Game Forty-Six: Cubs (28-17) vs. Astros (25-21)
Game Time - 7:05pm C.T.
Coverage - TV: WGN - Radio: 720 WGN, XM Radio Channel 183
Location - Minute Maid Park, Houston
Ryan Dempster (5-1, 2.35/1.03) vs. Chris Sampson (2-3, 6.46/1.64)
Tonight's game could end up being very interesting. Not only will the Astros look to bounce back from Monday night's loss, there could be a little retaliation for the two brush back pitches Carlos Lee received from Ted Lilly and Carlos Marmol. The Cubs will have the challenge of beating Chris Sampson for the first time, while Ryan Dempster will try to earn his first road victory of the year....likely without the services of Carlos Marmol.
Jim Edmonds is expected to be in the lineup tonight and for the remainder of the series....with the way the lineup performed on Monday, Piniella should run out the same starting eight. Lou Piniella mentioned in his pre-game show on Monday that Derrek Lee would receive his first day off of the season on Wednesday in order to give him two full days before the Cubs begin a string of 17 straight games without a day off.
Ryan Dempster is coming off his best start as a Cub. Dempster came within 2 outs of a complete game shutout against the Padres last Thursday. He gave up only 6 hits, walked 1 and recorded 12 strikeouts, a new career high, in 8 1/3 innings. Dempster has pitched extremely well this season but will face a big challenge tonight.
Dempster has been better on the road this year than at Wrigley. Dempster's only loss came to the Reds in Cincinnati but all 5 runs Dusty Baker's team scored were unearned. Dempster is 0-1 in 3 starts with a 0.90 ERA and a 0.75 WHIP away from the Friendly Confines.
Dempster is 3-7 with 16 saves in 37 career games, 11 starts, against the Astros with a 4.88 ERA and a 1.51 WHIP....at Minute Maid, 1-5 in 6 starts, 17 games, with 7 saves, a 4.38 ERA and a 1.58 WHIP.
- Brad Ausmus - 6-for-25 with 3 doubles
- Lance Berkman - 10-for-34 with 4 home runs and 10 walks
- Jose Cruz - 4-for-10 with a home run
- Carlos Lee - 3-for-9 with 2 doubles and a home run
- Hunter Pence - 0-for-3
- Ty Wigginton - 1-for-9
Chris Sampson has been both very good and very bad this season for Cecil Cooper. Sampson gave up 7 runs, 5 earned, on 10 hits in 6 innings to the Giants in his last start. Before being knocked around by the Giants offense, he threw 7 innings of shutout ball against the Dodgers in L.A. on May 10th and allowed just 3 hits.
Sampson's second best start of the season came against the Cubs at Wrigley on April 4th. He allowed 2 runs on 6 hits in 6 2/3 innings without a walk.
The Astros' very talented right-hander has struggled at Minute Maid this year. Sampson is 0-2 in his first 3 starts with a 15.75 ERA and a 3.25 WHIP....opponents are batting .500 against him (14 runs in 21 hits in 8 innings with 5 walks and 5 strikeouts).
Sampson has shutdown the Cubs offense in the past. He is 2-0 in 3 previous starts, 5 games, against the Cubs with a 1.25 ERA and a 0.88 WHIP. While the rest of the league appears to have figured him out, Sampson is still a mystery to the Cubs.
- Mark DeRosa - 1-for-6
- Jim Edmonds - 1-for-4 with a home run
- Kosuke Fukudome - 2-for-3
- Derrek Lee - 2-for-6 with a home run
- Aramis Ramirez - 3-for-9
- Alfonso Soriano - 1-for-7
- Geovany Soto - 1-for-3
- Ryan Theriot - 0-for-6
Let's Talk Cubs Baseball....
Hows it goin everyone? First off was anyone else confused by the poll on cubs.com? I couldnt figure out why i didnt know anything about those prospects so i did my research and they are all in the cardinal organization, im thinkin they posted the polls in the wrong place
As for the game...It seems like we ALWAYS (and i guess he numbers dont lie as we do always) struggle against this sampson cat even though everytime i see him pitch he simply looks average at best...heres to hopin that turns around tonight! Lets get another on and go for the sweep tom!
Yes ... looks like a mix-up with the poll on cubs.com. I wish we had prospects like Perez and Rasmus in our organization.
Tonight's lineup:
Soriano - LF
Theriot - SS
Lee - 1B
Ramirez - 3B
Fukudome - RF
Soto- C
Edmonds - CF
DeRosa - 2B
Dempster - P
David, on the Cardinals prospects...it was not long ago they were wishing for one named Pie as well.
Neil,
Very true on Pie. And I suppose Marmol is our version (and now proven at the major league level) of Perez.
Since were on the topic of prospects...has anyone seen Mark Pawelek play or heard anything about him. i see he hasnt played that much this year and when he has he has struggled a bit so was just curious
Dempster was effective but he did not throw a first pitch strike to the first 4 hitters. He cannot pitch from behind all night.
Well...i just figured out if Sampson made all 30ish of his starts against the Cubs each year he would win the Cy Young every year...continues to amaze me why we cant hit his all, as brenly said, "average stuff"
This team amazes me with how different players are picking the team up when others are struggling. I don't think I have EVER seen a Cubs team from top to bottom pick each other up like this one. Simply amazing.
Lee cools off and Soriano goes on a 10ish game tear.
Soriano cools off and Lee and Aram turn it on.
Who's next?
This season is feeling as magical as any I remember in recent memory. All you out of towners better start making plans for Chicago in September & October. This is going to be fun.
SOB...
Not trying to bail demp out but this ump behind the plate (Buckner i believe) is terrible inconsistent and has been ALL NIGHT
Free passes....4 runs on just 2 hits. Gotta throw strikes Dempster.
The "selective" Soriano era is over.
The Cubs just struggle against Sampson....soft-tossing righty
They are not making Sampson work....66 pitches through 5 2/3 innings. Too many first pitch swings.
Soriano did not hop on the fly out by Towles.
Hollywood did himself no favors there..
Ugly at bat.
We keep getting guys on base...in scoring position none the less, but just can't put it together tonight to drive them in. May be just one of those nights. Let's hope that Lee and Aram can get us going next inning.
Ascaino has good speed differential on his pitches. He should help us. Except for Aram and Lee, we seem back on our heels tonight--and not very concerned about it. Let's hope tomorrow's game is a winner for the Cubs.
Definitely seems like the guys are a little too relaxed tonight. Still can win it in the 9th though.
Ascanio did a very good job...JimK well said, my thoughts exactly.
The offense did not seem to find a rhythm tonight. Sampson kinda lulled 'em to sleep.