Game Thirty-Five: Cubs (14-20) vs. Marlins (16-17)
Game Time – 1:20pm CDT
Coverage – TV: WGN TV – Radio: 720 WGN, XM Radio Channel 186
Location – Wrigley Field, Chicago
Carlos Silva (3-0, 3.50/1.17) vs. Chris Volstad (3-2, 4.12/1.07)
With Tuesday’s loss, the Cubs dropped their third series in a row and are dire need of a win. The Cubs enter play today six games under .500 and playing their worst baseball in three years. The last time Lou Piniella’s crew won a game Carlos Silva started it and Starlin Castro set an all-time record.
The Cubs just need to relax. Piniella needs to act like he cares, at least in public, and shake up his lineup again. Maybe it is time to give Aramis Ramirez a day off and move Geovany Soto up in the lineup. Plus, it might be a good day to put Tyler Colvin in left for Alfonso Soriano. While Soriano is producing right now, he is 0-for-9 against Chris Volstad.
As Ted Lilly said, it all starts with today and one game at a time … After a very good start to the season, Carlos Silva has gotten progressively worse and is coming off back-to-back five inning starts. The D’Backs hit Silva around pretty good back on May 1 and the Reds did the same in his last outing.
Silva has been nursing a few nagging injuries, which could explain why he has not been as effective … but in reality he could just be returning to form. Silva was 2-0 in his first four starts with a 1.73 ERA and a 0.77 WHIP … but is 1-0 in his last two outings with a 8.10 ERA and a 2.20 WHIP. Teams are hitting .400 against Silva in his last 10 innings with four home runs.
To say the Cubs need the April version of Carlos Silva this afternoon would be an understatement.
Carlos Silva is 2-1 in 22 career games, two starts, against the Fish with a 3.28 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP. The last time Silva faced Florida was June 16, 2008.
Marlins’ Career Numbers against Carlos Silva
- Jorge Cantu – 1-for-4
- Wes Helms – 0-for-5
- Hanley Ramirez – 2-for-6
- Cody Ross – 0-for-2
- Dan Uggla – 0-for-4 with a walk
Chris Volstad is coming off of back-to-back wins against the Washington Nationals. The last time he faced a team other than the one that resides in the District of Columbia was on April 25 in Colorado.
Volstad tossed a complete game the first time he faced the Nats on May 1. He held a very good offense to one run on four hits. Last time out, Volstad lasted “only” seven innings and gave up two runs on four hits with a pair of walks and four strikeouts.
The 6’8″ right-hander has struggled a little outside of his home park to the tune of a 1-1 record in three starts with a 6.23 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP.
While Volstad has never beaten the Cubs … he has dominated them in four career starts. The Cubs have managed just eight runs, all earned, on 21 hits in 25 2/3 innings with five walks and 19 strikeouts (2.81 ERA and a 1.01 WHIP) … Volstad has allowed only four runs on nine hits with two walks in two career starts at Wrigley Field
Cubs’ Career Numbers against Chris Volstad
- Jeff Baker – 0-for-1
- Mike Fontenot – 4-for-11 with a double, a home run and a walk
- Kosuke Fukudome – 1-for-10 with a walk
- Koyie Hill – 2-for-5
- Derrek Lee – 2-for-11 with a double and a walk
- Aramis Ramirez – 4-for-8 with a home run and a walk
- Alfonso Soriano – 0-for-9
- Geovany Soto – 1-for-5 with a double and a walk
- Ryan Theriot – 2-for-11
Let’s Talk Cubs Baseball …