After every game of the Cubs 2022 season, I will give out some awards like hockey does with their stars of the game system. the 4 balls of the game will go out to the 4 players who positively helped the Cubs. I will also do some critiques of the team, with the 3 players who didnt have their best effort. A 4 ball player can turn into a 3 strike player and vice versa. This is just an effort to put a microscope in the individual game.

The Cubs fell 6-2 to the Pirates. It was a forgettable experience all the way around. There were some positives and negatives. Ill get into them.

Ball 1:

Scott Effross 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 2 K

For Effross this was about maintaining the score as is. With the score at 6-2, Effross did his job. He had 2 K’s and had a clean inning. Cant ask more from a reliever than that. Effross has 3 K’s total in his 1.1 IP.

Ball 2:

Frank Schwindel 1-3, 1 BB,

Frank got on base multiple ways in the game. He secured a walk and Singled into right field in the 8th inning. Frank’s OBP climbed to .316.

Ball 3:

Seiya Suzuki 1-3, 1 RBI, 1 BB

Sukuki continues to impress. The former Japanese MVP has 9 RBI’s on the very young season. Pair that with the way hes getting on base at a .524 clip. Its not a question of if he belongs, its a question of if he will make the all-star game as the Cubs representative.

Ball 4:

Willson Contreras 2-4, 2 runs, 1 RBI, 1 HR (1)

This is Willson’s first time on this article thread. He smashed his first homer of the year and was seeing the ball nicely. He hit a ground rule double and would eventually score from the single by Suzuki. Willson can still be the best catcher in baseball. He just has to clean some of his strikeout issues a bit. Willson owns a 1.086 in this young season.

Strike 1:

Patrick Wisdom 0-4, 2 K’s, 3 LOB

Wisdom is still struggling, his batting average is .054 and his OPS is at .164. This wont work out with these numbers. His defense isnt the best, and if he cant even hit for power he is actively hurting this team.

Strike 2:

Jason Heyward 0-4, 1 K, 3 LOB

This was the typical Jason Heyward game. Doesn’t strike out often, but just couldn’t find the holes in the Pirates defense. Jason is a sunk cost at this point, any positive thing you get from him is a cherry on top. If Heyward is playing CF, his defensive value is weaker.

Strike 3:

Kyle Hendricks: 3.2 IP, 7 H, 6 ER, 4 BB, 4 K’s

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times” Im sure the professor has A Tale of Two Cities on his syllabus for his class. Hendricks cant find that stability anymore. He has an amazing start, followed by a clunker. He got lucky with his walks in game one, but today he was genuinely awful. I am going to either have a party hat, or a helmet watching Kyle pitch this year.