Game Seventy-Eight: Cubs (48-29) vs. Orioles (39-36)
Game Time - 7:05pm C.T.
Coverage - TV: Comcast SportsNet - Radio: 720 WGN, XM Radio Channel 187
Location - Wrigley Field, Chicago
Ted Lilly (7-5, 4.71/1.34) vs. Brian Burres (6-5, 5.24/1.52)
Lou Piniella's crew will try to get back on track tonight behind Ted Lilly. After a tough loss on Tuesday, the Cubs should be out to prove that Tuesday's loss was a blip on the home radar screen. The Cubs offense will unfortunately face another pitcher they have no history against in southpaw Brian Burres. Since the opener against the Blue Jays on June 13th, the Cubs have faced 8 different starters for the first time.
The keys to a win tonight is patience at the plate and Ted Lilly putting his team in position to win the game....and most importantly keeping the Orioles from leaving the yard.
Ted Lilly is coming off a good start against the White Sox last Friday. He gave up 3 runs on 7 hits in 6 2/3 innings with 8 strikeouts and 3 walks....but served up 2 more long balls. Lilly has gotten in the bad habit of elevating his change-up and the results have been....9 home run in his last 6 starts (35 2/3 innings) and for the year, 16 home runs in 16 starts (91 2/3 innings).
Lilly must keep the ball down tonight and if he is going to let the balls fly out of the park....they must be of the solo variety.
Lilly is 4-2 in 8 starts at Wrigley this season with a 4.89 ERA and a 1.28 WHIP....9 of the 16 home runs have come at home.
Lilly will see several familiar faces in the Orioles dugout tonight. 'The Bulldog' is 6-2 lifetime in 14 games, 12 starts, versus the Orioles with a 3.95 ERA and a 1.33 WHIP.
- Alex Cintron - 1-for-1 with a double
- Ramon Hernandez - 6-for-12 with a double, 2 home runs and 5 walks
- Aubrey Huff - 3-for-22
- Nick Markakis - 1-for-3 with a double
- Kevin Millar - 13-for-41 with 2 doubles, a home run and 11 strikeouts
- Melvin Mora - 3-for-25 with a double and 12 walks
- Jay Payton - 7-for-16 with a triple and a home run
- Brian Roberts - 3-for-22 with 2 doubles
The Cubs will get their first look a lefty Brian Burres. The Orioles southpaw has pitched rather well on the road this season and is coming off a solid performance at home against the Astros. Burres held Carlos Lee and company to 3 runs on 7 hits in 5 2/3 innings with 3 strikeouts and 2 walks. The Cubs will have plenty of opportunities tonight if they do not swing and miss early in the count. Burres has walked 27 batters in 80 2/3 innings this season with only 39 strikeouts.
Burres is 2-1 in his last 4 starts with a 8.55 ERA and a 2.05 WHIP....but on the road this season, 2-3 in 7 starts with a 3.86 ERA and a 1.31 WHIP.
The only Cub that has faced Burres before tonight....Reed Johnson.
Let's Talk Cubs Baseball....
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With the Brewers already losing today (thank you Braves), let's get that game back up on both them and the Cards.
I'm making a prediction for tonights game.
Lilly will pitch very good and you'll see the character and pride of this team shine through.
After the loss yesterday, you'll see them get pissed off and blow them away tonight.
final score 10-3 Cubs.
The O's have switched pitchers with right hander Matt Albers starting. He's been mostly a reliever, came in the Houston deal and has a solid ERA in the 2.70 range. Burres is said to be ill.
Jim K is right....Matt Albers will start for the Orioles tonight.
Kosuke Fukudome was a late scratch because of tightness in his left calf.
Tonight's lineup:
Patterson - LF
Theriot - SS
Lee - 1B
Ramirez - 3B
Edmonds - CF
Soto - C
DeRosa - RF
Fontenot - 2B
Lilly - P
This lineup makes me uncomfortable..
Hey!
Matt I feel the same way, but I believe we will win today...
Go Cachorros!
I'd say the odds favor us tonight. We score 5 or 6 with our 3-6 hitters leading the way. The O's score 2 or 3 and send 3 or 4 relievers to the mound. Sadly, with the MLB TV blackout in Indy, I'm left with radio--although Pat and Ron make it worthwhile. GO CUBS!!!
Hey guys....have to watch on gameday until the movie my kids are watching is over. What happened to Albers?
Scott, they have not said yet. After the walk to Edmonds, the trainer and coach just came out and removed him.
Will update when they say what happened.
Well, things are looking pretty good about right now....let's pour it on, boys!
I take it all back.
I hear ya Agustin!
Hey, I'm taking the family to the game tomorrow....anybody going to be there?
Not the shutdown inning the team needed....a 4-pitch walk and then served one up to Jay Payton on a 0-2 pitch....that is 17 home runs in 17 starts, Lilly has to start keeping the ball down....soon.
Hey guys, just got back from softball, looks like we are off to a good start. How dd we get the runs?
We really have to get that #1 or #2 guy. Our offense can't be expected to score 6+ runs a night to win.
well, at leat the wild pitch made it so Lee can't have another GIDP
I hate to admit it, but you took the words right out of my mouth Aaron.
can we give Fontenot back to the Orioles during the game?
First pitch, bases loaded after he just walked DeRosa, and the idiot swings at the first pitch....
Isn't this what we were just talking about yesterday?
It's like the 9th inning from last night all over again. It makes me sick, sick, sick.
Evening gents.
I think Fontenot's time in the bigs has come to an end for a while. We need to bring Hoffpauir back up. Or, send Cedeno down as he and Fontenot are one in the same.
Hey Nick....
1st inning
1 out double by Theriot
Lee infield single, good play by Roberts kept ball in the infield
Ramirez single to left - Theriot scored
Edmonds walk - loaded
Soto - hard 1-hop single past Cintron - Lee and Ramirez scored
DeRosa - single to right, Edmonds scored
2nd inning
Theriot - single to right
Lee - walk
Ramirez - single to left, bases loaded 1-out
Edmonds - fielder's choice, Theriot scored
Soto - single to CF - Lee scored
This update brought to you by the CCO
Neil,
ha ha...gotta love the disclaimer at the bottom...that's awesome
Thank you very much Neil.
crap....GIDP Lee is up
WOW!!!! are you kidding me...Jay Payton?!?!?!
poor pitching performances like this only magnify situations like Fontenot and Lee and ARAM being easy outs with runners in scoring position. You HAVE to get those runs across...you can't just let up in this game and think you have a comfortable lead....that's also why we lost to the Marlins in 2003, thinking we had comfortable leads and slacking off
JIMMY EDMONDS!!!!
Lou better not pull him tonight for a pinch hitter.
Unfortunately Jerljr Lilly doesn't seem to have read your prediction and I agree Fontenot is struggling and i'm through with Murton bring back the Hoff!
Edmonds baby! WOW!
Man Edmonds is on FIRE!!
EDMONDS....his 6th as a Cub!
Lilly has to get the bleepin' ball down. Payton had just 4 home runs before tonight.....
Dear Jim Edmonds,
I'm sorry for saying you were washed up when we signed you....and for when I hated you with the Cards...well, maybe I'm not sorry for that one, but you'll understand, right?
The CCO is cool with Edmonds, right?
Awesome!
Fontenot making fundemental errors not looking at the 3rd base coach. It should be 8-4 right now!
Dear Eric Patterson,
If the pitcher has more hits than you in the game (and he's not even good), and you've left several runners on base....there's a high likelihood that you might be packing your bags.....So, start calling apartments in Des Moines, because you probably earned a trip there
Matt....yes, this part of the CCO is "Edmonds Friendly"
Yea there is no reason Fontenot shouldn't have scored on that one.
Ted Lilly 3rd in the NL in HR allowed with 18... On pace for close to 40 HR allowed on the season. Also sports a 4.98 ERA halfway into the season.
A no.2 starter? really?
Thank god the offense is in gear tonight.
Nice inning Lilly!
Lilly heard Neil, and he had one of those important shutdown innings. The wind blowing out is adding to the runs scored, and I like that we are up to 12 hits and 7 runs. We should be OK in this one.
The Cards and Tigers are tied at 5 and Ankiel has 2 homeruns....man I can't belive these guys. Have you ever seen a team full of more misfits and nobodys just do nothing but win?!!? Why does it have to be the stinking Cards? God it makes me sick.
Baron,
Couldn't agree more....If you'll remember when the Yanks were winning championships, they had the pitching going for them, then George started messing with it royally and made it a completely offensive-minded team, and they'd go after one-hit wonder type of pitchers, or aging veterans, and it never worked out for them, but they still made the playoffs because of their offense. However, once there, they floundered big time, because the competition was elevated...
That's the same thing I see, and what I've been saying all along. Do we really want to just make the playoffs, or win a championship?
Baron, I couldn't remember if it was you that said it a few days ago, but someone said something to the effect that anything less than a championship is a complete an utter failure. I wholeheartedly agree with that.
To do so, I think we need to make 4 moves:
1) get a one or two starter...I think we're kidding ourselves if we think Z isn't hurt worse than they're letting on
2) get another reliever
3) get rid of Marquis, and get a reliever out of it (#2 above), and/or bring up a guy like Ceda to work into the rotation shortly after the break with the potential to replace Marquis IF we make the playoffs
4) find a way to get Hoffpauir on this team
Our rotation right now consists of:
Marshall, Lilly, Dempster, Marquis, and Gallagher
With Zambrano, that's a decent rotation....Without him, that's laughable
We're up 7-4 right now, and normally I should be happy with that, but with gopher-ball Lilly on the mound, I'm very uneasy, as I'm sure most of you are. Now what does that tell you?
Were are winning, I am happy.
The spraychart for Lilly is scary where they are hittin the ball..major major flyball tendencies..
Finally Payton retired...
Yes, Edmonds is on a roll and Cubs fans are loving it!! Ain't this a strange game?
Lilly is up to 94 pitches and has missed up too often. Let's hope Lou has the pen ready.
wow, Fontenot really sucks ass 2 K's, 7 LOB
T-Lizzle has settilizzled.
Wow that was gay..
I also think a staggering stat is this: Cubs hitters have left 23 runners on base versus 6 for the Orioles....What that tells you is they know how to get it done with runners on...
WOW...I'm looking at that again...and I still can't believe it 23 versus 6
Yes, we've had more runners 12 hits and 6 walks, but we've also had MANY opportunities with RISP and less than 2 outs
Thank you Ted for finishing strong. Keep working on getting the ball down consistently. Come on Carlos. Give us an impressive 8th. Dagger Wood will do get the save.
Well, look who is outta the lineup..
Fuku out in favor of EPatt will do those type of things to your RISP numbers..
And 7/23 is due to Fontenot sucking at life while DeRo is in a lil' coldstreak.
I'm ready to get off Theriot's case, he's haven a good year. I have a new Cajun target.
ROTFLMAO----Lee another GIDP...LOL
Lee..you know how you had success in the Sox series? YOU WERE HITTING OPPO!!!! Not f*ckin' trying to pull everything....you can still up your SLG by hitting doubles the other way..
Aaron, you are looking at the wrong column....
The Cubs have left 11 and the Orioles 3...still not good.
Marmol, looks like he is getting back on track.
Good inning for Marmol....looked a lot more confident.
Neil,
You're right...I think we had this discussion last year though....They've technically as a team left 24 (now after the Lee GIDP) on base, but only 12 actually.
The 24 is a good indication of team efficiency, and it is NOT good....it's a good measure of how many ACTUAL opportunities the team had to score, yet didn't.
We plain and simple have not gotten it done with RISP tonight, or last night, and our role players like Fontenot, Patterson, Cedeno, and Blanco are really starting to bother me with their pitch selection.
We just saw Marmol click! That was very good to see.
The Orioles' pitcher right now throws pretty hard..iunno how we aren't hitting him tho, the fastballs are straight as an arrow..
When you have 19 guys on base and score 7 you win most of the time. It's when you have 10 base runners and only score twice that you are hurting yourself. The O's only had 7 guys reach base all night. Of course their LOB number is small. It is to their credit that Lilly gave up two 2 run home runs--but that isn't a usual happening across a pitching staff.
OK Mr. Wood, end this pleasing victory.
Fontenot has had a REALLY bad night!
That at bat by Fontenot should really make Pinella blow a gasket and hopefully get Font sent back to DSM. Geesh. First pitch with a pitcher that has no control?
Wow!!!!!!!! second time in the game....pitcher walks 3 guys, and Fontenot swings at the first pitch.....Again, I say, Piniella wants to make a statement that he won't tolerate things like that....Well, Lou, here's your chance.....send him out after the game, dammit...THis has gone on too long
WTF Fontenot!!!! He walked the bases loaded, and he swings at the firs pitch. Lou please replace him with the Hoff!!
Mike Fontenot has not had a good game....swinging at the first pitch against a guy that just walked the bases loaded.
Come on Ward, show Fontenot how to do it.
Well, at least Ward ran the count to 3-2 and didn't swing at the first thing thrown.
Come on Wood, lets close this out!!
I agree with you on the poor pitch selection
From the role players Aaron.
On another note, I'll take 7 runs any day
and don't care how many they strand.
With a high obp like we have, comes a high
lob count. Its an academic situation
If you can win a game and still not feel good about the victory this one is it.
Cory, a win is a win.
Sit Down Payton!!!!!!!
I feel pretty good considering I was doom and gloom earlier.
Wheres my crow?
WOW....now, THAT is how it's done Woody!!!!!!!! striking out the side....man, he puts Wuertz and Cotts to shame
Your right Nick....Wood Rocks! Sorry got caught up in the negativity! GO CUBS GO! GO CUBS GO!!!
That a boy Woody!!! Cubs Win!!!! The hitters didn't have a chance
NATION REPRESENT!
CUBS WIN! CUBS WIN!
Whatta say we take the series tomorrow!!
A good win and a GREAT job by Marmol and Wood.
Our pen struck out the last five who stepped into the box. That's doing the job. Speaking of names, I like White Castle and The Dagger.