Game Seven: Cubs (3-3) vs. Brewers (3-4)
Game Time – 7:10pm CDT
Coverage – TV: Comcast SportsNet Plus – Radio: 720 WGN, XM Radio Channel 175
Location – Miller Park, Milwaukee
Carlos Zambrano (0-0, 4.50/1.33) vs. Randy Wolf (0-1, 13.50/3.00)
Updated 4:35pm CDT – Jeff Stevens Recalled; Randy Wells and Andrew Cashner Placed on 15-day DL
Updated – 5:45pm CDT - According to a tweet from Carrie Muskat, Casey Coleman will start Sunday against the Brewers. The Cubs will send James Russell to the hill for his first big league start against the Astros Tuesday.
The Cubs begin a nine-game road trip tonight with the first of three against the Milwaukee Brewers. Q’s squad flies to Houston following Sunday’s game in Milwaukee and open a three-game series with the Astros. After a day off Thursday, the trip concludes with three in Colorado next weekend.
The Cubs should make two roster moves before game time. Casey Coleman is expected to be recalled and make the start Sunday against Yovani Gallardo. The Cubs will not need a fifth starter until Tuesday in Houston and they should bring up a reliever (possibly Scott Maine) for the weekend. If the Cubs are thinking about starting James Russell against the Astros, having Russell unavailable for the next four games without a lefty to take his place would waste another valuable roster spot.
Expect a healthy dose of Jeff Baker for the first two games of the series. With Randy Wolf tonight and Chris Narveson tomorrow, Baker should get back-to-back starts at second against the lefties.
After missing the final two games of the homestand, Carlos Pena is expected back tonight.
The Cubs will have their hands full all weekend with a Brewers team that has won their last three games. Milwaukee began the season 0-4 before winning the last three of the four-game series against the Braves.
The Cubs posted a 9-6 record against the Brewers last season, but that was then and tonight it all starts with Carlos Zambrano … Carlos Zambrano had a decent outing against the Pirates last Saturday. Z allowed three runs on five hits in six-plus innings before leaving with cramping in his right hand. Z was pretty effective despite walking three and giving up five hits. Zambrano received a no-decision after the Cubs scored five in the eighth.
Z has had success over the past couple of seasons against the Brewers and in Milwaukee. Zambrano is 12-8 in 31 career games, 28 starts, versus the Brew Crew with a 3.66 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP … 2-0 in five games, three starts, last year with a 3.00 ERA and a 1.38 WHIP. Zambrano is 9-5 lifetime at Miller Park in 16 games, 15 starts, with a 3.19 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP … and that includes his no-hitter in September 2008 against Randy Wolf and the Houston Astros.
With the recent injuries to Randy Wells and Andrew Cashner, the Cubs really need for Zambrano to step up and pitch like he did down the stretch last season.
Brewers Career Numbers against Carlos Zambrano
- Ryan Braun – 9-for-35 with a double, a home run and three walks
- Craig Counsell – 8-for-33 with 2 doubles and 7 walks
- Prince Fielder – 14-for-41 with 5 doubles, 2 home runs and 14 walks
- Carlos Gomez – 1-for-1
- Mark Kotsay – 1-for-9 with a walk
- George Kottaras – 0-for-2
- Casey McGehee – 3-for-14 with a home run and 2 walks
- Nyjer Morgan – 7-for-20 with a walk
- Rickie Weeks – 8-for-42 with 2 doubles, a home run and a walk
- Randy Wolf – 1-for-4 with a double
Randy Wolf had a horrible start to his season. The veteran southpaw ran into the Big Red Machine his first time out. Joey Votto and company scored six runs on 10 hits in four innings (two walks and five strikeouts). Wolf is a better pitcher than his first outing and has had his way with the Cubs over the years.
Wolf figured to be the fourth starter in the Brewers rotation before Spring Training began but the injury to Zack Greinke moved Wolf up a spot.
Randy Wolf posted a respectable 13-12 record with a 4.17 ERA and a 1.39 WHIP last season in his first year in a Brewers uniform.
Tonight will be Wolf’s 20th career start against the Cubs. The lefty is 5-9 in the first 19 with a 4.47 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP … 0-2 in two starts in 2010 with a 6.39 ERA and a 1.26 WHIP.
Cubs Career Numbers against Randy Wolf
- Jeff Baker – 4-for-12 with a double
- Marlon Byrd – 3-for-7 with 2 home runs and a walk
- Starlin Castro – 1-for-5
- Tyler Colvin – 0-for-1
- Blake DeWitt – 0-for-6
- Kosuke Fukudome – 0-for-4 with 2 walks
- Reed Johnson – 1-for-9
- Carlos Pena – 0-for-3
- Aramis Ramirez – 5-for-25 with a double, a home run and a walk
- Alfonso Soriano – 5-for-26 with 2 home runs and 4 walks
- Geovany Soto – 6-for-19 with a double, 2 home runs and a walk
- Carlos Zambrano – 3-for-5 with a double
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