Game: Pittsburgh Pirates(21-24) @ Chicago Cubs(21-22)
Game Time: 7:05 PM CT
TV: CSN
Pitching Matchup:
Cubs- Sean Marshall(2-3, 3.96 ERA)
Pirates- Ian Snell(1-5, 4.88 ERA)
Lineups:
Pirates
1. Nyjer Morgan, LF
2. Freddy Sanchez, 2B
3. Nate McLouth, CF
4. Craig Monroe, RF
5. Adam LaRoche, 1B
6. Andy LaRoche, 3B
7. Robinzon Diaz, C
8. Jack Wilson, SS
9. Ian Snell, P
Cubs
1. Alfonso Soriano, LF
2. Ryan Theriot, SS
3. Kosuke Fukudome, CF
4. Milton Bradley, RF
5. Micah Hoffpauir, 1B
6. Mike Fontenot, 2B
7. Koyie Hill, C
8. Ryan Freel, 3B
9. Sean Marshall, P
Batter Vs. Pitcher Notables:
Pirates Vs. Sean Marshall
Jack Wilson: .333(3-9), 0 HR, .733 OPS
Nate McLouth: .250(2-8), 1 HR, .875 OPS
Cubs Vs. Ian Snell
Alfonso Soriano: .500(8-19), 3 HR, 1.606 OPS
Ryan Theriot: .389(7-18), 0 HR, 1.143 OPS
It's been raining, and Len Kasper said that it's unsure if they'll be able to get this game in. They just took the tarp off the field though, so they can at least get it started soon.
Derrek Lee is out again with the flu for the third straight game, but is available to pinch-hit. Bobby Scales is out again with the flu as well, but he's doing worse today, so he was sent home, just like they did with Lee yesterday.
Carlos Marmol is still in New York with his wife who was scheduled to give birth.
Aramis Ramirez said he's unsure about the timetable for his return from a dislocated shoulder still.
Pirates closer Matt Capps just has a bruised elbow incredibly after a rocket he took on it last night, he's day-to-day.
We're under a little delay to start the game, but the tarp isn't on the field either. They're replaying Lou's pregame presser. He brought up how he needs a lefty in the bullpen to get lefty hitters out, and how Cotts isn't doing the job. I wrote about this issue this morning, and when Lou says something like that, Hendry usually listens. Lou gets what he wants. I'd assume the Cubs are scouting left-handed relievers out there right now.
The Cubs take the field, just a five minute delay.
Top Of The 1st
Nyjer Morgan bunts the first pitch right up in the air to Hoffpauir, 1 out.
Can the Cubs get Freddy Sanchez out tonight? He went 6 for 6 last night. And they can't get him out to start the game as he lines a single into left. Unreal.
Marshall gets a generous call on the outside corner to even the count to McLouth at 2-2, something Bob Davidson wouldn't give last night. He gets McLouth to swing and miss at a breaking down and away, 2 outs.
Former crappy Cub Craig Monroe up. We know he can hit lefties though, and that's why he's in the lineup today. Monroe with an "excuse me" swing and misses a bloop double by a foot, foul. Next pitch, groundball to Theriot who throws to Fontenot at 2nd for the force, inning over! Still 0-0.
Bottom Of The 1st
Soriano fouls off the first pitch, then a pitch at a shoetops is called a strike to make it 0-2. Little League strike call. Lazy flyball out to right field a couple pitches later, 1 down.
Theriot hits one hard on the first pitch, but McLouth makes a nice running shoestring catch.
Fukudome turns on one and CRUSHES it. He knew it was long gone right away. 1-0 Cubs! And I sure wish he were batting instead of Freel and Miles last night...
Bradley grounds out to 1st to end the inning.
Top Of The 2nd
Marshall strikes out LaRoche on 3 pitches, 1 of which was a filthy curveball.
Andy LaRoche hits it off the end of his bat for a single into center.
Robinzon... pretty sweet name. Now he does the same thing Monroe did, bloops it down the right field line and it lands just foul. Maybe the breaks are going our way finally? Robinson strikes out on a curveball in the dirt, but he's saying he fouled it off. Now Buccos manager John Russell is having a word with the umpire about it. Speaking of manager-umpire fun talks, did you see the Trey Hillman-Paul Emmel one yesterday? Fun stuff.
Ah, the rain is picking up, when the Cubs have a lead. Of course.
Jack Wilson pops out to Hollywood Hoffpauir. The Cubs have a lead for 2 straight innings(unless they score negative runs this half of the inning)!
Bottom Of The 2nd
Hollywood hits one right on the nose and I thought it was headed to the right-center field gap, but McLouth runs it down for the 1st out.
Fontenot's swinging the bat like I expected him to finally. Turns on a curveball and drills it to the well in right for a double.
Len says "The rain might be here for quite some time." Just great. Koyie with a nice at bat and draws a walk, 1st and 2nd with 1 out for Farney.
The camera guys doing a nice job spotting the attractive ladies wearing wet shirts. Farney strikes out to nobody's surprise.
Sean Marshall's had some good swings this year, maybe he can get a run in and help himself. And he does! 2-out RBI Single Sean Marshall, 2-0 Cubs!
The rain has basically stopped. Pitch in the dirt gets away from Diaz a little bit, Koyie Hill with a good read and gets to 3rd, Marshall stays at 1st. 2-0 to Alf, let's see if he takes a huge hack here. He does, but it's a slider 5 feet outside. And... same thing on the next pitch. 2-2 now. If I'm Snell I'm aiming for the Pirates bullpen here. Soriano somehow lays off one in the dirt, and then swings at one in the dirt on a full count but somehow made contact with it. There's the strikeout on a slider a few feet outside, finally.
Top Of The 3rd
A lot of diamond dry added to help with a semi-wet field. Marshall with a nasty hammer to get Snell looking. That's 4 K for Marshall.
Marshall snags a Morgan line drive, outstanding play. That was a knuckling, rocket line drive. 2 down.
Now another great play by Sean on a Sanchez groundball to end the inning. He's getting a standing ovation from the Wrigley faithful. Maybe it's because they finally got Sanchez out rather than the superb defense?
Bottom Of The 3rd
Theriot hits it hard on the 1st pitch and also trips out of the box, but the Gold Glover McLouth runs it down again.
Kosuke swinging on the 1st pitch as well, grounds out to 2nd.
After those quick outs, Bradley has a nice long at bat and walks.
Hoffpauir destroys one off the wall in right, and it gets away from the Pirates outfielders allowing Bradley to easily score from 1st. Any air under that and it's a 2-run bomb, but we'll take the 1 run right now. 3-0 Cubs!
Fontenot foul tip strikeout to end the 3rd. A run per inning, I could get used to that.
Top Of The 4th
Wow, McLouth not looking like himself. He just chased a slider in the dirt on a 2-0 count. 3-1 now though, Marshall not close on any of these pitches to start the inning. McLouth walks. Rothschild might need to get out there.
Misses badly again, Koyie runs out to calm Sean down. I don't like the way this is starting. I'll be surprised if the Pirates don't score this inning. 3-1 now on Monroe. Sigh. This looks familiar. Monroe breaks his bat on a 3-2 pitch and flies out to Soriano.
McLouth has only been caught stealing by a catcher once in his MLB career. 28 straight stolen bases. That's incredible. Great throw by Koyie, but it was on a Marshall curveball so he had no chance. Meanwhile, Adam LaRoche looks very uncomfortable against Marshall. Rolls out weakly on the next pitch to Hoffpauir, McLouth to 3rd with 2 outs.
Marshall losing his command again, 3-0 to Andy LaRoche and almost hits him. Ditto for the next pitch, ball 4. 1st and 3rd with 2 outs, Robinzon Diaz up.
Curveball way outside. Ugh. Crowd starting to feel like I am. Single up the middle, so they did score as I expected. Pirates cut the lead to 3-1, runners on 1st and 2nd with Jack Wilson up.
70 pitches for Marshall. 0-2 on Wilson. Some chin music bends Wilson back, 1-2. Marshall not fooling anybody right now. Wilson swings through a curveball in the strike zone, inning over.
Not feeling quite as good about this one anymore. Remember, no Carlos Marmol. Marshall struggles as the game goes on and you can't expect him to go more than 100 pitches or so. He's already looking like a different pitcher than he did 30 minutes ago. Hopefully he can somehow get through 6.
Bottom Of The 4th
A lot of 1st pitch swinging for the Cubs. Hill grounds out to Wilson. Wilson bobbled it but Hill's catcher speed still left him with no chance to be safe.
Freel swings at the 1st pitch as well, fouls it off. Chill out guys. Now he pops out weakly to right. Okay, now I'm getting angry.
And Marshall swings at the 1st pitch. He's hanging in there though, fouled off the last 3 pitches. Takes the 7th pitch of the at bat for a ball. Now fouls off another. Takes one just off the corner for ball 3. Now he flies out to left, but saw 10 pitches in that bat.
66 pitches through 4 for Snell.
Top Of The 5th
Soriano with a great catch on a rocket from Ian Snell. Alf looked about as awkward as a deer learning how to walk on that one(or about as awkward as me trying to pick up a girl).
A 12-6 curveball that leaves Nyjer Morgan embarrassed. 2 down. 6 strikeouts for Marshall.
Freddy Sanchez with his 900th hit of the series, singles to left with 2 outs.
Is this where the inevitable homer comes? Well, on a summer afternoon with the wind blowing out, probably, but it's a lazy flyball to Soriano tonight to end the inning.
Bottom Of The 5th
Soriano works the count in his favor to 3-1, then takes a fastball right right on the inner half where he usually mashes. Oh well, he singles on a slider nowhere close to the strike zone. A Vladimir Guerrero single.
Theriot squares to bunt and almost gets killed. On a 2-1 count, Soriano runs and Theriot swings and misses. Diaz throws it into Montana, Soriano advances to 3rd with no outs. Infield in. Theriot does the same thing as Soriano, hits a slider almost in the dirt, and it drops in front of McLouth, 4-1 Cubs!
That generous outside corner with left-handed batters up that I mentioned earlier does not exist anymore. 2-0 to Fukudome. 3-0 now. Walks. 1st and 2nd no outs for Milton.
3-0 to Bradley. He walks, bases loaded nobody out for Hoffpauir. Raining a bit again, but it's an official game.
Hoffpauir singles to left on an 0-1 hit, beautiful piece of hitting. 5-1 Cubs! Bases still loaded, nobody out.
Fontenot rips a single up the middle. He's back. Bradley had to freeze to make sure it got through, bases loaded still, 6-1!
The Pirates must be giving up in this one by leaving Snell in. Koyie takes an 0-1 pitch right in his zone, 0-2 now. Now he strikes out on a curveball in the dirt. Bad at bat there. Come on Farney.
2-0 to Freel. I'm still amazed Snell is in. Well, he showed me. Wilson with a great play on a groundball up the middle and the Buccos turn a double play to end the inning. Made it look like a much easier play than it was. 6-1 Cubs after 5.
Top Of The 6th
The rain is pouring now. Fine by me. 1-2 count on Monroe. Rain Delay.
9:23 PM CT now, it's still raining heavily. No update on if they'll start again.
9:58 PM CT now. I'd think we'll get another update soon. It's getting near that point where they really have to make a decision. Yep, here's an update... nothing new. Some serious puddles on the warning track and it's still raining. I'm going to predict this one is done.
A Lou quote from his pregame press conference that I missed earlier, about the team getting it back together.: "How do you eat a Whopper? You eat it one bite at a time. You don't swallow the damn thing."
A few minutes later, it's announced: It's been called. CUBS WIN! EIGHT GAME LOSING STREAK OVER!
Oh the magic of the first live blog. Thanks to those of you that followed along with us, and we'll continue to do this as much as we can if you enjoy it.
Rubber match of the series tomorrow at 1:20 PM CT, game on WGN. Carlos Zambrano versus Zach Duke. Let's get a winning streak going now.
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