Game Fifteen: Cubs (9-5) vs. Reds (6-9)
Game Time - 1:20pm C.T.
Coverage - TV: WGN - Radio: 720 WGN, XM Radio Channel 186
Location - Wrigley Field, Chicago
Ted Lilly (0-2, 9.95/1.82) vs. Edinson Volquez (1-0, 0.87/1.26)
The Cubs will try for the 3-game sweep this afternoon at the Friendly Confines behind Ted Lilly. Lou Piniella's second starter in his rotation is off to a bad start but will be facing a Reds' team that struggles against southpaws....something's going to give today. The Cubs offense will get a big test in the series finale, facing Edinson Volquez for the first time, after scoring 21 runs in the first two games.
Ted Lilly has not started the 2008 campaign the way anyone envisioned. The Cubs number two pitcher, in short, has been awful in his first three starts. Lilly has not completed 5 innings and is giving up a lot of runs and hits. Lilly is coming off his second loss of the year last Saturday. He gave up 5 runs in 7 hits in just 4 1/3 innings against the Phillies. Lilly's velocity is down and his pitches are up....not a good combination.
Lilly picked up his first win as a Cub last April against the Reds in Cincinnati. For his career he is 1-1 in 5 starts versus Cincinnati with a 3.33 ERA and a 0.78 WHIP....all 5 starts came against the Reds last season.
- Adam Dunn - 2-for-5 with a home run
- Edwin Encarnacion - 1-for-10 with a home run
- Ken Griffey, Jr. - 3-for-10
- Jeff Keppinger - 2-for-6
- Corey Patterson - 1-for-8 with a walk
- Brandon Phillips - 0-for-13
The Cubs will get their first look at Edinson Volquez today. The Reds have been very pleased with Volquez since acquiring him this past off-season from the Rangers for Josh Hamilton. Volquez, along with Johnny Cueto, has turned a lot of heads in the first two and a half weeks of the year....and in a very short time, both pitchers have the Reds thinking about the post season.
Volquez is a hard thrower and has been very impressive in his first two starts. He beat the Phillies on April 6th....1 run on 5 hits in 5 1/3 innings with 8 strikeouts and 2 walks. Volquez received a no decision his last time out.... 0 runs on 3 hits in 5 innings with 3 walks and a strikeout. In 10 1/3 innings this year, 1 earned run on 8 hits with 9 strikeouts and 5 walks.
The Cubs have traditionally struggled against pitchers they have never faced before....today would be a good day to break the very bad habit.
Expect to see Reed Johnson in center once again. Lou Piniella is "personally" working with Felix Pie in hopes of correcting his long swing. According to a report in the Tribune, Pie should be out of the starting lineup for a few days.
MLB Blog Poll
The latest Blog Poll is up at Baseball Happening.com....this week was the National League. And the leading vote getter for NL Rookie of the Year? You guessed it, Kosuke Fukudome with Geovany Soto coming in 3rd.
Let's Talk Cubs Baseball....
Not only is this the first time the CUBS are facing Volquez but he also throws a nasty change-up which in my opinion is a double negative for today. CUBS hitters do not hit well against pitchers with good change-ups in my opinion. Why? No idea but it is very frustrating to watch. Hopefully they can show patience today and not get out in front of the offspeed stuff.
Having said that I would love to see Fuk in the 2 hole today in front of DLee.
*on another note... i was just thinking about this the other day and saw it last night. when is the last time (prior to last night) that you a ground rule double from a ball bouncing over the outfield wall. Derosa misplayed a pop-up last night and it bounced over. I can't remember it.
Cliff - it's because of the expanded warning track.
The lineup for today's game:
Fontenont, 2B
Theriot, SS
Lee, 1B
Ramirez, 3B
Fukudome, RF
DeRosa, LF
Johnson, CF
Blanco, C
Lilly, P
Nice quick inning by Lilly. Now lets get the offense going and get this rookie rattled.
article in yahoo today about how Tejada is actually 33, not 31 as people thought
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=Ata6kdpAq5TKVdn0VB9vYAg5nYcB?slug=ap-tejada-wrongage&prov=ap&type=lgns
Kinda makes you worry a lil about Soriano... Hes supposed to be 32 on paper...... but you wonder sometimes.
I'm gamecasting this at work, and so all i know is Lilly threw 6 pitches and gave up 3 fly outs, but for those watching, can somebody tell me how he is really looking? Were the three flyouts just the Reds missing meatballs and hitting them deep? Or were they weak. If the former, then oh no.
Im all for tradition, but I really hate these weekday day games. People work, I have class. (Luckily I work graveyard) All that said I still missed the 1st and 2nd inning.
I know there is a lot legal work to getting more night games. But its something thats well needed.
Anyone else agree?
just curious... anybody have the splits on Lilly's stats with Blanco and Soto? I am only listening to the game but it sounds like he is getting the job done today with Blanco behind the plate.
Come on Lilly, don't break down now, let's get out of this jam!!
DANG IT!!
Way to jinx it Cliff. >.
Haha.
Gosh...I 'gaffed' that typo...
Get it?..
Come on Lily...
The one good thing is we are making their pitcher throw a lot of pitches, we should be in their bullpen soon.
Cliff, I was thinking the same until the 4th inning. Lilly quit attacking the zone and there was communication problems between him and Blanco.
Matt, the players want more night games.
Why is Blanco bunting with Lilly on-deck? Swing, Dammit!
Umm, that was odd..
Why was Blanco trying to bunt with Lilly on deck? 2 on and no outs. That was very strange!
Blanco is killing us in that eight hole today, man.
Great play by Votto. Gotta hand it to em.
Frustrating does not describe Lilly's meltdown in the 4th only to be outdone by Blanco's BONEHEAD ab!
Bases loaded and one out, and two on and one out, and only one run to show for it.
Lou, Quade, and Sinatro didnt look to pleased with each other..
2 pitches, 2 outs. Keep it up Theodore.
To elaborate on the Adam Dunn conversation:
-.200 AVG .430 OBP
How often do you see something like that?
Votto is really, really getting on my nerves.
Lilly, ARGGGGGGG!!!!
Lilly bites, plain & simple... leave junk up, get it smashed into the seats...
Volquez is at 112 pitches and Baker leaves him in, not surprising.
Sorry about that last post, they must have been taking him at as I was posting.
Lilly does not seem to be on th right page with either catcher. Piniella tried to change it up today and it cost them with losing Soto's offense.
I'm all for Pie growing. But how can Lou not play Johnson right now!
Nick, I was thinking the same thing when they let him hit.
Ramirez is going to tie it up with a three run homer next inning!
My boy Ryan aint having a great day in the infield..
WAKE UP!! Only down by 3....fundamentals! Theriot and Fontenot really hurt Lieber. An error and then a mental one.
Damn...Its been fun gents..Theyll be days like this..
Well...so much for that. #596 for Griffey
No Excuses but this one doesn't hurt all that much. Lilly was better but not good enough. There young pitcher kept us in check. The pitch calls were comparable but the ump seemed to be squeezing the strike zone. Griffy got an extra strike and hit it out against Lieber. Better today than in a game we're leading by a run or two.
The other team wins usually wins 4 times out of 10. And, we get to play again tomorrow.
Plus the Cards blew a 3 run lead in the 8th!
Up by 7.... How many think Weathers hitting DeRosa was intentional? Is Dusty sending a message?