Tag: San Francisco Giants

Cubs 65-61, +0.5/-3.0
Giants 56-72, -16.0/-13.0

POTG: 2B Mike Fontenot (2 H, RBI)
Runner Up: 2B Ryan Theriot (2 H)

So this loss is generally being treated like the end of the world. Z didn’t have a good start, he gave a homerun to the opposing pitcher, the offense didn’t score much, on and on.

Whatever. I think people are extra frenetic because it’s close and late, but there are going to be games like this where things just don’t go the Cubs way. They’re going to lose 19 more times this season, and I kinda expect media freakouts after each and ever loss. Yet, if they only do it 19 times, everything’s going to be great. Just because Z signed an extension doesn’t make him immune from bad starts. Everyone has bad starts.

It’s too soon to live and die with every decision, there’s still 36 games left. The slightly less small picture is the Cubs won 2 of 3 here (including 2 games they didn’t have much business winning), and that’s what they needed coming into this series. If they squeeze 2 out of the Diamondbacks, a better team right now, that’s an achievement.

I missed most of this game due to a power outage, so that’s all I got to say.

Cubs 65-60; +1/-2
Giants 55-72; -16.5/-13.0

POTG: SP Rich Hill (7 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, BB, 10 K- ZERO HR!)
Runner Up: RP Carlos Marmol (2 IP, H, 2 BB, 4 K), LF Cliff Floyd (2B), 2B/RF Mark DeRosa (2 H, R), 3B A Ram (2B, 2 RBI)

This game was completely different, because the fourth on felt like a Cubs win, we were just waiting to find to out how. The last inning felt completely the same, with Floyd making a big hit, and the Cubs putting together a big rally. Either of these games really could’ve gone the other way, and the Cubs are up by 2 because they took advantage of things late. It was really great.

Hill was super great – 10 strikeouts and the rotation is looking like it’ll steam roll over everyone. Marmol was unstoppable in his two innings, and Dempster didn’t walk anyone. The Blanco squeeze was perfectly done, and it was his first ML plate appearance in months. Outside of Theriot’s error, this was just an exceptionally well played game by the Cubs. Even the Aurilla error in the 9th, it was hard hit Fonenot ball, which just happened to go to the wrong place at the right angle.

Jake Fox has been really pressing the whole time out, looking over anxious to Make Something Happening. It peaked in this game, only because it’s barely possible for him to be more impatient: 3 at bats, 5 pitches seen. That’s not going to help anyone out. Fox needs more time in the minors, but he also needs to feel more comfortable when he’s up in the majors next time (in September?) or he won’t be much use.

I’m talking like Fox is already sent down, because I’m writing this after the Craig Monroe deal has been announced, and it’s pretty obvious which spot he’s taking. I need to think about this deal some more before I come up with an opinion. I mean, it’s basically a free player – Tigers are paying the salary, and the Cubs will surely be giving back a non-prospect since Detroit was about to release him anyway – and with Pagan and Soriano out of action, they could actually use an outfielder. Monroe has never played second base, which is a point in his favor. The upside is he becomes a right handed version of Floyd and/or Ward down the stretch (and maybe into the playoffs if they went with 11 pitchers.) This requires a big bounce back form where Monroe has been hitting all season, and normally I’d just heavily dismiss that (because he also wasn’t so good to begin with), but then Kendall’s worked out okay so far and I felt the same way there.

There are two sets of numbers that make this look promising

ALL: 222/264/373
AWAY: 244/265/424
Vs LHP: 302/317/545

Monroe’s hyped as a guy who can play all three spots. If that was accurate, you’d just have him take over the Pagan platoon with Jacque. I’m not sure it is, though, because Monroe’s only played 70 career CF games, and not much over the last few years. Granderson’s been pretty much an every day guy in that spot for them for the last few years. I think a corner platoon with Floyd, leaving Murton in the lurch again, is more likely.

Cubs 64-60, 0.0/-2.0
Giants 55-71, -15.5/-12.0

POTG: LF Cliff Floyd (H, 2 RBI)
Runner Up: SS Ryan Theriot (2B, R), C Jason Kendall (2 H, 2 R, BB), SP Jason Marquis (7 IP, 3 H, R, 5 BB, 5 K)

The Cubs were speeding to a quick loss, and that’s all there was to it. They had gotten nothing on Lincecum all game, just the two hits and a walk in the 8th. The game seemed over…and then about 60 seconds later, it was a tie game, Ramirez up, and Lincecum out of the game. I’m sure most people gave up, being a West Coast game with no signs of life for 8 innings, but that 9th inning was something to see. The speed of how things changed was amazing in itself, from having no hope to start the inning to being confident Floyd was going to get the runner home (though I wasn’t sure how.) It was as big a momentum shift as I’ve seen.

One of the reasons I didn’t believe the Cubs were coming back for this one is the strategy they used at the plate all game. The scouting report had to push the hitters towards swinging early in the count, because even the supremely patient guys on the team were hacking away as if it was getaway day before the All Star Break. Cliff is player of the game deservingly so, but you don’t often have good nights when you see all of 7 pitches in 4 at bats. Theriot is one of the more patient guys, and he only saw 9 all night. Team average was just over 3 pitches per at bat, way too low. The strategy seemed completely flawed for eight innings. It worked in the 9th, but I think only because Lincecum hit the wall quick and they couldn’t yank him out in time.

Once again, Marquis kept the Cubs in this one when it looked like he might explode. Brenley was pretty certain Jason didn’t get a good feel of the mound in the first inning, and that makes as much sense as any to explain the near disaster there. There was some good pitching after by Jason to keep himself out of further trouble, most of all escaping Visquel on third with one out in the 7th without giving up any more runs. The key appears to be his ground ball rate; I can’t find a good way to look this up, but 13 ground ball outs to 3 fly ball outs has to be one of his more one-sided outings. Keeping the ball down is keeping it out of the park.

Hill vs Zito is tonight’s matchup. I hope you like curveballs! With Thursday’s game in the day, I wonder if we’ll get Kendall here, and Blanco back with Z for his first game back. I think it makes more sense the other way.

Giants 39-52, 12.5/11.5
Cubs 48-44, 4.5/3

POTG: 1B Derek Lee (HR [8/224], 2H, R, RBI)
Runner up: Sean Marshall (6 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 2 K), 3B A Ram (2 H, 2B)

It’s tough. The Cubs have won a lot in the last week and not moved up a lot, and immediately drop one the day they do lose. They’re going to have plenty of more losses in front of them, which seems strange based on how they’ve been playing, but a tiny little part of you wonders each time if this is as far as they’re going to go. It’s just one loss.

This was not the struggling Barry Zito of 2007. This as a dominant picture throwing a lot of strikes (81 of 109) who the Cubs just couldn’t touch. The first inning run was more on the Giants defense than anything, and Lee’s HR was nice to see, but the Giants pitching was far ahead of the Cubs hitting.

I was surprised for Marshall to be pulled when he was. I’m not sure if the wild pitch in the top of the 6th convinced the Cubs that he had lost control, but he was sailing along and only had thrown 88 pitches. I think any other start on the staff gets that inning (and we could’ve used one less inning from the bullpen.) The Cubs haven’t pushed Marshall into 90 pitches since the middle of June.

First 5 Starts: 100.6 pitches/g
Last 5 Starts: 75.6 pitches/g (or 82/g if you throw out the start he got shelled.)

Sean was coming in off 11 days of rest, so you’d think he’d be ready to go long. There’s something missing here – the team’s gotta know something they’re not sharing.

Marmol, Wuertz and Ohman did not look good today. With Marmol, he’s was due not to be awesome at some point. I think the umpire was squeezing the guys as well. Ohman and Wuertz’s spots ar probably vulnerable in the bullpen after this, except I’m not sure how much Lou is willing to trust Eyre or Petrick at this point.

I think there’s a good 5% Z plunks Barry today, just for kicks. He will definitely celebrate if he strikes him out to end an inning.