GAME 42 PREVIEW
HOUSTON ASTROS (15-28) at CHICAGO CUBS (19-22)
Wrigley Field, 7.05pm CT, TV: CSN, Fox Sports SW
| SP *Glendon Rusch |
SP *Wandy Rodriguez |
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| CF Willy Taveras |
2B Jerry Hairston |
| LF *Todd Self |
SS #Neifi Perez |
| 2B Craig Biggio |
1B Derrek Lee |
| 1B #Lance Berkman |
3B Aramis Ramirez |
| 3B Morgan Ensberg |
RF *Jeromy Burnitz |
| RF Jason Lane |
LF Jason Dubois |
| SS Adam Everett |
CF *Corey Patterson |
| C Brad Ausmus |
C Michael Barrett |
| Pitcher's spot |
Pitcher's spot |
They're like buses - you wait ages for one, and then two come along at once. Rookie opposition starters that is. Yesterday the Cubs got Brandon McCarthy, but they didn't manage to actually get
to him. In fact, McCarthy was very impressive, striking out the first ever major league batter he faced (Hairston) and pitching a very solid five and a third innings before Guillen very cautiously lifted him. Today the Cubs get Wandy (yes, Wandy) Rodriguez, who starts in place of Andy Pettitte, and hopefully they'll at least give one of these two rookies a major league welcome to make them wish they'd never been promoted. Rodriguez doesn't have the same prospect calibre of McCarthy though, nowhere near - he's a 21, no, 25, er 26 year-old soft-tossing lefty out of Venezuela with a fastball, changeup, curveball arsenal that he throws for strikes, and at best he projects as the lefty out of the 'pen that makes up the numbers. He's going on just three days of rest and will be looking to end a five-game Houston losing streak.
[Update] According to Bruce Levine at least, the Cubs are about to pull off a big trade, but that's all he's saying! Talk about keeping us on tenterhooks! Anyway, speculate away amongst yourselves. All I have to say is that I hope that Corey Patterson, whose name seems to be getting bandied around quite a bit, isn't involved. This is no time to give up on him.
Recent comments
KingKongvsGodzilla 03/28/2023 - 03:01 pm (view)
Thanks! He’ll need more than that come showtime!
bigsky33 03/28/2023 - 03:16 pm (view)
Hi Phil, anything happening on the back fields the rest of this week? And, when does extended spring training start? Looking forward to watching!
crunch 03/28/2023 - 03:30 pm (view)
he didn't do anything amazing, but wow...the stuff that came out of jake reindl's arm in his 1 inning closing out the last spring game was really interesting for a 26 year old who's never seen above A-ball. if that's repeatable outing to outing we could actually see him in the bigs.
crunch 03/28/2023 - 03:11 pm (view)
they even got the B-team in the announce booth and field reporter crews...rough day for anyone in the stands or watching on TV that's not a fan of the farm system.
Charlie 03/28/2023 - 03:50 am (view)
Solid extension. Both sides get security and Nico doesn't give up his chance at a free agent payday.
Arizona Phil 03/27/2023 - 03:57 pm (view)
The Iowa Cubs (as well as the Chicago Cubs) have left town, so the Tennessee Smokies will be playing as the "Chicago Cubs" versus the White Sox in Tuesday afternoon's MLB Cactus League game at Sloan Park.
Arizona Phil 03/27/2023 - 03:32 pm (view)
Here are the Cubs pitchers reports from Monday's Cubs - White Sox game at Sloan ParK:
JAMESON TAILLON:
FB: 90-93
SL/CT: 88-89
CH: 8182
CV: 78-81
COMMENT: Worked five shutout innings (66 pitches - 47 strikes - that's 72% strikes), allowing two hits (both singles) and an HBP, struck out five (all five swinging), and 4/6 GO/AO... retired the first seven men in a row (K-swinging on a CV, F-7, P-4, K-swinging on a CV, 4-3, L-7, and 3-U) before allowing a one-out single in the top of the 3rd, and then struck out the next two batters (both swinging, both on a CV)... retired the side 1-2-3 again in the 4th (5-3, F-8, and a K-swinging on a CV)... first two batters reached base in the 5th (single and an HBP), but then he got out of it on an F-7, a 5-4 FC, and an L-8)... pitches per inning were 14-9-14-12-17.... got seven swing & miss total (five on CV all of which were strike three, one on SL/CT, and one on FB)... he probably could have pitched seven or maybe eight innings if it had been the regular season...
JULIAN MERRYWEATHER:
FB: 96-97
SL: 86-87
CV: 83-84
COMMENT: Pitched the 6th inning (20 pitches - 14 strikes) and allowed three consecutive singles (producing one run) on his first seven pitches, but then struck out the next two batters (both swinging) and retired the last hitter on an F-7... got four swing & miss (one on FB, one on CV, and two on SL)... for whatever the reason, his FB in this outing was initially VERY hittable...
ADBERT ALZOLAY:
FB: 93-95
CT: 88-91
SL: 86
COMMENT: Threw an easy 1-2-3 7th (11 pitches - 9 strikes), inducing a 6-3 GO, an F-8, and then another F-8... got three swing & miss (two on FB, one on CT)...
MICHAEL RUCKER:
FB: 95-96
CH: 91
SL: 84-85
COMMENT: Threw a 1-2-3 8th (11 pitches - 8 strikes), getting a K-swinging on a SL, then an F-8, and finally a K-swinging on a FB... got six swing & miss among his 11 pitches (which is outstanding), including three on FB, two on SL, and one on a CH.... FB was electric... this was the best one inning outing by any Cubs reliever so far this spring... no way Rucker doesn't make the Cubs Opening Day roster..
MICHAEL FULMER:
FB: 92-94
SL: 86-89
CV: 80-83
COMMENT: Entered the game in the top of 9th with the Cubs leading 6-1... had a terrible outing... couldn't find the strike zone (27 pitches - only 13 strikes)... allowed a single and issued a four-pitch walk to begin the inning, but then retired the next two batters on a F-7 and a 5-4 FC, before Erik Gonzalez unloaded a three-run HR on Fulmer's 22nd pitch of the inning (a hanging SL) to make the score 6-5... Fulmer remained in the game and faced two more batters, who continued the hard contact with a single and a double... the main problem was that he just could not command his usual "go-to" SL and so he could not get out of the inning...
BRADFORD DEPPERMANN:
FB: 94
SL: 86-87
COMMENT: Up from minor league camp as an extra arm... relieved Fulmer with runners on 2nd & 3rd and two outs in the 9th and the Cubs still leading 6-4... surrendered a game-tying two-run single (hard-hit ground single through the box) on his 2nd pitch of the inning, before inducing an inning-ending hard-hit L-8...
crunch 03/27/2023 - 03:35 pm (view)
we're gonna get so spoiled on middle-IF defense if nico/swanson stay healthy. christian hernandez now has plenty of time to break into a full-time job (if he pans out).
Cubster 03/27/2023 - 03:22 pm (view)
Nico gets $3/35 which buys out his first free agent year.
crunch 03/27/2023 - 03:21 pm (view)
hoerner 3/35m extension...we got a locked in middle-IF through 2026.