Talkin' Cubs Live - Cubs vs. Reds - 09/30/07

Game One Hundred Sixty-Two: Cubs (85-76) vs. Reds (71-90)
Game Time - 12:10pm C.T. Comcast SportsNet, WGN Radio, XM Radio Channel 188
Location - Great American Ball Park, Cincinnati

Ted Lilly (15-8, 3.86/1.15) vs. Homer Bailey (3-2, 5.67/1.49)

The last game of the regular season.... Greetings from Cincinnati! To use a familiar quote, what a long strange trip it has been. It is hard to believe the 2007 regular season ends today but thankfully there will be baseball in October on the North Side of Chicago. There have been a lot of ups and downs over the last 161 games. What started at the Cubs Convention back in January, picked up steam in Mesa in March and then Opening Day in Cincinnati six months ago. It is kind of fitting the Cubs regular season ends where it began.

Ted Lilly will start today's game as scheduled but according to a report on Cubs.com will have a pitch count of around 40. The Cubs announced Carlos Zambrano will start Game One of the NLDS on Wednesday with Ted Lilly starting Game Two on Thursday. Rich Hill and Jason Marquis were announced as the Cubs other two starters for the poast season. The Cubs have until 10:00am on Wednesday to announce their playoff roster. Daryle Ward sprained his left hand in Florida and may not be available. Now on to today's game....

Some of the regulars should get filtered back into today's starting lineup with two big off days on Monday and Tuesday. Piniella stated after the game on Saturday that the bullpen will get the majority of the work today to keep them sharp going into the 2-day layoff. If the Cubs can win today they would finish 10 games over .500 with a 20-game improvement from a year ago.

While today's starting lineup will likely be missing a few of the regular names, Lou Piniella and Jim Hendry certainly altered the roster throughout the season.

Lou Piniella's Opening Day Lineup:

Alfonso Soriano - CF
Matt Murton - LF
Derrek Lee - 1B
Aramis Ramirez - 3B
Jacque Jones - RF
Michael Barrett - C
Mark DeRosa - 2B
Cesar Izturis - SS
Carlos Zambrano - P

Today, Ted Lilly and the bullpen will face a very different Reds' lineup as well, not counting a new manager. Lilly put together a very good season. He set a career high in innings pitched and strikeouts and if he could somehow pickup the win today he would set a new career mark in wins as well (Lilly will likely not qualify for the win with the limited pitch count).

Lilly is 2-1 in his last 5 starts with a 3.69 ERA, and should be 4-1. Lilly lost the first game of the Marlins series last Tuesday because of one bad inning. Lilly gave up 4 runs on 8 hits in 5 innings of work. Lilly faced the Reds on September 19th and received a no decision, 2 runs on 5 hits in 7 innings. Today will be Lilly's 5th start of the season against the Reds.

The Cubs will get their first look at the Reds' top pitching prospect, Homer Bailey. Bailey has been compared to Kerry Wood, partly because they are both from Texas and because they are both hard throwing right handers....and Bailey also wears number 34.

Bailey is 1-0 in his last 2 starts with a 2.38 ERA against the Astros and the Giants. Bailey made 4 starts in June (2-1, 6.49) and 2 in July (0-1, 8.31).

Let's Talk Cubs Baseball on the last day of the regular season....

Trevor

If its a tight spot in the playoffs, the Cubs MUST pitch Marmol or Wood, probably Howry as well, before they even consider Dempster. I hope he pulls it together and I know today didn't matter at all, but lately he's been giving up at least a run everytime he comes into the game. Compare that to Woody who came into a tough situation a few nights ago and did exactly what he needed to do with ice in his veins. He's your playoff presence; he's your man.

agustin rexach

I Agree Aaron. They should not give anything for free, but yeah...they are all ready packed in.

Wood's comeback is unbelievable.

Matt Haggard

Aaron, I havent bought a new jersey since I received a Sosa jersey when I was little. Im really temped to buy a Wood jersey. I want him to stay a Cub. Like ya said, hes really this teams heart and soul. Did you see the kiss on the cheek that ROn Santo planted on him? Most beautiful thing ever.

But yeh, the pitchers are just going through the motions. An easy day, our hearts needed it, haha.

Aaron

yeah, that kinda sucks cuz I can't watch it, so I have to rely on gameday....so I don't know if they're like not trying or anything----which I suspect, mentally, they're out of it, but c'mon, I mean, it's not like either has pitched well recently anyway, so isn't that a little concerning?

By the way, I don't care about anyone else-----Kerry Wood=Comeback Player of the Decade, IMO.....I mean, next to Frank Thomas, and all his injuries, and coming back with Oakland last year to destroy pitchers again----I don't think I've seen somebody miss as much time as Kerry, and still come back to the same level he was at before.

You talk about a guy that has heart, look no further than him. I've always rooted for the guy, and think he's one of the great Cubs of all time, and the fact that he took less money to come back than he could've received elsewhere, because (according to him, he owed the Cubs organization big time) speaks volumes to his character....

and he comes in and strikes out 3 guys after Marquis and Dumpster have just been lit up...Awesome guy, and I'm so happy for him

Matt Haggard

My guess is, is that they are just tossing pitches out there. If they hit it, oh well. They dont appear to be trying to place the pitches or put much movement into it.

Aaron

what gives with Dumpster and Marquis? I know it's the last game, and everyone's kind of packed it all in, but those were two very very poor outings for them, and I hope they are different in the playoffs

Larry

Regardless of what you think of the contract that Soriano signed during the off-season, and considering the games that he has missed with injuries, Alfonso has had a very good first season in Chicago. 40+ doubles, 70+ rbis, 30+ hrs, .299 average. In spite of the fact that he had a very slow start, he has been awesome.

Matt Haggard

Good afternoon CCO. Wednesday feels like forever away, will most certainly give my heart a rest today while I can.

agustin rexach

Welcome to Soriano's Playground! 3-0 Soriano

agustin rexach

No problem, have fun Jim! I have to go out for a moment but I'll be around.

CCOers' take a deep breath and enjoy this one last game with out cardiac stress!!!We all know they are hard to come with the Cubs. And next week it will be LETS GET READYYYYYY TOOOOO RUUUUUMMMMMMBLEEEE!!!