Game of the Week: May 5: CHC @ LAD

[Commissioner Erick]

Chicago Cubs (20-15) @ Los Angeles Dodgers (19-14)


CHC: Cody Anderson (1-3, 10.04)
LAD: Joey Wentz (0-3, 6.95)


The Chicago Cubs have the worst pitching staff in the National League. They also have the worst defense and the worst team speed. They’re 20-15 and would be in the postseason if the season ended today.

The Chicago Cubs continue their experiment in how one-dimensional a team can be when they face the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Game of the Week.

Chicago has the best offense in baseball. Manny Machado is having an MVP season with a .390 average and 14 home runs. Freddie Freeman is hitting .324 with 12 home runs, having a wonderful campaign. Francisco Lindor is hitting .319 with seven home runs, on pace for a 10-WAR season. Kris Bryant and Gregory Polanco are hitting over .300. It’s a unit firing on all cylinders and a breathtaking offense to behold.

The issue isn’t the run prevention giving it all back.

Chicago is dealing with four projected Starting Pitchers on the IL so far, and two relievers are out of commission. As a result, the team leads the league in runs allowed. Cody Anderson went 11-5 last year for the team and will get the ball tonight. Now 34, Anderson’s not the same pitcher he was last year. His velocity has dropped, and while he’s still hitting the corners, the lack of deception with his delivery has made him very hard to hit. He’s working to a 10.04 ERA thus far, and a 2.15 WHIP.

The back of the bullpen has been good, but the unit isn’t as deep as it was in the past. Zach Britton and Joe Caulder are hurt, contributing to the lack of depth. Rayan Gonzalez, Bonkers Carrizales, and Giovany Gallegos are still strong, but Cletus Draves has an ERA of 6.06, and rookies Bobby Gibson and Jorge Camarillo have been inconsistent in their debuts.

They’ll take on a Dodgers team playing good baseball. Winners of seven of eight, Los Angeles will rely on a newcomer to take the ball tonight. After an inconsistent career with Philadelphia, and a rough three games to start 2024, the Dodgers took a shot and acquired him for Juan Herrera and a 15th Round pick. He’s made a pair of successful starts with the Dodgers though, with a 1.64 ERA in two starts against good offenses in the Twins and Nationals.

The Dodgers offense hasn’t been stelar this year with several key players underperforming. Jeren Kendall is only slugging .409, Luis Urias is batting .241 without a home run, and Willie Calhoun’s .744 OPS is 150 points lower than his 2024 numbers. Some of the offensive problems also have to do with Alex Verdugo having a separated shoulder. Verdugo had 40 home runs and 103 RBIs last year and was off to a good start this year. He could be off the IL as son as today, but Ben may want to give him some time on a rehab assignment.

Either way, the Dodgers should be able to have a good day against Anderson. If they can keep the Cubs from going off, they may be able to win a slugfest.


Questions for the GMs:


For Brandon Hillebrand, your pitching this season has been rough. Do you have any ideas to improve your staff?

You acquired Rafael Jimenez very early in the season. How has he looked to you?

Who will replace Britton on the roster today?

For Ben Vincent, will we see Verdugo today?

Ismael Robles’ first save chance, the first in the post Jansen-era, was a disaster. How have you felt about his performance since then?

The Cubs have a potent offense and a terrible staff. Will that effect the gameplan for today?


TRIVIA: Zach Britton has the lowest ERA of any PBA pitcher with over 500 innings pitched. Which pitcher, with a No-Hitter to his name, has the highest ERA of any pitcher with at least 1000 innings pitched.

[Ben_Dodgers]

I'm going to let Verdugo get a few at bats in rehab before we bring him back. As for Robles, while that opening day game was disappointing, I'm satisfied with his performance since then. I've been grooming him for this job for a couple years now, and it may just be the spotlight got to him a bit - he certainly has the ability to be a shut down closer. Of course, the great thing about this bullpen is there are several guys who could step into that role.

It's funny you called out Kendall and Calhoun. Both are notoriously slow starters. I'm pretty happy to be facing the Cubs pitching staff right now - I think this could be a great chance for them to get hot right as the weather starts to warm up. Other than that, we'll just try to keep those fly balls inside the fences and things should work out ok.

[Commissioner Erick]

Dodgers 7 - Cubs 3


WP: J. Wentz (1-1)
LP: C. Anderson (1-4)

Los Angeles picked up a win at Dodger Stadium, bumping off the Chicago Cubs, 7-3. Pitcher Joey Wentz was a major reason the Dodgers emerged victorious. Wentz went 6.1 innings to notch the win. He scattered 6 hits, walked 1, and struck out 9. His record improves to 1-1. The win gives Los Angeles a season record of 20-14.

In the bottom of the first, Nomar Mazara hit a 2-run home run. The 10th home run of the season for the Los Angeles right fielder put the Dodgers on top, 2-0.

"Good pitching stops good hitting," said Wentz. "And vice-versa."


Questions for the GMs:


For Brandon Hillebrand, another terrible outing for Cody Anderson. How long is he for the rotation?

Drew Lugbauer homered for you. What have you seen from him as a backup catcher?

Joe Long made his debut in the game. What did you see from him in relief?

For Ben Vincent, Joey Wentz was absolutely dominant for you. What has been your secret to unlocking him after an up-and-down career in Philadelphia?

Luis Urias went 0-3 in the game. Are you concerned with the lack of production he's given you this far?

Simon Muzziotti started in Left Field and went 0-4. Luke Raley pinch hit with a single. How will their playing time shake out when Verdugo comes back?


TRIVIA: Who has the most wins in Dodgers history?

[Commissioner Erick]

Ben correctly guessed Kershaw

[Ben_Dodgers]

For Ben Vincent, Joey Wentz was absolutely dominant for you. What has been your secret to unlocking him after an up-and-down career in Philadelphia?

Jeren Kendall. Pairing an extreme fly ball pitcher with the best defensive center fielder in the history of the league just makes sense to me. I'm kidding, but only a little. The bigger parks in the NL West should definitely play better for Wentz. I'm thrilled with his performance so far, but I don't think it's sustainable. We're looking at a pretty small sample size. Notably his xFIP is 3.48 - which I'd still be very happy with. I can understand why Matt was frustrated - Wentz had a ridiculous 23.8% ground ball rate in Philly this year, gave up 5 HR and 15 ER in 11 IP. So far he's average 1 HR per 12 IP in LA, which we can deal with. The fact that Wentz hasn't even hit arbitration yet is huge, and I feel like I got him for a steal.

Luis Urias went 0-3 in the game. Are you concerned with the lack of production he's given you this far?

Yes, I'm concerned. He won a platinum stick last year, and I expected more than what he's given us so far this year. His defense was already a liability, so he needs to hit. I may be looking to make a trade. He's got a big contract which makes him hard to move, but I can retain long-tern money to make that more attractive to other teams.

Simon Muzziotti started in Left Field and went 0-4. Luke Raley pinch hit with a single. How will their playing time shake out when Verdugo comes back?

They'll be riding the bench until someone gets hurt or needs a breather. Raley's a better hitter, but Muzziotti is the only one I trust to play CF if Kendall is out, and he's a good pinch runner. I don't really have a need for both of them and am certainly open to trading Raley.

Oh, I also just want to point out that after last week Kendall is on a hot streak