Rahimi, Harris & Grote Show
Cubs avoid a sweep by beating Rockies in series finale (Hour 1)
12 Jun 2026
Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.
Chapter 1: What did the Cubs achieve in their recent game against the Rockies?
The views and opinions of Layla Rahimi, Marshall Harris, and Mark Grody should not be taken too seriously. Especially when they give advice. Do not take Marshall's analogies literally. Especially when it comes to Russell Dorsey. The sports thoughts of Rahimi, Harris, and Grody may change at any time. It's just sports. Okay, thanks, bye.
Rahimi Harrison-Grody, 10-2 on 104.3 The Score.
The question that we're going to ask here, and we welcome you to play along with us, is how do you feel about your Chicago baseball team? 3-1-2, 6-44, 67-67. I know how you feel about your team, Smiling Marshall.
I mean, look, by no means am I someone who hates the Cubs or anything. I'm just excited the White Sox aren't going to lose 100 games, it seems like. You like to poke the Cubs a little bit.
No, I do not poke the Cubs. I tell the truth. You don't poke the Cubs when I'm talking about Cubs fans. Oh, yeah, yeah. Just people I know, though, not the general public. Me and others.
Well, because I said very specific things, and you guys kind of laughed at me.
An astute observation has led to laughter. We are laughing.
And that's fine that you guys don't respect my baseball knowledge. That's okay. I'm okay with that. This is why Sweden, Chris. Never Finland. I'll never doubt you again. When you talk about the Cubs being a 500-team mark, I point to how exactly are they going to get to being a winning team now?
That's the problem. Right now, the way I see it, it's obvious because if you watch these games every day, there is no way out for the Chicago Cubs. There is no hero in the minor leagues. There's no trade to be made right now. So all Craig Council can do right now is what he has been doing, and that is just being desperate. Desperate times call for desperate measures.
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Chapter 2: How has Seiya Suzuki's performance impacted the Cubs this season?
And then listeners actually thought that I was serious, that I thought that you could spread runs out over other days. And then I was like, why are you listening to a sports talk station? But seriously, can you not just do it in the one game? You need to do this throughout other games.
And then that happens, you have a better chance of winning a series against a team like the Rockies, where the best you could do is salvage one out of three. Well, I'm happy you got the one. It doesn't feel like a whole win to me. It feels like a half of a win.
You know why it only feels like half a win? Because when you look at the standings today, understand this. If the Rockies had won that game yesterday, they would still have the worst record in the National League. That's why it feels like half a win. Look, I am happy for Cubs hitters doing something they haven't done since April 25th. Yeah.
They hit three home runs in the same game for the first time since April 25th. That is a tragedy in and of itself. And it tells you that the lack of slug isn't just this abstract thing. No, there are data points we can look to. Alex Bregman, congratulations. You are finally on... June 11th, hit a home run with a man on base. That was an important home or two. It was. They put the game away.
They needed that.
Say a Suzuki... Well, after there were other home runs hit by the other team.
That's true. Yes. Say a Suzuki, you hit a home run with men in scoring position, namely with the bases loaded. Congratulations on your third career Grand Slam. Carson Kelly, you just keep doing what you're doing. A little sugar on top. I like that for you. But look, more importantly... Sorry.
Equally as important as the nine runs they scored was the fact that the two pitchers that you have the most questions about, Edward Cabrera and Shota Imanaga, went two-course field and didn't look bad. Shota didn't give up any runs. Edward Cabrera, minimalized damage with just two solo home runs.
And I think if you can get that type of pitching from those two pitchers or something along those lines, they got a fighting chance to come back, Mark. They got a fighting chance to make the playoffs. Better.
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Chapter 3: What are the implications of trading Seiya Suzuki for the Cubs?
I had to record Take the North. So I'm watching the game and kind of hearing Pat Hughes' voice out of my peripheral with a little speaker by Layla's station right there. And to hear the jubilation of Pat Hughes and then to see it seconds later on TV. Seiya Suzuki hitting that line drive blast to left field for a grand slam.
I'm not going to act like I didn't feel the relief and some elation for the sake of the Cubs, even though they have committed so many baseball sins this year. For that day, for yesterday, I felt really good for the Cubs. I felt really good for Seiya Suzuki. I felt really good for Alex Bregman and even Carson Kelly and the Cubs as a whole. I felt the relief.
I mean, when you consider the fact that the latest stat when it came to his batting average specifically with runners in scoring position at last check was somewhere around 123, depending.
Is that bad?
And then, oh, by the way, I've been keeping track. The Cubs batting average now after that nine run out burst is 226 with runners in scoring position. Okay. Cleveland is 29th. Cincinnati, who the Cubs are tied with for team bat speed for last in baseball, 218. So that said, yeah, he needed every bit of that one. And it's good. You know, you have to...
Like we say, you play the games that are on your schedule. Whenever we talk about strength of schedule, you got to win the game that's in front of you. But we all know that you can't rest on a game like this. And management can't say, well, water found its level today. You've got to consider what the hits of consequence are in a series like this as we are careening toward that trade deadline.
You know, be honest with yourselves when you're watching the game and seeing what this team really needs, not just looking at the stats or a box score, you know, the back of the baseball card discussion. I understand why players say that, to get confidence in themselves because they know they can do it.
But we know when it's against a team who's scuffling or against a team on a fourth game of a four-game series or maybe you're in the bullpen or something along those lines, you've got to do it in the games that also matter, game one, game two of the series, too.
Much like Mark, I do expect the Cubs to do more along the lines of what we saw in the final game of the series as opposed to the first two games offensively. My question has always been about the pitching. Here's why I'm confident about the offense. Pete Carl Armstrong, did you see his double yesterday? The man hit what was a single to mortals, and he made it look like an easy double.
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Chapter 4: What are the Cubs' current challenges with their pitching staff?
I mean, it did, but not to that extent.
I did not do that.
But just so you guys are aware.
The real imminent threat was the manager yesterday. I love it. Craig Council getting the old heave-ho in the game for arguing on the Moises Ballesteros double play grounder, which appeared to hit off that his shin guard should have been foul, was the argument of Craig Council. But he got his money's worth. He needed to get kicked out of a game. He needed to do something.
I mean, there's... And I don't know if... Council had made up his mind, I've got to do something to shake this team up. But there's been a lot of pressure on Craig Council from the outside to do more, even though there's probably not much more Craig Council can do.
We played the question that Spiegel asked him yesterday about, are there things that we're not seeing that maybe you're doing to try to get this team right? And he gave the one-word answer of yes. I don't know if that had anything to do with it, but let's be honest, it was kind of nice to see angry Craig Council, animated Craig Council yesterday.
In his dress blues, so to speak, in the pinstripes, not just the typical hoodie. But I think... He was probably to the point where his baseball sensibilities were offended. Like you heard him say after the game, that was a call that was clearly obvious.
He said the player reaction on the field is what they go off of, and that all the players seem to think that the ball hit his shin guard, and when a call costs you two outs, and you don't even want to review it to New York, which they could have done, and they decided that that was it. He said that cost you an inning.
Okay, there are other times where there have been situations where you can get mad. But I think that to me offended his baseball sensibilities. But there are times where you're right. You can get mad just to mix up the energy and take one for the team.
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Chapter 5: How do the Cubs' recent statistics reflect their performance?
But you're so good at finding the word that's worse than the foul language.
I like clown. I thought it was appropriate.
Clown is a good one.
You clown.
If you call an umpire a clown, that's a pretty good one.
Who is your favorite clown? You seem like a Cookie the Clown guy to me.
Really?
Cookie, you think, is my guy? I'm just kidding. He's the worst clown. You know what's funny?
I've never even heard of Cookie.
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Chapter 6: What strategies are suggested for the Cubs to improve their offense?
No, I think we were holding on like, hey, let's make sure they back this up with something more.
I know you're in a skeptical mood today, but I was like, this is good. This is a good sign. I needed this. Everybody needed this. And then the Giants were like, well, you need this.
Yeah, I mean, the thought ran through my head, but then I was like, wait a minute, that's what everybody's going to be saying, and then it won't happen, and then it didn't happen. But everybody did say that.
You were right. I mean, yeah, you were right. The grody meter of skepticism was appropriate.
I guess it worked for me on one day.
The Grotometer, if you will.
I'll take it.
This segment is brought to you by AlmostFreeTeeth.com. Save on dental implants today. We at Rahimi Harrison Grote broadcast live from the SCORE Hyundai Studios, brought to you by your local Hyundai dealers. When we have breaking news on the SCORE, it is sponsored by IDOT. If there is a car pulled to the side of the road, move over.
Our producers today are Tyler Biederbaugh, David Dykstra, Brandon Fryer helping us out, and Ray Diaz still did a really fine job booking all of our guests today. So shout out to Ray. You can catch us on Twitch, twitch.tv slash TheScoreChicago. We see The Mob, they are up and chatting, and Homie the Clown is definitely getting some discussion in our Twitch chat. So hey, Mob, how are you doing?
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Chapter 7: How does the trade deadline affect the Cubs' decision-making?
I think the bigger illustration here, Mark and Marshall, is the fact that this is triage. Where essentially you're injured in multiple places and you have to decide what is bleeding the most. And you stop that first knowing that you might have to hurt something else to save the other. And that's where we're at with this. Your pitching is injured. Your hitting is badly underperforming.
But I don't necessarily know that trading Seiya Suzuki right now is the answer.
Yeah, this is tough because, one, you have to go with, say, a Suzuki because of the full no-trade clause to somewhere that he would prefer to go. I mean, I'm sure he doesn't want to just give away half a season on a team that isn't necessarily a contender.
Yeah, like you're not trading him for Scooble.
Right, right, right. Well, isn't it going to be a contender that's going to be going after him?
It might be just a team that needs a boost and thinks they can contend. That's part of the issue. So many teams now, when you lead up to the trade deadline, like let's say the week and a half, two weeks before the trade deadline, still believe that they're in it based on the fact that there are three, four games maybe out of either a division lead or a wild card spot.
But we know only six teams are making it from each league. I think the main stat I want to point to here when you talk about what the Cubs need to do to get better, whether it includes, say, a Suzuki being traded or not, when the Cubs score three runs or fewer this season, They are 6-24.
And that's a big number given they have only played so many games so far this season.
Yeah, it's a big number because this. To realize that, understand the Cubs have only played 69 games. In 30 of those 69 games, they've scored three runs or fewer.
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Chapter 8: What are the future prospects for the Cubs and their players?
And if that's how the league is seeing this, if that's how the rest of the league is seeing this, then that's a pretty interesting assessment that's been made.
You know who brought up something that was great earlier today? And I was not shocked that he brought it up. It was just funny, the source, Brad Biggs. I don't know if you guys heard him with Mullion Hall. Brad Biggs talks baseball trades with you. Did you hear what he said about the Iowa Cubs and their team ERA? Oh, not good. And it's the last in the International League.
And even if you take the other AAA league, the Pacific Coast League, which we know, more prone for runs, home runs, and anything of the sort. they would still be like the third worst in all of AAA baseball because there's no answers down there as far as pitching goes.
And when you don't know what's going on with Jackson Wiggins and you don't know what's going on with Jordan Wicks and there's no... Unfortunately, I think we found out what was going on. We may know what's going on with Jordan Wicks and he's not a viable option going forward.
But my point is, I think pitching is more important than hitting because I think they have other ways they can come up with some hitting. But the pitching, man, you've got to have guys who get outs. And right now they don't have enough out-getters. Who's your opening?
If the playoffs started today, and I get it, the Cubs are not in the playoffs. So, yeah, let's do the exercise. Do we feel good about the Cubs in the playoffs with their starting pitching as it stands right now? So it would be Ben Brown.
No!
Ben Brown, Shota, Edward Cabrera. Okay, that doesn't feel very good right now.
I don't know that I'd go in that order.
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