On Wednesday night, the Cubs broke it open in the fifth against ace Ben Sheets, who admitted that he just got tanned out on the mound. He wasn't really helped by his team's fielding (the Brewers have looked dazed in the field this series) and with Big Z (8 innings, 0 runs, 5 hits) on the mound, Sheets had no room for error. Ramirez had a huge day (4-5, 2 runs, 1 RBI) and Fukudome had a key 2 RBI triple thanks to less than stellar play in left field. It all added up to a nice 7-1 win.
Last night was not much different (7-2 victory) as the Cubs scored 2 in the first and never looked back. Dempster pitched 7 innings, giving up one run on 5 hits. Soriano (3-4, 2 runs, 2 walks) and Theriot (3-3, 1 run, 3 RBI, 2 walks) tore it up at the top of the order and Reed Johnson added some grit in the 5 spot (3-5, 1 RBI).
Everything has fallen into place so far in this series. Good pitching, timely hitting, an opponent that is making crucial mistakes, and Cub hustle all over the place (Johnson's hard slide on Tuesday, Soriano stealing bases). The pitchers are back in the sing as well. Z and Dempster both had hits. Zambrano had an RBI and Dempster scored.
The Cub offense now leads the majors in walks (who would have predicted that?), are second in runs scored and OPS, and the pitching staff is sixth (second in the NL) in team ERA. That's a nice combination of stats.
Now the Cubs are looking to really put some distance on the Brewers and Cards with this last game in Milwaukee and Pittsburgh, Houston and St. Louis for the first August home stand.
Harden is still looking for his first win as a Cub despite some truly excellent outings. Picking it up at Milwaukee to complete the sweep would be a good way to get it.
There hasn't been much in the way of trade talks. I have heard Ibanez come up, but fail to see him being a great fit for this club (though he is a decent ball player). Perhaps the Cubs come up with a lefty in the pen such as Fuentes. I did hear him mentioned, but it may be that Colorado has closed shop on moving him.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Swing and a Miss
Cubs continue to play serious ball against the Brewers. They have returned to that relentless offense and the starters continue to put up quality starts. Let's hope it is the start of a long roll.
I'll get into that later. I just felt like revisiting a moment in the spring when White Sox GM Kenny W. said that Carlos Quentin was who they were targeting and getting him made it a successful off season.
That's a paraphrase, but you get the point. Needless to say, I laughed. I had nothing positive to say about the Quentin love.
I couldn't have been more wrong.
EDIT: So as soon as I wrote this, the Sox somehow swing a deal for Griffey Jr. I have no idea what the plan is here. Junior isn't a star player any longer. He is a lefty, but he hasn't been in CF in a while and no longer has the legs he once did and has no significant experience in the post season (much less as a winner). With Quentin (see above) and Dye at the corner outfield spots and Thome (they are statistically not much different) at DH, speculation is rampant on what the Sox plan to do with Junior. One may presume he didn't agree to the trade thinking he would be riding the pine. How does this solve the Konerko issue? I don't know. Perhaps Kenny will prove me wrong again.
I'll get into that later. I just felt like revisiting a moment in the spring when White Sox GM Kenny W. said that Carlos Quentin was who they were targeting and getting him made it a successful off season.
That's a paraphrase, but you get the point. Needless to say, I laughed. I had nothing positive to say about the Quentin love.
I couldn't have been more wrong.
EDIT: So as soon as I wrote this, the Sox somehow swing a deal for Griffey Jr. I have no idea what the plan is here. Junior isn't a star player any longer. He is a lefty, but he hasn't been in CF in a while and no longer has the legs he once did and has no significant experience in the post season (much less as a winner). With Quentin (see above) and Dye at the corner outfield spots and Thome (they are statistically not much different) at DH, speculation is rampant on what the Sox plan to do with Junior. One may presume he didn't agree to the trade thinking he would be riding the pine. How does this solve the Konerko issue? I don't know. Perhaps Kenny will prove me wrong again.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Crazy Start
Helluva start to the Milwaukee series. Lilly dueled Sabathia in a game that neither owned the outcome. Lilly looked good until the sixth inning, his last, when back-to-back homers and an RBI double stuck a fork in him. He had been cruising with a 2-0 lead thanks to a Soriano double and stolen base that led to a Lee RBI in the first as well as a Soriano homer in the third.
CC looked a little fatigued. The Brewer ace didn't have it all going for him, but he battled. The game seesawed in the sixth and seventh before the Cubs plated two in the ninth and Marmol got a save to end it.
Game balls to Soriano for being all over CC and to Reed Johnson, whose hard slide at second disrupted an almost sure thing double play on a Lee grounder with one out that resulted in a 4-3 Cub lead. Guadin has to get a mention as well for striking out the side in the eighth.
It was a good victory away and put the Cubs ahead in the division by 2.
Big Z is sitting on a 1-0 lead with the Cubs batting in the fifth. Another nail biter tonight?
CC looked a little fatigued. The Brewer ace didn't have it all going for him, but he battled. The game seesawed in the sixth and seventh before the Cubs plated two in the ninth and Marmol got a save to end it.
Game balls to Soriano for being all over CC and to Reed Johnson, whose hard slide at second disrupted an almost sure thing double play on a Lee grounder with one out that resulted in a 4-3 Cub lead. Guadin has to get a mention as well for striking out the side in the eighth.
It was a good victory away and put the Cubs ahead in the division by 2.
Big Z is sitting on a 1-0 lead with the Cubs batting in the fifth. Another nail biter tonight?
Monday, July 28, 2008
Big Doings for July
I have to say that the Marlins series made me really uneasy and I found it terribly hard to watch. Went over to Wrigley on Friday (take that, boss!). It was a beautiful day and I was enjoying it (and a few beers) rather than what I should have been doing. Nevertheless, when Dempster started the second inning by plunking Uggla, it felt like it was going to be a long day.
Dempster scrapped through six innings, but gave up a run (Uggla was doubled in after that HBP) and walked six during a hot day game. Soto tied it up in the second with a solo shot and Johnson put the Cubs ahead with another solo homer in the fifth, but otherwise, the bats looked listless.
I thought Jeff Samardzija pitched well in his first action, but he still managed to give up the tying run. When Howry gave up a pinch-hit, leadoff homer in the top of the ninth, it was deflating as a fan. There was a tiny disturbance in the force.
Saturday was no better. The Cubs may have staved off the loss until the 12th inning, but once again, weak run production let good pitching go to waste. The Marlins struck out 20 times (10 in Harden's 5 innings of work-1 ER, 2 hits, 3 BB, 1 HR) and still won the game. The Cubs lost for the fourth time all year after leading in the 7th, but it was the second such loss in 2 days. Sweet Lou managed to get tossed for a seemingly minor confrontation and it was another shitty loss for the Cubs.
When I tuned in late to Sunday's game, I saw one Jason Marquis pitch before turning it off in disgust. That pitch resulted in a 3-run dinger and a 3-0 Marlin lead. When I found out this morning that the Cubs won, I was astonished. Perhaps this team is different. After all is said and done, they managed to split the series with the Marlins and, miraculously, remain 1-game ahead of the Brewers, who are tearing it up while the Cubs flounder.
And so....here we are. Late July in Milwaukee and there's a lot on the line. The team will tell you there are over 50 games to play and this series isn't as big as media and fans will make it out to be. However, the outcome of these games could be pivotal as the two teams stand poised to reverse their fates from one year ago. The Cubs need to show some grit on the road and get the bats heated up for an August run. The Brewers need to keep their hot play going against the team they are chasing.
Lilly vs Sabathia. Big Z vs Sheets. Dempster vs Parra. Harden vs Bush.
Let's get it awwn!
Dempster scrapped through six innings, but gave up a run (Uggla was doubled in after that HBP) and walked six during a hot day game. Soto tied it up in the second with a solo shot and Johnson put the Cubs ahead with another solo homer in the fifth, but otherwise, the bats looked listless.
I thought Jeff Samardzija pitched well in his first action, but he still managed to give up the tying run. When Howry gave up a pinch-hit, leadoff homer in the top of the ninth, it was deflating as a fan. There was a tiny disturbance in the force.
Saturday was no better. The Cubs may have staved off the loss until the 12th inning, but once again, weak run production let good pitching go to waste. The Marlins struck out 20 times (10 in Harden's 5 innings of work-1 ER, 2 hits, 3 BB, 1 HR) and still won the game. The Cubs lost for the fourth time all year after leading in the 7th, but it was the second such loss in 2 days. Sweet Lou managed to get tossed for a seemingly minor confrontation and it was another shitty loss for the Cubs.
When I tuned in late to Sunday's game, I saw one Jason Marquis pitch before turning it off in disgust. That pitch resulted in a 3-run dinger and a 3-0 Marlin lead. When I found out this morning that the Cubs won, I was astonished. Perhaps this team is different. After all is said and done, they managed to split the series with the Marlins and, miraculously, remain 1-game ahead of the Brewers, who are tearing it up while the Cubs flounder.
And so....here we are. Late July in Milwaukee and there's a lot on the line. The team will tell you there are over 50 games to play and this series isn't as big as media and fans will make it out to be. However, the outcome of these games could be pivotal as the two teams stand poised to reverse their fates from one year ago. The Cubs need to show some grit on the road and get the bats heated up for an August run. The Brewers need to keep their hot play going against the team they are chasing.
Lilly vs Sabathia. Big Z vs Sheets. Dempster vs Parra. Harden vs Bush.
Let's get it awwn!
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Guess Who's Back...Back Again
Welcome back, Al. Your table is ready.
Coincidence or not, Soriano's return to action came along with a 10-6 Cub victory at Arizona. A game they needed badly. Hanging on to a 1-game lead in the Central over a Milwaukee team buoyed by the Hefty Lefty, the Cubs can't afford to languish on the road.
Lilly pitched a nice game, though laborer from behind at times (get your mind out of the gutter!). One of those fan-favorite rebound games he's hung on opponents since becoming a Cub. Six strong innings, giving up 3 earned runs. After Lee homered in the first (yes, he can still hit it out!), the Cubs managed to let Arizona stake the lead with 2 runs in the fourth. Before it started to look like this might be another one of those games, the Cubs broke out with 3 runs in the fifth, including a Lilly RBI single, a Soriano ground-out RBI and a Lilly steal of third that resulted in an RBI for The Riot on another groundout. That is the greedy, opportunistic offense that got them in first.
The game tightened in the bottom of the fifth after Lilly walked the leadoff man, put him on second after a wild pitch and gave up an RBI triple (Jackson). Lilly struck out Reynolds, then induced a fielder's choice from Young, which ended with Lilly tagging Jackson in a rundown and Young, who advanced to second on the rundown, getting picked off by Lilly while trying to steal third.
The big blow came from Reed Johnson's grand slam in the eigth, putting the Cubs up 10-3. The lead held despite a weak effort from Howry (3 earned runs in 1 inning) as setup for Marmol, who also looked a little shaky, but didn't give up a run.
It think (hope?) a little rust came off last night. Lee hit his first dinger in 26 games. Ramirez and Soto both ended 0-fer streaks and Fukudome, though he didn't get a hit, did manage to walk three times and score a run. Soriano went 1 for 5, with an RBI ground out and a late, rather meaningless double. However, he put the ball in play (striking out once, in his first at bat) and eked out an RBI that put the Cubs up 3-2 in the fifth. Also good to see Johnson with a big game, especially with Edmonds unavailable with a sore knee.
The Cubs get a breather at home with four straight against the Marlins before heading to a big face-off in Milwaukee. Emonds is having tests on his knee today and Wood's blister remains a big concern. I don't know that the Cubs will make a move for relief help (are the A's going to help them out by dealing Houston Street on the cheap?). It looks more likely, at least right now, that Samardzija might come up to help if Marmol has to close for an extended period. On the other hand, with Milwaukee breathing down their neck, maybe the Cubs make a deal for another solid bat or a dirty dealing relief man.
Speaking of...
The Brewers seem content to pitch C(no period)C(no period) into the ground with the half season they have him for. He has responded with 4 straight wins, including 3 straight complete games. If the Brew Crew may have concerns in the pen, Sabathia isn't going to let it concern him. Let's not make Harden think he has to finish the game to get a damn victory.
Coincidence or not, Soriano's return to action came along with a 10-6 Cub victory at Arizona. A game they needed badly. Hanging on to a 1-game lead in the Central over a Milwaukee team buoyed by the Hefty Lefty, the Cubs can't afford to languish on the road.
Lilly pitched a nice game, though laborer from behind at times (get your mind out of the gutter!). One of those fan-favorite rebound games he's hung on opponents since becoming a Cub. Six strong innings, giving up 3 earned runs. After Lee homered in the first (yes, he can still hit it out!), the Cubs managed to let Arizona stake the lead with 2 runs in the fourth. Before it started to look like this might be another one of those games, the Cubs broke out with 3 runs in the fifth, including a Lilly RBI single, a Soriano ground-out RBI and a Lilly steal of third that resulted in an RBI for The Riot on another groundout. That is the greedy, opportunistic offense that got them in first.
The game tightened in the bottom of the fifth after Lilly walked the leadoff man, put him on second after a wild pitch and gave up an RBI triple (Jackson). Lilly struck out Reynolds, then induced a fielder's choice from Young, which ended with Lilly tagging Jackson in a rundown and Young, who advanced to second on the rundown, getting picked off by Lilly while trying to steal third.
The big blow came from Reed Johnson's grand slam in the eigth, putting the Cubs up 10-3. The lead held despite a weak effort from Howry (3 earned runs in 1 inning) as setup for Marmol, who also looked a little shaky, but didn't give up a run.
It think (hope?) a little rust came off last night. Lee hit his first dinger in 26 games. Ramirez and Soto both ended 0-fer streaks and Fukudome, though he didn't get a hit, did manage to walk three times and score a run. Soriano went 1 for 5, with an RBI ground out and a late, rather meaningless double. However, he put the ball in play (striking out once, in his first at bat) and eked out an RBI that put the Cubs up 3-2 in the fifth. Also good to see Johnson with a big game, especially with Edmonds unavailable with a sore knee.
The Cubs get a breather at home with four straight against the Marlins before heading to a big face-off in Milwaukee. Emonds is having tests on his knee today and Wood's blister remains a big concern. I don't know that the Cubs will make a move for relief help (are the A's going to help them out by dealing Houston Street on the cheap?). It looks more likely, at least right now, that Samardzija might come up to help if Marmol has to close for an extended period. On the other hand, with Milwaukee breathing down their neck, maybe the Cubs make a deal for another solid bat or a dirty dealing relief man.
Speaking of...
The Brewers seem content to pitch C(no period)C(no period) into the ground with the half season they have him for. He has responded with 4 straight wins, including 3 straight complete games. If the Brew Crew may have concerns in the pen, Sabathia isn't going to let it concern him. Let's not make Harden think he has to finish the game to get a damn victory.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Unglued
I'll admit, any semblance of positivity I have about this season seems to dwindle away the longer the Cubs are out on the road. Yet another poor offensive showing results in wasting another really strong outing by Harden. That kind of thing has to gnaw at a pitcher.
Harden went 7 innings in 112 pitches giving up just one run on the only hit the D'Backs managed off him, a home run to Alex Romero in the sixth inning. The new guy walked only 2 against 10 strikeouts and throwing 60% of his pitches for strikes. Harden looked like an ace, though he suffered a few control miscues, including zooming a fastball over Soto's head for a wild pitch and bouncing one short of the plate that did not allow a running on second to advance only due to the game situation.
On the other side, the team managed only 2 hits (one each by Johnson and Edmonds) and 3 walks (Theriot, Johnson, Edmonds). Yet again, the big boppers remained silent on the road and the Cubs fail to look like a team to fear. At the very least, Randy Johnson was pitching with as much impact as Harden and this wasn't a game dropped to a 5th starter. Nevertheless, losing yet again to Randy Johnson is a kick in the teeth.
Soriano can't get back soon enough. This is exactly the time that he can add some zing to the offense. It looks like he'll get one more rehab start and be ready to go on Thursday.
The good starting pitching may not be netting victories, but they have eaten up innings and gone deep into games. Sweet Lou is likely to use that to his advantage and keep Wood on the roster, rather than a DL stint. Hopefully a new ointment Wood is trying will help heal that blister.
The Cubs have Marquis going tonight and he is sporting a 3.30 career ERA against Arizona (over 57 1/3 innings). Maybe he can work some magic, but more importantly, the Cub offense needs to show something (Arizona has yet to announce their starter for tonight).
Harden went 7 innings in 112 pitches giving up just one run on the only hit the D'Backs managed off him, a home run to Alex Romero in the sixth inning. The new guy walked only 2 against 10 strikeouts and throwing 60% of his pitches for strikes. Harden looked like an ace, though he suffered a few control miscues, including zooming a fastball over Soto's head for a wild pitch and bouncing one short of the plate that did not allow a running on second to advance only due to the game situation.
On the other side, the team managed only 2 hits (one each by Johnson and Edmonds) and 3 walks (Theriot, Johnson, Edmonds). Yet again, the big boppers remained silent on the road and the Cubs fail to look like a team to fear. At the very least, Randy Johnson was pitching with as much impact as Harden and this wasn't a game dropped to a 5th starter. Nevertheless, losing yet again to Randy Johnson is a kick in the teeth.
Soriano can't get back soon enough. This is exactly the time that he can add some zing to the offense. It looks like he'll get one more rehab start and be ready to go on Thursday.
The good starting pitching may not be netting victories, but they have eaten up innings and gone deep into games. Sweet Lou is likely to use that to his advantage and keep Wood on the roster, rather than a DL stint. Hopefully a new ointment Wood is trying will help heal that blister.
The Cubs have Marquis going tonight and he is sporting a 3.30 career ERA against Arizona (over 57 1/3 innings). Maybe he can work some magic, but more importantly, the Cub offense needs to show something (Arizona has yet to announce their starter for tonight).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)