Having the Full Bullpen Back is Huge, Edwards Nasty, Cubs Crushed Doubles, and Other Bullets

Jul 11, 2018

The late game plus the need to work out in the morning to stay sane really throws off the early part of the schedule on these days. Sorry about the very late Bullets …

So, the Cubs won a game for the first time in literal weeks that wasn’t a comeback victory. I don’t know what to think about it. I guess it’s fine? The Cubs remained tied with the Brewers at 37 losses on the year, but still three wins behind.

Hey, how freaking awesome was it to see Carl Edwards Jr. back and looking EXTREMELY CARL-LIKE? Dude came in and struck out the side on just 12 pitches … SEVEN of which were whiffs. Just look how long his fastball and curveball ride together:

Carl Edwards, Jr., 95mph high Fastball and 80mph Curveball, Overlay. pic.twitter.com/A9e6GK90ML

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) July 11, 2018

The Cubs were without their top setup man for over a month – a month when the starting pitching got especially squirrely, and the reliance on the bullpen ticked up – and it was nice to be reminded what they were missing, and what could be in store for them in the months ahead.

It is also extra nice to have Edwards back given how exceedingly cautious the Cubs are being with closer Brandon Morrow, who got another night off last night. I don’t have a beef with it, mind you – there are more important stretches ahead for Morrow, who has had a litany of health issues in the past, and threw a whole lot of innings last year – but it underscores the importance of having guys like Edwards and Pedro Strop and Steve Cishek firing on all cylinders.

Cishek closed things out last night, by the way, and saw his ERA dip back under two (1.96). What a stud he’s been.

The Cubs had two SHOTS last night that are basically always homers and turned into doubles:

Not home runs, you say? Sure, sure, sure, sure, sure, sure, sure, pic.twitter.com/PCAioJ5WQh

— Bleacher Nation (@BleacherNation) July 11, 2018

Here’s Caratini’s shot:

.@VictorCaratini doubles home an insurance run in the 7th. #EverybodyIn pic.twitter.com/Q5vsdZVszP

— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) July 11, 2018

He’s batting .270/.333/.338 (85 wRC+) this year, which is well below what we know he CAN do, but is also very solid for a back-up catcher still adjusting to the big leagues. Not sure what the long-term future holds for Caratini, but if he can keep developing, I don’t hate the idea of him being the back-up catcher next year for the whole season, and playing a little more than a typical back-up catcher would.

(Dream scenario? The Cubs find another versatile back-up catcher type, and have three catchers on the roster, but all of whom can play elsewhere to maximize usage and flexibility. Yes, I still dream about when that looked like it was going to be possible with Kyle Schwarber (those days, specifically, are over).)

Kris Bryant did the good thing on rehab assignment, too:

Hey @mullyhanley @670TheScore @KrisBryant_23 #Cubs hooked the @smokiesbaseball up with Ruth Chris Steakhouse last night. Rehabbing is delicious #EverybodyIn

— Mick Gillispie (@BroadcasterMick) July 10, 2018

Same place Yu Darvish got the players at South Bend on his rehab assignment. Wonder if the Cubs have a relationship with Ruth’s Chris, or if the players just know it’s awesome.

Love you for your support, and keep it coming:

The #BNBlogathon fundraiser for @MakeAWish @WishIllinois is going great, but we've got a ways to go to get to that first benchmark – at $6000, we sponsor a wish and you get me bumped to 34 STRAIGHT HOURS at the Trade Deadline! Go here: https://t.co/mD5D2CoKCE pic.twitter.com/ryZEU9XbwE
— Bleacher Nation (@BleacherNation) July 11, 2018

written by

Brett Taylor

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.

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