Locked On Cubs

Apologies for the late and rushed podcast today. I'm hopping a train and heading for Chicago, where I'll be (hopefully) getting a story on Christian Yelich of the Milwaukee Brewers. In the meantime, let's talk about a Cubs loss to the Cleveland Indians. Kris Bryant sat out once again, but is that cause for concern? Not yet, but maybe soon. Jon Lester pitched well again, becoming the first Cub to get through seven innings as a starter this year.I went into the Ian Happ problem, how things might shake out when Ben Zobrist comes off the DL, and a few notes on Yu Darvish throwing to Willson Contreras. I finished out with a quick look at what happened in the NL Central on Wednesday, but had to cut the podcast short when my train arrived a few minutes early. Sean Sears of FanSided will be bringing you Friday's podcast. 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

The Cubs got another victory on Tuesday, improving to 11-9 and breaking the latest curse -- being .500 at every interval. Take that, 10-10! Kyle Schwarber was one of the big heroes of the win, clubbing two monster home runs to right field. Tyler Chatwood also chipped in, giving the Cubs six solid innings despite walking five batters. In the second segment, I went a bit deeper into Schwarber's very good numbers so far in 2018.Unfortunately, Addison Russell hasn't been quite so good. But you might be surprised to learn about some of his peripheral stats. Finally, I updated the NL Central standings and teased a piece that I'll be writing for a new publication this week. For those of you that have followed along, my Jordan Hicks piece for Sporting News is now live and can be read here. 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

With the Cubs coming off (yet another) off day and Evan Altman coming off a long vacation, I thought it would be fun to have a chat with the Cubs Insider managing editor. Evan and I talked about the success of the bullpen to this point in the season, followed by a fun little game I invented specifically to make him look bad.In the final segment, Evan and I discussed some of the good and the bad of the St. Louis Cardinals and Milwaukee Brewers, and which team we believe is the main challenger for the Cubs in the NL Central. As always, please 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

The Cubs went into Colorado and took two out of three from the Rockies over the weekend, which is good! But Yu Darvish was stinky once again and Kris Bryant got hit in the face with a fastball, which is bad. At any rate, there is plenty of good stuff that happened since I last spoke to you. I did a quick recap of the last three games before taking a question from a listener on that weird situation on Sunday between Javier Baez and DJ LeMahieu.For my final segment, as always, I took a look around the NL Central and updated the current standings. The Brewers are on a tear, while the Cardinals just can't stop beating up on the poor Reds. The Pirates aren't doing so hot lately, having fallen out of first place. Be sure to send us any questions or comments to lockedoncubs@gmail.com and follow us on Twitter @LockedOnCubs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Cubs not only played a game on Thursday, but they won a game! They beat the St. Louis Cardinals by a score of 8-5, with Jon Lester getting the victory and pitching well. Only a bit of a rough seventh inning from Eddie Butler was a black mark on this one. Javier Baez and Jason Heyward both had a couple of hits. The Cubs will travel to Colorado to take on the Rockies for a weekend series, with Kyle Hendricks opposing Jon Gray on Friday night.In my second segment, I welcomed Kelly Wallace of Locked On Cubs to chat about Ian Happ vs. Albert Almora in the outfield, as well as the breakout season of Baez. To finish things up, I took a look around the NL Central and updated the current 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 another slightly later release, I bring you Episode 53 of Locked On Cubs. This is not a drill, people; it appears as though the Cubs and Cardinals will actually play a game at 1:20 pm CST on Thursday. To start out the podcast, I chatted briefly about a story I was chasing at Wrigley Field on Tuesday and some of my interactions within the Cardinals clubhouse. Mike Maddux is an interesting dude.Next, I looked at Javier Baez batting in the second spot in the lineup for just the second time since 2014, and why he's having an outstanding season despite his deceptive .235 batting average. This is a major reach, but what if Baez were to actually reach the ceiling on his potential in 2018? I finished out the podcast, as always, by running down the action from Wednesday in the NL Central and I even added a brief look at the standings. You can 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/adch

Sean Sears stepped in to take Wednesday's episode of Locked On Cubs, due to travel on Ryan's part. The episode kicks off with a quick rundown of the Cubs' 5-3 loss on Tuesday to the St. Louis Cardinals, following two off days that came thanks to some inclement weather. Next, Sean looked at Tyler Chatwood's start and his biggest problem -- Chatwood can't stop walking people.Finally, Sean took a look around the NL Central. A special thanks to him for helping out and keeping the podcast train rolling along while Ryan gets caught up after a trip to frigid Wrigley Field. 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 good news is that the Cubs had a massive comeback on Saturday, beating the Atlanta Braves 14-10 after being down 10-2. The bad news? That's the last time the Cubs played, getting postponed for weather on Sunday and Monday. I briefly recapped the win on Saturday, then took a look at how the weather has effected the Cubs so far this year and what it may mean down the road.In the final segment, I took a look at the rest of the NL Central and previewed the upcoming games. This was a short one, because frankly there wasn't a lot of action minus Saturday's weird, rain-induced comeback victory. You can 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

Hey, we made it to 50 episodes! For this one, I recapped a not-fun loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday. Kyle Hendricks pitched relatively well, giving up only a couple of solo homers. Justin Wilson, on the other hand, was not quite so good. The Cubs lost the game 6-1, and with it the series (2-1).But the big story from this series were some comments that Pirates manager Clint Hurdle made about Javier Baez and Willson Contreras not "respecting the game." I took a dive into what Baez did, how he responded immediately after, and why (even though most of what he said was right) Hurdle was wrong to say what he did. The TL;DR of it is there appears to be some resentment on the Pirates side of this rivalry.I finished out the podcast, as always, by quickly running down the action of the NL Central on Thursday. That was just one game, but in that game a position player struck out a St. Louis Cardinals star! If that's not worth sticking around for, what is? Be sure to follow us on Twitter @LockedOnCubs and email

Evan Altman of Cubs Insider joined me on this podcast to chat about the last two games for the Cubs -- one excellent win, and one somewhat frustrating loss against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Cubs broke out the bats against Pittsburgh on Wednesday night, beating the Pirates 13-5. Javier Baez had his second consecutive two-homer game. Evan and I kicked things off in a negative way, chatting about things we haven't liked from the first 11 games. And is Tyler Chatwood the second coming of Jason Marquis?But this wouldn't be Locked On Cubs without a positive spin! In the second segment, Evan and I discussed the things that we have liked so far in the first 11 games of the year. Willson Contreras, Ben Zobrist, and Kris Bryant all make a cameo in our discussion. After we wrapped that up, I did a brief rundown of the action in the NL Central. As always, 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.co

Unfortunately, the Cubs and Pirates were snowed out on Monday. That kept the fans from getting to Wrigley Field for the official home opener, pushing that to Tuesday afternoon at 1:20 pm CST. In the meantime, I grabbed some questions from the listeners in an attempt to entertain you -- and really, myself too.First, I chatted a bit about Ian Happ and how much time he may have left in the leadoff spot. Next, I moved on to discuss Willson Contreras' Venezuelan League incident, the status of the Cubs' rotation depth at the moment, and whether or not peanut butter on a burger is acceptable. And at the very end, I announced the winner of our very first giveaway! 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

Apologies for the late start today, a nasty cold got in my way on Monday. Even still, I forged ahead to bring you episode 47. I started out by recapping the action of the weekend, in which the Cubs finished off taking 3 out of 4 from the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park. But the situational hitting so far this season? It has been less than good. I took a deeper dive into some of the early numbers.I finished out the podcast by briefly recapping the rest of the action around the NL Central, including an incident with Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo and every Cubs fan's favorite catcher, Yadier Molina. Was the umpire correct in leaving Molina in the game? I make the case that he was. 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

After a few days out in Las Vegas, I returned for Friday's episode of Locked On Cubs -- and just in time to recap the Cubs' first victory since the previous Saturday. In fact, the Cubs didn't score a single run while I was in Vegas. At any rate, they beat the Milwaukee Brewers 8-0 behind Jon Lester on Thursday.In the second segment, I went over a handful of positives and just a few questions the Cubs have remaining after their first few games. Is Brandon Morrow really the right choice for closer? And is Ian Happ in a slump, or is it something worse than that?Finally, episode 46 closes out with a brief look around the NL Central. Thanks for listening, and be sure to subscribe and leave us a review on iTunes if you can! You can follow the podcast on Twitter @LockedOnCubs, and you can follow me @RyanQDavis. Email any questions or comments to lockedoncubs@gmail.com.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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, Sean Sears takes over as the Cubs are coming off a rain out and day off. Sean opens the show discussing the offense, which has struggled early this season. Are the mounting strikeouts really a concern? Sean digs into the numbers to find out how concerned Cubs fans should be.Segment 2 discusses the bullpen, specifically Brandon Morrow. With a series against the Milwaukee Brewers coming up, we should get a look at the new closer in his new role. Morrow doesn't have closing experience; will he be able to handle that pressure situation? Overall, it's a bullpen that looks good on paper, but will it live up to that this season? We'll need to see some high-leverage situations to fully determine that, which we could see against the Brewers. The episode ends with a look at the NL Central and how each team stacks up a week into the season.  Learn more about your ad choices.

Welcome to Locked on Cubs, the daily podcast covering the Chicago Cubs as part of the Locked on Podcast Network. With Ryan Davis out this week, Brendan Miller of Cubs Insider fills in to discuss the latest happenings with the Cubs. The episode begins with an evaluation of the Cubs starting rotation through the first round of the season. Brenden discusses his big takeaways with newcomers Yu Darvish and Tyler Chatwood, as well as Jose Quintana, Jon Lester and Kyle Hendricks.What about the lineup? Much has been made about the strikeouts early in the year, but we discuss why that stat is a little blown out of proportion. But the lead-off spot and Jason Heyward's spot are worth a discussion, especially when it involves Ben Zobrist's playing time. Addison Russell is coming off a down-year, but is the start of his season a sign of things to come? How has Kyle Schwaber's transformation looked so far? How will Ian Happ progress?Take a listen to the latest Locked on Cubs and get a reminder of how special this team can

Welcome to Locked on Cubs, your daily podcast covering the Chicago Cubs as part of the Locked on Podcast Network. With regular host Ryan Davis out this week, Matt LaCasse fills in to host Locked on Cubs. He reminds Cubs fans to take a deep breath. The beginning of the season hasn't been great with three losses to the Miami Marlins and Cincinnati Reds, but there's a lot of time left and plenty of talent around Chicago that we don't have to cancel the season just yet. Also, we take a brief look at the upcoming series against the Milwaukee Brewers.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome to Locked on Cubs, your daily podcast covering the Chicago Cubs. With regular host Ryan Davis out this week, Sean Sears of FanSided is here to guest host and bring you into a new week, which is just what the Cubs need after their disappointing series in Miami. The episode opens by discussing exactly what happened against those Marlins, as the Cubs split the series 2-2. Unfortunately for Chicago, the starting pitching didn't perform as expected, extra innings tapped the bullpen and the offense struggled to find ways to score when the ball wasn't going over the wall. It wasn't all bad. Sean talks about the positives he's taking away from the series, as well as the negatives (hint: please be better, Yu Darvish and Jose Quintana). The show concludes with Sean taking a look ahead at the brief stint against the Cincinnati Reds. With the Cubs struggling to open the season, a two-game series against the Reds might be just what the doctor ordered to get the North Siders back on track.  Learn more about your ad

The Cubs came away with an Opening Day victory, beating the Miami Marlins 8-4. But that's just one small piece of the puzzle! There are plenty of things to talk about from game No. 1 of 162, and after I briefly recapped the Cubs' victory and looked at the rest of the NL Central I welcomed Michael Cerami of Bleacher Nation to talk with me about those things.You may have noticed that Michael gained some exposure on Thursday for tweeting that he would jump into the freezing cold lake if Ian Happ led off with a home run. I got his point of view on how that all went down, and then we took a deep dive into the bullpen's excellent day, Kyle Schwarber's shaky defense, and things to get excited about with Jason Heyward. Please be sure to 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

It's finally here! The Cubs play the Miami Marlins at 11:40am CST on Thursday, opening up what is sure to be an exciting 2018 season. In my first segment, I looked at the lineup for Opening Day and briefly previewed the rest of the series by looking at the starting pitchers the Marlins will send to the mound.In my second and third segments, I looked at a few questions from the listeners. The first regards my feelings on Tyler Chatwood, and the second is about Jason Heyward's playing time. Thanks so much for the questions, it really helped on the last two podcasts as we got closer to the season starting. Please continue to send questions my way throughout the year! Follow us on Twitter @LockedOnCubs and be sure to send those emails to lockedoncubs@gmail.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With opening day just around the corner, I wanted to do something a little lighter. I appreciate everyone who reached out with some questions for me, and I answered two of them here. First, I recapped the final spring game for the Cubs and a couple of interesting notes, and then in my final two segments I briefly tackled questions from the listeners.I'll be back tomorrow with more of the same, so if you didn't hear your question get answered don't fret. I'll do some of them tomorrow ahead of the game against the Marlins, and then some others I might save for other times throughout the regular season. You can follow us on Twitter @LockedOnCubs and email us any questions for future mailbags to lockedoncubs@gmail.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices