AP Photo/Matt Freed

The Rundown: Cubs Reach .500 After Pillaging Pirates, Smith Earns First Promotion, PCA Stays Hot, White Sox Hit 100 Losses

Photo of Michael Canter Michael CanterAugust 27, 2024

“Seasons change, the sun’s still shining in the sky…” – Entrain, Mother Street

The Cubs did a little swashbuckling and pillaging in beating the Pirates 18-8 last night, going 10-for-24 (.417) with runners in scoring position while stealing eight bases. To that you may ask, “Where has this team been all season?” I’m with you. Pittsburgh still has talent in spite of their record, though they couldn’t keep Chicago from running amok in a relentless display of high-octane baseball.

The win was nice but did nothing to move the needle in this year’s race to the postseason. The Cubs remain 5.5 games behind the Braves for the final Wild Card entry, and the Brewers are far enough ahead in the NL Central to run on cruise control. Chicago enters the final month of the season playing for little more than pride and a decent chance to best last year’s 83-79 record.

Despite the big win, the underachieving Cubs remain a disappointment in what should have been a much better season. We can saddle the blame on Jed Hoyer, Craig Counsell, or the players themselves, but all deserve failing grades. The one guy you can’t blame is Tom Ricketts, who gave Hoyer around $230 million to build a team that remains chained to playing .500 baseball. With its bloated payroll, the Cubs are no better today than when they left Arizona for Texas on March 30.

The good news is that they play a bunch of patsies to close out the 2024 season. Then again, aren’t Chicago’s North Side Baseballers of similar ilk? I don’t think any team is terrified at the prospect of playing Chicago right now, nor should they be. Recency bias suggests the Cubs will continue to hover around the .500 mark no matter who they play. They were 18-12 at the end of April, but just 31-31 on June 5 and took 68 games to get even again. They’re the Phil Niekro of MLB franchises. The knuckleballing righty famously finished 21-20 in 1979 while pitching for the Braves.

Still, last night’s game proved how good the Cubs are when everything’s clicking. I’d love to see Counsell let them continue to run with reckless abandon. Pressure baseball has become a lost art, but these Cubs have the speed and baserunning chops to continually take extra bags. I have no way of knowing if that will make them a better team, but they’ll be a lot more fun to watch.

Cubs News & Notes

Odds & Sods

Patrick Wisdom was victimized by an umpire who just wanted his night to be over.

Ball Four

We’re nearing September and it’s time to pay more attention to Cody Bellinger. His two opt-outs might have soured teams willing to acquire the 29-year-old at the deadline, and his upcoming decision will frame Jed Hoyer’s plans this winter and next. Despite what is perceived to be a down year, Bellinger remains an above-average hitter (.761 OPS) in a game that has become much more pitcher-friendly. He has strong contact skills, a good approach, and still plays excellent defense. That said, those attributes shouldn’t prevent the team from pursuing a middle-of-the-order banger come November.

Bellinger is playing right field now because he’s a better defender than Seiya Suzuki. He’s also slashing .283/.333/.822 with four home runs and 17 RBI since the deadline, just off the pace of his resurgent 2023 season. The current rumor is that Owen Caissie will be called up as soon as next week with Iowa out of the playoff race. Keep an eye on how much playing time the rookie gets because it could be a strong indicator of Hoyer’s plans. The looming offseason should be interesting, especially if the front office believes Caissie, Shaw, James Triantos, Moises Ballesteros, and Kevin Alcántara are ready for consistent MLB at-bats.

Hoyer has been champing at the bit to seek trade acquisitions rather than spend in free agency. He’s positioned nicely to initiate that strategy this winter.

Central Intelligence

  • Milwaukee (75-55): Pat Murphy should get strong consideration for this year’s NL Manager of the Year Award unless the Brewers somehow manage to give up a 10-game lead with 32 tilts remaining.
  • St. Louis (65-66): Willson Contreras will miss three weeks or more with a fractured finger, but the Cardinals are a better team statistically when the veteran backstop is not in the lineup. They are 37-47 (.440) this year when Contreras has played and 27-18 (.600) in the 45 games he’s missed, a sizeable swing no doubt.
  • Cincinnati (63-68): Casey Kelly is now pitching for the Reds after spending 5+ years playing in Korea.
  • Pittsburgh (62-69): The Pirates intend to move 6-foot-7 shortstop Oneil Cruz to center field.

Let’s Play Three Today!

The Cubs have a relatively weak September schedule so let’s pretend they will win 18 of their next 24 contests, leaving them 84-72 with six games remaining. Would that give them a path to the playoffs?

  1. The Braves are 71-60, so they’d need to go 14-11 to fend off Chicago.
  2. The Padres are 75-58, which means 10 wins in 24 games would keep them ahead of the Cubs.
  3. The dreaded Diamondbacks are one game ahead of San Diego, so they could stay ahead of Chicago even if they lose 15 of 24.
  4. The Cubs are 10 games behind the Brewers for the NL Central lead so forget about that. Milwaukeeans are already counting down the team’s magic number, which is 23 if you are keeping score at home.

Alas, it seems Chicago’s North Side Baseballers dug too deep a hole to climb out of and back into the postseason race.

How About That!

Brenna Swindell, daughter of former MLB pitcher Greg Swindell, has been found after disappearing with her ex-boyfriend in Austin, TX last week.

Catcher Danny Jansen became the first player to ever play for both teams in the same game as the Blue Jays and Red Sox resumed their rain-delayed game from June 26.

The White Sox lost their 100th game of the season, making them the fastest to do so since the 1916 Philadelphia Athletics.

The impending free agency battle for superstar outfielder Juan Soto could come down to the Yankees and Mets.

Orioles switch-hitting outfielder Anthony Santander — who will also be a free agent this winter — has quietly amassed 38 home runs so far this season.

The Royals pulled to within one game of the Guardians after sweeping Cleveland in a Monday doubleheader.

Ex-Cub Javier Báez is having season-ending hip surgery next week, according to Tigers manager A.J. Hinch.

Extra Innings

PCA is starting to catch up to big-league pitching. He’s going to face adjustments, but he’s also going to be fun to watch. The rookie has 22 hits in his last 71 (.310) at-bats with four homers, 11 RBI, and six stolen bases.

Apropos of Nothing

I’ll be attending the Cubs-Yankees game on September 6. That will mark my first game at Wrigley Field since the 2022 home opener.

They Said It

  • “In Pete’s case, a lot of it comes from his preparation and his consistency in his preparation. It makes going home at night easier — your consistency and prep — when you don’t have good nights. Ultimately, I think that’s where confidence comes from. Of course, you get it from a good game. But the thing that happens every day is that consistency and preparation. I think Pete’s in a really good place and a really good track with that. I didn’t think this would be something he could be good at as quickly as he is. He’s done a really good job with it.” – Counsell
  • “It’s fun right now to watch Iowa. We have a lot of players that I think are getting close to the big leagues.” – Hoyer
  • “You can tell [Smith] just wants to be great. He’s an 80-grade makeup.” – Justin Stone

Tuesday Walk-Up Song

I’ve recently become a big fan of J.J. Grey & Mofro.

Photo of Michael Canter Michael CanterAugust 27, 2024
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