After a certain number of starts that provide you the same visual information, together with numbers that back up your observations, it’s no longer reactionary to say that, in an ideal world, Dan Haren probably wouldn’t make another start for the Cubs. The other fifth starter options are not particularly enticing right now, however, and that might be why Haren does get another start, despite yet another outing in which he was simply hit so very hard. Even the outs were, loud, and today’s installment of the obligatory homer was of the three-run variety. That’s just killer.
The best you can say is that Haren at least went 6.1 innings so the bullpen didn’t get killed.
Offensively, the Cubs could do nothing against Madison Bumgarner, which is what happens sometimes when a young (and injury-depleted) lineup faces a stud. Then again, when the Giants went down 8-0 against Jake Arrieta, they eventually battled back to score five. Is it irrational to wish the Cubs had been able to do the same today? Probably, because it’s just one game, and it wouldn’t have mattered anyway. But sometimes we’re irrational.
The Cubs drop the series in San Francisco, which, as we discussed at the start of the week, is not terribly damaging. It’s more bad than good, but it’s not awful. On to Los Angeles.
Now I’ll just imagine better things …