Say what you will about the past – I sure have – but the Cubs are making things interesting (for a change).
(cue Yeti)
The Cubs completed their first four-game sweep of the Braves since August 1968. This was their fourth four-game sweep of the year, their most since 1945.
Chicago improved to a season-high 20 games over .500 and is 13-3 in its last 16 games.
Fire Ryan Poles | Fire Matt Eberflus 
August 23, 2015 at 6:11 pm
Detroit bitch-slapped them 2 days in a row, but they came back strong. I don’t recall seeing that kind of fight/energy in recent years. Joe Maddon isn’t playing in the games, but he sure has a lot to do with this, in my opinion. Makes the tothpick chomping idiot look even worse than he was….BARF (I just threw up in my mouth).
Honestly, how many of you thought the Cubs would be in contention for a wild-card spot at this “time of the season”?
August 23, 2015 at 6:53 pm
This offense is loaded. Now that Castro got benched, there isn’t an easy out in that lineup excluding the pitcher. Even when the hitters aren’t getting hits/walks, they’re taking a lot of pitches, something that previous teams never did.
I thought they might be “within” contention at that point, say, 5-7 games back of the 2nd spot. But 71-51 (better record than most division leaders)? They’re way ahead of schedule.
August 23, 2015 at 7:20 pm
Next six: road trip to LA and Frisco, then home for the Reds and the D-Backs. After that, the road trip from hell: Cards/Phillies/Pirates.
Keep playing with the house money, Cubs…daddy needs a pennant race!!!
August 24, 2015 at 8:49 am
The only thing that bothers me is Jon Lester. The only place he can throw the ball is home plate, and he has been way too inconsistent in doing that for my taste. Adding to this is his stupid need for “his personal catcher”, and you have a guy earning barely a fraction of the $155 mil he’s signed to. The biggest problem the Cubs have when he pitches is that their lineup is reduced to 7 batters because this asshole and his catcher can’t fucking hit. He needs to be pretty much lights out, or the Cubs are really screwed. I really wish they hadn’t signed him. And I REALLY can’t believe all the stupid, ignorant goddamned idiots who think Lester should pitch in the one wild card game to get into the playoffs, just because he’s “experienced. HEEEEEELLLLLLOOOOO MCFLY!!!!!!! ANYBODY IN THERE?!?!?!? Jake Arietta is THE only choice you dumb fucking retards!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If your head wasn’t buried so far up your fucking ass you’d know that too.
That rant was aimed mostly at idiots like Bruce Levine and Mike Mulligan, two assholes who really need to just shut the fuck up.
August 24, 2015 at 3:39 pm
Not a good fucking 9th. That HBP was bullshit-ball hit dirt before it hit batter. Then Lester unwilling (because unable) to field his position gives up an out. Pitched a great game, but unable to get that third out forces Rondon to pitch instead of getting a day off. Hope this game is over quick. Long flight tonight.
August 24, 2015 at 3:48 pm
That’s what I’m talking about!! Hope the Cubs can win big tomorrow and get Rondon that day off back.
August 24, 2015 at 4:29 pm
Analysts and experts use the “experience’ card as a way to sound intelligent. It sounds good in theory, however, you can just as easily twist the argument and say that young & inexperienced players are so naive and don’t understand what they’re getting into, meaning they’ll play looser than the grizzled veterans.
How many times did the 90s and 00s Braves have the experience cliche backing them up? They only won one world title…’95.
I could sit here and cite several examples of less experienced playoff teams who won titles in different leagues. Golden State for one.
The guy who pitches that wild card game will be the best pitcher who’s available on that day and who matches up against the Pirates or maybe Cardinals. You don’t take Lester > Arrieta just because of “experience.”
August 25, 2015 at 3:26 pm
Nice.