Game One Hundred One - Cubs 1 Astros 6
WP - Brett Myers (8-6) LP - Andrew Cashner (1-4) Save - None
Once again Ted Lilly did everything he could to post a win ... and once again the offense gave him zero support. In what was likely Ted Lilly's last game in a Cubs' uniform he left with two outs in the sixth after not allowing a run.
Ted Lilly entered Tuesday night with the lowest run support in all of baseball ... and the Cubs' pathetic offense did not disappoint. Lilly received a no decision and gave up just five hits with three walks and eight strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings. Lilly threw 113 pitches, 67 for strikes.
The Cubs' offense (and that word is used loosely) totaled two hits and one was of the infield variety in the first eight innings off Brett Myers. Tyler Colvin broke up the shut out with his 16th homer in the ninth. Starlin Castro followed with the Cubs' fourth hit of the game. The Cubs managed only five baserunners against Myers in nine innings. Tyler Colvin and Aramis Ramirez were the only two Cubs to make solid contact.
Three Cubs reached base in nine innings ... Tyler Colvin, Marlon Byrd and Starlin Castro. Brett Myers dominated the Chicago Cubs and made them look foolish once again.
The game changed on a single pitch from Andrew Cashner in the seventh. Cashner hit Humberto Quintero on a 0-2 pitch to start the inning. Before it was all said and done, the Astros scored six runs on just two hits off Cashner in the seventh ... by far the worst outing of his young career.
Lance Berkman hit his fifth career grand slam off Cashner in the seventh ... and capped another ugly inning for the Cubs in 2010. The Astros scored six runs on just two hits off Cashner. Cashner also hit a pair of batters and walked two, one intentional, in the debacle.
The Cubs lost to the Astros for the seventh time in 11 games.
With the loss, Lou's crew slipped back to nine games under .500 with a 46-55 record.
Ted Lilly should have been the story from Tuesday night's game. But instead the Cubs' lack of offense and another bad outing from a rookie reliever will make headlines. Ted Lilly was excellent. He had a very good changeup, threw strikes and kept the Astros off balance all night. Lilly's biggest downfall was too many deep counts that ran up his pitch count and ended his night early.
Lilly did a masterful job of pitching out of a first and third no out jam in the fifth ... but clearly ran out of gas in the sixth. Lilly walked the last two batters he faced with two outs in the sixth to end his night ... and possibly his career on the North Side of Chicago.
The game came down the seventh inning and one pitch. Humberto Quintero led off the seventh in a scoreless game. Brad Mills had already decided to lift Brett Myers for a pinch hitter. Andrew Cashner got ahead of Quintero 0-2 then plunked him on his next pitch.
Jason Bourgeois ran for Quintero and Mills decided to let Myers hit. Bourgeois stole second with Myers at the plate then Myers sacrificed him to third on a 3-2 offering from Cashner. Lou decided to intentionally walk Michael Bourn and face Angel Sanchez.
Sanchez dropped down a safety squeeze and plated Bourgeois with the go ahead run. Hunter Pence then ripped a single to right on a 1-0 pitch and drove in Bourn with the Astros' second run. Tyler Colvin threw out Sanchez at third for the second out.
Cashner was obviously done after the squeeze but Lou left him in and he walked Carlos Lee then hit Jeff Keppinger on the first pitch of the at bat.
Lance Berkman stepped in and launched a 2-0 pitch over the bullpen in right center ... 6-0 Astros.
Tyler Colvin had two of the Cubs four hits on Tuesday night ... a double and a home run and provided just about all of the highlights. Colvin broke up the shut out with his 16th longball of the season leading off the ninth.
I seldom make personal comments during recaps and reports on this site, that is what I use Talkin' for, but tonight I am going to make an exception.
I have seen (or heard) every pitch of Ted Lilly's career with the Cubs. He has become a favorite of mine over the years and I will truly miss watching him pitch every five days. Ted Lilly is a baseball player. Maybe not the most talented but he gets the most out of his ability and for that I tip my cap. Thank you Theodore for playing the game the right way.
Randy Wells is scheduled to face Bud Norris on Wednesday afternoon.
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