Game Sixty-Nine: Cubs (28-40) vs. Yankees (39-28)
Game Time – 1:20pm CDT
Coverage – TV: Comcast SportsNet, MLB Network – Radio: 720 WGN, XM Radio Channel 187
Location – Wrigley Field, Chicago
Doug Davis (0-5, 5.90/1.86) vs. Freddy Garcia (5-5, 3.60/1.40)
The Cubs welcome the New York Yankees to Wrigley Field this afternoon for the first game of the weekend series. The Cubs begin a stretch of nine in a row and 12 of 17 against the American League that concludes on July 3 … Q’s squad is 1-2 in Interleague play so far this season. After three against the Yankees, the Cubs will travel to the South Side for three then to Kansas City next weekend. After a makeup on Monday, June 27 with the Rockies and four games in three days against the Giants, the Cubs wrap up their Interleague schedule with three against the Sox at Wrigley.
The Yankees will be without Derek Jeter for the weekend series. Jeter was placed on the 15-day DL earlier in the week with a strained right calf.
The Cubs will welcome Larry Rothschild, Joe Girardi and Mike Harkey back to Wrigley. Rothschild stepped down as the Cubs pitching coach in the off-season after accepting the job with the Yankees. Girardi, the former Cub, was rumored to be in the mix to land the Cubs job last season. Reportedly Girardi was skipped over for the Cubs job back in 2006 when Jim Hendry decided to hire Lou Piniella.
The last time the Bronx Bombers played at Wrigley was back during the magical season of 2003. The Cubs took two of three that weekend but it was the middle game that ended up being the most memorable.
Kerry Wood faced Roger Clemens, who at the time was looking for his 300th big league win. Woody ended up beating the Rocket thanks to a big blast off the bat of Eric Karros in the seventh inning. Karros replaced Hee-Seop Choi early in the game after Choi had to leave the game with an injury.
Momentum is only as good as the next day’s starting pitcher … and today it all begins with Doug Davis. Doug Davis is coming off one of his better outings as a Cub. Davis was in line for his first win of the season after allowing two runs on five hits in five innings with five walks and six strikeouts. Sean Marshall could not hold the one-run lead and the Phillies beat the Cubs 4-3 last Sunday.
Davis is 0-3 in three starts at Wrigley with a 3.38 ERA and a 1.44 WHIP. But will all due respect to San Francisco, Pittsburgh and Houston, they are not exactly the New York Yankees … especially if the wind is blowing out again today.
The Cubs must start receiving something from Doug Davis. The Cubs are 2-19 this season in games started by Doug Davis, James Russell, Casey Coleman and Rodrigo Lopez. If Davis cannot win games or at least eat innings, the Cubs should use this spot in the rotation as an audition for pitchers in their system.
Doug Davis is 3-2 in six career starts against the Yankees with a 6.28 ERA and a 1.99 WHIP, the last time he faced A-Rod and company was back in 2007.
Yankees Career Numbers against Doug Davis
- Robinson Cano – 0-for-6
- Chris Dickerson – 1-for-2 with a walk
- Freddy Garcia – 1-for-4
- Andruw Jones – 2-for-11 with 2 doubles and 2 walks
- Jorge Posada – 3-for-15 with a home run and a walk
- Alex Rodriguez – 1-for-6 with a double and 4 walks
- Mark Teixeira – 0-for-3
Freddy Garcia has owned the Chicago Cubs throughout his career and is having a very good season in the Bronx. Garcia is coming off an impressive outing against the Indians. Garcia held Cleveland to one run on seven hits with two walks and six strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings.
Garcia posted a 3-3 record in six starts last month with a 3.96 ERA and a 1.40 WHIP. Sweaty Freddy is 1-1 in his last two outings with a 5.40 ERA and a 1.92 WHIP.
The former Mariner and Southsider is 4-0 in six career starts versus the Cubs with a 1.47 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP … at Wrigley, 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA and a 0.86 WHIP, one unearned run on five hits in seven innings.
Cubs Career Numbers against Freddy Garcia
- Starlin Castro – 1-for-2
- Doug Davis – 0-for-4
- Kosuke Fukudome – 1-for-3
- Carlos Pena – 4-for-36 with 3 walks
- Aramis Ramirez – 6-for-15 with a home run
- Alfonso Soriano – 7-for-23 with a double, a triple and 2 walks
- Geovany Soto – 0-for-3
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