it is with Hector Rondon, who made two bad/mistake pitches last night – both with the Cubs a strike away from ending the game – and both ended with bad results. It’s a bummer, but I won’t tear the guy apart too badly, because 9 times out of 10, at least one of those two bad/mistake pitches winds up in somebody’s glove. Try to limit them going forward.
  • Miguel Montero has additional thoughts – he’s been very vocal about Hector Rondon’s struggles lately, wanting to see Rondon be the best version of himself – here at CSN and here at Cubs.com. If you’re wondering about me, I’m not yet “worried” about Rondon. The 3.79 ERA is not what you want to see from your closer, but he’s currently sporting a .333 BABIP and a 14.3% HR/FB – those will probably positively regress. His strikeout rate is down very slightly, but his walk rate is essentially flat from last year. His velocity is fine. He’s just missed some spots in a very small sample.
  • After 31 at bats with runners in scoring position and no hits, the Cubs finally got one last night: a bunt single from Junior Lake that didn’t score a run. But, hey, it counts! (The Cubs would later pick up three more.)
  • Joe Maddon’s update on Neil Ramirez was mostly a non-update, according to Patrick Mooney. It doesn’t sound like he’s super close to a return, but, even if he started throwing to batters soon, we already knew it was going to be a little while before he was back. Shoulder injuries make you nervous and cautious, and that goes double when the guy has had issues there before.
  • Anthony Rizzo and the HBP.
  • A pay stub of Andrew McCutchen’s leaked, and it’s possible it originated at Wrigley Field.
  • written by

    Brett Taylor is the Lead Cubs Writer at Bleacher Nation, and you can find him on Twitter at @BleacherNation and on LinkedIn here. Brett is also the founder of Bleacher Nation, which opened up shop in 2008 as an independent blog about the Chicago Cubs. Later growing to incorporate coverage of other Chicago sports, Bleacher Nation is now one of the largest regional sports blogs on the web.

    more cubs news

    The Cubs Are Coming Home to Face the Pirates

    Cubs vs Pirates — There's going to be a little deja vu here for the next week, as the Cubs play seven straight games against the Pirates and Braves after just wrapping up six games against ... the Pirates and...

    Cubs Farm Report | May 16, 2024: Brennan Davis Goes Yard in Iowa Loss

    Brennan Davis' fifth home run of the season was not enough for the Iowa Cubs on Wednesday as they fell to the Syracuse Mets in a rain-shortened affair. That and more in today's Cubs Farm Report. Cubs Farm Report |...

    Javier Assad is the Definition of Pitchability

    Like his rotation-mate Shota Imanaga, Javier Assad has reached the point where, after every single start, you want to say the same thing: wow, that was awesome, this guy is good. It gets a little stale, in an extremely desirable...

    Joe Buck is Returning to the Booth to Call a Cubs-Cardinals Game

    I know that Joe Buck is a polarizing broadcaster. Some people love him. Some people hate him. I also know that he seems to have gone through phases in his career where there were stretches I thought he was mutably...

    Pete Crow-Armstrong Put on a Show, and Continues to Make a Strong Case for Continued Playing Time

    Pete Crow-Armstrong put on a show last night, which I mean in the most literal sense. It was more like a performance than a baseball game. Bases-loaded HBP while showing bunt? OK, sure. Running easily to first on a dropped...

    Northwestern Returns to Wrigley Field TWICE This Fall

    Northwestern will be making a return to Wrigley Field not just once this season, but twice! Due to the construction of their brand new football stadium, the Cats will be playing five of their seven home games at its temporary...

    Impressive Fill-In Guys, Bullpen Health, Roberts, Javy, and Other Cubs Bullets

    The Cubs come back home from the Pittsburgh-Atlanta road trip having split it 3-3, and I gotta say, that's a pretty solid outcome when (1) you're facing Jones and Skenes, (2) you're playing three in Atlanta where they'd lost just...

    Brennen Davis Homered Again, Back-to-Back with B.J. Murray Jr. (Whom We Should Discuss)

    Just about as soon as I could talk about how Brennen Davis had homered for the third time in four games, he homered AGAIN, making it four times in five games. And this time, just for fun, B.J. Murray Jr....

    Wake Up and Watch the Cubs Beat the Braves to Salvage the Series

    The Chicago Cubs' bats finally came alive last night in Atlanta, albeit with a little bit of help from Braves starting pitcher Charlie Morton. On the other side, Javier Assad was brilliant once again. Good win. Needed win. Enjoy the...

    Enhanced Box Score: Cubs 7, Braves 1 – May 15, 2024

    The Cubs took the lead on the very first pitch of the game and didn't look back. They needed that. I needed that. Offense up and down the lineup. Two extra-base hits for Seiya Suzuki. Three times on base for...

    Latest News

    San Francisco 49ers Schedule: Dates and Times for All 17 Games, Strength of Schedule, Record Prediction

    Brock Purdy led the San Francisco 49ers to an NFC Championship and their second Super Bowl appearance in the last five years in 2023. Will they pick up where they left off and continue to dominate the NFC this season?...

    The Cubs Are Coming Home to Face the Pirates

    Cubs vs Pirates — There's going to be a little deja vu here for the next week, as the Cubs play seven straight games against the Pirates and Braves after just wrapping up six games against ... the Pirates and...

    Dodgers vs. Reds Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Thursday, May 16, 2024

    The Los Angeles Dodgers (29-16) are set to take on the Cincinnati Reds (18-25) Thursday at 10:10 PM ET, airing on SportsNet LA. The Dodgers are listed as -329 favorites by bookmakers, while the underdog Reds have +269 odds for...

    Anthony Edwards Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Nuggets – Conference Semifinals Game 6, Thursday, May 16, 2024

    To beat his 3-point prop, Anthony Edwards must make three from beyond the arc on Thursday, when his Minnesota Timberwolves meet the Denver Nuggets in Game 6 of the second round of the NBA playoffs, tipping off at 8:30 PM...

    Nikola Jokic Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Timberwolves – Conference Semifinals Game 6, Thursday, May 16, 2024

    At 8:30 PM ET on Thursday, in Game 6 of the second round of the NBA playoffs, it'll be the Denver Nuggets against the Minnesota Timberwolves, with Nikola Jokic needing two treys to beat his 3-pointer prop.Nikola Jokic's Three-Pointer Prop...

    Michael Porter Jr. Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Timberwolves – Conference Semifinals Game 6, Thursday, May 16, 2024

    To beat his 3-point prop, Michael Porter Jr. needs to make three from downtown on Thursday, when his Denver Nuggets meet the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 6 of the second round of the NBA playoffs, beginning at 8:30 PM ET.Michael...

    Jamal Murray Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Timberwolves – Conference Semifinals Game 6, Thursday, May 16, 2024

    The Denver Nuggets meet the Minnesota Timberwolves at 8:30 PM ET on Thursday, in Game 6 of the second round of the NBA playoffs, and one of the 3-pointer over/unders available for this matchup requires two triples from Jamal Murray.Jamal...

    Karl-Anthony Towns Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Nuggets – Conference Semifinals Game 6, Thursday, May 16, 2024

    At 8:30 PM ET on Thursday, in Game 6 of the second round of the NBA playoffs, it'll be the Minnesota Timberwolves against the Denver Nuggets, with Karl-Anthony Towns needing three trifectas to beat his 3-pointer over/under.Karl-Anthony Towns' Three-Pointer Prop...

    Top Player Prop Bets for Timberwolves vs. Nuggets Western Conference Semifinals Game 6 on May 16, 2024

    Nikola Jokic and Anthony Edwards are among the players with prop bets available when the Denver Nuggets and the Minnesota Timberwolves meet at Target Center on Thursday (tipping at 8:30 PM ET).How to Watch Timberwolves vs. NuggetsDate: Thursday, May 16,...

    Second Round Tee Times for the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club

    Redefine the way you bet live with Rithmm AI Caddie. Dive into a new era of live betting, where every hole and every golfer is an opportunity, thanks to our AI's 1,000 simulations per hole. Discover a smarter path to...

    more cubs news