It's not quite like that feeling you get when you climbed the rope in gym class, and it's a little different than the feeling I used to get before I went onstage. But it's good, and I like it.
I won't call it optimism, because I recognize that there are still plenty of problems with this team, and back-to-back shutouts doth not a playoff push make, especially in May. I guess it's...enthusiasm, like I said yesterday. It's amazing what a difference a couple of days and some good news can make:
*
Carlos Zambrano scatters four hits over eight innings, strikes out eight, and walks only two
* Sean Marshall and three relievers combine to one-hit the Nationals
* Kerry Wood makes his season debut tonight
*
Mark Prior makes his first Rookie League rehab start on Friday
*
Wade Miller makes his first Rookie League rehab start on Monday
Like I said, it isn't optimism. All of this news is pitching-related, and even if every rehab start went extremely well, and Prior and Miller were smoothly integrated into the rotation alongside Wood, Big Z and Maddux, we'd still have to deal with the fact that the Cubs have some pretty significant problems on the offensive side, and the eventual return of
Derrek Lee isn't going to solve them all.
But for now, enjoy.
GAME FORTY IN-GAME DISCUSSION THREAD [PARACHAT]
WASHINGTON NATIONALS (13-27, 4th, 11.5 GB) AT CHICAGO CUBS (17-22, 5th, 7.5 GB)
Wrigley Field, 1:20 PM CDT
Weather: 54 degrees, cloudy, wind in From LF @ 20 mph
TV: WGN, DirecTV 737
Radio: WGN, XM 187
Kerry Wood, RHP
Season debut | Ramon Ortiz, RHP
0-4, 6.30 ERA, 40 IP
13 K, 17 BB, 4 HR
329/403/470 against, .340 BABIP
|
|
Alfonso Soriano, LF
*Marlon Anderson, 2B
*Nick Johnson, 1B
*Daryle Ward, RF
Ryan Zimmerman, 3B
Marlon Byrd, CF
Wiki Wiki Gonzalez, C
Damian Jackson, SS
Ramon Ortiz, P | *Juan Pierre, CF
Matt Murton, LF
*Todd Walker, 2B
Michael Barrett, C
*Jacque Jones, RF
#Neifi Perez, 3B
*John Mabry, 1B
Ronny Cedeno, SS
Kerry Wood, P |
Nationals vs. Wood:
Daryle Ward: 6-18, 333/350/722, 2 HR, 1 BB, 2 K
Jose Guillen: 2-15, 133/133/333, 1 HR, 6 K | Cubs vs. Ortiz:
Neifi Perez: 6-14, 429/467/714, 1 BB, 2 K
Jacque Jones: 6-21, 286/423/667, 2 HR, 2 BB, 1 K |
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