Game One Hundred Thirty-Five: Cubs (55-79) vs. Giants (65-68)
Game Time - 1:20pm C.T. Comcast SportsNet, WGN Radio, XM Radio Channel 189
Location - Wrigley Field, Chicago
Sean Marshall (5-8, 4.98) vs. Matt Cain (10-9, 4.32)
Sean Marshall is scheduled to take the mound today against the Giants and Barry Bonds. Bonds missed Friday's game because of the night game in Atlanta on Thursday but he is expected to be in the lineup today. Marshall will take the mound for the first time for the Cubs since July 22nd. Marshall was placed on the DL with a strained right oblique muscle on July 23rd. Marshall pitched in 4 games for Iowa in August; he went 0-2 with a 3.32 ERA but in has last start he threw 7 shutout innings against New Orleans on August 27th; he allowed 6 hits, 3 walks and struck out 7....Marshall did not allow an earned run in his last 13 innings of rehab work.
Marshall was beaten by the Giants back on May 11th, his shortest start of the season to that point. Marshall allowed 9 runs on 9 hits in 3 2/3 innings, the 5 walks he allowed led to the problem. Marshall was having a good season for the Cubs before he went on the DL and like most of the Cubs pitching staff he had been a victim of bad defense. Marshall was 1-1 with a 3.86 ERA in his last 3 starts before going on the DL.
Matt Cain has had a good first full season for the Giants and has allowed only 1 earned run in his last 3 starts (19 1/3 innings). Cain throws strikes and has recorded 3 double-digit strikeout performances this season, most recently against the Rockies on August 6th....he struck out 12 and walked just 1. The Cubs did beat Cain on May 10th in San Francisco. They scored 8 runs, 7 earned, on 7 hits in 5 1/3 innings of work. Cain is 1-1 in 2 career games against the Cubs with a 5.02 ERA. He threw a complete game at the end of last season and allowed just 1 run on 2 hits against the Cubs in San Francisco.
A victory today by Marshall would go a long way with the Cubs Faithful being able to see the Cubs talented lefties win in back-to-back games.
Let's Talk Cubbies Baseball....
Subscribe