Game One Hundred Fifty-Two: Cubs (78-73) vs. Giants (82-70)
Game Time - 9:15pm C.T.
Coverage - TV: Comcast SportsNet - Radio: 720 WGN, XM Radio Channel 186
Location - AT & T Park, San Francisco
Ryan Dempster (10-8, 3.72/1.34) vs. Brad Penny (10-9, 5.35/1.45)
The Cubs open their final road series of the year tonight with the first of four in San Francisco. The Cubs enter play tonight five games over .500 with 11 games remaining on the schedule. While the Giants are fighting for the NL Wild Card (four games back of the Rockies, tied with the Braves), the Cubs are one game (either a Cubs loss or a Cardinals win) from being eliminated in the central and just four games from elimination in the wild card race. Lou Piniella's crew needs four more wins to secure a winning season for the third year in a row.
Ron Santo did not make the trip West to San Francisco. Dave Otto will be in the booth with Pat Hughes ... Santo will rejoin the Cubs on Tuesday for the final seven games of the year.
Tonight it all starts with Ryan Dempster and just playing baseball ....
Ryan Dempster is coming off his best two outings of the year. Dempster allowed just one run on eight hits in eight innings to the Cardinals in his last start with just one walk and six strikeouts. In his start before versus the Brewers, Dempster tossed eight innings of shutout ball. The Brewers managed just four hits and a walk.
Dempster's back-to-back eight-inning outings represents the only starts this season in which he has completed eight innings of work. Dempster has allowed only one run in his last 16 innings with 12 hits, two walks and 10 strikeouts ... in his last four starts, Dempster is 2-1 with a 1.53 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP.
Ryan Dempster is 4-5 in 16 road starts this season with a 3.43 ERA and a 1.38 WHIP.
Dempster beat the Giants at Wrigley back on May 4. He allowed two runs on five hits in seven innings with two walks and seven strikeouts.
For his career, Dempster is 3-7 in 10 starts, 20 games, against the Giants with a 4.26 ERA and a 1.48 WHIP ... at AT & T Park, 0-3 in four starts, 11 games, with a 3.62 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP.
- Rich Aurilia - 9-for-25 with a double and five walks
- Travis Ishikawa - 0-for-2 with a walk
- Fred Lewis - 1-for-8 with a triple and 2 walks
- Bengie Molina - 1-for-7
- Edgar Renteria - 7-for-22 with 2 home runs and 4 walks
- Aaron Rowand - 0-for-10 with a walk
- Freddy Sanchez - 6-for-17 with a double, a home run and 2 walks
- Pablo Sandoval - 2-for-3 with a double
- Juan Uribe - 0-for-5
- Randy Winn - 2-for-22 with 3 doubles
The Cubs will get their first look at Brad Penny in a Giants' uniform. Penny spent a majority of the year in Boston and put up less than stellar numbers. Penny asked to be released, the Red Sox granted his request and he signed with the Giants shortly after clearing waivers.
Brad Penny was excellent in his first three starts back in the National League. He threw eight innings of shutout ball against the Phillies ... then just allowed two runs in starts against the Padres and Dodgers. It looked like the Giants found the missing piece to their rotation, until his last start.
The Dodgers jumped all over Brad Penny at Dodger Stadium to the tune of seven runs on five hits in 2 2/3 innings. The Dodgers hit three longballs and chased Penny from the game after his second shortest start of the year.
Brad Penny has carved himself a horrible reputation over the past year. His actions in Los Angeles last season, coupled with the time he spent with the Red Sox this year might make it hard for him to find work at the rate of pay he would like to have this off-season.
The Cubs beat Brad Penny the last time they faced him on June 8, 2008 in Los Angeles. The Cubs defeated the Dodgers 3-1 and scored all three runs off of Penny in six innings.
Brad Penny is 3-1 in his last four starts (all with the Giants) with a 4.01 ERA and a 1.01 WHIP.
Penny is 3-3 in nine career starts versus the Cubs with a dominating 2.64 ERA and a 1.33 WHIP.
- Jeff Baker - 1-for-1 with a double
- Kosuke Fukudome - 0-for-3
- Derrek Lee - 6-for-13 with 3 doubles and 2 walks
- Aaron Miles - 5-for-22 with a home run
- Aramis Ramirez - 10-for-26 with 2 doubles and a walk
- Geovany Soto - 0-for-3
- So Taguchi - 1-for-3
- Ryan Theriot - 2-for-7
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