GirlieView (07/31/2009)

Quick Weekly Wrapup

• Friday, 07/24: vs. Cincinnati, W (8-5)
• Saturday 07/25: vs. Cincinnati, W (5-3)
• Sunday 07/26: vs. Cincinnati, W (5-2)
• Monday 07/27: vs Houston, W (5-1)
• Tuesday 07/28: vs Houston, L (11-6)
• Wednesday 07/29: vs Houston, W (12-0)
• Thursday 07/30: vs Houston, W (12-3)

Fun week to watch Cubs baseball! I’m trying not to get over confident yet, but I’m definitely more optimistic than in weeks past.

Count-the-Mullets Results

Only 6. Disappointing turnout this year.

Question of the Week

This week I actually have four questions for your consideration:

1. This has been talked about a little bit already but let’s hear your thoughts. Who do you want in the rotation now that Hart’s gone? Marshall? Samardzija? Someone else entirely? Let’s look at it two ways. Who do you want in the rotation? vs. Who will Lou use in the rotation? They are not necessarily the same. Rarely if you’re me.
2. It seems when Soriano hits the whole team hits. When Soriano sucks the whole team sucks. Why is that? Is it even true, or is it just a perception? I remember thinking it last year too.
3. What was so bad about Hart? It’s a serious question, not sarcastic. I’m really trying to learn. He looked fine, not great but fine, yet even when he was doing ok you didn’t hear a good word about him. Even from Len and Bob. Everyone seemed almost cynical about it … kind of like “well, he’s holding his own but heaven knows how he’s pulling it off” rather than “wow the kid’s holding his own!” Just a little Lizzie education with this question.
4. Did you hear about the naked bat girl at the Marlins game last week? Me neither, just seeing if anyone’s paying any attention on a Friday afternoon.

Weekly VFTB Highlights

• I cant quit you man!!! (here)
• We’re in first place!!!!!! (here)
• Thank God for offense. (here)
• Soriano should never hit leadoff again. (here)
• I think you should have said.. “I’ll try not to Wee in the pool” (here)
• Admit it. If I would have said that Kevin Gregg would have better numbers than Carlos Marmol at this point in the year, would you have believed me? (here)
• [Bradley] seems to love to draw the walks and since he seems to have an allergy to driving in runs, why not hit him 2nd? (here)
• you go with a professional hitter in that situation, not a pitcher who swings like Paul Bunyan (here)
• A guy like Fontenot must be able to bunt. He is a medicore utility infielder. You have to know how to bunt. (here)
• Lou didn’t pinch hit for Demp in the 4th because we just played a 14 inning game the day prior, taxing our bullpen, the top 1% of wage earners and your employer-paid health benefits. (here)
• Maybe Jim Edmonds is available? (here)
• I could have been a wideout for chrissakes. (here)
• Bob, rather than replying sympathetically like a former catcher may, simply said that under normal circumstances calling balls and strikes is a tall order for Bucknor. (here)
• Milwaukee – Still drunk, stupid and trying to keep from free falling. (here)
• I think the next six games will tell the tale of if the ship has been righted. (here)

You’re right, Matt, this week will show us. Should be some exciting baseball! Enjoy it!

Posted in General | 7 Comments »

Len & Bob Love, Peeing Your Pants, Former Prospects, Etc

About Last Night

Reason # 487 why I love Len & Bob – Don’t know if you caught the game on WGN yesterday, but early in the game, C.B. Bucknor caught two balls off the shoulder in a matter of minutes and was obviously shaken by the experience. Len made the comment that he still needed to jump right back in there and call balls and strikes, which is a tall order. Bob, rather than replying sympathetically like a former catcher may, simply said that under normal circumstances calling balls and strikes is a tall order for Bucknor. Roll on Bob. That’s why I love you.

You Know It’s Coming – Jake Fox played yesterday….Jake Fox homered yesterday. Just saying. That’s my boy.

Questioning the Manager – At the time, it was a little more significant that it ended up being with the final score taken into account, but the Astros intentionally walked Koyie Hill with one out and runners on 2nd & 3rd and a 1 run lead. It seemed odd that you would walk a hitter with an average hovering around .200 to get to the pitcher in hopes of a double play when so often a pitcher strikes out. It all but guaranteed that Fukudome would come to the plate. It seemed like it would be smarter to go right at Hill and Hart in hopes of getting out of the inning without any damage. Agree? Disagree?

I Guess That Answers That Question – As I was watching the game early, I asked myself the question “when do we go with another option in the rotation for Hart?” I guess Hendry was listening to my thoughts and made a move accordingly. My guess is that now Marshall will make the transition back to the rotation, but at this point is that the right move? If you’re just going to move him back to the pen when Lilly comes back, would it be a better option to go with Samardzija or perhaps even getting out of the box and going with someone like Casey Coleman from AA. Just thinking out loud.

Around the division

St. Louis – Lost to the Dodgers, which paved the way for our return to 1st place.

Houston – Released Russ Ortiz after his last beatdown at our hands. Sorry about that, Russ.

Pittsburgh – Thanks for continuing to supply our needs. Always nice to have a store like Wal-Mart available 24 hours a day when we need something. Thanks again.

Cincinnati – Anxious to get rid of Dusty, dude. “I’ve got reason to believe that the Cardinals can’t wait to get their claws into Paul Janish to turn him into a Cy Young winner. I’d throw in Harang too if they’d just take Dusty off our hands.” (Red Hot Mama)

Milwaukee – Still drunk, stupid and trying to keep from free falling. I guess no one will be peeing their pants again this year…or at least not in celebration for a Brewers division title. I guess you have to differentiate sometimes.

News & Notes

• The Tennessee Smokies, Class AA minor league affiliate of the Chicago Cubs, announce a series of roster moves Thursday. RHP Chris Carpenter has been promoted from High-A Daytona. In a corresponding roster move, RHP Jay Jackson has been sent to Daytona. Jackson was pitching well with the Smokies with a 5-5 record and a 3.70 ERA. His control was a tad spotty, but I’m not sure why moving him down would suddenly help that.
• Former Cub prospect, and Mark Strickler favorite, Brian Dopirak hit a grand slam and drove in 7 for the Blue Jays farm system. No reason to mention it other than to bring him up.
• JR Mathes only allowed one run in 7.0 innings pitched
• Casey Coleman only allowed one run in 6.0 innings pitched
• Jay Jackson only allowed one run in 5.2 innings pitched
• Jadel Mendez pitched 6.0 scoreless innings
• Smaily Borgues was 3-for-4

Top Prospect Tracker

Photo Op

Right-hander Casey Coleman is 10-5 with a 3.26 ERA in 20 starts this season. (Carl Kline/MiLB.com)

Rich Harden vs. Chris Volstad

Harden says all of his first-half day/night, home/road stats are lopsided because of bad mechanics, not because he can’t pitch during the afternoon. The right-hander wasn’t using his legs enough but has figured out his troubles since the All-Star break. He now is 2-0 with a 0.95 ERA since the break, picking up the win in his last start, against the Reds. In that game, Harden gave up one hit — a Joey Votto homer in the first inning — before retiring 16 in a row. Harden struck out eight, and he has 21 strikeouts in three starts since the break. He didn’t walk a batter against the Reds — the second time he’s done that this year.

During the West Coast road trip, Volstad won both of his starts, claiming decisions at San Diego and Los Angeles. However, control has been an issue for the 22-year-old, who walked four in each of those games. In 5 1/3 innings at Los Angeles, he gave up four runs, all in the sixth inning. Home runs remain an issue, as he’s surrendered 21 in 21 starts. Volstad faced the Cubs on April 23 at Wrigley Field, giving up two runs on three hits in seven innings. He wasn’t involved in the decision, but Florida won the game. (MLB.com)

Has an incredibly projectable frame for a major-league starter. Is also a smart pitcher with a great feel for the position. Is still a little too hittable, and he must also improve his strikeout/walk ratio in order to maximize his big-league potential. A quality mid-rotation starter. (TSN.ca)

Carlos Zambrano vs. Burke Badenhop

Zambrano did not get a decision in his last start against the Astros, but did pitch well. He gave up one run on three hits over seven innings, and that one run came on Carlos Lee’s home run. Zambrano did walk four, and struck out four. It was his 13th quality start. He’s now 1-1 with a 2.52 ERA in his last six home games and has recorded a quality start in each of those games. He also has a hit in four of his last six games.

The Marlins have not formally announced a starting pitcher for Saturday’s game against the Cubs, but manager Fredi Gonzalez said it was “highly likely” Burke Badenhop will get the ball against the Cubs. Gonzalez did not officially pencil in Badenhop because he does not know what will happen with the unpredictable weather in South Florida over the next few days. If Badenhop does not throw Friday night, you can almost guarantee he will start Saturday. The right-hander would be making his first appearance since returning from a three-game suspension for hitting Dodgers second baseman Orlando Hudson with a pitch on July 26. Badenhop won his only start this season after holding the Phillies to one run over five innings on May 27. Left-handers Sean West and Andrew Miller were other potential options to get the start on Aug. 1, but will not as both started in the Minors on July 29. (MLB.com)

Has an ideal frame and a good feel for pitching and a solid repertoire. Can be used as either a starter or reliever. Is a little too hittable when his command is not quite where he wants it to be. Doesn’t strike out a lot of batters because of average stuff. A back-of-the-rotation starter or long reliever. (TSN.ca)

Ryan Dempster vs. Ricky Nolasco

Dempster was rusty in his first outing in 3 1/2 weeks. He had been sidelined with a broken right big toe, suffered July 5, and was going to be limited to 80-85 pitches. He threw 85 exact. But that was over five innings. He gave up six runs on nine hits and struck out three. He just wasn’t sharp, and the problem was location. He has one win in his last seven starts.

Nolasco took a no decision his last time out after holding the Braves to two runs on seven hits over seven innings while striking out five. The right-hander showed toughness on the mound, pitching himself out of several jams. In his next start, the 26-year-old faces the organization that drafted him. Nolasco is 2-1 with a 3.60 ERA over three starts against the Cubs for his career. (MLB.com)

Has terrific command of his low-90’s heat, plus he features a strong curveball and good change-up. Is very effective against right-handed hitters. Will occasionally struggle with his mechanics and confidence. Injuries have so far wreaked havoc on his big-league potential. A decent mid-rotation starter. (TSN.ca)

Posted in General | 6 Comments »

Trade

Undoubtedly someone will type up something more about this soon. But the Cubs have completed a trade with the Pirates that brings left handed reliever John Grabow and pitcher (now in AAA) Tom Gorzelanny. The Cubs send Kevin Hart, Jose Ascanio, and minor league infielder Josh Harrison.

CHICAGO – The Chicago Cubs today acquired left-handed pitchers John Grabow and Tom Gorzelanny from the Pittsburgh Pirates for right-handed pitchers Kevin Hart and Jose Ascanio and Single-A Daytona infielder Josh Harrison.

Grabow will be added to the Cubs 25-man roster prior to tomorrow’s game at Florida. Gorzelanny, a native of Evergreen Park, Ill., will join Chicago’s Triple-A Iowa roster.

The 30-year-old Grabow is 3-0 with a 3.42 ERA (18 ER/47.1 IP) in 45 relief appearances for the Pirates this season. He has posted a 2.22 ERA (7 ER/28.1 IP) and a .184 batting average against (18-for-98) in his last 25 appearances during the last two-plus months starting May 24. He has not allowed a run in 22 of the 25 outings, including 11 consecutive scoreless outings from June 24-July 22, covering 12.0 innings pitched.

Grabow has been especially tough in “close and late” situations this season, limiting opponents to a .212 batting average (22-for-104) in those spots. Overall he is limiting foes to a .246 batting average against, including a .234 mark by righthanders (29-for-124) and a .275 mark (14-for-51) by lefthanders.

In 2008, Grabow turned in the best season of his seven-year big league career when he went 6-3 with a 2.84 ERA (24 ER/76.0 IP) in 74 relief appearances with the Pirates. He limited opponents to a .215 batting average (60-for-279), including a .239 mark by lefties and a .207 mark by righties. Overall in seven seasons with Pittsburgh, the six-foot-two, 205-pounder is 20-15 with six saves and a 4.09 ERA (165 ER/363.1 IP) in 390 career relief outings. A native of Arcadia, Calif., Grabow was originally selected by Pittsburgh in the third round of the 1997 Draft.

A 14-game winner for the Pirates in 2007, the 27-year-old Gorzelanny has split the 2009 season between Pittsburgh and its Triple-A Indianapolis club. With Indianapolis, Gorzelanny has gone 4-3 with a 2.48 ERA (24 ER/87.0 IP) in 15 starts. He has a 0.96 ERA (4 ER/37.1 IP) in his last six Triple-A starts beginning June 27 and is 3-2 with a 1.21 ERA (7 ER/52.0 IP) in his last nine starts. Overall with Indianapolis, Gorzelanny has limited opponents to a .228 batting average, including a .195 mark by left-handed hitters.

Gorzelanny enjoyed his first full major league season in 2007 when he went 14-10 with a 3.88 ERA (87 ER/201.2 IP) in 32 starts with the Pirates. He has split the 2008 and 2009 seasons between Triple-A and the majors. He is 3-1 with a 5.19 ERA (5 ER/8.2 IP) in nine relief appearances for the Pirates this season during his big league stint from May 17-June 9.

The six-foot-two, 202-pound Gorzelanny made his major league debut with the Pirates in 2005 and was named Pittsburgh’s Minor League Pitcher of the Year in 2006 after going 6-5 with a 2.35 ERA with Indianapolis. Overall in 76 major league appearances (65 starts) with the Pirates, Gorzelanny is 25-26 with a 4.79 ERA (204 ER/383.1 IP).

Hart, 26, has split the 2009 campaign between Chicago and Triple-A Iowa. He is 3-1 with a 2.60 ERA (29 ER/66.1 IP) in eight appearances (four starts) with the Cubs this season, earning the win this afternoon against the Houston Astros.

Ascanio, 24, has also split the 2009 season between the Cubs and Triple-A. He is 0-1 with a 3.52 ERA (6 ER/15.1 IP) in 14 relief appearances for Chicago this season.

Harrison, 22, is batting .286 (20-for-70) with one home run and nine RBI in 18 games with Daytona this season. He began the year with Single-A Peoria, where he batted .337 (102-for-303) with four homers and 33 RBI in 79 games.

Posted in General | 17 Comments »

The 13 Man Staff Strikes Again

Sometimes I just don’t understand the decisions made. Reed Johnson to the DL and Jeff Stevens to the big club. The only thing I can think of is that Stevens was still in town and Fuld couldn’t get here in time. The media release is after the jump. (more…)

Posted in Media Releases | 3 Comments »

Catchers Galore, Wells for ROY, and Yahoo Error

About Last Night

• For once, perhaps an injury won’t be that big a deal for this team. Admittedly, I enjoy watching Reed Johnson play, and I think he has been a huge addition for this team, but at the same time, I don’t worry about him being out for the next month. I have no doubt that Sam Fuld can do the job in a platoon with Kosuke until Reed comes back. By that time, the rosters will have expanded and both should have a role on this active roster. On the whole, not the end of the world if you ask me.
• Randy Wells needs to get serious consideration for Rookie of the Year. Imagine if we have two straight. We’re on our way to being the Dodgers of the 90’s. Woo Hoo.
• I find it interesting, and it will probably be corrected before the end of the day, that if you look at the pitcher lines for both teams are Yahoo, neither add up to the amount of innings that were pitched. Mitch Atkins pitched 0 innings, but yet the game was still over. The Astros pitched a combined 5 innings of work. That’s awesome.

Minor League Notes

Good to see we don’t have any catchers that are hitting the baseball down in the minors.

• Welington Castillo (CATCHER) hit 2 home runs
• Michael Brenly (CATCHER) was 3-for-5
• Chris Robinson (CATCHER) was 2-for-3 with a walk
• James Leverton only allowed one run in 5.2 innings pitched
• Brett Jackson was 4-for-5
• Ryan Flaherty went 2-for-6 with a triple and three RBI
• Andrew Cashner went another five innings, only allowing 1 run and lowering the AA ERA to 1.09
• Jovan Rosa has been named the Midwest League Player of the Week for the week of July 20-26.

Top Prospect Tracker

Photo Op

Junior Lake is batting .260 with five homers and 24 RBIs in 97 games this season. (Paul R. Gierhart/MiLB.com)

Posted in General | 27 Comments »

Cubs roll, Johnson breaks foot

Today the Cubs totally annihilated the Astros and took the lead with a decisive 12-0 win over the Astros.  It’s hard to say what was more dominant, the Cubs hitting or the pitching of Randy Wells; Mitch Atkins came in for mop-up action in the 9th and every single Cubs bench player saw action.

Lost to the Cubs today is center fielder Reed Johnson, who broke a foot on a foul tip.  Johnson will miss an estimated 4-6 weeks.  Expect Sam Fuld to return to the Cubs roster – Cubs catcher Koyie Hill is still pulling marathon man action behind the plate so a callup of C Chris Robinson is also a possibility.  Robinson is hitting .321 with one error for Iowa so this move makes the most sense.  It would also allow the Cubs to give Jake Fox time in LF, RF and occasionally at 3B and 1B in a backup role or late inning substitute.  Now the Cubs must substitute Fox for another player when he pinch-hits because they are burning their backup catcher – this an unnecessary consideration for Cubs’ manager Lou Piniella.

The Cubs will enjoy a day off Thursday prior to starting a series against the dreaded Marlins. I always hate playing these guys for more reasons than 2003. They always seem to bring good pitching and we always seem to have critical meltdowns when we play these upstarts. Florida is third in the wildcard race, 2.5 games behind San Francisco. Everybody talks about Hanley Ramirez but I’m as concerned (if not more) with their outfield. It consists of CF Cody Ross (14 HR, 463 SLG,) Brett Carroll and Jeremy Hermida. All of those guys can hit an extra base hit and so can Cantu. Dan Uggla leads the team with 17 homeruns and we all know about their pitching staff led by Josh Johnson. The Cubs will play three games in Florida and none of them appears to be in danger of being blacked out – they will then enjoy another day off on Monday.

Posted in General | 10 Comments »

BJ Ryan maks an appearance

Well, you gotta lose sometime, but what a weird game last night. Oswalt leaves early due to injury. A ball gets lost in the pitchers baseball jersey. Very very strange stuff. We’re out of 1st again, so let’s put the pressure on St. Louis again with a win today.

• Tough outing for Dempster. Do you think it’s related to rust, the toe still bothering him, or just a bad outing?
• Bullpen Monday = outstanding…..Bullpen Tuesday = not so much.
• Justin Berg was sent down to make room for Dempster, and I’m not sure I would have went that route. I think Samardzija was the guy to go.
• All this talk about the Cubs not having a catcher in the system to backup is garbage. You mean to tell me that we’ve got no one down there that can hit .198 in the Majors and catch a ballgame every so often? That’s what Koyie is hitting right now. I’m sorry, but I’m not buying the bridge Hendry and some of you are trying to sell me. I’d like to see Jeff Baker gone and Chris Robinson added to the 40 man roster and called up to backup Hill so we can actually afford to use a guy like Jake Fox at other positions and not worry about the fact that your backup catcher is on the field and could get hurt.
• Big ups to Mark Buehrle on another great outing, breaking the consecutive hitless innings record. Not so much on his appearance on David Letterman.

Minor League Notes

• B.J. Ryan pitched a scoreless inning of relief for Iowa, allowing a walk, but no hits.
• Casey Fossum got hit hard in his five inning start, allowing five earned runs. Just when I bragged on him too.
• Aaron Miles doesn’t appear to be coming back to this team. He’s hitting .222 in Iowa with a .234 OBP.
• Josh Harrison earned Florida State League Player of the Week honors after two great series versus the St. Lucie Mets and Palm Beach Cardinals. Harrison batted .423 (11-26) over the last week and stole seven bases.
• Craig Muschko pitched 6.0 scoreless innings
• Alvaro Ramirez was 3-for-5
• Jordan Petraitis was 3-for-4

Top Prospect Tracker

Photo Op

Jovan Rosa is batting .310 with 16 RBIs and two steals in 19 games with the Chiefs. (Scott Jontes/MiLB.com)

Posted in General | 8 Comments »

Jeremy Papelbon sticks one to me

Just when I start dissing on Jeremy Papelbon, he drops a great outing on us.

• Jeremy Papelbon pitched 4.1 scoreless innings
• Rafael Dolis pitched 5.0 scoreless innings
• Austin Bibens-Dirkx only allowed one run in 9.0 innings pitched
• Melvin Camarena was 4-for-6 with 6 RBI
• Rebel Ridling went 4-for-4 with a HR

Top Prospect Tracker

Posted in General | 16 Comments »

I Know We’re Winning…But

Big ups to Sori for the walk off grand slam after another moron moment in the 11th where he didn’t even run on a ground out to third. It feels good to see this team hitting a hot streak at just the right time, but I came away from the game with a few questions / thoughts.

Lineup Shuffling - Kosuke got the night off tonight against the lefty, with ReJo in there to spell him. The offense suffered as a result. 0-for -12 combined. Johnson and Theriot simply couldn’t do anything at the top to set the table for the middle of the order, especially Lee who had a great day at the plate. In my opinion, Johnson isn’t really the guy I want at the top of the order. He looked confused at the plate tonight. I’d rather see Theriot lead off against lefties with someone like Milton Bradley hitting 2nd. In fact, I really wouldn’t mind a move for Bradley to the middle of the order against the righties as well. He seems to love to draw the walks and since he seems to have an allergy to driving in runs, why not hit him 2nd? Between Fukudome and Bradley, a pitcher has the potential to throw 15 pitches and have a pair of baserunners on for Lee / Ramirez / Soriano at the 3-4-5 spots. It’s worth a try. What’s the worst that can happen?

Along the same lines of lineup shuffling, would it have made more sense to hit Carlos in the 8th spot with Koyie Hill behind the plate? Hill isn’t really in there because of the offense. Wouldn’t that be the time to pull a LaRussa and go with the pitcher hitting 8th? Purists hate it, but I can see the value in it for someone like LaRussa with a guy like Pujols in that lineup. Then again, with Lee hitting the ball the way he has, why not try to get as many on base ahead of him as possible?

What’s Foxy gotta do? – Hill is an iron man behind the plate. We’ve seen that since Geo has gone down with the injury, but what I can’t seem to figure out is why Lou refuses to get Foxy in the lineup when he can. Is it really necessary to have him catch every game? Why not give Hill a night off every now and then if you trust Fox behind the plate, which obviously Lou does to a point or he wouldn’t have put him back there for a couple of innings tonight or awhile back? Fox can hit. I think we’ve all seen that so far at this level, so now it becomes Lou’s responsibility to get him at bats when possible.

Questioning Lou – I don’t question Lou’s decision to suicide squeeze with Fontenot in the 9th, despite it’s failure, but what I do question is the decision to leave Zambrano in the game to hit in the 7th inning with runners on 1st and 2nd and two outs. It was clear that Z wasn’t going to come back out to pitch the 8th. While Zambrano can handle the bat, when he’s up at the plate he’s thinking one thing and one thing only….HACK. That’s not the approach I want in that situation. I’d have rather seen Lou pinch hit in that spot in an effort to push that run in and get Z a chance at a win.

Posted in General | 18 Comments »

What the Cubs need most (now)

There is a lot of speculation as to what the Cubs need to add to make this another playoff season – some suggest a right fielder, others a second baseman, still others want another quality lefty out of the pen.   My suggestion is much cheaper and easy to purchase – duct tape.  For Milton Bradley’s mouth.  I have a suggestion for Mr. Bradley too and it’s even cheaper – Google the words “Todd AND Hundley AND finger.”  Learn about what happened when Hundley came to bat Milton – make a decision as to whether or not you want to listen to the boos every time you run to right field or go to bat.  For that matter, read about Jacque Jones and his brief stay in Chicago; the difference here is that Jones only cost $5M a year so he was real easy to ditch.  Not so easy with you Milton, you’ll have to serve out your contract and listen to the fans sing your praises.

I feel like many of our readership here seem to feel, we’ve been patient with Mr. Bradley’s antics and lack of maturity but now he seems to be hindering the team with his attitude.  Guys with bad attitudes can really hurt morale in any business, let alone a teamwork-intensive endeavor like baseball.  I’m hopeful that Lou Piniella will begin immediate tough love sessions with a three day benching.  This guy needs serious lessons in humility and it wouldn’t hurt for him to do some Dale Carnegie immersion as well.

This guy clearly has a “people problem.”

Update:

Speaking of guys with no tact, how about LaTroy Hawkins running his mouth with an umpire?  I’ve never seen a pitcher ejected for arguing balls and strikes in the middle of an at bat – I used to hate it when this guy would call into the Score and chime in like he was some kind of baseball fortune teller.  The ump clearly warned Hawkins of his impending fate, my hat’s off to that guy, particularly after taking a real nasty foul ball off his throat protector.

Posted in General | 7 Comments »

Scouting The Starters – Houston Series

Here is the breakdown on the starting pitching matchups for the series against the Houston Astros.

Monday – Wandy Rodriguez (10-6, 2.72) vs. Carlos Zambrano (7-4, 3.48)

Rodriguez became Houston’s first 10-game winner this season by winning his fifth consecutive decision last time out against St. Louis. He had his scoreless innings snapped against the Cardinals in the second inning but didn’t waste any time in starting a new one. He had not allowed a run in 18 1/3 innings until Mark DeRosa hit a solo home run with one out in the second frame. After that, he did not allow another run, tossing seven innings, allowing four hits and giving up just the one run while striking out five. He has faced Chicago twice this season but has received tough-luck no-decisions in both starts. Last time out against the Cubs on June 10, he worked seven innings, allowing one run on five hits, striking out six. Rodriguez has a 1.38 ERA over 13 innings against the Cubs this season. (MLB.com)

When he’s on, he keeps his good fastball low in the zone and induces ground balls, while setting the heat up with a solid change and good breaking stuff. Command can be a problem at times. Must work on his approach with runners on, as well as his endurance beyond the sixth inning. A quality mid-rotation starter. (TSN.ca)

Zambrano gave up a season-high 10 hits but got enough run support for a change to pick up his third straight win in his last start. He beat the Phillies, giving up five runs (four earned) over 6 2/3 innings. Big Z also struck out seven. He didn’t get a hit, which is a surprise. Zambrano has faced the Astros twice this year, winning on Opening Day, April 6, and not getting a decision June 10 despite holding Houston to one run on three hits over eight innings. (MLB.com)

Tuesday – Roy Oswalt (6-4, 3.66) vs. Ryan Dempster (5-5, 4.09)

Through six innings Oswalt was spectacular against the Cardinals, efficiently throwing 59 pitches through six, but he ran into control issues in the seventh, allowing two runs in the inning to be out-dueled by Chris Carpenter. He would allow three runs on seven hits and strike out four over seven innings, taking and receive and no decision. He has faced the Cubs twice this season, going 0-1 with a 4.15 ERA. In his last start against the Cubs on May 16, he tossed six innings allowing three runs and striking out seven to receive a no decision. In his career, Oswalt is 12-12 with a 3.90 ERA in 28 appearances, including 27 starts against Chicago. (MLB.com)

He’s not a big man but manages to crank up the heat into the mid-90s and combine it with devastating pinpoint control. An innings-eater. Injuries have been the bane of his career since Day 1. Anyone who throws that hard at that size is bound to be injury prone. A Cy Young candidate every year. (TSN.ca)

Dempster has been on the disabled list since July 8 because of a broken right big toe, but his rehab went well, and he will be activated about a week earlier than expected. The right-hander warmed up with a simulated game last Wednesday in Philadelphia, throwing 60 pitches, and was to throw another side session over the weekend. Give him credit for keeping his arm in shape during his rehab time. (MLB.com)

Wednesday – Mike Hampton (6-7, 4.74) vs. Randy Wells (6-4, 3.10)

In his last start against the New York Mets, Hampton wasn’t able to work out beyond the sixth inning, allowing four runs on eight hits over 5 2/3 innings, but he did provide the Astros with a boost at the plate, hitting his first home run since May 8, 2005, and the 16th of his career. He’s faced the Cubs once this season already, taking the loss on May 6 after allowing five runs (three earned) on seven hits over 5 1/3 innings. In 24 career appearances, including 20 starts, he is 9-5 with a 3.07 ERA against the Cubs. (MLB.com)

A battler with a good sense of deception. Always competitive on the mound, he’s a very good athlete who is a great hitter and fielder for a pitcher. Injuries have really taken their toll. With increasing age, he has lost a lot of zip off his fastball. Has always given up too many walks.
A serviceable mid-rotation starter, when healthy. (TSN.ca)

Wells seems to like facing National League Central teams. In his last start, against the Reds, Wells picked up his ninth quality start and a victory. So far, he’s 2-1 with a 2.39 ERA against NL Central teams and 6-0 when he gets four runs of support or more. Against the Reds, Wells’ only mistake was serving up Aaron Harang’s first career homer. Wells was kicking himself after the game for the slider he hung. He’s still a rookie. (MLB.com)

Thursday – Russ Ortiz (3-5, 4.75) vs. Kevin Hart (2-1, 2.08)

Ortiz labored through 4 1/3 innings against the Mets last time out. He threw 96 pitches, allowing six runs on five hits and walking four in his outing. Ortiz has three appearances, including two starts against the Cubs this season, posting an 0-1 record with a 5.06 ERA over 10 2/3 innings versus the North-siders this year. In his last outing against them on June 11, Ortiz allowed no runs and just three hits over 5 1/3 innings but recieved a no decision. In his career, he is 3-5 with 5.23 ERA in 13 appearances, including 11 starts, against the Cubs. (MLB.com)

Although only a two-pitch pitcher, Ortiz throws both of them with considerable skill. His fastball has a lot of movement when in the low-90s range, and he is able to pump it into the mid-90s when necessary. He throws hitters off balance with his nice curve. Control has been Ortiz’s biggest drawback. He needs to emphasize his mechanics when he gets behind in the count. He also needs to focus on keeping runners close, especially when he doesn’t have his best stuff. Injuries and inconsistency have put his big-league creds in question. (TSN.ca)

Hart thought his days as a starter would be over upon Ryan Dempster’s return, but with Ted Lilly going on the DL, the Cubs will be counting on the rookie right-hander. Hart picked up his second win in his last start, against the Reds on Saturday. He posted his longest outing, six innings, and gave up one run on five hits. In his first two starts, Hart had walked 10 and struck out four. Against the Reds, he said he found his groove — as well as his offspeed pitches — so he didn’t have to rely on his fastball alone. This is a makeup of a postponed game against the Astros. (MLB.com)

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Organizational Breakdown – Pitchers

On Friday we took a look at the hitters in the organization by position and sorted them by OPS to see who met the benchmark of .800. Today we take a look at the pitching staff, with a breakdown on righty and lefty starters and relievers. Unlike the hitters, there really isn’t a good benchmark evaluation tool for both starters and relievers. Wins and losses are completely useless indications of a pitchers effectiveness, so I decided to use two different stats when looking at the starters versus the relievers. For the starting pitchers, I sorted by ERA, with the benchmark being 3.50. It’s a little bit of a tough benchmark, but I want dominant starters, and what better place for them to showcase that talent than in the minors where they can be above the rest of the competition. Relievers were a different story because of the limited amount of innings they throw. A good bullpen, in my mind, is one that doesn’t give up baserunners, whether by walks or hits. I decided to sort those guys by WHIP, with the benchmark being 1.25. Let’s take a look.

Starting Pitchers (RH) – No surprises here that someone like Cashner, a top prospect in the system would be above the benchmark, but it’s who joins him and who is curiously absent that have me intrigued. Randy Wells has been a great surprise this season and really deserves some rookie of the year consideration for how well he’s pitched since being recalled from Iowa. Also above the fold is Chris Archer, who was one of the pitchers acquired in the Mark DeRosa deal this past off-season. Archer is a favorite of mine, primarily because he pitched at the high school down the road from my house here in Garner, NC. He’s still a youngster, but he’s showing good promise so far.

Will Carlos Zambrano ever be the kind of dominate starter that his stuff warrants? I have my doubts. A little disappointing to not see Harden above the fold after all the dominance last year. Hopefully these last two outings are a sign that he’s returning to form.

Starting Pitchers (LH) – Not many to speak of here, but it’s actually somewhat encouraging to see good things from Casey Fossum, who the Cubs picked up just recently. I don’t have incredibly high hopes for him as a starter, but perhaps he can be a September call up that can provide a left handed arm out of the pen. Ted Lilly has been good and is just outside the 3.50 threshold, but is injured for the next few starts. Hopefully he can return to form down the stretch. Overall, a lack of depth from the left side in the organization from a starting pitcher standpoint.

Relief Pitchers (RH) – Take a look at Chris Huseby’s secondary stats. His K/9 and K/BB stats are video gamesque. He’s simply not allowing hitters to put the ball in play or reach base. When you’re not walking guys and are combining that with K’s, it’s a recipe for dominance and that’s what Huseby’s been. It’s funny because I don’t think I would have noticed the dominance had I not done this series. After all, neither John Sickels or Baseball America listed him in the top prospect list for the team in their handbooks for this year.

Admit it. If I would have said that Kevin Gregg would have better numbers than Carlos Marmol at this point in the year, would you have believed me? While Marmol is still blowing guys away (10.5 K/9), he’s dwarfing that stat with an 8.3 BB/9 stat. I’m sorry but he’s simply not the guy I want in the 9th inning until he figures out how to harness that nasty stuff he has.

Relief Pitchers (LH) -  Just like the starters, lefties out of the pen have been a hard commodity to come by this season for this team. Thankfully another name from the Mark DeRosa deal has been pitching well enough to get consideration as an additional lefty out of the pen. John Gaub, along with Archer and Jeff Stevens were the pitchers many thought would be the pieces needed to get a guy like Jake Peavy this past off-season only to see that blow up. I’m actually glad it did. I like what all three have brought to the table and really like the prospects of them pitching for this team in the near future. Guab has struck guys out and kepts the hits to a minimum, which has compensated for some of the control issues he’s had.

Jeremy Papelbon has been a bit of a disappointment for me. I had high hopes for this kid because of what his brother has done with Boston. There is still time for him to shine, but this year he’s been hit around. 12.3 H/9 is unacceptable. Thankfully he’s kept the walks down or that 1.65 WHIP could be a lot worse.

Minor League Notes

• Jovan Rosa was 2-for-5 with 6 RBI
• Jeffry Antigua struck out 11 batters over 4.2 IP yesterday
• DJ LeMahieu was 3-for-5
• Kevin Soto hit 2 extra-base hits

Top Prospect Tracker

Photo Op

Jovan Rosa is hitting .317 with two homers and 16 RBIs in 17 games with Peoria. (Scott Jontes/MiLB.com)

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So This Is What 1st Place Feels Like

They Put Them On The Schedule – Before you jump all over me for being excited about two sweeps in the last week or so over “bad” teams, its important to remember that everyone has the chance to play the Nationals and the Reds. If anything, teams like the Braves, Marlins and Phillies all get to play the Nationals more than we do. No one is harping on them for playing bad teams. If they put these guys on the schedule, it counts just as much to beat them as it does someone else. If you’re going to be a winning team, you need to beat up on the bad teams and strive to play around .500 ball against the good teams. Doing that should be enough to get you into the playoffs. Right now, the Cubs are doing that. They got beat in Philly, but took care of business against the Nats and Reds to compensate for the series loss in Philly. What more can you ask for that for a weekend sweep that leaves us in first place going into a nice series with Houston?

Offense is coming around – Watching the middle of the order today, I was encouraged. Then again, watching them all weekend, I’ve been encouraged. With Derrek Lee out of the lineup today with spasms, you would have thought that perhaps this was going to be the game that would keep the Cubs from sweeping the series. Instead, Ramirez got on three times with a walk and a double. Foxy, despite trying to drive the ball out of the park in his first few at bats, came through with an RBI single. Milton, reached base three times and scored two key runs. Soriano extended his hitting streak to nine games and has seen his average begin to climb toward respectability since moving to the 6th spot in the order. It was definitely encouraging to see Theriot and Ramirez get on base in the 7th to start the inning with 2nd and 3rd and no outs and actually feel like we were going to score a run. In the past, I felt like they would find a way to not score, but those feelings are beginning to subside a little. Thank God for offense.

Who Says He Can’t Pitch During the Day? – Can we use Rich Harden’s success today as evidence that home / road & day / night splits are garbage. I don’t believe in them and never will. It pains me to say it, but doesn’t “sample size” come into play with situations like those? I am a firm believer that, if given the opportunity, players will gravitate toward the mean in their production. Harden is no exception. People this year have complained that he can’t pitch at Wrigley and we’ve even tried to move the order so as to have him pitch on the road. Let’s not forget that last year, Harden was 2-0 in 7 starts at Wrigley with an ERA of 1.80. Did he suddenly forget how to pitch at Wrigley? No!!! No player or team is as good as they are during a hot streak or as bad as they look during a cold streak. Harden had a few hard outings at home and, if given the chance, will regress to the mean at Wrigley and on the road. Today, Harden was flat out nasty over his six innings of work and got a deserved win after pitching a ND against the Phillies on Tuesday. At one point he had struck out five of six hitters and for the most part looked untouchable.

Reds Got Hosed – I use that title, but you probably know that I will never blame the umpires for a game. Don’t put yourself in a position where they can affect the game. That said, I’m not sure if you saw the call at the plate late in the game, but Fukudome’s throw to the plate resulted in a double play to end the 8th, and a potential Red’s rally late, but taking a look at the replay, Dusty had every right to come out and argue that call. It’s one that, if replay was used, would have been reversed. Looking at the replay it was clear that Koyie Hill missed the tag. Bob Brenly mentioned it in the replay that had Encarnacion just ran hard down the line and not looked back so much, the play would not have been near as close as it was.

Who Goes…Who Stays? – Ryan Dempster is slated to come off the DL this week, which prompts the always fun debate about who should be on their way back to the minors. Justin Berg, for the simple fact that he hasn’t pitched yet has to be the prime candidate as does today’s somewhat disappointing Jeff Samardzija. You could make the case that Samardzija is best served to be pitching out of the rotation, which would be the argument for why you should move him back to Iowa. At the same time, he has the experience of pitching, and pitching well, down the stretch in a pennant race. Ultimately, it will probably be Berg who goes, but I would vote for Samardzija for the simple fact that I want him starting as much as possible to help him develop his secondary pitches in hopes of being either a starter for this team or a wicked multi-pitch member of the pen in the late innings. The best place right now to do that is in Iowa.

Is 40 Possible? - Kevin Gregg picked up save # 21 today, with a little over two months to go. is it out of the question for him to make a run at 40 saves on the year? Think about it for a minute before you answer. The Cubs have played bad ball so far and he still has 20. Why couldn’t he pick up one or two more in July and only need like 17 over the last two months plus since the regular season runs into October? Seriously…I think he has a shot. Only two pitchers in the Cubs history have reached that plateau. Randy Myers with his 53 save season in 1993 and Rod Beck in 1998 with 51. Let’s make it happen Kevin. Get it done.

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Cubs win, Cards lose

Okay, now we’ve got a horse race! The Cubs pulled within a half game of division-leading St. Louis with another win over Dusty Baker’s Reds. Although today’s game was blacked out in the Nashville area I was able to listen to the game while I worked. Some of the takeaways I had were as follows:

• Milton Bradley, Soriano and Ramirez are starting to do what the Cubs need them to do – each had homeruns today and Soriano is hitting .438 since the All Star break.  Lee has been hitting well also but was pulled out again today due to neck spasms.  I don’t know what (if anything) can be done about this – I had a neck injury in 1984 and it’s something I have to deal with in the long term.  One learns not to aggravate it because the alternative is a week long crick and the inability to turn one’s head.
• The Cubs found out today that it’s likely that Lilly will miss four to five starts – he is having arthroscopic surgery on his knee which will set him back about two weeks and he doesn’t intend to throw during that period due to his shoulder soreness.  The last time he had this type of injury on his shoulder he missed about the same period of time.  Justin Berg has been called up to take his roster spot until Dempster is activated.
• We are getting timely performances from the I-Cubs pitchers that have been called up.  Hart had another strong outing today and you really can’t ask for more than what Wells has given us.  If I’m not mistaken Wells is now 7-1 in his last 8 decisions.

Tomorrow the Cubs go for the sweep against the Cincinnati club – it would be really sweet because it’s Dusty’s club and the Reds are my blackout nemisis.  They will then entertain the surging Houston Astros who have seven games left against the Cubbies – all of them in Wrigley Field.  Now is a good time to be peaking and let’s hope they can carry the momentum into the upcoming series.  This is the time for the Cubs to make their move and winning seven of your last nine is how to do it.

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