Ooookay, then. We all done here?
When the day began, the rumors were flying quickly. And with specifics on the developing markets of Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo (plus Zach Davies set to start), I was sure something was going to happen. And then it didn’t. Not yet, at least.
All the Cubs trade candidates that began the game with the team finished the game with the team*. No one was pulled. No one was hugged. Davies tossed six innings. And that was that. Must be saving it all for Brett’s blogathon, which starts bright and early tomorrow morning and goes through the trade deadline on Friday.
*Nico Hoerner came out of the game with an apparent injury, but he’s not a trade candidate and he was certainly not traded tonight.
Speaking of Davies, he tossed 6.0 innings tonight, getting that final inning almost entirely out of principle. He started getting hit very hard in the top of the 5th, but David Ross sent him back out for the 6th inning and, credit where it’s due, he got the job done. See! He can totally face a lineup three times through the order! It wasn’t a perfect outing for Davies, but it was basically what we have seen from him throughout the course of the season. I don’t think any buyers will have their opinion changed by his performance tonight, which is probably a good thing, all things considered.
Other than that, tonight’s games was a familiar one. Kris Bryant was hit by a pitch, Joey Votto hit two more homers, and Dillon Maples hit a couples batters (including one HBP that forced in a run). Naturally, David Bote drove in a run in the 9th inning (he should take all his at-bats in the 9th), but the rally came up six runs short. Cubs lose.