Game of the Week: August 1: COL @ CHC

[Commissioner Erick]

Colorado Rockies (52-46) @ Chicago Cubs (50-49)

COL: Jon Gray (8-5, 4.50)
CHC: Kyle Hendricks (5-4, 4.57)


The Colorado Rockies and Chicago Cubs have been two of the more disappointing teams this season, with Colorado spending most of the year hovering just around .500, and Chicago undergoing a 13-game losing streak to bring them down into the NL Central muck. The Rockies have played better of late, and a strong second half can see them turn a successful season by making the playoffs. The Cubs have also turned things around recently with a sweep of the Philadelphia Phillies cleaning away the stench of the two-week losing streak and reminding the league they can be a postseason terror. The winner of this series will continue to be on the come, while the loser will be back, mired in disappointment.


Players to Watch:


Rockies:


CL—Greg Holland:

Holland is having his third straight wonderful season. His 2.27 ERA is the lowest of his career and he's on pace for his third straight year with an ERA under 3.00. He's allowed five home runs for the year, which is the worst rate of his career. It's why he's only 1-6. However, he's throwing more strikes, finishing at bats earlier, and allowing his defense to make plays. It feels like something has to give. His BABIP is easily the best mark of his career, as is his walk rate, while his strikeout rate is the second worst of his career. He has a 4.00 FIP. Either he'll start striking people out, or his ERA will begin to rise. Nonetheless, Holland is extremely comfortable late in games. His career .90% save percentage is fifth all-time, his 166 saves is second, and his 26 saves this year (in 27 attempts) leads the National League.


1B—Brandon Boissiere:

Boissiere has struggled mightily in his major league debut. He's hitting 2-16 with no extra base hits, though he has a sterling walk-to-strikeout ratio, with three walks and two strikeouts. Boissiere is being eased in to being a major leaguer, and is only playing against righties, but he'll need to play a little bit better. He's slated to start this game on the bench as Jedd Gyorko is 5-11 lifetime off Kyle Hendricks with a pair of home runs. In theory, Boissiere gives Colorado a player who can make contact and draw walks, an issue for a team struggling with getting runners in from third with less than two outs. He hit .301 in Triple A this year, but the big leagues are very different than the Pacific Coast League.


LF—Corey Dickerson:

Colorado has been healthier this season than prior years, their team is very left-handed, and Raimel Tapia has broken out. All these have conspired to limit Corey Dickerson's playing time as he has just 114 plate appearances. Dickerson has spent the past few years striking out a ton, not getting many walks, and hitting for good power. This year he has just one home run and a .190 average. He's frustrated with his lack of playing time, and letting it affect him at the plate. He'll get the day off against Hendricks.


Cubs:


SP—Kyle Hendricks:

Hendricks is one of the most extreme pitchers you'll ever see. He still never walks anyone, doesn't strike people out much, and keeps the ball on the ground. This year, his strikeout rate is his best since 2017, but he's allowed the highest home run rate since that year as well. This is despite having his best ground ball rate of his career. The home runs are obviously an issue, as he gave up three in 3 innings in Cincinnati his last time out. At least he's been much better at home than on the road. He's allowed six home runs in 54 innings at home this year, but nine in 48 road innings. Being home should allow the fly balls to stay in the park, allowing Hendricks to leverage his ability to dominate the strike zone. He's allowed just six walks at home to 45 strikeouts, a reason why his home ERA is 3.33. Even a heavyweight offense like Washington's couldn't top more than a single run off Hendricks in Wrigley Field, which gives Cubs fans confidence taking on a potent offense in Colorado's.


RP—Zach Britton:

This season was Britton's first where he didn't make an All-Star Game, and it feels like a mistake. He has 20 saves and a 2.17 ERA, and has allowed just two home runs. The strikeout numbers aren't as extreme as in prior years, but he never allows home runs, yielding just two this season. Between Hendricks and Britton, the Rockies will likely need to win an honest game based on how well they do with balls-in-play.


SS—Francisco Lindor:

Lindor had another All-Star season, as he now has been an All-Star each year of his PBA career. However, Lindor was a player who hit at least 28 home runs each year from 2018-2021, with a 41-homer 2020 leading to a second-place MVP finish and over 11 WAR. This year, he has just 11 home runs, and the lack of average has dropped him from an MVP-caliber player to an All-Star. Lindor also was a player with at least a 12 zone rating, with numbers over 20 the past three years. This season, he's at +4.5, certainly good, but not spectacular. This isn't a knock on Lindor as he's still a tremendous player. However, as the Cubs' supporting cast has eroded a little bit, Lindor hasn't been transcendent enough to lift them out of the doldrums.


TRIVIA: Among pitchers with 20 saves All-Time, who is first in save-percentage?

[Commissioner Erick]

Cubs 10 - Rockies 8

WP: K. Kendricks (6-4)
LP: J. Gray (8-6)
SV: Z. Britton (21)

Both the Chicago Cubs and Colorado Rockies were playing good baseball entering tonight's Game of the Week, but Kyle Hendricks ended up slowing down Colorado's potent offense. Over 6.1 innings, Hendricks didn't allow an extra base hit or a walk, striking out eight. The middle of Chicago's order each drove in three runs, as Chicago, aside from a ninth inning let-up, thoroughly outclassed Colorado in a key win.


How They Played:


Rockies


CL—Greg Holland: DNP

With Colorado down big, Holland didn't get into the game. He had a chance to rest up before getting into several tight situations later in the week.

Holland had only blown one save this season, but this week was a meltdown for him. On Tuesday, he allowed two walks and three hits in the ninth inning, needing to come up with a pair of strikeouts with the bases loaded to escape without a loss. Colorado rallied to win, but the Rockies weren't so lucky in Holland's next appearance. Holland pitched on Thursday, entering a tie game in St. Louis in the 10th inning. He promptly walked four batters to lose the game. With two days off, he pitched on Sunday allowing a hit, but completing an inning for a save. The one week brought his walk numbers up to career norms, and made his underlying metrics look far more concerning.


1B—Brandon Boissiere: 0-0, 1 R, 1 BB

Boissiere pinch hit in the ninth inning of a blowout, and ended up drawing a walk and scoring a run. Colorado continues to need hitters to draw walks, and Boissiere showed off an ability to not get himself out.

Boissiere was frigid coming into the week, but he showed signs of thawing out. He batted .227 with three doubles and his first RBI of his career. Pitchers busted him with strikes out so he didn't draw a walk outside of the ninth inning on Monday. Should pitchers pound the strike zone, he'll need to do more than hit .227 or for a .364 slugging mark to make them pay, especially as a first baseman. Defensively, he committed an error on the first pitch of the game on Friday. With Kevin Horney not the most resolute pitcher, four runs ended up scoring. Boissiere had never played first base until several months ago, so growing pains are expected, but those pains may have already cost the Rockies a win.


LF—Corey Dickerson: DNP

Dickerson didn't play against Chicago as Colorado's starting corner outfielder's combined to go 2-9.

Dickerson did play three times during the week and looked great. He went 5-12 with two doubles and a home run. He scored four times as well. GM Erick Blasco has stated that he'd like to continue to get Dickerson's bat in the lineup, and it would help if Dickerson heated up at the plate. With Raimel Tapia hitting over .300 and Carlos Gonzalez hitting for power, Dickerson has to work to get himself in a position to show he's worthy of more playing time.


Cubs:


SP—Kyle Hendricks: 6.1 IP, 2 R, 8 H, 0 BB, 8 K (W)

Hendricks had a vintage performance in slowing down the red-hot Rockies. He didn't walk anybody, didn't allow a home run, didn't allow an extra base hit, got eight ground outs to pair with eight strikeouts, and consistently frustrated an offense that led the league in home runs. Colorado knew his stuff was dancing early, so they stole three bases over the first four innings, with David Dahl stealing second and third for the first run off Hendricks. They needed to do that because he allowed only two hits through 5 innings. Colorado strung four hits together in the sixth to bring in a second run, but Hendricks forced Colorado to go the hard way to put together offense, gambling that they wouldn't have success trying to string together singles. He was right. The most impressive element of Hendricks' game was how he dominated Colorado's right-handers, as they went 0-10 off him with six strikeouts and a sacrifice fly. The contest was also another data point indicating how much better Hendricks has been at home versus the road.

His other start was a little bumpier, but just as effective. He walked three in Milwaukee, forcing him to jack up his pitch count and leave after 5 innings. However, he struck out five and allowed just one extra base hit, allowing him to work a shutout through those 5 frames. It's been a good August thus far after ending July on a sour note.


RP—Zach Britton: 0.1 IP, 0 R (SV)

It didn't look like Britton would get into the game when the Cubs entered the ninth inning ahead 10-3. However, after five runs came in, Britton was brought on to face Carlos Gonzalez, popping him up to earn his 21st save.

Britton came on the next day to work 2 innings in extra innings. He was shaky, allowing a pair of hits and a pair of walks. However, with two on and one out in the ninth inning, he got Mitch Haniger to ground out. After a walk loaded the bases, he whiffed Corey Dickerson to escape the jam. The following inning, he walked around a one-out hit by striking out two. Even facing a high-powered Colorado lineup, Britton was excellent and lowered his ERA to a sparkling 2.06.


SS—Francisco Lindor: 2-4, 2 R, 1 RBI, 1 2B, 1 K, 1 HBP, 1 E

Lindor had an outstanding offensive performance that showed why he's a perennial All-Star. His hits came in bunches, he was constantly on base, and he hit for some power. He struck out on three pitches to begin the game, but got his revenge by doubling down the left field line in the third. Two batters later, he came around to score the first run of the game. In his worst at bat, Lindor came up with the bases loaded and two outs in the fourth, only for Gray to jam him with a fastball, resulting in a weak line drive easily snagged by Trevor Story. Lindor was plunked by Dinelson Lamet in the sixth, and Lindor scored one of the five runs charged to Lamet that inning. In the seventh, he had an RBI single to make the score 9-2. Defensively, Lindor wasn't great. He made three routine plays, plus ranged to the second base side of the infield on a Charlie Blackmon grounder, resulting in an infield hit. He couldn't snag a potentially playable David Dahl hit up the middle though, and he bobbled a Jasraldo Chisholm grounder in the ninth that allowed Colorado to get back in the game.

The rest of Lindor's week was excellent. He had four multi-hit games in the six he played, hitting .423 with a home run and a steal. Since July 27th, he's hitting 21-51, for an average over .400, with three three-hit games, and seven multi-hit games among the 10 he played. The hot streak resulted in the Cubs winning eight in a row in games Lindor played in. He had a good defensive week as well, gaining 0.3 zone rating over the week. When Lindor plays this well, the Cubs clearly are the class of the National League Central.


TRIVIA: Which shortstop has committed the most errors in PBA History?

[cincyalec]

Evidently NOT Jorge Crespo for the first answer, but Trea Turner is for the second.

[Commissioner Erick]

Nov 13, 2019 18:17:34 GMT -5 cincyalec said:

Evidently NOT Jorge Crespo for the first answer, but Trea Turner is for the second.

Bingo on Turner!

[Commissioner Erick]

TRIVIA 1: Wade Davis