NEWSLETTER
Another pitcher’s duel for the Cubs tonight (the kind way of saying the pitching has been great lately, but the bats – missing a whole lot of their starters – have been kind of quiet), with both Marcus Stroman and Jesus Luzardo pitching very well. Stroman gave up a couple 5th inning homers, which isn’t good, but otherwise was close to untouchable.
Still, Luzardo was even better, and the Cubs trailed into the late innings.
Bad teams will try to help you win, though, and sometimes you just have to let them. That was the case in the top of the 8th, with the Cubs trailing 3-1 and the Marlins going walk, walk, throwing error, fielder’s choice thrown away, and then a sac fly to give the Cubs the lead. All without a hit in the inning. Thanks, Marlins!
The Cubs got their first run in the 7th on Patrick Wisdom’s first dinger in a long time:
As we discussed this morning, you’d love to see him finish the year strong. You hate the idea that a big chunk of the back-half of his season would be derailed by a nagging finger issue.
The Cubs come back twice and take the series. Sure, it hurts the draft lottery stuff, but I think there’s probably more fringe value in helping with the offseason, getting good developments from useful players, and giving the clubhouse a sense of positivity going forward.
Speaking of guys about whom you’d like to feel good going forward …
