Game Preview: Pirates (26-50) vs. Cubs (33-43)

First, the lineups...

Tabata, LaRoche, McCutchen, Jones, Milledge, Alvarez, Doumit, Cedeno, Karstens

vs.

Fukudome, Theriot, Lee, Ramirez, Colvin, Soriano, Hill, Castro, Lilly.

Now, the news...

- Z gets sent to the corner with his dunce cap and Grab-Ass to the disabled list with a sprained knee. Miles says Grab-Ass should be out 3-4 weeks. Jeff Stevens and James Russell get the call-ups with Tom Gorzelanny scheduled to start tomorrow.

- Jon Morosi of Fox Sports says that the Red Sox and Cubs discussed a deal for Mike Fontenot before the Red Sox grabbed Eric Patterson after he was DFA'd by the A's. Morosi also says that the Cubs are "halfway" to sell mode...half-assing it as always.

- The Smokies landed 9 on the Southern League All-Star team after taking the first half division title. They are:

OF Tony Campana
C Robinson Chirinos
C Steve Clevenger
1B Blake Lalli
OF Ty Wright
RHP Austin Bibens-Dirx
RHP David Cales
LHP Ryan Buchter
RHP Hung-Wen Chen

Andrew Cashner and Starlin Castro were also early contributors to their run.

- Bruce Levine put this piece of info out there in his chat today.

The reasons Hendry was enabled to sign people to long-term deals was Sam Zell's insistence that they build up the product so he can get a higher buyout from the Ricketts family. Hendry was on an airplane when the Soriano deal was done by other team executives. Jim has to take his share of blame, but let's not start with revisionist history.

As one of our readers pointed out, Zell hadn't even bought the team by that point (wasn't until April of 2007), so Levine seems to just be shoveling whatever B.S. Hendry is feeding him...or just made an honest mistake about the timeline of ownership.

Cubs try to solve the Pirates puzzle today...recommended for ages 4-5, but does require adult supervision.

Comments

Recent comments

crunch 04/27/2024 - 04:44 pm (view)

no days off til may 9th. moves may happen if the pen gets too worked tomorrow.
Cubster 04/27/2024 - 04:30 pm (view)

On top of all that…Wicks scratched for Sunday due to “forearm soreness.” Bullpen day again starting with Mervis or Wisdom (or Wesn).
crunch 04/27/2024 - 04:04 pm (view)

"Morel told reporters after the game that he felt alright, just a little banged up — specifically noting his right hip and both elbows. He did say that he was optimistic about his ability to play on Sunday, though manager Craig Counsell may have other plans."
crunch 04/27/2024 - 04:51 pm (view)

rsox putting pablo reyes up to pitch...an infielder...cranking 70+mph stuff.

...and of course he gets out of it with no runs scored...that kind of day for the cubs.
crunch 04/27/2024 - 04:44 pm (view)

...and wisdom replaces mervis on the mound to try to get the last out.

busch is at 3rd, but i wouldn't read too much into that.

wisdom's thrown a couple in the 80s (one of them 88mph), but both missed the strike zone badly.
crunch 04/27/2024 - 04:38 pm (view)

matt mervis is no david ross on the mound.

cubs run differential getting destroyed.
crunch 04/27/2024 - 04:34 pm (view)

matt mervis pitching...wisdom replaces morel at 3rd.

he's featuring some high-50s thunder on the fastball.

through 15 pitches, he's straight up throwing BP...all mid-high 50s lobs. no way he's going to jose canseco himself out of a job.

on pitch 21 he railed a 75mph fastball missing high on a 0-1 count. ha.
crunch 04/27/2024 - 04:23 pm (view)

he's hugging canario in the dugout cuz morel will shrivel up and die if he doesn't hug at least a dozen people a day.
crunch 04/27/2024 - 04:22 pm (view)

and morel is injured...nice.

morel trying to play LF from 3rd...runs into canario while leaping and comes down ribs/arm-first.

hopefully he sticks around to finish this terrible game, or at least is going to avoid the IL.
TarzanJoeWallis 04/27/2024 - 04:14 pm (view)

Amen to that last point!

Cubs MLB Roster

Comments

Recent comments