AP Photo/Orlin Wagner

The Rundown: Darvish Keeps Rotation Hot Streak Going, Kimbrel Believes He Can Get Untracked, MLB Announces New Safety Protocols

Photo of Michael Canter Michael CanterAugust 6, 2020

The Cubs rotation is really surging right now, and last night Yu Darvish gave the team its sixth consecutive quality start in Chicago’s 6-1 win over the Royals.

The North Siders now boast a 10-2 record, their best start since 2016, and only the fourth time they’ve been 10 games above .500 this early in the season since 1901. Though the bats came alive late in yesterday’s game, starting pitching and defense have been the keys to the team’s success so far.

The Cubs are having fun playing baseball at a time when it seems like many teams are simply going through the motions. With 20% of the season now in the books, it appears David Ross and his legion of happy-to-just-be-playing minions intend to make a strong run for what will be baseball’s most talked about championship of our lifetimes. They’ll go for their seventh straight win tonight in Kansas City, which is the theoretical equivalent of a 19-game winning streak during a 162-game schedule. That’s good.

Cubs News & Notes

Odds & Sods

After 3+ years of writing here at Cubs Insider, I finally just realized that Baseball Reference has a shortcut to get back to the top of the page. When you are working on an iPad, that is one hell of a handy tool.

Find Your Inner Hero

Max Scherzer and his family have created an initiative to provide masks for underprivileged and at-risk populations in the District of Columbia.

Ahead of the Curve

If you haven’t noticed, we have a couple of great analytical minds writing for Cubs Insider. I urge you all to check out the written work of Brendan Miller. He also co-hosts the Cubs Related podcast with Corey Freedman.

No Glove No Love

David Bote continues to flash the leather.

https://twitter.com/MLBastian/status/1291176629847326720

How About That!

The White Sox have forged a plan for this year’s trade deadline, which is to say that due to the pandemic they will be very selective when it comes to making any significant moves.

In the wake of their COVID-19 issues, the Cardinals intend to stop interacting as much as possible for the rest of the season.

MLB has instituted new protocols to tamp down the transmission of C-19, including the suspension of players or staff members if they’re guilty of “repeated or flagrant violations.”

The league will also schedule hotel monitors to keep an eye on traveling teams.

Starting today, active rosters will be reduced from 30 to 28 players, and will not be reduced further for the remainder of the regular season and postseason. The taxi squad will also be expanded from three to five players, meaning it’s likely that most players who are cut will remain with their teams.

You’ll need a subscription to Baseball America to access this article, but talks between MLB and MiLB aren’t progressing very well and it looks like affiliate teams are going to lose a great deal of their independence.

Dodgers outfielder Chris Taylor has a cannon for an arm.

Wednesday’s Three Stars

  1. Joc Pederson – The Dodgers outfielder has two long flies and five RBI in last night’s 7-6 win over the Padres.
  2. Marlins Pitchers – A gritty, relatively unknown group of five unknown pitchers combined to beat the Orioles 2-1 yesterday. Miami’s pitchers, led by opener Josh A. Smith, allowed just four hits on the night. The Marlins are now 5-1, lead the AL East, and are this season’s first big surprise.
  3. Kole Calhoun – Arizona’s right fielder had a 2-for-5 night with three RBI and the league’s first inside-the-park homer of the season.

Extra Innings

Ozzie Guillen and Nick Swisher probably won’t be hanging out together once the pandemic ends. Swisher spent one year with the White Sox and Guillen said that was “one year too long.” Ouch.

Sliding Into Home

I am having a biopsy on my liver this Monday, so depending how I feel Tuesday morning I may be absent from this column. At least the Cubs are off the same day as my surgery, so it will probably be a bit of a slow day.

They Said It

  • “Right now, [Kimbrel] is obviously mechanically out of whack, and the shape of his pitches are not what they normally are. Part of what has made him elite are the distinct qualities of his fastball and his breaking ball, and those aren’t there right now because he’s mechanically out of whack.” – Jed Hoyer
  • “The energy of the group and the camaraderie of the group has really stood out. You guys can tell by watching the games. Our dugout [is] alive every night, and I think that reflects how much our guys are into the season and there for each other, and really trying to turn the 2020 season into something that’s memorable, even amidst all the crisis that we’re all operating under.” – Theo Epstein

Thursday Walk Up Song

Road to Hell Part 2 by Chris Rea – Yes, I’ve been sitting on this one, waiting for David Ross to finally use Colin Rea. Fans of Leonard Cohen, Mark Knopfler, and Dire Straits will dig on this song. If you are in to longer versions, a nice YouTuber created a mix of parts 1 and 2 combined.

Photo of Michael Canter Michael CanterAugust 6, 2020
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