Game Forty-Two: Cubs (25-16) vs. Pirates (20-21)
Game Time - 1:20pm C.T.
Coverage - TV: WGN - Radio: 720 WGN, XM Radio Channel 183
Location - Wrigley Field, Chicago
Sean Gallagher (0-0, 6.48/1.68) vs. Tom Gorzelanny (3-3, 5.97/1.76)
While the rest of baseball starts interleague play today, the Cubs open a 3-game series against the very hot Pittsburgh Pirates. The Pirates have won 8 of the last 10 and just finished taking 2 of 3 from the Cardinals in St. Louis. The Cubs enter play today a game and a half ahead of the Astros in the Central with the Pirates just a game under .500 and 5 games back. While the Cubs won the first 6 games of the year against the Pirates, the 'Battling Bucs' are a good team playing solid baseball this season. As pointed out during Thursday's game, the Pirates are 20-15 against the rest of the National League.
The first 6 games of the year against the Pirates had a big impact on the Cubs start. Lou Piniella's crew could have lost at least 4 of those games and must not take this team lightly. The Cubs will see these same Bucs again next weekend in Pittsburgh....6 of the next 9 games on the Cubs schedule will be against the Pirates.
Sean Gallagher will make his second career start today after a solid outing last Sunday against the Diamondbacks. Gallagher pitched much better than his line indicates (4 runs on 5 hits in 4 1/3 innings with 6 strikeouts and 3 walks). Gallagher left with the bases loaded in the 5th after intentionally walking Chris Young. Chad Fox came in and walked the first two hitters he faced to close the book on Gallagher.
Gallagher showed very good command, until the 5th inning, with a fastball that hit 97 MPH on the gun with movement. Gallagher must not fall behind a very dangerous Pirates offense that feasts on fastballs.
Gallagher will make his second career appearance against the Pirates. He pitched an inning and a third at PNC last July in an 8-4 Cubs loss. Gallagher gave up a run on a hit with 2 walks and a strikeout.
Xavier Nady recorded the only Pirates hit, a double.
The Cubs will face Tom Gorzelanny for the third time this season. The Evergreen Park native grew up a fan of the South Side and likes beating the Cubs....especially at Wrigley. Gorzelanny dominated the Cubs a year ago but has struggled in his first two starts of the year against Lou Piniella's offense. Remove Gorzelanny's starts against the Cubs and his is 2-0 with a sub 3 ERA.
Gorzelanny is coming off back-to-back impressive wins against the Mets and Braves. Gorzelanny has allowed only 2 earned runs on 8 hits in his last 2 starts, 13 innings.
Gorzelanny has allowed 14 earned runs on 12 hits with 5 strikeouts and 8 walks in his two starts against the Cubs this season (5 innings).
- Ronny Cedeno - 4-for-9 with a double
- Mark DeRosa - 4-9 with 2 doubles and 5 walks
- Jim Edmonds - 0-for-3
- Kosuke Fukudome - 2-for-4
- Reed Johnson - 0-for-1 with 3 walks
- Derrek Lee - 7-for-12 with 2 doubles and 2 home runs
- Aramis Ramirez - 2-for-14
- Alfonso Soriano - 2-for-14 with a home run
- Geovany Soto - 6-for-9 with 2 doubles
- Ryan Theriot - 2-for-10
Today might be a good opportunity for Lou Piniella to give Aramis Ramirez a day off. Ronny Cedeno should be in the starting lineup along with Mark DeRosa....based on their career numbers against Gorzelanny.
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Heres to hoping Gallagher shows today why he should be a mainstay in the rotation.
Go gettem Gally.
This game will be an excellent indicator as to how well Gallagher will be able to help us this year (key term: this year). He performed adequately enough against a good team, let's see how he does against an average one.
I can't believe the stupid Giants blew a 6-0 lead yesterday! Houston won't go away.
Cory: They will when we take care of them next week...
Gallagher's going to deal today, hopefully making Marquis expendable whenever Marshall or Hill (or both) are ready to join the rotation in the bigs.
Edmonds starting today?
I don't think so. I think Johnson is back in there.
Today's lineup
Soriano - LF
Theriot - SS
Lee - 1B
Ramirez - 3B
Soto - C
Cedeno - 2B
DeRosa - RF
Johnson - CF
Gallagher -P
Dome gets the day off.
Cory,
Houston is riding one of the hottest hitting streaks of all time right now (Berkman). He's batting .560 (28-for-50) with six home runs, seven doubles, 17 RBIs and 18 runs during a 13-game hitting streak. At one point he had gone 19-for-25. Incredible.
But he'll eventually cool off, and so will their team. Their starting pitching and middle relief suck. And that will eventually catch up to them.
SORI IS FLAT OUT RAKING!!!
SORIANO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GOTTA LOVE IT!!! GEO!!!
GEOVANY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
Sori and Soto!!
Okay Gally, they got you the lead now shut them down.
Instant Offense... just add fastballs!
Although at some point, don't you think it's Lou's responsibility as a manager to tell Soriano that he needs to be batting lower in the order so we're getting more RBI's out of his power? Whether he likes it or not?
Geo = R.O.T.Y.
Agree Nick...just go throw strikes now that we have the lead
Thats a .425 OBP, a ~.600 Slugging Percentage and 8 HR for Soto...
and hes just 25.... wow!
Eric i say we leave Sori right where he is...he is hitting and when u look at it he really only leads off once a game and many times he has come up with runners on base later in the game anyway...just leave him in the leadoff spot
Gally's gonna need to ratchet up that fastball 1-3 mph if he wants people to swing and miss..instead of fly out to the warning track everytime..
Wow.
Thats the kind of situation im talkin about Eric! HAHA Stay hot SORI!!!
Ryan, like that... proving your point though about him really only leading off once a game, but MAN is he on a TEAR! Woot Woot!
SORIANO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
NUMBER TWO FOR THE DAY WITH 4 RBI'S
Geez..Sori is gonna have one of "those games". Like the 3 HR game in ATL last yr...
Yeah let's trade Soriano, he didn't hussle on either one of his homeruns.
On the other hand, D-Lee is cold as a rock..
Proponents of Trading Soriano = Mentally Retarded
Nice double play!
Been gone for a while... thought I would poke my head back in here to see if the Soriano haters were still around...? Not going to call you out... I do know who you are though.
;)
nice to be able to put a line up together with derosa batting 7th.
Note to Justin Verlander: Your velocity has dropped so low that Sean Gallagher is throwing harder than you.
Good inning Gally
Hubert, I was thinking of the same game in Atlanta. That was something else.
Soto is gonna be a monster. I wonder if with Fuku out, this is Lou's way of seeing how well Soto will work in the 5 spot.
If this goes well, this could be as good as, if not better, than Sosa-Alou-Ramirez.
D-Ro might gidp's more than anyone else on the team but he is irreplacable due to his ability to play so many spots so well...nice play in right
Nice catch by DeRo!!!
Just got in.....hey hey very nice party!!!
DeRosa!!!!
While I don't want to put a damper on what is a great game today, allow me to state to Hubert that I (and I'm sure many here) don't appreciate your statement of "mentally retarded" in your earlier posts. Everyone is entitled to their opinion here if presented professionally, and you sir have this really bad track record of inappropriate comments and language.
You owe an apology Hubert.
Mike,
Very nicely stated. Hubert, take a hike man. Your post was really uncalled for.
Hubert, while your post was only one line, it was truly inappropriate, unprofessional and uncalled for. Just bad stuff on your part.
Okay..Get serious Bobby.
Time to get someone up...
Hubert made a comment because I did.
I've been a little on the sarcastic side about the Soriano situation and I apoligize.
I just dont give up on people when they have a bad month. I get fustrated with them but, if they have a track record of success, I dont throw them under the bus that easy.
If he don't hussle on a homerun ball that he thinks is a homerun then fine. I don't mind that. Its obvious that he has a hamsting problem so why chance it. Hussle when he needs to. Hell, he got hurt on that dumb little hop of his. Overall I wouldn't put him in the catagory of a lazy player. Before he got hurt I would say that he hussled. Now I just think he's being careful.
There are things about Soriano that I don't like. But he's not a cancer on the team and he is a all-star player in his prime. And in no way would I trade him for anybody.
The offense needs to put one on the board in the 8th....these guys never quit.
Mientkiewicz?!!? Really?!!?
Bob Howry is getting hit at a .360 clip....
oh boy!
So I was thinking we could trade Soriano for a a middle of the road starting pitcher since we don't really need him.... (LOL as I do my impression of last weeks Soriano haters).
And the reason I say that is because the way that he has played this homestand
Meet Kerry Wood. Our Kloser.
1-2-3. Bring em up and sit them down.
Theyre singing!!! YES!
I also think that Woods is starting to get it.
He's starting to be a shutdown closer.
NATION REPRESENT!
CUBS WIN! CUBS WIN!
Wow! Thank you McPhailure for not pulling the trigger on the gallagher, cedeno, plus 25 prospects deal for a gimpy brian roberts. For the first time in his career, McPhailure has actually helped the Cubs (on accident this time).
26-16 looks good to me. Let's not fall from here
Great game today with the exception of the gas can (a.k.a. Bob Howry). Anyone else think Soriano will get a few Player of the Week votes? Holy crap that guy is on fire.
Gallagher!!!!!
Thank you for Gallagher and Dempster so far. If these guys can continue to contribute like this we will win a lot of ball games this season.
great textbook win today. Lets do it tomorrow and teh next day.
Soriano got off to a slow start that was made longer by his injury. That's all there is to it. 10+ games back from his injury, and now he's creaming the ball better than the Soriano I remember and actually showing some of that there contagious patience that Fukodome brought over. So Soriano will be just fine and then some. At this point, the only part of the team that needs upgrading is starting pitching: whether it's by a revigorated Rich Hill, a better Jon Lieber, an experienced Sean Marshall, or an out-of-nowhere Sean Gallagher.
Jeff in az....you might be right with the non-trade
issue. Season still very young but its hard to
ignore what gallagher has acomplished so
Far. And cedeno aswell.
Soriano-meter at...oh...why bother.
He is clearly better than Reed "BTS" Johnson.
I hope that is obvious to everyone now.
Now if we could just trade that bum, Aramis Ramirez, and get some more at-bats for Mike Fontenot, then the Cubs would really be cooking...yada yada yada.
Beseph,
Very well put. If someone can step up and just get us through to the trade deadline.
Just a thought, does anybody but me think that it is inevitable for Dempter to fade at the end of the season? He hasn't been a starting pitcher for a whole season in years. Wouldn't he have too wear his arm out? I hope not. But......