Game 47: Cubs 4 – Dodgers 2

Cubs 22-25 Dodgers 28-21 POTG: RP Will Ohman (.1 IP, K, 3 runners marooned) Runner Up: SP Z! (7.2 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, BB, 8 K, QS, W [5/69]), 3B A Ram (HR, 2H, R, RBI), LF Matt Murton (2 H, 2B, R), SS Cesar Izturis (2 H, R) I keep meaning to do … Continue reading “Game 47: Cubs 4 – Dodgers 2”

Cubs 22-25
Dodgers 28-21

POTG: RP Will Ohman (.1 IP, K, 3 runners marooned)
Runner Up: SP Z! (7.2 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, BB, 8 K, QS, W [5/69]), 3B A Ram (HR, 2H, R, RBI), LF Matt Murton (2 H, 2B, R), SS Cesar Izturis (2 H, R)

I keep meaning to do this, and get distracted by the paint on the wall or something.

Cubs in 2006 thru 47 games: 18-29
Cubs in 2007 thru 47 games: 22-25

That’s a 4 game improvement. Over the course of a season, that would be an improvement of 14 games, which is enough to get managers battling for awards in most seasons. Before the season started, I think we all heard and should’ve known that jumping from what was 2006 to playoffs in 2007 was quite a stretch, but I think that went all out the window as soon as the season started, just because the talk was “(the division is bad enough that) they might compete!” This team may not (yet?) be a success in adding a flag to the top of the stadium, but it is successful in being much better than last season’s team.

The Cubs ave gotten this far without THEOLD Carlos Zambrano, but it sure looked like he was back today. He’s still 2-3 miles off from what he should be throwing, but the movement on the ball is there, the location seems to be there, and the going crazy after every pitch that doesn’t go his way. Z throwing over 120 pitches for no good reason is also a blast from the past. This was a classic fun dominating Z start and I’m hoping we start getting more of them.

Pinella very obviously had zero trust in the bullpen besides Dempster going into this game. I think he was thrilled to hear Z say he wanted one more guy, because he really didn’t want to put in Ohman. Ohman earned another chance after coming thru, but I’m not sure what it’ll take for the rest of the guys to get used again. Eyre is either buried or got left behind in Chicago. Lou didn’t even consider going to Guzman or Marmol or any of the right handers (despite Wuertz looking fine the previous game.) I think we’re going to see streaks of guys getting in a lot, having a bad appearance and then not getting in at all in critical situations until everyone ahead of them blows up.

It was a little disappointing that the Cubs offense disappeared after four innings, but it was just enough to pull this one out. It’d be huge if they could take Sunday’s game, even out the road trip and get Hill back going.