How does that sound? Pretty good, right? I agree and yes, they are now 8-2 since the All-Star break...Aramis is REALLY back and Soriano is starting to hit too...Harden looked good again and how about doing so at home and during a day game? Fukudome is doing very well from the lead-off spot although he's not exactly your prototypical lead-off hitter as he won't steal you a base although he certainly does the job getting on base which is more important now that Aramis is here.
Unfortunately, the injury bug has bit the North Siders again. While Dempster is supposed to come off the DL and pitch this week, Ted Lilly (the Cubs lone All-Star rep) was placed on the DL yesterday. Soto is still on the DL keeping the pressure on Koyie Hill to perform every day. I think today was the 14th straight Hill has started and he has done well defensively, but is struggling with a .200 BA. And the latest is D-Lee and his back spasms although a DL stint is not supposed to be forthcoming for him. Jake Fox stepped in today and went 1-5 with an RBI although he hit two more balls to the warning track as well. The guy can flat out hit, but with D-Lee hitting the way he has been, I'd rather leave Fox on the bench unless he's spelling Aramis at 3B or playing RF for Bradley.
The good news is that the farm hands have REALLY done the job. That includes Hill, Kevin Hart, Sam Fuld, Jake Fox, Jeff Samardzija, Andres Blanco, and of course Randy Wells. They have each done their part to keep this team afloat while we all await the return of the big guys.
Bradley continues NOT to drive in any runs although he's getting on base with some serious regularity. He went 1-2 today with 2 walks and 2 runs scored including scoring from 1st on Aramis' double to the LF corner that finished with a very nice slide to avoid the tag. Other than the lost balls in the sun and the one he threw into the stands with only 2 outs, he has done more than just a solid job in arguably the toughest RF in baseball. He's got a ridiculous .465 OBA in July and I say ridiculous in a good way and it's also kind of nuts too since he's only hitting .269 for the month which means he is walking 20% of the time...crazy! So what I still don't get is why Lou has him batting 5th which is typically an RBI spot. He's got 23 RBIs on the year and only 6 in July. I love Theriot at the top of the lineup, but considering he has more than 50% more RBIs with 37 than Bradley, shouldn't Bradley be hitting #2? I've been against the signing of Bradley from the beginning, but he's here and he is what he is...why not embrace it and go with it? He has averaged only 50 RBIs per year over his career so you just can't leave him in the #5 spot. Why not put Soriano there since he's starting to get hot and you need someone to protect Aramis when Lee gets back in the lineup? I know it sounds a little goofy, but what about this lineup once everyone is back and healthy?
1-Fukudome
2-Bradley
3-Lee
4-Aramis
5-Soriano
6-Soto
7-Fontenot
8-Theriot
I was at today's game; well, I was not officially at the game, but I was on a rooftop for the first time ever which was pretty cool. I have now attended 5 games this season including today and Fri afternoon's W against the Reds. The Cubs are 5-0 in my visits and I have tickets for 4 more games yet this season. I am thrilled they have made it to 1st place which is where we all thought they should be anyway. But the pessimist in me is trying to keep it in perspective. Yes, they are now 8-2 since the All-Star break, but they are 7-0 against the Nats who are the worst team/organization in baseball and Dusty's ultra-struggling Reds while going a fairly respectable 1-2 against the Phils who do have the best home record in the NL. Let's see how they do against the surging Astros in this week's 4-game set. The Cards host the NL-best Dodgers so both teams will have some solid tests this week.
I do not think the aforementioned lineup is goofy at all, especially considering Bradley's success getting on base. I agree move him [Bradley] out of the middle of the line up and please never put Soriano near the top of the line up.
ReplyDeleteStarting two rookie pitchers over the next month is a concern, it's not too late to trade for pitching. Hopefully Dempster pitches well upon his return Tuesday.
Unfortunately, you are not the one that puts the lineup together. I guess "goofy" was not the right word to use. How about unconventional? I just don't think Lou would ever do it this way. Why do I think that? Well because here we are finishing up the 4th month of the season and what seems semi-obvious to you and I just hasn't been tried by Lou.
ReplyDeleteI agree having two rookies in the rotation is a little disconcerting but with the way Randy Wells has handled things, I guess I don't really think of him as a rookie even though he most certainly is. The other thing is that I have resigned myself to the fact that the Cubs will NOT be a player in the trade deadline deals because of their ownership situation. That really stinks because you're right that getting another solid starter (I am not even talking about Doc Halladay) could be a nice piece to add right now. Lilly is going to be on the DL for quite some time and Dempster is just coming off the DL after a broken toe on his push-off foot. I know it sounds silly, but toes are tough because there really isn't much you can do about them and if he starts adjusting his mechanics to avoid the pain, he could really hurt himself.
Friday is the trade deadline so we'll know more then. I primarily just hope the Cards don't add any more pieces and then I'll view it as a win for the Cubs.