Cubs 71-69, +0.0
Pirates 62-80, -10.5
POTG: SP Z! (6+ IP, 2 H, R, 5 BB, 8 K, W [15/79])
Runner Up: LF Alfonso Soriano (HR, 2 RBI), RF Jacque Jones (3B, 2 RBI, BB, R), RP Bobby Howry (.1 IP, 3 marooned)
Yea, they all needed this one. POWER = WIN.
Z wasn’t perfect on this night. He was quite wild, in his pitches and his attitude. The trick was, he somehow kept his pitch count from blowing up. He was in position to make it thru 7 innings if he had gotten some better home plate calls, and I’m just glad those looks he gave the ump while leaving the mound were just looks and not something suspendable.
Rotation down the stretch, as they’ve been talking about it
09/09 @t PIT: Trachsel
09/10 vs STL: Lilly
09/11 @t HOU: Marquis
09/12 @t HOU: Hill
09/13 @t HOU: Kevin Hart
09/14 @t STL: Z
09/15 (1) @t STL: Lilly
09/15 (2) @t STL: Marshall
09/16 @t STL: Trachsel
They still might have Z go on his normal rest, but I think it’s the wise move to bump him back. I can’t believe the guy we got for FREDDIE BYNUM might end up starting a critical game down the stretch. If he’s any good at all, that’s another strange trade the Cubs won from Baltimore.
That order leaves some weird gaps between starts, so I could see not going with it. It’s going to be a tough decision. I wonder if they’ll get Hart some time in today to get one more look at him. Hopefully the game’s going a good way where that’s possible.