The Cubs don’t really play baseball games anymore. They’re more like life experiences.
If you’ve ever seen Reservoir Dogs, you’ll know that at the end of the movie only Steve Buscemi survives (I don’t feel bad about spoiling the plot because it came out 25 years ago). I bring it up because the starting pitchers—Jon Lester and Scott Feldman—barely made it past the opening credits in Thursday’s showdown between the Cubs and Reds at Wrigley Field.
It’s hard to say who had the weirder day, but I’ll wager it was Lester. The veteran left-hander finished runner-up to Max Scherzer in last year’s NL Cy Young voting but you wouldn’t have guessed it from looking at Thursday’s box score. For a pitcher of Lester’s elite pedigree, the 33-year-old has been exceptionally meltdown-prone this season. Somehow, he had an even uglier blowup against Pittsburgh last month (2/3 IP, 10 R, 6 H on July 9), though at least that was against a team that’s still hovering around .500. Lester’s latest debacle came at the hands of the cellar-dwelling Reds, who had lost four of their last five heading into Thursday’s action.
After working a perfect opening inning, the wheels fell all the way off for Lester in the second. The damage included a pair of hits from promising rookie Phillip Ervin (more on him later) and a three-run homer by alpha dog Joey Votto. In all, the Reds tagged Lester for nine runs and seven hits including four straight to begin the frame. Cubs manager Joe Maddon decided he had seen enough with two outs in the inning, pulling Lester for long reliever Mike Montgomery.
Often when a pitcher flames out spectacular fashion, it’s because of an injury. And sure enough, Lester showed all the familiar symptoms of a pitcher working at much less than 100 percent. After getting into it with pitching coach Chris Bosio, Lester went to the clubhouse, where he was evaluated and later diagnosed with a strained lat. He visited team physician Dr. Stephen Gryzlo after the game, possibly to undergo an MRI.
The usual recovery window for a strained lat is 4-6 weeks, though it’s difficult to speculate when we don’t yet know the severity of Lester’s injury. If Lester suffered a tear, he could be out up to three months, which would obviously sideline him for the remainder of 2017 including the postseason. Needless to say, plenty will be riding on the results of Lester’s MRI. It’s a safe bet he’ll be placed on the disabled list and swapped out for Montgomery, who has spent the year seesawing between the bullpen and the starting rotation.
While maybe not as pronounced as Lester’s train wreck of an afternoon (give the man credit—when Lester is having an off day, he really leans into it), Feldman wasn’t much better on the other side. He scattered seven hits and six runs over 3 2/3 listless innings before turning things over to the equally ineffective Michael Lorenzen. By the fifth inning. Cincinnati’s nine-run advantage had completely vanished.
The comeback-minded Cubs went about it their usual way—by swinging for the fences. Feldman may as well be a gourmet chef because Thursday’s special was meatballs and plenty of ‘em. Chicago teed off on the overmatched right-hander, burying him for five homers including four in the fourth inning. Kris Bryant, who has struggled to hit for power while nursing a finger injury over the last month, went deep for his 23rd round-tripper of 2017. Bryant’s power stroke seems to be coming back—Thursday’s solo shot was his third homer in five games.
Kyle Schwarber, who has carved a nice space for himself as the NL’s answer to Joey Gallo (in other words, a prestigious home-run hitter who is equally accomplished in the art of striking out), joined the slugfest with a blast of his own. Other participants included Javier Baez, newcomer Alex Avila (filling in for injured backstop Willson Contreras) and rookie Ian Happ, who conked the longest homer of the day (443 feet). Happ went deep twice on Thursday, matching his home run total from the previous 27 games.
Feldman struggled with diminished velocity on Thursday, sitting between 84-86 mph with his fastball. The right-hander has never been known as a hard thrower, but that’s still a noticeable drop-off from the 89.5 mph he’s averaged throughout the year. Feldman hasn’t looked right since coming off the disabled list (10.57 ERA in two starts) and admitted as much after the game. “If it doesn’t get any better, I don’t think I can pitch like that anymore,” said Feldman of his balky knee. “I’m not really feeling too confident about it at the moment.”
That’s an ominous admission and one the Reds would be wise to consider. Unlike the Cubs, who are in the midst of an arduous pennant race (they sit just one game in front of the second-place Brewers in the congested NL Central), Cincinnati’s playoff ship sailed long ago. With that in mind, there’s no reason to run Feldman into the ground. A shutdown seems likely and if the Reds go ahead and pursue that course of action, it could mean the end of Feldman’s tenure in Cincinnati. The 34-year-old is headed for free agency this winter, at which point he’ll either sign on for another stint with the Reds or join his seventh team in as many seasons. Journeyman is a term that gets thrown around liberally but in Feldman’s case, the label actually fits.
The Cubs showed plenty of fight in erasing Cincinnati’s nine-run lead but the Reds had the last laugh, pulling ahead for good on Ervin’s two-run homer in the seventh. That capped a three-hit afternoon for Ervin, who finished a triple shy of the cycle. Raisel Iglesias, who made his bacon as a starter before taking over the closer role last season, collected three strikeouts in a scoreless ninth inning to preserve the Reds’ 13-10 victory. The 27-year-old has been money in save situations, converting 22-of-23 opportunities this year with his lone slip-up coming against the Dodgers (understandable) on June 11.
The Reds, who don’t get a ton of ink around these parts due to their lousy record, will head off to Atlanta for a three-game set against the Braves while the Cubs get ready to host Toronto. Much like that Taco Bell commercial that won’t stop playing, both match-ups center around exes that left on uncomfortable terms. Brandon Phillips—who was traded to his hometown Braves over the winter—was miffed when the Reds gave his No. 4 to Scooter Gennett while Jays catcher Miguel Montero was exiled from Chicago after throwing a teammate (Jake Arrieta) under the bus earlier this year. Awkwarrrrrd.
AL Quick Hits: For the first time in many moons—16 months to be exact—Glen Perkins pitched in a major league game. The oft-injured 34-year-old didn’t have much success in his return—he let up two runs in 1/3 of an inning in the first game of Thursday’s doubleheader with Cleveland. But at least Perkins is finally back where he belongs in Minnesota’s bullpen … Jose Ramirez exited Game 1 of Thursday’s double dip with the Twins after taking a pitch off his right forearm. Luckily his X-rays came back negative. Ramirez should avoid the disabled list, though Erik Gonzalez will travel with the team just in case … Bradley Zimmer finally got a hit, singling off the aforementioned Zimmer in the first game of Thursday’s day/night doubleheader. That ended an 0-for-36 dry spell for the rookie … Aaron Slegers enjoyed a strong debut in Thursday night’s win over Cleveland (6 1/3 IP, 2 H, 2 ER) but it wasn’t all good news for Minnesota. Outfielder Robbie Grossman left the game following a collision with teammate Byron Buxton and was later diagnosed with a broken thumb. He’s expected to miss at least three weeks … The Rays are expected to activate Kevin Kiermaier (hip) Sunday following a two-month absence. Kiermaier struggled mightily during his latest rehab stint, going 1-for-19 over four games for Triple-A Durham … Avisail Garcia was a late scratch due to wrist soreness Thursday against the Rangers. Consider him day-to-day … Last month I named Josh Donaldson as a prime bounce-back candidate for the second half. I wasn’t really going out on a limb, but I wasn’t wrong either. Donaldson launched two homers in Thursday’s win over the Rays (both off All-Star Chris Archer), giving him 11 round-trippers in his last 19 games. Donaldson’s .940 OPS is a tick higher than the .939 OPS he posted during his MVP campaign in 2015 … Carlos Gomez remained out of the Rangers’ lineup on Thursday night. He’s sat out the last four games while dealing with a cyst on his right shoulder … It was a rough night for the White Sox’s pitching staff. First, starter Reynaldo Lopez exited with tightness in his right side. Then his replacement, Chris Beck, also had to leave after being struck in the shoulder by an Adrian Beltre line drive. Lopez will be reevaluated on Friday … Aroldis Chapman threw a bullpen session and also did some running on the field before Thursday’s game against the Mets. He remains day-to-day with hamstring tightness … Starlin Castro is set to begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Friday while Matt Holliday will do the same with High-A Tampa. Castro has been out with a strained hamstring while Holliday has been dealing with a lumbar strain.
NL Quick Hits: One night after being pulled from an appearance against the Red Sox, the Cardinals placed Trevor Rosenthal on the disabled list with posterior elbow inflammation. More will be known on Rosenthal’s status when he gets the results from his MRI. Seung Hwan Oh will be the favorite for ninth-inning work during his absence … Nolan Arenado underwent X-rays Thursday after taking a hard ground ball off his left hand but escaped with only a bruise. That’s the same hand Arenado injured on a hit-by-pitch earlier this week. He’s day-to-day … Stephen Strasburg is expected to return Saturday at San Diego after missing the last three weeks with an elbow impingement. Strasburg pitched well in his only rehab start, delivering five strikeouts over five innings of one-run ball Monday for High-A Potomac … The Nationals placed reliever Ryan Madson on the disabled list Thursday with a sprained finger. The move was backdated to Monday and Madson is hoping to return when first eligible next week. Shawn Kelley (trapezius) was activated in the corresponding move … A strained oblique sent Jose Reyes to the 10-day DL. With Wilmer Flores (ribcage) also banged up, the Mets added some infield depth by calling up Gavin Cecchini and Matt Reynolds from Triple-A Las Vegas … You probably heard that Marlins part-owner Derek Jeter wants to get rid of the home run sculpture at Marlins Park, but apparently it’s staying put. According to Michael Spring of Miami-Dade County cultural affairs, the $2.5 million structure is “permanently installed” and “not moveable.”
If you’ve ever seen Reservoir Dogs, you’ll know that at the end of the movie only Steve Buscemi survives (I don’t feel bad about spoiling the plot because it came out 25 years ago). I bring it up because the starting pitchers—Jon Lester and Scott Feldman—barely made it past the opening credits in Thursday’s showdown between the Cubs and Reds at Wrigley Field.
It’s hard to say who had the weirder day, but I’ll wager it was Lester. The veteran left-hander finished runner-up to Max Scherzer in last year’s NL Cy Young voting but you wouldn’t have guessed it from looking at Thursday’s box score. For a pitcher of Lester’s elite pedigree, the 33-year-old has been exceptionally meltdown-prone this season. Somehow, he had an even uglier blowup against Pittsburgh last month (2/3 IP, 10 R, 6 H on July 9), though at least that was against a team that’s still hovering around .500. Lester’s latest debacle came at the hands of the cellar-dwelling Reds, who had lost four of their last five heading into Thursday’s action.
After working a perfect opening inning, the wheels fell all the way off for Lester in the second. The damage included a pair of hits from promising rookie Phillip Ervin (more on him later) and a three-run homer by alpha dog Joey Votto. In all, the Reds tagged Lester for nine runs and seven hits including four straight to begin the frame. Cubs manager Joe Maddon decided he had seen enough with two outs in the inning, pulling Lester for long reliever Mike Montgomery.
Often when a pitcher flames out spectacular fashion, it’s because of an injury. And sure enough, Lester showed all the familiar symptoms of a pitcher working at much less than 100 percent. After getting into it with pitching coach Chris Bosio, Lester went to the clubhouse, where he was evaluated and later diagnosed with a strained lat. He visited team physician Dr. Stephen Gryzlo after the game, possibly to undergo an MRI.
The usual recovery window for a strained lat is 4-6 weeks, though it’s difficult to speculate when we don’t yet know the severity of Lester’s injury. If Lester suffered a tear, he could be out up to three months, which would obviously sideline him for the remainder of 2017 including the postseason. Needless to say, plenty will be riding on the results of Lester’s MRI. It’s a safe bet he’ll be placed on the disabled list and swapped out for Montgomery, who has spent the year seesawing between the bullpen and the starting rotation.
While maybe not as pronounced as Lester’s train wreck of an afternoon (give the man credit—when Lester is having an off day, he really leans into it), Feldman wasn’t much better on the other side. He scattered seven hits and six runs over 3 2/3 listless innings before turning things over to the equally ineffective Michael Lorenzen. By the fifth inning. Cincinnati’s nine-run advantage had completely vanished.
The comeback-minded Cubs went about it their usual way—by swinging for the fences. Feldman may as well be a gourmet chef because Thursday’s special was meatballs and plenty of ‘em. Chicago teed off on the overmatched right-hander, burying him for five homers including four in the fourth inning. Kris Bryant, who has struggled to hit for power while nursing a finger injury over the last month, went deep for his 23rd round-tripper of 2017. Bryant’s power stroke seems to be coming back—Thursday’s solo shot was his third homer in five games.
Kyle Schwarber, who has carved a nice space for himself as the NL’s answer to Joey Gallo (in other words, a prestigious home-run hitter who is equally accomplished in the art of striking out), joined the slugfest with a blast of his own. Other participants included Javier Baez, newcomer Alex Avila (filling in for injured backstop Willson Contreras) and rookie Ian Happ, who conked the longest homer of the day (443 feet). Happ went deep twice on Thursday, matching his home run total from the previous 27 games.
Feldman struggled with diminished velocity on Thursday, sitting between 84-86 mph with his fastball. The right-hander has never been known as a hard thrower, but that’s still a noticeable drop-off from the 89.5 mph he’s averaged throughout the year. Feldman hasn’t looked right since coming off the disabled list (10.57 ERA in two starts) and admitted as much after the game. “If it doesn’t get any better, I don’t think I can pitch like that anymore,” said Feldman of his balky knee. “I’m not really feeling too confident about it at the moment.”
That’s an ominous admission and one the Reds would be wise to consider. Unlike the Cubs, who are in the midst of an arduous pennant race (they sit just one game in front of the second-place Brewers in the congested NL Central), Cincinnati’s playoff ship sailed long ago. With that in mind, there’s no reason to run Feldman into the ground. A shutdown seems likely and if the Reds go ahead and pursue that course of action, it could mean the end of Feldman’s tenure in Cincinnati. The 34-year-old is headed for free agency this winter, at which point he’ll either sign on for another stint with the Reds or join his seventh team in as many seasons. Journeyman is a term that gets thrown around liberally but in Feldman’s case, the label actually fits.
The Cubs showed plenty of fight in erasing Cincinnati’s nine-run lead but the Reds had the last laugh, pulling ahead for good on Ervin’s two-run homer in the seventh. That capped a three-hit afternoon for Ervin, who finished a triple shy of the cycle. Raisel Iglesias, who made his bacon as a starter before taking over the closer role last season, collected three strikeouts in a scoreless ninth inning to preserve the Reds’ 13-10 victory. The 27-year-old has been money in save situations, converting 22-of-23 opportunities this year with his lone slip-up coming against the Dodgers (understandable) on June 11.
The Reds, who don’t get a ton of ink around these parts due to their lousy record, will head off to Atlanta for a three-game set against the Braves while the Cubs get ready to host Toronto. Much like that Taco Bell commercial that won’t stop playing, both match-ups center around exes that left on uncomfortable terms. Brandon Phillips—who was traded to his hometown Braves over the winter—was miffed when the Reds gave his No. 4 to Scooter Gennett while Jays catcher Miguel Montero was exiled from Chicago after throwing a teammate (Jake Arrieta) under the bus earlier this year. Awkwarrrrrd.
AL Quick Hits: For the first time in many moons—16 months to be exact—Glen Perkins pitched in a major league game. The oft-injured 34-year-old didn’t have much success in his return—he let up two runs in 1/3 of an inning in the first game of Thursday’s doubleheader with Cleveland. But at least Perkins is finally back where he belongs in Minnesota’s bullpen … Jose Ramirez exited Game 1 of Thursday’s double dip with the Twins after taking a pitch off his right forearm. Luckily his X-rays came back negative. Ramirez should avoid the disabled list, though Erik Gonzalez will travel with the team just in case … Bradley Zimmer finally got a hit, singling off the aforementioned Zimmer in the first game of Thursday’s day/night doubleheader. That ended an 0-for-36 dry spell for the rookie … Aaron Slegers enjoyed a strong debut in Thursday night’s win over Cleveland (6 1/3 IP, 2 H, 2 ER) but it wasn’t all good news for Minnesota. Outfielder Robbie Grossman left the game following a collision with teammate Byron Buxton and was later diagnosed with a broken thumb. He’s expected to miss at least three weeks … The Rays are expected to activate Kevin Kiermaier (hip) Sunday following a two-month absence. Kiermaier struggled mightily during his latest rehab stint, going 1-for-19 over four games for Triple-A Durham … Avisail Garcia was a late scratch due to wrist soreness Thursday against the Rangers. Consider him day-to-day … Last month I named Josh Donaldson as a prime bounce-back candidate for the second half. I wasn’t really going out on a limb, but I wasn’t wrong either. Donaldson launched two homers in Thursday’s win over the Rays (both off All-Star Chris Archer), giving him 11 round-trippers in his last 19 games. Donaldson’s .940 OPS is a tick higher than the .939 OPS he posted during his MVP campaign in 2015 … Carlos Gomez remained out of the Rangers’ lineup on Thursday night. He’s sat out the last four games while dealing with a cyst on his right shoulder … It was a rough night for the White Sox’s pitching staff. First, starter Reynaldo Lopez exited with tightness in his right side. Then his replacement, Chris Beck, also had to leave after being struck in the shoulder by an Adrian Beltre line drive. Lopez will be reevaluated on Friday … Aroldis Chapman threw a bullpen session and also did some running on the field before Thursday’s game against the Mets. He remains day-to-day with hamstring tightness … Starlin Castro is set to begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Friday while Matt Holliday will do the same with High-A Tampa. Castro has been out with a strained hamstring while Holliday has been dealing with a lumbar strain.
NL Quick Hits: One night after being pulled from an appearance against the Red Sox, the Cardinals placed Trevor Rosenthal on the disabled list with posterior elbow inflammation. More will be known on Rosenthal’s status when he gets the results from his MRI. Seung Hwan Oh will be the favorite for ninth-inning work during his absence … Nolan Arenado underwent X-rays Thursday after taking a hard ground ball off his left hand but escaped with only a bruise. That’s the same hand Arenado injured on a hit-by-pitch earlier this week. He’s day-to-day … Stephen Strasburg is expected to return Saturday at San Diego after missing the last three weeks with an elbow impingement. Strasburg pitched well in his only rehab start, delivering five strikeouts over five innings of one-run ball Monday for High-A Potomac … The Nationals placed reliever Ryan Madson on the disabled list Thursday with a sprained finger. The move was backdated to Monday and Madson is hoping to return when first eligible next week. Shawn Kelley (trapezius) was activated in the corresponding move … A strained oblique sent Jose Reyes to the 10-day DL. With Wilmer Flores (ribcage) also banged up, the Mets added some infield depth by calling up Gavin Cecchini and Matt Reynolds from Triple-A Las Vegas … You probably heard that Marlins part-owner Derek Jeter wants to get rid of the home run sculpture at Marlins Park, but apparently it’s staying put. According to Michael Spring of Miami-Dade County cultural affairs, the $2.5 million structure is “permanently installed” and “not moveable.”
After an initial exam Thursday night, the Cubs are hopeful that Jon Lester (lat) will only miss 1-2 starts.
Lester
was sent to see Dr. Stephen Gryzlo for a more in-depth exam, and it's
possible Gryzlo will determine the injury is more serious. However, at
least initially, it appears that the left-hander might not miss too much
time. Even in a best-case scenario, a trip to the disabled list is
virtually guaranteed. We'll find out more about Lester's condition later
Friday. Mike Montgomery will fill in as long as Lester is out.
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