Talkin’ Cubs Live – Cubs vs. Rockies – 04/27/11

Casey Coleman (1-1, 7.43/2.02) vs. Jhoulys Chacin (3-1, 2.67/1.26)

Updated 12:53pm CDT – According to multiple reports, the start of Wednesday’s game will be delayed. Cubs and Rockies are going to try to get the game in. Tarp is on the field. No expected start time announced.

Weather permitting … the Cubs will try to salvage the final game of the three-game series against the Rockies. Colorado has already clinched the season series with the Cubs (4-1) and will go for the three-game sweep this afternoon … after today, the Cubs are done with the Rockies in 2011.

After a very promising start to the homestand (won first two games against the Padres), Q’s squad has lost five of the last six and are just 3-5 in the first eight games. A win today would make the long trip to Arizona a little more enjoyable … the Cubs begin a seven-game West Coast trip Thursday night with the first of four against the D’Backs.

With Geovany Soto struggling at the plate and a day game following a night game, Koyie Hill should get the start behind the plate. Also, Tyler Colvin has been buried on the bench but is expected to start in left this afternoon with Alfonso Soriano receiving a scheduled day off. Mike Quade also said Starlin Castro would return to the three-hole in the lineup.

Randy Wells and Andrew Cashner are scheduled to meet with team doctors before the Cubs leave for Phoenix. Wells and Cashner threw without incident prior to Tuesday’s game … but both are still weeks away from returning to the rotation. Estimated timeframe on Wells is mid-May and Cashner is expected to be a couple of weeks behind Wells.

Today it all starts with Casey Coleman … Casey Coleman is coming off his worst outing at the big league level … and another bad start at Wrigley Field. Coleman lasted just 2 2/3 innings and threw over 90 pitches to the Dodgers last Friday. Matt Kemp and company scored six runs off Coleman on six hits … the Cubs’ young right-hander walked four and struck out five. Casey pitched from behind in the count for the second outing in a row. Coleman does not have the stuff to pitch from behind and must throw strike one this afternoon … the best pitch in baseball.

Coleman must start pitching better at home. In the first six games, four starts, of his career at Wrigley, Coleman owns a 1-2 record with a 8.17 ERA and a 2.09 WHIP. Teams are hitting a robust .343 against him (4-1 in nine road games, seven starts, with a 2.80 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP, opponents are hitting .237).

Casey picked up his first win of the season the last time he faced Colorado in Denver. Coleman allowed one run on four hits in 5 2/3 innings with three walks and three strikeouts.

Today will be Casey’s second career start against the Rockies (1-0 with a 1.59 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP).

Rockies Career Numbers against Casey Coleman

• Dexter Fowler – 1-for-2 with a double and a walk
• Jason Giambi – 0-for-2
• Jonathan Herrera – 0-for-3
• Chris Iannetta – 0-for-2 with a walk
• Seth Smith – 1-for-2 with a double
• Troy Tulowitzki – 1-for-3 with a triple
• Ty Wigginton – 0-for-1 with a walk

The last time the Cubs faced Jhoulys Chacin they did a lot of swinging and missing. Chacin recorded the first complete game shutout of his career against the Cubs on April 15. Chacin allowed only six hits and two walks.

Chacin followed his gem against the Cubs with a dud in Florida. The Marlins scored four runs on seven hits in five innings and handed Chacin his first loss of the season.

For as good as Chacin has been at Coors Field (2-0 in two starts with a 0.00 EA and a 0.94 WHIP), he’s been equally as bad on the road (1-1 in two starts with a 6.55 ERA and a 1.73 WHIP).

Chacin is 1-1 in three games, two starts, versus the Cubs with a 2.16 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP … at Wrigley, 0-1 in one start with a 4.76 ERA and a 1.76 WHIP.

Q’s offense must make Chacin work this afternoon.

Cubs Career Numbers against Jhoulys Chacin

• Darwin Barney – 0-for-3 with a walk
• Marlon Byrd – 1-for-6 with a walks
• Starlin Castro – 0-for-7
• Tyler Colvin – 2-for-6
• Blake DeWitt – 0-for-7
• Kosuke Fukudome – 2-for-3 with a home run and a walk
• Reed Johnson – 2-for-6 with a double
• Carlos Pena – 1-for-3 with a walk
• Aramis Ramirez – 3-for-6 with a double and a walk
• Alfonso Soriano – 1-for-5
• Geovany Soto – 1-for-5 with 2 walks

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