Bleacher Report - Articles by K. G.

Mark DeRosa traded to Cleveland Indians

K. G. — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 16:23:00 -0500

Mark DeRosa was sent packing today as the Cubs traded him to the Cleveland Indians in exchange for three pitching prospects. Acquired by the Cubs were Jeff Stevens, who was added to the 40-man roster, lefty John Gaub, and right-hander Chris Archer.

This transaction could very well rekindle talks with the San Diego Padres for Jake Peavy.
On top of this trade, the Cubs and the Rockies have agreed in principle to a trade that would send Jason Marquis to the Rockies for Luis Vizcaino, which in turn opens a spot in the rotation.

Jim Hendry did release a statement saying "the trade gave the Cubs a chance to stock the farm system while also changing the look, the balance and shape of the Cubs roster, thus giving rising talent an opportunity to contribute at the major league level."

DeRosa was in the final year of his three-year contract and seemed to be the most expendable and had been dangled by the Cubs all winter.

DeRosa was a fan favorite and will be missed by the Cubs fans but if this trade means Jake Peavy or another available starting pitcher can be brought into the mix, all I can say is go for it.

The stats for the prospects are Stevens who is 25 years of age who went 5-4 with a 3.24 ERA in 2008 with AA Akron and AAA Buffalo with a .184 batting average against. He put up an average of 12.5 strikeouts per nine innings and also a 3:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He will definitely get a chance to compete for middle relief spot on the Cubs roster this coming spring unless he is dealt elsewhere.

Gaub and Archer are not close to being major league ready. Gaub who is 23, went 1-1 with 3.38 ERA in class A in his first full season. Archer at 20 years of age went 4-8 with a 4.29 ERA also in class A.

Wrigley Field Will Be Hosting the NHL Winter Classic New Years Day

K. G. — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 23:11:00 -0500

On New Years day, Wrigley Field will be playing host to the Winter Classic which was introduced to the NHL back in January when the Pittsburgh Penguins took on the Buffalo Sabres in Buffalo. This year's Winter Classic will pit the surging Chicago Blackhawks vs. their enemies the Detroit Red Wings. This should be an exciting and entertaining showdown on the ice at Wrigley.

The Blackhawks were just four points behind Detroit in the standings entering tonight's game, but unfortunately the Blackhawks lost 4-0 as Ty Conklin recorded his third shutout of the season and the Red Wings took a six point lead in the standings.

The Game between the Blackhawks and Red Wings will be played at 12:00pm New Years day and will be shown Nationally on NBC and on CBC in Canada. I am truly anticipating this great match-up and cannot wait to see Wrigley on display in all its glory playing host to a NHL game.

Denis Savard Parts Ways with the Chicago Blackhawks

K. G. — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 08:55:09 -0400

After just four games this season, the Chicago Blackhawks have fired Denis Savard and named Joe Quenneville as their new head coach.

The Blackhawks got off to a rough start, as they loss their first two games on the road. They did not record their first win until yesterday when they beat the Phoenix Coyotes 4-1.

The expectations for this upcoming season were very high as they brought in both Brian Campbell on defense and Cristobal Huet to battle Nikolai Khabibulin for the starting goaltending job. Combined with the tandem of Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, the Blackhawks and their fans were excited to get the season underway.

The first two road games showed that the Blackhawks were clearly unprepared and seemingly unmotivated to play. They finally showed some life last night as they beat the Coyotes, but it may have been too late to save Savard's job.

Savard compiled a record of 65-67-15 in the three seasons behind the Blackhawks bench. Last season, he had the Blackhawks battling to make the playoffs.

As the front office continues to evaluate the Hawks, General Manager Dale Tallon thought that a change was necessary to create a championship caliber organization.

Quenneville, a pro Scout for the Blackhawks, was quickly hired to take the place of Savard.

Quenneville was an assistant for the Quebec Nordiques/Colorado Avalanche and won the Stanley Cup with them in 1996. He then accepted his first head coaching position with the St. Louis Blues for the 1996-1997 campaign. He coached there for seven years, where he had a record of 307-191-95, making him the winningest coach in Blues history. He then coached the Colorado Avalanche for three years.

Quenneville has lead nine of his 11 teams to the postseason. That is where the Blackhawks want to see this team go for many years to come.

I guess Denis Savard did all he could do, but it apparently was not enough to save his job. The coaching change shows the Blackhawks and their fans that they are not settling for postseason play, but they want to bring the Stanley Cup home to Chicago.

Anonymous Reader Comment Day After Cubs Lost

K. G. — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 01:48:00 -0400

It’s getting worse! Pray that the Cubs don’t win anything in 2009

The Dodgers beat the Cubs 3-1 late Saturday (October 4th, 2008) in Los Angeles to advance to the National League Championship Series. The surprising three-game sweep of the team with the league's best record in the regular season ends the Cubs' chance to win the World Series for the first time in 100 years.

Thank God the Los Angeles Dodgers swept the Chicago Cubs in the first round of the Major League Baseball playoffs! That means our $700 Billion (with a B!) dollar economic stimulus package has a chance of working; well, unless the Cubs get into the playoffs, or God forbid, actually get into the World Series next year. If they do—watch out World Economy! Watch out for a World War of some other calamity of biblical proportion!

You think I’m making this up don’t you! Sadly NO. Every single time the Cubs have gotten into the World Series, this country has experienced calamity. Just take a look at the points below and you’ll see for yourself what I mean.

I’m a baseball fan. This year I was lamenting the fact that the Cubs were in the playoffs. I was thinking about the fact that they haven’t won a World Series since 1908. I was thinking about this because, in my entire lifetime so far (and I’m in my early 50s), I thankfully have not had to witness a Cubs World Series victory; and I never want to.

I knew they were getting closer every day and was listening to radio news. I wanted to celebrate the moment victory was snatched from them once again. This time, it looked like they were going to (oh God forgive me for saying this)—“make it”. There I said it.

As I was listening to various news reports about the Cubs progress, my thoughts were interrupted time and time again by other news reports concerning a U.S. economic calamity that was the worse since the Great Depression.

I knew the Cubs hadn’t won a World Series since 1908 and then it hit me! I’m not sure where it came from, (the hand of God I think), but I started getting the funny feeling that somehow, in God’s great providence, he has arranged things so that whenever the Cubs win; whenever they get close to or in the World Series, we have some kind of calamity.

At first, I thought I was going crazy. I shared my theory with my wife. She just smiled and said “you’re crazy!” but something pulled me to the Internet to research my theory and BANG! I was right!

If you take a look at the points below, you’ll see that every time the Cubs have been in the World Series, something awful has happened! Please pray for the United States! Pray that the Chicago Cubs don’t win anything in 2009!

2008—Cubs in playoffs but lose to the LA Dodgers.—$700 Billion dollar bail-out plan passed. Housing crashes. If the Cubs get into the playoffs or World Series next year, we will probably go into a depression!

1945—Detroit 4, Chicago Cubs 3—Deficit spending has resulted in a national debt 123 percent the size of the GDP. By contrast, in 1994, the $4.7 trillion national debt will be only 70 percent of the GDP!

1938—NY Yankees 4, Chicago Cubs 0—1. No major New Deal legislation is passed after this date, due to Roosevelt's weakened political power.—2.The year-long recession makes itself felt: the GNP falls 4.5 percent, and unemployment rises to 19.0 percent.

1935—Detroit 4, Chicago Cubs 2—1. The Supreme Court declares the National Recovery Administration to be unconstitutional.—2. Congress authorizes creation of the Works Progress Administration, the National Labor Relations Board and the Rural Electrification Administration.—3. Congress passes the Banking Act of 1935, the Emergency Relief Appropriation Act, the National Labor Relations Act, and the Social Security Act.—4. Economic recovery continues: the GNP grows another 8.1 percent, and unemployment falls to 20.1 percent.

1932—NY Yankees 4, Chicago Cubs 0—1. This and the next year are the worst years of the Great Depression. For 1932, GNP falls a record 13.4 percent; unemployment rises to 23.6 percent.—2. Industrial stocks have lost 80 percent of their value since 1930.—3. 10,000 banks have failed since 1929, or 40 percent of the 1929 total.—4. GNP has also fallen 31 percent since 1929.

5. Over 13 million Americans have lost their jobs since 1929.—6.International trade has fallen by two-thirds since 1929.—7. Congress passes the Federal Home Loan Bank Act and the Glass-Steagall Act of 1932.—8. Top tax rate is raised from 25 to 63 percent.—9. Popular opinion considers Hoover's measures too little too late. Franklin Roosevelt easily defeats Hoover in the fall election. Democrats win control of Congress.

1929—Philadelphia A's 4, Chicago Cubs 1 —The strength of America's economy in the 1920's came to a sudden end in October 1929—even if the signs of problems had existed before the Wall Street Crash. Suddenly the 'glamour' of the Jazz Age and gangsters disappeared and America was faced with a major crisis that was to impact countries as far away as Weimar Germany—a nation that had built up her economy on American loans.

1918—Boston Red Sox 4, Chicago Cubs 2—The 1918-19 influenza epidemic killed at least 40 million people worldwide and 675,000 people in the United States, far exceeding the combat deaths experienced by the US in the two World Wars, Korea, and Vietnam combined.

Besides its extraordinary virulence, the 1918-19 epidemic was also unique in that a disproportionate number of its victims were men and women ages 15 and 44, giving the age profile of mortality a distinct 'W' shape rather than the customary 'U' shape, and leading to extremely high death rates in the prime working ages.

1908—Chicago Cubs 4, Detroit 1—Cubs win. The U.S. bank panic of 1907 and the Mexican depression of 1908-1909. - Historians have long recognized that the U.S. bank panic of 1907 was the stimulus for the Federal Reserve Act of 1913 that was designed to regulate the nation's money and supply and credit by buying and selling government bonds and issuing Federal Reserve Notes.

1907—Chicago Cubs 4, Detroit 0 (one tie)—Cubs win. The U.S. bank panic of 1907 and the Mexican depression of 1908-1909. - Historians have long recognized that the U.S. bank panic of 1907 was the stimulus for the Federal Reserve Act of 1913 that was designed to regulate the nation's money and supply and credit by buying and selling government bonds and issuing Federal Reserve Notes.

What do you think do you buy it or not?

Cubs-Brewers: Brewers Beat Cubs 3-1 and Clinch NL Wild Card

K. G. — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 18:11:00 -0400

The Milwaukee Brewers beat the Cubs 3-1 Sunday afternoon and found out shortly after that they had won the NL Wild Card when the Mets lost.

The Cubs got on the board first in the second inning when Ronny Cedeno hit into a fielder's choice which allowed Aramis Ramirez to score. The Brewers tied the game up in the bottom of the seventh when Craig Counsell walked with the bases loaded. The Brewers then took a 3-1 lead when Ryan Braun blasted a two-run homer to deep left field which eventually led to a Brewers win.

Angel Guzman who got the start instead of Zambrano put in two innings allowing just one hit while striking out four. Bob Howry suffered the loss and fell to 7-5 on the season.

C.C. Sabathia was phenomenal as he pitched a complete game allowing one run which was unearned on only four hits while striking out seven and walking one batter. With the victory Sabathia improved to 11-2 and has truly been the savior for this Brewers team.

The Cubs will now face the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS at Wrigley starting on Wednesday the pitching matchup for Game One will be Ryan Dempster going for the Cubs while Derek Lowe will get the start for the Dodgers. The time has yet to be determined.

The Cubs finish the regular season with a 97-64 record and a 7 1/2 game lead on the Brewers who finished with a 90-72 record and will now head to playoffs to face the Philadelphia Phillies.

Cubs-Cardinals: Cardinals Down Cubs 12-6

K. G. — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 18:40:00 -0400

The Cardinals downed the Cubs Friday afternoon 12-6 after knocking out Carlos Zambrano early in the game.

The Cardinals took an early 5-0 lead in the top of the first after Albert Pujols hit a run scoring single to drive in the first run that was followed up by a grand-slam by Adam Kennedy.

The Cardinals then added another three runs in the second, the first coming off a wild pitch that allowed Jason La Rue to score, the second run came in on a Felipe Lopez single that scored Ryan Ludwick and Adam Kennedy drove in the third run when he single to drive in Lopez. Aaron Miles double in Adam Kennedy to give the Cardinals a 9-0 lead after four innings.

Then in the top of the fifth Ryan Ludwick hit a two-run homer to make it a 11-0 game. The Cardinals also scored in the sixth on a single by Brian Barden.

The Cubs finally scored in the bottom of the fifth when Daryle Ward doubled in Hoffpauir and Casey McGehee drove in the second run when he hit a grounder that drove in Ronny Cedeno. The Cubs then scored two in the bottom of the eight and ninth to make it a 12-6 game.

Carlos Zambrano followed up his no-hitter with a terrible outing where he allowed eight earned runs on six hits while walking three in 1 2/3 innings. With the loss Zambrano fell to 14-6 on the season.

Adam Wainwright who started for the Cardinals put in five innings of work allowing just two earned runs on four hits while striking out five. With the win Wainwright improved to 10-2 on the season.

Saturday afternoon the Cubs will send Ted Lilly to mound who is 15-9 with a 4.13 ERA as Joel Pineiro who is 6-6 with a 5.24 ERA. Game time is set for 2:55 pm ct.

With the loss the Cubs are now 92-60 and their magic number remains at two games. It could be down to one game if the Brewers lose to the Reds Friday night.

Cubs-Astros: Ted Lilly Takes No-Hitter to the Seventh

K. G. — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 19:19:00 -0400

Ted Lilly took a no-hitter into the seventh inning until Mark Loretta hit a single as the Cubs went on to beat the Astros 6-1.

The Cubs took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first on a sac-fly by Aramis Ramirez, later in the top of the fifth they added another run on a solo home run by Jim Edmonds to put the Cubs up 2-0. Then in the sixth both Derrek Lee and Geovany Soto hit two-run homers to put the Cubs up 6-0.

The Astros lone run came in the bottom of the eighth when David Newhan hit a sac-fly making it 6-1 and eventually leading to a Cubs win.

Ted Lilly pitched seven solid innings allowing no earned runs on one hit while striking out nine and walking one. With the victory Lilly improved to 15-9 on the season.

Brian Moehler who pitched for the Astros put in five innings allowing five earned runs on six hits while striking out four and walking one. With the loss, Moehler fell to 11-7 on the season.

Tomorrow the Cubs will be back at Wrigley to take on the Milwaukee Brewers in a three game set. Pitching on Tuesday will be Ryan Dempster vs. C.C. Sabathia while Jason Marquis will pitched against Ben Sheets on Wednesday and on Thursday Rich Harden will be apposed by Manny Parra. Both Tuesday and Wednesday's games will start at 7:05 pm ct. and Thursday's game will start at 1:20 pm ct.

With the victory the Cubs are now 90-58 and now hold a eight game lead on the Brewers who went and fired Ned Yost today.

Cubs-Astros: Carlos Zambrano Throws No-Hitter as Cubs Defeat Astros 5-0

K. G. — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 22:33:00 -0400

Carlos Zambrano pitched the first no-hitter in 36 years for the Cubs after returning from recent rotator cuff soreness.

He was able to shut down the Astros 5-0 Sunday evening in a game being played in Milwaukee because of Hurricane Ike.

The Cubs got on the board in the first inning when Alfonso Soriano lead off the game with a home run.

Later in the third the Cubs scored four times, the first coming in on a Derrek Lee double that drove in both Zambrano and Ronny Cedeno. The third run of the inning came in on a Aramis Ramirez single which drove in Lee, the final run came in on a Geovany Soto double that scored Ramirez.

Carlos Zambrano was phenomenal as he no-hit the Astros along with striking out ten and walking one and hitting a batter. This was the first no-hitter since 1972 when Milt Pappas threw one against the San Diego Padres. With the victory, Zambrano improved to 14-5 on the season.

Astros pitcher Randy Wolf pitched 2 2/3 innings alowing four earned runs on six hits while striking out two. With the loss Wolf fell to 10-12.

Cubs are now 89-58 and they hold a 7 1/2 game lead on the Brewers who were swept by the Phillies this weekend.

Tomorrow the Cubs will send Ted Lilly to the mound who is 14-9 with 4.29 ERA as Brian Moehler who is 11-6 with a 4.16 ERA goes for the Astros. Game time is set for 1:05 pm ct.

Reds Hand Cubs Sixth Straight Loss with 10-2 Win

K. G. — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 22:57:00 -0400

The Cincinnati Reds handed the Cubs their sixth straight loss with an easy 10-2 win. The Reds were lead by rookie Jay Bruce who hit his first career grand slam and rookie sensation Joey Votto who hit a two-run homer.

The Reds got out to an early 2-0 lead when Joey Votto blasted a two-run homer to deep right field. The Reds then added three more in the second, the first coming in on a Jeff Keppinger double that drove in Ryan Hanigan.

The second run of the inning came in on a bases loaded walk to Joey Votto. The third run was driven in on Edwin Encarnacion sac-fly that scored Keppinger. Later Jay Bruce hit a grand slam in the bottom of the fourth to give the Reds a 9-0 lead. Ryan Hanigan drove in the final run for the Reds on single that drove in Jay Bruce in the bottom of the seventh.

The Cubs finally got on the board in the top of the seventh when Koyie Hill hit a double to drive in Jim Edmonds. Hill also drove in the second run in the eighth on a single that drove in Mike Fontenot to make the score 10-2.

Ted Lilly was horrible as he pitched only two innings allowing five earned runs on four hits while striking out one and walking three. Lilly took the loss and fell to 13-9 on the season.

Bronson Arroyo put in 6 1/3 innings of work allowing just one earned run on four hits while striking out six and walking two. With the win Arroyo improved to 14-10 on the season.

For the Cubs this was their sixth straight loss and they now sit at 85-56 with five game lead on the Brewers in the division.

On Saturday the Cubs will send Jason Marquis to the mound who is 9-8 with a 4.46 ERA as Johnny Cueto who is 8-12 with a 4.65 ERA goes for the Reds. Game time is set 6:10pm ct.

Carlos Zambrano to Miss at Least One Start for Chicago Cubs

K. G. — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 17:16:00 -0400

Carlos Zambrano is said to only miss one start after the MRI he took Thursday morning revealed inflammation and rotator cuff tendinitis in his right shoulder.

He did make the flight to Cincinnatti. So come Tuesday when the Cubs get to St. Louis Zambrano will throw on the side if that goes well, he then should be ready to rejoin the rotation by the end of the Houston series next weekend.

There are 22 games left before the playoffs start, so this will be a key stretch as they will not have either Zambrano or Rich Harden available the next few days.

Sean Marshall will pitch in place of Zambrao on Sunday as Ted Lilly will pitch on Friday and Jason Marquis on Saturday against the Reds.

Carlos Zambrano's Injury A Mystery; Rich Harden Experiencing Discomfort

K. G. — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 07:39:00 -0400

The Cubs are fearing the worst as Carlos Zambrano, who was scheduled to have an MRI done Wednesday, skipped it and also was a no-show at Wrigley for the game.

It is said to be his right shoulder but the extent of the injury and the time table to how long he maybe out is still up in the air. Zambrano is scheduled to have a MRI done Thursday afternoon sometime and the Cubs will know more.

I think the Cubs know exactly what is going on and are not being truthful about this matter. When asked about how the Cubs will do without Zambrano for the stretch run, Lou said, "Sean Marshall can pitch well for us.

"He pitched well down the stretch last September. And in the games he pitched this season, he did well also."

Also Lou acknowledged that Rich Harden indeed has been experiencing discomfort and that was the reason to why he was not going to be starting until at least September 10th against St. Louis.

Why do the Cubs have to be so secretive to the media and the fans about injuries and other matter surrounding them?

Cubs-Astros: Oswalt Shutdowns Cubs in 3-0 Win

K. G. — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 21:43:00 -0400

The Houston Astros shutout the Cubs 3-0 Monday afternoon behind an excellent pitching performance by Roy Oswalt.

The Astros got on the board in the top of fourth when Geoff Blum hit a sac-fly that drove in Miguel Tejada that was followed up by a RBI single by Hunter Pence that scored Lance Berkman.

The Astros final run came in the top of eighth when Miguel Tejada scored on a throwing error by Geovany Soto.

Jason Marquis who started for the Cubs put in six innings of work allowing five runs only two of which were earned while striking out eight and walking three. With the loss Marquis fell to 9-8 on the season.

Roy Oswalt was outstanding in 8 1/3 innings allowing just four hits while striking out three on the day. With the win Oswalt improved to 13-9. Jose Velverde worked the ninth and picked up his 38th save of the season.

Tomorrow night the Cubs will send Carlos Zambrano to mound who is 13-5 with a 3.53 ERA while Brandon Backe who is 9-12 with a 5.42 ERA will go for the Astros. Game time is set for 7:05 pm ct.

Phillies End Cubs Seven Game Win Streak

K. G. — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 08:20:00 -0400

The Phillies ended the Cubs seven-game winning streak after defeating them 5-2 Saturday afternoon. The Phillies were lead by Jayson Werth who went 3-for-4 with four RBI and Brett Myers who pitched an excellent game Saturday.

The Cubs did get on the board first when Geovany Soto drove in Mark Derosa with a single in the bottom of the first inning. The Phillies tied the game up later in the fifth inning when Jayson Werth hit a solo shot to deep left field.

The Phillies then added two runs in the top of the sixth when Werth hit a two-run single that drove in both Ryan Howard and Chase Utley giving the Phillies a 3-1 lead.

Two innings later the Phillies put up two more runs when they got solo home runs from both Ryan Howard and Jayson Werth off of relief pitcher Neal Cotts to take a 5-1 lead.

The Cubs only managed to score one run in the final two innings against Phillies relief pitching. The final run came in on a Aramis Ramirez single that drove in Ryan Theriot to make it a 5-2 game.

Ted Lilly who pitched for the Cubs put in 6 2/3 innings of work as he allowed three earned runs on six hits while striking out five. Lilly suffered the loss and fell to 13-8 on the season.

Phillies starter Brett Myers pitched seven solid innings allowing just two earned runs but did allow eleven hits while striking out eight Cubs batters. Myers improved to 8-10 with the win.

Brad Lidge worked the ninth to pick up his 32nd save on the season.

With the loss the Cubs fell to 85-51 and they now lead the division by 5 1/2 games as the Brewers defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates 11-3.

Sunday the Cubs will have Carlos Zambrano on the bump who is 13-5 with a 3.53 ERA as Jamie Moyer who is 11-7 with a 3.81 ERA gets the call for the Phillies. Game time is set for 1:20 pm ct. as the Cubs will look to take three of four from the Phillies.

Cubs-Pirates: Cubs Beat Up on Pirates Pitching in 12-3 Rout

K. G. — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 21:37:00 -0400

The Cubs offense beat up the Pirates' pitching Tuesday evening as they scored 10 runs in the first five innings on their way to a 12-3 rout.

Kosuke Fukudome got the scoring started for the Cubs in the second inning when he drove in Jim Edmonds on a sac-fly. In the top of the very next inning the Cubs put up a four spot, the first run of the inning came in on a Derrek Lee single that drove in Alfonso Soriano.Shortly after Aramis Ramirez blasted a three-run homer to give the Cubs a 5-0 lead.

Later, in the top of the fifth the Cubs scored five runs off of Jason Davis. Ryan Theriot scored the first run of the inning on a wild pitch that was followed up by a Jim Edmonds double that drove in Lee. Two batters later Fukudome hit a two-run single that plated both Edmonds and Ramirez. The final run in the fifth came in on a Ted Lilly RBI single giving the Cubs a 10-1 lead

The Cubs tacked on a couple more runs later in the game, the first coming in the eighth inning when Henry Blanco grounded out to first which allowed Soriano to score. The final run of the game came in the ninth when Fukudome hit a RBI double which gave him four RBI on the night and gave the Cubs a 12-3 lead. Aramis Ramirez also had four RBI as he hit the big three-run homer in the third and got credited with the other RBI when Theriot scored on the wild pitch after Ramirez walked.

Ted Lilly put in seven innings allowing three earned runs on seven hits while striking out seven and walking only one. With the victory Lilly improved to 13-7 on the season. Jeff Karstens ,who pitched for the Pirates, put in just three innings of work where he allowed five earned runs on six hits. Karstens took the loss and fell to 2-3 on the season

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Tomorrow the Cubs will send Carlos Zambrano to the mound who is 13-5 with 3.29 ERA while the Pirates will send Ian Snell to mound who is 5-10 with a 5.60 ERA. Game time is set for 6:05 pm ct.

Cubs-Pirates: Pirates Shutout Cubs 3-0; Halt Five-Game Winning Streak

K. G. — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 23:02:00 -0400

The Pirates held the Cubs bats in check as they only allowed five hits in a 3-0 game which put a stop to the Cubs five-game winning streak.

Jeff Karstens picked up his first victory with the Pirates since coming over in the Xavier Nady trade putting in six innings for the Pirates where he allowed five hits while striking out three and walking four. The Pirates' relievers worked the final three innings allowing no hits along the way and cruised to a 3-0 win.

Cubs starter Jason Marquis put in six innings allowing all three earned runs on eight hits while striking out two. With the loss Marquis fell to 6-7 on the season.

During the game the Cubs hit into to many double plays which really hurt their chances of putting runners into scoring position. They stranded eight runners toady and left the bases loaded in the sixth which was a real blow to the Cubs chances.

With today's loss the Cubs now sit at 65-45 and have a four game lead on the Brewers who beat the Braves 9-0 tonight.

Tomorrow the Cubs will send Ted Lilly to the mound who is 10-6 with a 4.49 era as Paul Maholm who is 7-6 with a 3.79 goes for the Pirates. Game time is set for 12:05 pm ct.

Carlos Zambrano and Cubs Take Care of Brew Crew 7-1

K. G. — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 23:17:00 -0400

Carlos Zambrano was outstanding as he and the Cubs took care of the Brewers 7-1 on Tuesday night.

Mark DeRosa got the Cubs on the board first in the fourth inning when he drove in Aramis Ramirez on a sac-fly.

The Cubs then broke open the game in the sixth inning when they scored five runs. Kosuke Fukudome got the scoring started when he hit a two-run triple that scored both Derrek Lee and Ramirez. Shortly after, Mark DeRosa drove in his second RBI of the game on a single that scored Fukudome. Zambrano also got into the action from the plate as he hit a single which drove in DeRosa. The final run of the inning came in on a Alfonso Soriano sac fly that drove in Mike Fontenot giving the Cubs a big 6-0 lead.

The Cubs then added another run in the ninth on an Aramis Ramirez single that drove in Ryan Theriot to make the score 7-0.

The Brewers lone run came in the bottom of the ninth when Mike Cameron doubled off of Jeff Samardzija which drove in Russell Branyan.

Carlos Zambrano was awesome as he pitched eight solid innings allowing no earned runs while giving up just five hits and striking out nine. Zambrano improved to 12-4 with the victory.

As for the Brewers, Ben Sheets put in 5 1/3 innings allowing six earned runs on eleven hits while striking out four. With the loss, Sheets fell to 10-4 on the season.

The Cubs are now 63-44 and they hold a three game lead on the Brewers. The Cubs have assured that they will leave Milwaukee leading the NL Central with Tuesday's victory.

Tomorrow, the Cubs will send Ryan Dempster, who is 11-4 with a 2.99 ERA, to the mound against Manny Parra who is 9-3 with a 3.72 ERA will go for the Brewers. Game time is set for 7:05 pm ct.

Brewers-Cubs: Chicago beats Milwaukee in the Ninth 6-4

K. G. — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 06:14:00 -0400

The Cubs beat the Brewers 6-4 in the ninth inning as Derrek Lee drove in the go ahead run on a double and Mark DeRosa added an insurance run on a single that scored Mike Fontenot.

The Cubs got on the board first as Derrek Lee singled to drive in Alfonso Soriano. Later, in the top of the third, Alfonso Soriano hit his 17th home run of the season which was a solo shot that made the game 2-0.

Then in the bottom of the sixth the Brewers scored three runs to take the lead. The first two runs came in on back-to-back home runs by J.J. Hardy and Ryan Braun. The third run was scored on a double by Cory Hart that scored Prince Fielder.

The Cubs regained the lead in the seventh when Ronny Cedeno scored on a fielder's choice and Kosuke Fukudome was able to score on the throwing error by Rickie Weeks making the score 4-3.

The Brewers came right back in the bottom of the seventh when Russell Branyan hit a solo home run to tie the game at four.

Then in the ninth inning with Solomon Torres pitching, he got into trouble by walking both Alfonso Soriano and Mike Fontenot after striking out Fukudome. Derrek Lee then doubled to drive in Alfonso Soriano which was the go-ahead run. Mark DeRosa added an insurance run when he singled in Mike Fontenot giving the Cubs a 6-4 lead and an eventual win.

Ted Lilly pitched a pretty good game as he went six innings allowing three earned runs on seven hits while striking out four and walking one. He, however, took a no-decision as Chad Gaudin picked up his second victory as a Cub and improved to 2-1 on the season. Carlos Marmol worked the ninth to pick up his fifth save of the season.

As for Brewers pitcher C.C. Sabathia, he put in 6 2/3 innings allowing four runs, three of which were earned, on nine hits while striking out three and walking two. Salomon Torres took the loss and fell to 5-3 on the season.

With the win, the Cubs are now 62-44 and have a two game lead on the Brewers who are 60-46. Today the Cubs will send Carlos Zambrano to mound who is 11-4 with a 2.96 ERA as Ben Sheets goes for the Brewers who is 10-3 with a 2.87 ERA. Game time is set for 7:05 pm ct.

Florida Marlins vs Chicago Cubs: Cubs Take Care of Marlins 9-6

K. G. — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 05:50:00 -0400

Sorry I did not give a game recap for Saturday's game, I was out town and did not have access to a computer.

Well anyway on Saturday the Cubs lost 3-2 in 12 innings as Jeremy Hermida homered twice to lift the Marlins past the Cubs. Rich Harden put in five innings of work, struck out 10 once again and allowed just one earned run.

The loss however went to Chad Gaudin who gave up the game winning double in the top of the 12th, which won the game for the Marlins. The winning pitcher for the Marlins was Justin Miller as Kevin Gregg picked up his 22nd save on the season.

Now onto yesterday's game, the Cubs took care of the Marlins 9-6 after trailing most of the game. The Cubs scored four in the bottom of the seventh to take a 9-6 lead and, which lead to an eventual win.

Derrek Lee homered while Mike Fontenot hit a three-run double that scored Edmonds, Derosa and Ward.

Starting pitcher Jason Marquis went six innings allowing six earned runs on nine hits while striking out six and walking three. He however took a no decision as Chad Gaudin picked up the win and improved to 1-1 with the Cubs. Jeff Samardzija pitched two innings striking out three and allowed no hits to pick up his first save as a Cub.

Marlins starter Rick Vandenhurk pitched 3 2/3 innings allowing five earned runs on eight hits while striking out six and walking two. However the loss went to Mark Hendrickson who pitched three innings allowing three earned runs on three hits.

In the game all of the Marlins runs came via the home run as Mike Jacobs hit two home runs, the first a three-run homer in the second, and the second was a two-run homer in the third. The third home run of the day for the Marlins came off the bat of Dan Uggla who hit a solo shot in the top of the fifth.

The Cubs trailed 5-0 after the top of the third but added two in the bottom of the third and added another three runs in the bottom of the fourth. Alfonso Soriano hit a three-run home run to tie the game at five. The Marlins regained the lead in the fifth but the Cubs would take the lead in the seventh for good thanks to Lee and Fontenot.

With the victory the Cubs now sit at 61-44 as they hold a one game lead on the Brewers who they will play next.

Pitching for the Cubs on Monday will be Ted Lilly who is 10-6 with a 4.49 ERA as C.C. Sabathia will go for the Brewers who is 4-0 with the Brewers and has a 1.36 ERA. Game time is set for 7:05 pm CT.

Cubs-Marlins: Carlos Zambrano Leads Chicago to 6-3 Victory

K. G. — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 23:12:00 -0400

[via FoxyTunes / Steve Goodman]

The Cubs defeated the Marlins 6-3 on Thursday night. Carlos Zambrano gave the Cubs seven solid innings of pitching, while Henry Blanco and Ronny Cedeno highlighted the offense.

The Cubs fell behind early when Hanley Ramirez homered in the top of the third to give the Marlins a 2-0 lead.

But the Cubs came right back in the bottom of the third to score one run when Ronny Cedeno belted his second home run of the season to deep left.

Then in the bottom of the fifth with the Cubs trailing 2-1, they were able to put a four spot on the board.

Zambrano got the scoring started when he hit a double that drove in Mark DeRosa. With the bases loaded, Derrek Lee walked which brought home Zambrano. Aramis

Ramirez hit a two-run double that scored both Soriano and Theriot making the score 5-2. Henry Blanco scored the last run when he also hit his second home run of the season to make the score 6-2.

The Marlins added one more in the top of the eighth after Mark DeRosa made a spectacular play in right field on the sacrifice-fly by Luis Gonzalez which scored Alfredo Amezaga.

Carlos Zambrano allowed two earned runs on six hits while striking out six and walking none. With the victory Zambrano, improved to 11-4 on the season.

Carlos Marmol worked 1 1/3 innings to pick up the save. He struck out three but also walked three, but none of them scored.

Marlins starter Scott Olsen went six innings, allowing six earned runs on seven hits while striking out three. With the loss, Olsen fell to 6-5 on the season.

The Cubs' record now is 60-42. They maintain their one game lead on the Brewers, who beat the Cardinals 4-3.

Today, the Cubs will send Ryan Dempster to the mound. He is 11-4 with a 3.05 ERA, Josh Johnson will make his third start of the season. In his previous two starts, he has two no-decisions and a 3.86 ERA. Game time is set for 1:20 pm Central.

Kerry Wood Goes on the DL Afterall

K. G. — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 20:28:00 -0400

The Cubs placed Kerry Wood on the DL ,retroactive to July 14, which will make him eligible to come off the DL on Tuesday against Milwaukee.

A possible replacement for Wood might be Jeff Samardzija out of Notre Dame, who has been doing very well in AAA Iowa, where he is 4-1 with a 3.31 ERA, along with 40 strikeouts. He would get a chance out of the 'pen if he is called up to replace Wood. The Cubs will decide tonight about who the replacement will be.

Hendry, in a news conference, mentioned ointments and pickle juice as remedies that Wood has used to help with the blister. He also went on to say that he did not ask if he used the the Moises Alou approach.

Which, if you don't know or just don't want to even know, is urinating on your hands to make them harder. Well that is enough for now!

Diamondbacks-Cubs: Cubs Bats Come Alive As They Beat D-Backs 10-6

K. G. — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 00:55:00 -0400

The Chicago Cubs bats came alive as they scored 10 runs on ten hits in 10-6 victory against the Diamondbacks.

Derrek Lee got the Cubs on the board first as he hit a solo home run to deep center in the top of the first. The Diamondbacks then took a lead in the bottom of the fourth when Tony Clark hit a two-run home to give the D-Backs a 2-1 lead.

The Cubs regained the lead in the top of the fifth as they put three on the board. The first run scored on a Ted Lilly single, then Reed Johnson who was on third scored on an Alfonso Soriano ground out. Shortly after Ryan Theriot grounded out which allowed Lilly to come in to score to give the Cubs a 4-2 lead.

The D-Backs added one run in the bottom of the fifth on a Conor Jackson triple to make the score 4-3. Then later in the eighth inning the Cubs exploded for six runs. The scoring got started on a Geovany Soto single that drove in Theriot. Then Mark Derosa walked with the base loaded which brought in Aramis Ramirez to score.

The final three runs came in on a Reed Johnson three-run blast that gave the Cubs a 10-3 lead. The D-Backs were however able to tack on three more in the bottom of the eighth as Chris Snyder hit a three-run home run to make the game 10-6 but that was as close as the D-Backs would be able to get.

Ted Lilly pitched six innings allowing three earned runs on six hits while striking out six in rout to his tenth victory of the season. Lilly now has a record 10-6 on the season.

As for the Diamondbacks starter Doug Davis he put in seven innings of work allowing four earned runs on five hits while striking out six. With the loss Davis fell to 3-5 on the season. Micah Owings worked one-third of an inning allowing five earned runs on just two hits while striking out none and walking three.

The Cubs bats finally woke up as Derrek Lee came up with two hits including the first inning home run. Aramis Ramirez finally broke out of hitless slump as he went 1-for-5 on the night. Plus Alfonso Soriano returned to lineup and went 1-for-5 with 1 RBI. Reed Johnson was the star of the night as he went 3-for-4 with four RBIs.

Next up, the Cubs will be back at Wrigley to take on the Marlins today, pitching for the Cubs will be Carlos Zambrano who is 10-4 with a 2.98 era. Going for the Marlins will be Scott Olsen who is 6-4 with a 3.84 era. Game time is set for 7:05 p.m. ct.

With the victory the Cubs now sit at 59-42 and still maintain a one game lead on the Brewers who beat the Cardinals 3-0.

Diamondbacks-Cubs: D-Backs easily take care of Cubs 9-2

K. G. — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 06:37:00 -0400

The Diamondbacks beat the Cubs in a 9-2 rout behind starter Yusmeiro Petit and the rest of the pitching staff who held the Cubs in check.

The Cubs did have seven hits but only managed two runs, their first run came in the top of the fourth when Mike Fontenot tripled to drive in Mark Derosa. The Cubs second run then scored in the top of the eighth on a Daryle Ward home run.

But that would be all the Cubs would muster off of the D-Backs pitching. Derrek Lee, Aramis Ramirez and Jim Edmonds went a combined 0-10 with Ramirez walking once. Ramirez is currently in a 0-for-20 slump and has not recorded a hit and in fact is batting just .163 with 3 HRs and 11 RBIs in the month of July.

Since the All-Star break the Cubs have been awful batting just .206 with 13 runs, nine walks and 35 strikeouts in their five games and they have not had a multiple home run game since the 8th of July. It has seem Lou has try some ways of helping the bats such as cancelling batting practice before Tuesday game like he did on Sunday's 9-0 win. Plus, he has even tried putting Mark Derosa who has been slumping ahead of Geovany Soto in the lineup. I expect to see more lineup changes for today's game.

As for the D-Backs they got on the board early when Conor Jackson hit a solo shot and went on to score in the thirs and fourth putting them up 3-1. In the bottom of the seventh Sttephen Drew scored on a wild pitch and Orlando Hudson hit a solo home run to give the Diamondbacks a 5-1 lead. After the Cubs scored one run in the eighth the D-Backs added four runs to put the Cubs away for good. Chris Young hit a run scoring double while Conor Jackson hit a two-run double followed by Augie Ojeda RBI groundout to the D-Backs up 9-2.

Yusmeiro Petit pitched five innings allowing just one earned run on three hits while striking out three and walking four in route to his first win.

As for Jason Marquis he went 6 innings allowing three earned runs on five hits while striking out three and walking two. With the loss Marquis fell to 6-6 on the season.
Today the Cubs will look to avoid the sweep as they send Ted Lilly to mound who is 9-6 with a 4.49 era as Doug Davis gets the start for the D-Backs who is 3-4 with a 4.14 era. Game time is set for 8:40 pm ct.

Astros-Cubs: Cubs Salvage Series with 9-0 Win over the Astros

K. G. — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 18:30:00 -0400

Ryan Dempseter and the Cubs salvage their series with a 9-0 thumping of the Houston Astros on Sunday afternoon. Dempster picked up his first victory on the road this season as he struck out seven in eight innings of work.

The Cubs jumped on the Astros early as they scored two in the first. Their first run came off a Derrek Lee double that drove Kosuke Fukudome. The Cubs then added one more run on a Jim Edmonds single that brought home Lee.

The Cubs did not score until later in the top of the fifth as Mike Fontenot homered to stake the Cubs to a 3-0 lead. They added one run in the seventh on a Ryan Theriot single that scored Mike Fontenot.

Their final five runs all came in the top of ninth. The first two runs of the inning were scored on a Mike Fontenot two-run double. Their very next run that made the lead 7-0 came in on Ryan Theriot single. Derrek Lee had a short single that drove in both Theriot and Fukudome making the score 9-0.

The Astros only managed six hits on the day, and all six came off of Dempster, who was outstanding. As for Astros starter Brandon Backe, he put in six and two-thirds innings, allowing four earned runs on eight hits while striking out eight. Backe was handed the loss and fell to 6-10 on the season.

Next up the Cubs will travel to Arizona to play the Diamondbacks for three. Tomorrow the Cubs will send Rich Harden to mound as Randy Johnson goes for the D-Backs. Game time is set for 8:40 pm ct.

With today's victory the Cubs' record now sits at 58-40 as they maintain their two-game lead on the Cardinals, who beat the Padres 9-5 today and who will play the Brewers next.

Astros-Cubs: Hunter Pence RBI Double Gives Houston a 2-1 Victory

K. G. — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 23:02:00 -0400

Hunter Pence drove in the game-winning run on a double off Bob Howry to give the Astros a 2-1 victory over the Cubs. Howry suffered the loss and fell to 3-3 on the season.

Ted Lilly was outstanding on the mound for Chicago. He went seven innings allowing just one earned run on six hits while striking out six. The one earned run given up by Lilly was on a home run by Carlos Lee in the bottom of the seventh.

As for Astros starter Brian Moehler, he matched Lilly by allowing only one earned run on just four hits while striking out three. The lone earned run given up by Moehler came in on a fifth-inning homer by Jim Edmonds.

Astros reliever Geoff Geary picked up the victory. He worked two hitless innings, striking out one.

What more can I say? Lilly pitched great; the Cubs could not get a hit off of Moehler. Howry gave up a double to Miguel Tejada, who eventually scored on Pence's double.

Today, the Cubs will send Carlos Zambrano to mound. He is 10-3 with a 2.84 ERA. Wandy Rodriguez, who is 4-3 with 3.48 ERA, goes for the Astros. Game time is set for 6:05 pm CT.

With the loss, the Cubs' record now sits at 57-39. They hold a 3.5-game lead on the Cardinals, who beat the Padres 11-7.

Looking Back At the Cubs First Half

K. G. — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 19:56:00 -0400

Before the Cubs begin the second half of the season I thought it would be only fitting to reflect back on the first half and to hand out some awards to the players.

The Cubs overall record so far is 57-38, which is tied for the best in the majors and their home record is a phenomenal 37-12 and their road record is 20-26. If the Cubs continue their winning ways at home and can finish at least .500 or better on the road they should be just fine in the race for the Division. They currently hold a 4.5 game lead on the Cardinals and a 5 game lead on the Brewers.

The Cubs hitting has been outstanding with the team batting .281, which ranks first in the league and third in the majors behind only the Rangers and Red Sox. They rank first in league and second in the majors in runs with 507. They have hit 107 home runs, which ranks fifth in the league and eighth in all of the majors.

The pitching has been just as great as the offense with their 3.89 ERA, which ranks third in the league and ninth in the majors. The starters for the Cubs have a combined record of 40-25 with a 3.88 ERA clearly the most dominate staff in the league.

Now on to the awards:

The first award goes out to the MVP for the Cubs.

The MVP for the Cubs thus far has to be Geovany Soto who has not only batted .288 with 16 home runs and 56 RBIs but has also built a great rapport with the pitchers as a rookie. That simply speaks volumes in my opinion. You can agree or disagree with my pick, but Geo is my MVP!

My Most Outstanding Hitter award has to go to Aramis Ramirez who is batting .285 with 17 home runs and has been a RBI machine with 66. He ranks first in both Home Runs and RBIs for the Cubs. Aramis is my most outstanding hitter so far. Who is yours?

My next award is for Most Outstanding Pitcher. This award has to go to Ryan Dempster who has a 10-4 record and a 3.25 ERA with 104 strikeouts and a WHIP of 1.18. Dempster is my Most Outstanding Pitching thus far, who would be yours?

The next award is for the Most Surprising Player thus far. This award would surely go to Kerry Wood who has been awesome out of the bullpen with his 24 saves and his 3.02 ERA. Wood by far deserves this award above anyone else on the team. I have my Most Surprising Player in Kerry Wood, do you agree with me?

The final award is not necessary an award for a player but for the Most Memorable Moment So Far. The most memorable moment so far this season has to be the comeback against the Colorado Rockies. Down 9-1 after five innings the Cubs overcame an eight-run deficit to tie the game at nine until Mark Derosa's game winning home run to give the Cubs a 10-9 lead and subsequent win.

Hopefully, the Cubs can continue their winning ways and bring the fans many more memories to cherish for a lifetime. Hey, how does a World Series berth sound or how does a World Series against the White Sox sound?

I know for sure the fans of Chicago would be ECSTATIC BEYOND BELIEF to see a World Series that pitted both Chicago teams against each other. Until then lets just let the second half of the season play out to see where the Cubs stand come September.

San Francisco Giants Hand Ryan Dempster First Home Loss

K. G. — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 17:19:00 -0400

The Giants handed Ryan Dempster his first home loss with 4-2 victory Sunday in Chicago.

Dempster pitched 6 2/3 innings and allowed four earned runs on seven hits while striking out six and walking three. With the loss, Dempster fell to 10-4 on the season.

The Giants got on the board first in the top of the third when Tim Lincecum hit his first career triple that drove in Omar Vizquel. They added two more runs on a Ray Durham single that drove in both Fred Lewis and Lincecum to give them a 3-0 lead.

The Cubs scored one run in the next inning when Jim Edmonds doubled to drive in Mark Derosa.

With the Giants leading 3-1 in the bottom of the seventh, they were able to add an insurance run on a triple by Lewis that gave them a little bit more breathing room.

In the top of the ninth, the Cubs managed to put up another run on a Geovany Soto single that drove in Edmonds to put them within two at 4-2, but Reed Johnson was left stranded at third and Brian Wilson shut door to pick up his 25th save of the season.

Lincecum, who started for the Giants, pitched eight solid innings allowing just one earned run on six hits while striking out nine and walking only one. With the win, he improves to 11-2 on the season.

The Cubs finish the first half of the season with a 57-38 record and an astonishing 37-12 home record—but a 20-26 road record, something they will have to work on in the second half. In the National League Central the hold a 4 1/2 game lead on the Milwaukee Brewers and a five game lead on the St. Louis Cardinals.

Next up, some of the Cubs players will participate in the All-Star game on Tuesday—chosen to participate are Carlos Zambrano, Ryan Dempster, Kosuke Fukudome, Aramis Ramirez, Geovany Soto, and Alfonso Soriano, who has been replaced. Carlos Marmol has also just been announced as a replacement for Kerry Wood.

After the All-Star break, the Cubs will start off the second half as they travel to Houston to take on the Astros for three games starting on Friday July 18th.

Carlos Zambrano Allows Only One Hit in Eight Innings As Cubs Win, 5-1

K. G. — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 23:59:00 -0400

The Cubs won 5-1 over the Reds, as Carlos Zambrano pitched a brilliant game, going eight innings and allowing just one hit, a solo home to Adam Dunn in the second inning.

After giving up the home run to Dunn, Zambrano went on to retire the next 20 batters, striking out five along the way and walking none. With the victory, Zambrano is now 10-3 on the season, and his ERA dropped to 2.84.

With the Reds leading 1-0 going into the bottom of the second, the Cubs were able to tie the game up at one when Geovany Soto scored on a fielding error by Jeff Keppinger. Later, in the sixth inning, the Cubs finally took the lead on a solo blast by Aramis Ramirez, which was his 16th of the season.

The Cubs then went on to add three in the bottom of the seventh, the first coming on a Kosuke Fukudome double that drove in Reed Johnson, the second run scored on a Derrek Lee single, and the final run of the night was scored by Derrek Lee, who was driven in on a double by Aramis Ramirez.

As for Reds starter Johnny Cueto, he put in six-and-two-thirds innings allowing four earned runs on eight hits while striking out eight and walking two. Cueto took the loss, and fell to 7-9 on the season.

Tomorrow afternoon the Cubs will send Ted Lilly to the mound. He is 9-5 with 4.47 ERA as Bronson Arroyo, who is 6-7 with a 5.82 ERA, goes for the Reds. Game time is set for 1:20 PM CT.

Giants beat Cubs 8-3

K. G. — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 16:11:00 -0400

The Giants beat the Cubs 8-3 behind the pitching of Tim Lincecum and the batting of Rich Aurilia who both lead the Giants to a big win.

Tim Lincecum gave up one run early before settling down to pitch four scoreless innings until he allowed two earned runs in the sixth inning. He ended up going six innings allowing just the three earned runs on seven hits while striking out eight and walking one in route to his tenth win on the season.

As for the Cubs run in the first, it came off a Derrek Lee single that drove in Reed Johnson. Later in the sixth inning, the Cubs scored two runs on a Mark Derosa double that scored both Jim Edmonds and Derrek Lee. But those were all the runs the Cubs could muster on the night.

The Giants put up four in the second inning the first coming in on a Jose Castillo double, then the second coming in on a Tim Lincecum single that scored Jose Castillo.

Their third run came in on a Fred Lewis triple that drove in Lincecum. Then Ray Durham was safe at first on a throwing error by Soto that allowed Fred Lewis to score to put the Giants up 4-1.

Later in the seventh inning the Giants added three more runs on a Rich Aurilia three-run blast that put the Giants up 7-3. Then in the bottom of the eighth Omar Vizquel singled to score Aaron Rowand which made the score 8-3 and what would turn out to be the final score.

Starter Sean Gallagher went five innings allowing three earned runs on four hits while striking out two and walking two. He did indeed take the lost and fell to 3-4 on the season. Once again Carlos Marmol's struggles still continued as he allowed the big home run to Aurilia in the bottom of the seventh.

Tonight the Cubs will take on the Cardinals as Carlos Zambrano backed from the DL will go for the Cubs as Braden Looper will get start for the Cardinals game time is set for 7:15 pm ct.

San Francisco Giants 2, Chicago Cubs 1: Giants Win Pitchers' Duel

K. G. — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 12:21:00 -0400

The San Francisco Giants beat the Chicago Cubs 2-1 Tuesday behind an excellent pitching performance by Matt Cain, who went eight innings allowing no earned runs on just two hits while striking out ten and walking three.

The Giants got on the board first when Fred Lewis came in to score when he stole home. Their second run came in on a Randy Winn single that scored Lewis, making the score 2-0.

The Cubs lone run came in the ninth when Geovany Soto singled in Derrek Lee. The Cubs offense managed just five hits on the night, and only came up with the one run.

Pitcher Jason Marquis pitched a great game in which he went seven innings, allowing the two earned runs on four hits while striking out five and walking three. With the loss he fell to 6-5 on the season.

Wednesday the Cubs will send Ryan Dempster to the mound; Dempster is 9-3 with a 3.26 ERA. Kevin Correia, who is 1-5 with a 4.79 ERA, goes for the Giants. Game time is set for 9:15 pm ct.

Chicago: White Sox defeat Cubs 6-5

K. G. — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 22:52:00 -0400

The White Sox defeated the Cubs 6-5 on a seventh inning home run by Carlos Quentin that gave the Sox the lead and an eventual win.

The Cubs got a huge game from Derrek Lee who went five-for-five with three RBIs, he hit a run scoring single and a two-run double in the fourth inning which gave the Cubs a short lived 5-4 lead.

The White Sox tied the game up at five on a solo home run by Alexei Ramirez in the bottom of the fourth.

Pitcher Sean Gallagher pitched six innings allowing five earned runs on eight hits while striking out eight and walking three. However Carlos Marmol suffered the loss as he gave up the game winning home run in the bottom of the seventh to Carlos Quentin.

As for White Sox starter Javier Vasquez he lasted just four-and-a-third innings allowing five earned runs on nine hits while striking out seven and walking three. The win went to Matt Thornton as Bobby Jenks got his 18th save of the season.

Tomorrow the Cubs will try to salvage the series as they send Sean Marshall to the mound who is 0-1 with 5.40 era. Mark Buehrle who is 5-6 with a 4.04 era goes for the White Sox.

Game time is set for 7:05 pm as the game will be shown on ESPN.