GDT 9/19/15-Cardinals (Wacha) @ Cubs (Wood) 12:05 CDT

[Vidor]

I don't find it to be an overreaction to believe the Cubs have surpassed the Cardinals...even if they do get Grichuk/Holliday back. The Cubs have a more dynamic lineup and if the starting pitching falters or if they need a bullpen game they STILL win. They are 40-21 since the ASB despite Jason Hammel, Kyle Hendricks and Daren Haren posting 5.43, 5.29 and 5.00 ERAs respectively. Jake Arrieta has a 0.95 ERA in the 2nd half and there are only 2 pitchers in the NL who are on his level. Both play in LA. The Cubs sat Fowler, Schwarber, Coghlan and Russell today and still pounded Wacha.

The Cards simply can't match the Cubs lineup depth and the offense is so feeble they can't even get the job done against Wood or Cahill. I would love to believe this is a mirage...but I don't see it.

Jesus. Some of you people desperately need to take a mood-altering substance and maybe step away from baseball for a day or two.

[go birds]

maybe you should just pass us whatever youre smoking

[boops]

I'm not sure that it's fair to imply that the assertion that the Cardinals are playing bad baseball right now is a knee-jerk reaction.

[Cheddar Tom]

I don't find it to be an overreaction to believe the Cubs have surpassed the Cardinals...even if they do get Grichuk/Holliday back. The Cubs have a more dynamic lineup and if the starting pitching falters or if they need a bullpen game they STILL win. They are 40-21 since the ASB despite Jason Hammel, Kyle Hendricks and Daren Haren posting 5.43, 5.29 and 5.00 ERAs respectively. Jake Arrieta has a 0.95 ERA in the 2nd half and there are only 2 pitchers in the NL who are on his level. Both play in LA. The Cubs sat Fowler, Schwarber, Coghlan and Russell today and still pounded Wacha.

The Cards simply can't match the Cubs lineup depth and the offense is so feeble they can't even get the job done against Wood or Cahill. I would love to believe this is a mirage...but I don't see it.

Jesus. Some of you people desperately need to take a mood-altering substance and maybe step away from baseball for a day or two.

I don't understand what you're taking umbrage with here....did I misstate anything?

[AWvsCBsteeeerike3]

maybe you should just pass us whatever youre smoking

Oxygen

[AWvsCBsteeeerike3]

I'm not sure that it's fair to imply that the assertion that the Cardinals are playing bad baseball right now is a knee-jerk reaction.

Bad? Meh. Not as urgent? Sure. The two clubs are in different positions.

[AWvsCBsteeeerike3]

I don't find it to be an overreaction to believe the Cubs have surpassed the Cardinals...even if they do get Grichuk/Holliday back. The Cubs have a more dynamic lineup and if the starting pitching falters or if they need a bullpen game they STILL win. They are 40-21 since the ASB despite Jason Hammel, Kyle Hendricks and Daren Haren posting 5.43, 5.29 and 5.00 ERAs respectively. Jake Arrieta has a 0.95 ERA in the 2nd half and there are only 2 pitchers in the NL who are on his level. Both play in LA. The Cubs sat Fowler, Schwarber, Coghlan and Russell today and still pounded Wacha.

The Cards simply can't match the Cubs lineup depth and the offense is so feeble they can't even get the job done against Wood or Cahill. I would love to believe this is a mirage...but I don't see it.

Jesus. Some of you people desperately need to take a mood-altering substance and maybe step away from baseball for a day or two.

I don't understand what you're taking umbrage with here....did I misstate anything?

Taking a single game and taking significant information from it. That's half the post. The part about talking about how bad the Cubs starters are is legit as is how they have a deep lineup. Somehow you take that info and then add that if the cardinals get two of their better hitters back the Cubs are better than the cardinals which any baseball fan with a modicum of knowledge would find to be odd

[Magneto2.0]

Cubs are 40-21 since the all star break
Cardinals are 36-22 since the all star break, and that's with going on a 1-9 fall.

I think sometimes you guys have a tendacy to underrate the Cardinals and overrate other teams. It could be because you see the Cards every day, but the romanticizing of teams that are 5 games behind us is a bit ridiculous.

[Cronos]

I think sometimes you guys have a tendacy to underrate the Cardinals and overrate other teams. It could be because you see the Cards every day, but the romanticizing of teams that are 5 games behind us is a bit ridiculous.

+++

[Cheddar Tom]

Taking a single game and taking significant information from it. That's half the post.

No, it's the sum of a 35-14 run that the Cubs are on. They are averaging 5 runs per game in the 2nd half and hit about 1.5 homers per game. On any given day their lineup has the following wRC+ numbers: 149, 140, 135, 115, 114, 110. They've demonstrated an ability to overcome the soft spots in their rotation and bullpen. Yes, I mentioned today's game as an example of how good they are by being able to sit a bunch of good hitters and still win. I find it relevant that they've blown Wacha up twice in the past 2 weeks.

Somehow you take that info and then add that if the cardinals get two of their better hitters back the Cubs are better than the cardinals which any baseball fan with a modicum of knowledge would find to be odd

That's because Matt Holliday has 38 plate appearances in the past 3 months and Randal Grichuk 8 plate appearances in the last 5 weeks. He also might not be able to actually play the field. I guess if you're assuming Holliday and Grichuk return in peak form then the gap closes, but the Cubs still have the superior lineup.