Game Fifty-Eight: Cubs (25-32) vs. Braves (33-27)
Game Time – 6:35pm C.T. Comcast Sports Net, WGN Radio, XM Radio Channel 183
Location – Turner Field, Atlanta
Rich Hill (4-4, 2.89/1.03) vs. Chuck James (5-4, 3.78/1.52)
A rematch of last Saturday’s non-eventful game at Wrigley…. The Cubs will face Chuck James for the second time in a week and Rich Hill will get another shot to put a win on the board against the Braves. The last time these two southpaws faced off, Lou Piniella erupted, was ejected and a day later suspended. Today, Piniella will rejoin his crew in the dugout and will be without the services of Aramis Ramirez. The Cubs played very good ball in Milwaukee and were a Ted Lilly start short of a sweep. The Cubs open a 4-game series tonight in Atlanta. They split the short 2-game series in Turner Field earlier this season and have a 2-3 record against the Braves this year after losing 2 of 3 at Wrigley last weekend. Rich Hill returned to his early season form his last two times out after dropping his previous 4 starts. Hill has not posted a win since May 5th against the Nationals but has given up just 1 earned run in his last 13 innings while striking out 9 and walking 3. He gave up just 3 hits to the Dodgers on May 27th in 6 innings and held the Braves to just 4 hits in 7 innings but his throwing error led to 2 unearned runs and he left with the game tied and received another no-decision.
Chuck James was in line to pickup his 6th win of the season last Saturday but Tyler Yates allowed the tying run to score in the 7th. James has allowed just 3 earned runs in his last 2 starts (12 innings) on 11 hits while striking out 12 and walking 6. The Cubs did show patience against James and walked 4 times. Alfonso Soriano hit a home run against James in the 5th, the first of three days going yard in a row for Soriano.
James is 1-0 in 2 career starts against the Cubs with a 2.77 ERA and a 1.31 WHIP. In 13 innings against the Cubs, James has given up 5 runs, 4 earned, on 12 hits while walking 5 and striking out 10.
Aramis Ramirez stayed in Chicago for an MRI on his knee but is expected to rejoin the team in Atlanta on Friday.
Let’s Talk Cubs Baseball….