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| Chicago Cubs Online |
| Chicago Cubs Online is a website dedicated to the Cubs and their "Faithful" fans. Updated daily with Cubs news and transactions, rumors, game recaps, game previews, opinion columns and history on the Chicago Cubs. |
| Language: English |
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Statistics |
| Unique Visitors: 2396 |
| Total Unique Visitors: 4019684 |
| Visitors Out: 612 |
| Total Visitors Out: 612 |
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| A Big Inning....A Big Win |
| 2008-05-10 20:04:26 |
Game Thirty-Six - Cubs 7 Diamondbacks 2
WP - Scott Eyre (1-0) LP - Chad Qualls (0-4, BS 3) Save - None
The top two scoring offenses in the National League played another close, low scoring game until the 7th inning. Max Scherzer held the Cubs offense to an unearned run on 5 hits through the first 6 innings of the game. Ryan Dempster matched him pitch for pitch until the top of the 6th when the Diamondbacks plated a pair of runs on a bases loaded walk by Justin Upton and a fielder's choice ground out with the bases loaded by Mark Reynolds.
Bob Melvin replaced Scherzer with Chad Qualls in the 7th inning. For the second day in a row Mark DeRosa started the Cubs rally with a base hit. After a sacrifice bunt by Reed Johnson put DeRosa in scoring position, Daryle Ward came through with his first pinch hit of the season (0-for-14). Ward's opposite field single scored DeRosa with the tying run. Alfonso Soriano doubled in pinch runner Jason Marquis with the eventual winning run....the second ...
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| Talkin' Cubs Live - Cubs vs. Diamondbacks - 05/10/08 |
| 2008-05-10 12:30:00 |
Game Thirty-Six: Cubs (20-15) vs. Diamondbacks (23-13)
Game Time - 2:40pm C.T.
Coverage - TV: FOX Saturday Game of the Week - Radio: 720 WGN, XM Radio Channel 183
Location - Wrigley Field, Chicago
Ryan Dempster (4-1, 2.72/1.07) vs. Max Scherzer (0-1, 5.40/1.20)
After winning the first game of a series for the first time since April 23rd, Lou Piniella's crew will try to take the second game against an impressive rookie. The Cubs will get their first look at Max Scherzer who turned a lot of heads in his big league debut out of the pen but struggled in his first start in the Majors. Ryan Dempster will try to pickup his 5th win of the year after getting tagged with an unearned loss his last time out.
The Cubs played an impressive game on Friday against the best team in the National League....now it's time to put together back-to-back wins.
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| Soto Named NL Rookie of the Month |
| 2008-05-10 05:00:00 |
During the Cubs impressive win against the Diamondbacks on Friday, the announcement was made that Geovany Soto was named the National League Rookie of the Month for April. Soto earned the first monthly honor handed out to the league's top rookie performer....the new award is sponsored by Gillette.
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| All About Ted |
| 2008-05-09 21:51:26 |
Game Thirty-Five - Cubs 3 Diamondbacks 1
WP - Ted Lilly (3-4) LP - Dan Haren (4-2) Save - Kerry Wood (6)
Chris Young picked up where he left off last October against Ted Lilly, with a home run, but this time Lilly reacted entirely different. Instead of slamming his glove to the turf, he shut the door on the explosive Diamondbacks' offense. Ted Lilly tossed a gem, without a doubt his best outing of the year. After serving up Young's dinger with 2 outs in the 1st inning, Lilly did not allow another run over his last 6 1/3 innings, surrendered only 2 more hits and struck out a season-high 10 batters.
Not only did Lilly give his skipper a solid outing on the mound, he also ended the Cubs' scoreless drought with a 2-out RBI single in the 5th inning. Mark DeRosa started the rally with a big 2-out double ahead of an intentional walk to Reed Johnson and the RBI single by Ted Lilly. Alfonso Soriano followed with a double down the left field line that drove in Johnson with the eventual winning...
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| Talkin' Cubs Live - Cubs vs. Diamondbacks - 05/09/08 |
| 2008-05-09 11:15:00 |
Game Thirty-Five: Cubs (19-15) vs. Diamondbacks (23-12)
Game Time - 1:20pm C.T.
Coverage - TV: WGN - Radio: 720 WGN, XM Radio Channel 183
Location - Wrigley Field, Chicago
Ted Lilly (2-4, 5.97/1.41) vs. Dan Haren (4-1, 3.12/0.99)
Updated - 11:41am C.T. - Scott Eyre Activated - Sean Marshall Optioned to Triple-A
The Cubs start their longest homestand of the year today with the first of three against the best team in the National League. After posting a 17-10 record in April, the Cubs have won only twice in seven games to start the new month. The last time the Diamondbacks were in Chicago they completed a 3-game sweep of Lou Piniella's crew that unceremoniously ended the 2007 campaign. While the Cubs have appeared flat and out of sync for the last two weeks, if they are not fired up for this weekend's series....Lou has more problems on his hands than anyone realizes.
Piniella will send his top three pitchers to the mound this weekend and the Cubs' offense will face a test today in Da...
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| Time to Vote |
| 2008-05-09 01:15:00 |
Two of Lou Piniella's regulars had a solid month to start the season and are among four players nominated for the National League Rookie of the Month Award for April. Geovany Soto and Kosuke Fukudome turned a lot of heads and helped the Cubs to the best month in franchise history.
Gillette announced a partnership with Major League Baseball to award the top performing rookies from both the American and National League. The CCO received an email and were asked to past the link along so the Faithful can place their vote for either Kosuke or Geovany. This is an officially sanctioned MLB award and is decided on by the fans. Click here to go place your vote....www.mlb.com/Gillette
Also, the CCO was sent the latest videos from MLB Roundup and DoublePlayTV that includes info on the next hot commodity from Japan as well as their Rookie of the Year and other awards after the first month of the season....
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| What's A Shakin'? |
| 2008-05-08 01:15:00 |
Lou Piniella is not happy and according to a report in the Tribune....neither was the rest of the clubhouse after being shutout by the Reds on Wednesday afternoon. The Cubs' skipper mentioned, on several occasions, earlier in the week that changes are on the way, but what can and should be done with a team, that despite it's recent struggles, is still 4 games over .500.
Here is the latest news from the North Side, Micah Hoffpauir's return to Iowa, the addition of Hector Carrasco to the Triple-A staff and a few rumors from the mill....
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| A Long(ball) Afternoon |
| 2008-05-07 20:24:48 |
Game Thirty-Four - Cubs 0 Reds 9
WP - Edinson Volquez (5-1) LP - Jon Lieber (2-2) Save - None
The Cubs 6-game road trip did not end the way Lou Piniella had envisioned. The Reds offense woke up, a day after being shutout, and a new Cub killer was born in the lopsided loss. Joey Votto led the Reds attack with 3 of their 7 home runs, each coming off a different pitcher. Four of Votto's 7 round trippers this season have come off of Cubs' pitching and of his 11 career home runs, 6 have come against the Cubs.
Jon Lieber left after giving up 4 of the Reds' 7 home runs in the 2nd inning. Lieber became the second pitcher in the history of the franchise to allow 4 home runs in a single inning.... the other, Phil Norton. Sean Marshall surrendered 2 more blasts in his 2 innings of relief and Sean Gallagher gave up Votto's last dinger in the 6th.
The Cubs offense was shutout for the second time this season, managing just 6 hits in 9 innings and only 4 against Edinson Volquez. Volquez dominated ...
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| Talkin' Cubs Live - Cubs vs. Reds - 05/07/08 |
| 2008-05-07 08:45:00 |
Game Thirty-Four: Cubs (19-14) vs. Reds (13-21)
Game Time - 11:35am C.T.
Coverage - TV: Comcast SportsNet - Radio: 720 WGN, XM Radio Channel 183
Location - Great American Ball Park, Cincinnati
Jon Lieber (2-1, 1.86/1.19) vs. Edinson Volquez (4-1, 1.27/1.19)
After a very disappointing start to the road trip, the Cubs have a chance to win their first series since a 2-game sweep of the Mets back on April 21st and 22nd....but in order for that to happen they will have to play mistake free ball today and plate runs against the Reds' very impressive young right hander.
Lou Piniella has been vocal of late about the way his team has played. This quote from the Chicago Tribune speaks volumes....
"We don't have a powerhouse here. I don't care what people say. I've seen this team play daily. It's a good team, but it's a team that has to execute and take advantage of opportunities, has to pitch and has to do all the things teams do to win baseball games. We haven't executed well in some areas,...
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| Z Wins Z Battle of Z Aces |
| 2008-05-06 23:01:01 |
Game Thirty-Three - Cubs 3 Reds 0
WP - Carlos Zambrano (5-1) LP - Aaron Harang (1-5) Save - Kerry Wood (5)
Carlos Zambrano and Kerry Wood combined on a 4-hit shutout, the Cubs second of the season. Zambrano threw a gem after a rough start, allowed only 3 hits in 8 innings....his longest outing of the year. Zambrano pitched around two more errors by the Cubs defense and was helped out by the overly aggressive Reds offense. Zambrano finished the night throwing only 113 pitches after tossing 74 in the first 4 innings.
Kerry Wood picked up his 5th save after striking out the last two batters he faced on the anniversary of his masterpiece a decade ago.
Aramis Ramirez made an immediate impact in his first at bat in three games. Ramirez drove in Ryan Theriot with a 2-out single in the 1st inning. Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez walked to start the 4th inning and Ronny Cedeno came through once again with an impressive 2-out single to right. Cedeno has 18 RBI's in limited playing time over the...
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| Talkin' Cubs Live - Cubs vs. Reds - 05/06/08 |
| 2008-05-06 16:45:00 |
Game Thirty-Three: Cubs (18-14) vs. Reds (13-20)
Game Time - 6:10pm C.T.
Coverage - TV: Comcast SportsNet - Radio: 720 WGN, XM Radio Channel 183
Location - Great American Ball Park, Cincinnati
Carlos Zambrano (4-1, 2.11/1.17) vs. Aaron Harang (1-4, 2.98/1.08)
The Cubs are in need of a win tonight, plain and simple. Lou Piniella's crew has lost 5 of the last 7 games against division rivals and they are close to erasing the positive start to the season. After the first four games against Dusty Baker's new team, the Cubs are 2-2.
The Cubs will try to avoid their first 3-game losing streak of the season. Aramis Ramirez status is unknown as of this writing. Reports mentioned Ramirez was still hurting on Monday and said he could not go after taking just four swings in the cage.
Lou Piniella is contemplating going with a 13-man pitching staff over the weekend against the Diamondbacks. Jason Marquis' spot in the rotation will be skipped and Piniella wants Sean Marshall stretched out for wh...
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| An Unearned Loss |
| 2008-05-05 23:32:20 |
Game Thirty-Two - Cubs 3 Reds 5
WP - Johnny Cueto (2-3) LP - Ryan Dempster (4-1) Save - Francisco Cordero (5)
It's not too often a pitcher loses a game without giving up an earned run but that is exactly what happened to Ryan Dempster on Monday night. Dempster was the victim of two errors....one by Mike Fontenot in the 1st inning that led to 3 runs and the other by Mark DeRosa in the 3rd inning that led to an Adam Dunn 2-run homer, the difference in the game. Dempster pitched a good game but was not able to get out of the trouble the miscues put him in. Despite pitching a very good game, Dempster is still winless at Great American Ball Park.
The Cubs defense actually turned in two very good plays on the night. A tremendous catch by Felix Pie in the 5th robbed Ken Griffey, Jr. of home run #598. Ryan Theriot also made a fine stab on a ball in the 6th off the bat of Edwin Encarnacion.
The Cubs offense struggled once again and could not reach their magic number. Geovany Soto hit his 6th...
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| Talkin' Cubs Live - Cubs vs. Reds - 05/05/08 |
| 2008-05-05 16:30:00 |
Game Thirty-Two: Cubs (18-13) vs. Reds (12-20)
Game Time - 6:10pm C.T.
Coverage - TV: WCIU - Radio: 720 WGN, XM Radio Channel 183
Location - Great American Ball Park, Cincinnati
Ryan Dempster (4-0, 3.16/1.11) vs. Johnny Cueto (1-3, 5.40/1.09)
The Cubs open a 3-game series tonight in Cincinnati against a Reds' team that has lost 5 in row. Lou Piniella's crew has not won a series in almost two weeks and has lost 4 of their last 6....so something's gotta give tonight.
Lou Piniella will send his top two pitchers to the mound to begin the series with Jon Lieber taking the hill in the finale on Wednesday. As the old cliche goes, just one game at a time and tonight the offense will have the tall task of figuring out Johnny Cueto while Ryan Dempster attempts to win his first career game at Great American Ball Park.
Stay Classy tonight Cubs fans as Marty Brennaman tries to do the same....
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| Cedeno in Center?.... and Other Possible Moves |
| 2008-05-05 05:00:00 |
According to a report in the Chicago Tribune on Sunday night, Ronny Cedeno could be seeing some playing time in centerfield. Ivan DeJesus has been working with Cedeno as Lou Piniella tries to find a way to get his bat into the lineup. The report speculated that if Cedeno can be used in center then Felix Pie might be sent down to Iowa to work out a few things. Cedeno played a couple of game in center during Spring Training.
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| Flat |
| 2008-05-05 00:27:46 |
Game Thirty-One - Cubs 3 Cardinals 5
WP - Todd Wellemeyer (3-1) LP - Jason Marquis (1-2) Save - Jason Isringhausen (10)
Ron Santo said it all when he named Sean Gallagher the Chevrolet Player of the Game following the loss to the Cardinals on Sunday night. The Cubs could not find a rhythm either on the mound or at the plate and dropped their third straight series. Jason Marquis was once again very ineffective and could not find the strike zone on a consistent basis. Marquis walked the bases loaded in the 1st inning and a total of 5 on the night but the biggest was a 2-out walk to Adam Kennedy in the 4th inning. Albert Pujols followed with a 2-run double down the left field line just past the outstretched glove of Mark DeRosa that proved to be the difference in the game. Marquis gave up 5 runs on 7 hits in 5 1/3 innings of work.
Reed Johnson doubled in the Cubs' first run of the game but that was the only run scoring hit of the game for Lou Piniella's crew. The other two runs were sco...
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| Talkin' Cubs Live - Cubs vs. Cardinals - 05/04/08 |
| 2008-05-04 15:30:00 |
Game Thirty-One: Cubs (18-12) vs. Cardinals (19-12)
Game Time - 7:05pm C.T.
Coverage - TV: ESPN Sunday Night Baseball - Radio: 720 WGN, XM Radio Channel 187
Location - Busch Stadium, St. Louis
Jason Marquis (1-1, 4.45/1.62) vs. Todd Wellemeyer (2-1, 4.14/1.19)
It's Sunday Night Baseball and it's the Cubs and Cardinals....despite what ESPN will say tonight, the best rivalry in all of baseball. The rubber game of the weekend series will feature two starting pitchers facing their former organization. Todd Wellemeyer could never match the expectations he set in his big league debut and Jason Marquis was tossed to the side by Tony La Russa and Dave Duncan....so both pitchers should be out to prove a point tonight.
In other News.... Jon Lieber will replace Rich Hill in the Cubs' rotation and should take the mound in Cincinnati for his first start of the year on Wednesday. With Lieber in the rotation, Sean Gallagher will likely be used as the long man out of the pen. Maybe those roles shou...
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| Little Fontenot and The Bulldog |
| 2008-05-03 19:56:14 |
Game Thirty - Cubs 9 Cardinals 3
WP - Ted Lilly (2-4) LP - Kyle Lohse (3-1) Save - None
After two disappointing losses, the Cubs avoided their first three game losing streak of the season with an impressive win against the Cardinals. The Cubs improved to 11-9 at new Busch Stadium in front of the largest crowd in the park's short three-year history. Ted Lilly did exactly what his team needed after Piniella emptied his bullpen on Friday night. Lilly turned in his third quality start in a row and held the Cardinals to 3 runs on 6 hits with 4 strikeouts and a walk in 7 innings. Lilly allowed only 1 hit in the first 3 innings and put together his best outing of the year. Two of the three runs the Cardinals scored off of Lilly were solo home runs by Yadier Molina and Albert Pujols. Lilly kept the ball down, found a rhythm and most importantly threw strikes. Carlos Marmol tossed two perfect innings, 24 pitches, in relief of Lilly with a strikeout.
The Cubs offense clicked on all cylinders a...
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| Talkin' Cubs Live - Cubs vs. Cardinals - 05/03/08 |
| 2008-05-03 12:30:00 |
Game Thirty: Cubs (17-12) vs. Cardinals (19-11)
Game Time - 2:45pm C.T.
Coverage - TV: FOX Saturday Game of the Week - Radio: 720 WGN, XM Radio Channel 187
Location - Busch Stadium, St. Louis
Ted Lilly (1-4, 6.46/1.50) vs. Kyle Lohse (3-0, 2.36/1.17)
Updated - 2:32pm C.T. - Hill Optioned and Gallagher Recalled
According to a report on Cubs.com, Rich Hill was optioned to Triple-A Iowa and Sean Gallagher was recalled to fill his roster spot. No official word on who will take Hill's spot in the rotation.
The Cubs will try to avoid their first three game losing streak of the season for the third time in the last 10 days. Lou Piniella's crew is coming off two tough losses and needs Ted Lilly to step up and deliver a victory....not only for his team but for his fellow pitchers in the bullpen. Piniella needs at least a quality start out of Lilly or he might have to "take one for the team."
A report in the Sun-Times on Saturday morning indicated that Aramis Ramirez did not suffer a broken...
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| Fifty-Three and Twelve |
| 2008-05-03 00:56:27 |
Game Twenty-Nine - Cubs 3 Cardinals 5 - 11 innings
WP - Ron Villone (1-0) LP - Chad Fox (0-1) Save - None
Every game counts just as much as the next but losing to the Cardinals always seems a little different....especially with the way Lou Piniella's crew dropped the first game of the series on Friday night. After striking out Brian Barton on three pitches to start the game, Rich Hill walked 4 of the next 5 batters he faced and left after throwing only 27 pitches. Lou Piniella saw enough and yanked Hill seemingly without any hesitation. Michael Wuertz came in and got his team out of the jam but the game felt over before it started.
Wuertz gave up a run in the 2nd but the Cubs bullpen turned in a tremendous performance, led by Jon Lieber. The Cardinals scored an unearned run in the 7th off of Bobby Howry after a Derrek Lee error and two badly misplayed balls by Alfonso Soriano. The much-maligned bullpen at one point retired 10 in a row and did not allow an earned run after the 2nd inn...
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| Talkin' Cubs Live - Cubs vs. Cardinals - 05/02/08 |
| 2008-05-02 16:45:00 |
Game Twenty-Nine: Cubs (17-11) vs. Cardinals (18-11)
Game Time - 7:15pm C.T.
Coverage - TV: WGN - Radio: 720 WGN, XM Radio Channel 187
Location - Busch Stadium, St. Louis
Rich Hill (1-0, 3.79/1.42) vs. Adam Wainwright (3-1, 2.79/1.01)
The Cubs open a 6-game road trip tonight with the first of three against their archrival the St. Louis Cardinals. Tony La Russa has his team in first place in the central division, a half game ahead of the Cubs, after the first month of the season. The Cardinals were counted out by many before the year started....and many of the experts, despite setting a franchise record for wins in April, still feel the Cardinals will not be able to keep up the pace throughout the season.
The Cardinals are benefiting from great pitching and the Cubs offense will have the challenge this weekend of figuring out what other teams were not able to in the first month. While Tony La Russa will send the trio of Adam Wainwright, Kyle Lohse and Todd Wellemeyer to the mound, L...
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| From the Wire....Fox Selected and Hart Optioned |
| 2008-05-02 16:28:37 |
Updated - 7:07pm C.T. - Kevin Hart will join the I-Cubs Starting Rotation
According to a report on Cubs.com, the Cubs have selected Chad Fox from Double-A Tennessee and added him to the 40-man roster. To make room on the active roster, Kevin Hart was optioned to Triple-A Iowa.
Fox will be available out of the pen Friday night for Lou Piniella in St. Louis.
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| Prospect Spotlight - Sean Gallagher |
| 2008-05-02 03:00:00 |
Sean Gallagher garnered a lot of attention this past winter after making his Major League debut last season. Gallagher was the name most often mentioned in the trade rumors with Baltimore. Gallagher was named the Cubs' Minor League Pitcher of the Year in 2005 and the Cubs' 5th best prospect according to Baseball America is still in the organization and is performing quite well with the Iowa Cubs.
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| A Misjudged Meltdown |
| 2008-05-01 23:43:15 |
Game Twenty-Eight - Cubs 3 Brewers 4
WP - Brian Shouse (2-0) LP - Kerry Wood (2-1, BS 3) Save - Eric Gagne (9)
The Cubs gave one to the Brewers on Thursday afternoon at the old ballpark, plain and simple. Carlos Zambrano was once again very effective on a day he did not have his best stuff. The Cubs' ace held the Brewers to just 1 run, a solo home run by Ryan Braun, on 7 hits with 2 walks and 3 strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings. Zambrano even put the first run of the game on the board for his team in the 3rd inning. Zambrano's opposite field home run was the 13th of his career and tied him with Ferguson Jenkins for the most round trippers by a Cubs' pitcher. Zambrano appeared to be on his way to his 5th win of the year after the Cubs plated 2 runs in the 6th and Carlos Marmol setup the save for Kerry Wood.
For the second time in two games against the Brewers, Wood hit Craig Counsell with his first offering to start the 9th. Gabe Kapler followed with a double over Alfonso Soriano's head on ...
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| Talkin' Cubs Live - Cubs vs. Brewers - 05/01/08 |
| 2008-05-01 09:30:00 |
Game Twenty-Eight: Cubs (17-10) vs. Brewers (15-12)
Game Time - 1:20pm C.T.
Coverage - TV: WGN - Radio: 720 WGN, XM Radio Channel 189
Location - Wrigley Field, Chicago
Carlos Zambrano (4-1, 2.21/1.13) vs. Yovani Gallardo (0-0, 0.64/1.07)
Updated - 12:10pm C.T. - Alfonso Soriano Activated - Matt Murton Optioned to Triple-A
As expected, the Cubs activated Alfonso Soriano from the 15-day DL on Thursday morning and optioned Matt Murton back to Triple-A Iowa according to a report on Cubs.com
It's a new day and a new month.... While the Cubs were 10-5 with Alfonso Soriano on the DL, Lou Piniella gets a very important piece of the puzzle back today. Soriano is expected to be activated from the 15-day disabled list and reportedly will return to the leadoff spot in the lineup. The Cubs need Soriano to comeback, fit in with their newfound patience at the plate and be the impact player he was a year ago. The Cubs are also expected to option Matt Murton to Triple-A to make room for Soriano on ...
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| A New Cub Record |
| 2008-05-01 00:32:20 |
Game Twenty-Seven - Cubs 19 Brewers 5
WP - Ryan Dempster (4-0) LP - Jeff Suppan (1-1) Save - None
Lou Piniella's crew completed the first month of the season by setting a new franchise record for wins in April with 17. The Cubs' skipper preached all winter about the importance of a fast start and Piniella can now check that off his list. The Cubs offense came out swinging against Jeff Suppan. They plated 6 runs in the 1st inning, 1 in the 3rd, 5 more in the 4th, 1 in the 6th and 6 more in the 8th.
Geovany Soto led the Cubs offense with two 3-run home runs and set a career high with 6 RBI's with the first multi home run game of his career. Soto became the first Cubs' catcher since Barry Foote in 1980 to record 2 home runs and 6 RBI's in one game.
Even in the lopsided win, the Cubs' newfound patience continued throughout the entire game. The Cubs walked another 9 times on the night to go along with the 17 hits and set a season high with 19 runs scored. The Cubs offense scored at least...
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| Talkin' Cubs Live - Cubs vs. Brewers - 04/30/08 |
| 2008-04-30 17:00:00 |
Game Twenty-Seven: Cubs (16-10) vs. Brewers (15-11)
Game Time - 7:05pm C.T.
Coverage - TV: ESPN Wednesday Night Baseball, WCIU - Radio: 720 WGN, XM Radio Channel 189
Location - Wrigley Field, Chicago
Ryan Dempster (3-0, 2.90/1.03) vs. Jeff Suppan (1-0, 3.48/1.26)
All in all it could be said the Cubs have had a good first month of the season. A 16-10 record and just a win shy of setting a new all-time mark is very good....but losing 4 of the last 6 cannot be sitting to well with their skipper. The Cubs will try to avoid their first 3-game losing streak of the year tonight behind Ryan Dempster. The offense must continue to be patient against Jeff Suppan, get into the Brewers bullpen and return the favor from last night.
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| Couldn't Hold 'Em |
| 2008-04-30 00:57:57 |
Game Twenty-Six - Cubs 7 Brewers 10
WP - Ben Sheets (4-0) LP - Jason Marquis (1-1) Save - Eric Gagne (8)
For the first time this season the Cubs lost a game in which they scored at least 4 runs as they were out hit on a cold night at Wrigley. The Cubs offense scored 4 runs, 3 earned, off of Ben Sheets, the most the Brewers' ace has allowed this year, but it was not enough. Jason Marquis struggled with his command, left after just 5 innings and the middle relievers could not get the job done. Marquis was never the same after a 13-minute delay before the 3rd inning. Reports indicated home plate umpire Jerry Crawford left "feeling ill" and was taken to the hospital. Marquis surrendered 5 runs on 10 hits with a walk and 2 strikeouts. But the Cubs bullpen had another rough outing and could not keep the Brewers off the board.
Kevin Hart, Sean Marshall, Michael Wuertz and Jon Lieber gave up 5 runs on 7 hits with 2 walks and only 1 strikeout in the last 4 innings. The Brewers' 17 hits were t...
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| Talkin' Cubs Live - Cubs vs. Brewers - 04/29/08 |
| 2008-04-29 17:30:00 |
Game Twenty-Six: Cubs (16-9) vs. Brewers (14-11)
Game Time - 7:05pm C.T.
Coverage - TV: Comcast SportsNet - Radio: 720 WGN, XM Radio Channel 189
Location - Wrigley Field, Chicago
Jason Marquis (1-0, 3.47/1.50) vs. Ben Sheets (3-0, 0.96/0.64)
Lou Piniella's crew returns to the field tonight for the first of three games against the Milwaukee Brewers. The Cubs stumbled into Monday's off day after losing 3 of the previous 4 games. The Cubs must get back on track tonight and that will be easier said than done against Ben Sheets.
The Cubs posted a solid 9-4 record over the last two weeks. The upcoming stretch of games against the Brewers, Cardinals and Reds will be a big test for the first place club.
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| What's the Answer? |
| 2008-04-29 01:05:00 |
To leadoff or not to leadoff is the question Lou Piniella has to find an answer to once Alfonso Soriano returns from the DL. A report last week on Cubs.com indicated Soriano is pain free and several reports later in the week stated that when Soriano returns on Thursday against the Brewers he will hit first in the Cubs lineup. But the Cubs are 9-4 since he injured himself on the hop back on April 15th. With Reed Johnson in the starting lineup, the Cubs are 12-4, so where should Soriano hit in the new OBP oriented lineup?
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| CCO Radio Presents....Managers, Men and More Lip Service |
| 2008-04-28 01:15:00 |
Installment 8 - Managers, Men and More Lip Service
The CCO Radio returns for the latest edition on a much needed off day for the Cubs. Brian and Shaun, along with a special guest, discuss the latest from Carlos Zambrano's great start to Ronny Cedeno to Ryan Theriot as well as the return of Alfonso Soriano. There is even a mention of Brian Roberts and discussion about Lou Piniella's use of his bench over the weekend. Plus a couple of well-timed impersonations, the reminder to 'Fear the Blanco' and after the first month....believe it or not, they are still excited.
After you are done listening, read on for twenty-five thoughts on the 25-man roster after 25 games....
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| Blanked |
| 2008-04-27 16:27:58 |
Game Twenty-Five - Cubs 0 Nationals 2
WP - John Lannan (2-2) LP - Ted Lilly (1-4) Save - Jon Rauch (4)
A day after recording their first shutout of the season, the Nationals returned the favor and shutout the Cubs for the first time this year. Ted Lilly turned in the Cubs fourth quality start in a row with an impressive 6 inning performance....he was just out pitched. John Lannan handled the Cubs offense with pinpoint control and did not allow a hit until the 5th inning. The Cubs loaded the bases for the sixth time in the 3-game series in the 5th with 1-out but came away empty. They also left the tying runs in scoring position in the 6th....again with 1-out. On the day the Cubs left 8 on base and appeared out of gas for most of the afternoon.
Ted Lilly took the loss but for the first time this season he pitched the way he did a year ago. Lilly gave up both runs in the 2nd inning, surrendered only 4 hits in 6 innings, struck out a season high 7 batters and walked only 2.
The Cubs fin...
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| Talkin' Cubs Live - Cubs vs. Nationals - 04/27/08 |
| 2008-04-27 11:05:23 |
Game Twenty-Five: Cubs (16-8) vs. Nationals (8-17)
Game Time - 12:35pm C.T.
Coverage - TV: WGN - Radio: 720 WGN, XM Radio Channel 185
Location - Nationals Park, Washington D.C.
Ted Lilly (1-3, 7.30/1.62) vs. John Lannan (1-2, 3.42/1.44)
Lou Piniella's crew will complete their second road trip of the year with the rubber game of the series, and the trip, against the Nationals. The Cubs have won 2 of the first 4 and with a win today they would finish a 13-game stretch with a 10-3 record before their first day off on Monday since April 14th.
The Cubs will face the third left-handed pitcher of the series today and possibly the most talented of the group. John Lannan's record and ERA does not indicate how well he has pitched this year. It will be up to Ted Lilly to keep the Nationals off the scoreboard and give the offense time to score a few runs. The Cubs need their own southpaw to pick up where he left off against the Mets and earn his second victory of the season.
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| Z Bounce Back |
| 2008-04-27 00:08:28 |
Game Twenty-Four - Cubs 7 Nationals 0
WP - Carlos Zambrano (4-1) LP - Matt Chico (0-5) Save - None
Lou Piniella's crew ended their 2-game losing streak with an impressive shutout win over the Nationals, the first of the year for the Cubs' pitching staff. Carlos Zambrano struggled with his command at times but was able to get the big out when he needed it. Zambrano surrendered only 5 hits in 7 innings, struck out 5, walked 4 and hit a batter. The 4 wins by Zambrano in April is a new career high.
The Cubs offense broke out of their brief 2-game slump. Reed Johnson, Ryan Theriot and Derrek Lee were 6-for-6 with 5 runs scored in the first two innings. Derrek Lee drove in 3 with a double, a single and 2 walks. Mark DeRosa came through with a bases loaded, 2-run single in the 1st inning. Aramis Ramirez drove in a pair in the 8th with a 2-out double....all 7 of the Cubs' runs were driven in by Lee, Ramirez and DeRosa. Ronny Cedeno added 3 hits, including 2 doubles in 5 at bats.
With the ...
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| Talkin' Cubs Live - Cubs vs. Nationals - 04/26/08 |
| 2008-04-26 14:30:00 |
Game Twenty-Four: Cubs (15-8) vs. Nationals (8-16)
Game Time - 6:10pm C.T.
Coverage - TV: Comcast SportsNet - Radio: 720 WGN, XM Radio Channel 185
Location - Nationals Park, Washington D.C.
Carlos Zambrano (3-1, 2.67/1.10) vs. Matt Chico (0-4, 6.04/1.55)
For most of the sports world today's focus is on the NFL draft, but Lou Piniella's team is in the District of Columbia and will try to avoid their first 3-game losing streak of the year. After putting run after run after run on the board during the 6-game winning streak, the Cubs have scored only 5 times in the past 18 innings. The magic number for the Cubs this season is 4. When Lou's crew scores at least 4 runs they are undefeated.
There is one big positive to come out of the consecutive losses, both Jason Marquis and Ryan Dempster pitched effectively into and past the 7th inning. The Cubs need a similar performance today from Carlos Zambrano.
Finally, Kosuke Fukudome turns 31 today. Read on for the rest of the game preview and a...
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| Opportunity After Opportunity |
| 2008-04-25 23:59:44 |
Game Twenty-Three - Cubs 3 Nationals 5
WP - Jon Rauch (2-0) LP - Bobby Howry (0-2) Save - None
For the first time in almost two weeks the Cubs lost back-to-back games after a lackluster performance on Friday night. Lou Piniella's crew had plenty of chances to put runs on the board but left the bases loaded in the 8th and left a total of 10 on in 9 innings. A ground rule double by Kosuke Fukudome erased a run in the 5th inning and the Cubs third run of the game came after a bases loaded walk to Matt Murton in the 8th.
With the game tied at 3 in the bottom of the 9th, Bobby Howry took the mound and gave up a leadoff single to Austin Kearns. Howry struck out Willie Harris for the first out. On a 0-2 pitch, Wil Nieves hit his first career home run to end the game. Nieves took an outside pitch over the right field wall and the Nationals celebrated the walk off win as the Cubs looked stunned at the final outcome.
Ryan Dempster was incredibly wild at the start of the game. He appeared rus...
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| Talkin' Cubs Live - Cubs vs. Nationals - 04/25/08 |
| 2008-04-25 17:00:00 |
Game Twenty-Three: Cubs (15-7) vs. Nationals (7-16)
Game Time - 6:35pm C.T.
Coverage - TV: Comcast SportsNet - Radio: 720 WGN, XM Radio Channel 185
Location - Nationals Park, Washington D.C.
Ryan Dempster (3-0, 3.00/1.04) vs. Odalis Perez (0-3, 3.38/1.54)
Lou Piniella's crew opens their first series tonight behind Ryan Dempster at new Nationals Park. The Cubs are coming off their worst offensive game in a week and must get the bats going tonight against Odalis Perez. The Nationals own the worst record in the National League after starting the season 3-0....but the Cubs must not take this team lightly. Piniella's top 3 pitchers are scheduled to start the weekend series and a 4-1 road trip would be a great way to spend Monday's off day.
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| Minor League Report - 04/25/08 |
| 2008-04-25 01:30:00 |
The Cubs' farm system received a boost this past week when Josh Vitters made his debut for the Peoria Chiefs. The rest of his week was not as good as his first game but at least the Cubs' top prospect is now in A ball. Sean Gallagher turned in a great start with 12 strikeouts and Randy Wells was returned to the Cubs' system after being taken by the Blue Jays in the Rule 5 Draft this past winter.
Jose Ascanio picked up first win in Iowa Cubs' 3-2 win over the Memphis Redbirds on Thursday after blowing the save. Koyie Hill drove in Casey McGehee with the winning run in the bottom of the 9th. The Smokies lost to the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx 2-1 on Thursday. Justin Berg gave up a run on 5 hits with 4 walks and 3 strikeouts but Greg Reinhard took the loss after giving up a run in the 9th. The Daytona Cubs beat the St. Lucie Mets 7-2 on Thursday. Chad Fox made his second start and pitched 2 good innings. Scott Eyre made the start on Wednesday in his first rehab appearance. Eyre gave up a hit...
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| Can't Win 'Em All |
| 2008-04-24 21:18:28 |
Game Twenty-Two - Cubs 2 Rockies 4
WP - Aaron Cook (3-1) LP - Kevin Hart (2-1) Save - Brian Fuentes (1)
The Cubs lost their first game in a week on Thursday afternoon in Denver as the 6-game winning streak came to an end. Aaron Cook shut down the Cubs offense as they managed only 2 runs on 4 hits on getaway day. But Jason Marquis was just as effective and the difference in the game was an error by Ryan Theriot in the bottom of the 8th.
Aaron Cook did not allow a base runner after the 2nd inning until the 8th when the Cubs tied the game on a fielder's choice off the bat of Mike Fontenot. Kevin Hart took the mound in the bottom of the inning, gave up a lead off double to Matt Holliday and after an intentional walk with 1-out to Brad Hawpe it appeared Hart had gotten out of the inning. Troy Tulowitzki hit a grounder to Ronny Cedeno, he flipped to Theriot to start the double play....but Theriot dropped the ball, Holliday scored and the Rockies added a 2-out insurance run later in the inn...
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| Talkin' Cubs Live - Cubs vs. Rockies - 04/24/08 |
| 2008-04-24 10:45:00 |
Game Twenty-Two: Cubs (15-6) vs. Rockies (9-12)
Game Time - 2:05pm C.T.
Coverage - TV: WGN - Radio: 720 WGN, XM Radio Channel 188
Location - Coors Field, Denver
Jason Marquis (1-0, 3.86/1.53) vs. Aaron Cook (2-1, 3.12/1.08)
The Cubs will complete their 2-game series this afternoon against the Rockies in their only trip of the year to Denver. The Cubs will face the Rockies again at Wrigley for 4 games at the end of May but today, Jason Marquis will try to win his second game in a row.
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| A Milestone |
| 2008-04-24 00:48:36 |
Game Twenty-One - Cubs 7 Rockies 6 - 10 innings
WP - Kerry Wood (2-0, BS 2) LP - Kip Wells (1-1) Save - Carlos Marmol (2)
The Chicago Cubs won their 10,000 game in dramatic, come from behind fashion. Lou Piniella's crew took a 3-0 lead into the 6th inning behind a very good performance by Rich Hill. The Rockies scored 5 runs in the bottom of the inning with 3 of the runs coming off the first home run of the season by Troy Tulowitzki. Derrek Lee cut the Rockies lead to 5-4 in the 7th and Aramis Ramirez gave the Cubs the lead in the 9th with his 6th home run of the season....a 2-run shot to left.
Kerry Wood struck out the first two batters he faced in the bottom of the 9th but Scott Podsednik reached on a pinch-hit single to left center. Ryan Spilborghs tripled him home to tie the game. Geovany Soto singled to lead off the 10th, Mike Fontenot pinch ran for him and with 2 outs, Ryan Theriot came through with the game winner....a single to right. Carlos Marmol retired the side in order i...
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