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Cubs rebound, 55-79
Giants can’t be in the playoffs at 3 under, 66-69
POTG: SP Rich Hill (8 IP, 5 H, R, BB, 6 K, QS, W 4/4)
Runner Up: 2B Ryan Theriot (2B, HR, 2 R, can not possibly be THIS good), RF Jacque Jones (2 H, 2B, 2 R, RBI), LF Matt Murton (HR, 2 RBI, BB)
quick, because I was kinda hoping today was a night game. Just happy it wasn’t a FOX game. (This is that one weird week in September where they don’t have game – so everyone can do day games on Labor Day weekend?) Anyway, the fact that I’m watching the pregame show means I kinda need to start writing this already.
SP Projected 2007 Depth Chart
2. Free Agent
3. Free Agent (2)
4. Rich Hill (penciled in)
5. Sean Marshall
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DL Mark Prior (DL, winning by default
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6. Carlos Marmol
7. Juan Mateo
8. Angel Guzman
9. Wade Miller (assuming he’s around)
10. Ryan O’Malley
11. Jae Kuk Ryu
999999. Jerome Williams
1000000. Les Walrond
Rich wasn’t proabably as great here as he’s been at other times; his stuff wasn’t as good, and he benefited from the wind. Unlike others, he kept his walks way down and didn’t get himself into trouble. Nothing’s locked with these group of guys, but he’s broken himself out of the pack in a major way. As long as he doesn’t regress the next few starts, he’s set in the rotation and we’re all pretty happy with him. (If keeps this up, he could move up to the third spot, I’m thinking.)
My beliefs off “Theriot’s a player who’d be useful if he got more time” and “the Cubs need a real 2B pickup in the off season” are colliding, and not in a good fashion. I think Ryan’s going to be okay, but I’m worried people are starting to think he’s Ryne, which would be kinda unfair.
The Giants are not a good team, and they’re a pretty bad one without Bonds. Things may fall apart in quite the horrible way next season.
I’m chalking up Eyre’s performance to being on the DL for 2 weeks and doing no rehab appearances. It happens, and it’s good it happened with a five run lead.
The thing that bothers me most about Greg Maddux talking about getting better defense in LA is beat reporters using Fielding Percentage to rank defenses. They know better than that. (If I’m reading the stats at Hardball Times correct, the Cubs are about equal or a bit better than LA at general defense and ground ball defense, but for Maddux specifically, the LA team has been getting to 5% more balls, which helps a lot. His HR Allowed rate going way down might be a factor too.)