Chicago Cubs STILL CHASING the Brewers

Chicago Cubs STILL CHASING the Brewers

[Music] Win or go home once again for the Cubs. Can they avoid a sweep? We talk about it all right now. You are Locked on Cubs, your daily Chicago Cubs podcast, part of the Locked On Network, your team every day. You are Locked On Cubs, part of the Locked On Network. hero team every day alongside Sam Olber. I’m Matt Cozy. Sam and I are lifelong fans taking our passion into discussion with you on all things Cubs. Today’s episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Right now, new customers can bet just $5. And if your bet wins, you’ll get $300 in bonus bets to use across the app. Download the FanDuel app today. Well, I kept thinking this throughout the day today as we record here on a Tuesday evening. Cubs facing an elimination game. In the end, only the results matter. The Cubs have made a lot of improvements within their organization over the last few years. They won 92 games this year, made the playoffs first time in a full season since 2018. But the the same problem, the same team looms over them. And folks, the the Brewers are better. They’ve been better for seven plus years. Maybe this was the point the Cubs are always going to reach in the 2025 postseason, but Sam, they’re getting beat in every aspect of the game so far this series. It hasn’t even been close. Yeah, it’s really well said. I I we didn’t talk about this. I had the exact same reaction today. Um my my my reaction was how do you measure the fact that the Cubs made improvements as you just said? And by the way, I you know, I did a nice radio spot on on on Grant Show over uh in Milwaukee today and I mentioned this like Brad Keller was a very Brewerlike shrewd move and development system typear boy. That’s the type of guy the Brewers would sign and turn into being really good. Pomerance. Pomerance. Exactly. Kelly. Kelly. you know, you had a lot of guys and and and they had some injuries, too, but like you had a lot of guys overperform that you got a lot out of that other organizations couldn’t get out of. You won 92 games. And it just felt like honestly, Matt, starting for me, starting in about mid to late June is when the season started to be like, wait, but they’re still this good. They being the Brewers. and they eventually caught us and it just exactly how you put it. It’s like we made these improvements as the Cubs and yet the bar is still there for them and now we’re running into them. And I don’t think it’s the fact that the Cubs are down 20 right now. Um, as you put because only the results matter and if they find a way to win 2-1 3-2 and go back to Milwaukee, maybe we’re having a different conversation. It’s the way that they’re down 20, right? um not enough pitching. They can’t get through uh a couple innings with their starters uh knowing that that was going to be a problem basically all deadline. The offense hitting a couple of random home runs and then just going to sleep innings three through nine, four through nine, the same sort of problems that the Cubs have had for a long time. And then you watch them uh uh and the way that they not as much their pitching because they’ve always been great with that, but the way that their their offense is like I found myself yesterday just like watching Blake Perkins just work at bats and like in like the eight spot and be like, “Hey, I know that this dude doesn’t have great numbers, but we don’t have enough guys that work these type of at bats and grind.” And um it’s just the differences in the organization that we’ve been talking about basically since we’ve had the program have just been on full display through two games in this in this series. Well, and not coincidentally, the first show we did was after a Cubs Brewers game, right? The Suzuki inside the Parker or something like that. Yeah, it was. I I was optimistic this series would be a battle. Me, too. After the Cubs won the season series and they took three out of five in mid August. That wasn’t that long ago. Yeah. But my reason for optimism is is has gone away now. And here we were hoping this series, I guess, could help convince ourselves that the gap between the teams has closed. And it absolutely has not. No. For as much better as you have gotten, it it doesn’t matter because that’s how good they are. They’ve not only won the division this year and last, but they were the first team in baseball to clinch a playoff spot both times. They led baseball in wins this year. They have an identity that you’ve talked about uh an innumerable amount of times offensively that I wonder if it could change how teams build their own team. 100%. Especially if they win the last game. They have a stable of pitchers, meaning the World Series. They have a stable of pitchers. You said it beautifully, winning the at this point, you win the last game. defensively and and correct me if I’m wrong, their front office’s relationship with the dugout is so good that they beat you with brains upstairs in the front office and they give plenty of room for Pat Murphy to showcase what he does best in the dugout. And for seven plus years, it’s just been a wrap. Yeah, it’s beautifully said. Um, it’s beautifully said. I I I don’t have much more to add. I mean, I I’ve been the the the the guy that gets crushed for talking about the Brewers all year too much. So, I I don’t have much to add. I think you said it the other day, though. I think the best thing that you said that describes it the best because we could sit here like we’re going to preview this game here coming up and my biggest concern and my biggest concern going into the game, spoiler alert, is like they’re the type of team that might test Tyion off the mound with the wind blowing in, bunting and doing all those things. Do you know what I mean? Well, that’s what they do. Yeah, exactly. But like I would define it as and this is a real lazy way to say it, but Well, let’s hear it. What is it? Since Jed Hoyer’s taken over the Cubs, the C one of the difference the biggest difference between the Cubs and Brewers is the Brewers just know how to win. And you said this like Exactly. Their their best their best attribute is just knowing how to win. And there has not been a time since 2018 where we’re playing against them and it’s late in the game and it feels like we’re going to win. I remember I was at the game, you know, wasn’t that long ago, August 20th when they they won that night game that Colin Ray pitched and and and Palencia almost blew the game. Contrarus lined out to second. It just never felt like the Cubs were going to win. They won, but it never felt like they were going to win because the Brewers always find a way. And so that’s why um it’s frustrating. and and we’re gonna have, you know, if the Cubs don’t make a historical comeback here, we’re going to have such an interesting time this off season talking about what really is a successful year, 92 wins and a playoff series win versus how do you figure out I mean it’s it’s simple. If we ever had Jed Hoyer on the show or I was able to get him at the Cubs convention, my first question would be like, “Hey, are you guys at the point where you have to start looking exactly what’s going on with the Brewers and start maybe emulating it and building your organization around what they’re doing? Or does it still not matter and you’re more concerned about yourself?” Because it’s just gotten to the point where they are the um the standard uh unless the Cubs could do something dramatic, which you know, we’re going to try and preview right now. Unless I don’t and and and then to top it off, which we have plenty of time to discuss later uh with with in the off season. I mean, have we brought up money this week? Nah, we haven’t even brought it up. And that’s the whole other layer to this. Yeah, because there’s two ways, right, that we’ll talk about. There’s two ways to to to change the outcome. Number one is just becoming better and more shrewd as an organization like they did this year, but another step forward. And the other step is to just start spending way more money. And even though you spend a lot more than them, spend even more than that to mitigate the the difference in in front office. But it just doesn’t there’s no reason to talk about it because there’s just zero signs that that’s going to happen. I mean, Jesse Rogers literally in the middle of the game said I mean, you saw that tweet. There’s no shot they’re going to bring back and and that’s a different conversation with Tucker. I don’t want to get into that right now, but the point is it’s like, you know, that we just know is not going to happen. So, well, Milwaukee is the smallest market in the the sport and they they won 97 games. It’s smaller than Tampa. Yeah. What defines that? Yeah. I think like size like city size or Yeah. population. Okay. Because you know Tampa has to spend less than they do for sure. Right. Right. Right. Right. Yeah. But size size of area. Right. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. All right. What what are some paths to uh you know what are the paths back possibly for the Cubs winning a baseball game? Really it’s just going to be about game three and we get to that right after this. This episode is brought to you by FanDuel. The NFL season is here. What is it already? Week six and FanDuel has an offer you don’t want to miss. Right now, new customers can bet just $5 and get $300 in bonus bets. If you win, that’s right. Pick a bet, put down five bucks, and if it hits, you’ll unlock $300 in bonus bets to use across the app. I I’ve never seen an offer like this. Switching over to baseball, folks. And it could be I hope it’s not, but it could be my last FanDuel Cubs reference until uh divisions and overunders come out in the wintertime. Uh, your Chicago Cubs are minus 120 favorites at Wrigley Field on Wednesday afternoon with an overunder of six and a half. See what happens. What are you waiting for? Visit fanuel.com to download the FanDuel app today and get started. Shout out to the Everydayers. You become a locked on Cubs Everydayer by joining us for every episode throughout the week. All right, starting pitching for the Cubs. We know it’s a a messier situation. I I think a path back for game three, which starts at 4:08 p.m. Central Wednesday, game three of the NLDS, would have to be the offense breaking out first. Yeah. And then it would snowball from there. Yeah. Uh they need some type of breakout game, Sam. They haven’t scored more than three runs in a playoff game since 2017. you know, is the Magic number four or, you know, five or six would probably more be more of a true breakout. Yeah. And since September 1st this year, the Cubs have not scored more than three runs in 14 of 30 games, including the playoffs. This has been going on for a while. And they’ve barely in the postseason have had runners at second base. Two for 17 with runners in scoring position. 58 strikeouts to 10 walks. You’ve heard all this before. And uh let me give you some stat lines here. Her and Bush uh with with nice lines in the postseason. How about these guys? Shaw is over still. Yeah. Hap two for 19. Tucker and Swanson three for 17. Pete and Seya four for 18. And yeah, but say say I’m going to say I hit two big homers. True. Uh Jameson Tyion will start for the Cubs on Wednesday. He was excellent last week and in the final six starts of his regular season posted a 157 RA. Quinn Pier, yeah, will be going for the Brewers. After he lost to the Cubs in May, the Brewers went 20 and4 in games in which Priest pitched. Sam, they need to win this game or it’s to the offseason mode. Yeah. And and my preview typically would be, hey, find a way to score a three, win one of your 3-1, 3-2 Wrigley Classics, uh, like you did against San Diego because the it’s not going to be a good hitting environment. The overunder six and a half. The problem is is that the Brewers don’t rely on the home run ball a lot, so they should be able to thrive in those conditions, too. Um, like I said, will they do some bunting and and things like that? Um, you know, find success. I don’t know. It just doesn’t seem like they’re the ideal team you want to face with the wind blowing in like a team like San Diego more would be that’s more, you know, you know, different than that. But, I mean, I definitely think the Cubs can win this game. Um, you know, JO’s gonna have to be outstanding again, which he was, uh, uh, you know, last week. Then you’re gonna go I mean, it’s just, you know, you’re gonna see everybody, right? All the main relievers. Um, offensively, offensively, can you can you steal some bases? Can you can you have some action on the base pads? I don’t know. You know, um, you know, c can you get into a ball with a few guys on, but you know, Seiya did that. It’s tough. There’s a lot that needs to go right right now. My biggest concern is I it’s two it’s twofold. It’s can the offense do something and then c can the Cubs hold this team? I mean they they’re at bats right now they just look really locked in cuz like the path is like you like a 3-2 win like that’s that’s what a 4-3 type win. You know what I mean? you know, with an over under six and a half, bad conditions or bad hitting conditions, but it’s just like I just it’s it’s just really hard to envision after those first two games, this team, the Cubs holding them the one or two runs, they’re just at bats are really good. Now, in the Cubs defense, we have not seen Kitridge yet. We have not seen Keller yet. And Palencia made just a really bad pitch. Um, and if he makes that pitch tomorrow in the same spot, it’s going to be an out. So, you know what I mean? It’s it’s we’ll see it. We’ll see. I I I have a lot more to say about this game and this offense in our next segment because it’s really Tucker specific. But outside of him, I mean, you know, Pete just, you know, he hasn’t done anything in these two games. I think he had one hit. You know, love to see him get on and get the crowd going. I mean, you know, do we have a stolen base in the postseason? Well, going into Monday’s game, they didn’t. And I’m trying to think if they stole one last night. I don’t think Well, no. Nobody was on base. Right. Right. So, they have zero zero stolen base. Who stole? Colin Ray. Uh, no. I pointed that out. Well, no, he never plays. They point I pointed that out the other day. Zero steals. Yeah. And it’d be nice to put the ball in play. I mean, nice Pete got a triple down the line. That fired everybody up. Yeah. And they shouldn’t like strike out a lot against Priestster, right? They should put the ball in play a lot. I think he had like 130 strikeouts and like 160 innings. I mean, you know, put put the ball in play. A lot of pressure on JO, by the way, who no matter what happens tomorrow, I’ll never forget what he did in that elimination 1-1 game. Right. Right. Um I listened to councel uh after the game who didn’t really sound overly optimistic about this team’s chances and he was kind of talking about like how they need a long start or like they need Tyion to go deep, you know, because of the the the games the next day. It’s like, who cares about Thursday? Like, yeah, I wonder if that would actually happen. Like, if Brad Keller has to pitch, you know, well, no, not that’s a bad example, but if somebody else has to pitch like two or three innings out of the pen, I don’t care if you have to use every pitcher you have, your season’s on the line. Figure out Thursday, Thursday. Yeah. Um, well, to your point about the Brewers offense, so I’m combining some of your points here, I guess, with the council. It wasn’t It wasn’t my best segment. Well, if Tyion is rolling, does he just do you just do you just keep going or after the 18 guys, do you go to go to the pen? Yeah, I think I I I almost wonder if they just keep them going. Well, I think my answer would be right now’s rolling against the Brewers. And so if you have a guy So if you have somebody that’s having that much long st success, you just go as long as he could go. And then when a couple guys get on the problem with the Brewers is you got to keep them off the bases because they’re going to they’re going to do stuff. They’re going to run on Tyion. They’re they’re Yeah, he’s slow to the plate, man. Yeah, they’re going to do a lot of things. You really need him to pretty much be sharp um in all phases. I’ll tell you that top of the first is going to be massive because the Cubs have just the Cubs have been down pretty much the whole series after an inning. So to just hold them hold them and to put up, you know, a one or a two spot to just Yeah. be great. Hey, like, hey, we’re hanging in here, you know, let’s not get knocked out. I mean, they got knocked out in inning one in game one, and they got knocked out in inning, what was it, three or four yesterday? Um, you know, to to at least compete here for a while. Yeah, it’s a good point. And I don’t get Council’s point. I find it to be uh borderline, you know, I I mean, I’m performing here, but Yeah, but I paraphrased it. I mean, he just Well, but but but why couldn’t Kitridge, Theelbar, they Palencia, and Keller pitch backto back days with a day off Friday if you win. And Zambrano, uh, you know, at this point, I mean, I mean, put all hands on deck. Where’s Matt Clement? Prior’s not far over there in LA as the pitching coach. bring him in for for some old memories. Can any can anybody get get some outs against this team besides Colin Ray who never pitches? Oh man, the only guys the only guys that get outs are are are Savali and Ray so far that have come in when the game’s over. Uh, two trivia questions for you. Oh no, I’m not there. Uh, I’m gonna say I’m gonna go with Nicoer has seven hits this postseason. Milt Bis. He has the most postseason hits by a Cubs player since. Wait, so he he has seven hits for the playoffs and you’re saying he has the most since for a whole playoffs or just a series? Yeah, whole playoffs. So since 2017. That’s right. 2017. Name the player. Yeah, 2017. No, I don’t think anybody got seven hits uh against the guy. Yeah. So, eight hits in the playoffs. Yeah, they they struggled that year off. Yeah. Uh thinking made the final four, though. Bayz hit two homers uh against the Dodgers. Um wasn’t him. Uh it was not. Was a player that I believe we’re going to hear about later. Zrist. Nope. later this show. I meant Schwarber. Chris Bryant. Oh, Bryant. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Bryant. Okay. Yeah. Chris Bryant. And uh yeah, you are going to hear about him in a bit. Last time a team storm back from being down 200 in a division series. Have you seen this yet? Um was it I remember the last one that I saw I remember the Giants did it against the Reds in like 2012. So was it later than that? 2011. Yeah, it was actually the same year from the first question. 2017 was the last time it happened. Was it the Cardinals Nats situation? That’s not what I have in front of me. No, I don’t know the answer, so I you know, I’m guessing uh Yankees over Cleveland. Oh, don’t remember that. Yeah. All right. Oh, well, I’m down 02. Just like the C. Coming up next, Kyle Tucker. Man, is he struggling. And uh we talk about it next. Today’s episode is brought to you by Rouette. Guys, you’ve probably heard of Viagra or Seialis, but maybe you’ve even tried them. But if you’re looking for something beyond the usual pill, it’s time to meet Rouette Golong. That’s exactly where Rouette Golong comes in. This isn’t just another ED pill. It’s a total game changer for confidence. Golong combines two doctor trusted medications and one dualaction formula so you can get hard and go the distance. The effects can last up to 36 hours. That’s confidence all day, all night, and even into the next day. The process is simple. Connect with a board certified doctor, 100% online. And if prescribed, your treatment ships discreetly right next to your door. If prescribed, your treatment ships strictly right to your door. Ready to level up your confidence in the bedroom? Head to rouette.com rug gi.com and use promo code lockdown mlb for 15% off your first order. That’s rouette.com promo code locked on MLB. Make sure to use our code so that they know we sent you for rouette. Make sure you’re subscribed to Locked on Cubs on your preferred audio platform or YouTube. that way you don’t miss any of the great Cubs content we’ve got for you. We’ll be back right after the game on Wednesday. Well, they got him to be a star player and he hasn’t been. Uh there was the stretch to begin the year. He was and then some maybe to the Allstar game. Uh then there was a really really big drop off. I have some numbers in front of me again for that. And uh this playoff, Sam, Kyle Tucker has uh has been stuck. Look. Yeah. And and this this isn’t a Kyle Tucker, let’s go after Kyle Tucker. I I I I think I’m done with that. This is more just observing that the Cubs brought in this guy to avoid what’s happened in the second half of the season. And obviously he got hurt and that’s a part of it and I’m not saying that it’s not. But when I watch that lineup now and even when I look at the discourse around the Cubs, nobody’s talking about this guy like he’s a superstar. It’s just like he’s one of the guys in the lineup. And when he gets a hit, it’s a it’s a it’s a all right, maybe that’s a sign. And and you’re right, it it reminds me a lot and and we talked about this maybe off the air, but my my comparison is it reminds me a lot of the post 2017 Chris Bryant. Um I think he was a little bit younger than Tucker is now, but it’s like there’s still greatness there. Like I last night that walk that he drew left on left against Ashby before the Suzuki homer was a great at bat and Bryant had a lot of those still, but it just seems like with Tucker when everything’s right, he’s still great. But, you know, when when when something’s off or or it just it just goes south really quickly. And you know, there’s reports now he’s definitely not coming back. The Cubs aren’t gonna offer him. It’s not really time to talk about that because that’s going to be a really complicated thing to address because it’s the Cubs are going to be right and not bringing him back. But it doesn’t excuse the fact that the Cubs are like 14th in payroll, right? But the point is is we keep talking about how the offense needs to be better. The offense needs to be better. And all we did is preach all offseason that one of the ways to make the offense better is to go get a superstar. And and let’s be honest, like, can we just say it? He has not performed like a superstar overall this year. He did at the beginning of the year and and that’s about it. And look, I get it. Aaron Judge has had bad Aaron Judge had a terrible postseason last year and he is a superstar. Like it happens. But the Cubs took a shot and this this Kyle Tucker second half or whatever it’s been since June with injuries that that’s absolutely a part of it. It’s just it’s just hard to to look at anything else. Like you just talked about everyone else in in the in the lineup so far. You’ve gotten a bad H five games. Okay. I think even though he doesn’t have a lot of hits, you’ve gotten a good Seiya. Okay. Okay. Kelly, really good Nico. Really good Michael Bush. If Tucker’s doing his thing, that’s plenty. That’s plenty around him. This is This team’s not built around say a Suzuki. This offense isn’t built around PCA. That was an incredible, unbelievable first half bonus that you got. And we’re going to have to dissect what went wrong with PCA and how he could get back to being a competent offensive player. But this offense is built around Kyle Tucker’s greatness and he has not been great. And it’s just when he comes up to the plate, you’re instead of going, “All right, Tucker’s up,” you’re just like, “Please don’t roll over to the right side.” You know, and I just think they need him to be great. And if they win tomorrow and he actually gets a couple extra base hits or finds the basket to left center field, that would do so much for this team because that’s what they need. Like when you look at this Brewer lineup, yeah, they don’t have, you know, household names in it unless you want to still consider Yelich that, which I don’t, but he’s still good. But every single guy is dangerous in their own way and and and they put the ball in play. They do all these things. The way to combat that and and and this is what the Dodgers are going to try if they play him is just be like, “Hey man, we got Show Otani. Hey, we got Freddy Freeman. We got Muki Betts.” So, like, you could do all that stuff, but we’re going to do everything. Like, that’s that’s why that matchup’s so fascinating because it’s it’s literally the kind of the small ball, small market offense that just battles and grinds versus, you know, the priciest, biggest names in the sport. But Kyle Tucker’s a big name and he’s not producing. And unfortunately, the Cubs aren’t as good as the Dodgers. Otani hasn’t done anything so far this playoffs. And by the way, Otani didn’t do that much in the World Series last year, but they’re they’re way better. Like, this team needs Kyle Tucker. The Yankees need Aaron Judge. And um just haven’t gotten it. And and it’s just it’s hard to look anywhere past that offensively until this guy starts hitting. Yeah, he was a star for the the 90 games. He ended up playing in 136. So then there’s this this 46game pool that uh he really dropped off especially during the 25 games from from about mid July to mid August uh where he hit 163 in 25 games and the Cubs went 10 and 15 in those games. So it it clearly impacted it at a team level too when at the player level he was clearly having a lot of problems. Um I hope we could see that Wednesday. I don’t know if what to call it whether it would be a a consolation prize what ends up being a four or five game ouster but um you know it’s just it’s a it’s a shame we couldn’t we couldn’t see that uh until the end even if it wasn’t a a losing effort. And um I remember soaking up the the first 90 games, but yeah, he he definitely underwhelmed in in a couple different areas, couple different pockets of the year, especially the the one um right before the Angels series and uh injuries limited him as well. And if there’s any parallel to Chris Bryant, he’s going to be on that statue when they debut it this April, I believe, or maybe it just reminds me of Bryant in that way of like when Bryant wasn’t great all the time. Like there was just always something. He still put up good numbers. I don’t think Kyle Tucker is going to like be that bad of a contract, but it’s just it’s just one I’d be weary of. And I and I think and I compare something to consider, though. And I compare Tucker to Bryant in a good way, too. Like when they’re really good, they’re really really good, but they just are similar. They have similar personalities, too. They do. They do. They do. All right. Uh do you have similar to game two, like a little bit of a more neutral feel uh pre pregame? Yeah. I um I mean, I haven’t felt good in in a minute here with this. Um I I I don’t think they can’t get swept. They just can’t. They got to find a way to win tomorrow night. They got got to I I don’t feel great. See what happens. I don’t feel great about it, but they got to find a way. This is Lockdown Cubs, part of the Lockdown Podcast Network. Your team every day. For your second listen, check out Locked On MLB Game Night. Every game, every night, all season long. Get local analysis on a national scale. Find MLB Game Night on the Lockdown and Blue channel on YouTube or wherever you listen to podcast. He’s Sam Olber. I’m Matt Cozy. This is Locked On Cubs. Go Cubs.

There is still a gap between the Cubs and Brewers, previewing Game 3 of the NLDS, Kyle Tucker isn’t playing like the star they traded for, and more.

Follow & Subscribe on all Podcast platforms…
🎧 https://lockedonpodcasts.com/podcasts/locked-on-cubs/

Locked On MLB League-Wide: Every Team, Prospects & More
🎧 https://lockedonpodcasts.com/leagues/mlb/

#Cubs #ChicagoCubs