Not only did the Cubs beat the Cardinals to move back into a tie for first place atop the NL Central, but I also got to hang out with the entire BN crew (Brett, Luis, Bryan, and Eli) at the Nisei Lounge (along with many other friends), watching the Cubs and Cardinals do battle. It was a great night and we had a lot fun.
But, of course, after Brett’s *sixth* shot of Malort (and Eli’s first three shots of Malort ever (like I said … it was a fun night)), I knew I’d be handling the bullets this morning, which is perfectly fine. Nice job, Brett. You did a very good thing and we’re all genuinely proud of you/this place.
Oh, and here’s Brett taking his sixth shot of Malort next to a giant, inflatable swan:
Speaking of the Blogathon, the final tally – as of now – is $18,180 for Make-A-Wish, which means we sponsored over THREE FULL WISHES this year. Words could not ever express how meaningful that is. So whether you donated, participated, or just shared this effort in any small way, please accept this complete and heartfelt THANK YOU.
As for the Cubs trade deadline deals and roster implications, stay tuned, because we’re going to get into all of that (and a lot more) throughout the day. Robel Garica is already being optioned back to Iowa for Nick Castellanos, but there should be more roster churning, so hang around for the full breakdown. In the meantime, here’s the long and short of the deals, themselves:
And Strop is on the injured list, so … where muh bullpen gone?
As for last night’s game, well, yeah the Cubs won … but does anyone really feel all that great about it? Miles Mikolas managed to shut this team down once again (5.2 IP, 6H, 0ER, 1BB, 3Ks) and they managed just 2 runs on 8 hits and 2 walks (7 strikeouts) overall. By all accounts … that was another terrible performance by the offense – and it’s not like this was against a lefty, so … no: Nick Castellanos wouldn’t have likely been a savior in this one. Ditto Tony Kemp for other reasons.
On the bright side, Kyle Hendricks delivered an absolutely brilliant outing (more on that later), but I do want to point this out right now, because I love it 3000:
Craig Kimbrel, by contrast, let things get dicey yet again in the ninth, as yet another no-name Cardinal – Rangel Ravelo – hit a huge double that got the tying run in scoring position late. But ultimately, Kimbrel did lock things down, earning his 8th save in a Cubs uniform. More importantly, after three games of a fastball in the 94-95MPH range, Kimbrel was back up over 96 MPH last night. Ideally, he’d be working 97-98 MPH, but there’s still a little time left for him to get there. It is, of course, always possible that it’ll never happen for him again.
On an individual level, Jason Heyward had two hits last night, as did Willson Contreras. Ian Happ got on base twice with an RBI (go-ahead/game-winning) single and a walk, and he’s now reached base 8 times in his 5 games back with the team. He still doesn’t have a ton of hits (2), but his .421 OBP is playing, as is his 21.1% strikeout rate.
He’s still susceptible to the high fastball – and he’s always going to have swing-and-miss in his game – but you just hope the good generally outweighs the bad. So far, he’s been productive.
This wasn’t quite a “tarp catch,” but I still cheered when Anthony Rizzo let this one fall into his glove:
We’ll have more on this from Bryan later, too, but Brailyn Marquez, the Cubs top pitching prospect, threw 6 no-hit innings last night, with just 1 walk and 8 strikeouts. He is very quickly turning into the highest ceiling pitching prospect this organization has had … as long as I can remember.
And just speaking of him, I am very glad to see the Cubs make improvements at the deadline without giving up any of their top-five prospects: Nico Hoerner, Brennan Davis, Miguel Amaya, Brailyn Marquez, or Cole Roederer. They didn’t make “huge” moves, but they added a reliever for lefties and righties, a bat for the bench, and an impact bat for almost everyday. To do all that without giving up you best young players is huge and I can respect that.
Happy birthday, Mr. Kintzler. You’ve been absolutely HUGE for the Cubs this season.
Michael Cerami began covering the Chicago Cubs for Bleacher Nation as a part-time contributor in 2015. One year later, he joined Bleacher Nation full-time, covering the Chicago Cubs and Major League Baseball. Today, Michael runs Bleacher Nation, contributing as a writer (Cubs, MLB) and an editor for all sections of the site, including the Chicago Bears, Bulls, and Blackhawks, as well as MLB, NBA, NHL, and NFL.
In 2019, Michael was the co-host of NBC Sports Chicago's Cubs Post-Game Show Outside the Ivy.
You can find him on Twitter/X @Michael_Cerami
This afternoon's forecast in Chicago calls for afternoon rainstorms, which means I need to tweak my schedule to get my regularly scheduled walk in without getting soaked. Wish me luck! The Chicago Bears are reportedly set to announce lakefront stadium...
Cubs vs Astros — Splitting a four-gamer against the current, badly-struggling Miami Marlins is unquestionably a bad outcome, especially when one of those two losses was a win-in-hand that slipped away into the seats. But the typical, and maddeningly correct,...
I was literally in the middle of an article asking "What Are the Cubs Going to Do with Matt Mervis," when this news came across the wire. The Cubs first base picture is fully settled with the left-handed Michael Busch...
It's going to be a really good year for Horror movies. Late Night with the Devil was good (just saw it the other night). And I've got my eyes on Long Legs, Cuckoo, The First Omen, Immaculate, MaXXXine, In a...
A couple injuries to note among other NL Central contenders, as each of the Brewers and Reds have taken a hit to their rotation. The presumption for now is short-term on each, but I suppose we'll see. First, you have...
A very scary scene in Pittsburgh, where Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jakob Junis, currently on the IL with a shoulder impingement, took a batting practice ball off the neck and went down. Junis was apparently on the ground for a long...
On April 9, I took an early look at Nico Hoerner's apparently evolving approach at the plate, which featured a lot more patience and a lot more big hacks. Effectively, it seemed like he was trying for a little more...
There's been much debate about pitcher arm injuries lately, much of it sparked by Spencer Strider's season-ending Tommy John surgery, and Strider spoke to the media for the first time since the injury on Friday. Spencer Strider on pitcher arm...
A new signing popped up on the Chicago Cubs' transaction log: lefty Mitchell Tyranski. Tyranski, 26, put up a 3.83 ERA over 42.1 innings at High-A last year in the Dodgers organization, striking out 47 and walking 21. Were you...
We already dove deep into Shota Imanaga's latest impressive start against the Marlins yesterday. And there's been no shortage of love for Michael Busch this season either. But I do want to take this time to illustrate just how good...
The Los Angeles Lakers are slight 1-point underdogs in Game 3 of the opening round of the NBA Playoffs against the Denver Nuggets at Crypto.com Arena on Thursday, tipping off at 10:00 PM ET on TNT. The Nuggets are ahead...
The St. Louis Cardinals (10-13) are set to take on the Arizona Diamondbacks (11-13) Tuesday at 7:45 PM ET, airing on ARID. The Cardinals are listed as -133 favorites by sportsbooks, while the underdog Diamondbacks have +112 odds for the...
The Texas Rangers (12-11) enter Tuesday's matchup with the Seattle Mariners (11-11) following their 1-2 series defeat to the Braves. The Mariners, coming off of a series win against the Rockies, are listed as -112 favorites for Game 1. The...
The Toronto Blue Jays (13-10) visit the Kansas City Royals (13-10) at 7:40 PM ET Tuesday for a sluggers' duel between two of the best power hitters in MLB. For the favored Blue Jays (-123), Daulton Varsho has racked up...
The Chicago White Sox (3-19) hope to avoid their fifth straight defeat when they visit the Minnesota Twins (8-13) Tuesday at 7:40 PM ET on NBCS-CHI. The Twins are listed as -276 favorites, while the White Sox are +220 underdogs...
The Houston Astros (7-16) are favorites (-114) on the moneyline when they take on the Chicago Cubs (13-9) Tuesday at 7:40 PM ET, live on MARQ.J.P. France will get the ball for Houston while Chicago will counter with Jordan Wicks.Astros...
Anthony Edwards' Minnesota Timberwolves meet the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday at 7:30 PM ET in Game 2 of the opening round of the NBA playoffs, and to beat his 3-point over/under, he must make three from downtown.Anthony Edwards' Three-Pointer Prop...
Devin Booker's Phoenix Suns meet the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday at 7:30 PM ET in Game 2 of the opening round of the NBA playoffs, and to beat his 3-point over/under, he needs to make three from downtown.Devin Booker's Three-Pointer...
On Tuesday at 7:30 PM ET, the Minnesota Timberwolves play the Phoenix Suns in Game 2 of the opening round of the NBA playoffs, and Karl-Anthony Towns' 3-pointer prop for this clash requires two trifectas.Karl-Anthony Towns' Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs....
Kevin Durant must make three 3-pointers to beat his prop when the Phoenix Suns play the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday at 7:30 PM ET, in Game 2 of the opening round of the NBA playoffs.Kevin Durant's Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs....
NEWSLETTER
