With Extra Day’s Rest, Pads Ready To Battle Cubbies: Pads vs. Cubs 5/10

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May 10, 2016

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By Friar Wire

By Bob Scanlan

Days off, scheduled or not, are always welcomed by players during the long and grueling MLB season. Thanks to rain soaking Chicago, the Friars got an extra day to recover from their flight before taking on baseball’s winningest team, the Cubs. As mentioned in yesterday’s Series Preview there are not many weak spots in this Cubs arsenal right now, leading MLB in both runs scored and fewest allowed, but they are not invincible.

To take game #1 it will help if…

1. Vargas can manage his lineup attack — Often times as a pitcher, winning a baseball game
2. depends not so much on outdueling individual hitters, but on beating a lineup. I think this especially holds true against the Cubs. They’re dangerous no doubt, but there are ways to navigate their lefty dominant lineup that Padres starter Cesar Vargas will likely face, and it hinges upon their #2 hitter Jason Heyward. The switch-hitting leadoff man, Dexter Fowler, is off to a hot start and is reaching base 50% of the time to lead off the game. You have to get ahead of him and don’t give in, even if you fall behind because most of his hits are in cripple counts (counts that favor the hitter). Regardless of whether Fowler reaches base or not, you have to retire Heyward hitting after him. He’s hitting .212, but still reaching base at a .317 pace because of walks. Challenge him! His is a crucial out and base runner to keep off the bags as Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant come to the plate. Be especially careful to Rizzo on the first pitch, as he likes to ambush it with 6 of his 9 HRs coming on the first offering. With a Heyward out under your belt and places to put the power hitters, you don’t have to give in to those sluggers and can instead go after the 6–7–8–9 hitters of their lineup who are mere mortals.
3. The Padres can attack Lester from the flanks — Cubs starter Jon Lester has done an amazing job of controlling the heart of opposing lineups this season. The 4–5–6 hitters have collected a combined 7 hits total for a .137 AVG and only 1 extra base hit — shut down. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPxryaAPuV8&w=420&h=315 However, the first 3 hitters of opposing lineups are batting .283, and the 7–8–9 slots are at .268. The damage may need to come from opposite ends of the Padres lineup, which is nothing new for the Friars, who until recently were getting almost no production from the middle of their order anyway, so the Pads have experience attacking from the less expected spots in the lineup. Regardless of where you are in the lineup, you best be ready to swing the bat because he doesn’t walk many and has one of the top 10 K/BB ratios in the league.
4. Take advantage of any yips — It’s no secret that Lester has been plagued in recent years by an inability to throw the ball to the bases. Firing the ball to home plate with precision is no problem, but tossing the ball to first base on an easy comebacker can turn into an absolute circus. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cblrlzIxxfY&w=560&h=315 What always amazes me is that opposing teams don’t try to exploit these type of weaknesses more. Make him throw! Whether it’s a bunt to the right side, or a big lead off of first base to draw a pickoff, do whatever you can to make him handle the ball and force him to make the play. It’s not macho, it’s not sexy, and probably considered by some to be unsporting, but who cares! It’s about winning a game against an otherwise very tough competitor, so go after every weakness you can.