Game Seven: Cubs (4-2) vs. Rockies (3-3)
Game Time – 1:20pm C.T.
Coverage – TV: WGN TV – Radio: 720 WGN, XM Radio Channel 184
Location – Wrigley Field, Chicago
Ted Lilly (1-0, 9.00/1.60) vs. Ubaldo Jimenez (1-0, 0.00/1.00)
After nearly two months of playing games in Arizona, Las Vegas, New York, Houston and Milwaukee, the Cubs will finally play a game at Wrigley Field.
It’s the 2009 Home Opener….and Chicago Cubs Baseball is on the Air from Wrigley Field in Chicago!
The forecast for Wrigley today is typical for Opening Day in Chicago…a chance of showers throughout the day, high in the low 40s. Game time temperature is expected to be 43 with a wind chill of 35.
The Cubs open an important nine-game homestand with a pair against the Rockies. The Cardinals follow with a four-game series that begins on Thursday and after a day off on Monday, Dusty Baker and the Reds play a midweek three game set ending on April 23…following Wednesday’s match-up against the Rockies, Lou Piniella’s crew plays 10 straight against Central Division foes.
Geovany Soto will be available today after pinch-hitting on Sunday night. Soto is expected back in the starting lineup on Wednesday. Milton Bradley will not play today, if the Cubs are able to get the game in. Bradley strained his groin on Sunday night and is officially listed as day-to-day. Ted Lilly picked up the win last Wednesday against the Astros in a game in which he served up four longballs. Lilly allowed only four other hits in five innings of work. Lilly has to keep the ball in the park today. The Rockies love hitting against Lilly and will look to repeat the day they had against ‘The Bulldog‘ May 30 of last year.
The Cubs mounted one of the most memorable comebacks in the organization’s history on that Friday afternoon and won the game 10-9. Lilly was lifted after three innings. He allowed seven runs, four earned, on eight hits without a walk and three strikeouts…Todd Helton and Chris Iannetta both took Lilly deep before he departed.
Lilly is 2-1 in 4 career starts against the Rockies with a 7.56 ERA and a 2.22 WHIP. In 16 2/3 innings Colorado has slammed four home runs and scored 18 runs, 14 earned, on 25 hits. Lilly will serve up a couple of dingers today, his job is to keep them to solo shots.
- Garrett Atkins – 3-for-7 with a double and 3 walks
- Jeff Baker – 3-for-4 with 2 doubles, a home runs and a walk
- Todd Helton – 2-for-6 with a home run and a walk
- Chris Iannetta – 2-for-5 with a double and a home run
- Ryan Spilborghs – 1-for-6 with a walk
- Troy Tulowitzki – 1-for-5 with a walk
The Cubs will face one of the best young arms in baseball today. Ubaldo Jimenez made his first big league start on the final day of the 2006 season at Wrigley Field…since he has posted 17-16 record in 50 starts with a 3.96 ERA and a 1.38 WHIP.
Jimenez threw a 7-inning gem against the Diamondbacks in the second game of the season. He allowed only four hits and no runs with three walks and eight strikeouts. If Jimenez can pitch similar to the way he did a year ago (12-12 in 34 starts with a 3.99 ERA and a 1.43 WHIP) the Rockies improved, and healthy, offense should give him more than enough runs to post the first winning season of his career.
The Cubs hit Jimenez pretty good at the end of Spring Training and most importantly waited him out…but that was Spring Training. The Cubs offense must make him work today.
Ubaldo Jimenez is 0-2 in 3 career starts against the Cubs with a 7.24 ERA and a 1.90 WHIP…while the Cubs have hit .317 against him. At Wrigley, 0-1 in 2 starts with a 4.63 ERA and a 1.37 WHIP.
- Milton Bradley – 0-for-0 with 2 walks
- Mike Fontenot – 1-for-2 with a triple
- Kosuke Fukudome – 0-for-3
- Micah Hoffpauir – 1-for-3
- Derrek Lee – 0-for-2
- Aaron Miles – 3-for-5
- Aramis Ramirez – 3-for-5 with a home run and a walk
- Alfonso Soriano – 0-for-3
- Geovany Soto – 0-for-2 with a walk
- Ryan Theriot – 3-for-7 with a walk
Let’s Talk Cubs Baseball….