IPL 2026: KL Rahul scripts history, becomes first Indian toā¦
KL Rahul makes history as the first Indian to score 150 runs in IPL, achieving 152 against Punjab Kings.
The Cubs achieved a remarkable comeback victory against the Dodgers, extending their winning streak to ten games. This unusual season has sparked comparisons to the beloved 2016 team, despite the challenges ahead.
Itās actually a pretty unusual season when you donāt have a holy $#@! type of win. 10 game winning streaks? Quite a bit less common. Without doing any research, Iām betting the intersection of those two occurrences? A big comeback during a long streak? Less common. On the road? Against the two-time defending World Champs? We just keep going further into subsets. And with each layer of that, you know that this game was probably a unicorn among unicorns.
If you stayed up and saw the comeback, a hat tip to you. Iām more than a little disappointed that out here on the East Coast, I went to bed after the top of the sixth. I didnāt like the matchup of the Cubs bullpen against the Dodgers relievers with them at home and spotted a four-run lead. My loss. Though I quite enjoyed watching the highlights first thing this morning.
As Iāve said throughout this streak being extended, these longish streaks donāt necessarily make a season a playoff season. The last longish streak like this resulted in an 83-win team. Now that theyāve reached double digits? Now the Cubs are chasing the 2016 team. This team will be done no favors trying to compare to the single most beloved season in basically every living Cub fanās lives.
I do believe, though, that both of these things can provide a boost to a team. You know there are going to be struggles. There are going to be times when some team thatās going to struggle to win 70 games is going to win a series. When some pitcher who should probably be riding buses in the minors shuts you down. I do believe that it can be a big tool to say hey, we know we can be excellent. We know we won 10 straight games, all against teams that a majority of baseball experts thought were playoff teams. When you are down three or four or five runs in a game. Maybe itās getting late. But you say hey. We came off the mat and beat the Dodgers in their own park. Weāve been here and weāve done this.
Iām going to run out of superlatives for what this team is doing. Itās a good problem to have. That the Cubs came back from down four on the road to win against the champs in a game in which their centerfielder had not one but two outfield assists on plays at the plate? Thatās insane.
Dansby Swanson and the offense will rightly get all kinds of credit for their six-run outburst (that could so easily have been eight). The defense included one of the more spectacular plays I think Iāve seen by . But it canāt be lost that this starts with a guy who I have to admit never entered my Chicago Cubs tunnel vision. , who I was completely unfamiliar with previously, threw three scoreless innings allowing just two hits. Part of it is the structure of the game, but Iām going to bet that not too many relievers throw three scoreless innings against the Dodgers this year.
The Cubs' comeback victory against the Dodgers marked their tenth consecutive win, showcasing their resilience and potential for the season.
The Cubs' current ten-game winning streak is notable, especially as it draws comparisons to the 2016 season, which was highly celebrated among fans.
Despite the winning streak, the Cubs will face challenges in maintaining consistency and overcoming teams that may struggle but can still pull off unexpected wins.
During their ten-game winning streak, the Cubs defeated several teams that most baseball experts considered playoff contenders, enhancing their confidence.
KL Rahul makes history as the first Indian to score 150 runs in IPL, achieving 152 against Punjab Kings.
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Last note. If you are someone who has ridden Craig Counsell, Iād at least suggest you take a few minutes and reconsider your impression of his abilities. That guy is managing his butt off and heās killing it. Itās early, but Iāll be surprised when the various outlets that run odds for various things start listing him as one of the favorites for Manager of the Year. Eight Cub pitchers have hit the injured list this month alone. There is no win last night without four scoreless innings from the bullpen. Down four, you were always going to be using the āBā relievers. But after the three-run seventh, you might consider an āAā reliever. After the run in the eighth, you almost certainly go to the main group. And after the two in the ninth, you absolutely run out your best guy to close it. But none of those guys are healthy right now.
Unbelievable. Go Cubs.
Three Positives:
Hat tips to Nico Hoerner, Alex Bregman and Corbin Martin earning his third career save.
Game 26, April 24: Cubs 6, Dodgers 4 (17-9)
Reminder: Heroes and Goats are determined by WPA scores and are in no way subjective.
THREE HEROES:
THREE GOATS:
WPA Play of the Game: Dansby Swanson homers with a runner on first and no outs in the ninth to break a 4-4 tie. (.345)
*Dodgers Play of the Game: Will Smith batted with runners on first and second with two outs in the third and hit a three-run homer. (.276)
Cubs Player of the Game:
Game 25 Winner: A particularly rare occurrence, Michael Busch and Seiya Suzuki tied at 92 votes apiece. I have no data for it, but I think unanimous votes happen more than ties.
Rizzo Award Standings:(Top 3/Bottom 3)
The award is named for Anthony Rizzo, who finished first in this category three of the first four years it was in existence and four times overall. He also recorded the highest season total ever at +65.5. The point scale is three points for a Superhero down to negative three points for a Billy Goat.
Current Win Pace: 105.9
Up Next: What do you do for an encore after that? This one is played at a much more reasonable hour. Game two in Los Angeles. The Cubs send Colin Rea (3-0, 3.00, 24 IP) for his third start (in addition to one bulk outing). Heās got a 20:5 strikeout to talk ratio, a 1.04 WHIP and a save for good measure. It would be hard to overstate how much heās meant to this Cub pitching staff in his year plus here.
Roki Sasaki (0-2, 6.11, 17.2 IP) is the rare modern era Dodger signing that hasnāt worked out (yet). This is his fifth start of the year. His best outing was actually his first one of the year against Cleveland when he allowed a run on four hits and two walks over four innings. He does average nearly a strikeout per inning, but also more than a hit per inning and almost a walk per inning. His numbers simply donāt suggest a high probability of success and if the Cubs are patient, I think theyāll put some runs on the board.
Win one for? Uniform No. 11 has been worn by quite a number of people through the years. There are some great names on that list. Ron Cey was my first No. 11 that I remember. A lot of really fun Cub middle infielders have worn the number. Drew Smyly would have been wearing that number the day of his really enjoyable almost no-hitter. But given the oddity in modern baseball of the managerās jersey being visible, I certainly did not know that Craig Counsell is currently Cub No. 11. As I think heās as responsible as anyone for this streak, letās go win another one for Craig.