Cubs 18-12, -0.5 (2nd)
Cardinals 19-12, +0.5 (1st)
POTG: 2B Mike Fontenot (HR, 4 RBI, 2 BB)
Runner Up: LF Soriano (2B, H, R, RBI, BB, SB, no Chances), 1B D Lee (H, BB, 2 R), RF Fukudome (3 H, 2 2B, R, 2 RBI), C Soto (H, R, 2 BB, 2 RBI), SP Ted Lilly (7 IP, 6 H, 3 R, BB, 4 K, W [2/76], QS [3]); 2B, SH), RP Carlos Marmol (2 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 R, K)
Makes sense that after sorta look at the positive things that came out of a tough loss, I (and many others) are looking at the downside out of a blowout win. There's absolutely no reason for Carlos Marmol to pitch in this game, and there's (impossibly) even less reason for him to pitch two innings. Marshall could've pitched after barely doing so yesterday, and Gallagher might as well get used to the Major League mound again. Instead, Lou pushed Marmol out there one more time, for an extended period, in a situation where he couldn't have made much of a difference. What happens when Marmol goes down with an injury due to overuse and there's a grand total of zero people in the bullpen Lou trusts with a lead?
Coincidentally, Juan Mateo was let go yesterday. He'd been dropped off the 40 man when the Cubs added Chad Fox, had already been dropped from AAA and AA and was going to be sent down all the way to single A in Datyona. Mateo apparently considered retirement, but then opted just to ask for his release. It doesn't seem like it was that long ago when there really wasn't much difference between Juan Mateo and Carlos Marmol. Both were 23 year olds who made too early jumps to the major leagues in 2006 when the Cubs were in desperate need of starters, and neither seemed to have the endurance to make it even five innings against a major league lineup. Marmol was lucky, didn't get lost in his bad play, and found a spot in the bullpen. Mateo was not. Suffered a right shoulder injury, and has never been the same.
All it can take is one bad injury to wreck a young pitcher's career. He may have a relatively low amount of inning in his shoulder before everything goes to heck, there's no way of telling. Why waste some of those in completely meaningless situations?
This is a million times more infuriating Soriano's spot in the batting order.
Besides that, which will hopefully be two utterly meaningless innings before long, this was all great. Kyle Lohse returned to being Kyle Lohse after early season success. The offense was back being effective thru walks and stirkeouts, and Ted Lilly is not only righted, but he's making long starts when the clubs needs them.
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