Game One Hundred Thirty-Five: Cubs (68-66) vs. Mets (61-75)
Game Time – 12:10pm C.T.
Coverage – TV: WGN TV – Radio: 720 WGN, XM Radio Channel 184
Location – CitiField, Flushing, New York
Randy Wells (10-7, 2.90/1.22) vs. Mike Pelfrey (9-10, 5.03/1.55)
The Cubs finish their season series with the Mets this afternoon. Lou Piniella’s crew has won three of the first five against the other team from New York.
Reports surfaced on Friday night that Alfonso Soriano would soon have arthroscopic surgery on his knee in order to ensure he was fully recovered before spring training of 2010. While Soriano obviously needs the surgery, he may wait just a little longer before undergoing the procedure according to reports on Saturday. The Cubs must do what is best for the team in 2010 (and beyond) and if Soriano needs his knee scoped there is no reason whatsoever for it to be delayed.
According to a report in the Sun Times, Soriano will have his eyes tested after teammates and members of the Cubs’ staff asked him about his eyesight. There has been discussion about Soriano’s eyesight in recent days as well as the weight of the bat he currently uses.
Esmailin Caridad will rejoin the Cubs today with Jeff Stevens expected back on Monday. Jeff Samardzija will make one more start for Iowa before rejoining the big league club.
Today it all begins with Randy Wells and not mailing in the rest of the season … Randy Wells will go for his 11th win of the year in his first career appearance against the Mets this afternoon. Wells has been one of the bright spots for this year’s club and is coming off another impressive outing.
With a lot of concern mounting over the amount of innings (and pitches) Wells has logged this season, he shutdown the Astros once again. Wells gave up just one unearned run on seven hits in 6 2/3 innings to Houston and became the Cubs’ first ten-game winner of the year.
Wells has been very good on the road this season. He is 4-3 in ten starts with a 2.67 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP.
Jeff Francoeur is the only Met that has faced Randy Wells … Francoeur is hitless in two at bats.
The Cubs will get their first look at Mike Pelfrey this afternoon. Pelfrey has more than struggled of late and is dealing with confidence issues right now. The Rockies beat up on Pelfrey in his last outing … seven runs, six earned, on six hits with five walks and four strikeouts in four innings.
Pelfrey cannot find the strike zone and the Cubs must be patient this afternoon … something they have not been doing of late. In Pelfrey’s last two starts (9 2/3 innings) he has issued 10 walks and 17 hits.
For as much inconsistency as Pelfrey has had this season, he is 5-3 in 14 starts at home with a 3.80 ERA and a 1.37 WHIP … but since the break, a horrible 2-6 in nine starts with a 6.10 ERA and a 1.68 WHIP.
Jeff Baker (1-for-3) and Aaron Miles (3-for-6) are the only two Cubs that have faced Mike Pelfrey.
Let’s Talk Cubs Baseball….