Game One Hundred Thirty-One: Cubs (54-76) vs. Pirates (50-81)
Game Time – 6:05pm C.T. Comcast Sports Net, WGN Radio, XM Radio Channel 183
Location – PNC Park, Pittsburgh
Angel Guzman (0-3, 5.84) vs. Ian Snell (11-8, 4.58)
Updated 5:21pm with Roster Moves – Lee Activated – Coats Optioned
The Battle for the Basement….after being swept by the Cardinals, how will the Cubs respond against the Pirates? Tonight is the first game of the last series in Pittsburgh this season. According to several reports over the weekend, Derrek Lee is expected to be activated from the DL before tonight’s game, so a roster move will have to be made and expect them to send Buck Coats back to Iowa. The Cubs will face the Pirates ace, Ian Snell, their Carlos Zambrano. Snell has 11 wins for a team that has only 50, not to bad but he is 0-2 with a 9.00 ERA in 2 games against the Cubs this season. Angel Guzman is coming off the best start of his career against the Phillies last Wednesday night. Guzman received a no-decision and allowed just 1 run on 4 hits in 6 innings of work. He tied a career high in strikeouts with 8 and walked just 3. Guzman threw strikes and looked very confident on the mound.
This is a season where all of the rookies can make a case for a starting job next season. Sean Marshall should be back soon after his tremendous start on Sunday for the I-Cubs (1 run on 6 hits in 7 innings, 3 walks, 7 strikeouts) and Rich Hill looks like he as begun to turn the corner on his career. The last 5 weeks is very important for the “young guns” future….who will take advantage has yet to be seen.
Let’s Talk Cubbies Baseball….
Roster Moves – According to several reports out of Chicago, as expected, the Cubs activated Derrek Lee from the 15-Day DL and optioned Buck Coats back to Iowa, expect Coats to be back up by the end of the week when the rosters expand.