The Chicago Cubs Offense Is Lost….AGAIN!

The Chicago Cubs Offense Is Lost….AGAIN!

I hope you’re enjoying the Bears game right now because it’s impossible to enjoy the Chicago Cubs offense. 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, your team every day. I’m Samurn. a lifelong fan, taking my passion into a discussion with you on all things Cubs. This episode is brought to you by Monarch Money. Take control of your finances with Monarch Money. Use code locked on MLB at monarchmoney.com for 50% off your first year. Uh later on the show, Matt will join me. We pre-recorded uh the last two segments of this episode. So, we’re going to talk about how important it is for the Cubs to secure the top wild card spot. Some homefield advantage stuff. Uh, we did, you know, how many wins is it going to take? Some fun trivia. He asked me a bunch of trivia questions, so stay tuned for that. Um, I am opening this show after another lifeless, dismal offensive performance. Uh, the Cubs fell to the Braves 4 to one Monday night at Truis Park. By the way, I don’t remember the Cubs ever winning a series or coming close to it since the Braves moved from Turner Field. Uh, they beat them in the 03 playoffs. Uh but ever since they moved to Truis Park, remember uh in September of 23 they got swept in Atlanta. That was the beginning of that week and the end of that season. Uh last year they lost a series. I remember they got swept there in the late teens. Just doesn’t feel like they ever play well here. And Monday was no exception. Uh showed gave up uh uh three runs early uh then settled in and actually did a pretty nice job against a lineup that I think’s a lot better than what their stats will show. But the story of the game is the offense. I I just guys I I don’t know what else to tell you. I feel like a broken record. I I come on here, I say the same things. I I I said last week I’d like to see Seya get some time off. He he continues to just hit the ball into the ground. He had one hit today and it was on a pitch belt high that he that he hit it right into the ground. Um PCA made his return uh as a DH. Cubs had a chance. They had the bases loaded uh in the middle innings when he came to the plate. He swung at a pitch about 6 in off the plate, rolled over to first on the first pitch. You know, uh um him, Seiya, Tucker, those guys have combined for 10 home runs in the second half of the season. 10 total, those three guys. And at some point, you you we could talk about, oh, they need to they need to get on base more. They need to bunt more. They need to hit and run more. At some point, the guys that got you here have to perform. Um, and if they don’t, it doesn’t matter if if Craig Council is Casey Stangle, it doesn’t matter, right? Like like you you got to perform your the guys that got you to the dance have to be those guys. And it’s just been a really long time. I know Tucker snapped out of it a little bit before his injury. Um, well, actually snapped out of it a lot, but you know, you’re just not going to hit when Michael Bush hasn’t done anything in two weeks. when Sea hasn’t done anything in two weeks when PCA hasn’t done anything in in in a month and a half and I know he’s young and it’s it’s a long season and he’s probably tired or whatever it is, but you know, Swanson’s done a nice job. Hap’s been better lately. Her been the most consistent guy, but this team, it just feels like their ceiling is is so so so low when they’re getting this output out of Bush, Suzuki, PCA, and then uh Tucker. You know, we we we learned before the game that Tucker was available according to councel. If he was, I I don’t know why he didn’t hit. You know, the Cubs had some a few chances late in this game. Not a lot to use him. I mean, they were down two runs with a man on second, two outs in the seventh inning and Reese Magcguire was up. You know, that that that’s a time to use use Kyle Tucker and then bring in Kelly to catch. But, you know, these are all marginal things. I mean, at some point they got to hit and and they got to hit home runs. You know what I mean? They they got to hit home runs. I none of these guys I I mean it’s just it’s been really hard to watch and it just it’s just it’s the same thing over and over again. We could sit here and talk about, you know, who’s going to close in a wild card game and who’s going to start and what not. What if Shod Managa started a playoff game and gave up and went six innings and gave up three earn? That shouldn’t feel like you have no chance to win. And it’s it’s really challenging for your pitching staff. It’s really challenging for your defense. It’s really challenging for your relievers. It’s really challenging for your manager when every time you get down two or three runs, it feels like the game’s over. I I was watching this game with my dad. We right before the the Bear game, they couldn’t even get us to the Bear game and it was three nothing and it’s like it felt like the game was over, you know, and um it’s just it’s just not good enough. And I I don’t I don’t know if there’s if there’s a lineup change that needs to be made or you know like I said I I personally believe that Sey Suzuki would really benefit from two or three days off because it worked a little bit for PCA and it worked a lot for Kyle Tucker. So, they could definitely try going that route, but you know, I I’m I’m starting to get a little bit concerned. And and as we talked about yesterday, when you when you look over to the standings, I mean, one of the reasons why, you know, the Cubs are in a really good place in terms of the playoffs, it has nothing to do with their own success. It’s just, you know, the other teams are losing. The Mets lost again tonight. Uh Colorado and the Reds, excuse me, uh San Diego and the Reds just uh started uh tonight. We’ll see how that goes. But I mean, they’re they’ve just been a 500 team here, as Matt and I are going to talk about a little a little later on. They’re now, you know, a 500 or so team for for three months. Three months of the season. And it’s it’s just it it feels like those first two months right now are as much of a of an aberration as the two months last year were when they were terrible or the year before when the one really bad month was. you know, at some point you just have to start stacking up some wins and uh and playing better baseball and it’s just been I I think the word to describe it um is malaise. It’s just a malaise. It’s just it’s just they’re just going through the motions. You know, they had a little bit of life when they when they won that series against Milwaukee and and they won that series before against Pittsburgh and they swept Anaheim and it was like, “All right, here we go.” and then they get swept by the Giants and then they win two out of three against the Rockies and Braves and then lose two out of three to the to the Nationals and then lose this open. I told you I told you yesterday I was very concerned about this series. This this is the series probably along with the Reds and Cincinnati that worries me the most because the Braves have talented players and they have talented pitchers. You know, Elder has dominated the Cubs twice now. Strider is a guy that, you know, is not having a good year but he’s talented. And then Chris Sale on Wednesday is, you know, probably a future Hall of Famer that you’re going to have to go up against. So, um, you know, ju just just really concerning across the board. What can the Cubs do? You know, if Tucker isn’t going to play anytime soon, you know, you maybe you I him, bring up Casey, bring up Bayister, bring up one of these kids because that’s what really felt like it ignited something earlier in that Brewer series when Casey came up and got some base hits and just they they they just they look void. And I know I know this is a lazy comment because when you in baseball when you’re not hitting you’re always going to look lethargic but they man they really look like they got no energy and no life and it’s just like they’re going through the motions and I got to tell you I’m just getting a little bit tired about well you know let’s see what happens. Let’s get to the playoffs and let’s do this. This isn’t basketball. You can’t just snap your fingers and turn it on and you have a sevename series. You know one three-game series I it just it I don’t know if it’s going to magically turn around. I I think there needs to be some life. I think there needs to be some spark heading into October and I don’t know where they’re going to find it. Um, you know, you usually most of this year when they’ve needed it, they’ve gone to Pete and and Pete’s it’s just it’s just not happening right now. He’s he’s getting good pitches to hit. He’s not hitting them. And um, you know, I I don’t know, maybe it’s a young kid. They they need they need a leadership. They need they need something just something to go here because you know they’re very fortunate. Let’s just put it like that. They’re very fortunate that they’re in such a great spot to be in the postseason because they have not played like a surefire postseason team since the end of May and um you know it’s almost it’s almost midepptember and so you know that’s a really really long time. Uh some other highlights, low lightss from this game. Uh you know, Aaron Savali came in, he did okay. Gave up a homer to Olsen. Uh her had a double. Shaw a sack fly. Uh Swanson stole a base. I mean, there’s just not a whole lot here when you go five for 31 as a team with one extra base hit. Where is the power? You know, there’s no wind blowing in excuse anymore at Wrigley Field. uh this team needs to start hitting again and and hitting homers again and having their highlevel best players perform uh or or else it’s going to be a very very short stay uh in October. Uh we talk about getting to October and how important uh it is to to seal that first wild card spot if they could do it with Matt and we’re going to talk about that coming up next. This episode is brought to you by Game Time. There’s nothing like catching a baseball game live. The energy, the crowd, the chance to see your team in person, but actually getting tickets, that’s the tough part. Cues, login screen, surprise fees, it takes all the fun out of it. That’s why I use Game Time, the app that gives the advantage back to fans. Game time is fast, easy, and backing by the Game Time guarantee. You always get 100% authentic tickets delivered on time and at the best price. Plus, all fees are included. So, the price you see is the price you pay. I’ve used Game Time for every Cub game that I’ve been to. Uh, it’s the best. You you you get tickets right away. You could literally wait up to first pitch. The prices go down. Fees are included. Know your total upfront with no surprise fees at checkout. So, download the Game Time app, create an account, and use code lock.mlb for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Again, that’s promo code L O C K E D O M LB for $20 off. Swipe, tap, ticket, go download Game Time today. Shout out to the Everydayers. And you become a Lockdown Cubs Everydayer by joining us for every episode throughout the week. And every episode throughout the week in the regular season formation is now less than three weeks worth of games, which is uh sort of unbelievable. There’s only 19 now 18 games remaining. Uh entering Monday’s action, the Cubs are in the top wildcard spot. Three games up on the Padres’s, five games up on the Mets. Also, the Padres’s are only one game back of the Dodgers for first place in the NL West. Cubs have a 99% chance to make the postseason. They’ve been in a postseason spot since literally the 10th game of the year. But Sam, it feels different right now. It feels a little weird considering the Cubs are 42 and 39 since June 6th. Considering the Cubs are 22 and 23 since July 20th. But the Cubs do hold the top wildcard spot right now. And as we break down these final 19 games as well as a final win prediction, I do think the chances are good they they hold that spot despite their average malaise now dating three months. I thought it was 43 and 38 since June 6th. I must have missed a game. I must have called a game wrong because I tweeted that yesterday. Yeah, 42 and 39. Wow. Um, well, that’s disappointing. I might have to delete that tweet. Um, well, 22 and 23 uh since uh those first two games after the break. I I I share your optimism. I think we’ll have a much better idea though after this week because I I I or these three games in Atlanta because I think these games are tough. Strider, Elder, um, Sale, you know, um, those are three I know, I know, I know they don’t have great numbers this year besides Sale who’s been hurt, but you know, those are tough tough customers. Um, glad to see you back by the way. Uh, yeah, it’s just I talked about this yesterday. It’s just a really weird season and I I You called it the weirdest in your in your fandom. Well, it it weirdest good. Weirdest good. like meaning usually when you have a good team, you’re having a blast. Like I remember and maybe maybe this is just selective um you know the opposite of recency bias and just looking back at things. I tend to look back at things better than I do in like the present, but like that 03 team I you know they they won 88 games, but I remember just bouncing back and forth. was so excited and there was just so much buzz around them and you thought they were going to beat the Marlins where this team is going to win more than 88 games and it’s just been a really weird year and I think to be honest what you said about their record since June 6th that summarizes it you know they’ve been bad and not bad that’s not the right word they have been okay for three months yeah long time so it’s just hard to get super pumped up and excited about a team that’s just been average for three months But if you look at the 2023 Rangers, you know, they finished the year really poorly and they got hot at the right time. Matt, I want to just say something before I swing it back to you. Well, yeah, because 42 and 39 also is conveniently uh exactly 50% of the year. Exactly. Exactly. That’s an 84 win team. I am I’m just looking at the Padres’s. Okay, so the Padres’s are 26 and 19 in their division and the Cubs are 24 and 18. So it’s really really close. Unfortunat because folks Well, I haven’t looked at that since the last time we did it on the air. Folks, for those that for those that don’t know, the the tiebreaker between the Cubs and Padres’s would be head-to-head. They split the season series 3-3. The next tiebreaker is intra division record. The problem is the Padres’s have a fourame series at home against the Rockies left. So my guess is the Cubs will not get that tiebreaker and they will have to finish a game ahead of San Diego. Go ahead. Yeah. Well, that that is critical because the Cubs have by no means run away with this wild card race. No. And also, how much are you looking at Dodgers results as as a team to put in the convo? Or do you think it really is, as you said, no other day, Cubs, Padres’s, Mets? No, you’re right. I am looking at the Dodgers. I mean, the Dodgers have played so poorly. Um, they they they absolutely are in the conversation. Um, I don’t believe they have any games left with the uh Padres’s. I know they play the Rockies this week at home. I mean, it’s just ridiculous. Those are like free wins. Um, yeah. So, oh, that’s they got an interesting schedule the rest of the way. The Dodgers, they really do. They play Rockies at home for three, but then they go on road Giants at home Philly at home Giants at Arizona at Seattle. So, that’s that’s a tough schedule. So, as I’ve been thinking about this throughout the day and uh thanks Sam for covering me, you know, as I’m under the weather and Well, you’re not you’re feeling better now. also during the first segment tonight. Hopefully, it’s a good segment. Hopefully, it’s a win. I really Yeah, we’re kind of in this time warp right now. Uhhuh. Also, we’re in this time warp before the Bears kick off their season. Anyway, uh if the Bears If the Bears win and the Cubs lose, I’ll be opening the show with bear down. Go ahead. I just used one of your comedic uh cues. Anyway, but I really think this Sunday, the the game 162 for me should be a spring training game. And so after tonight, to me, the Cubs really only have what 17 games left. Well, I hope I hope it doesn’t matter. Well, right. and and and you would like only really that la that Friday game 160 to be the last real game if possible, but let’s meet in the middle on my own theory and say that game 161 is the last regular game, right? I I No, no. I I this thing could come down to the last game with the way they’re playing. I don’t know. Well, I know, but I’m just trying to map this out so we we don’t have to get there. Okay, go ahead. That’s what I’m trying to do. I’m sorry. No, I’m sorry. I’m I’m It’s my fault. So, in this scenario, game 161 is the final regular game. Mhm. I understand what you’re doing now. I apologize. Okay. Because the Cub this Cubs team needs that couple days off. Okay. As we’ve seen, they can’t be playing to 162. If anything, they could use that whole series Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Yeah. With the Cardinals coming to town, I don’t think you would disagree with that. No. So they have three at the Braves which is now two in the as we record in this you know simulation and then an off day Thursday. Then they go back to Wrigley just for a short home stand. Three shortest of the uh the season Tampa three verse the Rays who have an outside shot at the wild card in the American League. Three at the Pirates, four at the Reds. an off day, three against the Mets, and then depending on how you look at it with my theory, you know, one, two, or three against the Cardinals, and you know, can they can they go uh 11 and seven, you know, can can they go over over 18 games? Can they could they could they win a couple series? Really, three, it have to be three series wins. and a split with the Reds because maybe you lose this series with the Braves, Sam. Maybe you lose three of four to the Reds. Oh boy. Uh but but I just think and not I’m not including Monday night’s game. Now, if you could go 11 and seven over the final 18, let’s say they lose Monday, unfortunately, that’s you that gets you to 92 wins. That does it. I think that would do it. Would that Would that secure the top spot? I think 93 is the number. All right, we talk about that win total. If that secures the top spot right after this, this episode is brought to you by Monarch Money. Most people can’t name all their financial accounts or even what they’re worth, whether it’s 401ks, properties, or investments. And when you don’t have the full picture, you can end up leaving money on the table. That’s why there is Monarch Money. It’s an all-in-one personal finance tool that brings your entire financial life together in one clean, easy to use interface on your laptop or your phone. Monarch is built for people with busy lives. If you put put off organizing your finances, Monarch is for you. Monarch does the heavy lifting for you. You can link all your accounts in minutes, see clear data visuals, get smart categorization of your spending, and finally feel in control of your money without ever touching a spreadsheet. you can identify that you aren’t saving as much as you thought. Like I identified because all I do is spend money on food delivery services instead of driving the seven minutes to go get the food. That stuff starts to add up. Maximizing investments, increasing your savings rate, easily reviewing finances with your partner andor advisor, keeping a clear reviewer of your financial health week to week. So don’t let financial opportunity slip through the cracks. Use code locked on MLB at monarchmoney.com in your browser for half off your first year. That’s 50% off your first year at monarchmoney.com with code locked on ML. Make sure you’re subscribed to Locked On Cubs. That way you don’t miss any of the great Cubs content we’ve got for you. That includes the Cubs post with Joe George live after the final out of every game. So Sam, you think 93 wins is the sweet spot? Yeah. And I wanted to ask you, how important to you is homefield advantage in that three-game series? It’s critical. Okay. It’s critical. I I am still optimistic about them advancing to Milwaukee. Really? Okay. But I really think that lies in where the wildcard series is played. If they have to go to LA or San Diego or Queens, it’s hard to see a path to them winning that series right now. Right. Right. Yeah. I I I’m really curious what the line would be. Um Cubs just the most likely outcome is Cubs Padres’s, right? And you know who starts game one for San Diego? I’m not really familiar with their whole situation. I know King’s their best guy, but he’s hurt, isn’t he? Yeah, it’s coming back this week. Okay. So, it probably be him then, right? Yeah. So, like King Boy King and Boyd. King Boyd or King and Managa at Wrigley Field. What’s the line on that? My guess would be Cubs minus 12ishus. That’s I was going to I was going to guess 120 and my guess would be is if it’s on the road, I think it’d be San Diego minus maybe even 130. You know, I was going to say 140. Yeah. Yeah. No, you’re right. So, I’m just I’m just putting in the difference of of of the home field advantage there of how important that could be for the Cubs. I uh Yeah. You know, cuz think about it. Tonight, for example, the Cubs are on the road in Atlanta. Um it’s el it’s Elder Shoda, right? Yeah. I think the Cubs are like minus 125 on the road. So, imagine where they what you know, and that’s against a far inferior team this season. So, yeah, I mean, homefield advantage matters. Also, uh, Tuesday is Horton Strider and you see Wednesday is Tyion sale. Yeah, I saw that. I saw that. There’s a lot of And then we got a lot of the Palencia on the IIL. Yep. And, uh, Kyle Tucker is apparently available, but still not starting. Yeah, Tucker available off the bench. PCA is getting the start tonight. Palencia, the news on that, it just came out right before we started it. They’re going to they’re re-evaluating in three days. Um, so I don’t, that doesn’t sound great. Well, speaking of three days, uh, you can only backdate on the IIL three days, right? And so the Tucker IIL thing, is that that’s over? I think it has to be now. Yeah. Okay. They don’t, but he might as well Casey and Right. Right. Because he last played Tuesday, right? Right. It was my It was because I was solo. Yeah. It was a solo show Tuesday of last week. Yeah, that’s right. All right. I got a few trivia questions here. Oh boy. When was the last This is a really a softball to warm you up. Okay. When was the last time the Cubs won 902 games? 92 on the dot or at least 92? At least 92. Yeah. Yeah. 17. Oh, excuse me. 18. Yeah. 2018. You remember what they won? 95 and 18. I think it was 92 and 17 and then I think it it was 103 and 16, 97 and 15. Yeah, quite a four-year stretch right there. Wow. And then then all the way down to 83 I believe in 19. Yeah, 84. 84, sorry. Uh Caleb Theelbar and Brad Keller entered Monday with RAS of 212 and 217 respectively on the season. Mhm. for at least for a reliever having made at least 54 appearances, which is onethird of the year. Yeah, those guys have the lowest reliever eras since since who? Yeah. So, Chapman didn’t play didn’t pitch enough. No, cuz he his RA with the Cubs, I think, was in the ones. And interestingly, these uh there’s also like some teammate ties here. Oh, that’s a great question, Matthew. Which I didn’t realize until I looked it up, but it wasn’t we Davis, was it? No. Okay. I mean, the and Keller, what Keller and Theelbar are doing. These guys have low low eras. But a a hint is uh the stretch that we just discussed the uh the win totals. Okay. It seemed like you’re already trending that way. That’s where I was trending. Um, went with Davis and I was wrong. Rondon. Wow. No, I’m wrong. You got it. You got it right. Oh, it’s Rondon. Okay. Hector Rondon 1675 15. Yeah, 2015. He was crazy. He The Cubs, they closed out that Cardinal series. The Cubs had another reliever that started with a one in 2015 that Trevor Cahill. Well, 54 plus games. It wasn’t Cahill. Oh, okay. Uh, [Music] I should know this. Pedro Stro, you mentioned he had a 226 RA in 2018. I should know this. Who? 54. Steve 218 in 2018. But who is this other guy in 2015? 199 erra. Oh boy. I feel like this is a bad miss. Um I’m just trying to think. No, no, it’s not. Um it’s a tough one. I remember. Okay, I’m just trying to go all the way there, but I I I’m usually pretty good with the relievers. I’m just trying to think of those Cardinals games and who came in and I remember I remember a lot of Cahill. I remember a lot of uh uh Rondon and I’m just I’m missing it. Uh who is it? Or give me a hint. Just just you could just tell me. Yeah, you just tell me. Justin Grim, I would never have gotten that. Okay. I I I I do not have fond memories of Justin Grim and I’m quite shocked that that’s the answer. This is locked on Cubs part of the locked on. Oh, that’s it. I thought you had three. Oh, I Well, I did. You want the next one? Yeah. I thought you were going to do a little Cubs Braves, you know. Oh, no. I I’m sorry. I didn’t think of that. Jeff Blowser was a Cub and a Brave. Do you know who the Cubs leader is in opposite field? Like so Kyle Tucker hit that opposite field homer last week at Do you know the Stackcast era is only 10 years 2015? Oh, great question. I love I mean this is Do you know who has the most oppo shots for the Cubs since 2015 total? Wrigley. Yeah. Ian Hap. Well, he’s the a great guest. He’s He is the Cubs active leader, but there’s two players that have more. Schwarber. That’s correct. Number one, and number two is um Oh, uh Rizzo. Nope. It’s got to be It’s got to be a lefty. Um guess no. Jav Bayz. Yeah, correct. Okay, this is Locked on Cubs, part of the Lockdown podcast network. Your team every day for your second listen. Check out the allnew 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 Lock MLB channel on YouTube or wherever you listen to podcast. All right, we’ll be back after Cubs Braves on Tuesday. He’s Sam Olber. I’m Matt Cozy. This is Locked on Cubs. Shout out to Matt Cozy and Sam Olber, host of my favorite podcast, Locked on Cubs.

The Cubs lose again in Atlanta and Sam discusses the Offensive struggles Again. Sam and Matt talk about the path to the first Wild card and how many games the Cubs need to win.

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