Marshall Draws Giants Ace as Cubs Go for Fifth Straight Win

Pitchers: Tim Lincecum (2-1, 3.16) vs. Sean Marshall (0-1, 3.32).

Lincecum opened the season with two rough starts, resulting in a no-decision and a loss. In his last three outings, however, he has gone 3-0, 1.57, with 33 strikeouts and 4 walks and a .193 BA Against. He dazzled the Cubs in a game last July at Wrigley, becoming the first pitcher to beat Ryan Dempster last season in The Friendly Confines.

Marshall pitched well enough to beat the Marlins last week, though the bullpen failed him in the only game the Cubs have lost thus far on this brief homestand.

Here is the Cubs batting order...

Gathright, cf
Miles, ss
Fukudome, rf
Lee, 1b
Hoffpauir, lf
Fontenot, 3b
Scales, 2b
Hill, c
Marshall, p

...and per Chris DeLuca of the Sun-Times, here is the manager's explanation of the fact that Babe Theriot, Soriano, Ramirez, Soto, and Bradley are all sitting:

''Look, it's tough to sit anybody, but the fact remains that nobody
is going to play 162 ballgames,'' Piniella said. ''I said that we were
going to rest people coming out of spring training, and we've done a
pretty good job of it so far.''

You made it, Bobby: Scales is making his Major League debut after 11 years and more than a thousand games in the minors. I hope he does something today to make the fans cheer, and I hope there is someone he loves inside the ballpark to take it all in.

Also today, Joey Gathright is making his first start as a Cub, and Aaron Miles will be at shortstop for the first time since the second night of the season.

And finally, you can yell all you want at the game today...Bob Howry can't hear you.

Tags: 
Aaron Miles
Sean Marshall
Bob Howry
Joey Gathright
Bobby Scales
Submitted by Cubnut on Tue, 05/05/2009 - 7:34am
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Comments

Submitted by Q-Ball
on Tue, 05/05/2009 - 12:15pm

Blech! You forgot Soto sitting as well. What a lineup!

Submitted by Cubnut
on Tue, 05/05/2009 - 12:17pm

Thanks. Just added his name to the list. And yes--blech!

Submitted by SheffieldCornelia
on Tue, 05/05/2009 - 12:20pm

This lineup sucks more than a Hoover XL.

(Really hoping it's one of those surprise David-unexpectedly-tops-Goliath games...)

Submitted by The Real Neal
on Tue, 05/05/2009 - 12:26pm

Yeah, I prefer the staggered approach to resting the starters. I wonder how much it has to do with protecting stats or not wanting to get the struggling guys (Bradley and Soto in particular) even more screwed up.

The good thing is that with the Scrubs in, our lineup is probably about equal to San Fran's. If Marshall wants the win, he can go get it.

Submitted by mannytrillo
on Tue, 05/05/2009 - 12:35pm

Good points Neal! With the tough pitcher today maybe that is why those guys are getting the day off.

Re: Lou's comment
Soto, Ramirez and Bradley have had more than enough days off this year that they don't need rest. So I don't really understand Lou's comments. Of course Soto has caught 4 straight games and this is a day game after a night game so that is what Lou should have said as to resting Soto. So really it is curious as to why Ramirez and Bradley are not playing today, but I think Neal's points are the real reason.

Submitted by Dr. aaron b
on Tue, 05/05/2009 - 2:34pm

Might as well rest everyone on the same day. Get everyone's rest day out of the way during the Lincecum start.

Submitted by Ryno
on Tue, 05/05/2009 - 12:45pm

Aw, leave Bobby Howry alone.

Remember when that crazed fan ran out to the mound to yell at him? Good times.

Submitted by Newport
on Tue, 05/05/2009 - 12:46pm

If Lincejiz wasn't pitching I would have very little interest in watching this AAA matchup.

Submitted by big_lowitzki
on Tue, 05/05/2009 - 12:51pm

Heh... Lou, on the pre-game show, just said, "We are starting to see green on the ivory."

Yes... he said ivory.

Submitted by The E-Man
on Tue, 05/05/2009 - 1:00pm

IVory - ivy - same thing!

BAck to the lineup - As was posted last thread: "sacrificial lamb game".

Our #5 against your #1.

What I am wondering - isn't Scales more accomplished at 3rd?

Why is Lou not leaving Fonty at 2B?

WTF?!

Submitted by The Real Neal
on Tue, 05/05/2009 - 4:09pm

I wondered the same thing, but decided that Lou must have designated Pepper Spray the #1 backup at third, and consequently wants him to get all the spot starts there. Or it could be that in Scales's debut they wanted him at the position he is most comfortable, or as Joe Morgan would say 'caurmfotable'.

Submitted by The E-Man
on Tue, 05/05/2009 - 1:01pm

ROB G - can you please fix the "E" in the logo? It still looks like an "F".

Thanks!

Submitted by Brick
on Tue, 05/05/2009 - 1:36pm

If we're not careful, RobG's gonna tell us to go euck ourselves.

Submitted by Charlie
on Tue, 05/05/2009 - 1:03pm

I don't see how this lineup can fail.

Also, Scales at 2nd and Fontenot at 3rd makes all sorts of sense.

Poor Reed Johnson. Two of the starting outfielders sit out and he doesn't get to play? FREE JOHNSON!

Submitted by Ryno
on Tue, 05/05/2009 - 1:10pm

With the current lineup, with the exception of Lee, the entire lineup is either lefty or switch hitting.

Submitted by Bigz
on Tue, 05/05/2009 - 1:08pm

did whittenmyer abandon Twitter?

Submitted by mannytrillo
on Tue, 05/05/2009 - 1:29pm

OUCH!!!!! Not a good start. Down 3-0 already.

Submitted by big_lowitzki
on Tue, 05/05/2009 - 1:31pm

Shocking... manny shows up when things go badly.

Submitted by mannytrillo
on Tue, 05/05/2009 - 1:40pm

HA HA

Yeah, I haven't been around at all the past 4 games when they are 4-0.

You are Clueless!!!

Submitted by Q
on Tue, 05/05/2009 - 1:35pm

Wow this lineup is the equivalent of the Bears punting on first down.

Submitted by Jace
on Tue, 05/05/2009 - 2:24pm

Well, they might as well punt right away, before they lose the ball some other way, or lose ground. They need to get their scoring defense back on the field!

Submitted by Ryno
on Tue, 05/05/2009 - 1:50pm

Ron Santo is awesome today...

"Rich Aurillio..." "Linc... Lincecomb..."

(on Hoffpauir's warning-track hit)
"Normally that would have been out yesterday."

Submitted by Dr. aaron b
on Tue, 05/05/2009 - 2:31pm

Congrats to you Bobby Scales!

Submitted by The E-Man
on Tue, 05/05/2009 - 2:43pm

why is it Molinas have it out for us?

Submitted by Jace
on Tue, 05/05/2009 - 2:47pm

Very nice outing for Marshall. He is giving the Cubs a chance to win, against the reigning Cy Young(?) winner...

Submitted by Charlie
on Tue, 05/05/2009 - 2:56pm

Howry throws a splitter and a slider? This is news to me. Do both pitches have very little vertical movement, tail in toward right handed batters, and arrive at the plate in the low 90s?

I always thought he threw a fastball, a straight change, and the occasional hanging slider.

Submitted by Ryno
on Tue, 05/05/2009 - 3:04pm

I always thought he threw a fastball, a straight change, and the occasional hanging slider.

lol... nice

Nice outing by Marshall. After the homer he really buckled down. Let's hope these tone deaf 7th-inning singers don't mess up his mojo.

Submitted by big_lowitzki
on Tue, 05/05/2009 - 3:15pm

Nice outing by Marshall. After the homer he really buckled down.

I still want to know how Marshall is a) inconsistent, and b) more inconsistent than Jason Marquis.

Submitted by Ryno
on Tue, 05/05/2009 - 3:20pm

Okay.

Submitted by Brick
on Tue, 05/05/2009 - 3:21pm

Bases loaded, no outs. We have them right where we want them.

Oh wait - they're not the Cubs.

Submitted by Ryno
on Tue, 05/05/2009 - 3:21pm

In other news... Samardjiza is strugglin'.

Submitted by Cubster
on Tue, 05/05/2009 - 3:22pm

cub bullpen was due for a suck-fest

title for post game wrapup: shark bites baby bear

Submitted by Cubster
on Tue, 05/05/2009 - 3:23pm

shark needs to be stretched out again...do they have one of those machines in the weight room?

Submitted by Ryno
on Tue, 05/05/2009 - 3:25pm

There's always football.

Submitted by Cubster
on Tue, 05/05/2009 - 3:32pm

you know you suck as a reliever when they bring in Cotts to bail you out

(and Cotts looks good in the process)

Submitted by crunch
on Tue, 05/05/2009 - 3:50pm

nice lineup...why even bother playing the game?

yeesh.

at least marmol/gregg aren't needed after throwing 100-120 pitches each 5 out of the last 6 days.

Submitted by Jeff_Pico
on Tue, 05/05/2009 - 4:08pm

Lou would have been crazy like a fox if they would have won this one. Actually in some ways it shows you he has some confidence in the team overall to give one away like this.

On the getting cold watch: Fukudome. Hopefully he doesn't go back to his 2nd half 08 look.

I've said all along that Samardzija isn't really the answer. I don't have a problem with him on the roster but its going to take some refinement before he becomes a real contributor.

Submitted by mannytrillo
on Tue, 05/05/2009 - 4:21pm

Yeah K-Fuk has cooled down significantly.

He is now:
- 1 for his last 18 (.055)
- 9 for his last 40 (.225)

Let's hope this is more of a slump and not what the majority of his season was last year. Unfortunately I am not too optimistic on it being only a slump.

Submitted by The Real Neal
on Tue, 05/05/2009 - 4:35pm

One day I'll hammer the merits of TTO and BABIP into you guys' heads, I swear it.

Over his last 16 PA's, Fukudomke has had 1 K and 5 BB's. In the 10 other at bats he's got a .100 BABIP, for a .375. Normally he should have 2 to 3 more hits over 10 at bats. Nothing to worry about, just vagaries of small sample size.

Submitted by big_lowitzki
on Tue, 05/05/2009 - 4:49pm

One day I'll hammer the merits of TTO and BABIP into you guys' heads, I swear it.

Good luck with that... there are some that will just never get it.

Submitted by crunch
on Tue, 05/05/2009 - 4:53pm

TTO is a shit stat unless you're dealing with power hitters, imo...and even then it's a "well, duh" stat that "proves" the obvious. There's nothing to hammer home about it.

Submitted by The Real Neal
on Tue, 05/05/2009 - 5:45pm

Quote:

"He is now:
- 1 for his last 18 (.055)".

Submitted by crunch
on Tue, 05/05/2009 - 6:02pm

i stand by my statement.

Submitted by mannytrillo
on Tue, 05/05/2009 - 7:28pm

I "get it", but I care more about what a player actually does not if he was lucky or unlucky. The fact is K-Fuk has been hitting poorly lately.

Submitted by The Real Neal
on Wed, 05/06/2009 - 7:41am

No, you don't get it. The fact is that he's been doing fine, just had some bad luck. If he was striking out and not walking, that would be 'hitting poorly'. Essentially what you're saying is 'I am really worried about Fukudome, he's continue to show excellent plate discipline and is hitting the ball but not enough balls in this 12 at bat sample size (1 for 12) have fallen for hits.' Think, man.

Submitted by mannytrillo
on Wed, 05/06/2009 - 6:48pm

No, what I am saying is he is hitting like shit. Period!!

You can spin it anyway you want, but results are what matter to me, not some made up stat that says poor K-Fuk is unlucky. No he is hitting like shit. It is simple. Think man!

Submitted by Charlie
on Thu, 05/07/2009 - 8:40pm

They are all "made up" stats. Runs happen to be the ones that count toward winning or losing. Batting average doesn't necessarily predict success or failure anymore than line drive rates, contact rates, batting average on balls in play, etc. My personally favorite is just watching the guy's at bats. Sadly, I haven't been able to do that. Have you guys? Has he been hitting the ball hard, squaring it up? Has he been hitting a lot of line drives or hard ground balls right at people? Has he been getting screwed by umpires? These things are as worth talking about, if you want to anticipate how he will perform in coming days, as batting average.

Submitted by Ryno
on Tue, 05/05/2009 - 4:51pm

Fantasy Team Ryno regularly uses BABIP since you introduced me to that website. Thanks. So for my fantasy team's sake, I hope your witchdoctor stats work.

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