Nothing like a Chicago Bears Sunday to make you feel all the better about the present and future of the Chicago Cubs …
- Having dropped their homestand-opening series to the Pirates, everyone watching said the Cubs just about HAD to sweep the Rockies to stay in a good playoff spot. Well, that’s exactly what they did, coming from slightly behind in the latter two games, too.
- Jed Hoyer said the Cubs needed to win four series the rest of the way when that homestand began, and although they didn’t win the Pirates series, they did finish the homestand 4-2. So … effectively the same? On to the Braves and Brewers, with two more series to win. More on that shortly.
- Oh, also, yesterday’s win was the Cubs’ 82nd of the year, meaning they will officially have a winning record in a full season for the first time since 2019. I guess you could phrase that another way, though, and say that the winning season means the Cubs will have had just two losing seasons in the last nine years. That’s quite good! The rebuild was quite short this time around …
- After the win, the players and coaches stayed out on the field to sing ‘Go Cubs Go’ with the fans for the last regular season home game of the year:
- Rockies starter Ty Blach, like many other struggling starters before him, was holding down the Cubs through 5.1 innings in deeply frustrating fashion, when the match-up David Ross had selected for third base paid off:
- For as much grief as Ross receives about his lineup decisions, his usage of Wisdom has been spot on. Wisdom ceased to be the primary third baseman when Nick Madrigal came back for the Giants series in early June, and since then he’s hit .231/.322/.564/134 wRC+ in limited duty. It’s just 90 PAs, though he’s homered 8 times and driven in 17 runs. Even the peripherals indicate the match-ups have been wisely chosen, as Wisdom has struck out just 30.0% of the time (low and playable for him), has walked 11.1% of the time, and his barrel rate is a ridiculous 21.2%.
- From Wisdom, via the Tribune: โIn the moment, I wasnโt really thinking, especially in the (batterโs) box, โOh, if I hit a home run weโre going to go ahead,โ but it kind of hit me as I was rounding the bases. Just hearing Wrigley erupt and seeing the dugout when youโre rounding second explode is really cool. Itโs a hard feeling to replicate and just grateful to be in that position to be on this team and be with these guys who are rooting for one another. A huge part of it is staying ready to go at any moment during the game and just making sure that you trust in your abilities. I had to go all in. I couldnโt be questioning it. Just accept it and keep going and just trust in my abilities and knowing that when my name is called, Iโm ready.โ
- This is delightful across the board, with the sweet ending of course:
- With Jeimer Candelario due back any day, the Cubs will have a trio of options for third base (even in the absence of Nick Madrigal and even if Christopher Morel doesn’t see time there). Wisdom, Miles Mastrobuoni is hitting well, and then Candelario. Even as he struggled so badly in the month before he hit the IL, I’m not sure you can sit Candelario much when he’s ready to go, though obviously he can split time at first and third, depending on what happens in center field.
- This was a huge play, and although the tag is fantastic, props to Yan Gomes, too, for the ultra quick release:
- Adbert Alzolay threw another bullpen session, and it seems like you can keep hope alive for a return over these final two series.
- Heh:
- As is tradition, the grounds crew closed out the year at Wrigley Field by leading the 7th Inning Stretch:
- Pretty incredible from Ian Happ here, to think of doing this:
- A little more from the Cubs in advance of the final home game of the year:
- There’s a chance Matt Mervis returns to Iowa to open the 2024 season and wait for an opportunity:
- This pitch moves too much:
- Kerkering is a relief-only prospect whom the Phillies drafted in the 5th round LAST YEAR. Some scout deserves a raise.
- Hopefully this isn’t it for Joey Votto, but it’s a great moment all the same, right down to Votto ending the standing ovation with “I gotta go hit”:
- Can’t get enough of the drone shots this year: