After a couple of good performances in a row (against the Reds and Mets), the music finally caught up to Javier Assad against the Rockies: 2.0 IP, 2H, 4ER, 4BB, 3Ks. He was wild, the contact was hard, the barrel rate was up, and he got chased early. And now, his 3.86 ERA is finally inching closer to his 4.18 expected ERA (xERA).
Notably, Assad leaned on his four-seamer and sinker a lot more than usual his last time out, reducing the usage of his cutter and curveball in proportion. That MAY have been due to his short outing (sometimes guys break out their secondary pitches the second or third time through the order), but I’ll be curious to follow that lead tonight.
By the way, the Cubs have dropped down to a tie for 10th in the reverse standings, after hovering around the 5-7 range for large portions of the season. And the Rangers (11th) are just a half-game “behind” them. Lot of winning lately, I guess!
Chicago Cubs (65-85) at Miami Marlins (55-95) – Friday, September 23 at 5:35 CT on Marquee, 670 The Score
Michael Cerami covers the Chicago Cubs, Bears, and Bulls at Bleacher Nation. You can find him on Twitter @Michael_Cerami
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