Enhanced Box Score: Cardinals 7, Cubs 2
Bad loss. How it happened, what the match-up was, and what the implications are. I leave not selling on the table for as long as the Cubs can win this series, but dropping game one when it’s Stroman versus Matz is a problem. A big problem.
Also a problem: Patrick Wisdom’s glove at third. Two errors and one not-quite-an-error-but-he-booted-it for Wisdom in the first three innings and change not only cost Marcus Stroman three of his runs (only one of those was officially unearned), but also had Stroman grinding his way out of trouble from the very start of the game. Not that Stroman didn’t cause some of his own issues out there, but the final performance line was not wholly indicative of his talent.
That said, it was not Stroman’s best night anyway, with command troubles and a lot of hard contact. Yes, he had to grind more than usual, and maybe things turn out differently if those first two innings are cruises instead of 25-pitch marathons. But sometimes that happens, and you don’t want to see a couple innings’ worth of rockets thereafter. I hate to make it about this, but let’s just hope he’s healthy and makes a good start his next time out, assuring any would-be buyers that this was just a blip.
Offensively, the Cubs couldn’t get it going against Steven Matz, who has been terrible this year. That was about as frustrating as Stroman’s outing. Just a bad night all around.
Except for that one guy …
Full box score.
Source: bleachernation.com
