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.