Game One Hundred Forty-Three: Cubs (74-68) vs. Brewers (69-74)
Game Time - 7:05pm C.T.
Coverage - TV: Comcast SportsNet - Radio: 720 WGN, XM Radio Channel 186
Location - Wrigley Field, Chicago
Carlos Zambrano (8-6, 3.77/1.41) vs. Yovani Gallardo (12-11, 3.59/1.29)
Updated - 4:41pm C.T. - Alfonso Soriano Placed on the 15-day DL following surgery on his left knee Tuesday morning. The DL move is retroactive to September 4. According to a report from the Sun-Times, Soriano's surgery went well.
Updated - 4:41pm C.T. - Sam Fuld had a MRI on his right hand Tuesday. Fuld injured his hand making a diving catch in the fifth inning on Monday night.
After being shutdown, for the most part, on Monday night by Jeff Suppan, it will not get any easier for the Cubs' offense tonight. The Cubs will face one of the best young right-handers in the game in Yovani Gallardo. In order for the Cubs to win their third game in a row it will likely take a Ryan-Dempster-like performance from Carlos Zambrano.
According to multiple reports, Alfonso Soriano was expected to have season-ending knee surgery Tuesday morning. Soriano is expected to rehab for around six weeks. Soriano will also have his eyes tested and the Cubs are trying to get him to change to a lighter bat. Soriano currently swings a 36-ounce bat and many are trying to get him to switch to a lighter 34-ounce bat. According to Bruce Levine, "so far this season, he had resisted doing that."
Kyler Burke and Casey Coleman were named the Cubs Minor League Player and Pitcher of the Year on Monday. Burke was acquired in the deal that sent Michael Barrett to the Padres in 2007. Burke finished the season with a .303/.405/.505/.911 line with 43 doubles, three triples and 15 home runs in 132 games for the Peoria Chiefs. The 21-year old left-handed outfielder led the Cubs' system with 14 outfield assists.
Casey Coleman is one of the reasons the Tennessee Smokies advanced to the Southern League Championship Series this season. Coleman was 14-6 with a 3.68 ERA in 27 starts and walked only 58 batters in 149 innings.
Tonight it all starts with Carlos Zambrano and not mailing in the remainder of the season.
Carlos Zambrano is coming off a win against the Pirates ... his first since July 22 in Philadelphia. Zambrano has thrown the ball rather well in his last two outings and has only one win to show for his effort ... 1-0 with a 2.25 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP.
Zambrano has pitched much better on the road this season (6-2 in 13 starts with a 3.03 ERA and a 1.37 WHIP) than at Wrigley (2-4 in 11 starts with a 4.64 ERA and a 1.45 WHIP). Big Z's last home win came in the first game of the day-night doubleheader with the Cardinals back on July 12.
Tonight will be Zambrano's third start of the season against the Brewers. Zambrano has not received a decision yet this year against Milwaukee and has allowed four runs on 12 hits in 13 innings (two starts).
Big Z is 10-8 in 25 career games, 24 starts, versus the Brewers with a 3.57 ERA and a 1.26 WHIP.
- Ryan Braun - 6-for-23 with a double, a home run and a walk
- Mike Cameron - 1-for-16 with a walk
- Craig Counsell - 7-for-30 with 2 doubles and 6 walks
- Prince Fielder - 12-for-32 with 5 doubles, 2 home runs and 9 walks
- Yovani Gallardo - 0-for-2
- Jody Gerut - 2-for-4 with a home run and 3 walks
- J.J. Hardy - 2-for-22 with a home run and 4 walks
- Corey Hart - 6-for-20 with a triple and 4 walks
- Jason Kendall - 10-for-36 with 2 walks
- Felipe Lopez - 14-for-39 with 2 doubles, a triple, 2 home runs and 7 walks
- Casey McGehee - 1-for-3
- Corey Patterson - 1-for-6 with a double and a walk
The Cubs' offense will face the best the Brewers have to offer tonight in Yovani Gallardo. Milwaukee's staff ace has been excellent in the second half and has not allowed more than three earned runs in a single game since August 4 ... the only time since July 12. Gallardo's only problem is he is not going deep in games. He has pitched into the seventh inning only three times since July 19.
Yovani Gallardo is 4-4 in his last 10 starts with a 4.30 ERA and a 1.40 WHIP ... on the road this season, 5-5 in 13 starts with a 3.90 ERA and a 1.36 WHIP.
Tonight will be Gallardo's fourth career start against the Cubs. He is 1-0 in the first three with a 3.71 ERA and a 1.53 WHIP. Gallardo beat the Cubs back on May 9 in Milwaukee, 12-6. The Cubs managed just two runs on five hits in five innings with four walks ... Gallardo struck out eight.
- Jeff Baker - 0-for-1
- Milton Bradley - 1-for-2 with a walk
- Mike Fontenot - 1-for-5 with a double
- Kosuke Fukudome - 3-for-5 with a walk
- Derrek Lee - 1-for-5 with a walk
- Aramis Ramirez - 2-for-5 with a double and a walk
- Bobby Scales - 0-for-2
- Geovany Soto - 2-for-6 with a double
- Ryan Theriot - 3-for-5 with a walk
- Carlos Zambrano - 1-for-2 with a home run
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Tonight's lineup:
Theriot - SS
Fukudome - CF
Lee - 1B
Ramirez - 3B
Soto - C
Bradley - RF
Fontenot - 2B
Scales - LF
Zambrano - P
Pretty discouraging press coverage on the Cubs via MLBTradeRumors.
Essentially publicizing all our warts and laughable (aka immovable) contracts with Soriano, Bradley and Z. Nice job JH.
Bryan, will all due respect to you and Buster Olney we've been talking about those issues all season.
The mainstream media is being a little slow...
Neil...obviously.
It's one thing to be jamming on these same topics on the CCO, it's another thing when Olney and others magnify the issues in the broader press.
What's the difference? It is what it is...Bryan...Everyone in the baseball world knows it.
Agreed...
Nice strike 'em out throw 'em out to end the first...
And Milton strikes out with the bases loaded to end the inning...
I can't remember the last time
Bradley got a big hit with the bases loaded....I think he ko'd the last time he had that opportunity.
Sigh, such a bad signing.
Z looking good tonight.
Nice two-out RBI single to right by Theriot
Pretty funny, Pat and Ron start talking about what great starting pitching the Cubs have been getting...and Escobar
hits a triple off Z. Seems like that's always the way.
Good job of baserunning by Derrek Lee...
Bradley up again with a runner in scoring position...and he grounds out.
So far, Bradley's left 4 on base...Lou might do better with Miles pinch hitting for him.
Just Say No to Aaron Miles!
Ha Ha ...I used to Miles reference just for you Neil...I know you love him so...lol
MeGehee put together a pretty nice
season for Milwaukee...still hitting
over .300.
Eight strikeouts for Z after four innings
Come on Cubs...let's get some offense and open this game up...Winning now means it will be harder for the Cards to clinch in front of you.
Hi all.
Hey Jim...good to have you on.
Hey Jim!
DLEE with his 32nd double ... 100 RBI for Lee, second time in career triple digits in RBI
#99 and #100 for DLee. Seems to me I remember some people around here wanting to sit him in favor of Hoffpouir (sp?) earlier this year.
I'm guilty of leaning that way when he his neck really flared up...But I always liked him...and he's obviously the MAN
for the Cubs this season.
I admit, I was one of them.
I also wanted Hendry to sign Abreau instead of Bradley so I guess i'm 1 for 2.
Who do you blame on this..."Z" for losing it or Lou for leaving him in.
All this after 2 outs.
Lou...pull him.
Suzy, Zambrano is supposed to be the team's number one pitcher. He's gotta learn and quit beating himself. That is what he's done tonight.
Neil, after all this time, he still hasn't learned how to channel his emotions in game situations. It's really the only thing holding him back from truly being an Ace...BUT IT IS A
HUGE FLAW.
I read somewhere in the last couple of days... when he was talking about possibly getting traded..."Maybe they'll let me do what I want if I go somewhere else."....What is that?
That quote struck me as being rather strange as well. Piniella already lets him do whatever he wants. Maybe it is the pressure or the media.
Cmon "Z"...
Zambrano was doing such a good job ... wheels just came off after Gallardo's long single.
Way to Ace!
SOTO!!!!HR
SOTO!
5 two out runs? Who in this league is a worse mental midget? Does Hendry ever take this into account when he signs players? Rhetorical question, of course. I mean, you've got head cases like Bradley, Soriano, and Dempster that have shown, when the going gets tough, these guys wilt.
btw...did you notice Kendall made 2 out of the 3 outs last inning for Milwaukee?
Nice inning for Heilman.
NO! Aaron Miles!
Drew Barrymore is in the booth with Pat and Ron!
That ground out was for you neil!
Jim:
Just getting back to your comment earlier. What would be the purpose of a new scoreboard? What is your reasoning for wanting one? I don't go to games to gaze at fancy scoreboards, and I don't care to be reminded of Soriano's OBP. You should know that, along with nearly every stat that flashes up on the board during the game. Judging by your frequent comments on this site I'm sure you know your stats. Oh, wait. You want to see the "kiss-cam" right?
I am actually curious about your reasoning for wanting a new board. You mentioned not being able to see every game on the board, but I think that is a ludicrous excuse. During day games the Cubs are usually the only team playing. When the play at night the games of no meaning are left off. No problem there, right? Is it just because you think it looks bad? I doubt it, and so do many other cubs fans. The only argument that holds water would be the one pertaining to financial incentives. Your thoughts?
I apologize for interrupting the game. I know the offense just bailed Z out big time. Hopefully they can pull it out.
There is the ground out to second...
Drew is a sweetheart...it's been nice watching her grow up.
Smokies and Jacksonville are tied 4-4 in the ninth with Jacksonville coming up to bat.
Neil, If Fuko got hurt...with Fuld hurt and Johnson out...Who would the Cubs call up?
Suzy, I don't know. No one else on the 40-man roster. Maybe So Taguchi?
I hope Ramirez is okay, second hit batsman of the inning.
This is dumb, I have an account but I don;t know the user name. But YEAA SOTO!!
SOTO !!!! 3 RBI's tonight.
SOTO! two more RBI
Drew just left the booth.
No, not Miles again. Once a game is too much!
Well, Scales took care of that ... 4-6-3 double play to end the inning.
Actually, they might put Miles in Center...I think he played every position
with the Cards..."What an arm" lol.
When Fontenot comes alive we should win.
I too hope ARAM is ok...tough season for him.
Too bad that Scales hit into a DP. I wanted to see Miles bat twice in one inning.
So Gregg is pitching. We needed every one of those runs.
I am trying to decide if the Cubs are playing loose and relaxed because they are out of it, or playing with a purpose, like they believe they have some outside shot at something. I mean, if tonight goes their way, they would only be 4 back in the loss column for the wild card.
Smokies scored a run in the top of the 10th...pretty exciting game...Covin ko'd
with the bases loaded and one out.
Ty Wright singled...Adduci scored and the runner behind him was thrown out at the plate. Smokies game going to bottom of the tenth now.
- Gary...they have a 3 game set with the Cards this weekend...and I'm sure they do not want to watch the Cards clinch in their faces...it would put a fire under me.
Jacksonville tied the Smokies with a homer in the bottom of the 10th....On to the 11th.
Check that last comment...Jacksonville beat the Smokies in 10 tonight...6-5.
Something was wrong with my milb gameday.
Well gents, I'm gonna sign off,,,the game appears to be in hand...will talk later.
What an up--down-upper tonight. I got Pat and Ron in the top of the 5th, heard Z self-destruct, thought I was a jinx and just listened after that. Soto seems to be getting his act together with the bat. You have to wonder where we would be with an additional 100 RBI's from Soto and ARAM. With limited resources and the problem contracts, last year's Soto would certainly take care of one challenge going ahead. And, of course, there's a lot more to wonder about too.
Way to go Cubs. Let's finish strong and play some excellent baseball the rest of the way.
Hopefully, there will be a winner in all of those "13 run pools" tonight.
Hopefully!
NATION REPRESENT!
CUBS WIN! CUBS WIN!
Recognize.
Samardzija is still a work-in-progress. But he does (eventually) get three outs and the Blue come back in this one.
In the spirit of recognition, Tis Better To Win!!
Zambrano was adamant in his post-game press conference that he does not want to leave. Asked 'what kind of question is that'. Said he wants to stay. He did add that if they do not want him anymore then he would go somewhere else ... then he seemed to get upset.