For the second time this season, the Brewers beat the Cubs. Bully for them.
Two two-run doubles by Travis Shaw. That was basically the entirety of the ballgame.
Tyler Chatwood was maybe slightly less Jackson Pollock tonight, walking only a couple, and flashing good stuff, as he does. The damage he gave up to Shaw also came after he didn’t get swing calls in the at bats (and not just “you’re not gonna get that call if you’re wild” – they were legitimately poor calls), so I should probably be a little softer in my criticism than I might otherwise be for yet another short, uncompetitive Chatwood start.
Still, the reality is: it was another short, uncompetitive Chatwood start. It’s deeply frustrating for all involved, I’m sure. Maybe I’m being too hard, and I’ll see things differently when I look back at it tomorrow. Tonight, I guess I’m just feeling chippy.
It might not have made a difference tonight anyway, because the Cubs’ bats could do absolutely nothing with Chase Anderson, who came into the outing as one of the worst starting pitchers in baseball. But he had great command, good movement, and harder-than-usual velocity tonight, and looked like the Anderson who broke out last year. Here’s hoping it doesn’t last.
Get ’em tomorrow and take the series, gents.