Game Thirty-Three: Cubs (14-18) vs. Giants (16-17)
Game Time - 9:15pm C.T. Comcast SportsNet, WGN Radio, XM Radio Channel 189 & 190
Location - AT & T Park, San Francisco, CA
Carlos Zambrano (0-2, 4.43) vs. Matt Cain (1-4, 6.27)
Usually the phrase "a must win game" is often used in early May, but if there has ever been a case to....tonight is the right time. Carlos Zambrano is scheduled to make his 8th start of the season against Barry Bonds, Matt Cain and the San Francisco Giants. The Cubs need the win and Zambrano needs to erase the winless start to his season. The Cubs are setting new marks for futility with only 12 runs in the last 13 games.
Rich Hill escaped a date with history thanks to Juan Pierre, but will Zambrano be able to deny Bonds as well. Bonds is 0-1 with 2 walks lifetime against Zambrano, but 43 of his 713 home runs have come off of Cubs pitching without any against the Cubbies in their last 9 match-ups. Zambrano had his best outing of the season against the Padres on May 5th....he was just out pitched by Chan Ho Park and the Cubs' struggling offense could not plate any runs to support him.
The Cubs are 5-12 over the last 17 games and Juan Pierre is only hitting .209 (14-67) during that span and while it is evident the Cubs are missing Derrek Lee, the lack of production from Pierre is more than concerning and other than a few games....he has yet to live up to his reputation.
Dusty's "Combination Ball" is missing two of its key ingredients....speed and power, but only one is on the DL.
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Neil:
Thanks for the Coates info.
Now lets get a win!!!!
Ronny Cedeno is in the Lead-Off spot tonight. Here is tonight's lineup:
Cedeno - SS
Pierre - CF
Walker - 2B
Ramirez - 3B
Mabry - 1B
Murton - LF
Jones - RF
Blanco - C
Zambrano - P
I really like this lineup!!! It gives me a new glimmer of hope...Havin a hot Cedeno get on base ahead of Pierre may help Juan get out of this slump..Blanco should help Z..GO CUBS!!!
How about we jus talk about the Ronny Cedeno factor from here on out..We strike first..a sign of good things to come?
I like having Cedeno lead off because then Pierre can do what he does best, lay down the bunt and advance the runner. I like it. It worked out this time at least!
Zambrano walks the lead off man of the game. 45% of the time lead off walks score. Here's hoping this is one of the 55% where they don't score.
If you remember, that is what Maddux did to start the game yesterday.
Anthony....which percentage does that fall under?
Z should have been at 1st.
Neil,
If Z doesn't walk the leadoff man, that groundball is routine and we never see Bonds until the 2nd inning.
I was just typing how that lead off walk killed our momentum and got the Cubs thinking... "here we go again" and then Jones blasts a home run.
I agree with you Neil, this is a "must win" game.
The Cubs score...2 innings in a row...and a crooked number in one inning...
And ANOTHER lead off walk. How much do you want to bet he scores ?
Nice play by Mabry. Nice K by Zambrano. I lost the bet and I'm glad !!
Anthony, if not for a good play by Mabry you would have been right.
Zambrano showed very good composure to get out of that inning.
Z seems to have a little of the old "edge" back. I just have a bad feeling that Barrett doesn't make that play at home...
what was the Coates info...I missed it?
Michele,
I did a Minor League update earlier in the day and Jim asked what I thought about Buck Coats...that was all, the comment is in the Minor League article.
And I agree on Z, 3up 3 down in the 3rd....
I'll take a look at the info. Thanks. He and Pie are tearing it up, I've heard.
The Cubs have got to keep the momentum going their way...they've got to score some more runs.
We went down in order but hit the ball really hard in that inning and could have easily had 2 hits. Come on Z, don't even let these guys think they can win !!!
That is 4 walks already for Zambrano.
Good News!!!
Anaheim 12 Bridgeport 5
about time those humps get smoked.
The last strike to Bonds was UNHITABLE!!!!
What a pitch!!!
I like that the Cubs pitchers are going after Bonds, for the most part. Zambrano looked really good that last inning, and um how about Mabry at first? He's made no less than 4 really good plays.
Come on Pierre........STEAL !!!!
Neil, I need your help. I see this odd looking number next to the Cubs score. What is that? It sure doesn't look like a 0 or 1. : )
Anthony you took the words out of my article about Mabry...he has been great.
Way to go Jacque and great hustle!!!
Is that a 3 spot I see?
Let's run up the score, its time to build some confidence and start a WINNING streak. Feels good to finally be heading towards a W. (I know that its not over yet but if we blow this 7 run lead I'll throw myself in front of rush hour traffice).
I agree on Z challenging Bonds, particularly on the first two pitches of the sequence. Strike three was deadly though.
Why didn't alou remove Cain after he got smoked by that line drive up the middle? It hit his ankle or shin i think.
Help!!!! I am running out of fingers.
What a 6th inning...they got an assist, but Blanco hit the ball hard.
Neil, I don't want to get hurt patting myself on the back, but I think you'll find from yesterday's post (or maybe early this am) where I prognosticated or luckily guessed that the Cubs would score some runs today, Z would look good and we would get a big win. I know the game isn't over yet, but it's looking really good so far.
Michele it did hit his ankle. Matheny checked on him, I agree though...but I am glad at the same time.
My question from that inning is why didn't they walk Blanco to get to Zambrano? I know Z is probably a better hitter than Blanco, but I still would have walked Blanco. They could have moved the infield back and played for the DP.
3 up, 3 down...great statement by Z
Anthony it was earlier today, but be careful...remember 'Frogger'?
Top 9
looking good!
109 pitches for Z.
Take him out dusty, let rusch mop up.
CUBS WIN! CUBS WIN!
Good night everyone.
Jim, I'm glad Dusty went with Dempster instead of Rusch ... these days I feel no lead is safe! On a side note, Rusch kind of reminds me both talent wise and in terms of his role on the team of the great Ray Fontenot from the '80s.