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Spring Training Game Twenty-Five - Cubs 8 White Sox 8 - 10 innings
WP - None LP - None Save - None
For the first time this spring a Cubs game ended in a tie after Lou Piniella's crew rallied with 3 runs in the bottom of the 10th. The Cubs played catch-up all afternoon against the White Sox after spotting them an early 4-0 lead. The Cubs scored 4 runs in the 6th to tie the game after a triple by Derrek Lee, doubles by Aramis Ramirez and Geovany Soto and a single by Felix Pie. The Cubs scored 3 of the 4 runs in the 6th with 2 outs.
Ronny Cedeno doubled to lead off the 9th and scored the tying run on a sacrifice fly to right by Alfonso Soriano. Cedeno also walked with the bases loaded in the 10th that forced in a run. Matt Murton had a big hit in the 10th that drove in a pair but was ruled an error. The Cubs had the winning run in scoring position in both the 9th and 10th inning with only 1 out but were unable to come up with the hit they needed to put a win on the board.
Ted Lilly made his fourth start of the spring and pitched a lot better than his line indicates. Lilly gave up 4 runs on 7 hits with 2 walks and 3 strikeouts in 7 innings but several of the hits Lilly surrendered were bloops that found green....and he retired the last 7 batters he faced.
Kerry Wood, or should he be called 'Kloser K', threw a dominating inning that featured 2 strikeouts. Bobby Howry struck out 1 and gave up a hit in the 8th inning. Kevin Hart retired the first two batters he faced with ease before giving up an opposite field solo home run to Juan Uribe in the 9th. Scott Eyre struggled once again and gave up 3 runs on 4 hits with a walk in the 10th.
Lou Piniella stated before the game that he had changed his mind a day after "thinking out loud". Piniella said he would move Kosuke Fukudome back to the 2-hole in the lineup and Alfonso Soriano would fall to the middle of the order....Piniella called Derrek Lee, Aramis Ramirez and Alfonso Soriano "interchangeable." Well, in typical Lou fashion, he said on Saturday that Soriano would continue to hit in the 2-hole, for now.
Javier Vazquez dominated the Cubs offense through the first 5 innings. He struck out 5, did not allow a run and surrendered only 2 hits....but that all changed in the 6th.
Derrek Lee tripled to the right field corner with 1-out in the 6th. Aramis Ramirez followed with a double to right and Kosuke Fukudome walked. Eric Patterson replaced Mark DeRosa and grounded into a fielder's choice for the 2nd out. Geovany Soto then hit a 2-run double to center and Felix Pie followed with a single to right that tied the game at 4.
The White Sox bullpen was very effective after Vazquez left the game and allowed only 2 base runners until the 9th inning.
Ronny Cedeno pinch hit for Kevin Hart and doubled down the 3rd base line on the first pitch from Boone Logan. Matt Murton hit for Mike Fontenot, walked on 4 pitches and Cedeno advanced to 3rd on a ball 4....a wild pitch. Alfonso Soriano stepped in and hit a sacrifice fly to the wall in right, Cedeno scored.
Ozzie Guillen replaced Logan with Mike MacDougal. Derrek Lee walked to put Murton in scoring position with the winning run. Micah Hoffpauir hit into a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning.
Kosuke Fukudome led of the 10th with a single to left field. Eric Patterson walked on 4 pitches against Brian Omogrosso. Henry Blanco reached on a bloop single to right that Jermaine Dye lost in the sun. Ronny Cedeno worked a walk, after a good at bat, with the bases loaded to force in a run. Matt Murton then followed with a hard hit ball to right that Dye lost in the sun, 2 runs scored to tie the game and the Cubs had runners on 2nd and 3rd with 1 out. Casey McGehee could not put wood on the ball, struck out swinging and Sam Fuld grounded out to short to end the game.
The announcement was made during the bottom of the 10th that the game would end once the third out was recorded in the Cubs half of the inning.
The Cubs offense battled back nicely after a horrible start. Kosuke Fukudome had a good day at the plate. He reached base 4 times (2-for-4 with a walk and reached 2nd after an error by Juan Uribe in the 4th). Lou Piniella received production from the Big Three....Lee, 2-for-4 with a run scored and a walk. Ramirez, 1-for-4 with a run scored and a RBI. Soriano, 0-4 with a sacrifice fly.
Lou Piniella's crew, with the tie, is 10-14-1 in Cactus League play with 7 left on the schedule.
Box Score from Saturday's Game
The Cubs will make the journey to Peoria on Easter Sunday to face a bunch of familiar faces. Greg Maddux will make the start for the Padres and Lou Piniella will send Jason Marquis to the mound.
Trips to the Northside
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With the Tigers looking for relief help, I wonder if they would be interested in Scott Eyre?
Since he's the only lefty that we have in the pen, that would be a horrible, horrible decisions, even with his extremely troubling outing today against the sox.
I've been saying it for months... Eyre is the only lefty we have, and he is old and shot. This will be the achilles of our HEAVILY right-handed bull-pen...
In a league with Berkman, Dunn, Griffey, Fielder etc.... lefty Bombers and the Cubs got cracker-jaxx for lefties...
Meanwhile, Cubdom drools over Hart, Gallagher, (insert name here)-- for what purpose... With Howry, Wood, Marmol and Wuertz -- where is the need? Do you really need 6 right handers in the bullpen?
The lack of left-handed relief, and the likelihood of finishing in the bottom 5-6 in HR stats in all of MLB this year could be a disastrous combo...
Neil,
Reed Johnson was released today. Any chance we bring him in? He could platoon in center with Pie and he plays all three OF positions. Outside of last year, his numbers are better than Marlon Byrd's numbers and Johnson is only one year removed from a .319, 12 HR season.
So Pinella has set his lineup with Soriano at #2 and Fukodome at #5. Bad decision with Soriano #2. He has proven little plate discipline, won't bunt, and isn't your preferred hit and run type of guy. It's also quite apparent that his legs are no way near 100%. I sense this will be a short lived experiment when Pinella gets tired of the stranded baserunners he'll leave.
Besides Soriano, it may be time for concern with Derrick Lee. He hasn't been the same since the wrist injury, and now may be the time to deal him while still in his prime (and still a gold glove).
Hoffpauer appears to deserve a spot somewhere in the lineup...and Lee can then get you that star #2 starter plus.
They were just addressing the left handed pitching in the Cubs bullpen a short while ago on HIT & RUN on the SCORE 670... I knew a few of our righties were good against lefties last year but they rattled off 4 relievers with great ERA's against lefties last year (marmol, hart, howry, forget the last one). I am not near as worried about lack of lefty's in the bullpen as some. As far as the bottom 5-6 in HR's as mentioned above again I am not worried ('88 Dodgers). As long as this Cubs team stays healthy I am confident that they will contend. I am still hopefull for a BR trade and a midseason #2 arm for the rotation but I feel good and confident. I am as excited as a pig in Sh!t to be honest.
Go cubs.
Cliff....very good points on the bullpen. But Eyre still needs to step it up.
David, on Reed Johnson...good catch. I have not read any interest from the Cubs but there is a connection, Tim Wilken.
Looking at his numbers, you are right on but his time in centerfield might not be what the Cubs are looking for in a backup role.
'04 - 33 games in center
'05 - 9 games in center
'06 - 16 games in center
'07 - 1 game in center
With Vernon Wells, a majority of his playing time has been in left. Considering the Rangers' are wanting the moon for Marlon Byrd, this will be worth paying attention to....like I said, GOOD CATCH.
Trade Derrek Lee????? Really.
I'm really impressed with Hoffpauir...but you are willing to give Dlee up? Spring means nothing.
NO way you trade DLee, he has always been a slow starter.
NO way you trade DLee, he has always been a slow starter.
I just read this on MLBtraderumors.com, so take it for what it is worth, That Brian Giles will be released from the Rockies. If we are really interested in a second baseman, why not take a shot at him, he won't cost us any prospects, plus he was having a pretty decent spring, hitting .321 and 3 for 3 in stolen bases. I would prefer him much more over Felipe Lopez.