Game 98 Thread / Cubs @ Astros (3 of 3)

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SP	Ryan Dempster	SP	Brandon Backe
	10-4, 3.25, 104 K, 350 BB, 124.2 IP		6-9, 4.76, 83 K, 50 BB, 111.2 IP

SS	Ryan Theriot	2B	#Kaz Matsui
RF	*Kosuke Fukudome	CF	*Darin Erstad
1B	Derrek Lee	1B	#Lance Berkman
3B	Aramis Ramirez	LF	Carlos Lee
CF	*Jim Edmonds	SS	Miguel Tejada
LF	Mark DeRosa	3B	#Geoff Blum
C	Geovany Soto	RF	Hunter Pence
2B	*Mike Fontenot	C	J.R. Towles
P	Ryan Dempster	P	Brandon Backe

The Cubs' NL Central lead is down to +2 over the Cardinals and +3 over the Brewers as the Lou Crew tries to avoid a sweep at the hands of the Astros.

Derrek Lee, Aramis Ramirez, Geovany Soto, and Kosuke Fukudome are a combined 3-for-32 (.094) in the series, and as a team, the Cubs have fanned 14 times and walked once.

Or, as Lou Piniella explained so elegantly after Saturday night's 4-1 fall, "We're not getting much hitting anywhere in the lineup."

Backe, 2-1, 4.63 in 6 starts lifetime against the Cubs (0-1 this year), is coming off perhaps his best start of the season, last Sunday, when he threw 7 shutout innings at the Nationals. Dempster, who remains winless on the road this season, was a loser at Wrigley for the first time in '08, also last Sunday, when he fell to Tim Lincecum and the Giants. Dempster also dropped his only start this season against the Astros, back in May, yielding 6 hits and 4 runs over 6 IP in a 4-2 Cubs loss.

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crunch 04/17/2024 - 04:19 pm (view)

he's a low-level cubs star in the modern history of the cubs (c.zambrano, k.wood, r.dempster, etc), but that star has dimmed...and has been dimming since 2021.

2024 has been ugly the whole way and we're only in mid-april. homers aside (even though there's been 7 in 17ip) he gave up 29 hits in 20 spring innings and 31 in 17 regular season innings.

he's pretty much only got 2 pitches at this point in his career and the mix isn't fooling anyone. he threw a noticable amount more curves in his last start to add to the mix and it didn't help his issues. he don't have many moves left to break out.
Eric S 04/17/2024 - 04:40 pm (view)

Definitely needs a 10 day stint for the hangnail - have to nip those things in the bud or suffer the consequences (ie, more opponent home run derby, etc)
Eric S 04/17/2024 - 04:35 pm (view)

Thanks for checking and yeah, that’s a double ouch
Sonicwind75 04/17/2024 - 04:01 pm (view)

Believe you are correct, checked and appears Cubs have a $2.51 million obligation to Barnhart this season per Cot's Contracts. Also paying Trey Mancini $7mil this season. Ouch.
crunch 04/17/2024 - 04:27 pm (view)

m.busch had 0hr and 2 doubles when he was last at wrigley.

we'll probably see a few more of his jerseys in the seats when they return tomorrow.

wonder who will go down for taillon. hey hendricks, you got a hangnail or something?
Eric S 04/17/2024 - 04:15 pm (view)

Nice work by Wesneski with some solid defense behind him and the late tack on runs were welcome. Gladly take a 5-4 West Coast swing, particularly down two key starting pitchers … Now just don’t get swept by the Marlins for Pete’s sake.
crunch 04/17/2024 - 04:13 pm (view)

dansby takes the team lead in SB today after a SB with 2 SB total. the team has 3. madrigal has the other one.

cubs also have 7 triples, 7 players each.
crunch 04/17/2024 - 04:58 pm (view)

sure am ready for p.wisdom and m.masterboney to swap roster spots.
Eric S 04/17/2024 - 04:04 pm (view)

The fifth inning has not been kind to Wicks this season. Giving up leadoff doubles to Tucker Barnhart is also not good for business. IIRC, the Cubs are on the hook for the majority of Barnhart’s salary this season to add insult to injury (could definitely be wrong here).
Cubster 04/17/2024 - 04:11 pm (view)

Kris Bryant to IL with low back strain. He’s keeping the Rockies docs busy.

Cubs MLB Roster

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