Game One Hundred Forty-Three: Cubs (86-56) vs. Reds (63-79)
Game Time - 12:15pm C.T.
Coverage - TV: WGN - Radio: 720 WGN, XM Radio Channel 189
Location - Great American Ball Park, Cincinnati
Sean Marshall (3-4, 4.03/1.25) vs. Aaron Harang (4-15, 5.24/1.44)
The Cubs and Reds will face off for the last time this season in the rubber game of the series. After being embarrassed on Friday night, the Cubs bounced back with a lot of offense on Saturday night....but the Reds offense never quit and made the final score much closer than it needed to be. The Reds can score runs in bunches, especially against Cubs pitching and it will be up to Sean Marshall to set the tone and follow Jason Marquis' quality start with one of his own.
The win on Saturday not only ended the Cubs 6-game losing streak, it guaranteed the Cubs a winning record against the Reds this season. Lou Piniella's crew is 8-6 versus Dusty Baker and the Redlegs this season....with one important game left to play. The Cubs offense will face a familiar face in Aaron Harang.
Lou Piniella's shakeup worked on Saturday night. Not only did he receive production from Reed Johnson and Micah Hoffpauir, but from the 'Big Three' as well. According to a report in the Sun-Times, Piniella stated:
"I'm open to production. The people that are getting the job done, they're the ones that are going to get the bulk of the playing time. I'm talking about pitching-wise and hitting-wise. I have been fair. I've given everybody opportunity all year. This is the time now where the people that are getting the job done are the people that are going to play, plain and simple."
Kosuke Fukudome received the night off as well as Jim Edmonds.
Piniella pulled the right strings on Saturday and apparently the likes of Alfonso Soriano, Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez got the message as well. Geovany Soto should receive the day off with a day game following a night game....who will catch Sean Marshall today? Koyie Hill or Henry Blanco?
In other news....Chad Gaudin's back is not getting any better and he is scheduled to see a doctor on Monday in Chicago for tests.
Sean Marshall will make his second consecutive start today filling in for Carlos Zambrano. Marshall started the series finale last Sunday against the Phillies and did not make it out of the 6th inning. After solid starts in St. Louis and Florida, Marshall gave up 5 runs on 9 hits in 5 1/3 innings with 2 walks and 2 strikeouts in a 5-3 loss to Jamie Moyer. Marshall struggled with the dangerous Phillies line-up and dropped his fourth game of the year.
Marshall is 1-4 in 5 games as a starter this season with a 4.82 ERA and a 1.39 WHIP.
Lou Piniella needs the Sean Marshall that picked up a big win back on July 6th in St. Louis and the one that received no run support in a 2-1 loss to the Marlins on August 16th to take the mound today. Marshall held the Cardinals to 1 run on 6 hits in 6 innings and the Fish to 2 runs on 4 hits in 5 innings with a season-high 8 strikeouts. Marshall has the ability to make quality pitches at the Major League level....and with the uncertainty surrounding Carlos Zambrano and Rich Harden, a quality start today would not only benefit Marshall but his team.
The last time Marshall faced the Reds was on May 7th at Great American Ball Park. Marshall was one of the three Cubs' pitchers that surrendered home runs to the Reds. Jon Lieber (4), Marshall (2) and Sean Gallagher (1) served up 7 home runs in a 9-0 Cubs loss. Joey Votto hit three that afternoon, one off Marshall, the other was off the bat of Brandon Phillips. Marshall must keep the ball down and not help the Reds offense with any free passes.
Marshall is 1-0 in 5 career appearances, 1 start, versus the Reds with a 2.45 ERA and a 1.36 WHIP. The win was on July 28, 2007 and Marshall gave up 1 run on 6 hits in 6 innings....the Cubs won the game 8-1 at Great American.
- Paul Bako - 1-for-2 with a double
- Edwin Encarnacion - 0-for-3
- Jeff Keppinger - 1-for-3
- Brandon Phillips - 1-for-5 with a home run
- Joey Votto - 1-for-2 with a home run and a walk
The Cubs will get their fourth and final look of the season at Aaron Harang today. The Reds' ace has not been the same pitcher this year after a relief appearance in San Diego on May 25th. Harang tossed 4 innings out of the pen in an 18-inning marathon loss on just two days rest. Harang dominated the Padres and struck out 9 but he made his next start just three days later and was pummeled by the Pirates.
If Harang pitched for a different team or in a larger market, he would have a couple of Cy Young Awards on his resume, but instead he made himself one of the best pitchers in the league that no one knew about....until this season. Harang has struggled, spent time on the DL and Dusty Baker said he would not give his number one pitcher the opportunity to lose 20 games this season. Harang is just five short of that mark.
It looked as if Harang was returning to form after tossing 6 innings of shutout ball against the Rockies in Colorado on August 22nd but he has dropped his last two games. Harang gave up 3 runs on 7 hits in 7 innings with 9 strikeouts to the Astros and then allowed 3 runs on 5 hits in 6 innings with 4 strikeouts and 2 walks to the Pirates his last time out. The numbers were better....but the Cubs must be patient and make him work today.
Harang is 1-4 in 5 starts since the break with a 7.52 ERA and a 1.63 WHIP while teams have hit .318 against him.
Harang is 0-3 in 3 games against the Cubs this season with a 7.27 ERA and a 1.79 WHIP.
Cubs' numbers versus Harang this season:
- Ronny Cedeno - 1-for-3
- Mark DeRosa - 1-for-4 with a home run and a walk
- Jim Edmonds - 0-for-1 with a walk
- Mike Fontenot - 2-for-5 with a double and a home run
- Kosuke Fukudome - 2-for-6 with 2 walks
- Derrek Lee - 1-for-7 with a home run and 3 walks
- Aramis Ramirez - 2-for-7 with a triple and a walk
- Alfonso Soriano - 1-for-4
- Geovany Soto - 2-for-7 with a home run and a walk
- Ryan Theriot - 4-for-9 with a double and a walk
Let's Talk Cubs Baseball....
Today's line-up
1. A Soriano, LF
2. M Hoffpauir, RF
3. D Lee, 1B
4. A Ramirez, 3B
5. G Soto, C
6. M DeRosa, 2B
7. J Edmonds, CF
8. R Theriot, SS
9. S Marshall, P
Name AB AVG HR RBI
1. A Soriano, LF 4 .250 0 0
2. M Hoffpauir, RF - - - -
3. D Lee, 1B 7 .143 1 3
4. A Ramirez, 3B 7 .286 0 2
5. G Soto, C 7 .286 1 3
6. M DeRosa, 2B 4 .250 1 2
7. J Edmonds, CF 1 .000 0 0
8. R Theriot, SS 9 .444 0 0
9. S Marshall, P - - - -
Harang played warning track ball in the first and Marshall got 2 infield groundouts and a SO. M looks good.
M's command a little off in the 2nd. Reds get 1. M looks disgusted but composed, so I expect M to be fine in 3rd. Let's go bats.
Marshall strong inning. His inside slider and Phiilps bat nearly amputated Phillips left leg. Two nastys just below the left knee. Bats. We need a crooked number.
Cubs get 1 on bases loaded, no out DP by Soto. Not a productive inning but we're tied at 1.
Thought the double pump may cost Sori on that but what an accurate toss!
Let's get some runs here.
Soriano throws out the go ahead run from left medium left center (on the fly) to end a shakey inning for Marshall. We will need 4 to win today. Come on bats.
Sup guys.
The home plate umpire is all over the place with some of these calls..
Baseball gods with us today. Three bad fielding plays (so far/5th inning) by Reds result in 2 singles. Ump is a caution. Two on. Come on Sori. Forget it, Sori hits into a DP.
M gets through the 5th with marginal stuff. Nothing over 88 mph and Reds swung at pitches out of zone high. Big curve ball but slow and slower. I'm not knocking 5 IP and 1 run, just saying that M is a #5 starter and is not a replacement for Z.
Hoffpauir hits a 400 foot out to Patterson after an earlier single. Keep starting him Lou.
what is wrongwith the riot
Ive been hard on the RC Cola...
But good job!!
Way to fight off that pitch and hussle into second!
What happened to Soto. why was his arm being taped and also why is Theriot out.
I really like this lineup today.
2 hit batters and Cedeno and Fontenot drive them in with a double and sac fly. The Little People rock!! Soriano walks, steals 2nd; Hoffpauir walks to load bases. Lee grounds out, but Cubs lead 3-1.
Just one hit short of blowing it open, and Lee just can't help himself......grounder to short.
We have a disgraced ex-Cub manager on the Reds, its the last time through the order for this year, and a pitcher who had not hit a batter all year, yet hits 2 in a row? Something fishy there.
It's up to Cotts to hold 'em. Which Cotts do we get today?
Jim,
Soto got hit with a pitch on his elbow, and Theriot has the flu.
Thanks Gary, watching football and baseball at the same time.
Cotts gets two impressive outs and missed third by failing to step on first for error. Soriano show boats a short drive to left. Now it's Marmol's turn and he gets a K.
Same thing Jim, haha
Whos your team?
Aramis needs to keep his head in the game. He should have been on third base with two out.
Daydreamer.
A little ego and a little Go Chris Young here. He has a perfect game thru 6 and a 6-0 lead against the Brewers. I said let's get him in a trade a couple times earlier in the season.
OK Carlos, give us another great inning.
Matt they play tonight and they are know as.....Da Bears
I just love to watch football.
Marmol was Magnificient!! It's K Wood's turn next--but first--lets get some insurance. Brewers now down 10 zip.
I think I've discovered Fukudome's biggest problem at the plate and good news, I have the best advice on how he can overcome it.
Problem: the swing and bail at the same time as he spins away from the plate
Advice to correct the problem: STOP IT!
Thank you to Len K for acknowledging that Fukudome's second half struggles (which really began after the first 2 months of the season) has cost him a full time job. Brilliant Len!
Chris Young perfect through 7!! 10-0 shutout going!!! Woo Hooo
Young 7 2/3 perfect game blown on a home run by Kapler......Brewers still on way to a loss..... back up to a 5 game lead!!
WTF! Disaster!
Cedeno really f'd that up
Damn Cedeno......spoke to soon.....
Kerry Wood and sloppy D by Edmonds and Cedeno blows the save and the game. Simply should not have happened!
speechless...
WOW. Ronny blows the game. That was an easy Alex gonzalez-esk double play. NO EXCUSE!! If this doesn't light a fire in them then they need a gut check.
Yeah, Cedeno F'd up, Wood was sloppy and the F'ing
offense left to many Mother F'ng men on base.
Way to ruin my day!
Good, because they absolutely did NOT deserve to win this game. Can someone explain to me why Lou would not have gotten Woody an inning or 2 of work to keep him sharp, during the losing streak?
JimK,
Don't forget the 10 LOB..the offense didn't exactly come through as much as it needed to.
That's a beautiful WS caliber effort. Just pathetic. And "yes" Cedeno been great in the opportunities he's had...yeah right!
What an embarrassing last week....thank goodness the team has gotten tons (and I mean tons) of help from the Brewers opponents.
my hate list the whole year: bob howry and ronny cedeno
Should have walked that batter...not saying the next guy wouldn't have done the same thing but his run meant nothing and the double play was more important!!!!!
Gary did you honestly say Good that we lost?? Whether we "deserve" to win or not does not mean a damn thing. We lost and as a Cub fan you should always want a win. Your comment is ridiculas.
Rob....Please let me forget that and the bottom of the 9th too. In the old days, we used to say that we lost 6 of 7 and then went into a slump. But this team is about to start getting back in groove.
Jim K, I know you've been a Cubs loyalist for many years, but today's embarrassment can't warrant that level optimizm of getting back in a groove.
Chance to get the lead back to 5, and feel really great again, but just another lost opportunity. This team is just NOT executing well in all facets of the game.
It's time for Lou to have a closed door meeting with the team. These kind of mistakes and the lack of production cannot continue. Lou must respond to this and get his team to start producing.
With all the errors, men left on base, and using a closer that had not pitched in a week, they did NOT deserve to win.......and they didn't. Sorry Jim, but no team should be rewarded for horendeos play. Now is not the time to mask inadequices by winning a game they had no business winning. Hopefully, obviuos changes will result from this loss, and benifits will be reaped down the road.
Fukudome's looking at a .265, 10 HR 65 RBI season.
His defense is nice, but for how much people were positively salivating over him in the past off-season, you have to call that a HUGE bust offensively. Jeromy Burnitz would give you better offense
Gary your are dead wrong.
So if they play a horrible game in the playoffs they should forfeit the game because they didn't "deserve" to win. Your negativety boggles the mind.
Gary says Lou should have used Woody in some games in non-save opporunities to keep him sharp..hah, probably the same guy that if Woody gets hurt says, "Why was he even in there??!?!!" come on dude...
I am puzzled!! Why is it that whenever Cubs need to win in September they seem to struggle consistently. Is it mental or physical? In any case, Lou must fix the team's mental and physical toughness now, not next season. The team has done exceedingly well this season. They can't just let it slip away, again when it really counts. In baseball winners are made in September and October. And Chicago deserves a winning team this fall.
Other Gray here - taking issue with the "...and using a closer that had not pitched in a week, they did NOT deserve to win"
OK - so obviously you feel he didn't get enough work... you're not saying I hope that he shouldn't have been brought in today though because otherwise when is he SUPPOSED to work?
Actually given the status of Z and Harden and looking forward to the postseason (which we're likely going to make as a wild card team at the very least) then I'm perfectly fine with how Lou let Woody rest up this last week during the losing streak. I'm sure he's gotten in some side work and he's not that far removed from the blister problem.
I'm all for giving a little extra rest to the players with injuries or injury histories at this point in the season with the lead we've built.
Expect that to change in about a week as Lou makes sure everyone is sharp over the final two weeks of the season. I'd say look for players like Wood to play outside of their assigned roles (closer in this case) in order to get enough work in to be sharp and have a little personal momentum going into October.
At this particular point (4 weeks out) I'm actually glad Wood got some rest this last week so he's fresh for the playoffs.
Now as for the men left on base and bad fielding....