Game 23 Thread / Cubs @ Nationals (1 of 3)
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| SP | Ryan Dempster | SP | *Odalis Perez |
| 3-0, 3.00, 16K, 11 BB | 0-3, 3.38, 20 K, 12 BB | ||
| CF | Reed Johnson | 2B | #Felipe Lopez |
| SS | Ryan Theriot | SS | #Cristian Guzman |
| 1B | Derrek Lee | 3B | Ryan Zimmerman |
| 3B | Aramis Ramirez | 1B | *Nick Johnson |
| RF | *Kosuke Fukudome | CF | Lastings Milledge |
| LF | Mark DeRosa | C | #Johnny Estrada |
| C | Geovany Soto | LF | Wily Mo Peña |
| 2B | Ronny Cedeno | RF | *Rob Mackowiak |
| P | Ryan Dempster | P | *Odalis Perez |
WIth tonight's first-ever visit to Nationals Park, the Cubs will have played in three different cities in three different time zones, necessitating somewhere around 2,700 miles in air travel, all in a little over 72 hours. Gotta love those schedule gremlins.
Even with yesteday's loss to the Rockies, the first-place Cubs have won 8 of 10. After opening the season 3-0, the fifth-place Nationals, who needed 13 hits against the Mets on Thursday to raise their team average to .233, have lost 16 of 20.
The Cubs beat Washington in 6 of 7 games a year ago, winning 3 of 4 at RFK.
As for tonight's pitchers, the Cubs' Dempster labored through five innings and 94 pitches last Sunday against the Pirates, a game the Cubs won 13-6. Perez, the first of three lefty starters the Cubs will see in this series, hasn't hooked up with the Wrigleys since his days as a Dodger in 2004. He has also pitched well enough to win in four of his five starts, but hasn't won any.
Five runs of offensive support in 26 2/3 IP will do that to a guy.
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Comments
Re: Dempster labored through five innings and 94 pitches
on Fri, 04/25/2008 - 5:19pm Permalink
He wasn't laboring at all until the fifth inning when he suddenly lost his command as only Ryan Dempster can do. Took him 37 pitches to get out of the inning.
Re: Game 23 Thread / Cubs @ Nationals (1 of 3)
on Fri, 04/25/2008 - 8:13pm Permalink
For those not watching the game, Johnson just made a highlight reel catch. One of the best I've seen this year.
Re: Game 23 Thread / Cubs @ Nationals (1 of 3)
on Fri, 04/25/2008 - 8:16pm Permalink
That catch by Johnson was amazing. You have to see it to believe it.
However, I saw it and I still can't believe it...
Re: Game 23 Thread / Cubs @ Nationals (1 of 3)
on Fri, 04/25/2008 - 9:34pm Permalink
well, that sucked. Theriot can't steal bases worth shit anymore. Howry is still struggling. We burned another long inning out of Marmol. And, as hard as it is to say, I would have much rather had Cedeno hit with the bases loaded. Using up Cedeno, Ward, Murton, Blanco, and Fontenot to get one RBI walk and one K seemed like a waste.
Re: Game 23 Thread / Cubs @ Nationals (1 of 3)
on Fri, 04/25/2008 - 10:12pm Permalink
I have to admit I was a bit suprised by all that. When the bases got loaded after the IBB and Cedeno up, I thought he'd go to Fontenot since Acta would certainly go to the lefty and burn Fontenot instead of Ward there...and then go Murton. That would have left Ward for the next AB instead of Fontenot. Unless Lou thought there was a chance that Acta would have left Ayala in there...but that seemed unlikely.
Re: Game 23 Thread / Cubs @ Nationals (1 of 3)
on Fri, 04/25/2008 - 9:41pm Permalink
Cubs seem to be finding ways to lose the last couple of games. Haven't been getting the big hit or making the big pitch/defensive play at the end of games. Oh well. It's a long season and there was bound to be some bounce back from their nice run of late. Neither loss was necessarily a poorly played game, but just a couple of wasted opportunities.
I will say, though, that it may be time to find a different answer on the bench than Little Lord Fontenot, at least for the time being. He's not really giving them what they need. He's not a good glove guy and he's drawn 1 walk so far in almost 40 PA's. He looks very unsettled at the plate and it really seems to be wearing on him. He strikes me as a good guy and I think he can be a good role player, but this team really can't wait for a bench guy to find himself. When Sori comes back, I'd let Murton hang around and send Fontenot down to find his groove.
Re: Game 23 Thread / Cubs @ Nationals (1 of 3)
on Fri, 04/25/2008 - 9:42pm Permalink
not getting the big hits the last couple games. still opportunities, but not the big, break-it-open hit. Guess that's why we have 5 runs in 2 games.
Re: Game 23 Thread / Cubs @ Nationals (1 of 3)
on Fri, 04/25/2008 - 10:40pm Permalink
How long will Lou stick with Fontenot on the team? He's been pretty useless -- huge K today with the bases loaded and one out in a tie game. Loved him when he was hitting .400 last year -- since then, not so much.
Re: Game 23 Thread / Cubs @ Nationals (1 of 3)
on Sat, 04/26/2008 - 9:23am Permalink
I agree about Fontenot. Enough. However, the vaunted Mark DeRosa has been terrible and a strike out king with bases loaded, or any key hitting situation - save for one time against the Mets so far. In fact, imo, if I never see him bat w/the bases loaded again it will be too soon.