The Cubs’ nightmarish Cactus League woes continue with a loss to the Dodgers today.
… I kid. And, yes, I’ll probably keep kidding about that. It’s a weird spot to be in, since I have to relay the score of the games, and it becomes obvious at some point if the Cubs keep losing. So I don’t want to not acknowledge it, but I also don’t want to lend it any weight whatsoever. It doesn’t really matter. Even at the end of Spring Training, when the regulars are getting more regular time and you’d like to see the team starting getting in a “winning” mindset, it still mostly doesn’t matter.
The things that matter slightly more than not at all …
Kyle Hendricks had a very smooth three innings of work, and there remains little reason to believe, absent some kind of implosion or injury, that he won’t be in the rotation for the first week of the season. He’s good, and, even if it means he’ll generally be limited to six or so innings per start, the bullpen can handle it.
Travis Wood followed with three innings of his own, and he got knocked around a bit by Dodgers batters consistently generating hard contact. As is often the case in these situations, it’s hard to read too much into it.
[adinserter block=”1″]
Armando Rivero had a rough outing, unable to complete his inning of work. We’ve known for years that there’s a ton of talent there and the potential to be a nasty reliever, but the foundational skill of commanding the fastball has to be there first.
Spencer Patton had another strong inning of work, and, although his options situation (he has them) may make him a long shot for the bullpen out of Spring Training, the Cubs didn’t trade for him for nothing. He’ll impact the team in 2016 at some point.
Kyle Schwarber not only had two hits today, he had them off of a lefty. And not just any lefty, but Clayton Kershaw. So that’s neat.
Double neat, Grandpa David Ross did the same thing! He also doubled in the game, and Bryant also singled. And that’s pretty much all of your offense for this one.
I would say something like 92% of my focus right now is on the playoffs. Specifically, the Cubs, and even more specifically, making them. Another 5% is allotted to the minor leagues - like the Tennessee Smokies' championship run -...
Back in the rotation after six+ week absence, Marcus Stroman will make one of the Chicago Cubs' most important starts of the season on Thursday against the Braves. And then, if things go well this week, he will be slated...
You would not have rightly expected Jordan Wicks to come up this year and dominate in the big leagues. The 24-year-old lefty was only just drafted in 2021, had less than a half-year's worth of experience at Double-A and then...
Over his last 50 plate appearances, Ian Happ is slashing .333/.440/.571 (175 wRC+). Over his last seven starts, Mike Tauchman has reached base 12 times (.429 OBP). Since the beginning of August, Cody Bellinger has 12 doubles, 11 homers, 8...
Nothing like a Chicago Bears Sunday to make you feel all the better about the present and future of the Chicago Cubs ... Having dropped their homestand-opening series to the Pirates, everyone watching said the Cubs just about HAD to...
The Chicago Cubs' Double-A affiliate Tennessee Smokies are a win away from taking the Southern League championship after winning Game One of the championship series. The Smokies are playing the Pensacola Blue Wahoos, the Double-A squad for the Miami Marlins,...
The Cubs did it! They pulled off the sweep of the Rockies at home, doing what they REALLY needed to do. The Cubs have been picking and choosing Patrick Wisdom's match-ups for half a season now, and it's gone very...
Cubs Lineup — Okay, Cubs. That's more like it. But don't let off the gas now. You need as many wins as possible down the stretch and you're heading to Atlanta and Milwaukee after this. Do NOT let this golden...
The Cubs can do today what they really needed to do in this Rockies series, but which you can never COUNT on: pull off the sweep. Get 'em, Jordan Wicks. How good did Javier Assad look yesterday? Pitching in relief...
The Cubs did what they needed to do again today, beating the Rockies for the second straight day. It required a little comeback this time, which made the experience a little more fun. Not that I ever have a problem...
A game-time decision to play, Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow gave it a go despite not practicing all week while resting his re-aggravated calf. The Bengals won their first game of the season tonight against the Los Angeles Rams, but it...
It's easy to look impressive when you're playing the cellar of the NFC North. Tampa Bay opened the season 2-0 with wins over the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears, two teams with a combined 0-6 record this season. But the...
I would say something like 92% of my focus right now is on the playoffs. Specifically, the Cubs, and even more specifically, making them. Another 5% is allotted to the minor leagues - like the Tennessee Smokies' championship run -...
The Toronto Raptors might be on the verge of a blockbuster. According to Marc J. Spears of ESPN, the Raptors are now viewed by some as leading the pack in the Damian Lillard sweepstakes. The report comes only a couple...
I want to sincerely apologize to every Bleacher Nation reader. As I looked at the calendar today and realized less than one month stands between us and the start of the NBA season, I recognized I had yet to write...
It's another Bears (lost) Monday, but there's plenty to discuss, and that's what Matt and I did this afternoon. They're a rudderless ship, and there's surely changes coming this offseason at this point. But what exactly might that look like?...
Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields is straight-up not having a good time right now. And I'll be blunt — these comments from Fields via ESPN's Courtney Cronin are concerning: "I'm looking at it like the big picture, life in general to...
Rewind a full year. Jason Dickinson was reporting to camp in Vancouver with some unrest in that organization. The Canucks were looking to find some cap flexibility with younger players needing to get paid in the not-too-distant future, and Dickinson...
When it comes to rookie quarterbacks, C.J. Stroud has been the cream of the crop in the NFL this season. That's not to say that I don't believe Bryce Young will be or that Anthony Richardson hasn't been good. But...
The Houston Astros (85-71) have an away game against the Seattle Mariners (84-71), who are coming off a three-game losing streak. Monday's contest begins at 9:40 PM ET.The probable pitchers are Luis Castillo (14-7) for the Mariners and Justin Verlander...
The Cubs’ nightmarish Cactus League woes continue with a loss to the Dodgers today.
