Game Thirty-Eight: Cubs (18-19) vs. Mets (24-14)
Game Time – 6:10pm C.T. Comcast Sports Net, WGN Radio, XM Radio Channel 184
Location – Shea Stadium, Flushing
Rich Hill (4-2, 2.51/0.96) vs. Jorge Sosa (2-0, 2.77/1.00)
Rich Hill will look to get back on track tonight after his worst start of the season against the Phillies last Friday. Hill has been pitched extremely well this season for Lou Piniella but after a stellar start his last two outings have been his shortest of the of the year. A win tonight would not only put him back on track but most importantly would even the season record of his team. The Mets hit left handed pitching very well and are 7-3 against southpaws this season. Rich Hill beat himself in his last outing against the Phillies. He walked 3 and hit a batter and 3 of those runners scored on home runs by Pat Burrell. Hill is still throwing strikes and a lot of them but he is elevating his pitches and not recording ground outs at the same rate he was early on….plus he has surrendered 4 home runs in his 24 2/3 innings while walking 8 and striking out 22.
Rich Hill has faced the Mets one time in his career back in 2005 at Shea Stadium. Hill was rocked in 1 1/3 innings of work. He allowed 7 runs on 7 hits, walked 2 and struck out 1 without giving up a home run. Hill is not the same pitcher he was then. Jose Reyes is 2-2 against Hill with 2 stolen bases and he will be a big key for Rich Hill tonight. Reyes has stolen 23 bases this year and if Rich Hill has one glaring weakness it is his ability to hold runners at 1st.
Jorge Sosa will be making his 3rd start of the season after starting the season in Triple-A. Sosa was called up on May 4th, a day after the Mets DFA’d Chan Ho Park. Sosa has been very impressive in his first two starts and has pitched into the 7th inning in both. Most recently he beat the Brewers and the only runs they scored off him were two solo home runs (Geoff Jenkins and Prince Fielder) while recording just 2 other hits.
Sosa beat the Cubs the only other game he started against them in 2005. Sosa pitched in relief the Cubs twice but his only start was a very impressive one while he was a member of the Atlanta Braves (he beat Mark Prior and Kerry Wood threw in relief). Sosa allowed 1 run on 4 hits in 6 innings (in 3 appearances against the Cubs, 1-0, 1.74 ERA and a 0.97 WHIP).
- Alfonso Soriano – 6-23 with a home run and 2 RBI’s
- Jacque Jones – 2-7
Let’s Talk Cubs Baseball….