​Perspective Check: Four teams have more wins than the Cubs, and three teams have the same number of wins. The current win pace is 89.6. With two games left before the All-Star break and the trade deadline just over three weeks away (Aug. 3), the unofficial start of trading season approaches as the break looms next week. The Red Sox, Tigers, and, to a lesser extent, the Orioles have shown some momentum lately. In the AL, only two teams are clear sellers, while the A’s seem to be edging into selling territory. In the NL, three teams look poised to sell, and the Reds are trending in that direction. The Padres could join that group too, but it will take a couple of weeks to sort all of this out.
On the field, Hunter Greene returned to form and dismantled the Cubs, who managed only four hits as he fired seven innings with 12 strikeouts, effectively extinguishing any Cub rally. Shōta Imanaga was solid, giving up one run over five innings on seven hits, with the sole run coming on a solo homer. Jake Woodford didn’t fare well, contributing to the inning that put the game out of reach for Chicago. This wasn’t really a game to make excuses for—the opposing starter was simply dominant, and Greene and Elly De La Cruz looked like their team’s two best players, delivering performances that carried the night. The Cubs’ two biggest stars, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Michael Busch, went 0-for-8 with five strikeouts.
This was a straight flush game, with little to glean beyond the result. Three positives from the night: Seiya Suzuki carried much of the load, collecting two hits, including a double; Trent Thornton worked a clean inning, facing three hitters, getting a double play to end the frame; and Ian Happ added a single and a walk, contributing to a quiet three-game hitting streak (4-for-11 with a walk and no extra-base hits).
Recap for Game 94, July 10: Reds 4, Cubs 0 (52-42). Heroes and Goats are determined by WPA scores and are not subjective.
Three Heroes:
– Superhero: Shota Imanaga (.133), five innings, 23 batters faced, 7 hits, one walk, one run, five strikeouts (loss, 5-8).
– Hero: Seiya Suzuki (.092), 2-for-4 with two doubles.
– Sidekick: Ian Happ (.070), 1-for-3 with a walk.
Three Goats:
– Billy Goat: Jake Woodford (-.173), two innings, 11 batters faced, five hits, three earned runs, three strikeouts.
Play of the Game: Elly De La Cruz’s solo homer in the fifth for the game’s first run (.134).
Cubs Play of the Game: Trent Thornton’s double play with no outs in the sixth (.072).
Cubs Player of the Game: Seiya Suzuki, earning 92% of the 60 votes for Game 93.
Rizzo Award Standings: Top 5 / Bottom 5. The award, named after Anthony Rizzo who dominated this category in its early years and set the record for the highest season total at +65.5, uses a three-point scale for a Superhero down to a negative three for a Billy Goat.
– Pete Crow-Armstrong +24
– Michael Busch +14
– Trent Thornton +12.5
– Seiya Suzuki -11.5
Up Next: Game two of the three-game set as the Cubs continue their stretch, with an eye toward improving search engine optimization for the recap and analysis. This report aims to remain comprehensive and objective, focusing on the implications of the results and the evolving trade-deadline landscape while detailing the notable performances and missteps from the latest matchup.