Cubs starter Chris Volstad wasn’t as bad as he’s been at times on Sunday, but his winless streak was extended to 24 games yesterday. That’s only four short of the major league record.
‘‘I’m done with that,’’ said Volstad, who pitched six innings with a slider manager Dale Sveum said was his best of the year. ‘‘If you’ve won five in a row, are you going to worry about not winning your next game? Or if you’ve lost five in a row or whatever, are you going to worry about losing [the next one]? Or are you going to go out and compete and try to win each individual time you run out there?
‘‘That’s all I’m doing.’’
I know wins are a meaningless stat, so I really hope he doesn’t end up with that record. Yesterday’s big news is that lefty Chris Rusin might be called up to start Tuesday in Milwaukee. With a double header having been played Saturday, the team doesn’t have a starter that will be ready to go on more than three days rest. Rusin is only 8-8 with a 4.59 ERA in 24 starts at Iowa, so don’t expect the second coming of Randy Johnson. If he pitches well Tuesday, will we see him for the rest of the year?
‘‘If he’s going to get a longer look, he’s going to have to replace somebody,’’ Sveum said of Rusin, ‘‘or go with six guys or something like that in September.’’
Oh, and Rusin has 113.1 innings pitched with 87 strikeouts and 52 walks. Not exactly overpowering numbers.
As the Cubs look to do anything to improve their pitching staff, another reliever was dragged in off the scrap heap yesterday.
The Chicago Cubs claimed left-handed reliever Alex Hinshaw off waivers from the San Diego Padres on Sunday.
The former 15th-round draft pick by the San Francisco Giants in 2005 was 1-1 with a 4.50 ERA with the Padres this season in 31 outings. He was first brought up to the major leagues on May 8 and was designated for assignment on Aug. 14.
Finally, we’ve got Theo talking Starlin’s contract extension.
Epstein reiterated some of the virtues he and his staff have seen in Castro that teammates have seen since he broke into the big leagues in 2010: a strong work ethic, a drive to improve and a commitment to a team-first approach.
‘‘If you’re going to give long term to a player, you want to make sure you have very few reservations about the talent and about the character,’’ Epstein said. ‘‘You want to make sure it’s for the right years, the right ages, and in my opinion, you want to try to wrap up as many prime-age years as you can. You want to maybe let somebody else pay for the decline.’’
Have a super Monday!
I wonder how many games we were ahead or tied in the 5th inning and ended up being a loss…
Yesterday both on the Braves game and the Yankee game they talked about Soriano vs Castro. Both announcers liked what they knew of the Castro deal, but then began the “what if” game, noting how other players with big new contracts stunk the year after that contract was signed. Re: Soriano, they kept wondering why Sori would not want to go to SF, since he would then be on a winning team and cap off his career with a ring.They batted the family thing around, and then went back to obssessing about Steven Strasberg…
Soriano did not stink the year after he signed his contract.
Batting average of .299, and OPS of almost 1.000, 19 stolen bases, 33 homers and 70 RBIs from the lead off spot and a WAR of 7.0 while only playing in about a little over 3 quarters of a season.
Soriano was probably worth double what he was paid in 2007, and anyone who thinks differently is just flat out, 100% wrong.
Considering Castro’s contract isn’t really all the big in terms of money (relatively speaking), he still has to play very well to get his big payoff when this contract ends and he is 29 years old.
Chris Volstad doesn’t deserve a photo.
Most of this team doesn’t deserve a photo.
I love the “let someone else pay for the decline” line, lol. Not quoted here was, “I’m not going to name names, but we have a similar situation with someone whose name rhymes with Alfonso Soriano.”
Maybe someone will pay for my decline.
Too long ago and too expensive.
Only if you’re working for one of those”too big to fail”companies, and are in top management, or are related to one of the usual suspects.(fill in the name)
Maybe I can just get my booze paid for.
It would rhyme with “Balfonso Boriano”
I don’t remember him. Wasn’t he a catcher?
It looks like Bryan LaHair is on Twitter…at least it appears to be him…I for some reason, was one of the first people that he started following, which makes me wonder if it is a fake account, but his few posts so far were now very fakish. (I love making up words.)
Oh…@BryanLaHair6
He’s claiming he’s the real deal.
That’s enough for me, I guess.
Don’t players usually say something like “TheRealMattKemp”?
That used to be the trend…but now famous people tend to use kinda funky names that are a bit more obscure. LaHair seems like he’s not following either of those trends.
Depending on chemicals to provide happiness is less treacherous then depending on other human beings.
I would have to agree with that.
Well, today I wear the ‘Red’s’ jersey.
Got out of it yesterday by saying I only stopped by for 1.
Then had 2 more.
Some girl in my office just handed me “50 Shades of Grey” and told me I have to read it. I opened it to the middle and read 2 sentences. Yikes! Im going home now.
I thought that was a chick book.
I’m being forced to read it.
Hot blonde gave it to me.
That’s actually a pretty good excuse.
I’d worry if she wanted to role play after you read the book…
Oh…I see you’ve read it
I won’t be worried if she wants to role play. I was sorta kinda hoping that was her intent.
Looked it up on Amazon. Sounds pretty steamy. AND it’s only the 1st book of a trilogy. You got some, I’d say, enjoyable reading ahead of you.
50 shades of gray was originally Twilight fanfic, and the author simply reworked it a little, and is now making a ton.
I haven’t read it, but I’ve heard the writing is brutal. I don’t get the big deal. Women have been reading soft-core for decades.
Julie must be busy with sushi meetings again.
Not 1 Ryan Braun comment.
Maybe she’s gazing at the photos of A.J.,Methany, and Swimmerguy in her cubicle…
“Crafty” ‘Germano a mano’ on the mound tonight.
Phyllis Diller, R.I.P. Growing up, she was on all the afternoon shows like Mike Douglas,and Dinah Shore, and growing up I thought it was great that she could wear a costume every day….
What kind of world do we live in where someone like Phyllis Diller dies and yet Skip Bayless still lives.
Life sucks.
Is Skip 95?
He has the senility of most 95 year olds.
The only good part about the fact the Cubs playing the Brewers?
Even though the game is on WCIU, which I don’t get, I can still watch the game on FSN-Wisconsin.
What announcers do you get: Brewers or Cubs?
FSN Wisconsin is the Brewers station. It’s not Len and Bob, but those guys are actually passable. I suppose I could turn down the volume and put on Uecker.
Game thread soon…