Game Notes: Pittsburgh Pirates @ Chicago Cubs (5/15/15)

Final Score
Cubs 11, Pirates 10 (12 innings)

Game Summary
In the longest game I've ever been to, both sides failed to cash in on opportunities until the Cubs (20-15) got on the board thanks to a Kris Bryant three run homer. The Pirates (17-19) answered back with a home run, but the Cubs responded with two more, including a solo shot by Anthony Rizzo. A pair of fifth inning runs made it 7-1 Cubs, but then the wheels came off a bit. Pittsburgh strung together a four run rally in the sixth to chase starter Kyle Hendricks, though the Cubs struck back with a run in their half, plus two more in the seventh to make it 10-5. The Pirates didn't go quietly though, scoring four in the eighth before a two out rally plated the tying run. The Cubs threatened in the tenth, loading the bases with one out before a double play on a would-be sacrifice fly ended the chance. It was déjà vu in the 12th though, as the Cubs walked off on maybe the weirdest play we'll see all year.

Pitchers of Record
W: Edwin Jackson (2-1)- 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 2 BB, 0 K. Not the most effective outing, but Jackson was able to get out of trouble. This is where you see how much the win stat is overrated, but he earned it with the scoreless 12th. Now, terrifying side note from former Major Leaguer Fernando Tatis:

Edwin Jackson has 10% of the Cubs wins

— Fernando Tatis (@FTatis23) May 15, 2015

L: Radhames Liz (1-3)- 0.1 IP, 1 R (1 ER), 2 H, 2 BB, 1 K. It should be noted that one of Liz's walks was intentional (to Soler to load the bases), and really, he can't be faulted too much for the loss. He struck out Kris Bryant, Destroyer of Baseballs to start the inning before it all fell apart, really through no fault of his own.

Key Stats

• Matt Szczur (CHC): 2-7, 3 RBI. Szczur had kind of a weird day at the plate. He had a two run single in the fifth to make it 7-1, but didn't do much else until extra innings. He twice had bases loaded, one out at bats because the Pirates wanted no part of Jorge Soler and intentionally walked him to load it up both times. The first time Szczur came up in that situation, he hit a fly ball into shallow right field, which Gregory Polanco caught, then threw an absolute strike to nail Starlin Castro at the plate. The second time, he hit it to almost the exact same spot, only this time his feet gave way. You take that every time, though.
• Kris Bryant (CHC): 1-4, HR (4), 2 R, 4 RBI, 2 BB. Note to the Cubs: Kris Bryant, Destroyer of Baseballs has hit four home runs so far this season. I've been present for two of them. Tickets. Now. Anyway, his home run was pretty majestic even though it only got a couple rows into the bleachers, and it came after he fell behind 0-2 in the count and worked it full. He also drew those couple of walks, which is crazy to think about from a 23-year-old rookie.
• Josh Harrison (PIT): 4-6, HR (4), 2 2B, 1 RBI, 3 R. Harrison was retired his first two times up, then proceeded to hit the ball really well. His homer made it 10-6 and set the stage for the comeback, and he scored the tying run in the top of the ninth after a two out double.

Mrs. Mitzel's Food Roundup
This section is written by Kristen Mitzel, and focuses on the food at the ballpark, because ballpark food.

"You can't go anywhere in Chicago without having a Vienna Beef hot dog. This is especially true at Wrigley, where the smell of grilled onions and other ballpark treats make the taste of a steamed bun and a Vienna Beef hot dog even more enjoyable. The nachos are your typical fast food nachos; they're good for a nice crunchy snack. Don't waste your money on the chocolate malt cup; it didn't taste like a malt at all. As a surprising addition, there was Nuts on Clark popcorn, but Garrett's would have been preferred. I'd like to see Wrigley get some Dippin' Dots as an ice cream option. Cheese curds can't hurt, either."

Final Thoughts

Photo by Kristen Mitzel

This was a long, long game. The sixth inning took forever, and even with the new pace of play rules, with some mid-inning pitching changes, it kind of dragged on. We sat in front of a couple Pirates fans, who put it pretty well: the Cubs need pitching, especially in the bullpen, but their offense is in great shape. They got contributions from all over today, including from starter Kyle Hendricks, who doubled (the lesson, as always: the designated hitter is for sissies). But really, any time you can pull out a game like that, especially in a manner where your fans are used to losing that way, you take it and run with it.

It's still very early in the season, but the Cubs have won five in a row and are on pace for a 93-win season. We'll have to see to what degree the league adjusts to guys like Bryant though, and whether he can adjust back. Overall though, there's a lot to be excited about on the North Side.

This might be it for me for Cubs baseball in person this season, though I will end up in Arlington for a Rangers game in August. Hopefully I'll get to see more of this team though, because this is fun!

2015 Stanley Cup Conference Finals Preview

And then there were four.

The second round predictions went pretty well, as I set up the conference finals correctly in the West, while  the East was a little more chaotic (though I went against my Bracket Challenge pick with this; I originally had Tampa advancing past Montreal while the COAS pick had the Habs moving on).

So, without any further ado, here's a look at the conference finals matchups.

Chicago Blackhawks (beat MIN in four) vs Anaheim Ducks (beat CAL in five)
Blackhawks won two out of three regular season meetings

After playing little brother to the Los Angeles Kings for the past few years, the Ducks finally made their way back to the Western Conference Finals, their first berth since their 2007 Cup run. After running through a pair of Canadian teams that were good, but not necessarily great, they get to prove their worth against a Blackhawks team that is appearing in the Conference Finals for the third year in a row and fifth time in seven years.

For a long time, the Ducks were considered a one line team led by Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry. Perry has been a Conn Smythe nominee pretty much from the get go, notching a league-leading 15 points in the playoffs so far, and Getzlaf leads the league in assists this spring. However, 13 Ducks have lit the lamp through nine games and nine of them have at least two. The addition of Ryan Kesler to center their second line was huge, and he's responded with four goals and five helpers against the Jets and Flames. Meanwhile, Frederik Andersen has been excellent, posting a 1.96 goals against average while stopping 92.5 percent of the shots he's faced.

They have a mountain ahead of them in this series, though. Patrick Kane shook off the rust from his collarbone injury to torment poor Devan Dubnyk, and he's the best offensive weapon Anaheim has seen so far in the playoffs. The Hawks' top line of Jonathan Toews, Marian Hossa, and Brandon Saad have also been deadly at both ends of the ice, and will probably help bring the Ducks' top lines to a halt. If there's one spot of concern for Chicago, it's the defense. They're thin at the blue line this year, especially now with Michal Rosival out for the year with a broken ankle and Kimmo Timonen getting limited minutes. Anaheim has to take advantage when Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, Niklas Hjalmarsson and Johnny Oduya are off the ice.

All in all, Anaheim will probably be Chicago's toughest test. But in a world where things come in threes, it seems only fitting that this core's third trip to the Cup Finals goes through the one California team they haven't faced yet. The Honda Center will be tough, but can the Ducks do any damage in the Madhouse? I think not. Blackhawks in six.

Tampa Bay Lightning (beat MTL in six) vs New York Rangers (beat WSH in seven)
Lightning won all three regular season meetings

Tampa got revenge for a first round sweep last year, though Montreal made them work for it, and the Lightning are in the Eastern Conference finals for only the third time in franchise history, and the first time since 2011. Meanwhile, the Rangers are making their second straight appearance and third in the last four years after adding another chapter to the Washington Capitals' Book of Blown Series Leads.

For the Rangers, once again it's primarily about the guy in net. Henrik Lundqvist is having a phenomenal postseason, posting a 1.60 goals against average with a save percentage of .944. That has helped a team that has scored just 24 goals in 12 games this postseason. Derrick Brassard and Derek Stepan lead the team in scoring with eight points apiece, with Stepan being the hero in Game 7 against Washington.

They go up against a Tampa team that needed a little time at the start of the playoffs to get going, but they're in good shape now. Ben Bishop has been very good as well, with a .931 save percentage and a 1.88 goals against average. They've gotten a lot more offense though, even with Steven Stamkos not lighting the lamp a ton (he has 10 points, but only three goals). Tyler Johnson has emerged as a playoff hero, as he leads the NHL with eight goals in these playoffs. Nikita Kucherov has also emerged with 11 points to help out. The Bolts will need those guys to continue their barrage, but they'll have to do it against another great goaltender.

This shapes up to be a fantastic series. New York has the edge in experience and a slight edge in goal, while I think Tampa has the edge elsewhere. Their regular season success doesn't mean anything now, but their offensive success compared to New York has to mean something. I think it comes down to the wire, and with the goaltender advantage not as dominant as some might think, I'll give the significantly better offense a slight edge, and Henrik Lundqvist will see his streak in Game 7's get snapped. Lightning in seven.

Up Against the Wall

I haven't done much in the way of NBA posts on here in a while. NCC basketball, football, and the Blackhawks have taken precedence recently. With the playoff run on though, I've been trying to pay some attention to what's been going on.

Last night the Bulls dropped a tough Game 5 to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The loss has them facing elimination, but coming back home for Game 6 on Thursday.

This is something of a quick analysis, while also making complaints known. Please note that the following post will probably reek of some fierce homerism.

These last two Bulls losses have been tough. In Game 4, the Bulls led by as many as 11 in the fourth quarter, but blew the lead before LeBron's buzzer beater. But before that... some shady stuff happened.


There should have been a technical foul there. The Cavs were out of timeouts. It's possible none of this changes anything, but the Bulls should have gotten a free throw here. Then there's the whole free timeout from the review fiasco. On top of the free timeout, the officials inexplicably put time back on the clock where no time should have been put back on. LeBron wouldn't have gotten that shot off had the clock not been reset. We'd have gone to overtime, where maybe the Cavs still come away with the win... I don't know.

Then last night... the Bulls made a late charge from down 15 points to make it interesting, but they had to do it without Taj Gibson, who was ejected following this sequence.

I'm sorry, but that's a dirty play by Dellavedova. Taj needs to keep his cool, yes, but Dellavedova wasn't kicked. At least, not in the way the officials saw it. Give him a technical, sure. He was playing very physical on Dellavedova, to the point where a regular foul could have been called too (and I wouldn't argue it). But that is not a Flagrant 2. The Bulls lost an important big man down the stretch, where having him may have made a difference. The fact that Joey Crawford was an official last night... conspiracy theorists are having a field day.

I'm going to take my homer hat off now, because I feel that I've vented enough. These last two games, the officials have been horrible. That said, they aren't the reason the Bulls have lost these last two games.

In Game 4, LeBron got called for multiple offensive fouls as the game went along. While I feel he should be called for it more, that's not the point. He was called for it, and the Bulls couldn't take advantage. He then proceeded to make a fantastic shot at the buzzer to win the game. Last night, the Bulls shot only 31 percent from the floor in the first half to fall behind 54-44 at the break. They put themselves in a hole. LeBron also made sure the Bulls wouldn't finish things off, making a great block on a Rose layup to tie, then defending the inbound pass well and forcing an off-balance Butler three that missed the mark. The Bulls then couldn't get the loose ball on the ensuing possession. That's not on the NBA, or the officials. That's on the Bulls for failing to execute.

If you were able to continue reading through my complaints about the officials, thank you for indulging my whining. The officiating in this series (and really, overall) has been awful. It is not, however, the reason why the Bulls are facing elimination. It's easy to look at those events and blame someone else for the Bulls' shortcoming. Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way. The Bulls have had chances in both to make a difference at the end. Both times, they failed to do so. Now, they are one loss away from ending their season. If it happens, they shouldn't blame anyone but themselves.

Game Notes: Chicago Cubs @ Milwaukee Brewers (5/9/15)

Final Score

Brewers 12, Cubs 4

Game Summary

This was a game that got out of hand fairly early. Milwaukee (10-21) scored a pair of runs on a Gerardo Parra home run, but the Cubs (15-14) responded with the Destroyer of Baseballs hitting a three run shot to take the lead. It wouldn't last, as Milwaukee scratched out three runs to retake the lead. The Cubs got one back on the fourth before giving it back up in the bottom half. Milwaukee put it away with a five run fifth to go up 11-4. The Cubs really never threatened again, and the Brewers would tack on one more in the sixth for the final tally.

Pitchers of Record

W: Kyle Lohse (2-4)- 5 IP, 4 R (4 ER), 4 H, 1 BB, 7 K. Lohse may have had his best start of the year, though he had to labor to get there, and even then it wasn't pretty. He really only made the one mistake, one Cubs fans have been waiting for for weeks. He did enough to get the win, which is why wins and losses are kind of overrated stats.

L: Travis Wood (2-2)- 4 IP, 6 R (4 ER), 6 H, 1 BB, 3 K. Wood didn't have his best stuff either. After a quick first inning he struggled, giving up the homer to Parra, though a pair of errors didn't help matters. He had a high pitch count though, thus the early hook.

Key Stats

• Khris Davis (MIL): 3-3, 2 2B, 2 R, 3 RBI. I guess Davis had been struggling, but broke out with a couple big doubles to drive in runs, including the go ahead one in the third. Good night at the plate.
• Ryan Braun (MIL): 1-2, 3 R. Despite getting ruthlessly booed by the sizable Cubs contingent (of course I was in on it(, Braun worked a couple walks and took advantage of the good hitting day for the Brewers. Still a talented hitter.
• Kris Bryant (CHC): 1-4, HR (1), R, 3 RBI. I was giddy about seeing Bryant for the first time in person. Down 2-0 when he came up the second time, I told Kristen that he was the guy I was looking forward to, and my dad made the comment that now would be a good time for a three run homer. Then on cue, he launched one into the Brewer bullpen. That alone was worth the trip.

Final Thoughts

Kristen came along, primarily for the food. She enjoyed the chorizo plus some of my waffle fries, was underwhelmed by the cheese curds (come on, Wisconsin, you can do better), tried to improvise a Chicago mix out of a bag of kettle corn, and then had Dippin' Dots for dessert.  Not a bad collection overall.

On the field, this was one of the worst games I've been to. Blowouts happen, but it sucks to see it happen to your team. The usher in our section made the comment that I did well scoring the Brewers' runs on my scorecard, so we got a laugh out of that.

All in all, just one game. The Cubs are doing all right for early May, and Kris Bryant has that first home run out of the way. The Cubs will try to pull out the rubber game tomorrow.

Finally, given the holiday weekend, I wish a Happy Mothers Day to all mothers reading Confessions of a Sportscaster, and to all mothers everywhere. Thank you for all that you do. Readers, make sure to do something special for your mom tomorrow!

2015 Stanley Cup Conference Semifinals Preview

It took a while; a few series that had multiple days between games ended up going seven games, but we're ready for the next round of the playoffs!

In what worked out fairly well, I picked all eight series winners correctly, though only two in the correct number of games. This is no surprise though; to a degree, the Stanley Cup Playoffs are a crapshoot, and anyone who knows hockey will probably agree with that notion.

However, we're now down to eight teams left in the playoffs. I'll go in depth on the Hawks because Hawks, and I'll take a look at the other three series as well.

Minnesota Wild (beat STL in six) vs Chicago Blackhawks (beat NSH in six)
Blackhawks won 3 out of 5 regular season meetings

For the third straight year, the State of Hockey will do battle with the Madhouse on Madison. In 2013, Minnesota put itself on the map before the lockout with the signings of Ryan Suter and Zach Parise, but has fallen to the Hawks in two straight postseasons. Part of the problem has been in goal, but this year, there are no net questions in Minnesota. After making a trade in January for Arizona's Devan Dubnyk, the Wild went on an absolute tear through the entire league, including taking both matchups with the Blackhawks. Other than a hiccup in Game 4 against the Blues and seeing Vladimir Tarasenko go bonkers in Game 2, Dubnyk was phenomenal.

Offensively, eleven Wild players scored goals in that Blues series, so they have the scoring.. something that's a little alarming for the Hawks. There's a goalie controversy of sorts in Chicago, with both Corey Crawford and backup Scott Darling getting pulled in the first period of games, though the Hawks would go on to win both contests. Crawford is getting the nod to start the series, and while he's been inconsistent much of the season, he's also played well for stretches.

Ultimately, the series rests on the goaltending. Yeah, this is the case with pretty much every playoff series ever, but especially so here. Crawford needs to play like he did in Game 6 as opposed to Games 1 and 2 of the Nashville series, and Dubnyk needs to continue to stand on his head. Minnesota is in the best position it's been in to knock off Chicago in the last three years because of him. I'm just not sure yet: Will Minnesota have an answer for Playoff Bryan Bickell (7 goals and 3 assists in the last two years against the Wild)? And can Dubnyk handle the monster that is Showtime?

Dubnyk makes this tricky. The Hawks will probably have a game or two where they look flat while they steal a game or two they have no business winning. Ultimately, home ice proves to be too much. Hawks in seven.

Other Western Conference Series

Calgary Flames (beat VAN in six) vs Anaheim Ducks (beat WPG in four)

Remember how I said Anaheim's close game luck wasn't sustainable? They sustained it, leading for something like 36 of a possible 240 minutes in the series en route to a sweep. Corey Perry led the way with three goals and four assists while Frederik Andersen posted a .924 save percentage. The Ryan Kesler addition also proved useful, as he notched five points in the sweep. They take on a Calgary team that was able to make a late push to help keep the defending Cup champs out. They had some good scoring balance, but I'm not sold on the goaltending. Karri Ramo had a solid 2.09 goals against average in Round 1 against Vancouver, but posted a .907 save percentage, which isn't that great. Calgary has had a good run, but I think it ends here. Ducks in five.

Eastern Conference Series

Washington Capitals (beat NYI in seven) vs New York Rangers (beat PIT in five)

These two teams meet for the fifth time in the last seven postseasons in something of a rubber match, since each team has won two series. The President's Trophy-winning Rangers have been relying on their old standby through one round in goalie Henrik Lundqvist, who boasts a 1.54 goals against average and a .939 save percentage, while his team scored just 11 goals over the span of five games (each of their wins was by a 2-1 final). This was a defense that shut down Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, but I think they're going to have a little more trouble this time around. Alexander Ovechkin is an offensive monster, but he had plenty of support in guys like Nicklas Backstrom and Evgeny Kuznetsov. Meanwhile, Braden Holtby was just as good in net in the first round, posting a .943 save percentage and a 1.63 goals against average. Overall, I have little faith in the Capitals because they haven't been able to get much going once the postseason starts in the Ovechkin era, but I actually think this year they could pull it off. Capitals in seven.


Tampa Bay Lightning (beat DET in seven) vs Montreal Canadiens (beat OTT in six)

These teams meet for the second straight postseason, after Montreal swept Tampa in the first round last year. Tampa got regular season revenge, winning all five of their matchups. Of course, the postseason is a different animal, and the Habs have been able to make a pair of Eastern Conference Finals since 2010 while Tampa doesn't have the same recent postseason success. They'll need more from Steven Stamkos, since the odds of Tyler Johnson scoring six goals in this series probably aren't great. They have an advantage they didn't last year in goalie Ben Bishop, who was hurt during the 2014 Playoffs, and that will help negate a Montreal attack that cooled off somewhat as their first round series against Ottawa progressed. Montreal was led in scoring by P.K. Subban's four points, though he should have been suspended for his thug tactics in the opener against the Senators. However, everything comes down to Carey Price, who allowed fewer than two goals per game while stopping 93.9 percent of the shots he faced. I think Price outplays Bishop, and while the Lightning are able to give Montreal some scares, the Canadiens return to the Eastern Conference Finals. Habs in six.

2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs Preview

Today begins one of the best parts of the year in sports, and one that will end in either unbridled joy or sheer disappointment. Hopefully the former.

Saturday saw the 82nd game for every NHL team to finish off the seeding process for the tournament. As I'm not super familiar with every NHL team, I'm not going to do a full series-by-series prediction, other than maybe a cursory mention at the end (we'll see). Instead, I'll stick to the matchup I know about: Hawks-Predators.

Chicago Blackhawks (48-28-6) vs Nashville Predators (47-25-10)
Blackhawks won 3 out of 4 regular season meetings (1 in OT, 1 in SO)

Man, the Central Division was loaded this season. The Hawks had some bad luck games this season where they gave up goals late in regulation to lose a Bettman point, yet still had a great run. They take on a Nashville team that looked to be running away with the Central up until March when they went ice cold.

This is still a matchup that concerns me. Nashville has a strong defense led by Shea Weber, and Pekka Rinne is an elite goaltender who helped the Predators finish ninth in the league in goals against. They tried to add offense, and did a decent job by finishing 14th in goals for thanks to additions like James Neal and Filip Forsberg. There's some depth and balance here, and they'll be a tough out.

Meanwhile over on the Chicago side, Corey Crawford helped lead the Blackhawks to their second Jennings Trophy (shared with Montreal) in three years, and had some games where he stood on his head. There's some intrigue on defense with the rotating pieces like Michael Roszival, Kimmo Timonen and David Rundblad, but the top four haven't been bad and will be counted on to contain those strong pieces. Then there's the forwards... you have several elite two-way players like Toews, Hossa, and Saad, the potential for Bryan Bickell to start to catch fire because it's the playoffs, some depth down to the fourth line... oh, and this guy is back.

88 came up 3 times in my first period math lesson today. It's a good sign! @88PKane #Blackhawks
— Kristen Mitzel (@kkmitzel) April 15, 2015

Nashville won't make it easy, obviously. They've been doing a lot to try and "keep the red out" of their arena, which we all know won't work. They'll still pose a challenge, but I think the return of Kane will galvanize a struggling Hawks team. Blackhawks in six.

Other Western Conference Series

Minnesota Wild (46-28-8) vs St. Louis Blues (51-24-7)
I'm kind of glad the Hawks didn't win the Central, because then they'd have to deal with a red hot Wild team. Most of that coincides with the arrival of goalie Devan Dubnyk, who has been phenomenal for Minnesota since he was traded from Arizona earlier in the season. St. Louis has plenty of weapons still, but questions in goal. I think this ends in a similar fashion to last year. Wild in six.

Winnipeg Jets (43-26-13) vs Anaheim Ducks (51-24-7)
Winnipeg has the current hot goalie in Ondrej Pavelec, but it's hard to say what else they have going for them. Dustin Byfuglien hasn't seen much playoff hockey since his days torturing the Vancouver Canucks in the Indianhead sweater. I don't know that the Jets will have the firepower to keep up with Anaheim. The Ducks have had an arguably unsustainable run in close games (33-1-7 in one goal contests) but with the playoffs tightening things up, is it sustainable? Hard to say. The atmosphere for games in Winnipeg will be crazy, but I think the Ducks take it home. Ducks in six.

Calgary Flames (45-30-7) vs Vancouver Canucks (48-25-9)
Calgary is out probably their best player in defenseman Mark Giordano, which hurts. This team reminds me a lot of last year's Avalanche in a way; the advanced numbers don't argue well for Calgary. If they can get some gritty goals against whoever's in goal for Vancouver, they could steal the series. In a crazy twist... I think it happens. Call it continued hatred of the Canucks or what have you. It takes seven games, but they pull the upset. Flames in seven.

Eastern Conference Series

Due to time constraints, I'm keeping the East to just series predictions.

Pittsburgh Penguins (43-27-12) vs New York Rangers (53-22-7)
Rangers in four.

New York Islanders (47-28-7) vs Washington Capitals (45-26-11)
Capitals in six.

Ottawa Senators (43-26-13) vs Montreal Canadiens (50-22-10)
Canadiens in five.

Detroit Red Wings (43-25-14) vs Tampa Bay Lightning (50-24-8) 
Lightning in six.

2015 MLB Preview: NL West

One more day! We're almost there, baseball fans!

Over the past five days, I've taken a look at the entirety of Major League Baseball save the NL West. Today, we finish off with them since they house the defending World Series Champions.

To a degree, I goofed with these guys last year, but it also housed my biggest prediction success since predicting the score of Super Bowl XLIII. If you want to look at last year's predictions, you can view them here.

Let's get to the final batch of predictions.