Game One Hundred Seven: Cubs (44-62) vs. Diamondbacks (54-52)
Game Time of Game One – 12:05pm C.T. WGN TV, WGN Radio, XM Radio Channel 186
Location – Wrigley Field, Chicago
Carlos Marmol (4-4, 4.39) vs. Juan Cruz (3-6, 4.84)
Updated with Roster Move – 11:05am C.T. – Rusch Placed on 15-Day DL – Aardsma Recalled
Somewhere Ernie Banks is smiling….The rainout on Wednesday night was the first at Wrigley since April 22, 2005. The Cubs are scheduled to start two rookies in today’s double header, both started the season with the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx and one is scheduled to make his Major League debut. Carlos Marmol is scheduled for game one and Juan Mateo is scheduled for game two. With Marmol’s inconsistent history and the unknown with Mateo, do not be surprised to see a roster move before the games to bring up an additional arm for the bullpen. Carlos Marmol takes the ball today for the Cubs and like every other outing in his young career, will Marmol be able to throw enough strikes to get the win? Marmol has been very good for the most part for the Cubs this season and has as much upside as any of the young arms currently on the 40-man roster. Marmol has won 3 of his last 4 starts despite giving up 22 walks in 21 innings.
Carlos Marmol has electric stuff and has found a way to pitch around all of the free passes. Last Friday against the Cardinals he tied a career high with 7 walks but held the division leaders to 3 runs (2 earned) on 3 hits in 5 1/3 innings of work. And while he has been successful his inability to throw strikes is only leading to high pitch counts and short outings (averaged just over 5 innings per outing in July). Marmol gave up more walks (29) than hits (21) in 25 1/3 innings in July.
Juan Cruz is scheduled to make his second start of the season against the Cubs. Cruz shutout his former team in 5 innings of work back on May 4th; the Cubs had just begun to struggle at that point and that was the second game of that horrid 9-game West Coast swing….Cruz left the game early with an injury. Cruz has not had a very good season for the D’Backs despite allowing just 3 runs on 5 hits against the Astros in his last start. Cruz has only pitched past the 5th inning four times in thirteen starts. If the Cubs can remain patient against Cruz, he will beat himself….this organization should know that.
Note – Some of the information in this article was previously posted.
Let’s Talk Cubbies Baseball….
Roster Move – The Cubs placed Glendon Rusch on the 15-day DL on Wednesday morning with a left lateral epicondylitis. The Cubs recalled David Aardsma from Triple-A Iowa to take his place on the roster.