Talkin’ Cubs Live – Cubs vs. Brewers – 05/12/12

Chris Volstad (0-4, 6.55/1.39) vs. Shaun Marcum (1-1, 3.41/1.24)

Updated 11:17am CDT – Carlos Marmol Placed on 15-Day DL – Casey Coleman Recalled from Triple-A Iowa

With very little time between the final pitch of Friday’s night game that ended Saturday morning and the first pitch of today’s game, it will be interesting to see how the Cubs respond to the extra inning loss in which they took a lead into the bottom of the seven and bottom of the ninth.

The Cubs will need a long, effective outing from Chris Volstad this afternoon. Even with the day off, the Cubs bullpen is depleted. Carlos Marmol is expected to be placed on the DL with a right hamstring strain. Scott Maine did not pitch Friday night and is expected to rejoin the big league team. But Iowa is on the West Coast and played in Fresno last night.

Rafael Dolis and Kerry Wood will likely not be available after tossing two innings Friday night. Dolis threw 41 pitches, 20 for strikes, in his two frames while Wood only tossed 25 (11 for strikes), he did complete two innings of work.

Geovany Soto will be back in the starting lineup and Tony Campana should be as well. David DeJesus and Ian Stewart were supposed to have Friday off but ended up with just as many at bats as a normal game.

Today is a rematch of the game back on April 9 in which Shaun Marcum beat Chirs Volstad and the Cubs.

This afternoon all starts with Chris Volstad … Chris Volstad is coming off another bad start, statistically one of his worst of the season. Volstad allowed five runs, all earned, on four hits with three walks and one strikeout in five innings. It was the second time in six starts he had allowed five earned runs in a single outing (six runs, five earned, on seven hits with two walks and four strikeouts in five innings to the Reds on April 20).

Volstad has been consistent on the road and at Wrigley. In two starts outside of Wrigley, Volstad is 0-1 with a 5.25 ERA and a 1.42 WHIP.

Chris Volstad faced the Brewers at Wrigley back on April 9. Volstad had one of his better outings that afternoon. Volstad received a no decision after allowing three runs on five hits with two walks and six strikeouts in five innings.

In five career games against the Brewers, Chris Volstad owns a 1-1 record with a 2.30 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP … at Miller Park, 1-0 in two starts with a 0.66 ERA and a 0.88 WHIP.

Chris Volstad needs to put together a good outing this afternoon. He does not necessarily have to post a victory but he has to put his team in position to win the game.

Brewers Career Numbers against Chris Volstad

• Ryan Braun – 3-for-14 with a double and a walk
• Corey Hart – 2-for-11 with three walks
• Travis Ishikawa – 1-for-3
• Cesar Izturis – 0-for-2
• George Kottaras – 2-for-5 with a walk
• Jonathan Lucroy – 2-for-8 with a double
• Shaun Marcum – 0-for-1
• Nyjer Morgan – 4-for-20 with a home run
• Aramis Ramirez – 6-for-14 with two doubles, a home run and a walk
• Rickie Weeks – 3-for-15 with a home run

Shaun Marcum is coming off a quality start against the Giants in San Francisco. After tossing seven innings of shutout ball in San Diego (three hits, four walks and six strikeouts), Marcum surrendered three runs on five hits with two walks and threw strikeouts in six innings to the Giants. Marcum has two no decisions in his last two starts with a 2.08 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP.

Marcum has pitched better on the road (1-1 in four starts with a 2.77 ERA and a 0.92 WHIP) than at Miller Park (0-0 in two starts with a 4.91 ERA and a 2.00 WHIP) this season.

Shaun Marcum has had his way with the Cubs during his year-plus with the Brewers. Marcum has one win this season … and it was against the Cubs and Chris Volstad back on April 9. Marcum is 3-0 in three starts with a 2.70 ERA and a 0.90 WHIP.

Cubs Career Numbers against Shaun Marcum

• Darwin Barney – 4-for-10 with three doubles and a home run
• Tony Campana – 1-for-3
• Starlin Castro – 1-for-10 with a home run
• David DeJesus – 1-for-19 with three walks
• Reed Johnson – 1-for-1
• Bryan LaHair – 1-for-7 with a home run
• Alfonso Soriano – 2-for-9 with a double
• Geovany Soto – 2-for-8 with a triple
• Ian Stewart – 0-for-5
• Chris Volstad – 0-for-1

Let’s Talk Cubs Baseball …

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