Cubs win and White Sox lose in separate bullpen battles

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Chicago’s bullpens were on display Thursday, with decidedly mixed results.  The Cubs bullpen, as has been the case for most of this season, was outstanding.  The White Sox bullpen, for the second time in three games, blew a four run lead.  The Sox had pen had generally shown progress in the last while, but that hasn’t been the case for everybody out there.  More about that later.  I’ll start with the Cubs.

All hands on deck

Mike Montgomery got the start for the Cubs, his first since coming off the DL, and wasn’t particularly sharp.  Mike went 4.1 innings, allowing four runs on eight hits.  He did strike out six. He left with a 4-3 deficit. The Cubs ultimately overcame that deficit for a 5-4 win.  The Cubs pen was on full display Thursday, with newcomers, Brandon Kintzler and Jesse Chavez involved in the action.

A parade of Brandon Kintzler, Jesse Chavez, Justin Wilson, Carl Edwards Jr. and Pedro Strop combined to put up 4.2 scoreless innings.  They allowed only one hit.  Kintzler got the win and Pedro Strop picked up his 11^th save.  The Cubs pen has been the most consistent part of the team.

LaStella!  LaStella!

The premier pinch hitter in baseball, Tommy LaStella, provided the game winning hit for the Cubs, a pinch hit two-run homer in the sixth inning.  Jason Heyward left the game with hamstring tightness.  His replacement in center field, Albert Almora made an outstanding sliding catch on the warning track in right center field in the sixth inning.  Javy Baez also made a great catch of a short pop fly in the bottom of the ninth to preserve the win.

Well, things started out well

Meanwhile, on the south side of Chicago, Lucas Giolito was pitching a gem a gem against the best team in baseball, the Boston Red Sox.  Giolito went 6.1 innings, allowing only two hits and one run.  Then came the bullpen.  Disaster ensued.   The final score was 9-4 in favor of the Red Sox.  Jeanmar ‘Why is he still here” Gomez was lit up to the tune three runs in 0.2 innings.  Thyago Vieira completed the signing of the surrender papers by besting Gomez’s performance and giving up five runs in 0.2 innings.

Some of the guys in the Sox pen have settled in nicely.  Jace Fry, Xavier Cedeno, Luis Avilan, Hector Santiago and Juan Minaya come to mind.  More depth is needed.  Despite the loss, the big take away from the game is another strong outing by Lucas Giolito.  The Sox rotation looks to be stopped for nest season.

Really Rick?

The Sox offensive star was Avisail Garcia.  Garcia homered and drove in three of the Sox four runs.  The Sox could certainly use another bat in their lineup.  Sox GM, Rick Hahn said service time wouldn’t affect the call up of Eloy Jimenez.  The longer Eloy demolishes AAA pitching, the harder Hahn’s statement is to buy. 

Signifying nothing

The Bears blew a 20-0 halftime lead to lose to the Buffalo Bills 28-27.  I can’t take much out of that game since most of the Bears starters didn’t play.  I can’t remember when I learned less about the Bears during the preseason.  That’s not a criticism, just an observation. The criticism will come if the Bears lose in the regular season.