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Cubs get back to 30 under, 59-89
Reds creep towards 500, 7374
POTG: RP Les Walrond (3 IP, H, 6 K – ERA all the way down to 7.59!!!)
Runner Ups: CF Juan Pierre (2 H), 3B A Ram (2B, BB)
The Reds are no fun.
Once again, quick, because I don’t got much to say, and I’m much more torn up about the end of the Cougars season. I’ve accomplished absolutely nothing this night after that score got to 8-0. This season’s been over for four months, so it’s not hitting me as hard.
Tommorow’s Chicago Tribune recap will mention how this felt like a spring training game, and I thought the same thing listening to it; starter goes 3 innings (yet another injury – c’mon, what’s going on?) and everyone who should be in Iowa gets a turn to pitch. Must’ve been one near the end of the season, because the hitting seemed like people were mailing it and just trying to get thru.
This must’ve be Les Walrond’s career peak. Good for him. (Though they were likely mailing it in by that point.)
What else can I say? Mateo can’t stay healthy, Marshall has regressed, Guzman hasn’t put it together, JKR is not even a consideration, Marmol doesn’t have the stamina, O’Malley’s hurt and probably a myth, Prior definitely is hurt and a myth – all we got at this point is Z (who’s thankfully returning on Sunday) and Hill, and there’s no offseason where you can smartly fill three spots in your rotation.
I’ve been thinking, with the way the NL has played out this year, it would not truly take much for the Cubs to jump back in the playoff race next year. I wouldn’t expect for them to be dominate or even especially good, but in a period where you don’t have to be that good to be good enough, it didn’t seem like a big leap. I don’t know now. The upside to all the injuries and the losing is the Cubs would get a chance to see what they had in the minors, and it’s looking like they don’t have much and they’re not getting better.
Not being good is bad, but realizing you have little chance to improve is horrifying.