Game Thirty-One: Cubs (18-12) vs. Cardinals (19-12)
Game Time - 7:05pm C.T.
Coverage - TV: ESPN Sunday Night Baseball - Radio: 720 WGN, XM Radio Channel 187
Location - Busch Stadium, St. Louis
Jason Marquis (1-1, 4.45/1.62) vs. Todd Wellemeyer (2-1, 4.14/1.19)
It's Sunday Night Baseball and it's the Cubs and Cardinals....despite what ESPN will say tonight, the best rivalry in all of baseball. The rubber game of the weekend series will feature two starting pitchers facing their former organization. Todd Wellemeyer could never match the expectations he set in his big league debut and Jason Marquis was tossed to the side by Tony La Russa and Dave Duncan....so both pitchers should be out to prove a point tonight.
In other News.... Jon Lieber will replace Rich Hill in the Cubs' rotation and should take the mound in Cincinnati for his first start of the year on Wednesday. With Lieber in the rotation, Sean Gallagher will likely be used as the long man out of the pen. Maybe those roles should have been reversed? Also, Juan Mateo declined his assignment to the Daytona Cubs and is now a free agent....best of luck Juan, too bad he was lost in the debacle of 2006.
Lou Piniella's crew will try to win back-to-back games for the first time since their season long 6-game winning streak from April 18th - April 23rd. Baseball fever....catch it!
After two quality starts against the Pirates and Rockies, Jason Marquis took a couple of steps back in his last outing against the Brewers. Marquis threw strikes but did not miss to many bats and the Brewers scored 5 runs on 10 hits in just 5 innings. The Cubs bullpen allowed another 5 and the Cubs lost the first, and only, game this season in which they have scored at least 4 runs.
Jason Marquis will get another chance to beat the organization that shunned him following the 2006 season. Marquis is 4-1 in 5 starts, 7 career games, with a 3.27 ERA and a 1.33 WHIP. There is no love lost between Marquis and his old teammates. He posted a 3-1 record in his first season away from the Cardinals last year with a 3.60 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP.
- Rick Ankiel - 2-for-3
- Chris Duncan - 3-for-8 with a home run
- Troy Glaus - 4-for-6
- Cesar Izturis - 7-for-17 with 2 doubles and a triple
- Ryan Ludwick - 1-for-5 with a double
- Aaron Miles - 6-for-13 with a double
- Yadier Molina - 2-for-8 with a home run
- Albert Pujols - 4-for-14
Todd Wellemeyer will make his first career start against the team that drafted him. Wellemeyer was the Cubs 4th round pick back in 2000. After a spectacular debut on May 15, 2003 in which he struck out the side against the Brewers and picked up a save in a 4-2 Cubs win, Wellemeyer struggled as a Cub, at times showing promise, but not much consistency.
Jim Hendry traded Wellemeyer to the Marlins for Lincoln Holdzkom and Zach McCormack on March 28, 2006.
Wellemeyer has been one of the many surprises for the Cardinals this year. Once again Dave Duncan has worked his magic and Wellemeyer responded with a very good month. In his first 6 starts, Wellemeyer has allowed more than 4 earned runs only once and has had three outings in which he allowed 2 runs or less.
Wellemeyer is coming off a loss his last time out against the Reds. He allowed 4 runs on 7 hits in 6 innings with 5 strikeouts and 2 walks. Wellemeyer is throwing strikes to the tune of a 3:1 strikeout to walk ratio....in 37 innings this year, Wellemeyer has recorded 36 strikeouts and only 12 walks.
The Cubs' offense will have their opportunities, Wellemeyer has given up 32 hits and 6 long balls....they just have to take advantage and not allow him to get comfortable on the mound.
Wellemeyer has pitched only 1 inning against his former organization....no runs and 1 hit allowed.
- Mark DeRosa - 0-for-0 with 2 walks
- Reed Johnson - 1-for-4
- Aramis Ramirez - 1-for-1
- Alfonso Soriano - 0-for-2
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