Game Forty-Four: Cubs (26-17) vs. Pirates (21-22)
Game Time - 1:20pm C.T.
Coverage - TV: WGN - Radio: 720 WGN, XM Radio Channel 183
Location - Wrigley Field, Chicago
Jason Marquis (1-3, 5.26/1.73) vs. Phil Dumatrait (1-1, 3.96/1.46)
Updated - 11:36am C.T. - Ward Placed on 15-Day DL and Hoffpauir Called-up
Today is an important game for Jason Marquis as well as the Cubs. Lou Piniella was not pleased following Marquis performance last Tuesday and with the emergence of Sean Gallagher as well as the depth in Iowa, Marquis could be pitching to stay in the rotation. While the Cubs may not know what they will get from other options, the inconsistent performances from Marquis, to this point this season, has been the only thing Lou Piniella can count on when he gives Marquis the ball.
The Cubs, on the other hand, have put together a very good homestand but dropping the last two to the Pirates would bring a negative end to a very positive week.
According to several reports, Daryle Ward will be placed on the DL and Micah Hoffpauir will be called up to take his roster spot on Monday....but Hoffpauir did not play against Round Rock on Saturday night. So stay tuned....Derrek Lee needs a day off and Micah Hoffpauir hits southpaws rather well.
"One bad inning" is the phrase Lou Piniella kept using during his post-game press conference to describe Jason Marquis' performance against the Padres. Piniella sounded frustrated with his right-hander but the "one bad inning" moniker is the most accurate description of Marquis' 2008 campaign.
Marquis was staked to a lead against the Padres, but a 3-run home run by Kahlil Greene and a 2-out single by Shawn Estes turned a 3-0 Cubs lead into a 4-3 Cubs deficit within a blink of an eye....or in one inning.
Many think Marquis is pitching to stay in the rotation. Rich Hill has not shown any improvement in Iowa and left his start on Friday in the 3rd inning with a stiff back but Sean Marshall turned in another good outing on Saturday. Marshall has allowed only 2 earned runs on 6 hits in 12 innings (3 starts) with 11 strikeouts and 4 walks.
Marquis' only win (and best outing) this season came against the Pirates on April 19th at Wrigley. Marquis gave up just 1 run on 6 hits in 6 innings with 7 strikeouts and 1 walk....both a season high and a season low and clearly his best strikeout to walk ratio.
The Cubs are 3-4 in Marquis' 7 starts this season and he has dropped his last 3 in a row.
- Jason Bay - 14-for-34 with 4 doubles, a triple, 4 home runs and 5 walks
- Adam LaRoche - 3-for-21 with a double and a home run
- Nate McLouth - 5-for-13 with a double and a home run
- Xavier Nady - 3-for-16 with a home run
- Freddy Sanchez - 4-for-25 with 2 doubles and a home run
Phil Dumatrait replaced Matt Morris in the Pirates rotation after Pittsburgh DFA'd the veteran right-hander a few weeks back. Dumatrait will make his fourth start of the season for John Russell and the Pirates are 3-0 in games he's started.
Dumatrait picked up a win against the Giants at PNC back on May 7th and was impressive in St. Louis in his last start. Dumatrait held the Cardinals to 3 runs on 4 hits in 6 innings of work....the Pirates won the game 8-4.
Dumatrait will face the Cubs for the fourth time this year but will make his first start. Dumatrait had success against Lou's Crew the last two times he faced them on April 19th and 20th at Wrigley....no runs on 3 hits with 4 walks and 3 strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings. On the year, Dumatrait is 0-1 in 3 games with a 4.00 ERA and a 1.89 WHIP against the Cubs.
Dumatrait made his first and only start against the Cubs last year while he was a member of the Reds' starting staff. The Cubs roughed him up but the Reds won a shootout in Cincinnati on August 15th, 11-9.
Dumatrait is 0-1 in 5 career games against the Cubs, 1 start, with a 7.36 ERA and a 2.36 WHIP.
- Ronny Cedeno - 1-for-3 with a double
- Mark DeRosa - 0-for-4
- Jim Edmonds - 1-for-3 with a double
- Kosuke Fukudome - 0-for-1 with 2 walks
- Reed Johnson - 0-for-3
- Derrek Lee - 1-for-4
- Aramis Ramirez - 3-for-5 with a double and a home run
- Alfonso Soriano - 1-for-2
- Geovany Soto - 1-for-2
The Cubs offense must be patient today and allow Dumatrait to get into trouble....if there are a lot of early swings and misses, it could end up being another frustrating afternoon.
Update - According to a report from Yahoo Sports, the Cubs placed Daryle Ward on the 15-day DL Sunday morning with a bulging disc in his lower back. Micah Hoffpauir, as expected, has been called up from Triple-A Iowa to take his place on the 25-man roster. The Cubs purchased Hoffpauir's contract and have added him to the 40-man roster.
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It was a shootout last year against Dumatrait, like you said, and it will most likely be that way again today. I do not have any faith in Marquis and actually have gone into negative faith on him recently. Here's hoping someone will be able to step up relatively soon to take his spot and he can get those nice letters "DFA" handed to him.
Today's starting lineup:
Soriano - LF
Cedeno - SS
Lee - 1B
Ramirez - 3B
Fukudome - RF
Soto - C
DeRosa - 2B
Johnson - CF
Marquis - P
Alright RC, time to prove you belong in this lineup.
We all obviously would love to see Marquis pitch well, but I just don't have that much faith in him right now. Regardless of how well he pitches today, I think Lou has to seriously consider keeping Gallagher in the rotation and also inserting Marshall as well, as Neil noted above. I really think that rotation is much stronger.
Let's get a Sunday win!
With his supporting cast today, Marquis has no excuses. I guess we wait a day or two for Hoffpauir to start. Go Cubs!
Marquis, I just do not get him. Stubborn does not describe how he pitches. Leaves up a sinker....
Since the Cubs cannot dfa him with a year left on his contract, how about a stint on the DL with Ineffectiveitis?
Neil...That sounds like a plan. We could probably trade him for El Duque if we could match up the contract $.
At this rate Marquis may not make it past the 3rd. 5 feet outside and in the dirt, well I suppose that is one way to not let them hit it out of the park.
3-2 on a pitcher with no career hits....Lou had his head down in the dugout after the pitch.
Hey fella's.
Time to plate some runs here soon.
Marquis = UGH
We'd have to send money to the Mets in a Marquis for El Duque deal. He is in the final year of his contract. With the wind blowing out, if we can hold the Pirates to 4, we have a good chance to win.
I'm still in favor of Marquis as team massuese
Marquis has to be the most worthless pitcher we've had since Mel Rojas
Come on Soriano!
Good hit job Sori. Come on Ronny
RC Cola
That'll work RC, now how about a slump busting hit Lee?
how about Hill, Marquis, and Pie for Zack Greinke
I think DLee just needs a day off..he's not only been making more outs lately, he's a GIDP machine.
Aaron: That trade will never happen as all three of those people are struggling and now that Grienke is dealing, young pitching like that, especially young power pitchers, are nearly untouchable.
Marquis is making amends .... but he has a long way to go yet...
Hubert...you're right....I was also thinking about Cleveland as they're supposedly looking for a SS/2B, and have a glut of starting pitchers with Lee, Sabathia, Carmona, Byrd, Westbrook, Sowers, and Laffey
They'd only trade Byrd, Sowers, and Laffey out of that group, IMO....I'd take Laffey or Sowers anyday over Marquis.
I'd think Patterson or Theriot could get a deal done....maybe even Cedeno, to go along with Pie, Marquis, etc.
NIce job Fukudome!!
Although it is somewhat self-evident, I thought that this split on D.Lee was interesting.
0-0 count: .300 AVG, 3 HR, .300 OBP, .850 Slugging
After a 0-1 count: .284 AVG, 1 HR .338 OBP, .432 Slugging
After a 1-0 count: .301 AVG, 6 HR, .392 AVG, .556 Slugging
He clearly is a great first pitch fastball hitter... But it would probably behoove him to look at contact hitting after 0-1 rather than going for the HR hack -- his slugging numbers plummet after that first strike.
The Pirates pitcher has a 1:1 strike to ball ratio LOL
He walked all of our middle of the lineup power...Oo;;
At least he's walking all the right guys...
Lou was lucky that Marquis didn't really embarass him in the 6th. As Harry would say, "One more biscuit for breakfast" and we would be behind.
Lee needs a couple days off right NOW
I just opened my eyes--thinking that Lou was going to follow Marquis with Howry and then Eyre. I like Marmol and Wood the rest of the way.
The Bottom of the 7th and the top of the 8th have been the single most pathetic display of offense I've ever seen LOL. Marmol is doing his thing, and we can't hit off Yates...
NATION REPRESENT!
CUBS WIN! CUBS WIN!
Goddamn Wood and Marmol were filthy today..
Giving Marquis some cred, he kept us in the game. But he didn't do much for my confidence. The bats were not much and Carlos and Kerry saved a close one. Let's hope Hoffpauir has some good games on the road trip.
Nice to see that Hubert came out from his hole today. Atleast no-one was mentally retarded today.
Hey Mike,
Soriano is hitting over .200 now...just thought you should know, since you seemed a little confused before.
Mike, thats egging it on a little. Come on. =)
I agree with the the Zack Greinke trade accept for one thing. The Royals would not want Marquis, we would have to give them Hart or Marshall.
Mike continues to prove that comment even more and more XD.