Game Twenty-Nine: Cubs (16-12) vs. Brewers (16-13)
Game Time - 7:05pm C.T.
Coverage - TV: WGN TV - Radio: 720 WGN, XM Radio Channel 187
Location - Miller Park, Milwaukee
Randy Wells (0-0, -.--/-.--) vs. Dave Bush (1-0, 4.36/1.15)
Updated - 8:26pm C.T. - WGN Radio reported Aramis Ramirez dislocated his left shoulder. No timetable on his return. X-Rays/MRI is scheduled for Ramirez.
Updated - 5:15pm C.T. - Before the Cubs traded Joey Gathright to the Orioles for Ryan Freel on Friday afternoon, they assigned Gathright to Triple-A after he cleared waivers. The move of Gathright before the trade opened a spot for Randy Wells to be called up to make tonight's start against the Brewers.
Ryan Freel is expected to join the Cubs in Milwaukee and be activated on Saturday. The Cubs will have to make another roster move prior to activating Ryan Freel.
After sweeping the two-game series in Houston, the Cubs will try to win their third in a row behind Randy Wells. Wells will be recalled from Triple-A Iowa and will make his first Major League start in place of the injured Carlos Zambrano.
Reports during Thursday night's game indicated Derrek Lee could return to the starting lineup tonight. The Cubs will wait to see how Lee feels following the plane ride from Houston to Milwaukee. Lee has struggled in his career against Dave Bush (4-for-27 with a double) and it might be a good time to give him another day off.
The Brewers won four games in a row before losing to the Reds on Thursday night...and Milwaukee's pen has a much different look than the first weekend of the season.
The Cubs won two of three in Milwaukee with one of the wins coming off a ninth inning home run by Alfonso Soriano. After beginning the season on the DL, Trevor Hoffman is a perfect 4-4 in save opportunities and has not allowed an earned run yet this season (three hits in five innings with five strikeouts and no walks). Hoffman has turned Brewers' games into eight-inning contests so far this season.
Randy Wells was 3-0 in five starts with Iowa this season. He allowed only eight runs on 19 hits in 21 2/3 innings in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. Wells struck out 21 and walked just seven (2.77 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP)
Wells pitched in three games out of the Cubs' pen last season and one for the Blue Jays at the beginning of the year. Toronto selected Wells in the Rule 5 draft in December of 2007 but after one game offered him back to the Cubs. In four career games at the big league level Wells has not allowed an earned run in 5 1/3 innings...three walks and one strikeout.
Tonight will be Wells' first career Major League start after 184 games over seven minor league seasons (43-26 with a 3.74 ERA and a 1.33 WHIP in 184 games, 82 starts, with 574 strikeouts and 191 walks).
Ryan Braun, Mike Cameron, Craig Counsell, J.J. Hardy, Corey Hart and Jason Kendall have all faced Wells at least once...no hits and J.J. Hardy was the only one to reach against Wells with a free pass.
Dave Bush only has one win this season but the Brewers are 3-3 in his six starts. Bush has been very good this year and took a no-hitter into the eighth inning three starts ago on the road against the Phillies. The biggest improvement for Bush has been his ability to throw strikes this season. In 33 innings only nine walks with 25 strikeouts. The Brewers are finally getting what they have expected to receive for many years out of the righty.
Bush is 1-0 in his last three starts, all Brewer wins, with a 3.66 ERA and a 0.86 WHIP with 16 strikeouts and 4 walks. Bush held the Diamondbacks to three runs on five hits in seven innings in his last start with seven strikeouts...and no walks.
On April 11, Dave Bush put together one his best starts against the Cubs. He allowed three runs on six hits in 6 1/3 innings with two walks and five strikeouts...the Cubs won the game 6-5 after a two-run homer in the ninth by Alfonso Soriano off of Carlos Villanueva.
Bush is 1-7 in 13 career games, 12 starts, against the Cubs with a 4.80 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP.
- Milton Bradley - 0-for-3
- Mike Fontenot - 1-for-6 with a double and 2 walks
- Kosuke Fukudome - 4-for-9 with 3 doubles, a home run and 4 walks
- Joey Gathright - 2-for-9
- Koyie Hill - 1-for-5 with a walk
- Micah Hoffpauir - 0-for-3
- Derrek Lee - 4-for-27 with a double
- Aaron Miles - 0-for-8
- Aramis Ramirez - 8-for-28 with 3 doubles, 3 home runs and 2 walks
- Alfonso Soriano - 9-for-28 with 3 doubles, a home run and 2 walks
- Geovany Soto - 1-for-6 with a walk
- Ryan Theriot - 5-for-19 with 2 doubles
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