The Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers will kick off the NLDS on Wednesday evening at Wrigley Field. The Cubs won 5 of the 7 regular season games against the Dodgers, but the team that will take the field at Wrigley this week is a lot different from the one the Cubs faced in late May and early June....the additions of Manny Ramirez and Casey Blake helped turn around the Dodgers' season.
The wild card in the series could end up being Rich Harden. A majority of the Dodgers roster has not seen him before while the Cubs have faced all four possible starters twice this season with varying degrees of success. Gary Hughes has been scouting the Dodgers for the last two weeks and his reports should help the Cubs adjust to a very different Dodgers' team.
Game One on Wednesday, October 1st - 5:30pm C.T.
Ryan Dempster - Derek Lowe
Game Two on Thursday, October 2nd - 8:30pm C.T.
Carlos Zambrano - Chad Billingsley
Game Three on Saturday, October 4th - 9:00pm C.T.
Rich Harden - Hiroki Kuroda
Game Four on Sunday, October 5th - if necessary
Ted Lilly - Greg Maddux/Derek Lowe
All games of the NLDS will be televised on TBS with play-by-play on ESPN Radio...as well as Pat Hughes and Ron Santo on WGN Radio.
Here is a game-by-game look at how each starting pitcher has performed against the opposition this season as well as the career numbers compiled by both offenses.
Game One - Dempster vs. Lowe
Ryan Dempster versus the Dodgers
1-0 - 2 starts with a 2.92 ERA and a 1.38 WHIP, Dodgers hit .250
- Beat the Dodgers at Wrigley on May 26th. Cubs won 3-1. Dempster allowed 1 run on 7 hits in 7 innings with 3 walks and 3 strikeouts
- Received a no-decision at Dodger Stadium on June 5th. Cubs won 5-4. Dempster allowed 3 runs on 3 hits in 5 1/3 innings with 4 walks and 7 strikeouts
Dodgers' Career Numbers against Ryan Dempster:
- Blake DeWitt - 1-for-5 with a double
- Andre Ethier - 5-for-11 with 2 doubles and a home run
- Rafael Furcal - 6-for-28 with 3 doubles
- Nomar Garciaparra - 1-for-4 with a double
- Matt Kemp - 1-for-5 with a double
- Jeff Kent - 9-for-33 with a home run
- James Loney - 1-for-4
- Russell Martin - 2-for-7
- Juan Pierre - 5-for-12 with a double
- Manny Ramirez - 1-for-1 with a double
Derek Lowe versus the Cubs
1-0 - 2 starts with a 1.93 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP, Cubs hit .204
- Received a no-decision at Wrigley Field on May 28th. Cubs won 2-1. Lowe allowed no runs on 4 hits in 7 innings with 2 walks and 5 strikeouts
- Beat the Cubs at Dodger Stadium on June 7th. Dodgers won 7-3. Lowe allowed 3 runs on 6 hits in 7 innings with 2 walks and 4 strikeouts
Cubs' Career Numbers against Derek Lowe:
- Henry Blanco - 2-for-6 with 2 doubles
- Ronny Cedeno - 1-for-2
- Mark DeRosa - 1-for-8 with 2 walks
- Jim Edmonds - 5-for-30 with a double and a home run
- Mike Fontenot - 3-for-5 with a double
- Kosuke Fukudome - 1-for-5 with a walk
- Reed Johnson - 4-for-11 with a double
- Derrek Lee - 11-for-28 with a double, a home run and 2 walks
- Aramis Ramirez - 2-for-13 with a double and 2 walks
- Alfonso Soriano - 13-for-53 with 2 doubles and 3 home runs
- Geovany Soto - 2-for-5
- Ryan Theriot - 2-for-10 with a double
Game Two - Zambrano vs. Billingsley
Carlos Zambrano versus the Dodgers
0-1 - 2 starts with a 4.91 ERA and a 1.64 WHIP, Dodgers hit .317
- Received a no-decision at Wrigley on May 28th. Cubs won 2-1. Zambrano allowed 1 run on 6 hits in 8 innings with 4 walks and 3 strikeouts
- Lost to the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on June 7th. Dodgers won 7-3. Zambrano allowed 7 runs on 13 hits in 6 2/3 innings with a walk and 6 strikeouts
Dodgers' Career Numbers against Carlos Zambrano:
- Blake DeWitt - 1-for-4 with 2 walks
- Andre Ethier - 6-for-13 with a double and a walk
- Rafael Furcal - 3-for-23 with 2 doubles and a walk
- Nomar Garciaparra - 1-for-4
- Matt Kemp - 3-for-6 with a home run
- Jeff Kent - 8-for-33 with a double and 4 walks
- James Loney - 3-for-11
- Russell Martin - 8-for-13 with a home run and 4 walks
- Juan Pierre - 7-for-32 with a double and 5 walks
- Manny Ramirez - 0-for-3
Chad Billingsley versus the Cubs
0-1 - 2 starts with a 4.91 ERA and a 1.45 WHIP, Cubs hit .256
- Lost to the Cubs at Wrigley Field on May 26th. Cubs won 3-1. Billingsley allowed 2 runs on 4 hits in 6 innings with 2 walks and 7 strikeouts
- Received a no-decision at Dodger Stadium on June 5th. Cubs won 5-4. Billingsley allowed 4 runs on 7 hits in 5 innings with 3 walks and 8 strikeouts
Cubs' Career Numbers against Chad Billingsley:
- Henry Blanco - 0-for-1
- Mark DeRosa - 2-for-6 with a home run
- Jim Edmonds - 1-for-11 with 2 walks
- Kosuke Fukudome - 1-for-5 with a home run and a walk
- Derrek Lee - 1-for-6 with a home run
- Aramis Ramirez - 1-for-7
- Alfonso Soriano - 2-for-8 with a walk
- Geovany Soto - 0-for-4 with a walk
- Ryan Theriot - 3-for-5 with a walk
Game Three - Harden vs. Kuroda
Rich Harden versus the Dodgers
Game Three of the NLDS will be Rich Harden's first career start against the Dodgers
Dodgers' Career Numbers against Rich Harden:
- Angel Berroa - 2-for-9 with a double
- Casey Blake - 0-for-8 with 2 walks
- Nomar Garciaparra - 0-for-4
- Manny Ramirez - 3-for-11 with 3 home runs and 3 walks
Hiroki Kuroda versus the Cubs
1-1 - 2 starts with a 0.59 ERA and a 0.91 WHIP, Cubs hit .204.
- Lost to the Cubs at Wrigley Field on May 27th. Cubs won 3-1. Kuroda allowed 2 runs, 1 earned, on 7 hits in 6 1/3 innings with 3 walks and 3 strikeouts
- Beat the Cubs on June 6th at Dodger Stadium. Dodgers won 3-0. Kuroda tossed a complete game shutout and allowed 4 hits without a walk and 11 strikeouts
Cubs' Career Numbers against Hiroki Kuroda:
- Henry Blanco - 0-for-3
- Ronny Cedeno - 1-for-3 with a walk
- Mark DeRosa - 0-for-3
- Jim Edmonds - 1-for-6
- Mike Fontenot - 0-for-4
- Kosuke Fukudome - 1-for-5 with a walk
- Derrek Lee - 2-for-6
- Aramis Ramirez - 1-for-6
- Alfonso Soriano - 3-for-7 with a walk
- Geovany Soto - 1-for-3 with a double
- Ryan Theriot - 1-for-5
Game Four - Lilly vs. Maddux/Lowe
Ted Lilly versus the Dodgers
Game Four of the NLDS, if necessary, will be Ted Lilly's first start of the year against Joe Torre's squad. The Dodgers 23rd round pick in the 1996 draft is 2-0 in 4 career games, 3 starts, against the Dodgers with a 5.21 ERA and a 1.53 WHIP
Dodgers' Career Numbers against Ted Lilly:
- Angel Berroa - 3-for-12 with a double and 2 home runs
- Casey Blake - 4-for-21 with a double, a home run and 3 walks
- Andre Ethier - 0-for-5
- Rafael Furcal - 1-for-8 with a home run
- Nomar Garciaparra - 3-for-13 with 2 doubles
- Matt Kemp - 1-for-3
- Jeff Kent - 3-for-9 with a double and a home run
- James Loney - 0-for-3
- Russell Martin - 1-for-1
- Juan Pierre - 4-for-9 with 2 doubles
- Manny Ramirez - 11-for-42 with 3 doubles and 4 home runs
Greg Maddux versus the Cubs
0-1 - 2 starts (both in a Padres' uniform) with a 3.97 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP, the Cubs hit .333
- Lost to the Cubs at Wrigley on May 15th. Cubs won 4-0. Maddux allowed 4 runs on 11 hits without a walk and one strikeout in 4 1/3 innings
- Received a no-decision on June 4th at PETCO Park. Padres won 2-1. Maddux allowed 1 run on 3 hits without a walk and 4 strikeouts in 7 innings
Cubs' Career Numbers against Greg Maddux:
- Henry Blanco - 6-for-16 with a double and a home run
- Ronny Cedeno - 2-for-4
- Mark DeRosa - 0-for-5
- Jim Edmonds - 11-for-42 with 3 doubles and 2 home runs
- Mike Fontenot - 0-for-3
- Kosuke Fukudome - 1-for-5
- Derrek Lee - 14-for-59 with 2 doubles, a triple and a home run
- Aramis Ramirez - 6-for-21 with a double and a triple
- Alfonso Soriano - 4-for-12
- Geovany Soto - 0-for-2
- Ryan Theriot - 3-for-10
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Hey yall! My apologies (especially to Neil) for being gone for so long. I've been on a hellish work schedule the past 2 months, and it continues straight into the beginning of December. But thank God for TiVO! I've been watching every game faithfully.
So again, my apologies for not having visited this site too often. But I found some time today and was reading some of the comments posted from today's game. Wow, what negativity!?! What is this about "backing into the playoffs?" And who cares whether we play the Mets or Dodgers? The more important question is, which team wants to play us? And the answer to that is a resounding NOBODY.
Yes, I agree, Derrek Lee is going to ground into more double plays than home runs during this playoff. And I can bet that Howry is going to give up a lead or two. And furthermore, I bet Zambrano is going to whine like a baby when he doesn't get his pitches over the plate, then lose his composure and give up a bomb. Do you know how i know this? Because I've watched all 161 games this year. And correct me if i'm wrong, but the Cubs are STILL unanimously the best team in the National League this year. They are the team to beat. They have a gigantic X placed squarely on their backs, and rightfully so. Their pitching staff 1-3 is the best in baseball. Anytime your number 4 pitcher wins 17 games, you need to begin drawing comparisons to the Brave's pitching staff of the 90's. Anytime you score 800+ runs in a season, you know your offense is pretty sound. But my favorite part of the Cubs offense is the number of walks they've been able to generate this year. They drew a team record 635 walks. On the flip side, the pitching staff only allowed 545 free passes. What a huge contrast to last year when they only drew 500 walks, and gave up 573. OR, the disastrous 2006 season when they walked a mere 395 times and allowed 687 (which I think with a differential of -292 was one of the worst since the turn of the century).
This is why I hate guys like Carl Crawford (who everyone on this site was begging for at one point), and anybody else who strikes out 100 times more than he walks. All these high-profile-high-strikeout guys share one thing in common: they are all streaky hitters. Case in point: Soriano. When they are seeing the ball good, they tear the cover off of it. But when they struggle, they never had any plate discipline to begin with, and it greatly magnifies their weaknesses, ie Jeff Francouer.
Anyways, enough rambling. I just wanted to say hello to my die-hard Cub fans. I probably won't be able to contribute too often to this site with my current schedule, but i'll be there every game.
Neil, Jason B, Aaron, Baron, Justin, Agustin, Jim (tinley park), candlefighter, and i'm sure i'm forgetting dozens of others, keep the faith! The fat lady is about to sing!
I have the cubs winning the first two and the forth in this series. The only player thats gunna do good for the dodgers is manny cause the rest of the team is wak. They played in a weak ass division thats the only reason they're there. for the world series i no for a fact the angels are gunna win cause there just nasty. The cubs wont even make it
Good posting Elliot. And I agrree 100%
I thought the team played pretty weel down the strech considering they had nothing to play for.
I also like the way Lou fielded his team in getting a look at who will be on the post season roster.
You are nuts if you think the Dodgers lineup is weak besides Manny. Their lineup stacks up quite well vs. Cubs. Cubs better bring their A game. If the Cubs need some outs in the 6th or 7th inning, who will Lou go to?
I agree with first post, and I also agree that other teams fear the Cubs this postseason.
The Dodgers are a better offensive team than the numbers. It's not JUST because of Manny, it's also because they stopped playing Andrew Jones, Pierre, Nomar, and other offensive black holes. This is a pretty good lineup, though still not as good as ours.
Our rotation is better. Theirs is good, ours is better.
Their bullpen is clearly better. If we lose in this series, I predict it will be in the late innings. Saito, Broxton, Kuo, and Wade are all guys that can strike you out. I am very concerned about our bullpen past Marmol and Wood; we were strong most of the year, but we are slumping at the wrong time.
The Cubs ARE the team to beat in the NL. BY FAR. The dodgers don't "stack up" to us (hitting or pitching) They are all hurt or at least were hurt throughout the season and as a ML player, I don't care who you are, you can't just come back when healthy, especially in the playoffs, and start excelling.
I still remember some guy on this sight, when we were in the act of getting another pitcher (we ended up with Lilly whom I argued for) called me an "idiot" becuase we didn't pay all that $ for Jason Schmidt. HAHA Jason Schmidt, where is he huh? yeah...that's right he's at home watching the MASH re-runs on WTBS becuase he's hurt. Lilly's got 17 wins and AGAIN in the post season! Who's the IDIOT now???!!! You know who you are! hahahahaha GO CUBS GO! I'll be there Thursday baby!!!
you can't make any judgements on the play of last week. First of all we had a 4 and 4 week Sunday to Sunday with a lot of Iowa Cubs starting and no Starter going longer that 5 innings with exception of Lilly's no-hit bid. Please stop looking to be negative. Things to be happy about:
-#1 seed in the National League
-Home-field advantage until the World Series
-4 legitimate starters (stop worrying about Z) he will show up in game two.
-A solid set-up mand and closer (Marmol and Wood0
-Soriano, Lee, Ramirez, and Soto (WOW!)
-A manager who seems poised when he needs to be, and ass-kicking mad when he needs to be.
-October baseball at wrigley for the second consecutive year. (This time it is guaranteed to go longer than one game!)
True the playoffs are a crap shoot, and there is no gaurentee that we are going to the world series. And we do have some weaknesses in our middle relief.
But they are small problems. Somebody will step up. Or Lou will do some wheeling and dealing to get through those middle innings.
You cant look at the last week at all. Because even if we would of went undefeated, that wouldn't mean that it would of carried over into the playoffs.
We have the best team, but now we got to get some breaks, the balls got to bounce the right way, and the baseball gods have to be on our side. If that happens we will get there.
Just a thought. I would like for something to go wrong like the Bartman situation(not really but you'll get my point in a minute) and we overcome it. I think that would be more of a mental boost as anything. Because I'm sure in the back of their heads, they are waitng for something to happen. But to overcome it, would be huge.
Just to show that something can go wrong and we are able to bounce back instead of falling apart would show alot of character. This will be are biggest hurdle.
Which, by the way, I truly believe this team has that character. And will overcome any problems.
Plain and simple, This is our best shot and I'm already making my plans to take vacation to be in Illinois with my family, who are all Cubs fans too, to enjoy the world series with them and other cubs fans.
Oh yeah, does anybody have 250 bucks I can borrow to get standing room only seat for game one?
Just think how much they will be for WS tickets.
I think Zambrano and Harden will be less than impressive, but Lilly and Dempster will shine. The middle relief, with the exception of Marmol, has been very shaky lately and will cost the Cubs 1 or 2 games this series. I hope the patient offense that lead the NL in walks this year, shows up, and not last year's postseason disaster that flailed away at every outside curve in the dirt. I am looking for Edmonds and Soto to have huge games, with Fukudome as my sleeper. D. Lee and Soriano are my picks to be the offensive disappointments of the series. Cubs in 4
My gut says that the Cubs win games 1, 4 and 5 with
D winning 2 and Lilly 1. Harden will be good for 5+ but the pen will blow a lead and cost us game 3. Soriano, Rameriz DeRosa and Johnson will prove to be the standout hitters during round 1 and Lee will drive in the winning runs in game 4. Billingsly will hold us to 1 run through 7 in game 2. Manny will get 9 walks in 5 games. Marmol and Wood will be highly effective in games 4 and 5.
CUBS WILL SWEEP. BIG Z WILL PITCH A COMPLETE GAME.
TKS!
Agustin, I like your prediction the Best!!
Nick....I like Agustin's prediction best too. But I'm remembering that his sports page by line for Puerto Rico's El Vocero is "Scoop" Manureo.
Dodgers can march out a lineup with some pretty big names on it.
C - R. Martin
1B - J. Loney / N. Garciaparra
2B - J. Kent
3B - C. Blake
SS - R. Furcal
LF - M. Ramirez
CF - M. Kemp
RF - A. Ethier