Game One Hundred Fifty: Cubs (91-58) vs. Brewers (83-68)
Game Time - 7:05pm C.T.
Coverage - TV: ESPN/WCIU - Radio: 720 WGN, XM Radio Channel 188
Location - Wrigley Field, Chicago
Jason Marquis (10-8, 4.36/1.40) vs. Ben Sheets (13-8, 2.97/1.13)
After handing CC Sabathia his first loss in a Brewers' uniform on Tuesday night, the Cubs will get to face Milwaukee's other ace tonight....Ben Sheets. Sheets has been inconsistent of late but when his is on, Sheets is without a doubt one of the best in the league. It will be up to Jason Marquis to keep the Brewers off the board while the offense tries to duplicate their performance from the last time they faced Sheets in Milwaukee.
Tonight is a rematch from a 10-7 Cubs' loss on April 29th at Wrigley Field.
Ryan Dempster put the remaining 13 games into the proper perspective:
"We just figure if we keep winning ballgames, good things will come for us. Don't get caught up in the standings or numbers or anything like that. Just come to the ballpark and try to win every day. This is big."
In other news....Len Kasper reported during Tuesday night's game that Chad Gaudin has begun throwing in Arizona and could return to the team by the end of the week.
The last time Jason Marquis took the mound he ended the Cubs 6-game losing streak. Marquis pitched a gem in Cincinnati and even hit a home run....while Alfonso Soriano went deep three times. Marquis held the Reds to 2 runs on 5 hits in 7 1/3 innings back on September 6th, his longest outing of the season.
Marquis has put together a solid second half of the season and is 4-3 in 9 starts with a 4.23 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP and he was 3-1 in 5 starts in August with a 3.90 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP. Marquis has not pitched well at all this season at Wrigley (4-5 in 14 starts with a 5.56 ERA and a 1.47 WHIP) and will try to pick up his first win at home today since August 6th.
Tonight will be Marquis' second start of the season against the Brewers. He was hammered back on April 29th (10-7 final score). He allowed 5 runs on 10 hits in 5 innings with a walk and 2 strikeouts. For his career, Marquis is 5-7 in 16 appearances, 14 starts, versus Milwaukee with a 4.27 ERA and a 1.40 WHIP.
- Ryan Braun - 4-for-9 with a double
- Mike Cameron - 4-for-14 with 2 doubles
- Craig Counsell - 8-for-25 with 2 doubles, a triple and a home run
- Ray Durham - 1-for-11
- Prince Fielder - 2-for-13 with a double and a home run
- Bill Hall - 7-for-17 with a double and a home run
- J.J. Hardy - 6-for-18 with a double and 2 walks
- Corey Hart - 6-for-11 with a double, a triple and a home run
- Jason Kendall - 6-for-20 with a double
- Mike Lamb - 3-for-18 with 2 home runs
- Rickie Weeks - 2-for-10 with a triple
The Cubs will get their fourth look of the year at Ben Sheets. Of late it has been a lot or nothing against Sheets. In his last 7 starts dating back to August 9th he has allowed the following:
- 0 runs in 9 innings
- 3 runs in 6 2/3 innings
- 5 runs in 6 innings
- 0 runs in 6 innings
- 0 runs in 5 innings
- 0 runs in 9 innings
- 5 runs in 6 innings
Sheets was 2-3 in 5 starts in August with a 2.67 ERA and a 1.01 WHIP and is 1-1 in his last 3 starts with a 2.25 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP. After posting a very consistent first half in which he earned the starting nod for the NL in the All-Star game, Sheets is 3-5 in 11 second half starts with a 3.17 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP.
The Brewers' ace is 1-1 in 3 starts against the Cubs this season with a 4.86 ERA and a 1.56 WHIP. Sheets received a no decision on Opening Day, picked up a win in 5 innings against Marquis on April 29th and gave up 6 runs on 11 hits in 5 1/3 innings back on July 29th.
On the road this season, Sheets is 7-4 in 17 starts with 2 complete games, a 3.00 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP.
- Mark DeRosa - 7-for-23 with 2 doubles and a triple
- Jim Edmonds - 11-for-54 with 3 doubles and 3 home runs
- Mike Fontenot - 2-for-6 with a triple
- Kosuke Fukudome - 3-for-8 with a double and a triple
- Reed Johnson - 1-for-5
- Derrek Lee - 17-for-52 with 2 doubles and 6 home runs
- Aramis Ramirez - 12-for-55 with 4 doubles, a triple and a home run
- Alfonso Soriano - 4-for-14 with a double
- Geovany Soto - 3-for-6
- Ryan Theriot - 3-for-16
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