Game Fifty-Three: Cubs (31-21) vs. Dodgers (26-25)
Game Time - 7:05pm C.T.
Coverage - TV: ESPN 2, WGN - Radio: 720 WGN, XM Radio Channel 185
Location - Wrigley Field, Chicago
Carlos Zambrano (7-1, 2.47/1.18) vs. Derek Lowe (2-5, 5.03/1.45)
With Tuesday's win, Lou Piniella's crew won their first series since taking 2 of 3 from the Pirates on the last homestand. The Cubs will attempt to sweep the series tonight against the Dodgers behind their ace, Carlos Zambrano. The last time Zambrano faced the Dodgers at Wrigley, he ran through Mike Quade's stop sign, imploded on the mound and left to a chorus of boos in the 5th inning. Zambrano has been a different pitcher since that Labor Day afternoon at the Friendly Confines. Big Z must bring his A-game today while the Cubs' offense tries to plate runs against Derek Lowe.
Carlos Zambrano is not only coming off an impressive outing on the mound but an unbelievable night at the plate. Zambrano picked up his 7th win of the year against the Pirates last Friday night and he was 4-for-5 at the plate with 2 RBI's. For his 'day job' he held the Pirates to 2 runs on 6 hits in 7 innings with 6 strikeouts and a walk....his best strikeout to walk ratio since his second start of the year.
Zambrano bounced back from his worst outing of the season and rumors of shoulder problems with a dominant performance. He will try to give the Cubs their first series sweep tonight since the Cubs took three from the Diamondbacks earlier in the month.
Zambrano is 4-0 at Wrigley in 7 starts this year with a 2.60 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP.
Big Z will make his 7th career start tonight against the Dodgers. Zambrano is 2-2 in 10 career games with a 3.35 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP.
- Andre Ethier - 3-for-6 with a double
- Jeff Kent - 6-for-29 with a double
- James Loney - 1-for-3
- Russell Martin - 2-for-5 with 2 walks
- Juan Pierre - 5-for-25 with a double and 4 walks
The Cubs' offense will have the tough task of figuring out how to elevate Derek Lowe's sinker tonight. The Dodgers' veteran right hander has struggled over the first two months of the season....until his last outing. Lowe appeared to turn the corner against the Cardinals and beat Albert Pujols and Company, 2-1, in Los Angeles. Lowe held the Cardinals to 2 runs on 5 hits in 7 innings....his best outing since April 12th against the Padres.
The Cubs offense must be patient once again tonight. Lowe has been elevating his sinker and has allowed less than 5 runs in only 5 of his 10 starts.
Lowe is 0-3 in 6 road starts this season with a 6.61 ERA and a 1.82 WHIP....teams are hitting .339 against him and have walked 14 times in 31 1/3 innings.
Lowe is 1-1 with a complete game shutout in 6 career starts against the Cubs with a 3.72 ERA and a 1.32 WHIP. Last year, Lowe did not receive a decision in 2 starts against the Cubs and allowed 4 runs on 9 hits in 12 innings with 8 walks and 10 strikeouts (3.00 ERA and a 1.42 WHIP)....the Cubs lost both games. In 3 career starts at Wrigley, Lowe is 1-0 (the complete game shutout) with a 3.60 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP.
- Henry Blanco - 2-for-6 with a double
- Mark DeRosa - 1-for-5 with 2 walks
- Jim Edmonds - 5-for-30 with a double and a home run
- Mike Fontenot - 2-for-3
- Reed Johnson - 3-for-6 with a double
- Derrek Lee - 10-for-22 with a double and a home run
- Aramis Ramirez - 2-for-9 with a double
- Alfonso Soriano - 11-for-46 with 2 doubles, 2 home runs and 12 strikeouts
- Ryan Theriot - 1-for-3 with a double
- Carlos Zambrano - 0-for-2
Let's Talk Cubs Baseball....
Tonight's lineup:
Soriano - LF
Theriot - SS
Lee - 1B
Ramirez - 3B
Fukudome - RF
Soto - C
DeRosa - 2B
Johnson - CF
Zambrano - P
No Edmonds vs. the righty?? Has Lou's patience with Edmonds worn thin?
After reading the All-star votes looks like Cub fans have been out in full force. Every position has a Cub in the top 5.
That's a surprise, Edmonds not starting. Maybe Lou just took a look at the stats above.
I wouldn't want Lowe to make his case tonight for being part of a trading deadline deal. That could be his destiny--if he shows himself to be a top of the rotation guy later on.
We have an extra lefty bat in the lineup tonight.
His name is Carlos Zambrano.
I know this wouldn't happen but how about a trade that would send Soriano and Marquis to the Mets for Carlos Beltran? They need a LF and we need a CF.
I just got home from the I-Cubs game and it wasn't pretty. Memphis (Cardinals) won 6-1. They had 14 hits so add that to the 17 they had last night and you could say the Cub's pitching has been a tad brutal the past 2 games.
I had been following Keisler for a while and wanted to wait till I saw him in person before I posted anything about him. Unfortunately I was not impressed. Yes he gets alot of strikeouts, (9 today), but he also gave up 6 hits, 3 bb, and 3 runs in 5 innings and it took him 108 pitches to accomplish that. He is VERY deliberate, he makes Trachsel look quick to home. He doesn't throw very hard he's a junkballer and outside of being really tall he's not very intimidating. One for instance with the game scoreless he walked the Card's top prospect Colby Rasmus with 2 out to load the bases then fell behind to the Cardinal's catcher who made him pay with a bases clearing double. I know some of you will say yeah but he had 9 k's and only gave up 3 runs but it's AAA. There are only a few true prospects, most are has beens or never will be's. I think he would get lit up in the show.
Felix Pie went 1-2 with a walk, sac bunt(something the big Club REALLY needs to work on, and scored the Cub's only run. He's now at .140.
Murton is the same his average is high but no power and he killed a rally grounding into a double play.
Patterson hit a double off the wall and Josh Kroeger can hit, 2-4 today, but is NOT a good outfielder.
Let's go sweep them Dodgers!
Cory....thank you for the first hand update. I am interested in Randy Wells. His stats look good and he was named the PCL pitcher of the week.
I am encouraged with Pie's last 3 games.
No problem Neil i'll let you know about Wells after I see him. Yes Pie looks much more confident and relaxed at the plate and is showing much better discipline.
Neil thought both the 2-2 pitch and 3-2 pitch to Kemp were strikes.
Very good catch by Soriano. On the difficulty scale...a 7.
Jim...Beltran here and Soriano there could be good for both sides. The '12-14 years of Sori's contract would be one obstacle. Let's hope he hits 35 or 40 HR's here.
Tight strike zone tonight.
If you analyze the first 4 innings of the past 6 Cub games.....
last 3 vs Pitt, and these 3 against the Dodgers
That is 24 total innings...
The Cubs have scored in 2 of those innings -- 4 runs in 1, a 1 in another....
2 out of 24....
This top-of-the-order setup is not working so well lately
Good job, Kosuke. Let's get one back here. I trust Geo
first pitch? really?
Let's Go Offense, Let's Go!!!!
Another good catch by Pierre....
O.K., let's try this again....
Let's Go Offense, Let's GO!!!!!
Alfonso Marquez, the home plate ump, is not calling the same strike zone in my humble opinion. No Kool-Aid drinking here....just not the same strike zone.
77 pitches in 6 innings for Lowe...12.7 pitches per inning.... Opponents were hitting .293 against him in his 11 previous starts...
That terrible.. This offense might explode for 2 runs all of a sudden --- but there is no consistency there...
Baron, Lowe was very good against the Cardinals as I pointed out. He has always had the Cubs number.
You are not going to like this but Lowe has just out pitched Zambrano to this point. The difference in the game is the 2 walks and the hit batsman in the 4th.
I'm back from a meeting, Cubs. So if you're waiting for me to score at least 3 in the last 3, get started now!!! Fail to do so, and there will be punishment!!!
Thats a good point Neil -- Lowe is pitching good...
But to continue my earlier point, I extended that out another few games..... Again -- 1st 4 innings of each game.....
In the last 40 'first-4 innings' the Cubs have scored in 7... They have scored 4 in a couple of those... but these are the kinds of things that skew stats..... In more than 80% of those innings, the offense laid eggs
Opposing pitchers during this time period included such luminaries as
Phil Dumatrait, Brian Moehler, Chris Sampson, Shawn Chacon, Chad Billingsley, Hiroki Kurodo and Lowe...
The defense really let Zambrano down this inning. He should be in the on deck circle right now.
Baron...what do all of those pitchers have in common?
Come on Theriot, terrible time for an error!!!! Lee should have dug that out though.
BIG Z!!! Let's get some runs!
I got no clue Neil!
baron...I wish we had two of Billingsly, Lowe and Kuroda. Unfortunately for tonight, Lowe's audition for trade deadline deal went very well.
Man this is KILLING me
Aramis showing the patience!
LET'S GO FUKO!
Pass the Maalox
LET'S GO GEO.....
Great job by Geo......and how about the baserunning by Cedeno! Great job!!
YEAHHH!!!
Damn....here we go again...
Tip of the hat to Z and Lowe! Way to scratch and claw late Cubs! It's a new game now in the 10th. Keep up the good work Pen, and we'll figure out a way to get the winning run.
Great job by Soto!!
Baron, all of those pitchers are soft tossers.
Appreciate the optimism Jim, and I hope you're right. It's just that you watch that last half inning and think that if you don't win it there it's just not going to happen.
But I hope you're right.
That strikeout from Howry will help...
These games make me feel like I have the craps! Especially when Howry comes in!!! Let's go Bobby, keep doing what you've been doing lately!
I don't feel good about this AB (Loney)
HAHAHAH! Good one, Lows.....the craps.....
Must have just been the feeling of craps...great job Bob!
Good job, Bobby.
Now let's go win this doggone thing. Reed goes yard, and we're all singing!
Good job by Bobby Howry....
Maybe the CCO should start an online drug store?
I think the best remedy is a Cubs win!
Sure Neil, I'll take a couple Xanax if you have 'em.
And of course Lows needs some Immodium....
I didn't even know Fernando Tatis even played baseball anymore...
I admit to being confused on Kenny Lofton.
I really thought he had signed with someone...I had no idea he was still an unsigned free agent at this point.
What am I missing here? A left-handed CF, with decent speed, who hit about .295 last year. He also played, successfully, in Wrigley before.
Is this guy a clubhouse cancer? What is the deal. Unless he was buying beers for Hendry's underaged daughters, I guess I can't see what the hesitation is here...
Thoughts?
I agree Jason, and from what I remember he's a great clubhouse guy.......wait!
FONTY!!!! Way to go baby!!!!!
Get Lofton, NOW. Release Edmonds, NOW.
C'mon Fonsie, LET'S GO!!!
I wouldn't mind Kenny...I also wouldn't mind seeing that Mikey could do in the lineup everyday...his D is less than stellar but he swings a pretty solid bat and has a little pop, not a ton, but he can get it done...kinda like that!!! CUBS WIN!
CUBS WIN!!! CUBS WIN!!!
Little People, Theriot and Fontenot score two runs. Big person, Soriano, drives in the wnner. Cubs 2 Dodgers 1.
Hell yeah!! Great win Cubs! Credit goes to a lot of guys for this one but nice job SORIANO!!
It's always nice to wake the neighbors to a little Go Cubs Go on the house speakers!!!
GREAT WIN!!!!!!!!!
Jason, I am running an article on Lofton in the morning. His name was mentioned today by Jerry Crasnick....
Scott/Jim,
Impressive ability to post within milli-seconds of the win!
One has to wonder if you had the post pre-typed, and merely hit enter upon Soriano's ball landing fair...hmmm.
Phew.... I'm worn out... Boy this was a real grind-out series.... because stormy waters are ahead with the Road-Heavy June schedule.....
Important series win.
What makes baseball the best is that no matter the age group...little league, HS, College, Pro...when a dramatic game comes to an end, the winning team's bench clears and celebrates like little kids. Truly the best sport ever, I love it!
Jason, nope, just lightning fast fingers....
Ska-doooosh......yep, I look just like Jack Black.
NATION REPRESENT!
CUBS WIN! CUBS WIN!
I just wish Soriano had caught that ball in the sun, then we would REALLY be riding high. He should work with Stilinovich on that:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyyE2DLztA8
Jason...I had the "Little People" line typed, but I was posting from London. It's 6 hours later there, and the game had been over for quite a while.