Game One Hundred Thirty: Cubs (55-74) vs. Padres (58-71)
- Game Time – 3:10pm CDT
- Coverage – TV: WGN TV – Radio: 720 WGN, XM Radio Channels 184/844
- Location – PETCO Park, San Diego
Chris Rusin (2-3, 3.08/1.32/3.80) vs. Andrew Cashner (8-8, 3.74/1.25/3.71)
The Cubs wrap up the series and season series against the Padres this afternoon behind Chris Rusin. After splitting the four game series at Wrigley earlier in the season, the Cubs are 3-3 in the first six games against the Friars with one game remaining on the schedule … and if Andrew Cashner had anything to do with it, the Cubs are in for a long afternoon in San Diego.
If the Cubs do not figure out how to string together hits with runners on base and in scoring position, the last five weeks of the season will be very similar to last September. After going 1-for-7 with RISP and leaving eight men on base on Saturday night, the Cubs are 13-for-65 with RISP over their last 12 games.
Welington Castillo has been nursing sore ribs and the Cubs decided to give him an extra day with the lefty on the hill on Saturday night. Castillo is expected back in the starting lineup this afternoon.
Andrew Cashner is looking to prove a point this afternoon and “shove it up” the backside of the Cubs front office for trading him for Anthony Rizzo.
Most of the debate this afternoon will be which team got the better end of the deal that sent Andrew Cashner to the Padres for Anthony Rizzo. Cashner has pitched rather well for the Padres while depending on your view of Rizzo, he has put together a decent first full year at the big league level. Rizzo has a lot of extra basehits (20 home runs, 32 doubles, two triples) and still has a lot of work to do to become the player the Cubs feel he can become. The foundation is there with Rizzo, it is up to him to put in the work this off-season and report to Spring Training next year ready to take his game to the next level.
This afternoon all begins with Chris Rusin …
Chris Rusin was more opportunistic in his last outing than good. The Washington Nationals had runners on base all night long and 12 of those came against Rusin in 5 2/3 innings. While Rusin limited the damage and allowed only two runs on 10 hits, he tried to be too fine instead of just pitching. Rusin has been successful when he has pitched this season, but when he starts nibbling and falling behind in the count is when he has been hit very hard.
Like the rest of his big league teammates, Rusin has performed much better on the road than at Wrigley this season. Rusin is 2-0 in four starts outside of his home park with a 2.11 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP compared to a 0-3 record in three starts with a 4.32 ERA and a 1.56 WHIP … and teams have hit .225 against Rusin in their park while managing a .308 average against Rusin at Wrigley.
Chris Rusin makes his first regular season start against the Padres this afternoon. And no one on the Friars’ roster has faced Rusin during a big league ballgame.
Andrew Cashner is coming off a good outing against the Pirates. Cashner held Pittsburgh to three runs, one earned, on five hits in seven innings. Cashner walked two and struck out three batters. Cashner has allowed more than three earned runs in a single start only once in his last 10 starts and has been very good at PETCO Park.
Cashner is 3-3 in his last six starts with a 3.55 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP and owns a 5-3 mark in 11 games, nine starts, in his home park this year with a 2.38 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP. The road has been very unkind to Cashner. The Cubs must make him work this afternoon. Cashner has a tendency to overthrow and will issue his share of walks (14 walks, 26 strikeouts in last 38 innings).
The Cubs beat Andrew Cashner at Wrigley back on May 1. Cashner allowed five runs, four earned, on six hits with four walks and one strikeout in four innings. Cashner is 0-1 in three games, one start, against the team that drafted him with a 9.00 ERA and a 2.50 WHIP.
Cubs Career Numbers against Andrew Cashner
- Darwin Barney (.231) – 0-for-1 with a walk
- Brian Bogusevic (.347) – 1-for-4 with a home run
- Starlin Castro (.286) – 2-for-4
- Cole Gillespie (.345) – one walk
- Dioner Navarro (.293) – 1-for-2 with a double
- Cody Ransom (.250) – 0-for-2
- Anthony Rizzo (.252) – 1-for-4
- Nate Schierholtz (.297) – 0-for-2 with a walk
Let’s Talk Cubs Baseball …