Game One Hundred Forty-Five: Cubs (86-58) vs. Cardinals (78-66)
Game Time - 7:15pm C.T.
Coverage - TV: Comcast SportsNet - Radio: 720 WGN, XM Radio Channel 189
Location - Busch Stadium, St. Louis
Ted Lilly (13-9, 4.43/1.32) vs. Braden Looper (12-11, 4.09/1.30)
Ryan Dempster put tonight's game into the proper perspective following the Cubs' loss to the Cardinals on Tuesday night:
"We've just got to go out there tomorrow and try to win a baseball game. Have fun. We're putting pressure on ourselves to do more than we're capable of doing."
Lou Piniella's crew is 5-5 versus the Cardinals this season and it is past time to win a ballgame. Look for Carlos Marmol to not be available tonight and for Kosuke Fukudome to be back in the starting lineup in right field.
WGN Radio and TV reported during Tuesday night's game that Chad Gaudin is in Arizona rehabbing and there's no timetable for his return.
Ted Lilly is coming off his shortest and arguably his worst start of the year. Lilly's velocity and location were down and he lasted just 2 innings in the rain last Friday in Cincinnati. Lilly gave up 5 runs on 4 hits with 3 walks, a hit batsman and only 1 strikeout....it was the first time in 4 outings he did not turn in a quality start.
Lilly was solid in August and posted a 3-2 record in 6 outings with a 3.35 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP....the two losses and the no decision were by a combined score of 7-6. To say Lilly has not received any run support would be an understatement.
Tonight will be Lilly's 17th road start of the season. He is 7-4 in the first 16 with a 4.42 ERA and a 1.40 WHIP.
Lilly is 1-0 in 3 starts against the Cardinals this year with a 3.10 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP....at Busch this season, 1-0 in 2 starts with a 3.46 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP.
With Braden Looper on the hill for Tony LaRussa, Lilly must bring his A game tonight. The Cubs offense has traditionally struggled against Looper both as a reliever and as a starter.
- Rick Ankiel - 3-for-12 with a double and a home run
- Troy Glaus - 1-for-17
- Cesar Izturis - 5-for-12 with 2 doubles
- Adam Kennedy - 6-for-18 with a double and a home run
- Braden Looper - 2-for-6
- Felipe Lopez - 2-for-11 with 2 home runs
- Ryan Ludwick - 2-for-14 with 2 doubles
- Yadier Molina - 4-for-21 with a home run
- Albert Pujols - 8-for-23 with 2 doubles and 2 home runs
- Brendan Ryan - 4-for-17
- Skip Schumaker - 1-for-10
For as inconsistent as Braden Looper has been this season, he is always at his best against the Cubs. Looper has dominated the franchise and even when the Cubs beat him, it is usually a very low score. He is 3-4 in 6 career starts, 38 appearances, with a 2.40 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP while the Cubs have hit just 25 points over the Mendoza Line against him (.225) ....Looper is 0-1 in 2 starts against the Cubs this season with a 2.57 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP.
Looper is coming off a no decision against the Marlins and gave up only 1 run on 4 hits in 7 1/3 innings with 6 strikeouts and no walks....this was after surrendering 8 runs on 11 hits in 4 1/3 innings to the Astros on August 30th.
Looper was 2-3 in 6 starts last month with a 3.89 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP.
- Henry Blanco - 2-for-8 with 3 walks
- Ronny Cedeno - 1-for-5
- Mark DeRosa - 1-for-17
- Jim Edmonds - 2-for-7 with 2 home runs
- Mike Fontenot - 0-for-7
- Kosuke Fukudome - 1-for-6 with a home run
- Reed Johnson - 0-for-3
- Derrek Lee - 6-for-21 with a double and a home run
- Aramis Ramirez - 5-for-22 with 3 walks
- Alfonso Soriano - 1-for-11
- Geovany Soto - 4-for-8 with a double and a home run
- Ryan Theriot - 5-for-17
Let's Talk Cubs Baseball....
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You could say the Cubs are due against Loopy then, right? Lets tear em up then.
I support Lou and I don't think he has to tear into his players. The Cubs know what is at steak and they aernt children. They need to go spend time with their families, eat dinner, go to the bar, relax and have fun.
Anything to loosen em up.
They dont need to focus on baseball. That's whats making them so damn stiff.
I wish Candle Fighter was still around. He'd probly talk about the Cubs freeing their mind and all that wackiness. Point is: Theres some truth to it.
Just relax Cubs. Go out there and just do what comes naturally. Quit thinking about doing everything and JUST DO IT.
The Cubs will right this ship.
All aboard.
Looking forward the chihuawa solid performance. As an act of faith to my cco pals, he will pitch today in the semifinals of my fantasy team and I really need him to do good too.
I hate to bring the hat thing up and I don't believe in crazy stuff, but I did bought a new one today because If my old hat was my lucky hat...then it had ran out of it. May the old one rest in peace as he did great for almost a full season. Let the new hat shine!
I don't like the "we need to relax", "we need to have fun" type responses by the Cub players. It may just be something they tell the media when asked ad naseum about what's wrong.
I would rather hear "we need to execute", "we need to play to our ability" type responses.
Without sounding contradictive or arguminitive Roland..
Is that what a team that is already pressing needs to think?
And thats a sincere question. What do ya think?
Tonight's lineup with Pie and Fukudome....
Soriano - LF
Theriot - SS
Lee - 1B
Ramirez - 3B
Soto - C
Fukudome - RF
DeRosa - 2B
Pie - CF
Lilly - P
I've got a fever and the only prescription is... More OFFENSE.
Hey Matt,
I don't know that the team is pressing. If they are pressing I think the way out of it is to focus on the fundamentals. Stay confident in your abilities. Work the pitch count to your favor when you can rather than over swinging at the first couple pitches. Go the other way with the ball when the situation dictates it. Keep your head in the game when feilding and base running.
Definently easier said then done. The "relax" responses remind me too much of '04.
Lou has said many times this year that the key to this team is the pitching. I am starting to think the key may be executing on offense and scoring runs consistently. The pitching all in all has been pretty consistent.
I gotcha "dude", haha
I NEED MORE OFFENSE!
Loving it Neil!
You know Matt after saying all that; I guess I should be happy with the "relax" responses rather than panic.
Oh, Roland?
Just got in. Why is MLB.tv giving me the extended commercial screen? Rain delay?
Nevermind. Its on.
That .429 avg against the Cards makes that bunt attempt even more confounding..
Hey Fellas.
Two balks in two games.
I would love to see the Fukudome of April in May show up tonight.
Another balk and another run....
Pie with a big single.
Welcome back Pie, nice hit.
hold on now..is that what offensive execution looks like?...shoot..i've been saying prayers at night for the exact opposite..no wonder the Cubs haven't been scoring...boy do i feel stupid!
Its nice to catch one of these breaks.
Alot of effort has been there. Just no breaks.
Lets tack on!
Let's keep pouring it on now.
Wow Lilly could play for the Bears.
Espect Ted to get beaned for that one..
He deserves it to.
BUT! Its good to see that kinda fire and energy
Do the Bears need a full-back?
Lilly taking out the catcher!
Matt that was a perfectly clean baseball play. Molina was blocking. There was nothing dirty about that.
I don't have access to the game tonight on tv so were the at bats by Theriot and Lee not good? Cause in tracking the game on line I keep thinking "just get the ball in the air and ya might have a sac fly to drve in the 4th run"...and still no 4th run...
and was that a bad baserunning play by the Lilly to get thrown out at home?
Unproductive outs by Theriot and Lee. More fundamentals....
Its a clean baseball play.
But it aint clean, haha.
10 years ago it would be nothing.
But with many of today's pansies, do you expect it to go forgotten.
I don't. I also don't mind the play. I think it's fine.
nice Aramis!
Apparently Lilly took Piniella's memo literally. He rolled up his sleeves...lol
Nice job of getting the run in Ramirez.
ARAMIS with the 2-out RBI!!
Rob, bad at bats by Theriot and Lee. Right play by Lilly to run....I hope he is not hurt.
SORIANO!!! Phew...
Pujols looks Bonds-scary at the plate
Nice Throw Soriano!!
SORE-EEE-AH-NOOOOOOO!!!!!
Usd. es el hombre!!
Soriano with a great 1-hop throw to nail Izturis at the plate!
What we are seeing tonight is 2008 Cubs Baseball. Tonight we're seeing fire and grit, instead of tears and spit!
Thats one of the better lines in recent day, Jeff.
Me gusto!
Great Derik Lee's Double Play Disease has spread to the guy hitting in the order before him.
Thanks Matt
I want to be Branden Looper for Halloween, that is one ugly "dude".
lol! Jeff haha.
more spanish...soriano tiene un cohete en la mano!!
Agreed Jeff...Great line!
Way to retire that nut suck grabber Izturis.
Here Ya Go Offense, Here Ya Go!!
Pie looks suprisingly good at the plate tonight. That's a good thing.
Hey guys....right here is a perfect example of a situation where we need to tack on more runs...let's see if we can do it.
BIG at bat for D-Lee....
That's as ugly a swing as I've ever seen from Derrick. SICK.
Clutch just isn't in Lee's vocabulary.
Kinda makes you wonder if Lee EVER gets pissed off about anything. I know how life-changing events (daughter) can make you rearrange priorities (my wife had breast cancer) but c'mon. Where's the passion? I'd like to see him break a bat over his knee, scream, SOMETHING.
Pie looking good isn't that surprising. He raked the last couple months at Iowa. My money is on him having another address next year however.
Translation Agustin?
Me estudio español en el universidad.
I think, haha
Lee is starting to slowly alarm me now.
A tack on run would be real nice in the 8th inning.
This message brought to you by Captain Obvious.
Slightly off-topic, but do we think Lilly is earning himself that playoff spot tonight? He's certainly stepping up when the team really needs it.
Lee is probably in some form of decline.... He had 1 great year, a lot of average-to-decent years and has been consistently excellent defensively. He is sort of a right-handed Cliff Floyd with MUCH MUCH better defense and a very good team man.
However, I agree -- If we can package Lee and Pie this off-season for a GENUINE (ie -- not Rich 'Way Overated' Hill caliber) Starting pitching prospect -- I'd do it.
Infact, the Yankees, being suckers that they are, would probably let go of a guy like Phil Hughes for D.Lee and Pie (Damon and Giambi are dinosaurs)
I don't know Eric. Last Friday was a pretty big game and he got rocked. We may have to rely on him if Harden and or Zambrano are not healthy.
Let's shut em down.
Lee isn't going anywhere in trade. He has a full no-trade clause. We owe him $26 mil through 2010. Even without the no-trade, his trade value is limited.
Pie definitely has value though, and I wouldn't be surprised if he was moved in the offseason. We would need to find a CF in return, Reed Johnson should be our 4th OF, and Edmonds I think is close to done; think Gary Gaetti.
Kerry Wood has allowed 6 hits in his last full innings pitched. YANK HIM now!
What in the hell is wrong with would. Has he not tortured as all enough in the last 2 weeks or 2003 for that matter? Christ. Get the last damn out. That is what you are payed to do. NOW DO IT!
Nice pitch. We must hold on. I don't think pulling him is going to benefit our long term needs over the next few weeks. He will get it done!
Scratch the idea... Marmol is tired.. .except for Shark, it can't be worse with anyone else
I was so pissed I spelled Wood "would". LOL
CUBS WIN!!
Got a little too close for comfort, but we will take it.
Breathe....breathe....breathe....
Good Win. Lilly pitched a GREAT game. He was the difference.
I can breath, not pretty but important!
Wood needs regular work... hell with the arm issues.... he clearly seems to suffer from infrequent use.... when he's in synch, he's unhittable.... can't keep babying him... throw him out there everday.
I'm thankful for the win, but Christ, why does every game seem to slip away toward the end.
NATION REPRESENT!
CUBS WIN! CUBS WIN!
Jeff, because they are not tacking on.
Wood must throw to Pujols and he cannot walk Ludwick to put the tying run at the plate. The home run stunk but much better than his last outing.
Time to fly the flag....
Wow! It's nice to see those beautiful words Jim in Tinley!
Neil,
Wood needs to strike-out Pujols and Ludwick... He clearly has the stuff to do it. And he needs to go out there and DO IT
One word
YYYYYYEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSS!
Finally tell the dog he can walk freely around the house..Neil/Abby.
At this point a not so pretty win is like a nice playoff win. Lilly battled without the curve ball all night but was solid leaving his fastball down and in the zone. Especially in the later innings.
Finally Jim[tp], finally!!!
Sorry Matt for the delay; Translation
Soriano has a misile in his arm!
Baron...I agree. Once Pujols hit the double, my first thought was just throw strikes, no walks.....with Ankiel on the bench.
I am right there with you. I would have rather seen a 1-2-3 9th....and your point about working more is dead on.
Hey bardo! I'm glad you are excited but please no Hawk Harelson "isms" please.