Game One Hundred Sixty: Cubs (82-76) vs. Diamondbacks (68-91)
Game Time - 1:20pm C.T.
Coverage - TV: WGN TV - Radio: 720 WGN, XM Radio Channel 183
Location - Wrigley Field, Chicago
Tom Gorzelanny (7-2, 4.70/1.23) vs. Billy Buckner (3-6, 6.59/1.59)
Weather permitting ... the Chicago Cubs will begin their final series of the season this afternoon against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
When these two teams met in Arizona back at the end of April the Cubs were a game over .500 (9-8) and the D'Backs owned a 7-11 record. Arizona took two of three from the Cubs at Chase Field just nine days before the Cubs would lose Aramis Ramirez for nearly two months. But that was then ... and with three games left in the 2009 campaign, both clubs are playing out the schedule.
If they can get the game in, it all starts with Tom Gorzelanny and finishing the season with three wins ...
Tom Gorzelanny is coming off back-to-back wins against the Brewers and Giants. Gorzelanny has put together two good starts and has shown a lot of improvement with his velocity and command.
In his last two games Gorzelanny has given up three runs on 11 hits in 10 innings with four walks and 14 strikeouts (2.70 ERA and a 1.50 WHIP).
Gorzelanny is reportedly in the Cubs' plans for next season, possibly as their fifth starter. Gorzelanny has pitched rather well in limited action for the Cubs and has the ability to be a solid piece in next year's puzzle.
The Cubs' second southpaw is 2-0 in his last six games, two starts, with a 3.21 ERA and a 1.36 WHIP.
Today will be Gorzelanny's first appearance against the Diamondbacks. He is 1-0 in three career starts versus Arizona with a 3.15 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP. Gorzelanny last faced the D'Backs on June 7, 2008. Gorzelanny received a no decision in a 4-3 Pirates' loss. He gave up three runs on five hits in seven innings with three walks and a strikeout.
- Eric Byrnes - 0-for-4 with a walk
- Stephen Drew - 3-for-10
- Conor Jackson - 1-for-9
- Mark Reynolds - 2-for-8 with a home run
- Chris Snyder - 0-for-9
- Justin Upton - 3-for-6 with a double, a triple and a home run
- Chris Young - 2-for-4 with 2 doubles and 2 walks
Billy Buckner will make his first career start against the Cubs this afternoon. Buckner is one of the D'Backs top pitching prospects (Baseball America ranked Buckner Arizona's eighth best prospect before the season, sixth best pitcher) and has put together a decent big league season.
Buckner was 1-0 in ten games, all of out the pen, a season ago with a 3.21 ERA and a 1.43 WHIP. This season he has made 12 starts, fifteen appearances, and tossed a total of 71 innings for the big league club. Buckner has been awful at home this season (1-4 in seven starts, ten games, with a 9.53 ERA and a 1.76 WHIP) and dominant on the road.
Billy Buckner is 2-2 in five road starts with a 2.87 ERA and a 1.37 WHIP ... the Cubs will have their hands full this afternoon.
Buckner is 1-1 in his last five starts with a 3.86 ERA and a 1.35 WHIP. To say he's begun putting it together would be an understatement.
The Cubs faced Buckner for one inning on July 23, 2008 ... Buckner gave up a hit and struck out a batter in one inning of work.
- Jeff Baker - 0-for-1
- Kosuke Fukudome - 0-for-1
- Derrek Lee - 1-for-1
- Aramis Ramirez - 0-for-1
- Geovany Soto - 0-for-1
Let's Talk Cubs Baseball....
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I think I'd change my name a little if I were Billy Buckner...he is no relation
to the infamous Bill...but still.
BTW...Isn't it amazing Bill Buckner got tagged for the miscue...When Leon Durham
did the same thing a few years before in the playoffs...and Durham was not tagged.
Suzy:
Maybe he can change it to Bob Stanley?
Reverse the Curse! The best baseball doc I have ever seen. When they interviewed those people after the 2004 WS you can feel the emotion. They all were speechless, teary-eyed it was the most poignant-baseball related moment that I ever saw.
OUR TIME WILL COME!
JimC...Our Time WILL come...I just hope
I see it...I'm getting older now.
Yes, the 2004 World Series was huge in my family...If the Red Sox can do it after selling the Bambino for cash...we can surely kill an old goat...lol.
Bob Stanley?...He was a trooper...but if we're talking names of distinction...
Peter LaCock would stand out...and Rebel
Riding will be starting for us on the WS
Cubs team!!!LOL
No Olympics for Chicago.
I guess the White sox contingency
(Daley, Obama, Ryan) couldn't pull it off.
I think Chicago would of the been the best place for the olympics over the other countries, In my opinion they have everything.
There is no competition when you have Rio.
- the whole country (Brasil) is both financially and emotionally behind the town
- there is no economic fuss at stake
- Rio is neutral when it comes to broadcast money that the US Olympic Committee is having problem against the OCC
I believe the 2016 choice will serve the whole S.America very well. The continent yet needs to host the Rings. They need it more than Chicago. Too bad baseball won't be part of it...
Starting Lineup:
CF Fuld
RF Fukudome
3B Ramirez
1B Fox
2B Baker
LF Scales
C Hill
SS Blanco
P Gorzelanny
Derrek lee not at ball park, still dealing with personal issues.
I hope DLee and his family will be OK
whatever it is...for him not to be there
is serious...he's a pro's pro.
You are exactly correct never has a bad word to say no matter what is happening with the team and himself.
Interesting lineup...only 2 players...
Fuko and ARAM were starters on opening
day.
I wonder what the lineup and circumstance will be one year from today?
I have a lot to do today...so this is my last post until tonight...see ya then.
Goodspeed. It's always a pleasure to see you here.
:)
Koyie Hill with the first hit!
This is painfull, I'm out.
If it wasn't rain, we would be "officially" swept by the Buc. Now it would be Mark Grace's territory reclaimed. Go DBacks! LOL
Why have we not seen more of Tyler Colvin?
A fitting end to the season!
Thank you 09 Cubs for sending us off into the winter without a single sign of hope or breath of fresh air. I just can't wait until the 2010 (or 11 or 12) season, so I can watch a bunch of over-paid, under talented, un-motivated, mediocre players, slog through season after season, untill the team is able to shed these ungodly contracts and pariahs of MLB.
Wait! You missed the real hope! Aaron Miles is on a salary drive. Got his average up to .185!
Batting his weight woohoo.
Neil might want to start a new CCO theme: "Miles from Miles to Hit."
Last night Dave Kaplan made a comment to the effect that Aaron Miles is going through some kind of unspoken personal problems like a divorce or something. This may be the reason his brain isn't in the game. Giving him the benefit of the doubt at least.
That being said, I hope he plays somewhere else next year.
John, I heard Kaplan say the same ... and this is not the first 'rumblings' I've heard about Miles' off field problems this season.
This is PATHETIC!!!!!
maybe it's just me..but it seems like ever since the 2005 season the Dbacks have owned the Cubs in a fairly bitch/master type of relationship..and it's been pretty typical the Cubs lose 2 of the 3 games in a set and then win 1.
and the 2 they do lose they either have no offense or the Dbacks just open a can of offensive whoop ass on the Cubs...
they just know how to bring out the worst in the Cubs
Three runs in a single inning ...
The makeshift lineups of recent games don't project to be and have not been very productive. That means that the starting pitching has to shut down the opponents for the first three or four innings to let the offense know that 2 or 3 runs might be enough to win.
The starting pitching has been poor, the lineups have lived up to their projections and the Blue have sucked. My take is that the results, while disgusting, are not symptomatic of much.
Another homer for Eric Byrnes ... came in with 6 all season.
One of the other improvements the Ricketts Family must make is in the advance scouting department.
Just stopped by for sec...
Neil why don't you put a suggestion
list together to present to Ricketts from the CCO...it might be fun.
Certainly, it would get a lot of frustration out....Once we weed out
the expletives and have a list of solid suggestions...we can all sign off on it.
Excellent idea. I will post one, giving you full credit of course.