Game One Hundred Forty-Four: Cubs (86-57) vs. Cardinals (77-66)
Game Time - 7:15pm C.T.
Coverage - TV: WGN - Radio: 720 WGN, XM Radio Channel 189
Location - Busch Stadium, St. Louis
Ryan Dempster (15-6, 2.99/1.21) vs. Kyle Lohse (13-6, 3.76/1.29)
Updated - 4:06pm C.T. - Felix Pie and Randy Wells Added to the Active Roster
According to a report on Cubs.com, Jon Lieber was placed on the 60-day DL officially ending his season. The move allowed the Cubs to purchase the contract of Randy Wells from Triple-A Iowa and add him to the Cubs 40-man roster. Felix Pie was officially recalled from Triple-A as well on Tuesday and both players will be available tonight in St. Louis. Wells will wear number 36.
Last week as they say is history and that is exactly the way the Cubs must treat it. It is time to get back on track and with 19 games left to play there is still a lot of work to do. The Cubs will enter play tonight 4 1/2 games ahead of the Brewers, 9 in front of the Cardinals with the red hot Astros just 9 1/2 back. The Cubs can answer a lot of questions tonight by just taking care of their own business and posting a much needed win.
The Cubs have won 5 of the first 9 meetings of the year against the Cardinals with 6 left to play....and are 10-5 in the last 15 at the new Busch Stadium.
Lou Piniella not only needs he offense to start producing but for his bullpen to return to form. The Cubs pen entered September with a 3.73 ERA and a .242 OBA but in the last 5 games....a 10.50 ERA and a 1.83 WHIP with 23 hits allowed and 10 walks in 18 innings. One of the strengths of the Cubs has been the ability to chase the other team's starter and tack on late. The Cubs offense must be patient against Kyle Lohse and get into the Cardinals pen as soon as possible. The Cardinals have a very dangerous offense....Albert Pujols is 12 for his last 30 with 4 home runs in 8 games, and a good starting staff, their Achilles heal has been their relief corp.
If the Cubs are to get back in the win column consistently over the last 3 weeks of the season, tonight would be a good time to start with Ryan Dempster on the hill....
Ryan Dempster has arguably been the biggest surprise of the season for the Cubs and his teammates could really use a good outing tonight from one of their clubhouse leaders. Dempster is coming off a difficult loss to the Astros last Wednesday. Dempster was just outpitched by Randy Wolf and the Cubs offense could not manage any runs against the veteran southpaw....but again that was then.
The Cubs need Ryan Dempster to put together another quality start tonight. He has failed to give up 3 runs or less in at least 6 innings of work only twice since July 13th (10 starts). Dempster pitched extremely well in August (3-1 in 5 starts with a 3.19 ERA and a 1.39 WHIP) and is a very impressive 5-2 in 9 starts since the break with a 2.44 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP.
Tonight will be Dempster's second start of the season against the Cardinals. He is 1-0 with a 2.70 ERA and a 1.35 WHIP. He beat St. Louis 6-2 at Wrigley on Sunday night baseball (August 10th) and allowed 2 runs on 6 hits in 6 2/3 innings with 3 walks and 6 strikeouts. Dempster must cut down on the free passes he has been surrendering of late. In his last two starts....7 walks and 14 strikeouts in 13 innings. The walks are running up his pitch count and with the fact Carlos Marmol is the only reliable option right now out of the pen, first pitch strikes are a must for the Cubs former closer.
Dempster is 5-5 in 35 career outings, 9 starts, against the Cardinals with 15 saves. His 4.89 career ERA and 1.63 WHIP are a little skewed due to all of the years in the bullpen. At new Busch Stadium, Dempster is 0-1 in 7 games with 4 saves, a 4.15 ERA and a 1.38 WHIP.
- Rick Ankiel - 0-for-1
- Troy Glaus - 2-for-5 with a double and a triple
- Cesar Izturis - 3-for-13
- Adam Kennedy - 2-for-7
- Felipe Lopez - 3-for-18 with a double and a home run
- Ryan Ludwick - 3-for-5 with a home run
- Yadier Molina - 4-for-11
- Albert Pujols - 7-for-26 with a double, a home run and 3 walks
- Skip Schumaker - 2-for-11
Kyle Lohse has pitched much better of late than his record indicates. Lohse has not posted a win since August 1st against the Phillies and the Cardinals are 1-8 in his last 9 starts. Lohse has done his part and has allowed more than 3 runs only three times during than span. Lohse was 1-3 in 6 August starts with a 4.66 ERA and a 1.36 WHIP. After posting an 11-2 record in 20 starts in the first half with a 3.39 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP, Lohse is 2-4 in his last 10 starts with a 4.45 ERA and a 1.36 WHIP.
Tonight will be Lohse's third start of the season against the Cubs. He is 0-1 in the first two with a 6.92 ERA and a 1.46 WHIP. Ted Lilly beat him 9-3 in St. Louis on May 3rd (8 runs on 9 hits in 6 innings) and Lohse received a no decision in a Cardinals win at Busch Stadium on July 5th. The Cubs scored 2 runs on 6 hits in 7 innings but Kerry Wood gave up 3 in the 9th in the middle game of the series.
- Mark DeRosa - 8-for-16 with a triple, 2 home runs and 3 walks
- Jim Edmonds - 3-for-12
- Mike Fontenot - 1-for-4 with a home run and 3 walks
- Kosuke Fukudome - 2-for-7 with a double
- Reed Johnson - 3-for-9
- Derrek Lee - 5-for-12 with a double
- Aramis Ramirez - 5-for-8 with 2 doubles and a home run
- Alfonso Soriano - 13-for-32 with 3 doubles and 2 home runs
- Geovany Soto - 1-for-5 with a double
- Ryan Theriot - 7-for-14
The nominees for the MLB Rookie of the Month Award presented by Gillette for August were announced on Friday. The CCO received an email and was asked to pass this along to our readers. Geovany Soto and Jeff Samardzija were nominated for the award in the NL along with Chris Perez of the Cardinals and Ian Stewart of the Rockies.
Geovany Soto was named the Rookie of the Month for August on Tuesday afternoon.
Let's Talk Cubs Baseball....
Tonight's lineup:
Soriano - LF
Fontenot - 2B
Lee - 1B
Ramirez - 3B
DeRosa - RF
Edmonds - CF
Soto - C
Cedeno - SS
Dempster - P
Cedeno rather than TheRiot in SS is a big surprise. Is TheRiot ok?
Yea it is a big surprise. Especially since hes batting 500 against lohse.
Theriot still must be under the weather.
The run to October starts here.
Here, the Cubs make their stand!
(I just watched 300, haha)
Stan....Santo just discussed Theriot's health in the pregame. He left the game with dehydration on Sunday and even with the off day on Monday, still was not right today. Saw a doctor in St. Louis earlier and Santo speculated he could be available off the bench tonight.
RC Cola needs to redeem himself in a big way tonight. Here is to all the cubs faithful. We need a win boys and girls, nothing less will suffice. Lets get it done cubbies.
Play well tonight, Chicago Cubs. Get the win, Blue!!!!
RC Cola sucks...yuck...
Late change to tonight's lineup...
Soriano - LF
Theriot - SS
Lee - 1B
Ramirez - 3B
DeRosa - RF
Edmonds - CF
Soto - C
Fontenot - 2B
Dempster - P
Powerfull words from the CCO today! Specially from Jeff...made me put my cubbie gear on. Let's get em Birds!
Hey Matt, how about some Brave Heart words to go with that?!
DLEEEEE!!!!! Hard double down the left field line....
Hey! Its the Riot!
Agustin, here ya go!
"In the year of our Lord, 2008, faithful of Chicago, starving and outnumbered, charged the fields of Busch. They cheered like warrior poets. They fought like Scotsmen. And won their...game."
Or something like that!
Nice start.
Aramis with a ground rule double...
Two hard hit balls.
Hey fellas,
Love the way we are atarting tonight. Let's keep it up!!
Nice, both the early runs and the braveheart reference.
Go CUBS!
We NEED a win.
Matt...awesome!
Any news on Harden?
Yall know I love doin' silly mess like that.
I have few more picked out if the Cubs take care of business!!
Good inning Dempster.
wow! Matt! JimK looks like you got some competition here with the poetry!
In the Scarface mode...
First come the patience, then come the Power hitting and then Manolo come da W's.
...If you pitch with me, you pitch to the best!
Okay...after making Lohse throw 24 pitches in the 1st inning, only 9 in the 2nd.
Patience...patience
Dempsters lookin good... CMON --- we need this game
The Riot!! Nice hustle Ryan.
Theriot's sick all right.
Just, plain, sick.
Awesome
Theriot with a triple...51st multi hit game of the year.
Why did Derrek swing? 2-0 pitch?!?!?!?
Bring 2-out RBI for Ramirez...#102 on the year.
ARAM!!!
It's okay Neil.
Aramis has Derrek's back.
=)
That is a good question Neil.
Nice job Ramirez
Wow, the Cardinals are bad...outside of Pujols, their lineup is Pittsburg-like.
Dealin Dempster!
Lows....with all due respect, please go look at their numbers. They have a very good offense. A lot more power than the Cubs.
oh I'm sorry, I forgot we were playing HR derby.
Not to mention that they got 1 wily old fox for a manager.... unquestionably the premier tactician in baseball... too bad their ownership are tightwads
But...I did take your advice and go look at the numbers, because I kind of felt like an idiot for saying something wrong, but what do you consider power?? The cubs have them beat in 2Bs, HRs, RBIs, slug%, average, total bases, stolen bases, and runs...so...?
Good catch DeRo!
"Captain DeRo, he's our hero
Gonna.."
and thanks to Theriot tonight, we have then tied in 3Bs...
I too am looking at the stats and I see a very formidable opponent.
I aint taking them lightly at all.
They come to play.
Nice double play.
Right now,
Dempster starts game 1 for me, over Z and Harden....
Ill take Z at home in game 2 cause hes less of a strikeout pitcher and a way-better hitter than Harden
and Harden in 3 -- then Dempster and Z in 4 and 5.....
Never meant to make you feel like an idiot. For that I apologize. They have a good offense and in my humble opinion not comparable to the Pirates....without Bay and Nady. With Pujols, Ludwick, Ankiel and Glaus...they can score runs in a hurry.
I do believe as far as total runs scored they are fourth in the NL...behind the Cubs, Mets and Phillies.
You are dead on with all of those other stats. The Cubs have a better offense....but the Cardinals, as much as I do not like them, will always scare the (blank) out of me.
We better not see anyone other than Shark, Marmol and Woody in this game.... this game will cut the Cards hearts out and put the Cubs in GREAT shape...
I saw this guy throwing the other day and he throws gas...hope soriano gets a shot because he is trying to prove he can throw it through anyone.
oh well he missed it by little. and mott was throwing it softer than the other day in which he was arround 97mph in every pitch.
Comon we need to tack on!
Leaving the bases loaded changed the momentum....
3 quick runs and it is all tied.
ol' Pujols...
Damn..
Insert Braveheart:
"I'm so afraid. Lord, give me the strength to die well."
Ugh, lets take this one back.
Nice to see the Reds have tied Milwaukee in the 6th.
Lopez flipped his bat....thought it was gone.
Good job by Dempster getting out of the trouble....time for the offense to score.
LET'S (BLANKIN') GO OFFENSE, LET'S GO (clap, clap, clap, clap, clap) !!!!!!!!!
Pujols once again doing the damage...goddang MVP.
yuck...
Come on let's get a few runs here!!
That is just a horrible bunt, should've just had him swing away.
FUNDEMENTALS boys!
Easy to say now but Soto should not have been bunting.
Man, what a wasted opportunity there. We just aren't executing fundamentals right now.
The kid (Soto) has two hits tonight, you have a
2-1 count and speed at first. How about a hit and run or straight hit there? Sometimes I really Lou outthinks himself.
That was just bad, unfortunately.
Cincy is now up 4-1 in the 7th. Looks like more help for us tonight. Brewer fans must be ready to skewer Yost.
Nice play Marmol!!
Marmol with a GREAT play....doubled off Pujols from his knees!
so how long do you think it will take for the Astros to catch the Cubs? (oh of course hypothetically speaking since we know the Cubs won't be moved out of first..um yah..think of it that way)
White Sox are about to give 1 1/2 games back to the Twinkies in losing two today. That's a shame.
LET'S GO OFFENSE, LET'S GO (clap, clap, clap, clap, clap)!!!!!
If Soto bunts the ball like he's suppose to nobody is mad @ Lou. It's up to the players to make the plays...great play by Marmol and good to see Ankiel looking like a pitcher up there. Fuku is going to do something good
While they are red hot, the Stros are still 9 1/2 games back. They are the least of our worries right now. Let them catch the Brewers (and Phils)first.
Tony wasn't pleased...
So who thinks Soriano will square around?
Where did that question come from Rob?
This Perez guy is 23 years old?? Wow, looks like he's 33...at least.
I would have guessed the same thing Lows.
makes me want to vomit.
go to hell Miles...
Come on Marmol, hold em.
Both Cubs and Brewers now in tie games. It's up to the Cubs to take care of business.
Oh you have got to kidding me, come on think a little bit.
1. it's now 4-4 Top of 8 in Milwaukee
2. The Astros have made up 3 or 4 games during the Cubs losing streak and seem to be the hottest team amongst the Cubs, Brewers, and Cards and the only one to make some real ground. Considering the ease of the Astros schedule and the difficulty of the Cubs and the way the two teams are playing, I could conceivably see the Astros making up even more ground. Sure they have to catch the Brewers and Phils first, but I'm afraid that by time they do that that it'll mean the Cubs are right there and caught too.
Hey guys, long time since I've posted, but I've been checking the site daily.
Holy Cow, the balk just may have killed us.
Throw the damn high heater!
Hey Scott....
Hey Neil.....man, is this a situation or what?
Carlos has got to remain cool here and throw the nasty stuff!
Need a big K here.
Alright, now we need a strikeout BADLY.
Do NOT let Izturiz beat us!! Or any one for that matter.
This is miserable..
Almost unreal..
Wow, that sucks.
Matt, now is when we need the Braveheart quote when Mel is on the rack.
I'm devastated.
This is just absolutely pathetic, just pathetic!! This team needs a major kick in the ass. WAKE UP CUBS!!!!
a co-worker who is a Cards fan kept telling me all summer that he was just waiting for the Cubs collapse so the Cards could catch up..i laughed him off...
damn was I wrong. losers of 8 of 9. reminds me of the Mets and Brewers from last year, especially the brewers as they had been in first for so long and then lost it late.
A check swing....
Did everyone see them just sit in the dugout?
We are reeling...I do not care what anyone says, we need are in a bad slide. It doesn't mean we can't come out of it and it doesn't mean it means anything if the Brews lose, but we need to get it together soon or we don't last much longer...in 1st anyway. Rays win at Boston tonight and we lose against the sh***y a** Cardinals! WHAT THE HELL IS GOIN ON?
We went what 20-8 or 20-9 in August and we can't win more than one FREAKIN game in September so far, unreal.
I noticed that Neil.
No other way to sum it up..this sucks. I keep waiting for someone to wake me up from this bad dream. We all know the Cubs are a better team than this but what the heck is going on?
If the Cubs are waiting for a one on one showdown with the Brewers, and with EVERYTHING on the line before the start playing...can someone please hand me the Pepto?
"After the beheading, the Cubs were torn to pieces. Its head was set on Arch Tower. Its arms and legs, sent to the four corners of the Major League mainland as warning..."
I am dejected about this one. Marmol didn't get the job done in the 9th. Soto should have been able to score when Ankiel let the hit get past him briefly early on. It's no consolation, but other than that we played well enough to win a lot of games. Now we see how we play tomorrow.
I watched the whole game tonight. Everything started great, just the way you'd draw it up. Demp was pitching great, opportunistic offense (except when Quade didn't send the baserunner from third when Ankeil missed that ball). The problem wasn't even Demp giving up the dinger to Pujols. The problem was the DAMN DP's. Our guys just suck at situational hitting right now. Sori has GOT to hit to the oppo instead of trying to pull the ball. And he's not he only one. Soto has to put that bunt down the way he should.
We're closer, I'll give them that. But it's gotta get fixed. NOW.
1-8 in the last 9 games.... DISASTER CENTRAL!!!
You're right Scott, it needs to be fixed now, starting tomorrow. They have got to win the next two games of this series.
Wow. It was strange how they all just sat there after it was over. We desperately need a win in a close game like this to snap us out of whatever you want to call this stretch. To be the blind optimist here I am going to be grateful that this happens now as opposed to the last 10 games or so. Lets just get this out of our system while there is still time to get hot and make a run at it all. Don't jump yet!
Did Sinatro reall get lost with Lou on the way to Cincy or did aliens abduct the Cub's manager and put the imposter back in the wrong spot? Not pinch hitting for Dempster in the 6th with the bases loaded? Having Soto bunt(could have been the first attempt of the year) when you just put in a pinch runner that could straight steal? Starting Edmonds who can't bring himself to hurt his old fan base and is 0 for Busch? Lou has got a 40 man roster available to him, and they just had an off day. USE YOUR PLAYERS AND WIN A DAMN GAME! What in the hell has happened to him?
What a bunch of quitters, we got plain out-hustled.
The only thing I can say is that every day that goes by we get closer to the next win...even if its in march. Some day we will win another game damn it.
Hopefully they were all sitting there thinking to themselves, "Okay this is enough, time to turn it around." They better be thinking that anyway, because I am getting sick and tired of hoping that the brewers to lose every night.
To make things worse the Reds had bases loaded with one out and got no runs.
Anyone see the post game conference?
Man, I am so pissed I can't sleep.
WERE DONE, ITS OVER!!! THIS FUCKING TEAM IS NOT GOING 2RECOVER.
no, what happened nick? where can I see it?
Dont give up on em Ricky.
Better now than in October.
But gosh this sucks..
I haven't seen it yet either Agustin, I was just curious if anyone has yet, sorry about that, didn't mean to mislead you.
WGN Radio is reporting Lou Piniella went off after the game. Will have details and will try to find the audio.
Thanks Neil.
Thanks Neil.
WGN is reporting Lou put the team on notice. Said they are playing tight and if they would have played this way all year would not be a championship quality team.
How are we defining 'notice'?
Brewers runner doubled up for third out on a long liner to right. He was going to score from first no matter what. Brewers and Cubs are like the Taliban beauty contest. No one wins.
I think Nick's thought is right. The lads are thinking "we've had enough of this crap.
It's like Deja Vu all over again. Ouch!
Still putting together info...
Biggest quote, "I know we're trying, but you've got to get your damn shirts rolled up and go out and kick somebody's ass."
lol. I'd pay to see that Lou video.
Hope you're right JimK cause I really miss Jim's [tp] Nation Represent stuff after the games.
Cubby Dude....nice Yogi Berra reference/quote.
EPat gets 1 out double and Phillips gets 2 out single. Reds lead Brewers by one in bottom of the 11th. Cordero is pitching and made the sign of the cross to begin. I asked the priest if that helped, and he said, "It does if the guy knows how to pitch". Apparently, Cordero does--because he retires the Brewers in order, and THE REDS WIN.
The Brewers just lost in 11....
This is one heck of a sausage race.
very funny jw.
More Brave Heart... as the Brewers apparently came ready to fight the Cubs battle of the least looser.
"Atleast we didn't get dressed up for nothing"
The Cubs have to start helping themselves by winning most of the time (said Mr. Obvious). The Cubs and Brewers terrible slumps have let 4 or 5 also rans back into the wild card race--including the Cards whom we face, I believe, 5 more times. We have given the Cards and the Astros hope--which makes them all the tougher.
think we feel disgusted? think how the Brewers' fans feel...