When fans normally talk about MLB players outwardly having fun during games a lot of the focus is on hitters, so it’s nice to see when pitchers also get in the mix. That was the case during Sunday’s game between the Chicago Cubs and San Diego Padres, as Cubs starter Marcus Stroman trolled Juan Soto.
The Cubs were comfortably leading 7-1 in the fifth inning, as the offense pounded San Diego starting pitcher Ryan Weathers for five runs in less than two innings, also adding a pair of runs against Padres reliever Drew Carlton, while Stroman was cruising along on the mound. Stroman froze Soto with a 2-2 sinker on the inner half of the zone for strike three and then did his own version of the Soto shuffle on the mound.
You could tell Soto was pissed, but more in a I’ll get you next time, type of way and not the meatball, fuck you, only I can do shit like that, type of way.
And hey, this is great. Also, Stroman 100 percent recognizes that one day, Soto will get him back.
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Cool, more of that, less throwing at guys because reasons. Thanks.
As for Stroman, we are now into June and the right-handed pitcher is very much in the National League Cy Young conversation. He finished Sunday’s start with six innings of one-run ball, the only run he allowed was unearned, as he struck out six and surrendered a total of four hits and three walks.
The Cubs righty recorded his 11th quality start of the season, which leads every single starting pitcher in MLB so far this season.
That is 11 of his 13 starts in which Stroman has pitched at least six innings and allowed three or fewer runs. And actually, in all of his 11 quality starts, Stroman hasn’t allowed more than two earned runs.
Cubs lefty Justin Steele was getting the majority of the headlines early in the season, as he emerged as the rotation’s best, but he is now going to miss a couple weeks with a forearm strain. However, the Cubs still have an ace in Stroman, who after his Sunday’s start, now has a 2.39 ERA, which ranks second best in the National League.
And it’s not just great work in limited innings because Stroman is only one of two starting pitchers to throw 79 innings up until this point of the season along with San Francisco Giants right-hander Logan Webb. So, the Cubs aren’t just getting quality from Stroman, he’s providing consistent deep outings, which the Cubs desperately need with their struggling bullpen.
Marcus Stroman NL Rankings
Innings: 79 (t-1st)
ERA: 2.39 (2nd)
WHIP: 1.00 (t-1st)
BAA: .186 (2nd)
Stroman has been on his game pretty much all year. He’s really only had one awful start, which came on May 14, against the Minnesota Twins. He gave up six runs in 2.2 innings that game. His only other outing that wasn’t a quality start came against the Los Angeles Dodgers on April 23, when Stroman allowed five runs in five innings. Besides those two starts, Stroman has been one of the best pitchers in all of MLB, not just in the National League.
National League