Yes, I'm officially over inter-league play, with the White Sox finishing off a three-game sweep against the Cubs last night 5-1. If you're a Sox fan, you found much to like yesterday about not only the game, but the balance and quality of the team itself. And if you're a Cubs fan, you probably didn't find anything good about this entire series. Okay, I did escape having to listen to a Hawk Harrelson broadcast; but seriously, that's the only thing.
Get it together. Quick. The Cubs face a suddenly effective again Barry Zito tonight, Tim Lincecum on Thursday, and a big three-game set against the Cardinals this weekend -- who are trailing now by only 2.5 games. This series could set up as a fight for the division lead, and I can think of few psychological letdowns bigger than having to look up at the Cardinals at the ASB after the start that this team has had. The injuries are one thing. We accept that as part of the game. But last night was all about bad play.
Sean Marshall gets a pass, holding the Sox to three runs in seven innings of work. The kid deserved better. I still think that Lieber would have been the better bet to start -- especially given his solid performance against the Sox in game 1 -- but whatever. He deserved better. Bad umpire calls didn't help either, as home plate umpire Rob Drake had one of the odder zones that I've seen recently. How bad? So bad that Lou Piniella was ejected arguing a incredibly obvious Joe Crede check swing that was called no swing. Now, I know a bit about anger, and he looked awfully calculating to me, but the point was solid; even if you aren't supposed to argue strikes. But the Sox went home run crazy off of Sean, and that's just life at the Cell; first, a Carlos Quentin solo shot in the 4th, and then a Brady Brian Anderson two-run blast in the 5th. Jim Thome got in the act later off Jose Ascanio for good measure, hitting a two-run shot in the 8th. And that pretty much closed the book on what I'm happy to consider a lost weekend at US Cellular.
I do have a couple of thoughts running around though, as we enter a new week, and hopefully new streak. Ronny Cedeno gonna kill you quicker than a bullet. Every time he starts, I see within four innings why he's riding the bench. Last night, with the bases loaded and two out in the 2nd, he hits -- on what I believe was the first pitch -- a shallow ball out to center to end the inning. Then, with Henry Blanco on and no one out in the 5th, Ronny hits into a 5-3 double play. Lay down a bunt? Nope. Hit the ball to the right side? Nope? At least wait for something that you could drive to the outfield? Not even. You try to pull pitches, down on the road, with your backup catcher running at first. I can only hope that if we don't get a look at Andre Torres soon, that the Cubs will at least consider adding a bench player at the trade deadline.
And why was Jose Ascanio brought in the 8th? Seriously, most days you'll bring Carlos Marmol in if the wind blows wrong. Howry is in the pen; Cotts too. Bringing Neal in to at least face Jim Thome would have made a ton of sense, especially with a man on. I look at a bumbling play like that, and find myself wondering about the managerial prowess of Alan Trammell, especially given how quickly Jim Leyland turned around his Detroit Tigers. It was a dumb move. Just dumb.
Here's hoping to a much better series against the Giants.
I'm not certain that I wouldn't have preferred another blowout. After scuffling all afternoon long to pluck a much-needed win out of this White Sox series, Carlos Marmol allows a game-winning home run to Carlos Quentin in the 7th inning, sending the Cubs to a 6-5 loss at US Cellular. This leave the Cubs losing streak at three; only the second time this season that they've lost three games or more.
First, let me say that I've heard much recently about Derrek Lee being off this year. I really haven't agreed, and I hope that his five hit days yesterday -- single handedly keeping the Cubs in the game -- quiets some of the skeptics. I'll grant you that his career high -- and league leading -- 19 double-play balls this season have been something of a concern. However, I call that age. And perhaps a slight tendency to succumb to pulling the outside pitch too much. As of this morning Derrek is hitting a robust .298/.359/.509, and on pace for a 30 home run. 100-RBI season. I should be so wrong.
But the real story of the day was pitching, or shall I say lack thereof. Considered a strength of the Cubs at the beginning of the season -- if only for the surplus -- it has faded over the last two weeks, both in starting pitching, and relief. Starter Sean Gallagher was shaky from the offset yesterday -- even after being spotted a 2-0 1st-inning lead -- and stayed that way through much of his six innings of work. To his credit, he was able to settle down a bit after what looked to be a very animated, and likely profanity-filled conversation with Lou Piniella on the mound in the 2nd inning. No one will say exactly what was said, but we did get this quotable from Gallagher after the game:
"He wanted to light a fire under my butt, be [ticked] off and get me focused on the task at hand. He wanted to get what was on his mind across to me. It worked out well."
Oh boy. Unfortunately before that, the Sox knocked him around pretty good. They went up 3-2 in the first on a Joe Crede RBI single, and a two-run home run by Jermaine Dye, then added to that with a Orlando Cabrera RBI double in the 2nd before Gallagher finally calmed down. Now, I've had a number of chances to watch Sean this season, and have to sat that composure, concentration, and minimizing the damage of big innings is probably his biggest challenge right now. He's going to be a good pitcher, but he'll need to figure out how to more pitcher and less thrower very soon.
The Cubs were able to temporarily retake the lead in the 4th, with three runs from a Mark DeRosa single and Derrek Lee two-run double. However, the Sox wouldn't go away, and tied the game in the bottom of the inning on an Alexei Ramirez home run to center. Which brings us to Carlos Marmol, who upon entering the game in the seventh, promptly serves up that Quentin home run to give the Sox the lead for good, and the victory. Even if you take away the June 19th debacle in Tampa, Marmol still has a Novoa-esque 4.50 ERA over the last week. Temporary setback? Perhaps. However, it has to be a cause for concern, with the middle relief situation shaky, and Scott Eyre on the DL with that groin strain.
Sigh. I've think I'm just about over inter-league play right about now. Let's get this win tonight, and get out to San Francisco. And if you want some good news to tide you over, according to Lou Piniella:
Reed Johnson should be back by Thursday.
Carlos Zambrano is expected to return by next weekend, and pitch in what is looking to be a huge Cardinals series.
Alfonso Soriano should be back by next week.
And the best news of all, Eric Patterson in the outfield is likely over; at least for now.
It's going to be okay.
Congrats to the White Sox fans, who likely took a great amount of satisfaction yesterday watching the Sox avenge last weekends' sweep with a 10-3 win over the Cubs. Jose Contreras was just effective enough to win, and Nick Swisher's grand slam in the 3rd inning proved more than enough to lead them to victory. If it makes Cubs fans feel any better, every team in the NL Central lost yesterday in inter-league play, helping the Cubs maintain a 4.5 game lead over the also-struggling Cardinals. So much for an improving NL.
Ryan Dempster was not this bad. However, injuries and the need to rest a few players lead to one of the most deficit and challenged lineup cards that you're likely to see this season. Consider for example Daryle Ward in right -- Kosuke Fukudome was in the lineup at DH --, Eric Patterson -- more on that debacle later -- in left, still hurt Jim Edmonds in center, and Mike Fontenot, who we all know should not be seeing his name in any major league teams lineup card more than once a week, at second. The result? Absolutely no support for Ryan, who tried to hold it together, but found himself toiling much too long in the early innings to be effective.
The 3rd inning was really the undoing for the Cubs, with the Sox doing the sort of grinding that they like to be known for. After AJ Pierzynski singles in Orlando Cabrera to give the Sox the lead, he advances to 2nd on an Eric Patterson fielding error, where Patterson simply let the ball roll under his glove. Carlos Quentin doubles to right to score AJ, and so the chain went. After consecutive walks by Dempster to load the bases, Nick Swisher promptly dumps a home run in the left field bleacher to completely put this game out of reach, and chase Dempster from the game. The Sox would score another three off of Cubs relievers in later innings, but it was a nice job actually by Lieber, Cotts, and Wuertz, giving up three runs in 5 1/3 innings of work.
Now all that said, let me give you my two thoughts of the day. First, enough with Eric Patterson in the outfield. He is not a left fielder, and it coming to the point where not only is he embarrassing himself, but quite possibly costing the club games. Watching Orlando Cabrera take 2nd in the 1st inning on a easy fly ball out to left was a move you will rarely see; for context, I don't recall anyone even trying that with Juan Pierre, the most weak-armed of outfielder. His fielding error in the 3rd sustained that inning, and likely killed whatever shot there was to win. And frankly, this clownish play isn't likely to change. Why? BECAUSE HE IS NOT AN OUTFIELDER!! It's time to let whatever issues there are with Matt Murton go. He's an experienced left fielder, who will make the plays that he's supposed to. And while Lou may like the matchup game, Matt's career line against right-handed pitchers is .283/.347/.424. For context, lefty Patterson has a career .250/.320/.361 line in the majors. And Murton is a natural two-hole hitter. Forget the speed Lou; you're killing yourself. And if you won't sit Patterson, at least have the sense to try him at second, and let DeRosa play a bit in left. It is his natural position, after all.
Second, I'm going to take a deep breath, and get ready for what should be ten days or so of hit-or-miss baseball; you probably should too. The Cubs will be fine. They can look forward to most of their injured players back by the end of the All-Star Break, and those few days off should help a great deal for the walking wounded. In the meantime, with bad lineups, average back of the rotation work, and some games against good teams coming up, they'll claw for wins. It's just their turn.
Move along. Nothing to see here. The Cubs lost 11-4 to the Orioles yesterday, and were beaten so soundly and completely that it was most reminiscent of a car accident. This was only their second series loss at home this year -- the first Opening Week against the Brewers -- and put the finishing touches on what was a "successful" 4-2 homestand.
Each season, every team goes through a couple of spots where things don't go quite the way they want them too. How badly, or to what extent, is usually an indication of the quality of the team. The good news is that the 2008 Cubs are a good ballclub, and their moment -- mostly injury related -- has translated into a 14-9 record for June. The bad news is that the injuries are still mounting, and relief doesn't look to be in sight before the All-Star Break. And did I mention that in the meantime the Brewers are doing their imitation of the 2007 Cubs, sneaking with five games or so out? If they can find a way to get within three before the break, you're going to be looking at a hell of a summer for baseball. Let's hope this moment doesn't last two long.
But yesterday's game...ugly. Orioles starter Radhames LIz -- baffled the Cubs for most of six innings, before giving way to the bullpen. Don't be fooled by the boxs cores though. The two earned runs were on reliever Brian Burres, who relieved Liz in what turned out to be a three-run Cubs 6th. Scratched from his Wednesday start, Brian still didn't look quite right. Liz for his part, was inexplicably effective. I say that as his fastball - often in the mid-90s -- looked as straight as a board, his slider had little movement, and his curveball was a joke. Realistically, this is probably a player who should be honing his craft in AAA this season, smoothing out secondary pitches. Sadly though, the advance scouting problem strikes again, as this is very often exactly the sort of pitcher that give the Cubs fits. And he did.
And Jason Marquis? I'm going to surprise you a bit, and say no big deal. I know, seven runs in four innings is awful. First though, Jason is prone to these summertime clunkers once or twice a season. It's in his DNA. And second, he didn't look right; overthrowing his sinker much of the day, and really was not smooth on the followthrough. He didn't look right physically, and there may be something to that.
Oh, and just in case the day wasn't bad enough, Scott Eyre suffered a groin sprain in his relief appearance yesterday, and is listed as day to day. Like I said, it's getting thin around here. Either way, let's move on to the three-game set against the Sox, and hope that the Cubs stay above water at least till the All-Star Break.
Oh, and as a final note, a reader asked about broadcast records yesterday for the 2008 season, so I thought I'd pass the answer along. 17-15 on WGN, 25-12 on CSN networks, and 7-3 on all others.
Wow, that didn't take long. After losing a 7-5 gut wrencher Tuesday, the Cubs bounced back in a hurry, dispatching the Orioles 7-4 last night in front of 40,754.
It's getting awfully thin around here. Just a day after placing Reed Johnson on the 15-day DL, Kosuke Fukudome was a late scratch yesterday, supposedly with a "minor" calf injury. This is expected to keep him out for at least the remainder of this series, with his status listed as day to day. This presented an opportunity for youngster Mike Fontenot and Eric Patterson last night. Combined effort? 1-10, with four strikeouts. Get well soon Kosuke.
Fortunately, not only were their bats not needed last night, but the injury bug seemed to infect the Orioles as well. First, probable starter Matt Burres was scratched due to illness. His replacement, Matt Albers, was lifted after only a 1/3 of an inning with complaints of shoulder discomfort. Luckily, he was good enough to load the bases full before his exit. His replacement, Lance Cormier, promptly gave up a two-run single to Geovany Soto that plated Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez. Mark DeRosa then singled in Jim Edmonds, before Cormier struck out Fontenot and Ted Lilly to retire the side. The Cubs would grab another three runs -- first in the 2nd inning on Soto and Edmonds RBIs, and in the 4th on yet another Jim Edmonds home run -- to give Lilly all the support he'd need.
Ted Lilly for his part did a nice job of keeping Baltimore at bay through much of the game. I do wonder though what is it with Ted and light-hitting fielders, who seem to be having a way of burning him. First Greg Norton gets him in his June 10th start against the Braves. Yes, the .176 -- at least at the time -- hitting Greg Norton, on a night in which he dominated the rest of their lineup. And Jay Payton last night hits not one, but two home runs that were genuine blasts. Overall, it was a good effort; going seven innings, with three strikeouts and only two walks. But the home runs are curious, to say the least.
Well, it's a quick turnaround today, with a 1:20 game time, so let's cheer the win, and move on. A couple of quick items though. Happy Birthday to Aramis Ramirez, who turned 30 yesterday. I can't believe that it's been 5 1/2 seasons that he's been with us. A deal for a power hitting third baseman just entering his prime, that involved giving up essentially nothing is a feat that I'll always be impressed with. Glad you're here man. And during the broadcast last night it was noted that Sean Marshall is indeed likely to see another start Sunday against the White Sox. Lieber still looks like a better bet to me, but it's worth passing on. And lastly, every team in the division -- with the exception of the cellar-dwelling Reds -- lost yesterday. This now moves the Cubs back to 4.5 games up on the Cardinals and six in front of the suddenly hot Brewers. I think it was a good day.
Yeah right. Despite staging a furious comeback to make this game much more interesting than it should have been, the Cubs lost 7-5 to the Orioles last night in which no less than five Cubs had an opportunity to take this game. And not one did.
Let's start with Sean Marshall, recently recalled from his exile to AAA Iowa. He did not look sharp at all, giving up four runs in 4 2/3 innings. Interestingly, he sailed through the first three innings, before running into all sorts of problems in the fourth. First on a RBI triple -- yes, it can happen a Wrigley -- given up to Luke Scott that scored Kevin Millar and Ramon Hernandez. Then in the 5th, the RBI single given up to Kevin Millar, which allowed Nick Markakis to score the second run of the inning, was enough to chase him for good. Carlos Zambrano is expected to miss at least another start, and I have to think that Jon Lieber -- who was effective in an inning of work last night -- might be a candidate for a spot start. Marshall just did not look ready for prime time, and it wouldn't surprise me if he was sent back down in short order after last night.
Down 7-1 going into the 7th -- the run from a Kosuke Fukudome shot in the 4th -- the Cubs staged a rally to make the last few innings very interesting. First Jim Edmonds, who I think is officially out of everyone's doghouse, hit a three-run homer in the 7th. Then Aramis Ramirez singles in the 8th inning to score Fukudome. And that's when the anti-heroes returned.
Matt Murton, pinch hitting for Edmonds in the 8th, flies out to left with Derrek Lee on 2nd base, killing the rally. Then in the 9th, after loading the bases with no one out....nothing. Ronny Cedeno? Strikeout. Kosuke Fukudome? The same. Henry Blanco, never a good hitter to begin with? One more strikeout for good measure. One player put the bat on the ball, and we're probably celebrating a huge comeback win. They didn't, instead allowing George Sherrill to pick up the most well-deserved save that I can recall in recent memory. And Lou? Must he always play the lefty/righty matchup? Edmonds, hitting a big home run just the inning before, lifted for Murton? Is Patterson so bad vs. lefties that it justifies pinch hitting him with you light-hitting backup catcher? Debate that for awhile as we wait for tonight. I assure you everyone else was on the train home last night. In the meantime, check out the game photos from last night in the media gallery.
Four days ago, the Cubs looked like a team ready to fall back to earth, having been swept by the Tampa Bay Rays. The White Sox looked ready to run off with the division, having dispatched the Pirates in a three-game sweep that featured an offense that finally looked back on the tracks. What difference a weekend makes, as the Cubs beat the White Sox 7-1 at Wrigley to take the three-game sweep. The Cubs are now back at a season-high 20 games over .500, and 4.5 games up on the Cards, who lost 5-3 to the Red Sox. Thank you Red Sox Nation.
John Danks:
"Try not to smell all the urine over there ... That place is a [bleep] hole,"
Ken Williams:
"You might as well build a border, a Great Wall of China on Madison, because we are so different. We might as well be in two different cities. The unfortunate thing for me is it's a shame a certain segment of Chicago refused to enjoy a baseball championship being brought to their city. The only thing I can say is, 'Happy anniversary.'"
AJ Pierzynski:
"They're idiots. It's like what Lee Elia said: 'Eighty-five percent of the people work, the other [bleeps] come out here.'"
Ozzie Guillen:
"The rats look bigger than a pig out there. You want to take a look? I think the rats out there are lifting weights."
Even more Ozzie Guillen:
Jim is not going to scare me. I'd rather have Jim Edmonds out there than [Alfonso] Soriano. I'll pitch to him again.''
The last being the most curious statement of them all, as when the was chance to plate Aramis Ramirez in the 7th last night -- and with a lefty Boone Logan ready in the bullpen -- Ozzie chose to intentionally walk Edmonds rather than face him. But you get the idea on the comments. I've had occasion to be a Sox fan in my life. My first real job was as an Andy Frain usher at the old Comiskey. My second with the union local handling food service there. Yeah, I was the hot dog guy. But as time goes on, to many bad experiences as a minority around the ballpark, too many white flags, wasted years, careless ownership, and promised broken made me embrace the Cubs more closely. The days -- and I live in Chicago, mind you -- the Sox don't come up. Most as indifferent, and many Cubs fan just don't care. So, I'll never quite understand the vitriol that is so often directed at the team, and in particular their fans. It's embarrassing. And classless. And for a team striving to get past the second fiddle nature of their existence, counterproductive to increasing the fan base. To the Sox fans, I've no beef with you. And to the White Sox team, management, and ownership. Stop it. There, I've said my piece.
As for the game itself last night, the only bad part was that it was a Jon Miller/Joe Morgan broadcast. Ryan Dempster was absolutely stellar, and if his complete game performance June 11th against Atlanta wasn't enough to convince you of his All-Star credentials, then this performance surely did. Going eight strong innings -- and two batter into the 9th -- before giving way to Bob Howry to end things, Ryan looked on top of his game all night. He struck out only four, but was crisp with all his pitches, and more importantly kept the ball down on a very homer-friendly night, And when he did get into the least bit of trouble, he induced ground-ball double plays to work himself out of it. A sharp outing throughout, and much needed, as that performance, coupled with the off day today allowed the bullpen a much needed rest.
Fortunately, the Cubs offense was able to give Dempster all the support that he needed early. After taking a 2-0 lead in the first on a Derrek Lee RBI single and Dewayne Wise error allowing Eric Patterson to score, Chicago opened it up in the 5th with home runs by Eric Patterson and Aramis Ramirez. This give Aramis four for the series, and officially makes him the new Sox killer. More importantly though the Fukudome- Patterson combination at the top of the lineup seems to be working quite well, and that -- coupled with Theriot finally being dropped to a more appropriate 8th hole -- couldn't make me happier. I know it won't last, with talk of Soriano returning as soon as the All-Star break, but it looks to be a good short-term solution.
Well, on that note, I'm out. Everyone enjoy the off day, and for those disrupted by the network outage of Cubbie Nation this weekend, my apologies. New site can be so tricky to maintain. You patience and understanding is appreciated
Improved my eye!!! The 2008 Rays may be the feel good story of the year, but I assure you that the Cubs beat themselves last night, violating way too many rules of baseball in losing 3-2 down in Tampa. And even with a very exciting 9th inning rally to make things interesting, it still doesn't change the facts.
Consider:
Number 1: Take what the pitcher gives you. And starter Scott Kazmir looked very ready to give them walks. And lots of them. Kazmir threw 110 pitches in less than five innings of work, while only 65 were strikes. Most of the pitches were high. And outside. And I mean starting at the belt high. But the Cubs didn't, and got no-hit into the 5th for their troubles, with five strikeouts to boot. Kazmir lasted 4 2/3rd, and in reality probably could have been hooked by the 4th, and it was evident early on that he just wasn't going to find the plate. Even what they did hit was lucky; a weak Reed Johnson infield hit in the 5th to 3rd, and a seeing-eye ball by Ryan Theriot that skipped past the 1st baseman and high-hopped into Right to score Henry Blanco in the fifth are prime examples.
Number 2: Not take advantage of runners in scoring position. Aramis Ramirez not being able to deliver with the bases loaded in the 5th was bad, but pinch hitter Micah Hoffpauir not being able to deliver in the 9th with Kosuke Fukudome on 3rd -- and one out -- was inexcusable. Son, put some contact on the damn ball and don't swing for the fences. Hit it to the right side. Put it in the air. Something. Striking out is not going to cut it.
Number 3: Run yourself out of games. Only Lou and Reed know what compelled Johnson to try and steal third with two out in the 7th. This ended what looked to be a promising opportunity, and probably cost them the game. Where I come from, you don't run yourself out of an inning, especially when your runner with better-than-average speed is already in scoring position.
Number 4: Bad bullpen management. It's on you too Lou. Yes, Cotts stunk. First giving up the Evan Longoria home run in the 6th, then throwing the ball away on the play at first that ultimately allowed Akinori Iwamura to score. But it's Neal Cotts. With a bunch of rested arms, I can't figure out why he was there in the first place; and certainly not back in the 7th after looking sluggish the inning before. Look, Neal Cotts should be relegated to left matchups, and big leads/blowouts until you can trust him. Period. Your choice of Cotts as opposed to say a much rested Jon Lieber, or Michael Wuertz was a little dumb in my opinion.
Number 5:Bad defense. Not to harp too long on Cotts, but that error was tragic. But perhaps worse was MIA right fielder Mark DeRosa. It was shoddy defense all around.
It was an ugly loss. The only good news was the return of Matt Murton, who started the game in Left Field. He was solid if unspectacular in the field -- actually making a couple of really nice play -- but horrible at the plate; 0-3, with a couple of strikeouts. Calm down Matt. Do what you do best, and let the chips fall where they may.
Till tonight then.
Ted Lilly was solid in his return to the Rogers Centre, and the Cubs scored big in the 3rd and 7th innings, beating the Blue Jay 7-4 Sunday afternoon. This not only gave them the series win, but made them winners of their last six series overall. The Cubs are now at a season high 20 games over .500.
For a team with so little history against each other, you wouldn't think that there would be so much talk of bad blood. And in reality, there probably isn't. Yes, Reed Johnson was released by the Jays, before signing on with the Cubs. And yes, the Jays to two of three when the Cubs last met them in 2005. All of that is just baseball though. But Ted Lilly; now that may be a different story entirely. After years of sometimes lukewarm receptions by fans, and much-discussed troubles with manager John Gibbons during the 2006 season, Ted signed with Chicago, for effectively the same amount of money and years being offered by the Jays. His reason? Who knows to be certain, although he cited "change of scenery" as his reason. Hmm.
Lilly seemed to like the scenery just fine Sunday, throwing six shutout innings, and striking out six. While we might quibble about the five walks allowed, this was arguably his best start of the season, and now makes him 2-1 in June, with a 2.25 ERA. It's great to see that he is rounding into shape, and along with all of the Cubs starting staff, appears to just now be hitting their stride.
Who isn't hitting his stride though is Neal Cotts, who yesterday looked alot like..well, Neal Cotts. After a bit of a rocky 7th, where reliever Scott Eyre gave up his first runs allowed of the season -- on a Alex Rios sac fly to score Greg Zaun -- Neal Cotts entered in the 8th, After promptly walking Brad Wilkerson, he served up a two-run homer to Greg Zaun to make this game much more competitive than it needed to be. This forced Kerry Wood into the game to pitch the 9th, who did allow a run -- again on a sac fly; this time to Vernon Wells -- before closing out the game. I won't complain though, as the 9th allowed fans to see a John Gibbons implosion up close and personal, as he was ejected arguing a play on Marco Scutaro at 1st. It's an odd team, the Jays. Stuck in the middle; the perfect picture of mediocrity. To talented to fall to the basement, but I suspect too cheap to truly compete with the Yankees and Red Sox. It's their problem, but it's a frustrating place for a manager to be. Keep your head up John.
Cub hitters put together extended rallies in the 3rd and 7th innings, scoring three and four runs respectively. Interesting to again see Kosuke Fukudome hitting second. Readers here know I've advocated and anticipated this move for some time, and as Jim Edmonds continues to hit -- going 2-4 yesterday, with a double -- we should probably expect to see this lineup more often. Trust me. It's a good thing. Aramis Ramirez hit a two-run homer in the 7th to highlight the inning, but the scoring was really all about team, as everyone contributed offensively, as all but Mark DeRosa reached base for the Cubs.
So, after a quick pit stop in Cooperstown, NY, for the Hall of Fame game, it's on to Tampa for Battle of the Giants. The Rays have tapered off a bit since their ultra-hot start, but still have the 3rd best record in the AL. You want to find out whether the Cubs are over their road woes? Well, I suspect that three games at Tampa will help you figure it out pretty quickly.
Jason Marquis proved that he actually can pitch, and Reed Johnson provided the run support as the Cubs beat the Blue Jays this afternoon 6-2. It was the second time in three days that they've won against the pitching cream of their respective league crop, and helped them maintain their 3.5 game lead over the Cardinals, who won in St. Louis to keep pace.
You have to love baseball. Here you have Jason Marquis, a very average National League pitcher, against Roy Halladay; arguably the best in the business, and playing at home. And Reed Johnson, who by conventional wisdom probably shouldn't have been in the lineup. Yet it was Jason would completely outpitched Halladay, going seven innings, and facing only four baserunners going into the 8th. This is now his second excellent start -- his last one Jun 8th against the Dodgers -- and it is most encouraging to see. You need only look at the fact that he made it to the 8th on just 70 plus pitches to see this was a very different pitcher than we've been accustomed to seeing. No nibbling at the edges. No pitching around batters. And no constantly working from behind. Nicely done.
But he did run into trouble in the 8th, allowing the first three runners to reach. Jason was promptly yanked, and gave way to Carlos Marmol, who was even more impressive; striking out Rod Bajaras and Joe Inglett before forcing Scott Rolen to pop up to end the inning. Great pitching today, although we could have done without Bob Howry giving up a Kevin Mench triple, and subsequent run in the 9th.
This was much different than what we saw from Jays starter Roy Halladay, who never looked quite right in this game. The Cubs jumped out to the lead early, first taking advantage of a David Eckstein error to allow Mike Fontenot to score. Then with two on, Reed Johnson hits a three-run shot to deep left. Odd to see Johnson hitting leadoff today; even odder that he'd be playing left against a righthander, considering his 225/.283/.314 line this season. Maybe it was not liking what he saw from the rookies last night, the thought that Johnson knew Roy well enough from playing together, or something else, but it was a great call by Lou. And very interesting scoring by the scorers' booth, calling all the runs in that inning unearned from the Eckstein error. This after calling that ball a hit at the top of the inning. You have to love home scoring. May my Web Development final be scored so well.
The Cubs picked up a couple of insurance runs along the way; first in the 3rd on a Mark DeRosa single, then again in the 5th. With Derrek Lee on third after hitting a triple to center, Jim Edmonds grounds a ball to first basemen Lyle Overbay, who come home with a throw that should have had Derrek dead to right. But it's in the dirt, and poorly fielded by Barajas, allowing Lee to beat the tag.
So, it's on to the rubber match tomorrow afternoon, as Ted Lilly faces his old team. May he have as much luck with old teammates as Reed had.
It didn't last night though, as Sean Gallagher victimized the team again with one bad inning, and bats went silent as the Cubs lost 3-2 to the Blue Jays in Toronto.
What can you say? As has happened repeatedly over the last few months, Sean was unable to adjust to the opposing lineup the second time through, and paid for it, giving up back-to-back home runs in the 3rd inning to Matt Stairs and Scott Rolen. And let's just say that both got their money's worth. Sean settled down again quickly, going five innings in taking the loss. He's going to be fine, and had the Cubs been able to muster a few runs against Jays starter A.J. Burnett, we probably would have been cheering his performance.
Burnett though proved to be as maddeningly inconsistent as always, getting into lots of trouble in the 1st inning, and again in the 6th. Unfortunately though, the Cubs were unable to capitalize, including a bases-loaded situation in the 1st. In the middle however, he was dominant, peppering Cub hitters with a nasty breaking ball that most couldn't handle, especially Eric Patterson and Micah Hoffpauir. Eric looked good in the field though, making the routine plays, and even gunning down Rod Barajas at the plate in the 6th. Here's to hoping that abusing them with sliders inside and in the dirt is something that both will adjust to quickly.
Great game if you like pitching; bad if you don't. The only good news was that in one of those freak Friday 13th-like occurences, every team but the Reds lost in the NL Central. It's an odd 12:07 start time today, so I'm leaving it here, and we can pick up on this series in a bit more detail later.
Amazing. After years of watching Cubs teams find a way to lose games when it counted, the 2008 Cubs are taking advantage of every opportunity, and winning some of the most exciting and improbable games in recent memory. The latest was a great comeback yesterday, beating the Braves 3-2 in 11 innings, on a base-loaded HBP on Reed Johnson to score the winning run. This not only gave Chicago the series sweep against Atlanta, but their second consecutive home sweep of the year.
We get to hear quite a bit about "marquee pitching match-ups", and most of the time they just don't live up to the billing. This one did, with Carlos Zambrano -- seeking his 9th victory of the year -- going against Tim Hudson. Zambrano made a bit of a mistake in the 2nd, and paid for it big, giving up a two-run home run to Jeff Francoeur, sending the Braves up 2-0. Fortunately, this was his only one yesterday. Big Z was not at his sharpest, to be sure, but was able to pitch effectively into the 8th. Other than a mini-rally by the Braves in the 5th -- muzzled by a 4-6-3 double play -- Zambrano cruised quietly throughout most of the game. Interestingly, Lou Piniella even chose to let him bat for himself in the bottom of the 7th inning with two on, so if he had been able to get the lead-off batter out in the 8th, he likely would have at least finished that inning. And the bullpen? Amazing. With two on in the inning, and no one out, Scott Eyre intentionally walks Jeff Francoeur before the combination of he and Carlos Marmol strikes out the side. And that was before Kerry Wood went the last two innings in relief to pick up the win.
Hudson, for his part, cruised along into the 7th, scattering seven hits over 6 2/3 innings. I can only hope that the Cubs scouts were watching closely. As the Braves continue to tumble in the standings, I'd expect to see Hudson dangled in trade. With his talent, and a modest contract expiring at the end of 2009, you'd think that he'd be very attractive. But as for the game, it was another case of the Cubs beating up on bad bullpens. After unsuccessfully staging a rally in the 8th, Jim Edmonds took a Blaine Boyer pitch out to left in the 9th inning -- a pitch that just barely reached the basket -- to tie the game. The .212 average for the season looks embarrassing, but considering that his stat-line as a Cub is a more robust .268/.311/.482, he's quietly and slowly winning over fans, even before yesterday. Now? Well, I've not heard anyone blasting Edmonds lately. I still hate that Lou hits him in the middle of the lineup, which has been my biggest beef about the signing. But it's a minor quibble.
In the 11th, Manny Acosta once again ran into all sorts of problems in relief. After loading the bases with no one out, he gave way to Jeff Ridgeway, who hit pinch hitter Reed Johnson on the very first pitch to score the winning run. A great win, and likely more proof that the Cubs will be okay for a bit without Alfonso Soriano. I think Ryan Dempster may have put it best:
''We're a really good team without him, and we just happen to be a better team with him,'' pitcher Ryan Dempster said. ''I want to emphasize that. We're a really good team without him and an even better team with him.''
Amen.
In other news, the good day turned into a good night, as the Cardinals finally lost, 6-2 against the Reds. Thank you Dusty. And the Cubs have signed 1B/OF Ben Broussard to a minor-league deal, to which I say great. I'd expect that he'll be parked in AAA as long as someone in the Fontenot/Patterson/Hoffpauir trifecta hits. If not, I'd look to see him in action here by the All-Star break.
On to inter-league. Heaven is the Cubs in a three-game set against the Blue Jays. I'm looking forward to tonight.
I'm going to put aside the Cubs fantastic 7-2 win over the Braves last night, and talk a bit about the Alfonso Soriano situation. Ryan Dempster was wonderful, tossing a complete game in the victory. And the Kosuke Fukudome three-run homer in the 1st proved to be the game winner. I'd actually had some conversations earlier this week about the likelihood of Dempster in the All-Star game -- I thought he might be the odd man out, rather six Cubs being selected -- but I think he may have put any thoughts like that to rest with his performance last night.
Alfonso Soriano was hit by a pitch in the 2nd inning, which broke his hand, and the early reports are that he'd be out six week. Ouch. I'm fairly confident that there will be no trade. At least not now. If his progress isn't on target as the trading deadline nears, then maybe you take a look around for something. Past that, I certain it's house options for the next month. I'll share a few of my initial thoughts, but more than anything, I'd like to hear what you think.
There are three options for the Cubs, in my mind. The first is to recall Matt Murton. And hit him leadoff. His slugging has never been great, and is down this year in AAA, however his OBP is always good. He'll get on base, take some pitches, and allow you to not have to make too many lineup changes. It's a favorite idea of mine, but I don't think that it will happen.
Play Mark DeRosa in Left, and platoon Mike Fontenot and Ronny Cedeno at 2nd base. Probably the likeliest situation. Mike has proven to be a nice spark in the past, and I think we'd all like to see Ronny get some more at-bats; assuming his still got the mighty hammer that he had earlier this season.
Recall Micah Hoffpauir. Very interesting. Lou likes him, and it allows you to get another lefty bat in the lineup. The 13 pitcher nonsense probably will have to go, as I'd likely recall Sam Fuld as well, for late-inning substitutions. But it could be a nice way to go.
Thoughts?
With the Atlanta Braves playoff hopes flailing, a team badly in need of a road win -- 7-21 going into last night's action -- and perhaps the idea of solidifying his own legacy, I'm sure Tom Glavine had high hopes of delivering a Wrigley-esque performance last night against the Cubs. What he got instead was blown leads, big bats, and an early hook as the Cubs beat the Braves 10-5 in front of 41,624.
This was probably one of the most complete games that I've seen from the Cubs this year, even if it didn't look that way at the beginning. The Braves scored three quick runs in the 1st inning off of Ted Lilly. After walking lead-off man Yunel Escobar -- and when hasn't that come back to burn a pitcher? -- Lilly gives up a single to Kelly Johnson, before Greg Norton hit one into the center field bleachers to give the Braves a 3-0 lead. Yes, .176 hitting Greg Norton. As an aside, I caught the game last night with Al Yellon of Bleed Cubbie Blue, and we both spent a fair bit of time figuring out exactly how Lilly -- who did settle down enough to give 6 2/3 innings of work -- could strike out six through the first three innings, but get lit up by Greg Norton. Whatever the reason, cheers to Bobby Cox for knowing better, because no sooner had I asked the question " why in the world is Greg Norton hitting 5th?", I got my answer. Never doubt old baseball men, I suppose.
Fortunately, last night was one of those classic summer hitting nights, and the Cubs brought their bats. The Cubs jumped right back into the game in the 2nd, scoring two runs on a Kosuke Fukudome RBI-single, and a Reed Johnson sac fly. They then grabbed the lead in the 3rd, and never looked back. First on a Derrek Lee home run to tie the game, his 14th of the year, followed by a Reed Johson RBI single. After what was a very rocky road trip -- 5-27, with two walks -- it was most welcome to see from Derrek. He later collected his second RBI of the night in the 8th on a sac fly. Interestingly, Tom Glavine was pulled at the end of the inning in favor of Buddy Carlyle, and reports out of Atlanta this morning are that Glavine is headed back to the DL with a strained elbow. I know teams come back, but this team has looked real bad(old) this year. Maybe it's time to start thinking about packing it in. Figure out what to do with Hudson and Texeira. Maybe see what you can get for Kotsay, and fortify for a run next year. Just a thought.
Carlyle pitched well enough, giving up one run over the next three in relief. But a shaky Braves bullpen got themselves into all sorts of trouble. First with an RBI single from Mark DeRosa to score Kosuke Fukudome. Then with two errors in the 8th -- one by pitcher Manny Acosta -- that lead to a four-run inning, highlighted by a two-run Geovany Soto home run that set Wrigley afire.
Jon Lieber came in to finish the 9th, and after a few too many anxiety-filled baserunners, was able to force the double play to end the game. Nicely done. Meanwhile, the Cardinals -- who won again last night 7-2 over the Reds -- had a bit of a setback. Albert Pujols has a strained calf, and is likely headed to the DL. Here's to a quick recovery Albert; just not too quick. Having the Cardinals within three games back after such a great start is a bit troubling, and I wouldn't be upset if this lead to a bit of a St. Louis fade. Oh, and check out pictures and video of last night's game in the media gallery. I think you'll like it alot.
What a wild and wonderful week. It seems like it's been ages since the Cubs were last at Wrigley, beating the Rockies 5-3 last Sunday. In reality of course, it been a bit over a week, and the Cubs return tomorrow after what was really a good road trip, going 4-3 as they rolled through San Diego and Los Angeles. And I have to say, there is al ot to like. Not the least of which is Sean Gallagher. Early in the season, I thought he'd help the 2008 team, but mostly in trade. He seemed -- and still does to some extent -- have some trouble replicating his delivery and release point, so given an option, you'd probably like to see him spend the season in AAA. But after some rocky starts, he's begun to settle in nicely, going 2-1 in his last three starts with a 3.05 ERA, and 1.02 WHIP. I like him. And as I start to here trade rumors circling as the Cubs search for pitching upgrades, I think I hope that he manages to stay off other teams' wanted lists. But I doubt it.
Food for thought; the performance of Jason Marquis over the last month or so:
DATE GAME ERA IP H R ER HR BB SO MAY 04 @STL 5.08 5.1 7 5 5 0 5 4 MAY 13 SD 5.26 5.2 9 4 4 1 1 3 MAY 18 PIT 4.96 6.0 4 3 2 1 1 3 MAY 24 @PIT 4.97 5.1 7 3 3 1 3 2 MAY 29 COL 4.98 5.1 7 3 3 0 2 3JUN 03 @SD 5.02 5.0 4 3 3 0 5 2
Courtesy:mlb.com
And this was before Sunday's gem. This is very reasonable production from a 5th starter, and I could think of about 20 teams that would happily take it. It really is the money that bothers us, isn't it?
Now that I'd had time to vent -- and the Cubs found a way to split the series, I have two thoughts about the Dodgers. First, I love Hiroki Kuroda. I caught his performance at Wrigley on the 27th of last month, and came away with his impressed with his movement and composure on the mound. He looked like a good pickup. But watching him take out the Cubs 3-0 Friday night, it appeared he's got another gear to him. The breaking balls were a bit nastier this time, and he hit mid-90s on a number of occasions with the fastball. He's going to do just fine over here.
And second, I think the Dodgers are going to be okay. Partly helped by the Diamondbacks not being able to run away and hide, they've managed to stay within five game back as of Sunday. The pitching looks good, they should have Rafeal Furcal and Andruw Jones back within the month, and Kent looks to be heating up. If they can find an impact bat -- potentially at 3rd -- I think they could really make a run. Rumor has it Andy LaRoche may be recalled from AAA this week. He could be the spark that they need.
Speaking of last week, let me start of by saying Happy Birthday to Carlos Zambrano, who turned 27 last Sunday. You're a grown man now Carlos, that people are coming to rely upon more, in all facets of your life. It's time to quit breaking bats, punking hitters, punching things -- bat racks, coolers, catchers, etc. -- and lead this team to a World Series appearance. I know that you can do it; if you let go of your childish ways.
Rich Hill watch. Last two games since returning from the DL:
IP H ER BB SO 3.0 3 3 3 5 5.0 1 0 7 5
Sigh. This is going to take awhile.
Also this week came the media hyping of an interview with Mark Cuban. You can grab the podcast here if you like. It's almost sad. The very reason that Cuban would wake up in the morning and agree to this interview is the reason that he shouldn't look to get an MLB franchise anytime soon. You talk too damn much. That said, I can only assume one of two things. Either he is completely clueless about the nature and mindset of major-league owners, or he understands fully that he's got no shot, and wants to capitalize on the marketing and PR. I don't take him for the fool, so I assume it's the latter. I enjoyed this particular quote from a recent Buster Olney piece.
"There's already a lot of informal approval of Canning [among the owners]," said one high-ranking executive. "That's something that Cuban is just never going to get."
Well said.
In the local media, this piece found its way not only into pages of a national paper, but actually on the front page. No, I'm not joking. Putting aside that the fact that I doubt female baseball fans appreciate being reduced to sexual objects, there at the ballparks for the drunken entertainment of the masses, is the fact that the editorial staff actually thought this was a good idea. I weep for the editors and journalist of old, who must be rolling over in their collective graves at this nonsense.
Manny vs. Youkilis. Crisp vs. Shields. Johnson vs. Mientkiewicz. Torrealba vs. Kemp. Yet another Ozzie rant. Jeff Kent ejected for loudly arguing balls and strikes. Umpires baiting managers. And easily a half-dozen pivotal calls around the league that were just plain blown. All in the last week alone. To the MLB: get your house in order!!!!! You need only look at the NBA for an example of what happens when paying customers feel you've turned the sport into a circus.
13 pitchers is dumb. Just dumb. I think Lou is a wonderful baseball man, but this is too much. Unless you start trotting out Zambrano to pinch-hit more often -- seriously -- let me make a suggestion. Either start letting Cotts and Lieber actually be the long men that you expect them to be, or find someone who you will.
And congratulations to Ken Griffey, Jr., who hit his 600th home run last night in Florida. You're the class of a generation Ken, and we look forward to seeing you play for years to come.