IGT 5/12/15: Mets@Cubs � Syndergaarden of Earthly Delights

[Guest themetfairy]

I would have taken Thor out after five. He had gotten into and out of trouble a couple of times and looked like he was starting to struggle.

I know it's easy to say that now, but D-Dad is my witness that I said it at the end of that inning.

[Edgy MD]

Zvon wrote: Lot'sa pitches, like Wheeler when he first arrived. He competed for 5.

Like Wheeler, full stop, I'd say.

Less moving parts than Wheeler, I think. There's probably more reason to be hopeful about this guy's mechanics.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

I know he's doing his honest best but Murphy is killing this team, if not offensively then defensively, night after night.

If they're not going to take my advice and swap out Ceciliani for Niuewy, then make Murphy the lefty bench guy, kick Flores over to third base, and go with Reynolds at SS.

And a big tanks for nuttin to David Wright whose frequent injuries have made us see way more of Muffy than we ever deserved.

[Edgy MD]

He sure seems out of his element. Distracted, a little lazy, tired maybe. Pressing and pissy at the same time, but I'm sure that's me just seeing things.

With Wright out, it's like it's his infield, but he's just too aloof (or seems it of late) to lead anybody into battle. Tejada and Duda seem sharper and more locked in, but neither of them can provide a rallying point because Tejada is embattled and Duda is Duda.

[Guest d'Kong76]

That lollipop throw was the turning point of the game to me.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

d'Kong76 wrote: That lollipop throw was the turning point of the game to me.

Not sure I'd go QUITE that far, but... well... yeah, okay, if I squint-- blew up that inning, running up the kid's pitch-count in a roundabout way, bringing his Bad-Wheelerness to the fore-- I can see it. And speaking of that...

Edgy MD wrote: Zvon wrote: Lot'sa pitches, like Wheeler when he first arrived. He competed for 5. Like Wheeler, full stop, I'd say.

Oh, indeed. Just before I dozed off while putting the kid to bed-- somewhere during Alex Torres' seventh or eighth walk-- I was thinking this very thing. Kid came with a lot of fastball-nibbling around the edges, where he probably could've done a lot better for himself had he taken a page from Colon's playbook and pounded the zone all night (which would have also let him keep a good amount of his own playbook concealed, on this first round through the league). As a matter of fact, I'd love it if they got the kid a Spanish-to-English phrasebook/phone app and sent him to Bartolo's Finishing School four-to-five nights a week.

[Centerfield]

Can someone explain to me why Ruben Tejada is starting 3 out of the last 4 games when the offense is struggling as badly as it is?

Infuriating.

[Ceetar]

Centerfield wrote: Can someone explain to me why Ruben Tejada is starting 3 out of the last 4 games when the offense is struggling as badly as it is? Infuriating.

because he's a better bet to get on base than Flores and Herrera? Particularly Flores, who if the offense picks up and Wright returns , you could drop for Tejada for defensive reasons.

Turns the lineup over. I'd rather get him on and that mean maybe bringing up Lucas Duda and the real hitters another time than banking on Flores hitting his weekly home run that day.

[Edgy MD]

It's probably happened before, and more than once, but I'm not sure I've ever noticed, but I'm just realizing now that yesterday's was the first time I've taken note of both teams opening with pitcher-batting-eighth lineups.

[Guest d'Kong76]

I think they mentioned it yesterday, only like the third time
in like a hundred years or something. Please, someone correct
me if I'm mistaken.

[TransMonk]

I recall what Kong heard coming from Gary and Ron.

[Edgy MD]

I'm getting Cubbie feeds.