Game One Hundred Fifty-Nine: Cubs (82-76) vs. Pirates (61-97)
Game Time - 7:05pm C.T.
Coverage - TV: Comcast SportsNet - Radio: 720 WGN, XM Radio Channel 185
Location - Wrigley Field, Chicago
Jeff Samardzija (1-3, 7.53/1.76) vs. Paul Maholm (8-9, 4.44/1.44)
Updated - 10:29pm C.T. - The Cubs-Pirates Game was cancelled due to rain after a 2 1/2 hour delay.
Weather permitting ... After being swept in the day-night doubleheader on Wednesday, the Cubs return to the field tonight in need of a win to earn a split of the four-game series against the Pirates. The Cubs are 10-4 this season against the Bucs after two embarrassing performances on Wednesday. Since the fourth inning on Tuesday night, the Cubs' offense has scored only two runs and has been outplayed by the last place Pirates.
While the Cubs may be 'just playing out the string', they showed a lot of effort and pride on the recently completed road trip and seemed to carry that into the opener on Tuesday. Anything but a winning homestand to finish the season would be a bad way to finish a disappointing year.
Tom Gorzelanny was scheduled to start tonight against the Pirates but was pushed to Friday for the opener against the Diamondbacks. Jeff Samardzija will make his last start and appearance of the season ... and could get a lift with the return of Aramis Ramirez to the lineup.
Lou Piniella indicated Wednesday night that Ramirez would be back in the lineup on Thursday ... reports earlier in the day indicated Ramirez's season could be over.
Tonight it all starts with Jeff Samardzija and winning a ballgame ...
Jeff Samardzija will make his third start of the season, and of his big league career, after showing a lot of improvement in his last outing. Samardzija took the loss to the Brewers but threw the ball a lot better than he did in his only other big league start. Samardzija made two huge mistakes against the Brewers ... and both went for home runs. The Cubs lost the game 3-2 as Samardzija gave up three runs on five hits in five innings with a walk and three strikeouts.
'The Shark' will be in the mix next spring for the Cubs' fifth starter spot so tonight is an important outing.
Samardzija is 0-1 in his last three games, one start, with a 6.43 ERA and a 1.43 WHIP.
Tonight will be Jeff Samardzija's fifth career appearance against the Pirates. In 4 2/3 innings he has not allowed a run and given up three hits and two walks.
- Ryan Doumit - 0-for-1
- Andy LaRoche - 0-for-3
- Lastings Milledge - 1-for-1
- Brandon Moss - 1-for-3
- Steve Pearce - 1-for-1
The Cubs will get their second look of the year at Paul Maholm. The Cubs had not beaten Paul Maholm before this season despite the fact they put up ridiculous numbers against the Pirates' southpaw in the past.
Maholm has struggled this season and has not posted a win since September 13. Maholm put together a good outing against the Dodgers in his last start. The southpaw allowed three runs on seven hits in seven innings with three walks and a strikeout.
Paul Maholm is 4-6 on the road this season in 15 starts with a 5.54 ERA and a 1.61 WHIP. Maholm is 1-1 in his last four starts with a 3.00 ERA and a 1.37 WHIP.
Tonight will be Maholm's tenth career start against the Cubs. He is 4-1 in the first nine with a 7.06 ERA and a 1.55 WHIP.
- Jeff Baker - 2-for-3 with 2 doubles
- Mike Fontenot - 1-for-4
- Kosuke Fukudome - 0-for-4
- Micah Hoffpauir - 0-for-2
- Reed Johnson - 5-for-9 with a double and a walk
- Derrek Lee - 7-for-21 with 3 doubles and 2 walks
- Aaron Miles - 1-for-7 with a double and a walk
- Aramis Ramirez - 8-for-20 with a double, 2 home runs and a walk
- Bobby Scales - 0-for-1
- Geovany Soto - 3-for-7 with a walk
- So Taguchi - 7-for-17 with 3 doubles
- Ryan Theriot - 6-for-18 with 4 doubles and 4 walks
Let's Talk Cubs Baseball....
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So...who's closest with their preseason predictions? I think I may be out of it simply by overestimating the Astros, but I think I'm pretty close with the record.
Here ya go:
http://chicagocubsonline.com/archives/2009/04/cubspredictions_2.php
I wrote up the prediction game that Boseph Heyden said in community blog, if you want to see it eaiser go check it out.
It's between your guess of 82 and mine of 88 wins. I thought I was a shoe in with the Cubs having the Pirates and D-backs at home. But I should know by now to never under estimate the degree of failure the 09 Cubs can achieve.
If there is a game ... tonight's lineup:
Theriot - SS
Taguchi - LF
Lee - 1B
Ramirez - 3B
Baker - 2B
Johnson - RF
Soto - C
Fuld - CF
Samardzija - P
Colorado is going to clinch...barring a miracle...they are leading 9-1 over Milwaukee in the eight.
Somehow...Minnesota is always pesky...they beat Detroit today...and are down 2 games with 3 to go....either team is just fodder for the Yankees anyway...but you have to admire how Minnesota hangs in year after year...
If they had our budget...look out.
Suzy ... Jason Marquis' streak is still alive. Sure didn't look like that would be the case in May.
Amazing...isn't it....maybe we should resign him...just for playoff insurance. lol
Boseph...you're the closest re our record...Ripsnorter would be second with a losing record...but correctly named the Cards as winners.
It's something to see all the names we havn't seen in a while and how optimistic we were. I don't think we'll see that type of optimism for awhile.
Lee scratched from lineup for "personal reasons" according to the Sun-Times.
Jake Fox will take his place.
Tarp is coming off the field ... just put back on
is there going to be a game tonight?? We live an hour out. thanks
No official word yet.
Neil is it harder to pick a winner when the Cubs did not win the division?
Little bit, but there will be a winner. Already know what I am sending....
I wrote up the prediction game that Boseph Heyden said in community blog, if you want to see it eaiser go check it out.
I think the Cubs will not play and not make up the game. They wont wait long while this game means nothing to both team. While the tarp is on the field.
Jason Carr announces Cubs-Pirates will start on time.
Not sure who Jason Carr is, but yes the game will start right on time!
Do you guys think we'll get the olympics?
Cubs media relations...
If there is such a thing as the Lee Elia Award, Rich Harden just won it on the pre-game interview with Jud Sirot. When asked how he liked playing at Wrigley, he commented on all the people that show up at day games and questioned whether people in Chicago worked. Poor guy. Someone better give him a Cubbie history lesson.
John, I heard the same. And thought of Lee Elia as well.
Good stuff ...
Here's a trip down memory lane.
http://www.speakeasy.org/~bucky/lee_elia_br.mp3
Caution: Rated R for language.
That's pretty funny. I bet he'll get an education by someone tonight.
Isn't WGN broadcasting tonights game? I'm listening on MLB Audio and I swear they are playing a replay of one of yesterdays games.
Shark gives up 3 with a wind blown 2-run shot from Milledge. Hopefully the bats will wake up tonight.
I've seen enough of "The Shark" I wish this guy would go back and play football.
His two pitch repatoire is really that good. He also is another guy with a no trade clause, Way to go Hendry!
Totally agree.
I've said forever that this guy (shark) is another overrated prospect. He's terrible. I just don't know what their scouts are looking at sometimes.
And yet, the prospects that we all think are good (Fox, Fuld, Blanco) get the shaft.
That just kills me.
UGH !!!!
Nice piece of hitting by So Taguchi
Hey guys! I'm ready to pack this season up and
hope for a fruitfull offseason. I'm at the braves nationals
game wishing I was at wrigley. Oh well it will soon
be spring. Love to all at the CCO!!
Agustin, It's cold and rainy here...not a good night to be out.
Second straight inning ending double play. They are more than mailing it in at this point...
Here comes the tarp ...
Still under delay ... almost 10:00 C.T. and they should call this soon.
It's a meaningless game except to the Cubs $$ and the fans that spent the time going...It should have alresady been called.
I more than agree. Should have been called at least 30 mins ago. They wanted Samardzija to pitch tonight, he did and even if they resume the game he will not return.
I was just reading Bruce Levine...Soto
said "Anybody can have a bad year." ...and I started laughing. He also said Hendry keeps telling him..."The harder you work, the luckier you get." and he plans to work hard in the offseason.
I hope so...I don't see any good candidates for catcher on the market this year.
Hendry's must be creative and with all of the no-trade clauses it is going to be hard to do. Getting younger is the key ... and not filling one of the holes in the outfield with Mike Cameron.
Pudge is a FA. He would be a good buckup and mentor. He's a much better hitter than Hill(like that's hard to do).
Please no ... Rodriguez has too much baggage. Let him stay in Texas.