By Dan O’Shea
The “Crosstown Cup” rivalry between the Cubs and White Sox lacked any real tension the last few years as both teams scuffled. This year, the Cubs have been both good and lucky, while the Sox have been just plain bad, but I sense a comeback. Here’s why:
1. The Cubs have been better than expected, currently sitting nine games over .500 and in the lead for the second wild card spot. They’re coming off a couple motivational victories against the Cardinals, and are primed to go on a run. Having said that, given their wild card position, every game is important. The Cubs’ bats have gone quiet lately, and I wonder how many runs total they can manage against this weekend’s likely Sox starters – Carlos Rodon, Chris Sale and Jose Quintana. If they come out on the losing end in their six-game North Side-then-South Side series, it could very well make the difference in their potential to make the postseason.
2. The Sox have been worse – far worse – than expected, seven games under .500 when many people had them back in April as a dark horse to make the postseason. Everyone wants Robin Ventura’s head on a platter, and while I’m not so sure that’s a bad idea, the Sox are quietly finding themselves. They are 9-5 in their last 14 games and just six games out of the second wild card slot. A big part of this is their pitching, with Sale magnificent as usual, but Quintana never better and Rodon actually kinda maybe ready for a big second half. Can the Sox bats get going against former Sox pitcher Clayton Richard on Friday and then Kyle Hendricks and Jon Lester over the weekend?
My pick: I’m thinking the Sox could very well take two of three against the Cubs this weekend. If the Cubs beat the Cardinals again tonight, the high could carry them into another win Friday. Even if they lose, Rodon has been issuing a lot of walks, and could be overwhelmed by Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo – who by the way now kills left-handed pitchers. But Sale and Quintana have been two of the toughest starters in the majors of late, while Hendricks and Lester both have been inconsistent all year.
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The rivalry weekend also makes for a good time to size up a couple of unheralded fantasy options from both teams. I would not describe either of these guys as must-haves, but I think both are at least a little under-owned right now:
Alexei Ramirez, SS, White Sox: Until the past two seasons, he was a guy who was terrible in the first two months of the season and much better after, and he might be returning to that mold. After hitting around .220 until mid-June, he is 9-for-18 recently, and remains a solid SB threat when on base. It will be interesting to see how things play out in the second half – he could end up being a trade piece if the Sox throw in the towel, and if he lands in a contender’s lineup on a daily basis it could further drive up his numbers. However, if he is dealt to a team just looking for back-up infield help, his fantasy value could end there. His ownership in Yahoo! leagues has declined since Opening Day, so he’s still available in more than 50% of them.
Jason Motte, RP, Cubs: Fantasy owners have mostly stayed away because the general impression is that Cubs manager Joe Maddon is using a closer-by-committee approach. It doesn’t look that way to me – Motte has three saves in the last two weeks, with Justin Grimm getting the only other one in an 11-inning game. My theory is that Maddon and the front office liked Motte as closer all along for his World Series experience, and were just waiting for him to find his groove after a slow start so they could turn Hector Rondon and Pedro Strop into wicked set-up men – actually the true closers, according to some modern baseball thinking. Over the last 30 days, Motte has four wins, four saves, a 1.50 ERA and 1.00 WHIP. He did look shaky giving up a run and three hits against the Cardinals on Tuesday night, but has only given up two runs in 22 appearances since May 16. He’s available in 77% of Yahoo! leagues.
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Dan O’Shea is our man in fantasyland. He welcomes your comments.
Posted on July 8, 2015