That ship has sailed. Cubs have nobody to blame but themselves.

Remind me how the Cubs burned their bridge with Brenly. Was it all the shitty baseball they subjected him to?

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I thought they told him to tone down the criticism of the team.

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

Here's hoping Lester brings it today. Rizzo feasts and goes yard on Cashner as does Soler.

"Let's Go!"

Is this game going to happen? Looks like some solid rain coming in shortly.

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

With it being a West coast team, I'd imagine they do everything possible to get this one in.

Unless that radar-gun is extremely hot, Lester looks to be over his dead arm phase.

Cashner is much more Nordic looking than I remember.

Babe Bryant K'ed on 3 pitches, all changeups

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1926-1931-1934-1942-1944-1946-1964-1967-1982-2006-2011

2-0 courtesy of the San Diego defense. Or lack thereof I must say.

As I can't watch does it seem so far change ups are his kryptonite for now?

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Elections have consequences.

I want Grace (don't care about 2 DUIs) or Stone.

Honestly the only live AB i've seen. His kryptonite will be contact though, yes. He'll probably whiff at a %30 rate in the Majors, if he hits 45 bombs, nobody will care. I don't think he will ever hit for a high average, though. I think his cieling is Giancarlo or Buatista, which is pretty good. He obviously may never get there

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1926-1931-1934-1942-1944-1946-1964-1967-1982-2006-2011

Not good Lester. Not good at all. He's not fooling anybody out there. Everyone is making solid contact.

Whoa! I guess that's one way to avoid throwing to first. Rizzo with the heads up play.

Two games and 1 PA and he hasn’t hit a ball hard yet….and he has swung through a TON of off speed and breaking pitches. For the record, I'm not gloating, just pointing out what the extremely SSS has shown.

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1926-1931-1934-1942-1944-1946-1964-1967-1982-2006-2011

Maybe that can be his new pickoff move

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1926-1931-1934-1942-1944-1946-1964-1967-1982-2006-2011

Cashner brought his b-beard today, eh?

How many IP does he get this year. The usual 125-150? Do we go all in for 175 tops?

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STOP THE PRESSES! LEN "BEST IN THE BIZ" KASPER LIKES JOE MADDON'S UNCONVENTIONAL MANAGING!!!

more on this story as it develops.

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Strike one against Maddon : His continued use of Schlitter in pressure situations.

This batting the pitcher 8th bullshit needs to stop. Mr. 0-for-lifetime Lester came up twice with bases loaded.

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Alcantra is useless.

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

Multiple times this year, Herrera / Alcantara and Fowler have been on ahead of Soler and Rizzo, and have been driven in.

MAYBE when Lester is pitching, he bats ninth. But the other four...they can hold their own.

I'd keep the pitcher 8th. The Cubs offense has not been a problem this year. Especially considering many games have been played in less than ideal weather.

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Rick Hahn is the best GM in baseball.

Alcantra isn't a major league player. Send him down and bring Szczur back up.

It honestly makes no difference, but just like with TLR, it draws the ire of the traditionalists when it doesn't work. My take: Maddon is trying to show fans he is "progressive" and it can fire the players up because it shows it's not "Same old, same old" around here. Speaking of TLR, he was criticized a lot.. including by me as a fan of his team, but he pretty much universalized the modern usage of bullpen roles in the modern MLB. For the record i think Maddon is a great manager, but there's not a huge difference between the best and worst managers on the outcome of a season.

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1926-1931-1934-1942-1944-1946-1964-1967-1982-2006-2011

"You know those radio commercials where two people with annoying voices yammer back and forth at each other? I invented those! Ow! ... Happens all the time."

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A series they should have swept, which is what makes this a bummer.

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

I'm happy with the 1. Friday would have been a nice win, but shit happens.

Padres are a good team, and the Cubs don't exactly have an offense built to succeed at Wrigley in 40 degree weather, rain, and the wind blowing in.

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Rick Hahn is the best GM in baseball.

I know they are a good team and if they lost one in a blowout, thats fine as well...but Friday and Your #1 billionaire should be WINS

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

Yea, they blew the game Friday and their "ace" is still without a win. We'll see how this goes now in Pittsburgh. Do they move on and win 2 of 3 or do they get their asses handed to them?