Game One Hundred Fifty-Four - Cubs 6 Giants 2
WP - Tom Gorzelanny (7-2) LP - Barry Zito (10-13) Save - None
As the cliché goes ... too little too late. Lou Piniella's crew waited too long to play the way most expected they would throughout the season. The Cubs have won six of their last seven games, all on the road and Saturday's win guaranteed them a winning road trip. The Cubs are 6-3 since last Friday in St. Louis with all three losses being one-run defeats.
Tom Gorzelanny put together another solid start. Gorzelanny gave up just one run on five hits with three walks and five strikeouts in five innings. The one run allowed by the southpaw was a gift courtesy of miscommunication by the Cubs defense. So Taguchi and Ryan Theriot let a fly ball of the bat of Juan Uribe in the third to fall in for the Giants' lone run until the eighth inning.
Esmailin Caridad was excellent once again out of the Cubs' pen. Caridad gave up one hit and struck out three in two scoreless innings. John Grabow gave up the Giants' second run ... a solo home run to left by Juan Uribe in the eighth.
After the Cubs tacked on in the top of the inning, Carlos Marmol still pitched the ninth in a non-save situation. Marmol retired the Giants in order on eleven pitches, eight for strikes.
The Cubs' offense did their job against Barry Zito and made the veteran lefty work. Zito was chased after only four innings of work after the Cubs plated four runs on six hits with five walks ... two intentional.
Jake Fox drove in the first two runs of the game with a bloop single to right in the third. Fox finished the game 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI ... numbers 42 and 43 on the year.
Aramis Ramirez hit his 15th longball of the year in the fourth. Ramirez launched a 1-0 pitch from Barry Zito over the wall in left. In a season full of injuries for the Cubs' third baseman, Ramirez has driven in 64 runs in 79 games. While RBI are truly a team stat, players must come through with runners on base and in limited time, Ramirez has done his job.
So Taguchi doubled and scored a run in three trips to the plate on Saturday. Taguchi followed Ryan Theriot's leadoff single in the third with a double down the left field line. Geovany Soto added two RBI. Soto drove in the Cubs' third run of the game.
Saturday was victory number 81 in a season full of disappointment and drama ... the worst the Chicago Cubs can finish the year at this point is as a .500 team.
Barry Zito sat the Cubs down in order to start the game rather quickly. Jake Fox led off the second with a single to left. Jeff Baker grounded into a 5-4-3 double play. It looked like it was going to be one of those games the Cubs have played so often this season.
Reed Johnson doubled to center with two outs in the second ahead of back-to-back walks by Geovany Soto and Sam Fuld. Tom Gorzelanny struck out swinging but the patience the Cubs showed in the second inning would set up the third.
Ryan Theriot started the three-run third with a single to center. So Taguchi ripped a double down the left field line on the first pitch from Zito. Aramis Ramirez was intentionally walked to load the bases with no outs for Jake Fox.
Jake Fox put together a good at bat. On a 2-2 pitch, Fox blooped a single into right center. Theriot and Taguchi scored, 2-0 Cubs.
Jeff Baker flied out but Reed Johnson walked to re-load the bases for Geovany Soto.
Soto hit a 0-1 pitch softly up the middle. Zito knocked the ball down with his hand, retired Soto at first but Aramis Ramirez scored ... 3-0 Cubs.
Sam Fuld was intentionally walked to re-load the bases and for the second time in as many innings, Gorzelanny made the final out of the inning (a fly out to right) with the bases loaded.
Tom Gorzelanny walked Barry Zito to start the bottom of the third. Eugenio Velez flied out to left center and Andres Torres struck out swinging. Gorzelanny walked Pablo Sandoval with two outs.
Juan Uribe followed with a pop fly into shallow left. Theriot went out and appeared to be called off by So Taguchi. The Cubs left fielder misplayed the ball, Zito scored ... 3-1 Cubs. Ryan Garko hit a soft liner to Theriot to end the inning.
Aramis Ramirez got the run back in the fourth. Ramirez ripped a 1-0 pitch with two outs from Zito over the wall in left ... 4-1 Cubs.
The Cubs added to their 4-1 lead in the sixth. Sam Fuld reached base for the third straight at bat with a single to center. Aaron Miles sacrificed Fuld to second. After Ryan Theriot struck out, Kosuke Fukudome pinch hit for So Taguchi and singled to right. Fuld scored ... 5-1 Cubs.
After Uribe's 15th longball of the year cut the Cubs' lead to 5-2 in the bottom of the eighth, the Cubs made it a four-run game once again in the top of the ninth.
Micah Hoffpauir blooped a single into left to start the inning. With Jeff Baker at the plate, Merkin Valdez uncorked a wild pitch that advanced Hoffpauir into scoring position. Baker lined out and Reed Johnson grounded out to short.
Geovany Soto singled to right center on a 1-0 pitch and plated Hoffpauir with the Cubs' sixth and final run.
8 ...
Randy Wells will face Matt Cain in the Cubs final road game of the season on Sunday afternoon.
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Rays join the list of teams interested in Milton Bradley ...
http://sports.espn.go.com/chicago/news/story?id=4506886
First, Both I and my brother want to thank everyone for their kind words and prayers....
Aaron, your suggestion was noted and appreciated...But Shawn, (my brother), like Santo...has many other issues to consider at this stage.
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Re the Rays:
Garbage in, Garbage out. God help us if we end up with Pat Burell. If Hendry does that deal...he better have a ready taker for Burrell. We'd have 2 DH's
on the team...Soriano and Burrell.
The deal would have to be expanded with other players/prospects...to equalize it...and some other trading partner to take on the players that don't fit...at a discount rate.
If Hendry is the GM...it's probably too complex for him...(Like last winter when he did the Marquis/Viscaino deal...I kept waiting for him to turn around and trade Viscaino and (prospect(s)...for someone we could really use...it didn't happen...and Viscaino was dfa'd.
Baseball has an industry-wide problem
with bad contracts. There has to be a way to solve it.
Great game today.
Neil:
It seems like their might be some kind of market for Bradley.
The more the market the better, because if you can convince a team they need to pay more because of the competition for him, they may not need to eat all that much, however that's wishful thinking.
I just posted a Bradley trade to the Rangers idea (in more detail) on the prior thread. They have both financial problems and (against the odds) a solid chance to make the playoffs next year with some pitching additions. They also have more solid prospects than most teams. The deal is: Rangers get Bradley and $6 mil cash a year, Gorzelanny, Carridad and Carpenter (RSP-AA). Nolan Ryan, the Rangers' president will like the pitching help, shedding payroll and having a chance to make the playoffs.
We get Chris Davis (23), a right handed 35-40 HR prospect (who (now strikes out too much and needs to elevate his average), 20 year old lefty and # 7 prospect, Robbie Ross and the veteran right-hander Kevin Millwood (35).
Davis is likely a gold-glover at first and more than competent at third. He has hit 19 HR's in the bigs this year and takes either Lee's or ARAM's place when one of them leaves. Millwood brings his 1 year at $12 mil with him. It's early on Ross, but he projects as a 2-3 starter.
The Cardinals just beat the Rockies and officially eliminated the Cubs.
I saw that Neil...we knew it was coming.
Good luck to the Cards in the playoffs.
They deserved it...we didn't...it's that simple.
We had too many easy out's throughout most of the season.
I hope we beat the heck out of the Cards next season. To be honest...most of this season was agony...even though we'll wind up with a winning record.
Eliminate Soriano/Bradley/Miles and Gregg
...and we have a decent team.
Sorry to disagree Suzy, but I hope the Cardinals fail miserably. The last thing I want to see is them getting lots of home town discounts on extensions and free agents, to play on a championship caliber team.
Congratulations Gary !!!
I wondered how long it would take fo someone to take me to task...re the Cardinals...You're the winner.
Just read Pujols won't consider an extension...until he sees what direction
the Cards are going to go re...LaRussa/Holliday/DeRo etc.
I don't think it matters what the Cards do...LaRussa will go...Holliday will leave NO money on the table...and the Cards will be a different team next season.
Did you see they let Wainright go 130 pitches over eight innings?
...Playing with fire...they'll need
him in the playoffs.
I did and he barely got the last batter (Giambi), very low strike in my opinion.
Why is Jake Fox not being given time in the outfield to prove that he can play regularly? Seems the way to fill bradley's absence is from within.
I can't believe the cubs are going to get too much for bradley. Rowand is not the answer.
To disguise his liability as a defender. I agree with you though - Aaron Rowand is not an answer.
So here's a chance for some redemption for JH. The Rays are expressing interest in Bradley. Forget Burrell, let's get creative with adding a prospect or two, or perhaps the addition of Fontenot, and land Carl Crawford.
I have some preference for the Rockies to win the wild card--and hope they can beat the Cards and Lohse today. The Braves are 2.5 behind and are playing in Mr. Rogers Neighborhood the rest of the way--5 with Washington and 3 with Florida. The Rockies are in Mr. T's neighborhood with Milwaukee and the Dodgers. It seems to be a pattern we've experienced, but Jason Marquis has not done well in September for the Rockies.
Here is a teaser which possibly is old news in the Chicago area. Here in Indy, it looks like an interesting discovery. If it works for you, don't post the answer until high noon, Chicago time--to give others some "pondering time". Pondering is known to ward off Alzheimers, and some of us need the exercise. Do post an earlier, "I know" if you like.
Legacy big leaguers, like coaches kids in various sports, often have a developmental advantage. In our system (high A or higher), I believe we have a legacy player whose dad and granddad each played in a major league all star game. The older guys combined to play in the bigs for more than 25 years, and one played for the Cubs. Do you know who our system's legacy player is?
AS a resident of central Missouri I can honestly say I don't look forward to the Cards doing well! What are everyone's thoughts about the possibility of Dave Duncan leaving St.Louis and wearing blue next year? Just a thought/ or question...
I'd like to hear from Aaron who thought the Grabow/Gorzy trade for Kevin Hart and a AA prospect. If you look at Hart's numbers over the past month, they are horrible while we've gotten solid, consistent work from both Grabow and Gorzy. In fact, I'd say that both are a keeper, Grabow more than Gorzy.
I don't post much but Neil runs an excellent site and I'm a frequent lurker here. While I think that Hendry had an off year this and definitely made some boneheaded moves, I also believe getting Ramierez, Lilly, DeRosa, etc were brillant pickups. Sometimes you gotta take the good with the bad.
well, Gorzy=Hart. They're essentially the same type of pitcher. They'll both be up and down a lot. Both have pitched in the pen and rotation with decent success in both roles, then they'll be absolutely horrible the next time out. At the time, the trade was a bad move, and I still think that Ascanio, Hart, and Harrison were a lot to give up for 2 mediocre pitchers. Grabow is nowhere close to being a good pick-up. Don't be fooled by his ERA with us. Pay attention to the peripherals. His 14 k's to 12 walks is a HORRIBLE ratio. At 30 years old, he'll have just 2 seasons (this year and last year) under a 4.13 ERA (his lowest prior total). In fact, here's his ERA totals (in full seasons):
5.11
4.85
4.13
4.53
2.84
3.18 (this season)*his WHIP average is absolutely horrendous at 1.430 over his career.
Could Grabow develop into a solid lefty reliever for us? Sure, it's possible. But for what he's likely to command in free agency (3 yrs, $9-12 million), it's too hefty of a price for someone that has awful peripheral stats, and has better success against righties than lefties.
If you look at Ascanio's amazing WHIP this year as a starter in the minors with close to a 1.241 WHIP, and just over a 3.00 ERA, and high K totals, you can see the potential right there. With Gorzelanny and Grabow, I think we've seen what we're going to get. Gorzelanny will be a rollercoaster ride, and Grabow will be up and down as well over the course of a full season. You might say, "but..but...but...Grabow has a 2.70 ERA with us" and while you're right...you're ignoring his historicals, and as we saw with pretty much every Hendry signing/trade, you MUST go off of historicals and NOT one season when predicting the future.
As for other things. Want to know what I do with the Bradley situation??? If it's true that the Rays are the team that most wanted him outside of us, then I'm trading Bradley AND Soto (as the Rays are supposedly interested in a catcher) for Burrell and Upton...straight up deal. Cubs get rid of 2 dead weight guys in favor of one versatile athletic guy, and another (Burrell), who has a history of success (ie-30 hr, 100 RBI seasons) whereas Bradley doesn't have a single one. I guess we could expand a deal, or replace Upton with Crawford, but we need a shortstop and versatile player, and Upton fits the bill for that. Burrell has one less year than Bradley on his deal