Game Twenty-Five - Cubs 0 Nationals 2
WP - John Lannan (2-2) LP - Ted Lilly (1-4) Save - Jon Rauch (4)
A day after recording their first shutout of the season, the Nationals returned the favor and shutout the Cubs for the first time this year. Ted Lilly turned in the Cubs fourth quality start in a row with an impressive 6 inning performance....he was just out pitched. John Lannan handled the Cubs offense with pinpoint control and did not allow a hit until the 5th inning. The Cubs loaded the bases for the sixth time in the 3-game series in the 5th with 1-out but came away empty. They also left the tying runs in scoring position in the 6th....again with 1-out. On the day the Cubs left 8 on base and appeared out of gas for most of the afternoon.
Ted Lilly took the loss but for the first time this season he pitched the way he did a year ago. Lilly gave up both runs in the 2nd inning, surrendered only 4 hits in 6 innings, struck out a season high 7 batters and walked only 2.
The Cubs finished the road trip with a disappointing 2-3 record but have still won 9 of 13 since their last day off.
Lou Piniella's crew appeared tired and ready for the off day on Monday. They worked the count effectively most of the afternoon but when they put the ball in play, it simply did not find green.
The only scoring in the game came in the 2nd inning. Nick Johnson singled on the first offering from Lilly and Lastings Milledge sacrificed him to 2nd base. At the time the move was questioned, but it turned out to be the difference in the game. Austin Kearns grounded out to short for the second out. Wily Mo Pena stepped in hitless in 5 at bats against Lilly with 4 strikeouts.
Pena singled to left on a 0-2 pitch, Johnson scored and Pena advanced to 2nd on the throw to the plate by Mark DeRosa. Wil Nieves burnt the Cubs again with a single to center. Reed Johnson's throw was will off the mark and Pena scored the second and last run of the game.
The Cubs pitching staff did not allow another run. Michael Wuertz was very sharp in the 7th and Kerry Wood retired the side in order in the 8th....on just 9 pitches.
The Cubs mounted two threats in the game but came away empty. Ronny Cedeno recorded the first hit off of Lannan to start the 5th. Henry Blanco followed with a single to left. Ted Lilly attempted a sacrifice but bunted through the ball. Cedeno was caught too far off 2nd and made a head's up decision to take off for 3rd. Cedeno made it with a head first slide and Henry Blanco advanced to 2nd on the play....Blanco was awarded a steal, his first since 2001.
Lilly ended up striking out then Reed Johnson hit a hot shot to Nick Johnson at first. Johnson kept the ball in the infield, was originally given an error (it was changed to a hit in the 7th) and Johnson slid head first into to the bag to avoid the tag of Nick Johnson. Ryan Theriot stepped in with the bases loaded and just 1-out. Theriot looked at only 1 pitch before hitting a chopper up the middle....an easy 6-3 double play to end the inning.
Derrek Lee led off the 6th with a walk but was erased at 2nd on a tap back to the mound by Aramis Ramirez. The play developed slowly and Aramis beat out the throw to first. Kosuke Fukudome doubled to left over Wily Mo Pena....Pena misplayed the ball. Mark DeRosa then tapped out to the mound and Ronny Cedeno grounded out to 2nd to end the inning.
The Nationals bullpen retired 6 of the last 7 batters they faced to end the game.
At least the flight back to Chicago is a short one. It was a very disappointing weekend for the Cubs. The Cubs have trouble with pitchers like Odalis Perez and John Lannan....and the proof is their first series loss since April 11th - April 13th in Philadelphia.
Monday is an off day for Lou Piniella's crew....and apparently a much needed one after Sunday. Ben Sheets is scheduled to face Jason Marquis on Tuesday night at Wrigley in the first of three against the Brewers.
Subscribe
gotta tip your cap to Lannan..what a great performance....
It's disgraceful, however, on our end...as we had runners on 2nd and 3rd base once, and bases loaded, 1 out, only to have GIDP-Theriot ground into yet another double play...its sucks that we're going back to our inadequacies of last year all over again. What I think needs to happen is put Cedeno at SS, Patterson at 2B, and send Fontenot out. With Soriano coming back, this move makes the most sense. Patterson also provides speed in later innings, and I think Theriot really needs to find a place on the bench. Yes, he came up with a big hit in Colorado (I was actually at that game), but his hits are generally insignificant.
What a performance by Lilly though...it's just a shame our offense couldn't come through. Great teams take advantage of opportunities like that where a pitcher is dominating, and makes a few mistakes, leaving you with multiple runners in scoring position....that's the most frustrating thing about the game today.
Look on the bright side. At least we don't have to worry about Soriano's return disrupting any kind of chemistry. I mean, it's still impossible to score less than zero runs, right? Even yesterday's apparent blowout was mostly done with seeing-eye hits pulled on the ground through the left side. Personally, I welcome any kind of offensive infusion to a team that has not even hit an outfield wall on the fly, in the last 4 games. I know most would throw out the "it's a long season" cliche here, but the Nats are the worst team in baseball, and I was really thinking sweep here.
unlike many other "action" sports (save basketball), baseball can be dominated by one player. Such was the case with Odalis Perez and Lannan. For whatever reason, they pitched as if it was the most important of their career. It is very discouraging that with the bags juiced, or other RISP situations, we have players who simply have not been getting the job done. I also am wondering why today, with a very fast runner on third, and a good "bat handler", and down by only two, Lou has not tried the squeeze?
It was very dissapointing to lose 2 of 3 to one of the wosrt teams in baseball, but a couple positives were, our starters kept us in the game, Demp, didn't have his best stuff, but keep us in position to win and Lilly had another strong performance. Three hits at the right time we would have had the sweep, but hindsight is 20/20.
Hopefully Marquis continues to pitch well tomorrow night, and we can take it to sheets who is coming of an injury. This is a huge week for us, lets hope we can send a statement to the rest of the division.