I agree with this.  You have to go with recent trends.  Just not based on past history.  AJ is struggling like crazy lately and he cant find the plate to save his life.  He should be no way guaranteed the "entire" 9th all the time based on what he has done for the first few months.  You have to coach to win games and sometimes, go with the hot hand.  It may not be popular but coach to win and not to hurt players feelings.  AJ will get over it.  He should of been yanked much earlier than that.  For those that are harping on his 1 blown save coming in, this guy has been very fortunate this year.  There is so many other games where he could of easily blew.  You cant play with fire every damn time out there and expect not to get burned.  Enough with all the damn walks AJ.

 

If this were September and down the stretch that generally applies.

 

Its August and generally managers keep bullpen pieces in their general roles unless long term failures happen.

 

 

If this were September and down the stretch that generally applies.

 

Its August and generally managers keep bullpen pieces in their general roles unless long term failures happen.

 

Or if their FO is so short sighted and cheap that they don't field enough starting pitchers so they have to remove one of the best if not best RP from his pen role

 

 

Or if their FO is so short sighted and cheap that they don't field enough starting pitchers so they have to remove one of the best if not best RP from his pen role

 

whole different story there!

 

 

Cardinals will be up on us after their game tonight. Rox have a chance to sweep us if our bats don't show up. $300 mil for a guy who's not even top 50 in his sport. The sad part is Harper will get 500+ million soon. 

 

 

Rodney would be more effective in the ninth imo. He is just one of those alpha male, needs the spot light on him in order to shine kind of guy. Give him the ninth and watch him dominate.

 

 

Still can't swallow this,many why in my mind,can't tell Ramos had no control when he warm up in the bullpen?if he had no control then still need him to close game just because he was called closer ? why don't pull him off when he can't even throw strike and rather let him keeping give walk ? I really hate the stuff that can't have pitchers warm up when closer on the mound and can't pull out closer before he blow save in order to keep his confidence,it's really bullshit,if I am manager I really rather have no closer and close every game by best picture of that day, I always think last inning was just the same with every other innings,so every relief pitcher could handle this inning just like other innings,so this lose was not on Ramos and it's totally on Mattingly,I know Maddon would change pitcher in that situation.

 

 

"That's one of the reasons I didn't want to walk Rizzo, because I felt I was all over the place," Ramos said. "With Zobrist up, he knows the zone really well. He's seeing the ball really well. So I'd rather have faced Rizzo, even though he is a guy who can hurt you. Any day, I'll face Rizzo. That's one of the reasons I didn't want to walk him there.                          

 

Yes,even Ramos knows he's all over the place but still can't ask manager to pull him out of the mound,because he's closer.   

 

 

Yikes AJ. Showing up Don right there. Guessing he loses the closer role for sure. 

 

 

"Go with what they say," catcher Jeff Mathissaid. "We have faith in A.J. to get anybody out;righty, lefty, no matter what the situation is. It just didn't work out today."

 

Yea,just back your closer,Mathis,even he destroyed your offense hero game,I just don't believe Wittgren can't close this game that Ramos couldn't.

 

 

Yikes AJ. Showing up Don right there. Guessing he loses the closer role for sure. 

 

Who needs closer,I believe a good team just need a good bullpen and don't need a so called CLOSER.

 

 

Ramos said he would like to face who !? without the control even Mathis would hurt you !!

 

 

Ramos said he would like to face who !? without the control even Mathis would hurt you !!

 

Mathis hit a 2 run HR today, leave him alone!

 

 

Yikes AJ. Showing up Don right there. Guessing he loses the closer role for sure. 

 

bow and arrow?

 

 

bow and arrow?

 

Sorry,that arrow was not sharp recently,too.

 

 

Mattingly has three chances to pull out Ramos,first was Rizzo up,second was Zobrist up and the third was Contreras up ,but he just passed all the chances and let Ramos give this game away,everyone has a bad day even Jose,so you pull out Jose on his bad day then why just don't pull out Ramos on his bad day !? 

 

 

I'm still livid that the Marlins couldn't win one fucking game in Chicago.  It's embarrassing.  

 

Some of the reasons the Marlins got smoked:

 

-Yelich botching a double play with a total wtf throw from LF.  The guy is a baseball hitting machine so I'll give him a pass.  *a base hit in the top of the 9th from Yelich would have given us a 6-2 lead but AJ and Mattingly would have blown that anyway. 

 

-Stanton inexplicably cannot take the baseball out of his glove and its 2nd and 3rd instead of 1st and 2nd

 

-Dee Gordon getting picked off after great baseball mind, Don Mattingly, takes Ozuna out of the game.  Brilliant.

 

-Stanton 2 for 11 in the series and no power. 

 

-AJ Ramos clearly doesn't have "it" yet he's allowed to stay in the game until he inevitably loses the game. Who didn't see that coming?  No one.  Except Don Mattingly. 

 

Getting swept was totally avoidable.  

 

 

Even Ramos flatly said he wanted to face Rizzo because he was all over the place. 

 

Fucking moronic move. I was also really hoping for Yelich to add on in the 9th after that Rodney inning and low and behold it costs us. But Ramos should have gotten the job done. 

 

Amazing what the difference between a sweep and a series loss is. 

 

 

This is what happens when you have mediocre pitching. It's a long season, guys just get tired and lose their shit, specially with an overworked bullpen like ours. It's a trend with Ramos every year. 

 

 

I'm still livid that the Marlins couldn't win one fucking game in Chicago.  It's embarrassing.  

 

Some of the reasons the Marlins got smoked:

 

-Yelich botching a double play with a total wtf throw from LF.  The guy is a baseball hitting machine so I'll give him a pass.  *a base hit in the top of the 9th from Yelich would have given us a 6-2 lead but AJ and Mattingly would have blown that anyway. 

 

-Stanton inexplicably cannot take the baseball out of his glove and its 2nd and 3rd instead of 1st and 2nd

 

-Dee Gordon getting picked off after great baseball mind, Don Mattingly, takes Ozuna out of the game.  Brilliant.

 

-Stanton 2 for 11 in the series and no power. 

 

-AJ Ramos clearly doesn't have "it" yet he's allowed to stay in the game until he inevitably loses the game. Who didn't see that coming?  No one.  Except Don Mattingly. 

 

Getting swept was totally avoidable.  

 

This team really still not good,they are just happen to have a winning record right now,but when to become really good,God knows.

 

 

I'm still livid that the Marlins couldn't win one fucking game in Chicago.  It's embarrassing.  

 

Some of the reasons the Marlins got smoked:

 

 

 

-Yelich botching a double play with a total wtf throw from LF.  The guy is a baseball hitting machine so I'll give him a pass.  *a base hit in the top of the 9th from Yelich would have given us a 6-2 lead but AJ and Mattingly would have blown that anyway. 

 

-Stanton inexplicably cannot take the baseball out of his glove and its 2nd and 3rd instead of 1st and 2nd

 

-Dee Gordon getting picked off after great baseball mind, Don Mattingly, takes Ozuna out of the game.  Brilliant.

 

 

 

-Stanton 2 for 11 in the series and no power. 

 

-AJ Ramos clearly doesn't have "it" yet he's allowed to stay in the game until he inevitably loses the game. Who didn't see that coming?  No one.  Except Don Mattingly. 

 

 

 

Getting swept was totally avoidable.  

And these are also the reasons I'm not sweating the sweep as much as most are. As good as the Cubs are, in a lot of ways we beat ourselves the entire series. Sharpen up those edges and we could have won several of those games, especially yesterday. We don't suck. Seriously.

You guys are adorable. All it takes is a sweep of the Rockies and youre all right back to fan boys. Sit back and enjoy the season... ya know, since it's august and we're still in it for once

 

 

You guys are adorable. All it takes is a sweep of the Rockies and youre all right back to fan boys. Sit back and enjoy the season... ya know, since it's august and we're still in it for once

 

A sweep of the Rockies? I'm hoping we can at least take one. This team has been mediocre since the break.

 

 

A sweep of the Rockies? I'm hoping we can at least take one. This team has been mediocre since the break.

 

Was more of anything can happen type of comment than prediction. Every time people think we're done, we go on a nice little streak.

 

Try to enjoy the season guys! 

 

 

If Ramos preferred to face Rizzo in that situation and said so, it's an even dumber move to walk him.

 

If you're going to manage the situation like "he's the closer, he's our guy," then have the confidence in him to get Rizzo out. One or the other. 

 

 

If Ramos preferred to face Rizzo in that situation and said so, it's an even dumber move to walk him.

 

If you're going to manage the situation like "he's the closer, he's our guy," then have the confidence in him to get Rizzo out. One or the other. 

 

The pitcher will always tell the manager that he can get this guy. Managers can't rely on the players to make decisions like that.