Rahimi, Harris & Grote Show - Craig Counsell waved the white flag too early in Cubs' 13-7 loss to Phillies

Episode Date: April 14, 2026

Marshall Harris and Mark Grote broke down the Cubs' 13-7 loss to the Phillies on Monday.

Rahimi Harris and Grody. I don't want to break time. I want to yell a marshal. Can we handle more Anthony Herron? Midday's 10 to 2 on 104 3, the score. First pitch, line towards, a bounce towards short, actually. Dansby Swanson throws, and this ball bounces off the glove of Amaya.

It rolls over toward the Philly dugout and out of play. And another run will score. Rough day at first. First base and Miguel Amaya with No Michael Bush and a Cubs 13-7 loss to the Phillies last night as we welcome me back to Rahimi Harrison Grody here on 1043, the score. We'll get some of your text messages on Schwerber. They're all over the place. I love it. 312, 644, 67, 67 to text or to call if you are moved to do so here.

But Marshall, there was another way to look at the game last night for the Cubs, and that was through the lens of the manager. Yeah, you know, Craig Counsel had decisions to make, and obviously he's stuck with what he stuck with as far as his starting rotation. I find it very interesting that right after the game, we find out that it will not be Colin Ray making the start today, although he is expected to pitch be the bolt guy,

but we're going to go opener. And Riley Martin, his fourth major league appearance at the age of, what, 28. Yep, yep. He will be the guy who starts as a lefty, and he's been good so far. Three games, three and a third innings pitch, three strikeouts, and they said,

you know what, this Cal Schwerber thing is a problem. That Bryce Harper thing also could be very problematic for a not-premium right-handed starter, such as, I don't know, Javier aside. Colin Ray. Yeah, it is all a problem. And so it was curious to me, that Craig counsel opts to go with Riley Martin

ahead of Colin Ray, but yet he didn't have the foresight to think that might be the approach at a hostile environment such as Citizens Bank Park with Javier Assad on the mound. Why didn't you do that, Craig? Why didn't you do that? Just have Riley Martin out there, the lefty, to start both of these games. And then going a little bit further, we talk about the game getting out of hand, right? 13 to 2. but the game wasn't over when they had a chance to come back in last night's game

and I'm looking at a very specific moment in the seventh inning where the Cubs get their leadoff batter aboard in Matt Shaw and obviously big lead starters out of the game and you've got your lesser bullpen, your low leverage relievers in the game if you're the Phillies. So after a Matt Shaw walk, why did Scott Kingery then pinch hit for Nico Horner? Give Nico Horner and a bat. Let's see if you can get something started. Maybe then Grody's dream, his wildly thought out, wildly drifted dream,

would have come to reality of a Cubs comeback win. Like, why are you giving up on your team, Craig Counsel? That's essentially what happened. And sometimes managers do that where they're like, for the betterment of a 162 game season, some games you're going to lose and just act accordingly. I hear what you're saying, though, man. Like, more than ever, it felt like with the Cubs specifically,

and I talk about last year maybe during Craig's tenure, and I'm sure it's with other teams too. How many times have we seen the position player pitcher seems to have been more present than ever? I don't know that the Cubs have done that yet this year, but it does feel like we're headed in short order towards that with having to do what you got to do when you have two starting pitchers out.

Kate Horton done for the year and Matthew Boyd, I guess he's getting his bicep together. Yeah, his bicep together and his rehab starting could be back within the next couple of weeks or so. But this is a very fair, and we knew this, that this would be a very fragile, tricky time for the Cubs as good as it was with Javier Assad the first time. And Colin Ray, the first time, at some point in time, the guys that are not in your starting rotation in your top five, they're going to get exposed. Javier Assad. Eventually, everybody loves Javier Assad, but Javier Assad probably is not a starting pitcher

in a top five starting pitcher in a rotation. Well, no. Here's the thing. Whether it's a side, whether it's Colin Ray, I do believe most rotations don't have five great guys. So like, if a side is your fifth starter, you can live with that. And fifth starters are going to have games like this from time to time,

and you understand that what you sign up for. Now, the whole point was the Cubs had the pitching depth when you talk about Show Damanaga, Justin Steele eventually coming back, that they could withstand an injury or two to the rotation. But against a team like this and a place like that, going to be very hard to do. And I'm looking forward now to the next, first of all, two games against the Phillies because you've got to deal with this lineup two more times.

And then the Mets after that, guess what? Phillies again for four. It's not looking good right now for Craig Counsel in terms of punching buttons and really having the buttons he needs to be able. a punch to have this team playing like it needs to play to get, I don't know, out of the cellar in the National Link Central? Yeah, that's a scary thing to consider. But they're the other seven and nine.

So we shall see. But no, I appreciate the urgency with which you are talking. And yeah, it's going to take some serious managing to get through all of this. Speaking of that, managing, I know in that group chat that you were referring to in the last segment, somebody wasn't necessarily happy with the decision of who was over there Manning first base. throughout this game as you had catchers playing first base, multiple catchers playing first base in this contest.

Carson Kelly, give it a shot. Miguel Amaya, give it a shot. Were you pleased with their performances? And I was not filled with pleasure when it came to what was going on at first base last night. I submitted to you guys in our group text that I would like to unsubscribe from Miguel of Maya at first base, please. No more.

I don't want to pay for that subscription anymore. Are you still in the trial period here? Did you actually make a payment? Oh, it's in the trial period. because that's a trial-looking first baseman right there. Yeah. I never want to see that outside of spring training again. Do you hear me, Craig Counsel?

If it's Miguel Amaya, if it's Carson Kelly, and it's Matt Shaw as your options if Michael Bush is not manning first base, who is the one you want with no Michael Bush? Who is your pick there? Because that's the thought that Craig Counsel has to have. And also, since Dylan Carlson no longer with the team. I was looking at the depth chart. It's like, so who do they have listed at the depth?

You know who's listed in the depth chart at center field? Like if Pete Crowe-Armstrong couldn't play for some reason. Kevin L. Contra probably still even though he's in the Myers. On the 25 minute right now. It happened today, end-game. Who is their center fielder? Matt Shaw. Yeah, because he can play everywhere.

Allegedly. He's probably on the catcher list. By the way, Matt Shaw took a, what was it, early blooper in the game? It was a real muto when the game was still a real game. It felt like just a marathon last night because of all the different phases of the game. But there was a hit into right feel where Matt Shaw starts back a little bit. And if he had just come in a little bit, maybe you avoid that particular play.

So there's a lot of figuring out what guys can and can't do defensively right now for the Cubs. 312, 644, 67, if we want to jump in. Do I see my guy Wayne? Is Wayne in the house? Is that what's going on here? Wayne! My friend, Mr. Mark Grooty out in Las Vegas, man. Living the high life on Broadway, son.

Oh, we did. You got Marshall under your wings, showing him up, throwing him the ropes, I could tell. He'd never been to Vegas. Don't know anything about it. No, Marshall is... Want them fan dancers, they'll take your money, son. Oh, yeah.

They'll get your cash for you, son. They'll take your money, they'll take you. Yeah. Oh, man, they'll take... Oh, man, they're good looking, but, boy, they're mean. Yeah. They're mean.

They're very nice. They're hungry and mean. Mean girls. They'll leave you out of house home. They'll leave you out of house home. Then they'll get mean with you again. So anyway, yeah. Good talking to you, old buddy. It's been a long time.

And just wanted to tell you howdy. And, man, I really hate that Swarver ever got off the Cubs. It was just as loudiest, stupidest, dang thing. Because he was coached by my old buddy, Tracy Smith. He was on my softball, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, Bruce, team. Oh, in Indiana. A big town of Kenton, Indiana. Count on Indiana. Oh, okay.

Tracy and Todd Smith, they were pitchers on my Babe Ruth team. Todd Smith. And, man, he was a coach of the year that year that Schwerber got traded to you guys or got picked by you guys. And he should have kept him for the money that you had to pay. Man, oh, man. Yeah. I worked with him, but it just upset me that he's trying to beat you guys

every time he plays you now. So that's not good, old buddy. Yeah, no, I hear you, Wayne. I hear you, buddy. I got you, man. I appreciate you call. Good to hear your voice, Wayne. Thank you so much, man. Yeah, I was like looking at some of the other text messages as it pertains to Kyle Schwabber and our revisionist history and all of that. There was 7-7-3. There was no DH when he was non-tendered. He was a defensive liability. That deserves to be part of the conversation. But also, get over it. It happens. It's sports. Wrong answer. We don't get over things. That's not a good text. But you were checking off the first two things he said before he got over said get over it, right? Like those are valid points he's making.

Yeah, yeah, because I will say like when, yeah, when Schwerber started off in left field, it was not pretty. It was unpretty, I believe, is the way the song goes. Isn't there? Unpretty, unpretty song? And you essentially went from Schwerber in right field or excuse me left field to a goal Glover in left field. Right. And, you know, like Hap had to learn the position too.

and Schwerber got, like, ended up being fine in left field. And he actually had quite a few assists, if I remember correctly, as well. What other text messages here? Yes, it still hurts. Kyle is amazing, says the 815. 219, dumbest move ever by the Cubs. You have a legend world series champion. Left-hand power hitter, D.H. was coming.

Stupid, with regards to Kyle Schwerver, 815, remember, they didn't have a D.A. Yeah, didn't have a D.H. in 2016 when they let him go, but they let him go in 2020. It was years after that. So, yeah, opinions all over the place when it comes old Schwerby. Yeah, and to be clear, I think some of this is a revisionist history, and it's easy to kick the Cubs now because, guess what? Schwabber's out here doing Babe Ruthian things on a daily basis, as we saw last night. Yes, he is. Yes, he has continued to do it. It just, it just hurts. And I root for Kyle Schwerber. I like Kyle Schwerber, but it does rustle up a whole bunch of emotions. But again, you know, last night, even though you look at the score 13 to 7, they had the five runs did the Cubs in the eighth inning.

But one of the things that keeps on popping up with the Cubs is as easy it is to focus on the shiny Schwerber part of this is again, when the game was on the line, more blown opportunities. And eventually, hopefully we'll see this often start to click. But you had the bases loaded with one out in the second. PCA and Shaw both retired. Ian Hap, who we'll talk to a little bit later on, hits into a double play to end a threat with runners on first and second

and one out at one point in time. We are just seeing too much of that every single game. I'm asking before the show. What were the Cubs with runners in scoring position yesterday? Four for 16. And every day it feels like that is the biggest part of the problem for the Cubs. And the contrast is scary because while they were four, for 16, the Phillies were eight for 14.

And they were getting all of the situational hitting done. And that doesn't even have to be hitting. It can just be sacrificed flies and making things happen on the base paths. So I look at this to tell you, I'm sorry, Mark, but here's the reality. With no Cade Horton, Justin Steele, still in limbo, Matthew Boyd still in Lumbull, like if these two teams had to playoff series, it would be a very short playoff series right now. because the Phillies do have the premium pitching and they do have the bats to make you pay when you make a mistake.

And right now they have pitchers in the rotation who are more prone to making mistakes. Christopher Sanchez is a really good starting pitcher, a guy who could end up in that ultimate top of the heap tier one of these days, six innings last night, did allow a couple of runs. And as you and I were talking about during the break, you got to deal with Aaron Nola tonight,

who the Cubs have not fared particularly well against in the past. Again, Ian Hap, 0 for 18, lifetime against him. I can't wait to ask him about, hey. I'm going to say, better ask him. Because you know he knows his numbers against these guys. Oh, absolutely. Right? Yeah.

And so I'm curious to his approach when he knows what's going on against a certain pitcher, and if that, obviously it bothers him, but how much more does that change anything about what he's doing against a guy? No doubt about it. And we will talk to Mr. Ian Hap a little bit later on. 1125 is when we will talk to Mr. Hap. We'll have some Bears draft talk coming up at 11. And we are open for you here right now if you want to talk Cubs at 312,

644, 67, 67. Where are you emotionally with Kyle Schwabber? Where are you emotionally? What are we 16 games into the season? Good math on your cards. Yeah. And we all know it's early. and we all know there are only a couple games under 500,

but you could start to look at some things and wonder if they are going to get better anytime soon. So come on in 312, 644-67. It is Rahimi Harrison Grody on the score.