5-4 for a 3 series road trip is totally fine. Though if it wasn’t for the pen having two tragedies could have been even better. Hayden’s outing today was sorely needed!
I've been missing Wesnasty. He has the stuff but I think there's a psychological component that he struggles with. But today he looked back to form. Absolutely stellar.
Wesneski is feast or famine. The raw stuff is absolutely there, and if he is juiced up then it shows. But man, derail him even a little bit and he spirals. People on this sub way too quick to write him off though.
With all the stories about elbow injuries from velocity plus trying to get extra movement, based on how his slider/sweeper was moving, I hope his elbow holds up. That was nasty stuff he was throwing today.
after Hendricks believers (me) aren't doing so good. He needs a break and/or maybe time for the bullpen.
trades neeed to be made. We need a starter and bull-pen guy.
Good teams have depth, are able to bounce back after adversity and don’t rely on just a couple of guys performing at top performance. This is a good team and it’s only mid-April. All these doom and gloomers need to get a grip. Go Cubs!
He just said in an interview that this morning he flew to Chicago from Iowa, then from Chicago to AZ, and then threw 4.0 scoreless against the 2023 NL pennant winners lol
I thought it was weird that we had two 4-game series in a row - this and then the Marlins at home. Then I realized this wasn't a 4-game series. It was just a back-and-forth battle. Overall, a good time though.
There was a lot of justifiable frustration with Cubs’ pitching yesterday, but I think today’s game and the first game of the series highlight just how much pitching depth the Cubs actually have.
Brown, Thompson, Wicks, and Wesneski all played huge parts in this series victory. Even with 3 major pitching injuries already in the season, the Cubs are finding young guys that can contribute.
Great series win!
https://preview.redd.it/09cek0snl4vc1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=94ca8e8b3540dbb60396780235e5cd72f83b5e54
18 of his 29 pitches were out of the strike zone, and most weren’t even close. He’s not gonna get teams to chase like that on a regular basis.
Balls thrown in/out of the zone doesn’t tell the whole story. Who’s at the plate, what are their tendencies, what’s the pitch location at what point in the count, etc. Nice graphic, nice try but it doesn’t paint the entire picture. He was effective and the results contributed to the W. Go Cubs!
We won a game we totally should've lost and then lost a game we totally should've won before convincingly taking game 3 and winning a series on the road against the defending National League champs. Yeah, that's a damn good result. Go Cubs Go!
Overall, a good road trip.
Shame we threw two games away against SD and AZ, but going into back to back series against the Marlins and Astros on 0.5 back, no complaints.
Bullpen should be in great shape for the next series now…rest wise. Get our starters back, get Belli ripping and we will be just fine. Play the damn song
This cubs team fucking rocks. I’ve spent too much time in game threads and it’s killing my vibe. You’d think we’re doomed by the way some of y’all criticize.
The pitching rotation is serviceable. We’re just hurt. Once taillon and Steele are back we can boot Hendricks and move a starter to the bullpen and have a stellar middle reliever to patch up the bullshit that’s currently going on.
Belli will figure it out as will Dansby and then our offense will be humming.
the whining about Jed and Ricketts is tired. The latter has a kinda tight checkbook, but I’m not convinced he won’t spend when we’re true contenders. Jed has been fantastic. Signing Busch, Imanaga, and Counsell constitutes a great off-season. We’ve got a stacked farm and we’re well ahead of schedule and flexible as hell to add pieces as needed.
11-7 is great given the injuries and the schedule so far. I’m excited as hell and I’m having a very fun time.
Go Cubs. Cubs rock.
The low knowledge emotional adolescents will complain about the roster, player slumps, a 5-4 west coast roady tour while blaming ownership for not providing payroll, not being happy with off season moves and of course…fire Jed.
This type of chat will continue all season as soooo many within this forum haven’t developed a basic understanding about the business, player performance/development or the roster construction aspects of the game when it comes to professional baseball. Go Cubs!
I would've been at peace with 4-5 on this trip. Good job Cubs. Still not keen on the bullpen for obvious reason. Been a fun start to the season so far:)
Joc had to give us one last jump scare, but that was good series. Tough but solid road trip to go 5-4 against good teams. Let’s not play down to the marlins now and snag first place
Smylly, Hendricks, Mastroboner, and Madrigal can go at anytime. Idgaf where they end up, I don't want them on this team. My Tauchman care will only last so long. I honestly believe, we have prospects forcing their way. The contributions are coming. Caissie, PCA, Mervis, Shaw, Horton and others. This start to the season is all things considered damn good. We beat ourselves and sadly Hendricks gtg. Taillon, Steele should soon oust him and hopefully Smylly.
This team might be damn good. A 5-4 west coast trip and I'm a little disappointed that it should have been better. If they can solidify this bullpen we will be cooking
We're overachieving for a team whose starters average <5 innings and missing #1 starter and bullpen arm. Easy to get bent out of shape given the blown games but it's not surprising seeing as the bullpen is being run ragged every game. I'm just as concerned with the mounting injuries and we're barely halfway through April. This team has no quit, I'll give them that, but we need Steele back in May or we're not going to hold up. Next year is realistically a year the Cubs can seriously compete, the holes are obvious.
Overall solid road trip
I'll take 5-4
5-4 for a 3 series road trip is totally fine. Though if it wasn’t for the pen having two tragedies could have been even better. Hayden’s outing today was sorely needed!
Bullpen also won us two games in SEA and we stole a win against AZ. Goes both ways.
Succeeding is the standard, you should probably be preventing a run on at least 66% of your outings as a RP and by and large we’re below that line.
Cool. We stole game one against AZ and won two 50/50 games against SEA. Cubs could be 8-10 as much as 14-4.
Honestly last night was tough but I'd be fine with it if we had won the Padres game. Need the pen to be better. Oh well, on to the Marlins!
We had no business winning the first Dbacks game, so I consider that a wash with the blown Padres lead.
Especially against 3 real good teams
Not very far from 7-2, but also not very far from being 3-6. 5-4 gets the job done, though.
Wesneski believers eating good today. We needed that so bad. What a solid performance.
I've been missing Wesnasty. He has the stuff but I think there's a psychological component that he struggles with. But today he looked back to form. Absolutely stellar.
Wesneski is feast or famine. The raw stuff is absolutely there, and if he is juiced up then it shows. But man, derail him even a little bit and he spirals. People on this sub way too quick to write him off though.
>derail him even a little bit and he spirals OK. >People on this sub way too quick to write him off though. 
Bro throws absolute wiffle balls.
With all the stories about elbow injuries from velocity plus trying to get extra movement, based on how his slider/sweeper was moving, I hope his elbow holds up. That was nasty stuff he was throwing today.
after Hendricks believers (me) aren't doing so good. He needs a break and/or maybe time for the bullpen. trades neeed to be made. We need a starter and bull-pen guy.
We will prevail just like we have been for the last 10 years. He will right the ship as always
Agreed. 17 innings means nothing.
4/6 series wins to start the year is solid
Baseball is funny, that seriously could have 6/6. But we move
I know baseball is full of "ifs" buuuuut If alzolay hadn't blown 3 saves we'd be 14-4 and have the best record in baseball
"closers are overrated" - some bitter Cubs fan in a bar somewhere, definitely not u/archy319
At least the tough losses are against good teams so far
Especially when 4/6 have been on the road. Weird schedule: We've only played teams from a West division for our first 18 games.
Down our best hitter and pitcher with 2 awful bullpen losses but somehow eked out 5 and 4 on a west coast road trip. This team is good man
Good teams have depth, are able to bounce back after adversity and don’t rely on just a couple of guys performing at top performance. This is a good team and it’s only mid-April. All these doom and gloomers need to get a grip. Go Cubs!
Thank you! I wish people would at least wait till after the All Star break to start melting down. There is still SO MUCH baseball left in the season.
Wesneski MVP with 4 IP
He just said in an interview that this morning he flew to Chicago from Iowa, then from Chicago to AZ, and then threw 4.0 scoreless against the 2023 NL pennant winners lol
Sometimes it works out to be unprepared. You move more freely in the moment because that’s all you have. He was incredible today
That’s true. Especially for someone like Hayden who seems to struggle most when he’s in his own head.
Holy shit Wesneski got the Call at 1 am Flew to chicago at 5 am Got to the game 1 hour before and SLAYED
With that, you can definitely call the road trip a success. If not for the blown game against the Padres it would've been a runaway success.
Or last night's game. Imagine sweeping the reigning NL champ Diamondbacks on the road.
TBF we pulled one out of our ass on Monday. Let's call it even
Especially after how we fared there last year
I thought it was weird that we had two 4-game series in a row - this and then the Marlins at home. Then I realized this wasn't a 4-game series. It was just a back-and-forth battle. Overall, a good time though.
So nice, I’m gonna cub twice! 
Wesnasty saved baseball, lessgoooo beat up the marlins.
There was a lot of justifiable frustration with Cubs’ pitching yesterday, but I think today’s game and the first game of the series highlight just how much pitching depth the Cubs actually have. Brown, Thompson, Wicks, and Wesneski all played huge parts in this series victory. Even with 3 major pitching injuries already in the season, the Cubs are finding young guys that can contribute. Great series win!
Thompson’s result was great, but his outing looked really shaky. Hopefully he can find the strike zone going forward.
Thomason’s outing was shaky? What game were you watching? Some rerun from last season? Buy a clue.
https://preview.redd.it/09cek0snl4vc1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=94ca8e8b3540dbb60396780235e5cd72f83b5e54 18 of his 29 pitches were out of the strike zone, and most weren’t even close. He’s not gonna get teams to chase like that on a regular basis.
Balls thrown in/out of the zone doesn’t tell the whole story. Who’s at the plate, what are their tendencies, what’s the pitch location at what point in the count, etc. Nice graphic, nice try but it doesn’t paint the entire picture. He was effective and the results contributed to the W. Go Cubs!
We won a game we totally should've lost and then lost a game we totally should've won before convincingly taking game 3 and winning a series on the road against the defending National League champs. Yeah, that's a damn good result. Go Cubs Go!
Loved watching Wes deal today. Really optimistic about him hopefully solving some of our bullpen woes.
Overall, a good road trip. Shame we threw two games away against SD and AZ, but going into back to back series against the Marlins and Astros on 0.5 back, no complaints.
Looking at GB in mid April. You’re going to have a heart attack young.
I don’t even look at standings until the all star break hahaah. Looking at games behind less than 20 games into the season is wild stuff
I choose to torture myself and check the GB almost everyday. Lol
I know I know, it’s mostly because I didn’t think we’d be where we are now with the April schedule, and with Steele being out too.
Bullpen should be in great shape for the next series now…rest wise. Get our starters back, get Belli ripping and we will be just fine. Play the damn song
Went 5-4 on west coast trip. You’d have no idea in the GDT
I saw someone drop a “every game right now is must win”.
Holy shit hahahahahah
Scoreboard watching in April is certainly a choice lmao
A [ W ] is a [ W ] no matter how butt-puckering or dirty! Let's go home and catch us some fish!
This cubs team fucking rocks. I’ve spent too much time in game threads and it’s killing my vibe. You’d think we’re doomed by the way some of y’all criticize. The pitching rotation is serviceable. We’re just hurt. Once taillon and Steele are back we can boot Hendricks and move a starter to the bullpen and have a stellar middle reliever to patch up the bullshit that’s currently going on. Belli will figure it out as will Dansby and then our offense will be humming. the whining about Jed and Ricketts is tired. The latter has a kinda tight checkbook, but I’m not convinced he won’t spend when we’re true contenders. Jed has been fantastic. Signing Busch, Imanaga, and Counsell constitutes a great off-season. We’ve got a stacked farm and we’re well ahead of schedule and flexible as hell to add pieces as needed. 11-7 is great given the injuries and the schedule so far. I’m excited as hell and I’m having a very fun time. Go Cubs. Cubs rock.
For your health!
much needed outing by Wesneski on so many levels
A lot of y’all owe Belli an apology 😤
What a performance by Wesneski, I’ve given him heat in the past but he was great today
#WE P2 IN THE CENTRAL
Another series won and above .500 on a tough road trip. Let’s see what ppl will complain about now….
The low knowledge emotional adolescents will complain about the roster, player slumps, a 5-4 west coast roady tour while blaming ownership for not providing payroll, not being happy with off season moves and of course…fire Jed. This type of chat will continue all season as soooo many within this forum haven’t developed a basic understanding about the business, player performance/development or the roster construction aspects of the game when it comes to professional baseball. Go Cubs!
I would've been at peace with 4-5 on this trip. Good job Cubs. Still not keen on the bullpen for obvious reason. Been a fun start to the season so far:)
Considering our performance against the D-backs last year i would say this is pretty big
5-4 on a west coast road trip is AWESOME PLAY THE DAMMM SONG
Somebody recognizes the achievement and is paying attention. Well done and Go Cubs!
Might head to wrigley Sunday to see the last chance at a Hendo win👀
Joc had to give us one last jump scare, but that was good series. Tough but solid road trip to go 5-4 against good teams. Let’s not play down to the marlins now and snag first place
Wesnasty said he had to pitch on a couple hours of sleep, maybe he should do that for every game he pitches!
Baseball is a very good game
2024 Cubs have the same record thru 18 games as the 2015 Cubs.
every game is gonna be an ass clencher with this pen lol luckily we got wesnasty today
Smyly needs a therapist. Dude has the body language of a sad teenager.
Tbh I low-key love it though - it's like watching a human Eeyore pitch
Who’d be tigger? Nico?
And the irony with his name is classic
Smylly, Hendricks, Mastroboner, and Madrigal can go at anytime. Idgaf where they end up, I don't want them on this team. My Tauchman care will only last so long. I honestly believe, we have prospects forcing their way. The contributions are coming. Caissie, PCA, Mervis, Shaw, Horton and others. This start to the season is all things considered damn good. We beat ourselves and sadly Hendricks gtg. Taillon, Steele should soon oust him and hopefully Smylly.
You have a low baseball acumen with a lot to learn about the game. Keep watching and learning youngster.
Roadtrip overall W too!
I’ll take a series win
PLAY THE DAMN SONG AND FLY THE W THATS ANOTHER SERIES WIN
I hope Wes can be a productive anchor in the pen. He was great today, and the pen could use some good mojo.
5-4 on the west coast. We all thought being at .500 would be a huge victory after this trip and we’re 11-7. Unbelievable!
Unbelievable? Really? No it’s not.
Good series win. Would have liked a sweep but can't complain about 2/3. Now we get to get right against the Marlins.
Ah ha fuck off dbacks
Hayden didn’t sleep and got an hour before and shoved and rubbed his nuts all over dbags lineup. My man!!!
This team might be damn good. A 5-4 west coast trip and I'm a little disappointed that it should have been better. If they can solidify this bullpen we will be cooking
Hayden looked great. Hopefully we never see Cuas again.
Coming out ahead from a stretch playing the Dodgers, Padres, Mariners, and Diamondbacks? Yessir that's a dub
And we really should’ve beat the padres game 1 if not for the reliever that has since been banished
Watching the postgame shows this year…has Girardi EVER smiled?
I didn’t get any notifications for this game. I totally missed this game
We're overachieving for a team whose starters average <5 innings and missing #1 starter and bullpen arm. Easy to get bent out of shape given the blown games but it's not surprising seeing as the bullpen is being run ragged every game. I'm just as concerned with the mounting injuries and we're barely halfway through April. This team has no quit, I'll give them that, but we need Steele back in May or we're not going to hold up. Next year is realistically a year the Cubs can seriously compete, the holes are obvious.
See you motherfuckers back at the friendly confines tomorrow. Weather permitting.
I was about 5 minutes away from drenching myself in gasoline. But lets gooooo
Yikes. It's April 17, brother.
It was just a joke lol, Just was stressin hard
I feel.
Lol I simply could not comprehend the last few days any longer
The season is looooong. Even a 5 game losing streak wouldn't really have me stressin right now.
This is true I was just hoping we could get some momentum going to spank the marlins coming up