Talkin’ Cubs Live – Cubs vs. Cardinals – 09/24/10

Tom Gorzelanny (7-8, 3.90/1.46) vs. Adam Wainwright (19-11, 2.45/1.05)

It’s the Cubs versus the Cardinals for the last three games of Twenty-Ten at Wrigley Field … With both teams playing for pride, the next three games could be very entertaining. Tony LaRussa is sending three of his best to the hill … Adam Wainwright, Chris Carpenter (Saturday) and Jake Westbrook (Sunday). Mike Quade announced Carlos Zambrano would open the series in San Diego on Monday and will go with Tom Gorzelanny, Casey Coleman (Saturday) and Jeff Samardzija (Sunday) in the last homestand of the season.

The Cubs swept the Cardinals in St. Louis back early last week and pretty much ended their year. The Cubs have already won the season series (8-4) but it never hurts to beat St. Louis as often as possible. The Reds magic number is down to three. If the Cubs can take care of business today and Saturday, the Redbirds playoff hopes will officially end.

The Cubs offense scored just two runs, one earned, in three games against the Giants and will have their hands full this afternoon. The Cubs went exactly three years in between wins against Adam Wainwright, maybe they could hand him his 12th loss instead of his 20th victory of the season.

The Cubs have shown improvement under Mike Quade (18-9) and Quade said several of the young Cubs will play during this series against the Redbirds … and that could be the only way he wins the series. The offense has been horrible without Geovany Soto and Tyler Colvin, it is time Quade sits the vets and lets the players fighting for a job start a couple of games.

The Cardinals will be without Yadier Molina for the remainder of the year. St. Louis announced on Thursday that Molina is done for the season due to a sore right knee.

In Other News
According to a report from Carrie Muskat, Carlos Silva’s season appears to be over. Silva has not thrown a side session since September 12 and there does not appear to be enough time for him to get healthy enough to pitch. After an unexpected first half (9-3 in 17 starts with a 3.45 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP), Silva is 1-3 in four starts since the break with an 11.12 ERA and a 2.47 WHIP.

Don Wakamatsu’s name surfaced last weekend as a possible candidate for the Cubs job … Carrie Muskat said it is just talk according to her sources.

Today it all begins with Tom Gorzelanny … Tom Gorzelanny will make his first start since September 1. Gorzelanny was struck in the left hand by a line drive in a game against the Pirates. Gorzelanny suffered a small fracture in his hand and he was recently cleared to pitch. Gorzelanny has actually been hit twice this season by line drives and had to leave both games early.

Gorzelanny was coming off a horrible start against the Reds. Gorzelanny gave up six runs on seven hits in five innings. The Reds slammed three homers and Gorzelanny walked a pair of batters and struck out only one.

Gorzelanny has put together a solid season, especially for what should be a fifth starter in a winning rotation.

Gorzelanny is 4-5 in 14 games, 12 starts, at Wrigley this year with a 3.88 ERA and a 1.49 WHIP.

Prior to his injury, Gorzelanny was 1-3 in five starts with a 5.46 ERA and a 1.50 WHIP.

Gorzelanny beat the Redbirds the only time he faced them this season. The Cubs’ only southpaw in the rotation held Albert and company to three runs on seven hits in six innings back on July 24.

Cardinals Career Numbers against Tom Gorzelanny

• Pedro Feliz – 2-for-8 with a double
• Matt Holliday – 2-for-6 with a double and 2 walks
• Jon Jay – 1-for-2 with a double
• Aaron Miles – 8-for-18 with a double and 2 walks
• Albert Pujols – 6-for-19 with 3 doubles and 4 walks
• Brendan Ryan – 2-for-4 with a double and a walk
• Skip Schumaker – 0-for-2 with 2 walks
• Adam Wainwright – 1-for-5 with a walk
• Randy Winn – 1-for-8

Adam Wainwright is coming off an impressive win against the Padres following his worst of the season against the Cubs. Wainwright held the Padres to one run on five hits in eight innings with three walks and seven strikeouts. Wainwright bounced back nicely from giving up five runs on a season-high 12 hits to the Cubs.

Wainwright is 2-2 in his last four starts with a 3.41 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP … by far his worst stretch of the season.

The Cubs finally beat Wainwright the last time they faced him in St. Louis. Wainwright is 1-1 in two starts against the Cubs this year with a 3.60 ERA and a 1.47 WHIP.

Cubs Career Numbers against Adam Wainwright

• Jeff Baker – 1-for-6 with a walk
• Darwin Barney – 3-for-4 with a double
• Marlon Byrd – 2-for-7 with a double
• Starlin Castro – 2-for-3
• Blake DeWitt – 4-for-12 with a double
• Kosuke Fukudome – 4-for-26 with a double, a home run and a walk
• Sam Fuld – 2-for-3 with a double and a walk
• Tom Gorzelanny – 1-for-6
• Koyie Hill – 0-for-5
• Micah Hoffpauir – 2-for-8
• Xavier Nady – 8-for-20 with a walk
• Aramis Ramirez – 14-for-39 with 4 doubles, a home run and 3 walks
• Bobby Scales – 0-for-2 with 2 walks
• Alfonso Soriano – 5-for-28 with 2 doubles, a triple and 5 walks

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