POTG: SP Ted Lilly (6 IP, H, BB, 6 K, 0 R, QS)
Runner Up: LF Reed Johnson (2 H, 2 R, 2B), DH D Lee (2 H, 3 RBI, BB), CF Jim Edmonds (2 H, RBI), 1B Hoff Power (2 H, 2B, R)
You know, you can actually walk a lot of people and get away with if you’ve committed your self to not allowing any hits. It’s not the usual way of going about things, but it worked for Lillly here. A lot of batters looking at pitches, and watching them dart just inside the strike zone. Got some Ks, got some walks, got some people not getting good swings. Lilly’s settles down a lot from early in the year, his ERA just hasn’t caught up to it and so everyone’s still writing him off.
Nice that team kept on hitting today, because the bullpen needed the help. And neat for the team to actually take a road series.
Three minute delays = secretly awesome. I can’t explain, but refusing to bat until the roof moves just so was a fine stand to take.
Tags: Chicago Cubs, game story, Toronto Blue Jays
POTG: LF Reed Johnson (HR, 3RBI)
Runner Up: SP Jason Marquis (7 IP, 4 H, R, 2 BB, 1 K), 1B D Lee (3 H, 2R, 3B, BB), CF Jim Edmonds (2 H, RBI)
There are things you expect to happen in life. Jason Marquis out dueling Roy Halladay is not one of them. To be fair, Halladay got killed by his defense and most of the runs were unearned. Still, he’s the guy who threw the pitch to Reed that Reed hit out of the park, giving the Cubs a big 4-0 lead early on. Those runs may count as unearned, but Hallady had it in his hand to get out of it and go beat by his ex-teammate.
Meanwhile, Marquis just cruised thru short inning after short inning
1: 3 batters
2: 4
3: 3
4: 4
5: 4
6: 3
7: 3
It was the 8th where he finally got in trouble, but Marmol bailed him out as best as could be expected, and the game was over after that inning. Marquis just didn’t give up baseruners (6 in 7), and got enough ground balls to erase a couple of them. Starts like this are what average his numbers out to get large contracts - you just wish they were a bit more frequent.
If you’re going to face you ex-team, you probably want to face it like Reed did here.
Tags: Chicago Cubs, game story, Toronto Blue Jays
Cubs 43-25
Blue Jays 35-34
POTG: RF Fukudome (2 H, 2 R, BB)
Runner Up: 3B A Ram (2 H), CF Edmonds (2B, 2H, RBI), RP Michael Wuertz (1.2, 3H, 0 R, one stranded)
The thing about getting One More Starter is the other guys don’t really impress me. If you’re going to give up the farm, you’d like to get fit for an ace pitcher, not a mid-range one. AJ Burnett, who got himself into the rumors after the game, was not much better than Sean Gallagher here. He did give up one less run and had a couple more Ks, but he also threw 13 more pitches and was just as done after the 5th inning. A starter who blows himself up in five innings does you more harm then good, because you’re trusting too many relivers on keeping it together.
Lucky for the Jays and unluckyk for the Cubs, five guys came in and didn’t allow the Cubs a run. After the 6th inning, they never really got on, and that was pretty much it.
About time we got the mythical Ronny Cedeno in CF experiment. If only a ball actually got to him. I want Fontenot at shortstop next.
Tags: Chicago Cubs, game story, Toronto Blue Jays