PPD Bad For Me

My evening planed around watching the Cubs from section 215 was replaced with a dinner at Goose Island and a night on the couch watching Baseball Tonight. Not a terrible evening by any means, but it’s hard to top Cubs vs. Cards on Sunday night.

And, because of the rain I didn’t pull the trigger on exposing the digital camera to taking pictures of the new Captain Morgan Club. So, yet again, I’ll wait for a better day to grab some shots to post on-line.

Good news is the Cubs get an extra off day before playing 20 games in 20 days beginning Tuesday.

Plus, Lou is able to rework the rotation for the Reds series with Lilly now following Harden’s start Tuesday night and Marshall moving back to the pen.

Bullpen could use an extra day of rest as well; lots of innings pitched in the Cards series.

Outside the abundance of walks, the bullpen is steady having retired 21-of-26 inherited runners. Keep that number around 80 percent all season and you have a pretty good bullpen.

Still, it feels like the bullpen is unsettled. Heilman hasn’t exactly earned the seventh inning role, Guzman has been inconsistent throwing strikes and Cotts, the lone man for lefty situations, has walked six of nine batters faced. Patton isn’t going to be a savor and Vizcaino has pitched less than three innings.

Concerned? YES!

That said, it’s a bit early to panic…but I get the feeling bullpen changes are coming sooner than later. And for heaven’s sake, my hope is that change doesn’t include hooking Samardzija out of Iowa’s starting rotation.

If the Cubs are truly committed to making No.29 a starter, as they should be, then keep him at Triple-A until he’s ready to start on the North Side.

• Notes: Cubs (7-4) Tied 1st

• Only 35 April night games have been played by the Cubs at Wrigley Field.
  

• Cubs hold a (20-15) record in those games.

• Chicago set its franchise mark for home night game victories last season with (20).
  

• Aramis is tied for the MLB lead for 2-out RBIs (8).