Cub of Coffee 4/7/24: Cubs 8, Dodgers 1

Thanks for being patient while I traveled this week. I wasn’t expecting the Cubs to win this series against the Dodgers. Some notes from today’s rain-delayed game...

Imanaga’s impressive start
It’s a shame that the rain cut Shōta Imanaga’s second outing short, because he looked excellent against one of the best lineups in baseball. He didn’t dominate the Dodgers quite as much as he did the Rockies, but still managed three strikeouts, only allowing two hits across four innings. I would’ve liked to see how Imanaga altered his pitch mix as the game went on as he threw nearly 80% fastballs, but he’s been better than I expected so far and I’m very much looking forward to his next start.

Ian Happ’s OBP
Ian Happ has been the ideal leadoff hitter so far this season, with a .442 OBP and a .914 OPS. He’s been great setting the tone at the top of the lineup, and I’m glad Craig Counsell has convinced him to fulfill that role. I have to give credit to Mike Tauchman here as well, who despite hitting .182 has a .500 OBP. Having a hitter like that towards the bottom of the lineup makes it hard for pitchers to let their guard down. The Cubs outfield has been at the center of their good start and them continuing to hit well will be the key to keeping the offense going.

Bullpen length
Considering yesterday was the first time the Dodgers were held to under five runs this season, the game was not over when the grounds crew rolled the tarp off and play resumed with the Cubs up by six runs and their starting pitcher out of the game. With two starting pitchers on the IL to start the season and a few other short starts, the Cubs have asked a lot out of their bullpen. Today, Yency Almonte, Mark Leiter Jr., and Daniel Palencia (back in the majors to fill in for Julian Merryweather) threw five innings and allowed just one run. The Dodgers seemed like they wanted to get the game over with at that point, but the fact that Counsell was able to stay away from his high-leverage arms was important going into an always difficult west coast road trip. Palencia in particular should get credit for his three innings, especially since I assume he’ll be rewarded for his work by being sent back down to AAA for another fresh arm. Optionable relievers are one of the least-heralded parts of a baseball team, but they can make a big difference over the course of the season.

Although the west coast games mean late start times on the east coast, and it feels like the Cubs don’t often play well on those road trips, I’m looking forward to this week of games. The Cubs have started better than I expected, and now we get to see if they can keep it up.