Game One Hundred: Cubs (58-41) vs. Diamondbacks (49-50)
Game Time - 8:40pm C.T.
Coverage - TV: WGN - Radio: 720 WGN, XM Radio Channel 187
Location - Chase Field, Phoenix
Jason Marquis (6-5, 4.44/1.43) vs. Yusmeiro Petit (0-1, 3.06/0.74)
Game number 100....Lou Piniella's crew will try to score a few runs and pick up a win tonight behind Jason Marquis. If the Cubs have thoughts of returning to Chicago on Wednesday night after a .500 road trip, it must start with a win tonight. The Cubs are 1-3 in the first 4 games and other than a big 9th inning on Sunday in Houston, the offense has looked horrible since returning from the All-Star break. Aramis Ramirez and Derrek Lee must start hitting on the road in order for the Cubs to win more than one at a time away from Wrigley Field.
Micah Owings was scheduled to start tonight's game but Bob Melvin used him in the 8th inning on Monday. Instead the Cubs will face Yusmeiro Petit for the fourth time in his young career. Petit dominated the Cubs a year ago today at Wrigley Field....this is not the break the Cubs' offense needed.
Jason Marquis is coming off a gem at Wrigley in his last start on July 11th against the Giants. Marquis threw 7 innings of shutout ball and allowed just 3 hits while walking 2 and striking out 4....but received a no decision because Matt Cain was just as dominating. For the second time this month Marquis will have more than 10 days off between starts. Lou Piniella mentioned after Marquis' last outing that the rest did him good, so maybe Marquis will turn in a similar performance tonight.
Marquis needs to start his second half out on a positive note. His struggles in the second half throughout his career have been discussed at length.
After winning his 5 previous decisions, Marquis posted back-to-back losses before the no decision against the Giants. He is 0-1 in 2 starts this month with a 1.29 ERA and a 0.86 WHIP. On the road this season, 3-2 in 8 starts with a 3.38 ERA and a 1.40 WHIP.
Marquis is 2-4 in 9 career games, 8 starts, against Arizona with a 3.30 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP....at Chase Field, 0-2 in 5 games, 4 starts, with a 3.41 ERA and a 1.03 WHIP.
- Chris Burke - 5-for-28 with 2 doubles
- Tony Clark - 1-for-5 with a double
- Orlando Hudson - 1-for-10 with a home run
- Conor Jackson - 2-for-8 with a double and a home run
- Augie Ojeda - 0-for-2
- Mark Reynolds - 1-for-3
- Chris Snyder - 2-for-8
- Chad Tracy - 1-for-14
- Chris Young - 3-for-6 with 3 home runs
Yusmeiro Petit will make his second start of the season and tenth appearance for the Diamondbacks....his other start came against the Brewers on July 2nd. The Diamondbacks lost the game 4-3 but Petit allowed only 1 run on 2 hits in 6 innings without a walk and 4 strikeouts. Petit throws a lot of strikes and in 17 2/3 innings this season, he has struck out 11 and walked only 1.
Petit is 1-0 in 3 career games, 2 starts, against the Cubs with a 3.27 ERA and a 0.91 WHIP. His win came at Wrigley on July 22nd of last year....Petit threw 6 shutout innings and gave up only 3 hits, struck out 5 and did not allow a walk.
- Henry Blanco - 1-for-2 with a double
- Mark DeRosa - 0-for-2
- Mike Fontenot - 1-for-4
- Derrek Lee - 1-for-2 with a home run
- Aramis Ramirez - 0-for-5
- Alfonso Soriano - 4-for-6 with 3 doubles
- Ryan Theriot - 0-for-5
Let's Talk Cubs Baseball....
And the former Cub who MIGHT be coming home is:
Scott Downs, the 32 year old lefty reliever who has enjoyed great success with the Jays the last 2 or 3 years. In '07 in the AL he tied for most appearances with 81, was 4th in holds and 7th in ERA at 2.17. This year his ERA is 1.65 with 34 H allowed in 44 IP, 18 BB and 39 SO. He has 5 Sv's in 7 SvO's.
I am "breaking" this rumor (as Brian is learning to say in journalism school) with three credible facts, and a couple of good assumptions. Cub scouts were in Tampa Bay for the recent Jay's series with 20 + other scouts (a fact). It was assumed that all were there to see Burnett pitch last Friday. But we already had Harden. The Rays aren't likely to trade an important piece as they quest for the post season.
Why were the Cubs' scouts there? Aha!! To see a lefty reliever and an infield/bench right handed bat. The Jays have the boy born in Louisville, KY to the Downs family: Millie and Churchill. They also have the younger and effective pen lefties Tallet and Carlson. They want to get younger, and need position players (facts).
I think this makes sense for both sides: Downs and the 32 year old veteran infielder/outfielder Marco Scutaro B.A. .265 and OBP .352 for Cedeno, cathing prospect Wellington Castillo and pitching prospect Russell. No one else has tipped this rumor yet, so keep it to yourselves. JH should be able to make it public in the next week.
Let's get the win tonight Cubs!!! we need to shake our funk NOW!!!
Tonight's lineup:
Theriot - SS
Fukudome - RF
Lee - 1B
Ramirez - 3B
Edmonds - CF
DeRosa - LF
Soto - C
Fontenot - 2B
Marquis - P
And don't worry Jim, your secret is safe with us....and very insteresting.
JimK,
Welington Castillo is one of the very best defensive catchers in minor league baseball. He hit for power last year and is doing the same this year at a very young age. He's one of the better catching prospects around. I just don't see how you can trade someone like that for a LOOGY. They can have Cedeno and some other minor league filler, but that's all I'd give up.
Are you saying this is what you've heard or just speculating? I'm going to be terribly disappointed if this happens.
Padres were asking Maddux today to reconsider his prefrence to only be traded to the West Coast. Anyone hear of any possibility him coming back to the North Side?
SOS with the line-up? What's the definition of insanity? Doing the exact same thing over and over, expecting a different result each time. Ozzie did a big line-up shake-up when the Sux were in a funk, and it worked well.
JimK,
like the thinking about improving the team, but again, it's not really pitching that we need, and Scutaro is not exactly an offensive talent. Downs is alright, but Marshall can be just as good IMO.
Unfortunately, we can't really get rid of the weak links in our pen (Eyre and Howry....and Wuertz is already in the minors and has lost his value), so unless we can get rid of one of them, I don't really see an addition to the pen unfortunately and here's why:
Wood-doing a pretty fine job as closer, all things considered
Marmol-not going anywhere, and one of our best talents
Cotts-while we're not sold on him, has been doing better of late
Lieber-our swing man, and has given us some pretty decent mop up innings, and save for the awful start he had in the rotation in Cincinatti, has given us some pretty fine innings
Gaudin-great pick-up by Hendry, and not going anywhere
Eyre-when he comes back, Marshall goes down, and his salary can't be moved, and no way they DFA him
Howry-terrible, and nobody wants him, no way they eat his salary and DFA him
............see, so unless they get rid of Eyre and Howry, or Lieber isn't healthy for awhile (meaning Hart is traded or sent back down), then how can they add anyone else?
Additionally, for bench help, you essentially replace a young, slick fielding hitter (Cedeno) with decent pop in his bat for another veteran player. What we need is YOUTH...not, OLD....old is not working for us. The main guys that are producing during this tough stretch are the very streaky Fontenot and solid Theriot----both young guys. Additionally, Hoffpauir (why he is not subbing for Lee is beyond me) is producing at over a .400 clip, and Soto has done very well too----all young guys. Lee and ARAM did well early on, but they're tapering off now, and they're older and the grind is getting to them.
IMO, we need to figure out a way to at the very least, give DuBois a chance to prove himself, as the first go-around with the Cubs, he was not afforded such a real chance, and he's tearing it up at Iowa.
I agree with you Gary. Pinella needs to change it up some more than just cancelling batting practice.
Fukudome does not seem that comfortable in the 2 hole and I think he needs to be moved back to 5 or even put at 6.
To the trade critics, aka those who don't want to win this year. (LOL) To make room, Eyre and/or Lieber are DL'd until the September call up. Or Hart is sent down. In the crush of a pennant race, better players than Eyre have been DFA'd. Ronnie (Mr. Pop) Cedeno is 10 for his last 51 with no extra-base hits and 1 RBI. Castillo may well be a junior edition of Pudge and I like Castillo, but you have to give up a lot for (maybe) one of the best 6 lefty relievers in the AL the past two years who (along with Scutaro) is signed through 2009 for less than $2 mil. Scutaro is only an occasional power guy, but he gets a lot of walks and is a high OBP, veteran presence. JH likely sees these guys as very productive for 2 or 3 years--and cheap. I think we want to be as good as we can be for 2 or 3 years.
gotta love Lee..."weak grounder to third base...and he's thrown out." gotta love that guy....what a waste of a first baseman
Gotta make Petit work...3 outs on 10 pitches.
Just no patience in the offense right now!
Needless to say -- this is about as close to a must-win game at this point in the season as it gets...
..............and, first inning, it's already over....sorry to be so negative guys, but 10 pitches, and 3 outs, and outside of the 9run performance...as Lou said, we've only scored 2 runs in 3 of the last 4 games. Plus, Petit has dominated us in the past, so good afternoon, good evening, and goodnight.....it's just too bad my parents are delayed in coming out to see us, or I wouldn't be watching right now
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I am glad to see that after last night's embarrassment, they really changed their approach at the plate. Now they are down a run, and recent history suggests that's all the D'Backs will need. Does anybody ever feel like they wish they could run onto the field and take a pickax to some players head? No? So I had a bad day at work.
all you have to do to see what i'm saying about it being over already tonight, is the looks on the players faces...they just panned around the infield, and ARAM looked dis-interested, Lee was the same, Marquis is walking around the mound seemingly worried about the one run scored against him being the damning run that ends up in a loss, just like last night in the 1-hit effort of Harden, and when the panned to Edmonds in CF, he had the look of defeat as well. The only guys I saw that had interest in the game were Theriot and Fontentot----precisely the same two guys that HAVE been getting it done for us
PATHETIC is the word
Neil, send Gene a bill for ad space.
Jim K:
Uh, I think there are better options out there than Scott Downs. I wouldn't exactly throw a party if we acquired him. Nice research job though.
guys...anyone with DirecTV should be watching the free preview of the mlb package, because Grace is doing the announcing, and it's been great listening to his insight....only thing he's wrong on is him and his partner give our offense too much credit, saying stuff like we're dangerous, and "better watch out now with Soto, or ARAM, etc." Fact is, it doesn't matter, our lineup sucks ass, and if Theriot or Fontenot happen to get on, they'll be stranded easily, you can bet on it
Cool Gary! It adds another dimension to watching the games and competing at the same time.
Atleast this inning they showed some patience.
sorry again for the negativity...just venting....but with a loss tonight, we're just ONE game up on either Milwaukee and St. Louis.....so, I will go to bed tonight, and we will be one game ahead......not exactly sweet dreams of playoff glory gentlemen, and if you think it'll be better the next series...it was also said on here the Giants and D'Backs series should be easy for us.....it sucks, and with the Brewers coming up, guys, if our offense doesn't wake up, we very well could find ourselves FIVE games back....picture that scenario...doesn't look pretty
can someone help me understand why the Cubs are absolutely horrible when playing in AZ? rarely can we ever win a game against the Dbacks on their home turf. In the 5 games I've been to here in AZ (including last night) the Cubs have always lost. Incomprehensible.
Aaron, we haven't lost yet.
One shakeup lineup after Sori returns: Sori, Riot, Lee, Rameriz, Edmonds, Soto, Dome and DeRosa. With this lineup, Dome and DeRosa have a chance to be on for Soriano. If Lee and/or Dome stay "sick", I would play Hoffpauir at first or right 3 or 4 games a week in the 3 or 7 holes and let L and D re-gain their health. In our pre-season performance guesses, I posted that Dome would be a .285 and 12 guy. His defense is excellent, but his offense works as well in the 7 hole as elsewhere.
This game won't be won with 2 or 3 runs. Didn't Marquis hit a few bats early in his last effective outing? We will score 3 or 4 tonight. Even in the blind hogs funk we're in, the blind hogs find a few acorns.
Nice Job Theriot!!
JimK,
I actually remember you saying that about him hitting .285
get ready for GIDP Lee....guaranteed gentlemen
honestly, Lee used to hit pitches like that very hard...now it's GIDP or routine pop/fly out....we can't keep throwing him out there, especially when we have a very DESERVING Hoffpauir on our roster right now....Lee needs to be benched, and it should start now
I agree with you Jim. Fuku obviously does not seem that comfortable in 2 hole. He might be putting too much pressure on himself.
Atleast Lee did not hit into a DP
Why wont these balls get all the way out!!!!!!!!
Its like Arizona installed a away tea, homerun force field...
LOL, how pathetic is that....ARAM thought he has it, chucks his bat like he's done something, then realizes it's a warning track fly....LOL, man, another Cubbie occurence...I even thought it had a chance
I think ARam is going to break out of the slump tonight, just missed it that time.
Soriano is 1-1, an infield single with the I-Cubs tonight. Piniella said in his pre game show that if everything goes well, Soriano will be in the lineup on Wednesday night.
Looks like Brewers are going to win.
The Disturbing thing about Fukudome is that his high OBP might be fool's gold. He has 26 extra base hits. Fontenot, in limited playing time has 22.
In contrast, despite his GIDP-tendencies, D. Lee has 45 extra base hits and A-Ram 40...
Fukudome's .377 OBP is excellent, but his actual hitting this year has been rather underwhelming to say the least.
as much as everyone loves to point out Fuk's downturn, they seem to lose focus of Lee and ARAM....can anyone find out there recent stats like the last month? I'll bet they're about equal....if you're looking for a reason for our struggles, it's certainly not Fukudome alone
Mighty Mike strikes again!!!
Fontenot decides he'll be the bigger man on this team!!!!
again....only Fontenot and Theriot seem alive at all....as was posted on here before, even the 9-0 game in Houston was largely because of Theriot and Fontenot.
Additionally....side note. I don't know what's going on with the AAA game really, so I could be wrong about it, but Pie just hit a double, and then was pinch run for by Kroeger. Either it's an injury, or he might've been pulled for a trade?.....just saying.....
Mom's b-day is in Nov and i'd like u to say happy b-day to her 'cause by then the games are over. She's in Florida and is watching the game rite now. Thanks so much.
Lee batting .348AVG/.403OBP/.485 SLG with 8 RBI this month.
ARam .173 .258 .423 with 3 HR and 11 RBI
Fuku .179 .220 .286 1 HR 2 RBI
DeRo and Fontenot just proved that Lou's no runs laxatives are working. If Marquis has one of them there shutdown innings, the Cubs will put up a 3 or 4 spot next inning. We need a little mo to go with Lou's green apple cider.
LOL.....could've called that one....it happens to often where we hit a batter, teams execute a sacrifice or ground out to move the runner/or they get a steal....it's like stealing candy from a baby it's so bad....and so predictable
Anyone find out what happened with Pie?
i dont like this....the brewers come back in the first 2 games and they got cc and sheets pitching the next two....we rly need to turn things around fast cuz they will sweep our ass out of town in milwaukee if we dont start scoring 4+ runs a game consistently
it was said on here, when you're right, you're right, and you can proclaim it to all.....
I guess my turn to say I was right about my concerns, and now we're losing the division
i dont like this....the brewers come back in the first 2 games and they got cc and sheets pitching the next two....we rly need to turn things around fast cuz they will sweep our ass out of town in milwaukee if we dont start scoring 4+ runs a game consistently
i dont like this....the brewers come back in the first 2 games and they got cc and sheets pitching the next two....we rly need to turn things around fast cuz they will sweep our ass out of town in milwaukee if we dont start scoring 4+ runs a game consistently
No fucking way Derrek...
Maybe it would be good for Pinella to rest D Lee for a few games... Might as well play Hoffpaur if he is on the team anyways.
Their half inning and ours in our funk were enough to p.o. the good humor man. It's not over yet, but there is a fat lady in the house shuffling through some sheet music.
Is it too much to ask for the Brewers and Cardinals to get in a huge fight and then they all get suspended for 8-10 days? I dont think that is much to ask.
Well the Brewers won the first two, now the Cards need to win the next two, and of course we need to start winning.
Come on Soto!! Your due.
Edmonds had good bat speed.
i would like to see Aramis and Soto and Lee to go down to the clubhouse, seperately...and take their frustration out, safely of course. et whatever it is out of their system..and start over..just like Brenly said
Maybe Pinella needs to go dragon kick one of the refs... if anything it will set an example for the Cubs players.
I think everyone needs to relax a little when it comes to being so down on these guys. Unfortunately we have about 5 guys going bad right now all at the same time. All of them are way to good of hitters to stay slumping for much longer. Ramirez, Lee, Soto, Fukudome will all be fine and when Soriano gets back hopefully that will be the spark they need. We're gonna be fine. Remember it's a marathon not a sprint.
towards the All-Star Break, and the Cubs were in a funk, we heard, "oh, with the break, it give 'em a rest, and they'll be just fine."....well, it's after the break, and we've sucked.....What's the next excuse? We haven't had Soriano? Okay, we haven't had him for a month---boo frickin' hoo.....Zambrano was on the DL? Well, only missed a couple starts, and in that time, we still couldn't hit, so it wouldn't have mattered?
what next? hmmmmmmmmmm....Blanco is injured? Yes, that's it...that's why we've sucked ass.....because Blanco injured his back because of a violent sneeze a la Sammy Sosa. I'm so sick of this crap....why the hell is Lee still in the damn game? replace the loser already. Replace all of them, except Theriot, Fontenot, and DeRosa, who seem to be the only ones that know how to get on base today. Put Zambrano into the game as well, as he has contributed a run---the only run in his start in fact
that's what I'd do if I was Piniella...I'd be so pissed....that's all she wrote if I was manager
Although I agree with Jody, these Cubs are crossing my line.
Something needs to go down.
And what a coincidence. Look at one of the umps for this series.
Jody... I am not saying to put them in front of a firing squad... but why not mix stuff up some? What is wrong with putting Hoffpaur in?
what changed since the cubs were unstoppable earlier in the season? I shaved my facial hair thats what...i damn well knew that wouldnt be a good move right after i took off the left side of my goatee..i was like "gee, they are playing so good right now..i probably shouldnt have done that"
Aaron, et al. The big Hoff looked GREAT in that AB. So much for that.
it might be a marathon, not a sprint, but when the season's winding down, we have two teams sprinting behind us, and winning close games, and just flat out, getting it done.....
after all, if you were in a close race, would you want a marathon runner, or a Karl Lewis-type sprinter? Obviously, it's Lewis....My money is unfortunately not on the Cubs, as I've seen this coming for the last couple months...they still have an outside chance at the wild card, but that's even debatable.
How can you possibly think they can pull it off right now? I understand everyone's a fan, and they want them to do well, but this isn't good...it isn't good at all, and we're slipping fast like '04 and '69. and the thing that bothers me, is the way we're getting beat. It's almost like a couple years ago when the staff was lights out at the beginning of the year, and the offense had the snooze button on, and all the pitchers were trying too hard not to make mistakes, and they paid for it.....well, the same thing is going to happen this year, and it's a very bad situation....I've been saying it, and all I've gotten was, "you're just negative....they're in first...or....they have the best record....or blah blah blah"...guess what? Now we don't have the best record, we're falling fast, we're in danger of losing first, and everyone in the world sees it...even the announcers on every station---ours included.
another clutch situation for lee....and he doesnt come through what does he need to do for lou to take him out of the 3 spot
well, at least my Rockies won....good night all
Aaron. i think youre being way to extreme... everyone goes thru slumps...all our guys are going thru it at once tho.. thats the biggest problem.
You know what always makes me feel better? Lets make fun of the Astros. So what you guys think of the trade they made today?
Aram picks up Soto in the field. A little thing but important now. I'm predicting that we break out with the bats very soon, and that we get no worse than a split in Milwaukee. Aaron, I feel your pain (but not as deeply). But you know that, while Lee, Aram and Soriano may get a day or two off when they are slumping, they will play. I wouldn't mind seeing an all "little people" lineup for a game or two--but the book says the big contract guys get to play out of their slumps even if it takes most of the season. Johnson hitting 3rd and Fontenot 4th would have been an improvement the last week or two.
Question. What do we do if Soriano doesn't want to come back?
Aaron, teams go through seasons. Yes, the Cubs are not playing well right now AT ALL. And yes, the Brewers are playing exceptional ball right now. Sure, this messy streak is lasting longer than any of us would like, but I won't be worried even if the Cubs fall 3 or 4 games behind another team in the central. This is a good team with many guys who aren't playing well right now, but I chalk that up to the seasons of baseball. Things will average out. The brewers are NOT as good as they are playing right now, and the Cubs are much better than they are playing right now (they still have a +100 run differential). These things have a way of working themselves out.
As for "the announcers on every station" being down on the Cubs, you must not be watching the same telecast that I am -gr