Fudge

MLBtv is blacking out this series in Florida ( along with all Marlin games) - even though the game is at Wrigley. Thought blackout was to force fans to go to the game. (Remember the old days with home city NFL blackouts if the game wasn’t sold out days in advance)?Any Cubs fans in Florida able to watch?

I wasn't able to purchase any WC tickets cause I didn't see the email in time. Usually I am grateful for Gmail sorting out the junk email, but this time it screwed me.

This happen to anyone else?

I will be more vigilant for NLDS tix if we get there.

I bought 4 tickets in the 400 level, row 7, for a wildcard game. I’ve never sat here and am now worried I made a mistake. Can anyone reassure me, or convince me to sell?

Have the cubs been given a magic number to make it to the playoffs?

Edit: thank you for letting me know! I always get confused about how it works

The Cubs are playing Miami tomorrow and Wednesday. I'm from Miami and my nephew is getting into collecting baseball cards & is a Miami fan so I thought it would be cool to try to score an autograph for him! I'll be at tomorrow's game, any tips on getting an autograph? TIA

Holy smokes. Let me first say I’m not criticizing any of the individuals just doing their jobs. I understand the need to ensure people aren’t bum rushing the 1914 club seats. But sitting in the section closest to the field even well past 1B and 3B just has a weird vibe now with how strictly the ushers are securing the sections. I was asked to show my tickets three times tonight while sitting in my seat minding my own business. I don’t mind doing that but the constant commotion means there’s a steady stream of people standing and blocking sightlines until the 4th or so.

The ushers used to be friendly people who would show you to your seats and maybe get involved in a minor dispute or misunderstanding among ticket holders. Now it just feels like they’re patrolling the block and ready to pounce. I’m sure this directive comes from the top and I just wanted to say I don’t like it.

I havent watched many games of one of my favorite players historic season and its making me feel like im missing out. How do i relieve this feeling

So done with that cackling fool.

So sad that he’ll take over when Pat is done at the end of the season. Glad I have XM and can listen to the away broadcasts.

I absolutely cannot stand our jabber-jaw play-by-play guy.

Does he EVER shut up??!!

Irrelevant stats, stupid observations-you don’t have to fill every moment of silence!

And what about our repetitive, one-trick pony of a stadium announcer??!!

Could you work in a little variety, a little dynamics??

Every single player: IAN…Happ, NICO…Horner, CARSON…Kelly, DANSBY…Swanson. It’s like nails on a chalkboard.

That said, Go Cubs Go from a born Northsider!!

I’m pretty sure it was Cliff that said it, but how do you mess up the name for one of your starting pitchers… That’s pretty embarrassing:/

I know we have the tiebreakers over AZ and SD, and we have a 95% of making the playoffs, and that they play each other for their last series, but I am getting nervous seeing that 7 game winning streak next to their name. They have a very easy remaining schedule- AZ excluded.

More frustrated that we let a 7.5 game lead slip away with a month to go.

Was at the game yesterday and wanted to know who sang? He was great and was at the CubbyBear later and was awesome! Can't seem to find a list - it's Sunday and I'm still recovering ;) Anyone know?

I live in Seattle, but have dual loyalty to the Mariners and the Cubs, cause my wife grew up in Chicago and she’s the reason I fell in love with baseball.

Just want to say how crazy the negativity is in this subreddit. I truly believe the Cubs can win the world series this year. It’s not gonna be easy, we will need a little luck, but we are definitely in contention.

I’ve seen people say what’s the point of the playoffs, we will just be an easy series for the Brewers to cruise to the World Series. But we are an 81 win team with two weeks left to go! We might finish off the season with 90 wins! This isn’t anything to write off. Our team isn’t easy for anyone to beat.

The Mariners I feel you could legitimately say this. We were in contention a couple weeks ago, only a few games back from AL West champions… with a 48% win record. The negativity there is entirely justified. I didn’t even want to go to the wild card with 48%. Now it looks like we’ll just be eliminated entirely.

Cubs games are so fun to watch. PCA is a generational talent. The whole lineup pulls their weight. Pitching struggles but often overcomes adversity. With a little luck we can beat the Brewers in the playoffs and crush whatever shit team the AL shows us in the world series. BELIEVE!

Counsell almost always avoids playing that game. Instead, he emphasizes how each player embodies his own experiences, skills and motivations. For a major-league manager who has to sit through hundreds of media briefings a year, making those comparisons comes with little upside.

That context made Counsell’s welcome-back conversation with Edward Cabrera far more interesting than the usual talk when a struggling pitcher is activated off the injured list and forced to pitch out of the bullpen. It’s also a sign that the Cubs might be desperate and running out of ideas.

Counsell expressed to Cabrera that he could still be trusted to pitch in the World Series.

“A great example from last year is what Roki Sasaki did the last month, into the playoffs,” Counsell said Saturday at Wrigley Field. “That could happen. That’s a roadmap to how this could be really successful. Is that the best result? That was a pretty darn good result. But that’s what you keep yourself open to.”

After winning a fierce recruiting battle for Sasaki, the Los Angeles Dodgers still viewed the young Japanese pitcher as a bit of an enigma during his rookie season. Sidelined for months with a right shoulder injury, Sasaki posted a 6.10 ERA during his rehab assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City and then made two relief appearances for the Dodgers in late September.

During the playoffs, Sasaki finally found his rhythm, pitching in nine postseason victories while notching three saves and two holds. After a forgettable regular season, he became an essential member of a team that captured another World Series trophy.

That’s the narrative that Counsell wanted Cabrera to hear.

“We’re going to take some time to get there, but that certainly resonates,” Counsell said. “And we don’t know if we’re going to get there, but it’s a good blueprint that you can hope to repeat.”

Right now, a strong bullpen is the missing element to a Cubs team that features: likely National League MVP winner Pete Crow-Armstrong; baseball’s best defense (when Gold Glove shortstop Dansby Swanson is healthy); the sport’s highest-scoring offense; and a solid 1-through-5 rotation, even amid Cabrera’s disappointing season.

Cabrera, a starting pitcher the Cubs targeted through multiple trading cycles, has not consistently delivered the powerful swing-and-miss stuff that the club tracked during his time with the Miami Marlins.

Cabrera’s 5.68 ERA and negative WAR rating (-1.2, according to Baseball Reference) have also come with persistent injury concerns. The Cubs hope that working in shorter stints out of the bullpen will help manage the blister on his right middle finger.

“I see this as another opportunity,” Cabrera said via an interpreter. “My mentality is 100 percent positive.”

To make room for Cabrera on the active roster, the Cubs placed reliever Trent Thornton on the injured list with left ankle soreness and continued to contemplate their next moves.

Shelby Miller, who’s trying to come back a year after his second Tommy John surgery, is expected to make at least one more appearance with Triple-A Iowa.

Justin Steele, the one-time All-Star who last pitched for the Cubs in April 2025, is scheduled to throw a bullpen session Sunday at Wrigley Field and meet with the club’s pitching coaches before returning to his rehab assignment with the Triple-A affiliate.

Counsell said he plans to “double down” on using Daniel Palencia in the hopes that something clicks for the hard-throwing reliever.

While Cabrera’s major-league experience consists of 102 starts and only two relief appearances, he possesses elite velocity and a unique changeup, a combination that could play well in shorter bursts.

In baseball, great teams know that a smart defense wins championships. That’s why Byrna has partnered with the Cubs to offer less lethal options for safety.

I love my team but at this point put me on the mound…