Game Seventy-One: Cubs (45-25) vs. Rays (40-29)
Game Time - 6:10pm C.T.
Coverage - TV: Comcast SportsNet - Radio: 720 WGN, XM Radio Channel 179
Location - Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg
Ryan Dempster (8-2, 2.81/1.06) vs. Scott Kazmir (6-2, 1.74/0.97)
Updated - 5:25pm C.T. - Matt Murton Recalled - Eric Patterson Optioned
After spending a day in the rain at the Hall of Fame, the Cubs will get a first hand look at the most exciting young team in baseball. Lou Piniella returns to the place he used to call home while the Cubs will play their first series at Tropicana Field....and try to be the first team to beat Scott Kazmir at home this season.
Piniella mentioned on Sunday with Scott Kazmir starting the opening game of the series that Geovany Soto would be the team's DH and Henry Blanco would be the receiver for Ryan Dempster. Piniella stated Derrek Lee, Aramis Ramirez or Kosuke Fukudome would be used as the designated hitter in the last two games of the series.
The surprising Rays (remember there is no longer a devil in Tampa) are one of the best teams in the American League. Joe Maddon has a well-rounded squad that combines solid defense with a very good offense to go along with excellent starting pitching. The Cubs will face one of the best young southpaws in all of baseball in Scott Kazmir tonight. The Rays are winning, not only at home, but on the road. They have posted a winning series in 11 of the last 15 they've played and 8 in a row at Tropicana Field.
While Ryan Dempster is making a case to be a part of the All-Star festivities next month at Yankee Stadium, he has yet to post a win away from Wrigley this season....despite the numbers. Dempster is 8-0 in 9 starts at home with a 2.93 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP, but other than his win-loss record, his other stats are better on the road....2.59 ERA and a 0.96 WHIP while holding opponents to a .175 batting average.
Dempster is coming off a complete game win against the Braves. He allowed only 2 runs on 4 hits in 9 innings with 11 strikeouts and no walks....the first time all season Dempster had not given up a free pass.
The Cubs offense needs another strong outing from Dempster in order to give them time to figure out Scott Kazmir.
Dempster is 3-4 in 7 starts against the Rays with a 4.50 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP....at Tropicana, 2-3 in 5 starts with a 3.66 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP. The last time he faced Tampa, they were still the Devil Rays and Lou Piniella was their skipper back in 2003.
- Carl Crawford - 1-for-3
- Cliff Floyd - 0-for-4
- Gabe Gross - 0-for-3
The Cubs will get their first look tonight at Scott Kazmir. After missing the first month of the season on the DL with a left elbow strain, Kazmir has been just about unhittable....especially at home. Kazmir is coming off only his second loss of the year. He gave up 3 runs on 6 hits in 6 2/3 innings to the Angels in Anaheim. In 8 outings this season, Kazmir has failed to record a quality start just once....his first appearance off the DL on May 4th against the Red Sox.
Kazmir is an amazing 4-0 in 4 starts at home this season with a 0.35 ERA and a 0.81 WHIP. Kazmir has allowed only 1 run on 12 hits in 26 innings.
Tonight will be his first career start against the Cubs and his first outing against his former manager.
Only two active Cubs have faced Kazmir in their career....
- Mark DeRosa - 0-for-3
- Reed Johnson - 8-for-31 with 2 doubles, a triple, a home run and 10 strikeouts
Update - According to several reports out of Chicago, the Cubs have officially recalled Matt Murton from Triple-A Iowa and optioned Eric Patterson back to Iowa to make room on the active roster. Matt Murton is in the starting lineup for Lou Piniella tonight against the Rays.
Let's Talk Cubs Baseball....
Subscribe
Tonight's lineup:
Johnson - CF
Theriot - SS
Lee - 1B
Ramirez - 3B
Soto - DH
DeRosa - RF
Murton - LF
Blanco - C
Cedeno - 2B
The play by play radio voice for the Ray's is Dave Wills. Wills is from Oak Lawn, IL which is not to far from where I live. From 1999 thru 2004, Wills was the pre/post game host for the white sox on MVP/ESPN radio 1000. The post game show consisted of game recap and phone calls. All this goofy BASTARD would talk about was his hatred toward the Cubs, the Nation, Wrigley Field etc. One day he complained about how Wrigley Field is always sold out by out of towners who weren't really Cubs fans.
I called this Jagoff up and asked him "How come the Cubs always draw well on the road?" He hung up on me, and since then I would always call in to piss him off. I truly hate this man, and his whole F'ing family as well. I will defend the Nation until the day I die.
Now Peter Gammons has jumped on the Rich Harden bandwagon! On ESPN, Gammons states Harden may be the "prize" of the trading deadline.
Cubs need to trade Marquis and others to acquire whatever farm pieces the A's would want for Harden!
Why in the hell am I blacked out of this game.
Mobile is no where close to Tampa...
This is a pile of horseshit. Forward this to Seliq, that asscake..
Selig..
Im waiting to watch this til tonight. When the blackout is lifted. Ill see you guys later.
Call it a hunch, but I have this feeling that the Cubs are going school these young pups.
LOL Upton thought he could run on Blanco..
Murton: probably the least exciting at-bat by a Cub this year.
Nice quality at-bat by Murton. 3 pitches and "take a seat". Geez!
Hopefully Cedeno can get it started next inning.
I guess if ex-Jays can take it to their old team, so can ex-Cubs...
Phew....
lets get some runs
GREAT JOB by Dempster getting out of that mess. Hopefully that will spark the offense...
Let's Go Offense, Let's Go!!
the good news is that Kazmir's thrown 80 pitches thru 4 innings... Another 20 pitch inning and he should be close to done.
Gary,
seems that these young pup Rays are schooling the Cubs.
Yes Rob they are...
Baron, Kazmir's season high mark in pitches thrown....117.
whats up guys? were having a tough one so far.. kazmir looks good but we do have his pitch count up
If you substitute the changeup for the 9-5 curve....
and the 93-94mph fastball for the 88-90 mph fastball
Kazmir becomes Rich Hill
YEAH!!!!
The Riot.... scrappy lil sucker
way to go theriot.. were on the board and kazmir is about done.. lets go D-lee
That first slider was no way in the strike zone... thats total bs
Cubs right on with the strategy tonight. If you can't hit Kazmir, which you ain't, get his butt outta the game. Nice job Cubs...107-108ish pitches thru 5.
Wow. What an at-bat by Lee! Lets keep this inning going!!!
Rammy better come thru here..he leads the team in OPS..
yeah good at bat D-lee.. and thats it for kazmir now lets rock these young rays
Especially the young stud pitchers... you gotta work em...... their stuff may be great -- so you gotta challenge their heads.
time foe a-rm to come up big!
Damn...at least we chased Kazmir
What the hell Aramis...? Struck out on 5 fastballs of the same velocity..
he got to at least fight that pitch off.. too close to take
Nice job again by Demp. This is really a great game. Hopefully the ending is happy...
WOW....Neal Cotts served it up. Horrible location!
Damnit Cotts!! Somebody please explain why he is still with us. He NEVER comes through!
Now a walk too. God, he's terrible.
Cotts in a tie game on the road? Is Lou serving one up on a platter for old time sake?
Cotts in a tie game on the road? Is Lou serving one up on a platter for old time sake?
Johnson was already in scoring position.....why was he running!!???
We are just giving this one away.
What in the world was Reed thinking? He knows the Rays' catcher has a good arm....
Bad decision.
WOW....a lot of things have pissed me off thus far....One, Cedeno....What the hell....Two, Murton....What the HELL!!!!!!!!!! Three, Cotts=Wuertz=worthless=whenever they come into the game, they either serve it up, or give up inherited runners, and all the while, maintain a decent ERA---that pisses me off. Also, Johnson!!!!!!!!!!!!! What the FU#$$!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Seriously, stealing third with Theriot up 3-2 count=not smart
Cotts, why are you throwing it!?? He was already safe.
Stupidity on our part is throwing this game away.
Dammit Cotts!!
Cotts sucks it up again, then gives way to Wuertz suck ass
Cotts...wow, 2 cent head on that play. That is very rare this season to see a Cub react that way. Maybe he could be a throw in before the deadline....or send him back to the South Side before this weekend.
wow...Wuertz walks his first batter....that never happens (sarcasm)
can we please get rid of Wuertz and Cotts already!!!!! Geeze....completely sucks ass....I have to think Ascanio would do better than either of them
while we're at it, Howry and his very hittable fastball the last two years can get the hell out of here too
Aaron...okay I will give you Cotts and Wuertz. I would like to see Ascanio recalled. But if you add Howry to the list, that is 3 to replace....who else would be in the pen.
Marmol has to get time off, he cannot pitch everyday. Other players must step up, period. If they don't Piniella will find someone that will.
Neil,
Unfortunately, opponents hit .320 off Howry, mid-way into June..
Our bull-pen stats are heavily skewed by Wood, Marmol and to a small extent Eyre..
Wuertz is putrid. I like Cotts, but I don't know whats up with him... and Howry has 1 very hittable pitch
Neil,
Wuertz definitely has value....In fact, I believe the Tigers really wanted him badly last year...Cotts has absolutely no value, and now, Cedeno AND Murton have no value, to go along with Pie....I understand that most teams wouldn't trade early in the season, but Cedeno's value was highest then, ditto Murton. The thing is, all three combined: Murton, Cedeno, and Wuertz are at least worth a reliable reliever
Murton is up now...I can just see a GIDP to end the game here in his final audition
Gotta give props to Troy Percival...
He just turned 81 and throws a 95mph fastball.....I always liked that guy
thank goodness Lou had the sense to pinch hit for Murton...my feeling is that he's already out in Lou's book though, and I still think it's a mistake they sent Patterson out in favor of him
Percival is like a steam engine...
phew... 1 more run -- CMON $#$#$#
MOTHER#$#$#$ #$#$#$#$#$#
F@#&%^%^ &%^%##$^&%^%$%
i like Hoffpauir, but all you have to do in that situation is put it in play......man, our young guys haven't been taking advantage of their PT like they did last year
I got in on the last 3 innings, and it's pretty clear that we didn't deserve to win this one. Demp seems to have done well so that was a plus. Then along came DeRo and Dome remind the Rays that "it ain't over til it's over."
What a lucky bounce off the backstop for Percival. Otherwise, we're tied instead of looking to tomorrow. The bottom half of our pen is not getting it done.
The Cubs were blacked out in Indy, but I think I can see Sanchez now in the Giants game.
Aaron....100% agree with the last statement, except for Soto.
btw....Veal just pitched a gem at AA tonight, and don't know if you guys noticed, but Ceda was brought up to AA and had 4 K's in 2 innings in relief of Veal. Could it be an audition to replace Wuertz/Cotts/Howry?
I bet anything that is the case....Also, our draft pick, if we can sign him, has been rumored to be on a fast track to the bigs, possibly this year, so as for replacements, Neil, there are some options...and just an FYI, keep an eye on Campusano and Lambert at Daytona
Well at least the Cubs are never seem to be out of a game.
Well, this one is in the books. I really don't think our travel schedule helped us out a whole lot with this one. Let's get em tomorrow.
Aaron, I agree Cotts and Wuertz have done nothing as of late time for them to go, that throw by Cotts was terrible. I am not sure about Howry though, I am not going to give up on him just yet.
I think Ascanio needs to be brought back up, the kid was pitching pretty well up here.
I have noticed Veal has been pitching pretty well as of late. I am seeing a move to AAA for him soon.
As for Murton, he was in a major slump when we brought him up, I don't understand the move, I would much rather just see Hoffpauir in there instead of him.
Also Pie is starting to get the hang of his new swing, he went 2-4 again tonight, and in his last 11 games is hitting over .305 with 4 doubles and 9 RBI's.
Aaron, I understand the Cubs have prospects but they also have a full 40-man roster. The moves you are suggesting would require them to release several players.
I know you do not like Sam Fuld, but in order to remove him from the 40-man, they have to put him on waivers and hope someone does not pick him up. While he may not help the big team anytime soon, a September call-up and a late inning defensive replacement (think last season and I'm just not talking about the catch) or as a pinch runner would be helpful.
They should put Chad Fox on the 60-day and create a spot. I also do not understand their plan for Jake Fox. The other name on the 40-man that is a little confusing is Adam Harben. Both Harben and Petrick would have to be put on waivers in order to remove them from the 40-man.
But other than those 4-5 names, how do you suggest they make room? I understand trading, but that is easier said than done. How do you expect to get value (a player that can help the Cubs this season)for a player that is not performing?