Locked On Cubs

I have returned to the podcast for Episode 78! Since the Cubs did not play on Thursday, I took a chance to do another look at the events of the seventh inning on Wednesday in my opening segment. There is one big thing that I had a problem with, and it's not new: Joe Maddon's refusal to bring in Albert Almora Jr. as a pinch-hitter for Jason Heyward. I brought out some numbers, plus a key example from 2017.In the second segment, I answered a question on the topic of potential trade targets. Spoiler Alert: They are scarce. Finally, I did my usual rundown of the NL Central. The Cubs are now 3.5 games back of the Milwaukee Brewers. Be sure to follow us on Twitter @LockedOnCubs and send any questions or comments to lockedoncubs@gmail.com. Also, keep a lookout for @BetChicago1, which will be launching on June 1. I'll be contributing there as the lead on the Cubs and White Sox. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Corey Freedman of Cubs Insider and the Cubs Related podcast sat down in the hosting chair for Episode 77 of Locked On Cubs. He first recapped a frustrating 1-0 loss against the Cleveland Indians on Wednesday night, and in the second segment Corey looked at Jon Lester's performance in that loss. Lester went seven innings, allowing one earned run while striking out four batters.In the final segment, Corey spent some time diving into the seventh inning of the game ... mistakes were made. How much of a pass should Joe Maddon get? After all, flags fly forever. To finish things out, Corey updated the standings and discussed a little of what's going on with the other teams in the NL Central. You can follow him on Twitter @CFCubsRelated, and you can follow the podcast on Twitter @LockedOnCubs. Be sure to email us any questions or comments to lockedoncubs@gmail.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Cubs lost the opener of the short two-game set with the Cleveland Indians by a score of 10-1. Trevor Bauer was excellent for the Indians, while Tyler Chatwood couldn't hit the broad side of a barn with a baseball. No, really. Chatwood wasn't just missing with his pitches, but often missing by several feet. He walked six batters in the game, and it finally got the best of him. I went into further detail about my Chatwood concerns in my second segment.In my final segment, I looked around the NL Central and updated the standings. The Cubs are now three games back of the first place Milwaukee Brewers, tied in third place with the Pittsburgh Pirates. They're playing their final game of the season against the Indians tonight, with Jon Lester facing Adam Plutko. I'll be back with a podcast on Friday, and it follows yet another off day for the Cubs. So send me your questions for the mailbag!You can follow us on Twitter @LockedOnCubs or email questions and comments to lockedoncubs@gmail.com. Learn more about your

The Cubs will welcome the Cleveland Indians to Wrigley Field for two games, and it's the first time the Indians will pay a visit since Game 5 of the 2016 World Series. That game was started by Trevor Bauer, and Bauer will start again for the Indians on Tuesday night against Tyler Chatwood. That game will start at 6:05 pm CST, and I'll be at Wrigley on Wednesday doing a story for the Sporting News.In the second segment, I took more questions from the listeners since the Cubs didn't play on Monday. That includes a question about games that we know by a certain player's name and the two cities I would pick to place expansion teams for Major League Baseball. In the final segment, I updated the NL Central standings. Be sure to follow us on Twitter @LockedOnCubs and send us your questions and comments at lockedoncubs@gmail.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Cubs took three out of four games in Cincinnati over the weekend, which is excellent news. But probably the best news is that both Jose Quintana and Yu Darvish pitched well, combining over the final two victories to pitch 13 innings with three hits allowed and one earned run. Just imagine how good the Cubs could be if Quintana and Darvish are pitching up to their potential!In segment two, I brought on Jeremy Deimer and Pat Nagle from the Wrigleyville Nation podcast to chat a bit more about what's going on with the Cubs. That includes a little chat about Albert Almora Jr. and his outstanding projections for the rest of the season. Finishing out, I did my quick rundown of the NL Central and updated the standings. Be sure to follow us on Twitter @LockedOnCubs and email us any questions or comments to lockedoncubs@gmail.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The final game of the Cubs and Braves' series in Atlanta was rained out, so the Cubs got the day off on Thursday. It's good that they're rested going into the series against the Cincinnati Reds, but the long-term effects are not so good. I looked at the upcoming schedule, and how this is going to change things in the second half for the Cubs.In the second segment, I took a handful of questions from the listeners. That includes some mascot chat, the most annoying habit of Cubs fans, and which starting pitcher I am most concerned with going forward. Be sure to follow the podcast on Twitter @LockedOnCubs and send us any questions or comments to lockedoncubs@gmail.com. Also be sure to follow my new writing venture, @BetChicago1. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Cubs suffered yet another frustrating loss on Wednesday night, which is their third such loss in their last four games. The Braves won the game by a score of 4-1, putting up three runs in the bottom of the eighth on Carl Edwards Jr. What has happened to C.J.? Has he really turned a corner this season, or is he still going to go through stretches where he dominates and stretches where teams light him up?I brought out some stats in the second segment to compare the 2018 offense with the 2016 offense, and there are some surprises in there. What's not surprising? The Cubs have been extremely inconsistent on offense this season. As usual, I looked at the entire NL Central in the final segment, and I'm sorry to say that the Cubs were the only team that lost yesterday. You can follow the podcast on Twitter @LockedOnCubs and email us any questions or comments to lockedoncubs@gmail.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Cubs broke their two-game losing streak last night against the Atlanta Braves, thanks to a two-run rally in the ninth inning. Brandon Morrow closed out a 3-2 Cubs victory. Yu Darvish had to leave after four innings in his return from the disabled list, but is it a big deal? I'll attempt to speak calmly about the early issues with Darvish. Tonight's game in Atlanta will be started by Tyler Chatwood, and in the second segment I have plenty to say about his performance thus far.I did a quick rundown of some Statcast numbers that I found pretty interesting, and then in the final segment I did the usual rundown of the NL Central and updated the standings. You can follow us on Twitter @LockedOnCubs or send us emails with comments and questions to lockedoncubs@gmail.com. Please go leave us a nice review on iTunes if you already haven't, it really helps the podcast quite a bit! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

 Sean Sears (@seanrsears) of FanSided -- and now a writing contributor for Locked On Cubs -- once again stepped up to the plate to help out with Episode 70 of Locked On Cubs. He looks back at a frustrating loss to the Atlanta Braves on a hot day in which the wind was blowing out. It's easy to look back on the Jose Quintana trade in retrospect, but what is the Cubs left-hander doing wrong in 2018? Why has he been so much worse than his stellar career numbers?Looking ahead, the Cubs now travel to Cobb County for three more games with the Braves. In the final segment, Sean looked at the National League standings and where the Cubs sit in the NL Central. You can follow the podcast on Twitter @LockedOnCubs and email us at lockedoncubs@gmail.com.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For Episode 69, I wanted to give the fans a nice treat. Evan Altman of Cubs Insider joined me for my second segment to chat a bit about the Cubs, Triple-A depth, and the overall perception of Addison Russell. To close out the discussion, we teased an article I wrote for Cubs Insider that compared Cubs players with Marvel superheroes from Avengers: Infinity War. It's just for fun, but if you're a Marvel fan it's a must-read.Otherwise, the Cubs took two-of-three from the White Sox this weekend, and I spent the first segment looking back on that. In the final segment, I did my usual rundown of the NL Central and updated the standings. You can follow the podcast on Twitter @LockedOnCubs and email us any questions or comments to lockedoncubs@gmail.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With the Cubs having an off-day on Thursday, I took the opportunity to field more of your questions for Episode 68. There were some good ones! In the first segment, I talked a little about some hypothetical lead-off options and a recent hot-take about whether or not Kris Bryant is a superstar. Yeah, you can't make this up. A national baseball guy really did start this conversation.In the second segment, I took more questions. First, I blathered on and on about writing and why not to try to get into the sports writing industry. Later, I recalled my favorite player to interview and ranked the best Cubs playoff victories. Needless to say, they're all from this century. Be sure to follow the podcast on Twitter @LockedOnCubs and don't be afraid to email any questions or comments to lockedoncubs@gmail.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Cubs finished out their sweep of the Miami Marlins on Wednesday, pounding starter Wei-Yin Chen and posting a 13-4 victory. Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, and Addison Russell all hit homers for Chicago, and the main arms in the bullpen got some major, must-needed rest. So the Cubs are now 8-5 in their last 13 games despite an awful offensive stretch, which puts them on pace for 100 wins. Next up on the schedule is the Chicago White Sox.I spent the second segment looking back on the Crosstown Classic. Despite how many might feel, the Cubs and Sox are not rivals in any sense of the word. Maybe the fans have a rivalry, but that doesn't even really exist outside Chicago. At any rate, I looked back on some stats from the historical, head-to-head matchup, a few key moments in the series, and Cubs franchise leaders versus the White Sox.Be sure to send your questions for Friday's mailbag podcast to @LockedOnCubs on Twitter or lockedoncubs@gmail.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Cubs beat the Marlins for the second straight day, running their record to 7-5 in their last 12 games. But wins and losses aren't the only thing we're here to talk about. Tom Loxas of Cubs Insider joins me in the second segment to go over those Manny Machado trade rumors. Would it make sense for either the Cubs or the Baltimore Orioles to work out a deal? If so, who would have to be involved?In the final segment, I did my brief rundown of the NL Central and updated the standings. Jose Quintana will take on the Marlins in the finale of the three-game series on Wednesday, with the Cubs looking for a three-game sweep. Be sure to follow us on Twitter @LockedOnCubs and email us any questions or comments at lockedoncubs@gmail.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Cubs are back in the win column, baby! Ian Happ hit two home runs, Kris Bryant crushed one, and Javy Baez hit a deep homer to center field in a 14-2 rout of the Miami Marlins. It really was exactly what the Cubs needed, with Kyle Hendricks tossing eight innings and giving the bullpen a much-needed day of rest. Jen-Ho Tseng will make his 2018 debut with the Cubs on Tuesday night against Miami.In the second segment, I looked at a piece that Patrick Mooney wrote for The Athletic on Adbert Alzolay, and I looked at what could be on the horizon for him (and the rest of the Cubs' bullpen) as the season moves along. There are some very good reasons to look to avoid burning out guys like Steve Cishek, and it has everything to do with October. Be sure to follow us on Twitter @LockedOnCubs and email any questions or comments to lockedoncubs@gmail.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

That didn't go as planned. The Cubs lost all three in St. Louis over the weekend by a combined four runs, including two walk-off losses that they lead with less than three outs to go. That brings the losing streak to five games, and well, things aren't going very well for the Cubs right now. They can't hit, they can't score, and it's no fun to watch. But otherwise, things are great.In segment two, I vented the frustration on behalf of Cubs fans everywhere. This is off script, people. Not only did I point out the biggest problem, I pointed out the biggest things that Cubs fans love to blame that really aren't the problem at all. Finally, I looked around the NL Central, updated the unfortunate division standings, and looked ahead at the Marlins a bit. Be sure to follow the podcast on Twitter @LockedOnCubs and email us any questions or comments at lockedoncubs@gmail.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's an off-day podcast, so I gathered questions from a Twitter AMA to entertain you. In the first segment, I jumped on some meatballs right down the middle. It's a little light-hearted, and a good way to kick things off. But in the second segment, I went at the really hard-hitting stuff. That includes a question about whether the Baltimore Orioles would actually be interested in a Manny Machado-for-Addison Russell type of deal.In the final segment, I looked at the one game from the NL Central on Thursday. The Cubs begin a series in St. Louis on Friday, with Jose Quintana facing Miles Mikolas. You can follow the podcast on Twitter @LockedOnCubs to take part in any future AMA's, and you can also email questions or comments to lockedoncubs@gmail.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Cubs lost against to the Rockies on Wednesday, dropping their three-game set and finishing the season series tied at 3-3. The offense failed them again, but this time the pitching was no better. On a day when the wind was blowing out, Rockies pitcher Tyler Anderson dominated while Yu Darvish couldn't keep fly balls to stay in the ballpark. The final score was 11-2, with solo homers from Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant accounting for all the Cubs' runs.I welcomed Kelly Wallace of Locked On Cubs back to the show to talk a little about Ian Happ in our second segment. Have the Cubs learned from their handling of Kyle Schwarber last year, and will they send Happ and his 46.1 K% down to Triple-A Iowa? I finished out by looking around the NL Central and updating the standings. You can follow us on Twitter @LockedOnCubs and email any questions or comments to lockedoncubs@gmail.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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The Cubs are back in first place all on their own, which is where they belong. After winning four straight over the Brewers, the Cubs took Game 1 of a three-game home series with the Colorado Rockies. In the opening segment, I do a quick rundown of everything that has happened since last Friday. In the second segment, I opened talking about Adbert Alzolay and his excellent start at Triple-A Iowa on Monday evening. What could his role be in Chicago this season?After a few historical notes on Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant, I took a look around the NL Central. The Cubs' 7-1 record has meant a lot in relation to the Brewers, who are now one game back of the Cubs. A special thanks to Sean Sears of FanSided for taking the reigns for me on Friday. I was in Chicago doing a story on the Brewers for The Athletic, so I appreciate him picking up my slack. You can follow the podcast on Twitter @LockedOnCubs and email us any questions or comments to lockedoncubs@gmail.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastcho

Welcome to Locked on Cubs, the daily podcast covering the Chicago Cubs as part of the Locked on Podcast Network. With regular host Ryan Davis out for the day, contributor Sean Sears fills in once again to preview the weekend series with the Milwaukee Brewers while looking back at Thursday's game. Segment 3 is a quick look around the rest of the NL Central.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices