Day: June 27, 2008

Cubs 41-24
Braves 32-33

POTG: C Soto (HR, 2H, 2R, 3 RBI)
Runner Up: LF Soriano (2H, SB, CS, IBB, 2R, 2BB), 1B D Lee (HR, 2 RBI), 3B A Ram (3 R, H, RBI, 3 BB), RF Fukudome (2 H, SB, R, RBI), 2B DeRosa (2 H, RBI), CF Johnson (H, 2 RBI, SF)

Good old destruction. The thing about Lilly’s starts during this stretch is you’re almost always going to have a chance at a comeback, because he’s going to give up a multi-run home run to start the game, and then hold the line there.

The Cubs got plenty of offense from a lot of the lineup. It helped a lot that Tom Glavine’s got very little left and probably shouldn’t have stuck around for this season. It got a little intresting when Howry got poked around enough to give up two rounds and make it a game, but the Braves bullpen is not a strength and Soto was able to bust the game wide open.

Eyre’s one out appearance to stop the Braves produced this fanastic set of quotes:

“I didn’t even know who I faced,” Eyre said. “By the time I got to the mound, Geo was talking to [ Aramis Ramirez] when I go, ‘Hey, who are we facing here?’ He goes, ‘[Ruben] Gotay.’ But it wasn’t Gotay. He came up the next inning. I don’t know who I faced. I wasn’t paying attention. I was trying to make sure I got an out.”

Good thing we’re all professionals here. Eyre’s “scoreless inning streak” is such a joke, it’s been nice that it’s been barely mentioned. Eyre’s been good this season, but he’s also been in for less than an inning most of the time – tough to give up runs when you’re not facing more than one batter. If anything, it’s a testament to not giving up base runners – only five so far this season.

POTG: RP MARMOL (1.2 IP, 2 runners marrooned to preserve the lead)
Runner Up: SP Jason Marquis (6.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2K), 2B Mark DeRosa (3 H, 2 R, 2 RBI, HR)

It was really three guys providing all the effort – DeRosa was responsible for the offense, Marquis had an usually good starting effort, and Marmol escaped the jam and set up an easy save for Wood. I could’ve gone with any of those guys, but Marmol’s outs felt like the biggest ones of the game.

The problem with doing this so delayed is I can’t remember the things which really stick out to me. This was the Sunday night game, but was it the “Al Oliver” game? I lost my mind for about 15 minutes after that conversation. I loathe that broadcasting team.

Last 16 games
3 Soriano
2 D Lee
2 Z!
2 Edmonds
1 Dempster
1 Gallagher
1 The Riot
1 Lilly
1 Fukudome
1 none
1 Marmol

Season Total
9 Z!
7 Soriano
6 D Lee
5 Soto
3 Fukudome
3 Marquis
3 Dempster
3 Lilly
2 Fontenot
2 A Ram
2 Johnson
2 The Riot
2 Marmol
2 no one
2 Edmonds
1 Lieber
1 Hart
1 Hill
1 Cedeno
1 Lieber
1 Howry
1 Wuertz
1 Gallagher

Cubs 39-24
Dodgers 30-32

POTG: LF Soriano (HR)
Runner Up: none

I choose to remember this game as Z going along fine, and then an error unfairly deraling things. It totally couldn’t be his fault, that’s impossible. 13 hits is surely an acceptable number.

I just talked down Maddux as a pickup, but how about Lowe? He’s looked pretty effective both times the Cubs have faced him, and the Dodgers are going nowhere. He’s not a long term solution and he’s got a rep for not handling pressure well, but he’s still in his contract year on a team that seems to be scuffling and may not want to keep him around (especially since his price will surely be going up.) A groundball pitcher in Wrigley always seems like a good idea.

Offense was really spread out and not so great. Alas.

POTG: none
Runner Up: none

I’m sure I watched this game. But I was so tired a this point, I may have just been staring at a blank screen for 3 hours. I recall nothing happened, and the box score indicates that’s pretty much right. I’m no scientist, but you’re not going win many games with 4 hits and no walks. Kuroda was just plain awesome.