The Cubs' Continued Boning Of Jeff Samardzija Is Historically Egregious

Jeff Samardzija has started 10 games for the Cubs this year, and in those 10 games he has pitched 68 innings, struck out 54 batters, and allowed just 11 earned runs. In three of those starts, he allowed zero earned runs; he allowed just one earned run in three other starts. Jeff Samardzija has a 1.46 ERA, and his record is 0-4. We know, we know, won-loss records don't mean anything. But 0-4?

Samardzija has zero wins because the Cubs, in a high-end display of being the Cubs, have been absolutely boning him this year. In his 10 starts, the Cubs have scored a combined 24 runs. Great pitchers getting crappy run support is a thing that happens all the time, but still, no pitcher in the history of the game has been boned by his team through his first 10 starts as badly as Samardzija has this year. According to Baseball Reference, Samardzija is one of seven pitchers since 1901 who has posted an ERA plus over 80 while starting at least 10 games and getting no wins. Samardzija's shit luck is on another level, though, because his ERA plus of 266 blows the other pitchers on that list out of the water. Ralph Beard's ERA plus of 111 from 1954 is the next-highest mark on that list, and Beard only struck out 17 guys in his 10 starts.

Yesterday, it looked like the Cubs were finally ready to stop screwing their ace for once. Samardzija pitched seven flawless inning against the Yankees, allowing just four hits and zero earned runs. The useless Cubs offense managed to scratch out runs in the fourth and seventh inning, and the team was up 2-0 when the Yankees came up to bat in the top of the ninth. That's when Hector Rondon took the mound and immediately coughed up two runs. With that win snatched away from him, Samardzija earned yet another crappy place in history: he became the first pitcher in 100 years to make 16 straight starts and tally zero wins while posting an ERA under three. The Cubs have been boning Samardzija like this since last year, and it doesn't look like they are ever going to stop.