Game Twenty-Six - Cubs 7 Brewers 10
WP - Ben Sheets (4-0) LP - Jason Marquis (1-1) Save - Eric Gagne (8)
For the first time this season the Cubs lost a game in which they scored at least 4 runs as they were out hit on a cold night at Wrigley. The Cubs offense scored 4 runs, 3 earned, off of Ben Sheets, the most the Brewers' ace has allowed this year, but it was not enough. Jason Marquis struggled with his command, left after just 5 innings and the middle relievers could not get the job done. Marquis was never the same after a 13-minute delay before the 3rd inning. Reports indicated home plate umpire Jerry Crawford left "feeling ill" and was taken to the hospital. Marquis surrendered 5 runs on 10 hits with a walk and 2 strikeouts. But the Cubs bullpen had another rough outing and could not keep the Brewers off the board.
Kevin Hart, Sean Marshall, Michael Wuertz and Jon Lieber gave up 5 runs on 7 hits with 2 walks and only 1 strikeout in the last 4 innings. The Brewers' 17 hits were the most allowed by Cubs' pitching this season.
Lou Piniella said after the game, "Gotta sure up the middle to get to the short people. That's been a problem for a while." Piniella did not sound to happy, to say the least, with his bullpen.
Ben Sheets set a career high in walks with 7 but only allowed 4 runs, 3 earned, on just 3 hits. Derrek Lee led off the 3rd with his 8th home run and in the process tied Sammy Sosa, Shane Andrews and Lee Walls for the most home runs in the month of April. Mike Fontenot doubled in three runs in the 7th....but in the end, the Brewers bullpen was the difference in the game.
The Cubs pitching staff has shown over the first month how good it can be....but on Tuesday night, it was the exact opposite. They struggled with their command, could not throw strikes and when they did, the Brewers put the ball in play. Typically when a team scores 7 runs they end up winning the game but not when the pitching staff allows 10 runs on 17 hits with 4 walks and only 3 strikeouts. Piniella's reaction after the game would lead one to believe changes are coming....
Mike Cameron made his Brewers' debut and an immediate impact for Ned Yost on Tuesday. Cameron was suspended for 25-games for testing positive to a banned stimulant for a second time. Cameron was 3-for-5 with a walk, 2 runs scored and 2 RBI's but several Brewers had multi hit games and Corey Hart was a home run short of the cycle. Lou Piniella's staff did not miss any bats....every starter for Milwaukee recorded at least one hit.
With the Cubs down 5-4 in the 6th, Kevin Hart replaced Jason Marquis. Jason Kendall singled on the first offering from Hart. Rickie Weeks followed with a single to left and Hart walked Mike Cameron to load the bases. Ryan Braun hit into a fielder's choice but Kendall scored to give the Brewers a 6-4 lead. Hart retired Prince Fielder on tap back to the mound....1-6-3 double play to end the inning. The 7th inning was when it got very ugly.
Hart started the inning by striking out Corey Hart on a very good breaking ball. Bill Hall reached on a broken bat single to left. J.J. Hardy followed with a single to left and Piniella made the slow walk to the mound. Sean Marshall replaced Hart but walked Tony Gwynn, Jr. to load the bases.
Piniella replaced Marshall with Michael Wuertz and he walked Jason Kendall to force in a run. Rickie Weeks lined out to right for the second out but Mike Cameron singled to right to plate two more runs. The line on Wuertz does not mention the 3 inherited runners he allowed to score. Ryan Braun grounded out to end the inning.
The Cubs offense showed a lot of patience against Ben Sheets but left 12 on base and could not come up with the big hit when they needed it. Jason Marquis drove in the Cubs' first run with a fielder's choice in the 2nd inning and both Reed Johnson and Felix Pie drove in runs with sacrifice flies.
While baseball is a team game, the offense did their part on Tuesday.
With the loss, the Cubs dropped into a virtual tie with the St. Louis Cardinals for first place in the Central with a 16-10 record.
Ryan Dempster is scheduled to face Jeff Suppan in game two of the series under the lights on ESPN's Wednesday Night Baseball.
I just got home from work and I tell you what fellow CCO enthusiats....that game was a BUMMER!!!!R U kidding me!!?? I'm sorry but loosing 2 0f 3 over the weekend to a crappy Nat's team was 1 thing but scoring 7 runs at home and losing by 3!!!!to a DOME team in crappy weather is rediculas!!! WAKE UP A-HOLES!!!!
I HATE THE BREWERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The team from the North sure looks like they want it more. Ramirez looked like he was totally absorbed with the cold and detached. Soto has suddenly become a liability and when you pair him with "throw me a high sucker pitch" Pie that's beginning to look like a hole in the line-up. Build a team around guys like Reed Fontenot Fukudome Lee Therio and get some smart and mentally tough players. While your at it find a way to upgrade from Marquis or get a better pitching coach.
The Brewers have a nice line-up but what kind of staff do you have if you are always behind in the count give up 17 hits and miss with your good stuff but are up in the zone with your bad ones when it should definitely be a pitcher's night.
The game score was actually closer than the contest. The Cubs had their .... handed to them. I'm thinking they would not have got seven runs if Soriano was whiffing at Sheets balls in the dirt all night.
This team is very intriguing. It's hard to fathom how they can look so potent offensively for a ten game period, and then revert back to mediocrity (especially against an average team like the Nats). So either opposing scouts are providing good data that's creating adjustments on their part, or we are unable to sustain a killer-instinct 25 games into a long season. Interesting that they needed the day off Monday after a whopping 13 game stretch. And the average player makes how much money to be prepared each day?
I don't have the answer here, nor are willing to get on a bash mode after losing 4 of the last 5. I'm just stunned though as to the faucet being shut off so abruptly.
Bryan, I agree. It is odd.
The middle relief in particular has to shore up. Perhaps in injection of young live arms from the farm will be a wake up call for a few on the current roster.
Last night was an opportunity to get after Sheets with the 7 walks. Unfortunately Marquis never gave the team a chance to win, and the pen just crashed and burned.
Let's hope that the "answers" for recent poor performance/results are mostly that we hit a brief rough patch--which I think it is. With D and Z pitching the next two, we could/should win the next two. If we were to lose 4 of the next 5 against the Brewers and Cards, it would be time to be highly concerned.
In the first 40-50 games the weak teams havn't realized that they are "crappy" yet, and they can put some good games together. That's why Oakland has won 17 and Baltimore and the Florida have won 15. Washington is 6-7 at home.
I realize that the terrible weather last night was the same for both teams--and I blame both our pitching and, to some degree, our hitting for adding to the misery. None of the 7 guys Sheets walked scored.
Hopefully Demp can get us back on track tonight.
Mike I agree, maybe some good young live arms will help us out, kinda of like Marmol did last year.
If Gallagher stays as hot as he is, it is really going to be hard for Pinella to keep him down in AAA, especially if Marquis continues to falter.
Wuertz has looked very flat this year, I think it is time to swap him with Ascanio.
Hart is the one who concerns me the most right now. And I do think Ascanio sounds like a decent option.
Cliche Alert: Pitching wins ball games. While I9 agree there were some offensive shortcomings, you can't give up 10 runs at home and expect to win. We need to get back to good pitching.
The middle of the pen is dreadful right now, and Marquis did not give us a quality start in my opinion.
Jeff