Game Eighty-One: Cubs (49-31) vs. White Sox (44-35)
Game Time - 2:55pm C.T.
Coverage - TV: FOX Saturday Baseball - Radio: 720 WGN, XM Radio Channel 178
Location - U.S. Cellular Field, Chicago
Sean Gallagher (3-3, 3.97/1.32) vs. Javier Vazquez (7-6, 4.24/1.33)
Updated - 12:36pm C.T. - According to a report from Bruce Levine on ESPN 1000, the Cubs are expected to place Scott Eyre on the DL before today's game and will recall Jose Ascanio from Triple-A Iowa to take his place on the active roster.
It's game two of round two....it's the Cubs versus the Sox, it's the North Side versus the South Side....it's the Crosstown Classic. Today marks the halfway point of the 2008 season, game 81 of 162, and the Cubs are in need of a win. Not because it is the White Sox but because they are banged up and are not playing good ball right now. Lou Piniella's crew has lost 3 out of 4 and 4 straight on the road and a win today would help them avoid their second 3-game losing streak of the year.
It appears Alfonso Soriano will return sooner than expected from his broken hand. After X-Rays on Friday, reports suggested the Cubs left fielder could be back in two weeks. Reed Johnson is expected back from the DL on July 3rd and Carlos Zambrano is on track to make his next scheduled start on Friday in St. Louis....pending the outcome of his bullpen session on Sunday. While the Cubs appear to be on the backside of several big injuries, one thing is for certain....Eric Patterson will not be in left field today. Lou Piniella was not happy on Friday with the play of the former second baseman. Don't be surprised to see Mark DeRosa in left, hopefully Jim Edmonds in center and Kosuke Fukudome in right....a big improvement, defensively, from Friday.
Of course, if Scott Eyre is placed on the DL there are options at Triple-A that could help out over the next few days....and Jose Ascanio could be recalled after the weekend series if Eyre is placed on the DL. But a little roster manipulation could get a little help from the farm sooner rather than later.
There is no pressure at all on the Cubs' 22-year old rookie right-hander today. All Sean Gallagher has to do is go into a hostile environment, stymie an offense that is much better at home than on the road and end his team's 4-game losing streak away from Wrigley Field....other than the previous mentioned, it should be just like any other start in Gallagher's brief big league career.
Sean Gallagher will make his first career start and appearance against the South Side today after tossing a gem his last time out in Tampa on June 19th. Gallagher held a very talented Rays' offense to one unearned run on 4 hits in 6 innings and should have picked up his first career victory on the road. But Carlos Marmol and Scott Eyre could not hold the 3-1 lead and the Cubs limped out of Tampa after losing three games in a row for the first time all year. Unfortunately for Gallagher, he has that added pressure once again today. A loss at the Cell would be the Cubs third straight and the second time in the last 11 days the Cubs have dropped three in a row....so once again, no pressure at all on the young Mr. Gallagher.
The Cubs must relax today, both in the field and at the plate, and just play ball. They have played very tight the past two games and the results can be seen on the scoreboard. Yes, the Cubs are missing several important pieces, but most role players take advantage of times like these, step up and improve their stock in the mind of their manager. It is time for several of the Cubs role players to help win a game....
The Cubs will face Javier Vazquez once again today. Vazquez struggled with his command last Sunday and the Cubs scored 2 runs in the 1st inning after back-to-back walks to Kosuke Fukudome and Eric Patterson to start the game and a single to right center by Derrek Lee. The Cubs kept tacking on and Ryan Dempster took care of the rest....but that was then and Vazquez is due for a good outing.
Vazquez has given up at least 4 earned runs in his last 4 starts after being very effective in May. Vazquez is 2-2 in June with a 6.94 ERA and a 1.76 WHIP. In May he was 2-2 in 6 starts with a 3.15 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP. The Sox score a lot of runs for Vazquez (last 4 starts, Sox scored 28 runs while Vazquez has allowed 19 runs, 18 earned) and he figures to be on top of his game, like the rest of his team, today.
Vazquez is 5-1 in 7 starts at the Cell this season with a 4.14 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP.
- Ronny Cedeno - 1-for-3
- Mark DeRosa - 6-for-22 with a home run
- Jim Edmonds - 8-for-20 with 3 doubles and a home run
- Derrek Lee - 17-for-47 with 6 doubles and 3 home runs
- Aramis Ramirez - 8-for-26 with 2 doubles, a triple and 2 home runs
- Ryan Theriot - 3-for-9
- Daryle Ward - 9-for-24 with a double and 3 home runs
Let's Talk Cubs Baseball....
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Today's lineup:
Fukudome - RF
DeRosa - LF
Lee - 1B
Ward - DH
Ramirez - 3B
Edmonds - CF
Soto - C
Fontenot - 2B
Cedeno - SS
And to answer yesterday's question. There reliable sources to obtain the daily lineup from in advance of the game. As Matt pointed out, the radio and Bruce Levine and both the Trib and the Sun-Times will post early.
All lineups I post are from reliable sources and not from other blogs or message boards. With that being said, sometimes the lineups are changed several times....like Wednesday night's, 4 different lineups, and I try to update if there are changes to the one I originally post.
ya thanks for telling me bout the lineups neil
what is wrong with theriot?
Theriot has a "puffy" hand and is available to pinch hit today and should be back in the starting lineup on Sunday.
Also, Eyre is expected to be placed on the DL and Jose Ascanio will be activated before today's game. Will update Talkin' shortly.
As we launch another 10 game sequence today, let's remember the the last (8th) one--BUT NOT FOR LONG. With a 4 W and 6 L record we failed. For the 8 grading periods, we have 2 High Pass, 3 Pass, 1 Kiss Your Sister and 2 Fails.
Our Show Offs (high performers) included Rameriz with 11 H, 4 HR and 10 RBI. Theriot had 13 H, and Edmonds did something very unusual--that I hadn't realized until doing the update. Edmonds had 5 H, 5 HR and drove in 8. All of his 5 hits in his 20 AB's were home runs. At that pace, in 400 AB's, Edmonds hits 200 home runs. Maybe he's our new #3 hitter.
On the pitching side, the only standout was K. Wood with a win, 2 Svs, 0 BB and 5 SO in 2 IP.
The No Shows are in the pen where Howry, Wuertz and Eyre gave up 5 earned runs or more in a combined 12 innings pitched. Marmol gave up 5 too, but he's excused this grading period because the youngster was punked by an older guy on another team. The guy asked Carlos if he breathed in or out during his stretch. Marmoll now has his focus back. DLee came close to No Show status with his GIDP's, but he did have 10 hits and did score 7 runs to share the team lead with Dome and Edmonds.
I'm hoping for a Pass at minimum for the current 10 games, but with injuries and a few guys going through rough patches, I think that will be difficult to achieve.
I need to weigh in on D Lee.The thing is this.first base ia a power position.Lee has been batting behind the riot and DeRosa most of the year,they are a combined second in baseball for combined obp for 1 and 2 hitters.Based on metrics from stats inc. and sabr.the median rbi penciled out over a season for three hole guys throughout baseball would be 119.Lee is on pace for 93.Now the numbers are not what concern me.What concerns me is that I do not in any way trust this guy to come through under pressure.his avg. with risp is brutal,his avg. in lips is worse.The bottom line is that i would advocate using him in any trade for a top of the rotation starter.What Lee gives you in comparison to the impact of premium starter,espescially in the post season is eminently replaceable.
I need to weigh in on D Lee.The thing is this.first base ia a power position.Lee has been batting behind the riot and DeRosa most of the year,they are a combined second in baseball for combined obp for 1 and 2 hitters.Based on metrics from stats inc. and sabr.the median rbi penciled out over a season for three hole guys throughout baseball would be 119.Lee is on pace for 93.Now the numbers are not what concern me.What concerns me is that I do not in any way trust this guy to come through under pressure.his avg. with risp is brutal,his avg. in lips is worse.The bottom line is that i would advocate using him in any trade for a top of the rotation starter.What Lee gives you in comparison to the impact of premium starter,espescially in the post season is eminently replaceable.
the guy was carrying us in the beginning of the year and hes just struggling a little right now u guys just next to be patient. hes a way above average first basemen, he plays amazing defense also. the guy will start hitting just wait
I Lee were replaced perhaps a platoon of dero and ward at first,leaving Patterson and Cedeno to play second would not be the end of the world.
I screwed up.He has been batting behin Soriano an Theriot most of the year.Factoring in Sorianos obp the median rbi for three hole gus is 102.
Lou's "buddy" is the ump at 3rd today
lee? base hit
Derrek Lee going to right center!!!
Almost identical start to the last time we faced Vazquez. Grace was exactly right in saying Lee wouldn't ground into DP's if he didn't try to pull the ball with men on. That a boy Ward. Let's put the pressure on early and makes Gallagher's job easier!
Dye has been killing us!
Threw it right in Dye's wheelhouse....so much for a shutdown inning.
Andy he has been killing everybody...
This is going to be a war today.
is it just me or did Gallagher not get the benefit of the generous strike zone that Vazquez got?
Cubs' offense better get the bats in gear....all runs with 2 outs, again.
C'mon Gallagher get out of this.
LET'S GO OFFENSE, LET'S GO!!!!
THis will make four bad starts in a row for the cubs.as currently constituted the cubs have a number1 stater a number 2 starter and 3 number 5 starters.
This is why I hate playing them.
Nice job Gallagher! Way to pitch that Zero inning!
He'll be done by 3.1 innings!
every double wide in Beverly and every bungalow in Bridgrport will be happy tonight.
Ronny Cedeno is hitting .208 since May 1(2 months)
How can you put him in the lineup??
The cubs are going to get swept.This is the beginning of the end.
Where is Hoffpauir when we need him? We need him back!!
Gallagher will be done by the fourth.Maybe Kerry Wood can save this game.
This team needs a solid starter DESPERATELY
Gallagher -- 4.53 ERA
Lilly -- 4.74 ERA
Maruis -- 4.96 ERA
Dempster - 3.26 ERA
Z - 3.13 ERA (DL)
That rotation doesn't look too healthy -- 3 starters with ERA's over 4.50
Baron...Theriot is hurt and I would agree about the starting pitcher, but not another number 3 or 4.
And Andy, Hoffpauir cannot be recalled, unless there is an injury, for 10 days after he is optioned.
What a catch by Crede! Robbed Soto, would have tied the game.
This is like watching a puppy drown.
I'm with Neil its either a top of the rotation guy or nothing. W e dont need another inning eater.
Guess D-Lee was reading my posts last night.......lol
Wat to go Derrek!!!!!
Replace D-Lee with Ward and D-Ro at 1st????? Then use Patterson and Cedeno at 2nd????? Man, crack kills........lol
Hello there Derek! welcome back...
accurate words there by Lou to describe Gallagher...
LET'S GO OFFENSE, LET'S GO!!!!
I like the way Edmonds is playing lately, but he needs to suck it up...not scoring there is going to kill us.
Lows, in defense of Edmonds he is beyond hurt right now. Bad foot and hamstring.....
By the way.....what's up with the trading D Lee talk??? Are you serious? He may be struggling right now but he is dangerous when he's not at the plate, nevermind the fact that when he's hot, he's one of the best in the game. Plus his defense at first base is ridiculous. Patterson and Cedeno are definitely not answers to any offensive problems we are having, which...5 runs in 4 innings is hardly struggling and isn't a reason to start talking about dealing a irreplacable player like Lee...
I know I know...but during a game, especially in a situation like that your adrenaline kicks in a little. I played with a broken toe for an entire year...pitched (landing foot) and ran with it during games, so I'm just expecting more because of my own experience I guess.
Lows...I understand what you are saying. As soon as Edmonds reached and did not advance into scoring position I was concerned he would not be able to score on an extra base hit.
good job by Gallagher to strike out the last two.
He might have just had the game that makes him a lot better. These are all profesional hitters one after the other.
What?? D. Lee 4 for 4?? 3 RBI's??? What??? lol
Yea, let's trade him...and Theriot too...they both stink.
Man...what a lame HR.
I have seen some wind blown cheapies at Wrigley, but nothing that involved a half swing. That was ridiculous. They should be ashamed to claim that home run.
Way to watch that called 3rd strike DeRosa!! You gotta swing at that!
I have a feeling Jenks will blow it.
Crunch Time...Lets GOOOO!
If Edmonds runs that fast earlier in the game we have another run.
D-Lee 5 FOR 5!! Including a clutch leadoff double in the 9th which gets wasted.......
Nice timing for a game like that by D-Lee.....
r u fucking kidding me ramirez he was clearly pitching around u and u cant hit a ball to the outfield this was a terrible game
They lost a home series, had back to back blow out loses, then could not score a leadoff double in the ninth for a come back. I know the season has its ups and downs, but I am really missing the magic that was happening earlier in the season.
Gary,
The magic was taken out precisely when I said it was----the Tampa series. Sure, we swept the Sux at home, but we're the best home team in baseball, so that's to be expected, then we come back to earth and blow the Orioles series, and now the Sux series at their park, and now, probably the season.
Baron was right...our rotation sucks ass right now. Someone aptly pointed out the other day that Dempster was pitching FAR above what he should be, so it was bound to happen that he'd come down to earth a bit....you gotta be kidding me if you think Marshall can salvage a game for us....
also, with everyone playing lights out ball in April and May, EVERYONE on this team was bound to return to earth, and they have...and that's the point.....you play by the averages, and if you're doing that, you HAVE to have everyone healthy to make a run, and we do NOT...Zambrano---who knows if something more will happen? Eyre is out, Edmonds is hurting, Johnson is out, Soriano is out, etc. Even with all those guys healthy, averages would show that we aren't going to be playing all world baseball this year with them....Someone pointed out on here as well that instead of 86-88 wins to capture the division, it's more than likely going to take 92-94 wins to capture the crown. IF that's the case, then the record would be 94-68, which is 26 games over .500!!!!!! We once were 20, and have slipped to 17, and slipped very fast. We are 49-32, which is NOT a bad record, but if we hope to even make the playoffs, we have to start putting distance, and losing the last 3 of the last 4 series (Tampa, Orioles, Sux) isn't going to cut it. We are exactly at the mid-way point in the season, and assuming we can duplicate the first half, we'd end with 98-64.....But given that we were scorching hot in April, do you really think that's possible...
Anyway, just wanted to put it into perspective
The game today was pathetic, and indicative of the way we've sucked ass of late. Our all-world set-up man gives up an oppo-field jack, and our clutch RBI man can't even get the ball out of the IF, swinging at two straight inside pitches that he could never do anything with....it brought back memories of our young guys getting over-matched in the Orioles series Cedeno, Patterson, Fontenot....
it doesn't look good, and a trade needs to be made sooner rather than later...complacency and "waiting it out" will help us duplicate the '69 choke job
Aaron....
Please stop with the season is over talk. I am officially tired of it. I appreciate your insight and you make several good points from time to time. But please quit with all of the gloom and doom.
If the Red Sox win tonight, the Cubs will have the second best record in all of baseball and the best in the NL....regardless of what has happened over the last week.
Piniella is frustrated, the team is frustrated but this is why Lou preached the importance of a fast start. Injuries happen and they add up to losses.
Even if the Cardinals and the Brewers....or the entire division wins today, the Cubs will still be 3 1/2 up on the Cards and 4 1/2 up on the Brewers with 81 games left. This is not football, this is baseball. It is a long season, and you know what I would rather them be struggling in June than in late August or September.
You accurately pointed out if the Cubs stay on pace they will win 98 games this season. Have you ever seen that in your lifetime? My favorite Cubs' team of all-time and the best I have ever seen won 96 games and that was in 1984.
While the last week has not been fun, and believe me I know. Because I watch and/or listen to every pitch of every inning so I can maintain the integrity of this site, they are still 14-11 this month....3 games over .500
March - 0-1
April - 17-10
May - 18-10
June - 14-11
Soriano has been on the DL since the 11th and while I may have concerns about his defense, he is a BIG part of this team. Zambrano will miss his second start tomorrow and I would like to think he would have beaten the Orioles and he always pitches good against the Sox. Reed Johnson is a big reason for the early season success, Ryan Theriot, Mark DeRosa, Kosuke Fukudome and Jim Edmonds are hurt. I am not trying to make excuses, but there is a reason only two teams have won 116 games in a single season. Teams slump, teams have injuries, players struggle, players slump. If every player came through everytime we (fans) wanted them to, every player on every roster would make $10 million dollars a year.
Baseball is a game of failure. Think about it...how many other jobs out there pay someone millions of dollars for doing their job 30% of the time or in the case of a pitcher, winning 56% of the time (18 wins out of 32 starts)?
While you are frustrated, we are frustrated EVERYONE is frustrated. Derrek Lee is not going to be traded, Carlos Marmol will return to form and Aramis Ramirez will succeed in the clutch with the game on the line more times than not.
Just realize this is not football and that every team will win 60 and every team will lose 60 and the other 42 determines which teams will be playing in October.
Amen Neil, I dont think anyone could have said it any better. But this was my favorite part of your post:
"Please stop with the season is over talk. I AM OFFICIALLY TIRED OF IT. I appreciate your insight and you make several good points from time to time. BUT PLEASE QUIT WITH ALL THE DOOM AND GLOOM."
Looks like Aaron wont be posting anymore considering that is his focus, players slumps and he really gets at this team when they arent playing perfect baseball. The Cubs lost but watching D-Lee go 5-5 for the 4th time in his career, after Aaron said he should be TRADED makes me laugh with pure enjoyment.
This team is really good, and is going to make some moves before the deadline which will make them even better. Enough with all the Debbie Downer BS...and if you cant help yourself find another place to post.
Sorry, not to personally attack you but your World Peace rants are getting old and pretty redundant.
I can't help it, I am an Aaron fan.
Although I have never met him, He is intense.
Like me, The guy wants us to go 162-0. I know that that is unrealistic but never the less, it PAINS me
when we loose. Last night, Aaron and I brought up out of the box trade scenerios that involved trading
D. Lee (IMHO our most valuable trading chip) WE were both opposed but never the less It was good feedback. Full disclosure, I have disagreed a few times with Aaron in regards to his affinity for Adam Dunn & Scott Hattenberg.
Thanks Neil and Shaun. I heard Piniella's post game press conference and he said it the way it is. He is proud of his team for playing hard, he mentioned the guys that are hurt but won't make that an excuse AND he praised the White Sox. I think today was a great game and give the Sox their dues. They just beat us. I am also sick of the doom and gloom when we lose. Maybe we should be giving the other team a bit of credit once in a while. I always want the Cubs to win but I realize no team goes undefeated in a baseball season. Let's get them tomorrow. GO CUBS!
Neil, I agree with you 100%! Enough of the doom and gloom. It makes me not want to participate on this site. This is one of the best Cubs team of all time and a select few spend all their time ripping it and hoping to trade everyone. There is passionate, there is intense, and then there is just negative. We are not even at the all star break and the season is over??!!?? With our record??? Please! In two months when we still have the best record in the NL and are heading into the playoffs this little hic-up will be nothing more than an after thought.
Go Cubbies!
The Lee-Trade-Advocates have now joined my Soriano-haters in a favorite segment of society I term as "the aggressively disillusioned casual fans".
Just as everyone jumped on Soriano for his bad start, and then he went crazy, it was funny to see Lee have a great game today, to hopefully silence the trade talks.
You don't trade your stars...unless you have solid replacements. Sorry, but Micah "BTL" Hoffpauir ain't quite proven yet.
Whoever was posting odd stats earlier about Lee was making no sense. Unless my math is off, he is on pace for over 100 RBI's, and will probably hit 30 HRs. You can debate about him in the #3 hole...he could hit #2-#5, and it wouldn't make a difference to me.
Someone else commented that the Lee trade talk was only because it takes top talent to get top talent. That isn't really true. Billy Beane traded Danny Haren to the DBacks for prospects. He did the same with Mulder and Hudson, and he will probably do the same with Harden.
A team like the A's wants to rebuild...they don't want an aging/expensive star like Lee. But they might take a package of 4-6 our of top prospects.
The DBacks were loaded with youngsters that had a little mlb experience, like Reynolds and Upton, but the A's were actually more interested in the really young guys in A and AA. So trading with the A's might cost us a lot of prospects, but maybe not the prospects most known to us, like EPat and Hoffpauir. But if that is what it takes for Harden, then I will gladly give the A's Murton, Hoff, Ceda, EPat, Colvin, and any one else we have.
I agree this team will keep winning, but a high-octane offense with only one true Ace (Big Z) is built for the regular season, but not necessarily the playoffs. In the playoffs, we face the others team's top pitchers, which can dampen our offensive output, and put too much pressure on the likes of Marquis/Lilly/Marshall/Gallagher. We can't just have Z and Dempster pitch every game in the playoffs.
So this isn't a doom and gloom statement on my part, but I do believe we will likely need another starter to succeed in the playoffs. Otherwise, we are a bit like the Phoenix Suns...we can rack up regular season wins, but we may not be built for the playoffs.
wow.....n/c
I agree with the last few posts about the negativity....we as Cub fans are passionate..nothing wrong with that, but at the same time keep everything in perspective. Like Lou said the other day, hell lets just make it out of the game healthy. The next couple of weeks we will get our team back together. Big Z comes back and hopefully has no further problems. And you know what....as long as he is healthy...I'm glad he missed a couple weeks....get his arm fresh for the post break run. We'll get Alfonso back....we'll get Reed back....everyone is coming back. Plus....at any time in the next 33 days Jim hendry will hopefully deliver some help top the ballclub in the form of a stellar picther....who knows what he can pull off, but he will do something.
I truly loved seeing D. Lee pull off a 5 for 5 day after all that nonsense about trading him. Now it's "you gotta be kidding if you think Marshall can salvage a game for us"...I mean c'mon....what kind of outlook is that. I don't know how he will fare, but I can tell you I will be tuned to ESPN rooting him on every step of the way.
We're at the halfway point of the season...and if you would have told me at this point we'd have the best NL record, one game back for the best MLB record and a 3 1/2 game lead over St Louis....I would have done cartwheels.....in fact.....I think I'll go do one now.....
On to the second half........GO CUBS!!!!!!!!!!!!
2nd best record in baseball, we have a rough week and a half and the season is over...pfff.....ahaha, oh man, get a life. Maybe you should think about the other teams in our division before you go saying we need 95 wins to take the central. You say we can't keep up this pace, how about the Cards??? or even the Brewers. The Cards are a good team, but not a team that will win 90 games, and the Brewers are hot right now, but their pitching is bad with no depth. To the idea of being passionate and "intense" wanting to go 162-0...that's dumb. It was obviously meant to be a statement saying you want to win every game, but losses happen and teams will beat us, it's not always us beating ourselves. Leadoff doubles don't always score, it is the pitchers job to stop that, and Jenks did. The Sox are another solid team, but not a team that will win 90 games or a team we need to worry about until the WS if either of us make it there. They are hot right now, and it's tough to win on the road. You people need to chill out. I'd rather the cubs finish 90-72 and win the series, than win 162-0 and lose in the playoffs. The Cards and Brewers right now are not better than us, not many teams in the National league are better than us. All we need to do is get through the rough injury riddled patch we're in right now and we'll be fine. If the Brewers get a big time pitcher before the all-star break we may have a race on our hands, but until then, we'll remain at the top. Chill out and enjoy the games. If you haven't noticed there is a lot of parady in the league this season, not many teams outside of some west coast teams and the pirates are out of it, everyone is still playing top notch baseball. BREATHE....