Game Fifty-Nine: Cubs (37-21) vs. Padres (23-36)
Game Time – 9:05pm C.T.
Coverage – TV: Comcast SportsNet – Radio: 720 WGN, XM Radio Channel 186
Location – PETCO Park, San Diego
Jason Marquis (2-3, 4.98/1.64) vs. Wilfredo Ledezma (0-2, 4.25/1.53)
Update – According to a report by Bruce Levine on ESPN 1000, Kevin Hart will be recalled before tonight’s game against the Padres. Will update when the other roster move is announced.
Updated – 6:47pm C.T. – According to a report on Cubs.com, Kevin Hart was recalled from Triple-A Iowa and to make room on the active roster Micah Hoffpauir was optioned back to Triple-A. Lou Piniella has 13 pitchers on the 25-man roster.
The Cubs will look to keep the streak going tonight and move to within a game of .500 on the road behind Jason Marquis. Lou Piniella needs, at the very least, a quality start out of Marquis in order to give his bullpen a rest. Piniella was reportedly not happy with his staff following Monday’s win and brought up the notion again of carrying 13 pitchers on the active roster again. The middle relief must become more consistent….and the first step is to throw strikes.
Kosuke Fukudome will reportedly receive the night off. Expect Mark DeRosa in right, Ronny Cedeno at 2nd and Reed Johnson in center against the southpaw Wil Ledezma. Jason Marquis is coming off a good start and was in line for the win before Lou Piniella lifted him for Neal Cotts. Cotts surrendered a 2-run single to Willy Taveras, Marquis went down the tunnel but the Cubs won the game 8-4. Marquis gave up 3 runs on 7 hits in 5 1/3 innings last Thursday at Wrigley. Despite a solid line, Marquis had another bad inning and struggled with his command.
Marquis will be looking for his first win since May 18th and his first against a team other than the Pirates. Marquis took the loss against Shawn Estes and the Padres back on May 13th at Wrigley. He gave up 4 runs on 9 hits in 5 2/3 innings with a walk and 3 strikeouts.
Marquis is 3-3 in 7 career starts, 8 games, against the Friars with a 3.86 ERA and a 1.43 WHIP. Marquis has pitched a little better on the road this season than he has at Wrigley….0-1 in 4 starts with a 4.76 ERA and a 1.81 WHIP with a .299 opponents batting average.
Marquis pitched extremely well in his previous 2 starts at PETCO….0-1 with a complete game, a 1.76 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP.
- Michael Barrett – 9-for-23 with 3 doubles, a triple, a home run and 4 walks
- Jody Gerut – 1-for-3 with a double
- Brian Giles – 3-for-11 with a home run
- Adrian Gonzalez – 2-for-7 with a double and 2 walks
- Khalil Greene – 2-for-9
- Tadahito Iguchi – 5-for-10 with 2 doubles and 3 walks
Wil Ledezma will make his 5th start of the season tonight for Bud Black. Ledezma had a solid outing in his last start against the Nationals on May 29th. He gave up just 1 run on 2 hits in 5 innings with a season high 7 strikeouts and 3 walks.
The Cubs have been successful against Ledezma out of the pen and tonight will be his first career start against the Cubs. In 2 career outings (3 innings) he has allowed 3 runs on 5 hits with a strikeout. Ledezma is 0-2 in his first 3 starts of the year at home with a 4.29 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP but teams are hitting just .216 against him in 6 games.
- Mark DeRosa – 1-for-4 with a walk
- Kosuke Fukudome – 1-for-2
- Reed Johnson – 0-for-2
- Derrek Lee – 0-for-1
- Aramis Ramirez – 1-for-2 with a double
- Alfonso Soriano – 1-for-5 with a walk
- Geovany Soto – 1-for-1 with a home run
Let’s Talk Cubs Baseball….