Game Eighty-Eight: Cubs (52-35) vs. Cardinals (49-39)
Game Time - 2:55pm C.T.
Coverage - TV: FOX Saturday Baseball - Radio: 720 WGN, XM Radio Channel 188
Location - Busch Stadium, St. Louis
Ted Lilly (9-5, 4.56/1.30) vs. Kyle Lohse (10-2, 3.67/1.27)
After dropping the first three games of the 10-game road trip, the Cubs have won 3 of the last 5 and will look to win the second game of the series today behind Ted Lilly. Lilly has pitched much better of late and must continue to throw strikes. The typically patient Cardinals offense helped make Carlos Zambrano's return a little easier and today the Redbirds need a win to avoid losing a series at home to their archrival....and setup a rubber game for Sunday afternoon.
Lou Piniella's crew enters play today with more games under their belt away from Wrigley than at the Friendly Confines for the first time this year and will attempt to improve on their sub-.500 mark on the road. The Cubs are 19-25 as a visiting team and a win today would give them 20 wins in their first 45 contests on the road.
The Cubs will face Kyle Lohse for the second time this season and today's pitching pairing is a rematch from the game on May 3rd....the Cubs and Ted Lilly beat Lohse on that Saturday afternoon. Lohse is at the top of his game right now and is executing Dave Duncan's game plan and like so many pitchers, has found a way to win games on a consistent basis in a Cardinal uniform.
The Cubs offense must make him work....and for Aramis Ramirez to break out of his 0-for-25 slump.
Ted Lilly is coming off back-to-back wins against the Giants and Orioles. After a rough start to the season has won his last 4 decisions and his team has won his last 5 starts. Lilly pitched a gem in San Francisco and started the 9th inning with a 9-0 lead. The Cubs won 9-2 and Lilly ended up allowing 2 runs on 7 hits in 8+ innings with 5 strikeouts and 2 walks....clearly his best outing of the season.
Lilly is 4-3 on the road this year in 9 starts with a 4.19 ERA and a 1.36 WHIP. He beat the Cardinals in St. Louis back on May 3rd for his second win of the year, 9-3. Lilly gave up 3 runs on 6 hits in 7 innings with 4 strikeouts and a walk....2 of the 3 runs came off home runs by Yadier Molina and Albert Pujols.
In his career, Lilly is 4-3 in 9 starts versus the Redbirds with a 4.19 ERA and a 1.36 WHIP. Last season, 2-2 in 5 starts with a 3.55 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP.
- Rick Ankiel - 1-for-9 with a double
- Chris Duncan - 2-for-6
- Troy Glaus - 1-for-11
- Adam Kennedy - 3-for-11 with a double and a home run
- Ryan Ludwick - 1-for-9 with a double
- Yadier Molina - 3-for-15 with a home run
- Albert Pujols - 6-for-19 with a double and 2 home runs
- Brendan Ryan - 4-for-14
- Skip Schumaker - 0-for-5
The Cubs are one of two teams (Rockies) to beat Kyle Lohse this season. The talented right hander was drafted by the Cubs in the 29th round back in 1996. They traded him to the Twins in the Rick Aguilera deal in 1999 and he's had a very inconsistent career....until this season.
Lohse did an adequate job for the Phillies after being traded from the Reds to Philly during the 2007 season and was expecting a huge payday this past off-season. No one bit and Lohse signed a 1-year deal with the Cardinals during Spring Training and has been very good under Dave Duncan. If Lohse continues to pitch the way he has, the large contract he desired last winter will be obtainable in the upcoming off-season.
Lohse has not lost since May 8th in Colorado and has won his last 7 decisions (Cardinals are 8-2 in his last 10 starts). He is 5-1 in 10 starts at Busch Stadium this year with a 2.77 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP. The Cubs are the only team to beat him at home in his worst statistical start of the year.
The Cubs are 1-2 in 5 starts against Lohse with a 5.92 ERA and a 1.56 WHIP while hitting .317 off of him.
- Mark DeRosa - 6-for-13 with a home run
- Jim Edmonds - 3-for-9
- Mike Fontenot - 1-for-2 with a home run
- Kosuke Fukudome - 2-for-3 with a double
- Reed Johnson - 3-for-9
- Derrek Lee - 3-for-9 with a double
- Aramis Ramirez - 5-for-5 with 2 doubles and a home run
- Geovany Soto - 1-for-3 with a double
- Ryan Theriot - 5-for-10
Let's Talk Cubs Baseball....
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Today's lineup:
Theriot - SS
Fukudome - RF
Lee - 1B
Ramirez - 3B
Edmonds - CF
Soto - C
DeRosa - LF
Fontenot - 2B
Lilly - P
It looks like Lou prefers defense today with Ward in reserve. I have good vibes about the game-- something on the order of a Cubs win 6-4--with our pen better than their pen (including Marmol), and with Aram and Edmonds driving in key runs.
I am concerned about Aram's health. He looked thin (close up) in spring training which I took to be increased focus on conditioning. But he looked too thin last night and exhibited minimal pop on the balls he hit. We badly need a healthy Aram and about 20 HR's from him the rest of the way.
It may be unthinkable, but I intend to spend the late afternoon doing what Sam Snead told Ted Williams Sam had to do but Ted didn't--play his foul balls. So it's up to the younger site set to bring us through today (and I know that to be a very large and well prepared army). Maybe Gramps will be tossing in some wisdom where needed.
im pretty sure the whole aram looking thin thing was an optical illusion on account of him wearing high socks for the first time i can remember.
Soriano Update:
The Sun Times just reported that Soriano hit a home run over the wall in center field during batting practice.
Jeremy...on Aramis. Reports stated during spring training he had lost weight and I noticed a big difference when I was in Mesa as well.
More on Soriano...
Piniella said during his pre-game show that Soriano would take bp in St. Louis again on Sunday and they would decide next week the next step. Piniella said he would be back before the six weeks, more likely just over a month.
I hereby proclaim today to be "The clock has struck midnight, Kyle Lohse" Day.
You can only throw cologne on a pig for so long...
Life is a circle...
you get the idea: Kyle Lohse is not this good, and he will be exposed today.
Go Cubs!!!
Right after I put the hex on Lohse, Mark Grace is on Fox and just picked Kyle Lohse for his predicted "Player of the Game" today.
wtf!!!
Et tu, Brute?
OK Pitching Rumor Update:
On the Fox Pre-Game show Ken Rosenthal reports that the Brewers and the Dodgers are the front runners to get Sabathia. They claim however the Dodgers also are chasing Jack Wilson for SS and some of the same players are involved with both the Wilson and Sabathia trades.
It is also reported that if neither the Brewers or Dodgers pull off a trade the Rays and Phillies are the next likely candidates. Cubs weren't even mentioned.
In yesterdays action with potential pitchers:
Eric Bedard of the Mariners puicked up a win over the Tigers going 5 innings giving up 5 hits one earned run with 3 walks and 6 strikeouts.
A.J. Burnett took the loss against the Angels going 7 innings giving up 12 hits and 8 earned runs. He walked none while striking out 3.
Bronson Arroyo got a win against the Nationals going 6 innings giving up 5 hits and no runs walking 3 and striking out 3.
Derrek Lowe picked up a win as well for the Dodgers, but the Dodgers pulled to within a 1/2 game of first place and are not looking to trade they are looking to acquire.
Congrats to the three Chicago Cubs starting players for the N.L. All-Star team.....
Alfonso Soriano
Kosuke Fukudome
Geo Soto
2 rookies in the starting line up from the same team!!
In the mean time....I hope the skies open up in New York...I'm stuck with Red Sox Yanks on Fox here in San Diego....dammit......
Joe,
I think we need to hope for rain in New York...then maybe Fox will switch to the Cubs/Cards game.
This blackout restriction is absolutely stupid. I live in AZ. Fox is not showing the Cubs game, and yet i can't watch it on my mlb.tv, nor could I watch it if I had the directv package.
I am just not allowed to watch it...there is no amount of money I could apparently pay.
I am not going to watch the Yankee's game. Screw the sponsors of this Fox AL game!!!!
Speaking of All-Stars...the extra players are picked tomorrow do we think any other Cubs are going?
My thought is it depends on when they vote amongst managers and players.....because obviously Big Z stands a good shot, and up until a few weeks ago Marmol did as well. Ultimately because of the 3 Cubs already going as starters I think Wood is the only one chosen additionally. Perhaps Z or Marmol makes it on the final poll for the last spot that fans get to vote on.
Yeh...dont get me started on this blackout.
Hey everyone.
I agree....I subscribe to the MLB extra innings package on cable....they should have coverage of all FOX games being telecast so that I could still watch if I dont want to see the local telecast...I don't get it....
Based on the positions of the teams...I dont see how anyone wouldnt show the Cubs Cards over the Yanks Sox outside of the New York and Boston markets. I'm especially shocked in Arizona since the Cubs train there..........some Fox execs just don't get it....
No, no..Its the baseball suits that dont get it.
If we're willing to pay for a game we should get it.
Bottom line..
Rain in New York...I wanna watch the Cubs..
Good swings but a quick 1-2-3 2nd for Lohse....9 pitches. Gotta make him work!
WTF Lee! That was an out!!
DEROSA!!!! Number 11, 1st hit of the day for the Cubs. Did not look like it was going out.
Way to get us started DeRosa!!
Praying for rain in NY too.
How many hitless at bats can Ramirez go until someone says he has a serious problem? Hell, he hasen't even had a hard hit ball at somebody. Could he be hurt? I guess he thinks if he wears his sox like Chipper he'll start hitting like him.
D-RO!!!! Nice!!! At least with the Cubs being the only other game those of us stuck with BoSox-Yanks will get highlights as they happen.....
Ken Rosenthal on the Yanks-Sox game just reported he expects Sabathia to be moved even before his next start on Tuesday.....
Why is everyone on Ranirez all of a sudden...I know he has a large o-fer going...but c'mon it's a 162-game season and there are ups and downs...he tore the cover off the ball before this slump....he'll come out of it....
A 2-out walk to Pujols....
Yeah Joe, Rosenthal, Buster Olney and XM all feel C.C. will be traded before Tuesday.
Wow, I didn't realize that Ramirez is 0 for his last 27. I knew it was bad, but not that bad!!
I, the cheerleader, is negative avout Rami right now.
0-for-27 I believe.
Maybe his lil vacation threw his timing off.
He'll be fine before all is said and done.
Yes, Andy he is in a slump.
I know he wants to hit but swinging at the first pitch in both at bats will not get him out of it. Two pitches, two outs in first two at bats.
Great play by Derrek Lee....saved a double.
D-RO supplying all of our offense today. Great job!
DeRosa with his 1st triple of the year.
Way to be patient Fontenot....it's going to be up to Theriot.
Now would be a great time for one of those Theriot "mini-hits".
And Rami'll pull outta his slump..its just that pitchers started pitchng him inside again after he smacked 4 HR in that White Sox series 2 wks ago. He just needs to make the adjustment.
Good job of 2-out hitting by Theriot. Took a low pitch into right field on a 3-1 offering from Lohse.
Lee with another excellent play
Starting to rain in New York.....c'mon Mother Nature.....show you are a Cubs fan!!!
Another home run off Lilly...Ankiel turned on an inside fastball.
Double for Pujols....thought it was gone. Bounced over wall in left center.
That was on Lilly. He ignored Pujols, stole 3rd and Lou pulled the infield in. Ludwick doubled to left past Ramirez....probably would have gotten at normal depth.
Ok...Soriano haters, please admit your foolish thoughts from earlier this year.
Does anyone know what the Cubs record is with Soriano, and without him? (including the games he missed earlier in the year?)
4-6-3 double play!
LET'S GO OFFENSE, LET'S GO!!!!
Jason, I will look that up later on the Cubs record with and without Soriano....I think you will be surprised.
SLUMP BREAKER!!!!
ARAMIS WITH A 2-RUN HOME RUN TO LEFT CENTER!!
Aramis...way to come out of that slump!! YES!!
Hey Shaun,
I called that one as well!!!
Hey new dad, why don't you regale the CCO faithful with the story of our special Friday.
Nice way to break a slump......simple math said sooner or later the o-fer would be broken!!
Now lets hope the pen comes through......
Nice hustle, Hollywood.
And then you go and don't book it down the line and get tossed out at home.
Just when we were reaching a new level in our relationship, you go and do that.
Neil,
I think this is fairly close...or way off...lol.
19-16 without Soriano
33-19 with Soriano
WOW!! What a throw by Ludwick...momentum changing play.
Jason you were very close....
The Cubs were 9-5 at the end of play on April 16th when Soriano went on the DL the first time. They were 9-6 on the 17th and were 17-11 on May 1st when he returned. The Cubs lost on May 1st, 17-12
The Cubs were 42-24 on June 11th when he was hit and were 52-35 at the beginning of play today.
8-3 without Soriano the first time
10-9 without him the second time
18-12 over all without Soriano - 6 games over
34-23 with Soriano in the lineup - 11 games over
minor stat changes...due to either having a day off, or having only 1 at-bat due to it being the day he was injured...I will remove those from Soriano's "win" column.
22-16 without
30-19 with
looking at just the stretch from June 11th on, however, the Cubs are just 11-11 since Soriano went out of the lineup.
sorry Neil...there is a Diego cartoon playing, and quite a few impressive lego displays (at least, my kids think they are impressive, as they keep telling me to look at their creations, over and over and over) going on while I am trying to keep a mental count of wins/losses by looking at the Cubs schedule on cubs.com, and Soriano's day-by-day batting stats.
I will assume your data is better, but if you count June 11th as not being a Soriano game, I could swear we are 11-11 since then.
Good relief work by Cotts and Marlos. Nice to see Carlos have that inning. Hopefully a return for the better for him.
Kerry What the hell??? CMON!!!!
DAMMIT!!!!!
Walk the first two batters, then a double on the first pitch to weak hitter Kennedy...and viola....game over.
Nice job Kerry! That was just beautiful to your primary rival.
That Hurts!!! Man we get Marmol to get on track and then Kerry blows chunks....
This one will hurt for some time...with or without the Soriano statistics.
How many damn times have we seen walks kill this team. That was pathetic today Kerry.
Explain to me how Rick Ankiel has more HR than anyone on the Cubs roster, and almost more RBI than anyone on the Cubs Roster(except for A-Ram)
D. Lee has only 15... On pace for under 30 --- it looks unlikely that we will have a single hitter with over 30 HR despite playing in a pretty hitter friendly park....
Where has all the power gone?
I'm sure we'll hear from the kool-aid drinkers that "Kerry was due" for a day like today. A two-game swing. Nice job Kid-K. This really sucked today! And no defending the 9th today.
Today sucks...no two ways about it but I do not think it will hurt for a long time.
Baron...I could explain the Ankiel thing but I have a little more class.
This was a bad loss....and the game changing play was Edmonds being thrown out at the plate. I know Wood walked two but 5-2 in the 9th looks a lot better.
Oh please...4-2 or 5-2, your closer should NOT walk the first two hitters and then throw a gimme to the #8 hitter. C'mon.
So instead of being up 4 1/2 and placing the pressure on the Brewers, we blow big time today...and have Marshall to look forward to tomorrow.
Sports is all about momentum, and we sure blew that today. Fabulous.
wow...that sucked hard. Now let's hear
all the negative posts.
Mike....I said Wood has to throw strikes. What else do you want? Pat and Ron said the same thing. The play on Edmonds changed the inning and the course of the game, if you cannot see that I do not know what else you want me to say.
Agustin...when it is permissible to place negative posts? Let's call it like it is...that performance by Wood was terrible, and while he's been lights out of recent, this was a huge game with significant "message" impact.
I can personally accept guys just gettng good hacks, and making things happen...but two straight walks followed by a "hit me" pitch to Kennedy is just sad.
Everyone's entitled to a perspective and opinion, especially in a tough lose. Let's all respect the touch emotions from today.
Everyone's entitled to a perspective and opinion, especially in a tough lose. Let's all respect the difficult emotions from today.
I think that makes 11-12, since June 11th, when Soriano got hurt.
Thank God that Shaun's son was born yesterday and not today.
It happens.
I dont like it either. Kerry was due. It doesnt make it permissable, but he's been unhittable as of late in save situations.
Lets go win the series tomorrow.
hey mike I don't give permitts around here
I just like this site and hate it when we loose
just as hard as any true fan. I agree that Kerry or
any pitcher should not give the free pass but when
people like you get all hysterical and start talking like if
the season was over makes me think that they don't
understand baseball. And for the record I love the
KoolAid but can also understand when our team
sucks. Its ok to have some Mickey.
Neil,
I dont quite get
'Baron...I could explain the Ankiel thing but I have a little more class'
What did you mean? Shady business?
baron,
last year, Ankiel was a feel-good story, because he was a former pitcher who imploded, and had miraculously reinvented himself as an OF. Later, it was found/believed he was using performance enhancing drugs (HGH, I believe).
I won't speak for Neil, but here is my equation:
lousy pitcher + HGH = mlb quality hitter
Baron...please disregard the comment I made. I should have not typed what I did, it was not the right thing to do. I was frustrated and should have not been near a computer....