June 2008 Archives

Game Eighty-Three: Cubs (49-33) vs. Giants (36-46)
Game Time - 9:15pm C.T.
Coverage - TV: Comcast SportsNet - Radio: 720 WGN, XM Radio Channel 189
Location - AT & T Park, San Francisco

Ted Lilly (8-5, 4.74/1.32) vs. Barry Zito (3-11, 5.91/1.82)

If there is such a thing as a must win for a team 16 games over .500 on the last day of June....tonight's game fits the bill. Lou Piniella's crew opens a 4-game series in San Francisco in need of a victory and will face a Giants' team for the first time without Barry Bonds. Ted Lilly will have the task of ending the Cubs longest losing streak of the season....without one of the Cubs' biggest bats. Aramis Ramirez will miss the first 3 games and a club already missing one big bat will find itself even shorter for the next three nights. This is an important week for the Cubs after posting just one win in their last 6 games....

According to a report in the Chicago Sun-Times on Monday morning, Aramis Ramirez will miss the first three games of the Giants series in order to "tend to family matters back home in the Dominican Republic." The report states Ramirez originally asked for four games but will rejoin the team in time for the series finale on Thursday.

The Cubs hit the halfway point in the 2008 campaign on Saturday and last season they received contributions from just about every player on their 40-man roster. With all of the injuries over the past few weeks taking a toll, are there any players that could step in and give the team a lift as so many did a year ago? Reportedly Jim Hendry is attempting to strengthen his club and in order to do so, changes will have to be made to the big league roster. Here is a look at the other players that remain on the Cubs 40-man roster and how they have fared so far this season....

Game Eighty-Two - Cubs 1 White Sox 5
WP - Mark Buehrle (6-6) LP - Sean Marshall (0-2) Save - None

The White Sox returned the favor from a week ago and swept the Cubs for the first time in the 11-year history of Interleague play at the Cell. All 5 of the Sox runs came via the long ball and with the 3 they hit on Sunday night have now out homered their opponents on the season 109-67. Mark Buehrle tossed a 6-hit, 7-inning gem, struck out 5 and walked only 2. The Cubs managed only 1 unearned run and left 7 more runners on base for a 3-game total of 24. Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez were a combined 0-for-7 with a walk on the night. Ramirez was hitless in the 3-game series, 0-for-13.

Sean Marshall made two mistakes in his 7 innings of work....a solo home run by Carlos Quentin in the 4th and a 2-run shot by Brian Anderson in the 5th. Marshall gave up 3 other hits, struck out 5 and walked 1. Jose Ascanio made his first appearance since being recalled on Saturday. A 2-out walk in the 8th to Jermaine Dye opened the door for a 2-run home run by Jim Thome that put the game away. Cubs' pitching walked two batters on the night and they both scored on home runs.

Lou Piniella was ejected from the game for the first time this season in the 2nd inning for arguing a check swing call with first base umpire Chad Fairchild. Fairchild missed the call on Joe Crede, Piniella argued and was ejected by home plate umpire Rob Drake. Drake missed a couple of calls early in the game that replay showed were strikes. Piniella appeared to be voicing his displeasure on a check swing, was told to stop, turned around and headed back to the dugout but was still ejected.

The Cubs lost their fourth game in a row for the first time this season and finished their worst week of the season with a 1-5 record....and split the 6 games with the Sox, both teams won all 3 games in their home park.

Game Eighty-Two: Cubs (49-32) vs. White Sox (45-35)
Game Time - 7:05pm C.T.
Coverage - TV: ESPN Sunday Night Baseball - Radio: 720 WGN, XM Radio Channel 178
Location - U.S. Cellular Field, Chicago

Sean Marshall (0-1, 5.40/1.72) vs. Mark Buehrle (5-6, 4.04/1.31)

It's game three of round two....it's the Cubs versus the Sox, it's the North Side versus the South Side....it's the final game of the 2008 Crosstown Classic. The Cubs will try to avoid a sweep at the hands of the White Sox, as well as try to keep from losing their fourth game in a row for the first time this season. The Cubs' Interleague schedule concludes tonight on the last Sunday in June and Lou Piniella's crew is in need of a win.

The Cubs have struggled on the road, even within the Chicago city limits, and are not playing with the same confidence away from the Friendly Confines. In recent history, the Cubs have played better on the road than at home and while the play at Wrigley is the sole reason the Cubs are still in first place, the Cubs must learn how to win on the road....and fast. After tonight's game the Cubs play four in San Francisco against a team that can pitch but has trouble scoring runs then they conclude their longest trip of the year with three next weekend against the Cardinals.

Some point at all of the runners the Cubs have left on base over the past week, but the starting pitching and defense have been the problem. Free passes, extra outs and 38 runs allowed over the last 5 games are all recipes for a 1-4 record.

Game Eighty-One - Cubs 5 White Sox 6
WP - Matt Thornton (4-1) LP - Carlos Marmol (1-3) Save - Bobby Jenks (18)

Lou Piniella's crew lost their third straight for the second time this season in disappointing fashion to the White Sox. The Cubs had plenty of chances to put runs on the board against Javier Vazquez but left a total of 10 on base, including the tying run at 3rd with 1-out in the 9th. Derrek Lee accounted for 5 of the Cubs 12 hits, drove in 3 of the 5 runs and doubled to lead off the 9th against Bobby Jenks. Daryle Ward advanced Lee to 3rd with a groundout to 1st but Aramis Ramirez grounded out to short for the second out of the inning. Jenks induced a groundout to 2nd off the bat of Jim Edmonds to end the game.

The White Sox hit 3 home runs, including the game winner by Carlos Quentin that accounted for 4 of their 6 runs. Jermaine Dye tied the game in the bottom of the 1st with a 2-run shot off Sean Gallagher. Alexei Ramirez hit his 5th of the year in the 4th that tied the game at 5 and Quentin's 18th of the season off of Carlos Marmol proved to be the game winner in the 7th.

Sean Gallagher was not sharp early on. He gave up 4 runs in the first 2 innings but settled down and allowed only 1 more run over his last 4. Gallagher tied a season-high with 8 strikeouts and struck out 3 of the last 5 batters he faced after throwing his 100th pitch in the game. With the Cubs bullpen being taxed on Friday, Gallagher gutted it out and kept his team in the game after a bad start.

Carlos Marmol made only one mistake, but it was the difference in the game. Marmol elevated a fastball on a 0-2 count to Carlos Quentin that he hit just over the wall in right. The game changing play, however, came in the 3rd inning with 2 outs, the bases loaded and the Cubs down 4-2. Geovany Soto tattooed a ball that appeared destined for left field but Joe Crede made a diving catch into the hole that ended the inning.

The Cubs lost their second in a row to the White Sox and their fifth straight on the road.

Game Eighty-One: Cubs (49-31) vs. White Sox (44-35)
Game Time - 2:55pm C.T.
Coverage - TV: FOX Saturday Baseball - Radio: 720 WGN, XM Radio Channel 178
Location - U.S. Cellular Field, Chicago

Sean Gallagher (3-3, 3.97/1.32) vs. Javier Vazquez (7-6, 4.24/1.33)

Updated - 12:36pm C.T. - According to a report from Bruce Levine on ESPN 1000, the Cubs are expected to place Scott Eyre on the DL before today's game and will recall Jose Ascanio from Triple-A Iowa to take his place on the active roster.

It's game two of round two....it's the Cubs versus the Sox, it's the North Side versus the South Side....it's the Crosstown Classic. Today marks the halfway point of the 2008 season, game 81 of 162, and the Cubs are in need of a win. Not because it is the White Sox but because they are banged up and are not playing good ball right now. Lou Piniella's crew has lost 3 out of 4 and 4 straight on the road and a win today would help them avoid their second 3-game losing streak of the year.

It appears Alfonso Soriano will return sooner than expected from his broken hand. After X-Rays on Friday, reports suggested the Cubs left fielder could be back in two weeks. Reed Johnson is expected back from the DL on July 3rd and Carlos Zambrano is on track to make his next scheduled start on Friday in St. Louis....pending the outcome of his bullpen session on Sunday. While the Cubs appear to be on the backside of several big injuries, one thing is for certain....Eric Patterson will not be in left field today. Lou Piniella was not happy on Friday with the play of the former second baseman. Don't be surprised to see Mark DeRosa in left, hopefully Jim Edmonds in center and Kosuke Fukudome in right....a big improvement, defensively, from Friday.

Of course, if Scott Eyre is placed on the DL there are options at Triple-A that could help out over the next few days....and Jose Ascanio could be recalled after the weekend series if Eyre is placed on the DL. But a little roster manipulation could get a little help from the farm sooner rather than later.

Game Eighty - Cubs 3 White Sox 10
WP - Jose Contreras (7-6) LP - Ryan Dempster (9-3) Save - None

Anyone that thought the White Sox were not going to come out swinging after last weekend was dreaming. It was a bad day for the Cubs, but like last Saturday on the North Side, it was one big inning that was the difference in the game. Lou Piniella's crew lost to the Sox for the first time in seven games after winning six in a row dating back to last season....the Cubs have won 8 out of the last 10 games of the city series. Now that's out of the way....

Ryan Dempster simply did not have it and that was apparent before Nick Swisher gave the Sox a commanding 8-0 lead and chased him from the game. The Sox scored 7 of their 10 runs in the 3rd inning with the big hit being the third career grand slam by the son of the former Cubs' catcher. Dempster gave up a season-high 8 runs on 7 hits in 2 1/3 innings with 3 walks and 1 strikeout. For as good as Dempster was on Sunday night, he was equally as bad on Friday afternoon.

The turning point in the game came in the top of the 3rd inning. With the Cubs down 1-0, the Cubs loaded the bases with only 1 out after a single by Ronny Cedeno and back-to-back walks to Kosuke Fukudome and Eric Patterson. Derrek Lee stepped in and hit into his second inning ending double play of the game, his 19th of the year, and the Cubs could not recover.

Geovany Soto and Mike Fontenot hit back-to-back home runs in the 5th, the sixth time this season the Cubs hit consecutive dingers. Jim Edmonds added his 7th long ball as a Cub in the 7th. The offense pounded out 10 hits but walked only twice and could not string together any hits.

Kenny Williams and Ozzie Guillen had a lot to prove and they did. The Sox made a statement and the Cubs lost one game....

Game Eighty: Cubs (49-30) vs. White Sox (43-35)
Game Time - 3:05pm C.T.
Coverage - TV: WGN (Sox), Comcast Sports Net (Cubs) - Radio: 720 WGN, XM Radio Channel 178
Location - U.S. Cellular Field, Chicago

Ryan Dempster (9-2, 2.63/1.11) vs. Jose Contreras (6-6, 3.96/1.23)

It's game one of round two....it's the Cubs versus the Sox, it's the North Side versus the South Side....it's the Crosstown Classic. The White Sox will be looking to prove a point after getting swept at Wrigley last weekend and with Jim Thome back in the lineup, Ozzie Guillen will have all of his offensive weapons at the Cell....where the Sox are 24-11 compared to 19-24 on the road.

The Cubs open their longest road series of the season with the first of three against the Sox. The next time Lou Piniella's crew will see the ivy on the bricks at Wrigley is not until July 8th against the Reds and they need to find a way to improve on their 16-20 road record over the next 10 games.

The Sox will be looking for payback while Ryan Dempster will be looking for his first win on the road this season.

Game Seventy-Nine - Cubs 4 Orioles 11
WP - Radhames Liz (2-0) LP - Jason Marquis (6-4) Save - None

Lou Piniella's crew became the last team in the majors to record their 30th loss of the season following just their third series defeat at home of the year. The Orioles became only the second team to walk into Wrigley Field this year and leave after taking two of three from the Chicago Cubs.

After a good month and posting a 4-0 record in 4 starts, Jason Marquis was simply horrible. Marquis did not pitch with the same confidence he had in his previous outings and he left after allowing 7 runs, all earned, on 7 hits in 4 innings. The Orioles put the game out of reach in the 3rd inning when they scored 5 times, all with 2 outs. Marquis walked 3, one intentional, and the Orioles managed only 3 hits, but all 3 of the free passes scored.

The Orioles plated 2 more in the 4th and kept tacking on until they built an 11-0 lead in the 6th inning. Aubrey Huff hit 3 doubles, went 4-for-5 with 3 runs scored and 2 RBI's. Brian Roberts added 2 more hits, scored 2 more runs and recorded 7 hits in the 3-game series. Jay Payton picked up where he left off on Wednesday night and drove in 3 more runs on 2 hits in 5 trips to the plate. Four different Orioles had at least two RBI's on the afternoon.

The Cubs ended the shutout bid in the bottom of the 6th after Piniella pulled a majority of his starters. Ronny Cedeno scored the Cubs first run after a lead off walk. Daryle Ward, Henry Blanco and Eric Patterson drove in the Cubs three runs.

The Cubs finished their 6-game homestand with a 4-2 record....a little disappointing after winning the first three games. For one of the few times this season the Cubs were beaten in every phase of the game.