Assuming they do not go on a hot streak!

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Go Cubs!!!!

They played 26 games before tonight. Rondon had pitched in 9 of them. Closers tend to be more effective the more they pitch. Go to bed, Steve.

Fun stat: Cubs run differential is more than the Yankees have scored all year.

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

While discussing tomorrow's pitching matchup, Todd Hollandsworth just told me that both John Lackey and Max Scherzer have heavy balls.

That's restaurant quality analysis right there! You've got to admire the man's dedication to his craft to be able to know that kind of info.

I'd like to cut your balls off... so I can weigh them... waddya say...
5 pounds... 6 pounds... 7 pounds?

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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

Joe is probably calling you for your opinion on this. Elmhurst Steve matters for this championship season. Go the fuck away.

Even with Castro!!

That is amazing actually.

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Go Cubs!!!!

He just means that both throw hard with good downward movement on their fastballs. For a guy who is 37 (I believe) Lackey still throws hard and he pounds the strike zone. Scherzer is not off to the outstanding start to the season he was last year, but still has an ERA just over 3.5 and will be no picnic. I hope Lackey has another gem like he pitched against the Cardinals a few weeks back. Should be a better day for hitters tomorrow, with a day game in warmer temperatures.

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Go Cubs!!!!

BIG GAME today!

I like Scherzer and think he rises to the occassion and becomes a better pitcher in bigger games.

Lackey, I am far from sold on at this point and I loved the game he threw v St Louis, need to see that more than once every 5 games. Some of his starts have been almost DANKS like and he was the benefit of great run support.

Want to see a really good game from him today...

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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.’”

If they rock Scherzer and Lackey proceeds to shit himself again I'm gonna be pissed.

Scherzer is really good, yet he depends on batters swinging at crap out of the strike zone a lot, which the Cubs don't do as much as many teams. I like Lackey and believe he will give his best in big games such as this. He won the deciding games in World Series clinchers twice and after having a couple duds (even if he won one of them) had that great game VS St. Louis when they needed it. He's going to have a few more duds too guys. But he will have more good ones. He will have an interesting lineup today:

Fowler CF
Heyward RF
Bryant LF
Rizzo 1B
Zobrist 2B
LaStella 3B
Baez SS
Ross C
Lackey P

Baez gives Russell a day off. Russell has been scuffling a bit at bat lately, so a day off might help. I guess LaStella did too well in the #2 spot yesterday, so Maddon has Heyward back in that spot to keep rallies from getting out of control.

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Go Cubs!!!!

The same can be said for Arrieta...not to the degree of Marmol, but nonetheless he gets guys to chase way more than average pitchers. I agree with your point, however, that the Cubs as a whole are more disciplined.

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It's funny, when Schurzer was with Detroit, he didn't seem to go as deep in games. A lot of 6 inning outings. But last year with the Nationals, he went deeper in games regularly. Have to wonder if the added wear and tear will affect him at all this year. Why didn't the Tigers let him go deep more often?

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Go Cubs!!!!

Higher pitch counts...a little too much nibbling early on and guys could work counts on him. He seems more willing to throw ground balls now.

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Lackey has had a lot of early leads and pitched to contact.. I trust him, he's up to the task.

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Good explanation for it. I was not crazy about the Cubs signing him, only because I thought of him as a 6 inning guy too often and like the idea of starters going deeper more regularly. Too many 6 inning guys and the bullpen gets taxed pretty quickly.

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Go Cubs!!!!

I'm done with Lackey. This guy is a fuckin bum.

He has learned to trust the defense behind him. Detroit couldn't offer him the same luxury.

Facing a pitcher every 9 hitters doesn't hurt, either.

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Lackey threw 3 great pitches on the black to Rendon, that the ump called balls on twice. Otherwise he's out, but gets extra pitches and eventually homers into a friendly wind. Then he throws what could have been strike 3 to Zimmerman, but has it called a ball before striking him out swinging. Not bitching as long as the balls and strikes are called evenly. Just means with the weather warmer and the wind blowing out, there should be a few runs scored with blue squeezing the plate like Mr Whipple squeezed the Charmin.

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Go Cubs!!!!

No. You're bitching like the cuckold bitch that you are.

I'm hip to that.

As Terry Boers would say, "You're stepping on my comedy bits."

Not bitching at all, ya lil Caller Bob. Just pointing out that the pitch track showed a number of pitches that appeared to be strikes, were called balls by the umpire. So this could turn out to be a high scoring game with hitters getting extra pitches to swing at. Try to stay out of jail so you can continue to watch the Cubs dominate.

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Go Cubs!!!!

Dude, stop bitching and whining.

Is that all you do around here?

That's your boy Baez, the next Alex Gonzalez..can't hit for shit n chokes with the leather when it really counts..

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Fuckin Baez leaving his feet to make a shit throw when he had time to plant his feet and then fuckhead Lackey throws Scherzer a fastball down the middle. Fuck.

Not sure why Baez rushed his throw. That cost them a run. Not sure why Lackey just threw a center cut fastball to Schurzer either. But I don't think 2 runs are going to win this one.

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Go Cubs!!!!

Little Tommy LaStella!

Lastella doing his thing but its hard to get excited when you know Lackey is going to give up at least 3 more.

The umpire is consistent. he squeezed Schurzer on a couple pitches to Zobrist that resulted in Babe LaStella's shot being a 2 run homer, rather than a solo shot. He's giving pitchers the black on the 3rd base side more, but not on the first base side. But he's consistent.

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Go Cubs!!!!

Best game day poster on the board.