Gameday Open Thread
Game 85 Thread / Cubs @ Giants (3 of 4)
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Game 84 Thread / Cubs @ Giants (2 of 4)
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SP | Jason Marquis |
SP |
Matt Cain |
6-4, 4.96, 44 K, 34 BB, 85.1 IP |
4-6, 4.44, 97 K, 44 BB, 105.1 IP | ||
RF |
*Kosuke Fukudome |
LF |
*Fred Lewis |
SS |
Ryan Theriot |
2B |
#Ray Durham |
1B |
Derrek Lee | RF |
#Randy Winn |
LF |
*Daryle Ward | C |
Bengie Molina |
C |
Geovany Soto |
CF |
Aaron Rowand |
CF |
*Jim Edmonds | 1B |
*John Bowker |
3B |
Mark DeRosa | 3B |
Jose Castillo |
2B |
*Mike Fontenot | SS | #Omar Vizquel |
P |
*Jason Marquis | P | Matt Cain |
The NL West and Barry Zito proved to be the cure for what ailed the Cubs last night. The Cubs will look to continue their dominance over the NL West with Jason Marquis getting the start gainst 23-year old Matt Cain. Lou counters by mixing up the lineup a bit from last night, dropping Soto and DeRosa in the order and inserting Darlye Ward in left (Keep the ball down, Marquis!). Scrappy McFontenot also gets a start at second base.
Game notes fun after the jump...
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Game 83 Thread / Cubs @ Giants (1 of 4)
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SP | *Ted Lilly |
SP |
*Barry Zito |
5-8, 5.40, 95 K, 36 BB, 98.2 IP |
3-11, 5.91, 44 K, 48 BB, 80.2 IP | ||
RF |
*Kosuke Fukudome |
LF |
*Fred Lewis |
SS |
Ryan Theriot |
3B |
Jose Castillo |
1B |
Derrek Lee | RF |
#Randy Winn |
C |
Geovany Soto | C |
Bengie Molina |
3B |
Mark DeRosa |
CF |
Aaron Rowand |
CF |
*Jim Edmonds | 1B |
Rich Aurilia |
LF |
Matt Murton |
2B |
Travis Denker |
2B |
Ronny Cedeno | SS | #Emmanuel Burriss |
P |
*Ted Lilly | P | *Barry Zito |
Well that whole American League thing was no good...the Cubs went a paltry 6-9 against what was considered to be a soft interleague schedule at the beginning of the year.
Now it's back to the NL and back to the NL West, whom the Cubs have collectively beaten at an 18-5 clip. They'll get the offensively-challenged Giants tonight and it'll be up to Ted Lilly to try to keep them challenged. Lilly's overall numbers have been disappointing this year, but he's managed a 3.21 ERA in June up to this point. Most of his struggles this year can be attributed to a tendency to give up the gopher ball, but there's some hope that'll correct itself.
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Game 82 Thread / Cubs @ White Sox (3 of 3)
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Game 80 Thread / Cubs @ White Sox (1 of 3)
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SP | Ryan Dempster |
SP |
José Contreras |
9-2, 2.63, 85 K, 38 BB, 102.2 IP |
6-6, 3.96, 56 K, 26 BB, 97.2 IP | ||
DH |
*Kosuke Fukudome |
SS |
Orlando Cabrera |
LF |
*Eric Patterson |
C |
*A.J. Pierzynski |
1B |
Derrek Lee | LF |
Carlos Quentin |
3B |
Aramis Ramirez | RF |
Jermaine Dye |
RF |
*Daryle Ward |
DH |
*Jim Thome |
CF |
*Jim Edmonds |
3B |
Joe Crede |
C |
Geovany Soto |
1B |
#Nick Swisher |
2B |
*Mike Fontenot | 2B | Juan Uribe |
SS |
Ronny Cedeno |
CF | *Dewayne Wise |
It's time for Round Two of the Cubs versus White Sox, a.k.a. Team Inferiority Complex.
The Cubs go with a lineup that's long on lefties and rich on suck. Fontenot? Cedeño?? Ward in the field??? Lou is clearly trying to win the game with one hand tied behind his back, thus completely demoralizing the hosts.
Dempster, who yielded just one run (though 10 hits) to beat the White Sox on Sunday night, gets the nod against Contreras, who the Cubs undressed last Saturday (9 ER, 10H allowed in 3.1 innings).
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Game 79 Thread / Orioles @ Cubs (3 of 3)
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SP | Radhames Liz | SP |
Jason Marquis |
|
1-0, 6.27, 14 K, 9 BB, 18.2 IP |
6-3, 4.43, 41 K, 31 BB, 81.1 IP | |
|
|
|
|
2B |
#Brian Roberts | LF |
*Eric Patterson |
SS |
#Alex Cintron |
SS |
Ryan Theriot |
RF |
*Nick Markakis |
1B |
Derrek Lee |
1B |
Kevin Millar |
3B |
Aramis Ramirez |
3B |
*Aubrey Huff |
CF |
*Jim Edmonds |
LF |
Jay Payton |
C |
Geovany Soto |
CF |
Adam Jones |
RF |
Mark DeRosa |
C |
Guillermo Quiroz |
2B |
*Mike Fontenot |
P |
Radhames Liz |
P |
*Jason Marquis |
Sure, baseball is a 162-game marathon and one individual game generally means very little in the grand scheme of things. But once in awhile a key game comes along that can define a team and a season. The Orioles threaten to take the series today, which would mark the Cubs first series loss at home since the end of April to the Brewers. We shall not stand for this threat against our beloved Friendly Confines So rise up, my beloved Cubbies against this island of misfits led by the Cubs' bespectacled cast-off.
WE MUST PROTECT THIS HOUSE!
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Game 78 Thread / Orioles @ Cubs (2 of 3)
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Game 77 Thread / Orioles @ Cubs (1 of 3)
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Game 76 Thread / White Sox @ Cubs (3 of 3)
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SP | Javier Vazquez | SP |
Ryan Dempster |
7-5, 4.13, 93 K, 24 BB, 96 IP |
8-2, 2.76, 81 K, 37 BB, 94.2 IP | ||
SS |
Orlando Cabrera | RF |
*Kosuke Fukudome |
C |
*A.J. Pierzynski |
LF |
*Eric Patterson |
LF |
Carlos Quentin | 1B |
Derrek Lee |
RF |
Jermaine Dye | 3B |
Aramis Ramirez |
1B |
#Nick Swisher |
CF |
*Jim Edmonds |
3B |
Joe Crede |
C |
Geovany Soto |
CF |
*Dewayne Wise | RF |
Mark DeRosa |
2B |
Alexei Ramirez |
SS |
Ryan Theriot |
P |
Javier Vazquez |
P |
Ryan Dempster |
The national ESPN spotlight shines this evening on 1060 West Addison, which can only mean one thing:
The Yankees and Mets aren't playing each other this weekend.
According to the Sun-Times' up-to-the-minute Cubs reports via Twitter, Rob Reiner and his kid are in the house tonight. Could there be any clearer indication what an important contest this is?
Regarding tonight's starters...
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Recent comments
Arizona Phil (view)
Javier Assad started the Lo-A game (Myrtle Beach versus Stockton) on the Cubs backfields on Wednesday as his final Spring Training tune-up. He was supposed to throw five innings / 75 pitches. However, I was at the minor league road games at Fitch so I didn't see Assad pitch.
crunch (view)
cards put j.young on waivers.
they really tried to make it happen this spring, but he put up a crazy bad slash of .081/.244/.108 in 45PA.
Childersb3 (view)
Seconded!!!
crunch (view)
another awesome spring of pitching reports. thanks a lot, appreciated.
Arizona Phil (view)
Here are the Cubs pitchers reports from Tuesday afternoon's Cardinals - Cubs game art Sloan Park in Mesa:
SHOTA IMANAGA:
FB: 90-92
CUT: 87-89
SL: 82-83
SPLIT: 81-84
CV: 73-74
COMMENT: Worked three innings plus two batters in the fourth... allowed four runs (three earned) on eight hits (six singles and two doubles) walked one, and struck out six (four swinging), with a 1/2 GO/AO... he threw 73 pitches (52 strikes - 10 swing & miss - 19 foul balls)... surrendered one run in the top of the 1st on a one-out double off Cody Bellinger's glove in deep straight-away CF followed one out later by two consecutive two-out bloop singles, allowed two runs (one earned) in the 2nd after retiring the first two hitters (first batter had a nine-pitch AB with four consecutive two-strike foul balls before being retired 3 -U) on a two-out infield single (weak throw on the run by Nico Hoerner), a hard-contact line drive RBI double down the RF line, and an E-1 (missed catch) by Imanaga on what should been an inning-ending 3-1 GO, gave up another run in the 3rd on a two-out walk on a 3-2 pitch and an RBI double to LF, and two consecutive singles leading off the top of the 4th before being relieved (runners were ultimately left stranded)... threw 18 pitches in the 1st inning (14 strikes - two swing & miss, one on FB and the other on a SL - four foul balls), 24 pitches in the 2nd inning (17 strikes - three swing & miss, one on FB, two SPLIT - six foul balls), 19 pitches in the 3rd inning (13 strikes - seven swing & miss, three on SL, two on SPLIT, one on FB - three foul balls), and 12 pitches without retiring a batter in the top of the 4th (8 strikes - no swing & miss - four foul balls)... Imanaga throws a lot of pitches per inning, but it's not because he doesn't throw strikes... if anything, he throws too many strikes (he threw 70% strikes on Tuesday)... while he gets a ton of swing & miss (and strikeouts), he also induces a lot of foul balls because he doesn't try to make hitters chase his pitches by throwing them out of the strike zone... rather, he uses his very diverse pitch mix to get swing & miss (and lots of foul balls as well)... he also is a fly ball pitcher who will give up more than his share of HR during the course of the season...
JOE NAHAS:
FB: 90-92
SL: 83-85
CV: 80-81
COMMENT: Was called up from the Hi-A South Bend group at Minor League Camp for the day... relieved Imanaga with runners at first and second and no outs in the top of the 4th, and after an E-2 catcher's interference committed by Miguel Amaya loaded he bases, Nahas struck out the side (one swinging & two looking)... threw 16 pitches (11 strikes - two swinging)...
YENCY ALMONTE:
FB: 89-92
CH: 86
SL: 79
COMMENT: Threw an eight-pitch 5th (five strikes - no swing & miss), with a 5-3 GO for the first out and an inning-ending 4-6-3 DP after a one-out single... command was a bit off but he worked through it...
FRANKIE SCALZO JR:
FB: 94-95
CH: 88
SL: 83
COMMENT: Was called up from the AA Tennessee group at Minor League Camp for the day and worked the 6th inning... got the first outs easily (a P-5 and a 4-3 GO) on just three pitches, before allowing three consecutive two-out hard-contact hits (a double and two singles), with the third hit on pitch # 9 resulting in a runner being thrown out at the plate by RF Christian Franklin for the third out of the inning...
MICHAEL ARIAS:
FB: 94-96
CH: 87-89
SL: 82-83
COMMENT: Was called up from the AA Tennessee group at Minor League Camp for the day and allowed a hard-contact double on the third pitch of the 7th inning (a 96 MPH FB), and the runner came around to score on a 4-3 GO and a WP... gave up two other loud contact outs (an L-7 and an F-9)... threw 18 pitches (only 10 strikes - only one swing & miss)... stuff is electric but still very raw and he continues to have difficulty commanding it, and while he has the repertoire of a SP, he throws too many pitches-per-inning to be a SP and not enough strikes to be a closer... he is most definitely still a work-in-progress...
ZAC LEIGH:
FB: 93-94
CH: 89
SL: 81-83
CV: 78
COMMENT: Was called up from the AA Tennessee group at Minor League Camp for the day and tossed a 1-2-3 8th (4-3 GO, K-swinging on a sweeper, K-looking on another sweeper)... threw 14 pitches (11 strikes - one swing & miss - eight foul balls)... kept pumping pitches into the strike zone but had difficulty putting hitters away (ergo a ton of foul balls)... FB velo is nowhere near the 96-98 MPH it was a couple of years ago when he was a Top 30 prospect, but his secondaries are better...
JOSE ROMERO:
FB: 93-95
SL: 82-84
COMMENT: Was called up from the Hi-A South Bend group at Minor League Camp for the day and worked the 9th (14 pitches - only six strikes- no swing & miss) and allowed a solo HR after two near-HR fly outs to the warning track, before getting a 3-1 GO to end the inning... it was like batting practice when he wasn't throwing pitches out of the strike zone...
crunch (view)
pablo sandoval played 3rd and got a couple ABs (strikeout, single!) in the OAK@SF "exhibition"
mlb officially authenticated the ball of the single he hit. nice.
he's in surprisingly good shape considering his poor body condition in his last playing seasons. he's not lean, but he looks healthier. good for him.
crunch (view)
dbacks are signing j.montgomery to a 1/25m with a vesting 20m player option.
i dunno when the ink officially dries, but i believe if he signs once the season begins he can't be offered a QO...and i'm not sure if that thing with SD/LAD in korea was the season beginning, either.
crunch (view)
sut says imanaga getting the home opener at wrigley (game 4 of the season).
crunch (view)
cubs rolling out the who's who of "who the hell is this guy?" in the last spring game.
videographer (view)
AZ Phil, speaking of Jordan Wicks having better command when he tires a bit, I remember reading about Dennis Lamp 40 years ago and his sinker that was better after 3 or 4 innings when he would tire a bit and get more sink with a little less speed on the pitch. The key for Lamp was getting to the 4th inning.