Rahimi, Harris & Grote Show
5 On It: Which Cubs player needs to step up against Astros? (Hour 3)
22 May 2026
Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
This hour is brought to you by Vasectomy Clinics of Chicago.
Who needs to have a big series in order to ensure the Cubs a series win over the Astros at Wrigley Field this weekend?
Is it too easy to say PCA? It probably is, right? Like, that's too easy.
It doesn't seem like anything's easy coming to PCA right now. Ray has a good point.
Fair.
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Chapter 2: Which Cubs player needs to step up against the Astros?
And you know what you don't want to do? Be the team that loses to the Astros for the first time since 2013 at home. I live that lineup, guys. And I am here to tell you that those were some interesting times. It wasn't. It was really hard. It was three straight losses of seasons of 100 plus losses. Like some interesting names there. And it was Ronnie Cedeno, the former Cardinal.
Sorry, been a minute since I thought about those dudes. Baseball, respectively, RIP. Not really, but you know, to that lineup. So you don't want to be that team is the point. We heard Jeff Blum talk about it earlier. The struggles at Wrigley by the Astros, notable, but these are two different teams.
Chapter 3: Is PCA the obvious choice for the Cubs' success?
I'm going to go with the second easiest choice here. Nico Horner. He goes, they go. I know at times he's the only dude hitting for this team, but I need somebody to get on base and that will make me feel much better about everybody else. We see that Seiya Suzuki moved down in the lineup.
I had the harebrained idea of putting him next to Nico to give him the most protection possible in the lineup because put him next to the guy who you know is going to get some hits. But... I see some tinkering, so we got to see how it plays out. But I still think the leadoff batter is who needs to produce the most to just make everybody else feel better, because he can.
I feel like putting pressure on him is fine.
I feel like this question has never been as open-ended in terms of where you go with your answer. You can go almost any direction, and it makes sense.
Anything is possible, mostly because there's not a lot of room to go down.
Yeah, they're coming off definitely a lowered floor after getting swept by the Brewers in their own ballpark. I think the magic of Wrigley does return to some extent, but for me, it's very simple. It's the three-hole hitter, Alex Bregman. Former team.
Unless Nico Horner or Michael Bush are driving themselves in, which is possible, especially for Bush, who's been absolutely great in the month of May, unlike the rest of his teammates.
Sorry, Michael Bush.
Bush is going to get on base. This is something I'm certain of.
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Chapter 4: What lineup changes could benefit the Cubs during the series?
Yes. Bob. I was hoping for another B.O.B., Bombs Over the Bleachers.
Come on. Bombs Over the Bleachers.
Yes. Again, yes. But let's be honest, guys. If you look at this lineup and understand that Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki are batting fourth and fifth, and then Nico Horner are batting first and second, the guy hitting in the three-hole either has to get on base or he has to drive in runs. He can't be dead weight. And Bregman has not been good. His slug has been way too low all season long.
I don't need him to hit 35 home runs, but he needs to be able to have a threat of hitting doubles and homers.
Stop playing a garbage.
Yes.
Everybody.
Yeah, that's it.
But here's the thing. Swing it something because you guys are just watching stuff go by.
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Chapter 5: How important is Nico Horner for the Cubs' performance?
Yeah.
Behind Bush. Immediate protection.
I had the harebrained idea of staying next to Nico. I don't hate my harebrained idea. I would have to watch it play out. Then I might hate it.
I think if you do that, though, you've got to put Bush in front of Horner. Do not move Michael Bush down the line. He's either batting first or second. He needs the most played appearances, period. So far, he's their best and most consistent hitter. He went through an early slump, but since then, no one on this team has been a better hitter than Michael Bush.
You know what would be great? Is if I knew every day who was batting cleanup confidently.
You do. Ian Happ, that's the answer.
But that's not his real place in the lineup.
Where's his real place?
Yeah, I think it's probably got to be either fifth or maybe, yeah.
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Chapter 6: What role does Alex Bregman play in the upcoming series?
I didn't know that was a rule. I'm here to tell you I'm taking Davis Martin, and there's two reasons I'm taking Davis Martin. If you look at the pitching matchups in this series, he's going up against Trevor McDonald, who's the only pitcher that the Giants are throwing out that doesn't have an ERA over four.
Dysfunctional Giants team, guys. Yeah.
Davis Martin is also pitching in the first game of the series. You want to talk about setting the tone? Let Martin go out there and give up zero to two runs over seven innings.
Can he lower his ERA even more today?
That's the question. Here's what he needs to do to lower his ERA. Shaz! One run or less over six innings lowers the ERA. That's a 1.50 ERA if he can give up a run or less over six innings. So yeah, Davis Martin, he is the tone setter, not just for this rotation in general, but for this series very specifically.
You win two out of three with Eric Fetty and Noah Schultz going Saturday and Sunday respectively, and you finish the road trip at 500. What is my stated goal about road trips?
finish 500 finish 500 and if you win two out of three at home that is the marshall edict and then you know what you have a playoff team pretty good one i might add very clearly if you follow that formula that i just outlined that's 54 wins at home that's 40 wins on the road that's 40 and 41 actually finishing game under 500 that's a 94 win season you know what that gets you
winning the Central by a mile.
I wouldn't say that. Cleveland has woken up.
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Chapter 7: How can the Cubs improve their hitting with runners in scoring position?
NBA reporter Mark Stein took to X to report this nugget. Quote, another name for the Bulls coaching search, Jerry Stackhouse, fresh off a stint as Warriors assistant. He's emerged as a candidate in Chicago. Unquote. How would you feel about Jerry Stackhouse becoming the next Bulls head coach?
So let me get this straight. Bryson Graham is from San Antonio, played at Texas A&M. One of his top lieutenants is 25-year Texas A&M alum A.C. Law IV. Now you mean to tell me that they want former Maverick Jerry Stackhouse? This Bulls team is about to get Texas as hell! Until you have information that can help figure out what's going on.
I just don't necessarily know that this is the best choice. And we've talked about all the other available candidates who have earned their right to become an NBA head coach. And Jerry Stackhouse has put in his dues. Obviously, he was also a head coach at Vandy where he had...
losing record too so that's that's part of this is is do you trust him to get another head coaching opportunity this time you know at the NBA level and and how would that go there's I think there's too much of a question mark for me still given his college resume
So he had two years there. They won 22 games, did not make the tournament. Then a year later, he wins nine games and gets fired. Nine games. It's not great. I will say this. Apparently, and I don't know how much stock to put in this, but the Trailblazers are interested in Jerry Stackhouse as a candidate. I don't know if you know, they're trying to do things on the super cheap there. So, okay.
I don't. I don't know how I feel necessarily about Jerry Stackhouse. I'm just waiting to see who all the finalists are, and then I'll make a decision. If he gets the finalist role, we can have a more in-depth discussion about what Jerry Stackhouse brings. He's been on Steve Kerr's staff, so he has been around winners. He was in Toronto for a little while.
It's a hell of a resume builder. There's no doubt about that.
But there's nothing that says, hey, you can definitely be the lead guy and lead your team to success. I think I'd probably feel differently if he had had more success when he was a head coach last at Vanderbilt.
Yeah, that's why I have pause.
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Chapter 8: What are the expectations for the White Sox series against the Giants?
This is wholesome and adorable. Like, J.J. Watt and Caleb Williams are part of a group that wanted to bring an official peanut butter and jelly sandwich to the NFL players. I love this. It just makes me go, oh, that's so cute. I love it all.
They're just babies. I just want to say that people on Twitter or X, the comp was out there that this is very... Like the Zoom takeover. Because we used to have a thing called Skype back in the day. 2020 happened. Yeah, 2020 happened. The pandemic happened. And all of a sudden, everybody's using Zoom. Could we see a similar thing with Uncrustables?
Didn't somebody say that this was the biggest lead that was lost since Skype and Zoom? In 2020. Yeah, that's it. Absolutely. The lead. Yeah, this was smart business. It was smart business and it's cute. And then kids are going to be like, I want to eat the sandwich that the players eat. And then parents are gonna be like, Oh, it's JJ. What a Caleb Williams. Adorable.
I'm sure you'll be able to get a box of jams with Caleb Williams on it.
You know, they should do the Wheaties box thing and just put players on it.
I'm sure they will. I can't imagine that they wouldn't smart, smart, smart business.
That's it for five on it. I got my cardio in. I did not mean to. Every time that song comes on, I dance unconsciously. It was amazing. Like Family Guy. Like Brian on Family Guy. That's the idea. Also, if you want a treadmill song, just start running to that. Then you'll just keep running. Didn't you know what you can reward yourself with at the end? Peanut butter jelly time. That's how it works.
Okay, so credit to the Buckwheat Boys. As we found out, that is the group behind the song.
2000. 2000.
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