Cubs Organizational Recaps

Box Score | Highlights

The Gist: The odds were pretty low heading into the game that the Cubs could win it with the Astros best pitcher going and the Cubs going with a guy on a 45-50 pitch count limit. At least they didn't waste our time making it suspenseful. It started with the first batter for the Astros with Michael Bourne taking advantage of the lefty making his first major league start. Knowing that he's going to be falling off to the third base side of the mound and probably just worried about throwing strikes with that pitch count limit, Bourne executed a perfect bunt to the first basemen that Russell had no chance to get to the base in time. And then they did the exact same thing with the next batter. Give 'em some props for the smart baseball.

Box Score | Highlights

The Gist: The first three times through the order, the Cubs one through three hitters went 7/8 with a walk and the Cubs first stolen base on the season(overall 7/13 with 2 BB's). The 4-9 hitters went 1/21 with 4 BB's for the night. The lesson learned? Try to bunch your hot/good hitters together if possible. It's insightful anaylsis like this that keeps you folks coming back for more. Castro, Barney (with a sweet hit'n run triple) and Byrd did the most damage with an assist by Soriano on a clutch 2-out double in the first (that being the 1 of the 1/21 from above). In all seriousness though, managers do tend to worry about protection and putting guys in front of other hitters to see good pitches. It does seem - and I'm sure there have been studies on this - that just putting your 3-4 best hitters next to each other is the better plan.

Box Score | Highlights

The Gist: I didn't watch anything of the game, so not much to add. It's disappointing the Cubs couldn't get the win after getting to Yovani Gallardo, but disappointment and the Cubs go together like fire and gasoline. The bullpen blew it's second lead of the season, this time Kerry Wood being the culprit, leaving a fastball over the plate with Soto set up low and inside. Aramis and Byrd had the big days with the bat. Fukudome left after a few innings with a mild hamstring strain and is listed day to day. The Mendoza Line has been activated for Carlos Pena.  I think I've found my new nickname for him.

Box Score | Highlights

The Gist: Chris Narveson pitched a gem, Matt Garza did not. Not much else to say. I believe the first two times through the Brewers lineup, the top 4 hitters had all reached base safely, somethingl ike 6/6 with a BB and a sac bunt and the bottom 5 were 0/10. Space that out and the Cubs are probaly not down 4-0, but such is the game. The big hits came from Prince Fielder of course who knocked in 4 of the 5 runs off Garza all on a bunch of lousy pitches and lousy location.

Box Score | Highlights

The Gist: They took away streaming video or music from my day job which means these recaps are gonna be a lot shorter and lot less interesting. I think I got home just in time to see Kerry finish his inning and the Cubs finishing it off in the 9th. The big day obviously went to Jeff Baker who clubbed a two out, 3-run home run off Randy Wolf in the 4th off a cookie that Wolf left up in the zone. Unearned runs at that, as Rickie Weeks muffed a pop-up to start the inning. Baker then later tagged Wolf again in the 6th for the Cubs sixth run and scored the seventh run in the 9th when Byrd doubled. He ended up with 4 hits on the day, all off lefties. There's something reassuring when a platoon split works out like that.