It’s Not Great When Pulling a Pitcher With a No-Hitter in the 5th is the Right Decision and Other Cubs Bullets

It has been raining for the last three days straight, approximately. And that is enough for me.

•   The Braves shut down the Astros completely last night to win Game 3 of the World Series and take a 2-1 series lead. First the highlights, then the commentary:

•   Never has the modern baseball tension between “optimizing every inch to win the game” and “be entertaining” been more on display than last night. In Game 3 of the World Series, you had an exciting young righty at 76 pitches through five NO-HIT innings. And, exactly as you’d expect in the current game, Ian Anderson was pulled before he could face the Astros the third time through the order. With a loaded and rested bullpen, it’s the smart move, and it worked. The Braves optimized every inch to win the game. But it sure as hell wasn’t even close to as entertaining as it could have been for fans who wanted a chance – however small – to see history.

•   To that end, the chances Anderson would actually make it through another four hitless innings, given his relative inefficiency, were overwhelmingly small. Moreover, the Braves might’ve lost the game in service of entertaining the fans. That’s not how they’re supposed to operate, and I get that. But that’s how you know something in the sport needs tweaked (well, lots of things, but that’s one): you need to strike a better balance between what helps a team win, and what is entertaining to watch.

•   Now, then, how you go about addressing that issue broadly is going to involve lots and lots of ideas and rules changes, which we’ve talked about ad nauseam. My short version is that there is no one simple fix to what has increasingly become a sport with too little action on the field, stretches of inactivity that go on far too long, and games that last too long. But the usage of starting pitchers COULD be a small part of that overall approach, and to that end, Ken Rosenthal reiterates ideas we keep hearing more and more:

•   I still want to think through the implications of the two rules suggestions – a hard limit on pitchers on the roster, and a “double-hook” rule that means you lose your DH when your starting pitcher comes out – but I’ve generally liked both, in the abstract, for a couple years now. Heck, I think the double-hook could lead to some really entertaining decisions, regardless of anything else it accomplishes.

•   Of course, Rosenthal’s point is much bigger than just the rules changes, and he’s right: the goal has to be changing the way teams DEVELOP pitchers in the first place. So that they are incentivized, strongly, to develop guys who can go 6+ innings consistently. Sure, that incentive already exists, but as the current game is increasingly showing, even a marginal reliever is better in that third time through the order than a pretty-darn-good starting pitcher. In a way, you have to devalue the mediocre-but-hard-throwing reliever in the current game in order to change the way pitchers are developed for five, six, seven years down the road. Kind of a tough spot, and we’ll see who has the stomach for this hard conversation in the CBA talks.

•   More on the tension between winning and entertainment here from Jared Diamond:

•   Brotherly love:

•   More of Pat Hughes, who was inducted into the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame:

•   Cubs utility prospect Christopher Morel’s season is underway in the Dominican Republic, and he kicked his season off with a solid base hit:

•   Tools, digital frames, wireless gear, and more are your Epic Daily Deals at Amazon. #ad

•   If you missed the very bad news for the Bulls and the implications:

written by

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.

more cubs news

Justin Steele Injury Update: New Classification, MRI Tomorrow, IL Stint Coming? Steele and Counsell Speak

A significant update on Justin Steele came from Craig Counsell tonight after the Cubs extra innings loss in Texas. In short: Yes, a stint on the Injured List is likely for Justin Steele. But we still don't know how severe...

Enhanced Box Score: Rangers 4, Cubs 3 – March 28, 2024

It took exactly one day for the Cubs' ace to sustain what may be a significant injury, for their closer to blow a save, for the umpires to significantly impact the outcome of a critical play (this time in the...

OMG: Michael Busch Scored the 9th Inning, GO-AHEAD Run, Because He Just Never Stopped Running

That was absolutely incredible. To all the little kids out there, when your coach tells you to never stop running, this is why. Rookie Cubs 1B Michael Busch (the guy the Cubs got from the Dodgers this offseason to be...

Pre-Gamin’: Cubs at Rangers – Lineups, Pitching Matchup, Broadcast Info, Game Thread

*SHORT COURTS: It's Time To Bring The Home Court, Home! Looking for a unique way to celebrate your athlete or team before you peruse the FIRST CHICAGO CUBS LINEUP of the Year? Don't miss out! For just one more week...

The Cubs Are Among the Most Returning-y Teams

I am still mostly incapacitated at the moment, so apologies for the short shrift on such an otherwise blessed day. In between pokes and prods, I wanted to share a chart I saw that was pretty interesting, even if unsurprising:...

Maybe the Cubs Are the Favorites in the NL Central, After All?

ESPN was the first to throw some love the Cubs way this week, with an overwhelming majority of their writers, analysts, and editors picking the Chicago Cubs to win the NL Central in 2024. But the love doesn't end there....

The Season Begins, Love for Morel, Counsell’s Value, and Other Cubs Bullets

You know where you want to spend your Opening Day morning? The hospital! Suffice to say, this is not how I imagined getting HYPED for the Cubs' opener. I guess I'll just have to think about all the possible lineup...

Cubs vs Rangers: The First Series of the Year!

Cubs vs Rangers — THE REGULAR SEASON IS HERE! Wake up and rejoice. Later tonight, the Cubs will begin their march toward October Baseball against the (reigning World Series champion) Texas Rangers in Arlington. Justin Steele is getting the nod...

The 2024 Chicago Cubs for Dummies

Boom. We made it. The offseason is over, and the Cubs regular season - and those elevated expectations - begins tomorrow. But in case you slept through the winter, I'm here to catch you up on everything you need to...

I’m Expecting More This Year, Cubs — It’s Time to Start Winning

There's no way around it: The Chicago Cubs did *not* have the offseason we hoped they might after making Craig Counsell the highest paid manager in MLB history. Not that they did poorly, mind you. Cody Bellinger, Shota Imanaga, and...

Latest News

Suns vs. Thunder Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats and Best Bets – Friday, March 29, 2024

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder (50-22) are 2.5-point underdogs against Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns (43-30) Friday, March 29, 2024 at Paycom Center. The game starts at 8:00 PM ET on KSBI. The matchup's point total is...

Brewers vs. Mets Probable Starting Pitchers – March 29

The New York Mets (0-0) host the Milwaukee Brewers (0-0) in an Opening Day contest at 1:40 PM ET on Friday.The Brewers will call on Freddy Peralta against the Mets and Jose Quintana.Brewers vs. Mets Pitcher Matchup and Game InfoWhen:...

Cavaliers vs. 76ers Predictions, Best Bets and Odds – Friday, March 29, 2024

The Philadelphia 76ers (39-34) are 8-point underdogs against the Cleveland Cavaliers (44-29) at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on Friday, March 29, 2024. The game starts at 7:30 PM ET on NBCS. The matchup's point total is set at 212.5.Our computer predictions...

Heat vs. Trail Blazers Predictions, Best Bets and Odds – Friday, March 29, 2024

The Portland Trail Blazers (19-54) will attempt to end an eight-game losing streak when they visit the Miami Heat (39-33) on Friday, March 29, 2024 at FTX Arena as heavy, 14-point underdogs. The contest airs at 8:00 PM ET on...

Rockets vs. Jazz Predictions, Best Bets and Odds – Friday, March 29, 2024

The Utah Jazz (29-44) will try to end a seven-game losing streak when they host the Houston Rockets (37-35) on Friday, March 29, 2024 at Vivint Smart Home Arena as 7.5-point underdogs. The contest airs at 9:30 PM ET on...

Bulls vs. Nets Predictions, Best Bets and Odds – Friday, March 29, 2024

The Chicago Bulls (35-38) hit the court against the Brooklyn Nets (28-45) as 5.5-point favorites on Friday, March 29, 2024 at 7:30 PM ET on NBCS. The matchup has an over/under set at 214.5 points.Before you place an informed wager...

Suns vs. Thunder Predictions, Best Bets and Odds – Friday, March 29, 2024

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder (50-22) are 2.5-point underdogs against Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns (43-30) Friday, March 29, 2024 at Paycom Center. The matchup begins at 8:00 PM ET on KSBI. The point total is set...

Nuggets vs. Timberwolves Predictions, Best Bets and Odds – Friday, March 29, 2024

The Minnesota Timberwolves (50-22) are 6.5-point underdogs when they host the Denver Nuggets (51-22) in a battle between the top two teams in the Western at Ball Arena on Friday, March 29, 2024 at 9:00 PM ET on ALT. The...

Knicks vs. Spurs Predictions, Best Bets and Odds – Friday, March 29, 2024

The New York Knicks (44-28) will try to continue a three-game win streak when they visit the San Antonio Spurs (17-56) on Friday, March 29, 2024 at AT&T Center as big, 10-point favorites. The game airs at 8:00 PM ET...

Kings vs. Mavericks Predictions, Best Bets and Odds – Friday, March 29, 2024

The Dallas Mavericks (43-29) will look to Luka Doncic (first in the league scoring 33.9 points per game) when they try to beat De'Aaron Fox (eighth in the NBA with 26.5 PPG) and the Sacramento Kings (42-30) on Friday, March...

more cubs news