What we’re hearing: How the Cubs are lined up for the stretch run

0:00You're the best-feel operative I've ever had. You were born for it. In the 81, the embassy went down. We go 25 million in the wall. Where? O'Till Teran. This is bad. Like run for the hills, man. Do it now! I don't have the money. But I've got some more valuable. You shall know the truth. The truth? You'll make it free. The Bix in theaters September 11th.

1:57Welcome into Northside Territory, Fowl Territory Networks Cubs podcast. I'm Saadev Sharma with my partner Patrick Mooney. We are your Cubs beatwriters over at the athletic. And Patrick, since we last spoke to our audience, the Cubs wrapped up a four game split with the Milwaukee Brewers. They are as we record, they'll be wrapping up three games in Miami. The one that series already will see if they can sweep it. Now they're going to, after that, they're going to head to Milwaukee for another three. So seven games with Milwaukee in a kind of a 10-day span here. Look, the division is all but one for Milwaukee. We can, you know, if you want to dream, you're allowed to. But this is, it's a seven game difference. We got three weeks less than less than 20 games or 21 games.

2:58Yeah, less than 19 games left as we record. It's that's that's not going to happen. No, no, math doesn't work. Yeah. That's, that's all to say, like, look, the Milwaukee Brewers are going to run away with this division and all like that. Maybe it'll end up looking closer by the end of the season. But they've, they've dominated this division for a few months now. But we were just talking before we recorded, started recording here. I don't look at the Milwaukee Brewers. I think you agree with this and say like, how are the Cubs going to beat this team in the playoffs? They lost a game started by Mizorowski. That, you know, frankly, they should have won. And we'll talk about the bullpen in a little bit, but they, they put five runs up on Jacob Mizorowski and four innings. That's better than any other team has done all season long. They hit him well. They hit Kyle Harris and well.

4:00This team has offense. This team has some solid starting pitching. And if they can get the bullpen right, I don't see why they can't take down the Brewers. It's going to be, if they face them in the playoffs, it's going to be another one of those coin flip series where it's up one moment kind of makes everything makes all the difference. Yeah, I think the Brewers have sort of embarrassed the Cubs over the last several years. Like it's a constant source of frustration. You know, hiring Craig Council away didn't fundamentally change things. The Cubs do this with, you know, are looking up at the Brewers in the stands again with a much bigger payroll. I think what the Brewers do on the pitching side is super mysterious and interesting, which you doesn't make the Cubs look great, but at the same time I'm with you.

5:01I don't even going beyond the fact that the playoffs are a crap shoot like baseball is kind of random. You never know what happens in a short series. I think just watching these two teams, they played 10, 10 times to have one six and outscored the Cubs by five runs. And so you saw what happened in last year's playoffs. It came out to a couple games in the, in an elimination game. And they, Cubs were right there. If Cal Talker comes up with a big hit, maybe it's a different story. And so like, we can't, like, the Cubs don't get, you know, parades for sort of being competitive with the Brewers, but you know how those guys are in the clubhouse there. If this winds up being another Brewers Cup series and granted Cubs off to make the playoffs and then we'd have to we're assuming advanced through wildcard round and probably come in a little bit.

6:07But even under those circumstances, I think they would be extremely confident going into a really feel in the North. Yeah, there have been moments in this rivalry, whatever you want to call it over the past few years, where we're just look like how can the Cubs, like, how are the Brewers doing this and why are the Cubs so far behind? Like, you look at the standings. I think you can, you may feel that way. I think when you watch these teams play, I do not feel that way. It's very much felt over the years where the Cubs would be kind of close early on in the season and they just looked like different teams looked like it just looked like the Brewers. Just were doing things better than the Cubs. I think when you look at the Cubs now, there's something, you know, where we're. They have an elite defense. They don't make mistakes on defense. Council kind of touched on it on Tuesday. They have to be great on defense.

7:16I think he was just a, I'm not sure exactly what he was his point was at that point in time because I do think like the bullpen just kind of had a mini meltdown that night, two nights in a row, really. Just the bullpen wasn't pitching well enough. But when you watch this team, it's like they have an elite. They've two elite groups when you look at their defense and their offense. Like, these are two of the best. I mean, arguably the best defense and the best offense in baseball. And then when you start getting good, starting pitching, it just comes down to to one area. And I guess we can, we can talk a little bit about that. Chatchy PT can do more than answer questions. It can help you get real work done. Chatchy PT work is built for bigger projects with multiple steps. You bring the goal along with the information it needs. Like briefs, notes, files, feedback, calendars, data sets or project plans.

8:21Then, Chatchy PT can help turn all of that into something useful, an analysis, a tracker, a deck outline, a prototype, or a workflow you can keep shaping. It can also use approved apps, connected tools, files and browser context to help move the work forward. And you stay in control. You give direction, review drafts, approve actions, redirect the work and choose the final output. So you spend less time sorting through busy work and more time making progress on the work that matters. Put Chatchy PT to work on your most ambitious ideas and projects. Get started at chatchypt.com by selecting Work Mode, available on plus and pro plants. You're the best field operative I've ever had. You are born for it. In the 81, the embassy went down. We go 25 million in the wall. Where? Hotel, Tera. This is bad. Like run for the hills, bad. Do it. Now.

9:22I don't have the money. I've got some more valuable. You shall know the truth. The truth. Don't make it free. The VIX. In theaters September 11th. When it comes to accessing your home's value, what you don't know might be the only thing standing in your way. I don't understand. Exactly. Huh? An HEI from Splatero will give you a lump sum of cash upfront in exchange for a share of your home's future value. An HEI? What's the difference between that and a HELOC? Everything then matters. A HELOC is alone with variable interest rates that often have DTI requirements and monthly payments. With a Splatero HEI, there is no DTI requirement and most importantly, no monthly payments. Oh, I like that one. The no payments one. Of course, you're smart. And check this out. A HELOC has strict income and credit requirements. A Splatero HEI requires only a 500 minimum credit score and no income requirement. So much better. It seems like the only reason to confuse them is that they both start with H.

10:22Just remember Splatero. HEI means Splatero. Visit spli.itiro.com today and access your home's equity. No monthly payments, just cash in hand. Splatero. That brewer series just brought about more questions. Since we recorded Jacob Webb took a right we were we haven't recorded since Jacob Webb took the line drive. Correct. Correct. That was not that is not ended up putting him on the IL X-rays were negative. When we talked to him it was swollen. He thought he was going to miss the IL. We are at Sunday now. He hasn't pitched since but he also hasn't been put on the IL. So I think they're just trying to get through this without putting him on the IL. Something that I've noticed and I'm sure everyone's noticed after Saturday's win. Ryan's effort John looks a lot better and it's not just like he figured one thing out.

11:22Like he's using different pitches that he figured the sweeper out. He's throwing that for strikes and now he's he was such a heavy four seamer pitcher and now he's just like going to that sinker a ton and that sinker paired with that sweepers a really good pitch. Especially when hitters are up there thinking his main fastball is a four seamer. They're not barreling it up. But he's putting the ball on the ground a ton now. Andy can still come at you with the 99 mile per hour four seamer elevated and get some swing and miss. You know you want to see him like stack the good outings together but he's starting to look like the guy. It's not the exact version of the guy that they acquired but they the Cubs are like hey use this pitch a little bit more because your four seamer isn't moving the way it was early in the season when it was a dominant. Pitch let's let's switch things up a little and it's it's worked out really well so far.

12:25I'm really curious to see what he can do going forward and how good he can actually be. Yeah I think the important idea is stacking those good outings because with the way this bullpen has gone recently I feel like we could record this and then all of a sudden walk you will see. You know how those games are. The back and forth nature of them and let's see it in a high leverage spot but you council keep saying this. For reason like they have to get the guys who are already here and in the majors right and they can't pin all their hopes on. You know the Iowa rehabbers like you know it would be bonus if some of these guys pop and are able to contribute and we'll get to them in a second but it's just not like realistic or very strategic to like plan on these guys to all the sudden just like be lights out at the most important time of the year and you know I'm curious to how to.

13:35We we were told that Ben Brown is out for the rest of the season what was your take away from you know that confirmation the other day. Yeah that's that's a good question. There were a couple things for the ball like you know I think we kind of understood that this was the likely conclusion they just wanted to exhaust all options and make sure Ben was comfortable before like going forward and announcing this they're just like a look we've talked about with so much of this stuff the time time was running out once he had that set back. Honestly my my takeaway and I didn't hammer this too much in my writing but like I just don't know what his future holds I don't want to speculate too much like I. I guess we won't know we went spring training starts we don't really know when we'll be able to talk to these guys again after the season ends but.

14:38The conclusion that the Cubs came to after this and I and I know people are going to criticize the training staff or whoever they want to criticize the medical decisions that they make I think it makes sense they waited until there were no symptoms. And he was able to progress without pain I think that makes sense to do that like sometimes sometimes X raise or MRIs or things they don't come back perfect but it's like look this isn't like a full break or a tear whatever you can there are ways we can work through this. And he started to feel the pain again that's a set back and now the conclusion is it has to be a hundred percent. Healed they had another I think I think I think I asked the question imaging so I don't know exactly what scan he had but they had more imaging done there is still as council put it like an injury quote unquote there it's not a hundred percent healed so now you have to wait for it to be a hundred percent healed so my questions are how long does it take to get a hundred percent healed.

15:42And then does that eliminate the recurrence was it not a hundred percent healed when he started throwing again whenever it was before the twenty twenty five season and it just took a year and a half to have the pain again like I'm unclear on that I guess they didn't have an exact diagnosis prior to twenty twenty twenty five word incorrect diagnosis prior to twenty twenty five. So there's some there's some things that aren't like super clear here and I think the only way we're going to get answers is you know down to the future and this is a much further down the down the line topic because we don't even know what the off season holds or what next season holds but man do the cups have a lot of questions for twenty twenty seven and beyond about their rotation which is why when we talk about like hey can they resign say is a zookey can they do this they have to invest so much money into the rotation or so much money so many resources to trades or and or money.

16:45So like Ben Brown's future is just like a question for me I you know you want to be optimistic for the guy he's a guy that is easy to root for because he's super positive and he's overcome a lot and look so good and like fans obviously want the best version of Ben Brown but that's that's the question I have that's that's what I came away with thinking like I just don't know what to think about this guy's future anymore like you cannot pencil pencil him in. To the future rotation obviously he's not a part of the twenty twenty six season going forward he just would have been like you would feel a lot better if if we were like talking if this episode right now is like hey Ben Brown's probably going to be activated in the walkie or something like that I mean how good would you feel about the bullpen in the sense that like he's ever john's coming along and now they got this guy Ben Brown coming back like you know as long as webs healthy that this is a fun situation and you can let Daniel Pilenciak. So I think we're going to kind of figure things out works in low leverage you don't feel as much pressure on him or the other injured guys coming back as well.

17:55Yeah it's important to remember these are all kind of fluid situations we're sort of hearing these things third or fourth hand you know council is getting updates and you know the player is sort of filtering. This information which you know there is sort of an art to this it's not always strictly science it's interpret it interpreting kind of what they're seeing on the screen and you'll Ben has been a very thoughtful kind of honest interview over these last several years but it feels like even. There's not like pointing figures at anyone but it seems like he's been getting sort of like conflicting theories you know in regards to that initial you know what sounded like a misdiagnosis as well as this idea of will he have to totally alter his mechanics or not like Ben was the last time I talked to him about this was kind of conflicted on that idea so it's definitely something to kind of put on the back burner they have a lot of time to do that.

19:10I think it's really just really underlines why they can't just like pencil Justin steals name in for October although. Steel and Shelby Miller are going to try and make it interesting here and become a factor. Yes we got back to back outings for Shelby Miller Friday and Saturday I think that I was a song Twitter like that I saw as box or it doesn't look great on Saturday Shelby Miller. What the the Iowa broadcast or tweeted was he basically struck out the side and the third strike out what they didn't challenge for some reason he wasn't clear on that and then it kind of like unraveled after there. The results haven't been perfect everything that I'm hearing and everything that I see on like stat cast the stuff is there he's sitting 96 such a 97. You know you just hope like you just hope like a better and like him comes in locks it in and and is able to to help the team as long as he's feeling good today today's the test right there they're going to find out I maybe council will know.

20:21By now at some point when he talks to reporters or maybe we'll we'll have a better understanding when we're in Milwaukee tomorrow it sounds like he's going to be someone that they'll give a look down the stretch here and try and incorporate into the bullpen. Steal is supposed to pitch like today we were recording on a Sunday that'll be a second outing after making outing Wednesday. To me I still it's still hard for me to see how he gets incorporated well before the season ends but I think the the way I can see him impacting the team is he if he gets up to like two innings and he's like a two innings. He's like a two innings burst guy to two plus even if that's possible I don't know exactly what they're looking to do is this could this be a situation where they don't need him where they look at him as like a multi in and guy that could go every other day every like with the two day gap can you roster someone like that in the post season can you can you continue to gain confidence in him as you advance.

21:38In the rounds and use them in different situations I think those are the questions that are like really hard to answer because this is one of those more unique rehabs and like we don't see this that often where guys been out for 18-ish months maybe not that long but we're approaching that it really hasn't been to the big leagues in that long and then you want to use them in the playoffs it's just a you don't see that a lot but also someone that has proven like. You know the ability you know he has the toughness you know he has the mouth presence all the like both the tangible things and the intangible things you know he can handle these things can he physically do it and is he ready to. Chat G.P.T. can do more than answer questions it can help you get real work done chat G.P.T. work is built for bigger projects with multiple steps you bring the goal along with the information it needs like briefs notes files feedback calendars data sets or project plans then chat G.P.T. can help turn all of that into something useful an analysis a tracker a deck outline a prototype or a workflow you can keep shaping it can all be.

22:54You can also use approved apps connected tools files and browser context to help move the work forward and you stay in control you give direction review drafts approve actions redirect the work and choose the final output so you spend less time sorting through busy work and more time making progress on the work that matters. Chat G.P.T. to work on your most ambitious ideas and projects get started at chat G.P.T. com by selecting work mode available on plus and pro plants. I don't know the money. I've got some more valuable.

23:55And now he lock versus AGI a splotero AGI gives you cash for share of your home's future value no monthly payments a he lock is a traditional loan with monthly payments and strict requirements splotero for the win visit spl ITRO dot com today and access your home's equity. Yeah, I mean in the end it we're sort of talking about guys around the edges of the roster like bubble players and I think if you want to be optimistic you can look at clay homes. I think we both would agree is looking like a game one playoff starter Kevin Gossman has certainly looked like a front end playoff starter it hasn't been entirely smooth there's been some blips but when he's on he's been outstanding and he has the post season pedigree that I think you have to try to get it. You have to trust you know I think Matthew Boyd during his time in Chicago has proven that he's someone you can trust it hasn't been the smoothest year for a lot of different reasons.

25:14But still I think you'd feel good if he's starting a game three and then it was showed a in managa had that bounce back outing this weekend that I think he needed to sort of change the narrative or shift the momentum a little bit and you know reading Vinny Dubor story in the sun times that that council made a good point of just like people seem to overreact to show us bad outings now. The club sort of like fueled that by totally avoiding him in game five last year Milwaukee and declining their three year option on him last off season but I think the point stands that his body of work as a major league pitcher is really really good. They're not going to ask him to throw like 90 pitches in a playoff game but could he go through a lineup one time could you get you six outs can you give you some insurance if you have to win four playoff rounds this year I think the answer is yes.

26:28Yeah, I that's a good point about like people tend to overreact to show us bad outings look it like I think that happens because home runs can be jarring and when they're not solo shots they you start to get concerned. And I and you nailed it like the Cubs gave us reason gave people reason to be a little like a weary of what he can do I his below isn't isn't what it was at the beginning of this season but isn't as bad as bad as it was at the end of last season. So you know I I'm not I'm not at a point where I'm super confident in show to but I do think he can help this team and and I do think down the stretch I'm curious how he can how he performs and how it kind of like Kenny. Can he earn back that trust of everyone that's kind of like I don't know how I feel about show that I do think it's interesting that how he saw this up and and this is like you know we're not we're not Miami so we have.

27:43I need to read like the check out if anybody's like kind of ask like what the plans are nothing Council's going to tell us what the plans are for the rotation honestly but like I think it's like a day to day thing with them but like I doubt he's going with six man for that long. But it is interesting and I do think it helps show to probably the most he's someone that really does better after a little you know an extra day here or there. And I'm looking at Gossman's run with the Cubs after his latest outing and kind of processing that Cincinnati outing which wasn't good as far as you know I think he gave up two homers and five or six runs. That was a game that if I'm remembering correctly where the weather just sucked at regularly as far as pitching conditions so it's really just like one really poor outing against the nationals and a lot of good outings good to great outings I feel incredibly confident with him he's missing a ton of bats he's not walking guys he looks a lot more like the like it's not the best version of Gossman who was a sion contender but made it.

28:59Maybe like the savvy veteran that who has a ton of experience and will step up in the biggest moments I have a ton of confidence in him like when you have a one two with him in homes I think you can figure out the rest David Peterson had kind of a stinker is most recent outing I also felt like that was a tough day to pitch where it was the same day Ms. Arawski struggled right just a tough day to pitch. It seemed like Peterson just couldn't get a great handle on the ball like couldn't get a grip on the ball that day but that all said like I'm feeling good about the rotation the front of it and it's kind of like okay figure out like three four or five you're not going to use five starters in the playoffs but figure out those three four or five six even with the Cubs get one or two of them looking a lot better we just talked about Shoda Matthew Boyd had a did he ever he had a solid outing his last outing right he he's starting to look a little bit better I'm feeling a little uneasy with Matthew Boyd because he's not missing bats like he used to but

30:09but homes and and Gossmann have me feeling like okay you have a one two in the playoff get this bullpen right and you should be looking a lot better. Yeah especially if you have a spillover where like Peterson is asked to get like five outs rather than five innings I mean even you know a good playoff start now is like giving up two runs over four innings like that's kind of where the where the bar is at this point. But I think you'd have confidence in council and his coaching staff having a good feel for their their personnel the strengths and weaknesses you know the spots and the opposing lineup that they can attack. And then just they just have to be right you know I mean like they can have like the best intentions are all these great theories and if they don't execute the cameras going to be finding council looking you know walking over to the bullpen phone when we can can

31:14bring up the terrorists you know just crushes one out to you know out to the highway but it's this is setting up to be really like interesting final stretch here I feel like there's a lot of like players sort of percolating whether it's you be Swanson's eventual return the pictures in Iowa players really competing for spots and I can't believe we talk this long without talking about Pete Crow Armstrong like there's a lot going down going on down the stretch here that will keep us entertained. Yeah we'll see if Pete can get to 40 40 I think he got his 33rd steel Saturday it was I'm losing track of days I'm terrible with days now but he's I believe he's at 39 and 33 hope runs and stolen bases the Cubs got to fend off the Philly still it be I don't think it's the be all and all to get home field you just don't want to fall too far down they're they're not in too much danger right now they've

32:22right of the ship after it did look rocky there for a while the bullpen was getting a little worrisome the one three in a row and two of those were one run games yes the bullpen made Saturday night a one run game but they were got look can I do a real quick me a colpa I think last time we recorded I said Ryan Rallison look like he was kind of trending down I think he said two or three outing since then and he looks much like like huge outs looks really good I was I think you know maybe he is the the number one lefty I still I want to see it in the playoffs where he's like facing the best and don't and like gets them and then it's like yeah now I really okay I was I was off on that I I liked Rallison coming into the season it's just a little worrisome to see him as the number one lefty but hey if he gets the job done prove me wrong you're you're you're ready for the big moment great go do that so yeah hold off the fillies I I really I think I'm kind of rooting for a Cubs brewers and LDS again I think it'd be fun I want to see the read match and I think it like it last year was really good let's see if we can get it again and and what the Cubs can do this time around. All right, thanks so much for listening that's all we have this week for Northside territory will be back with updates from the

33:44Milwaukee next week thanks so much for listening everyone this is Northside territory make sure to review subscribe subscribe to the YouTube channel and subscribe to the athletic where Patrick and I are in top of all things Cubs thanks for listening to watch everyone take care. I'm gonna put the trainer jumping through hoops for better rates they just want to help you save automatically while you spend with spending accounts and savings tools with great rates no tricks no hidden fees banking built for life today learn more at ally dot com ally bank member FTIC this episode is brought to you by Bobcat they started the compact equipment industry through grit determination and a whole lot of think we can't do that watch us they set standards broke records empowered people to build bigger and higher to dig deeper to make the impossible possible we've all been there with doubters telling us what we can't do who cares what they think we don't need their permission or forgiveness we just get things done so go ahead and doubt me judge me challenge me but when the time comes watch me Bobcat

35:07if you're a custodial supervisor at a local high school you know that cleanliness is key and that the best place to get cleaning supplies is from Granger Granger helps you stay fully stocked on the products you trust from paper towels and disinfectants to floor scrubbers plus you can rely on Granger for easy reordering so you never run out of what you need call 1 800 Granger click Granger dot com or just stop by Granger for the ones who get it done you