Game One Hundred Thirty-Eight - Cubs 0 Astros 3
WP - Roy Oswalt (13-9) LP - Jason Marquis (9-8) Save - Jose Valverde (38)
The Cubs began the first day of the new month the same way they had in four of the previous five months....with a loss. For the first time this season Lou Piniella's crew lost their third game in a row at Wrigley and were shutout at home for only the third time all year. The Cubs could not figure out Roy Oswalt and managed only 4 hits, all singles, without a walk. The Cubs offense for the third consecutive game did not drive the ball and have not recorded an extra base hit since the game winning home run by Alfonso Soriano in the 7th inning on Friday. The Cubs last 27 hits have all been singles.
When asked about the offense's struggles against very good starting pitching over the last week, Lou Piniella said, "These are the type of guys you need to hit." The offensive drought is concerning and it is up to Lou Piniella to figure out a way to get the offense started, especially against the top pitchers in the league.
Jason Marquis, for all of his inconsistency this season, did his job on Monday and turned in a solid outing with a quality start. Marquis gave up 2 runs on 5 hits in 6 innings with 3 walks, one intentional, and a season-high 8 strikeouts.
Jeff Samardzija's scoreless innings streak came to an end on Monday at 15 1/3 innings. Samardzija surrendered back-to-back singles to Miguel Tejada and Lance Berkman before uncorking a wild pitch that allowed Tejada to score the Astros' third run. Michael Wuertz made his first appearance in the big leagues since July 2nd and tossed an inning and a third of scoreless ball with a strikeout.
The offense recorded only 2 hits off Roy Oswalt in the first 8 innings and the Astros' ace faced just one over the minimum. Daryle Ward blooped a 1-out single into left for the Cubs third hit and Alfonso Soriano hit the hardest ball of the afternoon into left. With runners on 1st and 2nd with 1-out, Cecil Cooper brought in Jose Valverde to face Kosuke Fukudome.
Fukudome grounded into a 5-4 fielder's choice then Derrek Lee stepped in to face the Astros' closer. With runners on 1st and 3rd, Kosuke stole 2nd and Lee ended up flying out to the track in right to end the game.
The Cubs offense is in a slump....there are no two ways about it. With the Brewers loss on Monday afternoon, the Cubs did not lose any ground in the division. The Cubs will enter play on Tuesday night 32 games over .500 with a 4 1/2 game advantage over Milwaukee.
Lou Piniella stated in his post-game press conference that he and the coaches would look at ways to insert a spark into the lineup. Piniella's biggest job over the next month is to keep the team loose and not allow the pressure associated with playing for the Chicago Cubs get to them. This team has not clinched a playoff spot, all they have done is play the best ball the Faithful have seen in the first 5 months of a season in several generations.
Long-time readers of the site may be a little disappointed with the short recap, but to be quite honest there isn't much to recap. The one person that can keep this team on track and focused for hopefully the next two months will get the job done. Lou Piniella and his desire to win is greater than any of the managers the Faithful have ever seen calling the shot for the Cubs. Was this a lost weekend for the Cubs, yes. But will Lou Piniella allow it to continue....the answer is a very loud NO.
The Cubs will try to get back on track in the second game of the series on Tuesday night behind Carlos Zambrano. The Cubs' ace will face Brandon Backe....
Tomorrow is the first BIG game of the final month.
Will Big Z's Arm not be tired?
Will the bats wake up?
Will Aaron return to where he belongs?
O.K. The CCO site brigade didn't do the job over the weekend. As a result, The Blue lose 3 in a row. I'm one of the guilty parties in the losses. I chose to do other things during those games--thinking that you teeny boppers and 20 somethings could get the job done in my absence.
With the caveat of not knowing whom to credit for parts of this, hear this about sending young people to war--whether it's bullets or baseballs that are flying.
Instead of sending youngsters off to fight or post, we ought to send old guys. You shouldn't be able to do either until you're at least 35.
For starters, researchers say youngsters think about sex every 10 seconds. Old guys think about sex a couple of times a day, leaving us 28,000 additional seconds a day to concentrate on the enemy. We also talk about sex a couple of times a day--and that's about it.
Youngsters haven't lived long enough to tell a suicide squeeze from a suicide bomber. Unlike us oldsters, you aren't cranky. Your backs and knees don't hurt and you can sleep. Old guys can get impatient and mad, and letting us kill some a**hole or deck a hitter that desperately deserves it, will make us feel better. And, we will win the important battles! And so will you, pilgrims--if you believe you can.
Spring training and boot camp are easier for old guys. We're used to getting screamed and yelled at, and we're used to soft food.
You youngsters are like mosquitos in a damn nudist camp. You have some idea that you are surrounded by opportunities, but you don't know where to start. You're still learning how to shave, and you still haven't figured out that a baseball cap has a brim to shade your eyes, not the back of your heads. I'm an oldster who wears his cap right, and who has solved serious problems on sports fields--including one in a nudist colony. I did it with a couple of signs posted on the sports field that read, "When playing leap frog, all gentlemen are required to complete their leaps."
Now the old company commander says this, pilgrims. I won't take three days off again this season--or two days for that matter. You teeny boppers and 20 somethings are not ready to take over. I regret having left my duty station for 3 days of R and R. (It sure as hell wasn't I and I.)
Z and the Cubs will win tomorrow, and the Cubs will win more often than not the rest of the way. We aren't going to break up the team unless Lee and Z or someone else takes on some shrapnel. In that case, we have competent reserves. We will score enough runs. We don't need to cower in the face of good pitching and an occasional well placed mortar round because we have more than the enemy does. Now, carry on like the confident soldiers that you are being trained to be. I'll be in the area for several weeks.
jim k you have a little too much time on ur hands....
Jim K;
We can't do it with out you, so no more breaks until the 3rd and final cub series win of the playoffs.
Hey Aaron you know we have controversial conversations in this site, but there is one thing we all agree in here...You are a real Cub die hard and so are the people that hang in this site. I for one, love to hate you...so get out of your slump and start lighting fire here at the CCO. [please]
I hope to see the ace of this staff taking charge of his team starting today...Big Z do your thing!
JimK...keep on posting.