Carlos Zambrano's suspended for 6 games and will not appeal. He's eligible to comeback next Thursday in Atlanta.
Ted Lilly fined $1500, but will not be suspended after being ejected Tuesday night.
Rich Harden threw a pain-free bullpen session I believe I heard from Gail Fischer. It was something good about Harden anyway, saying that he's on track to return next week when he's eligible to come off the DL.
Tonight's game is going to be a tough one. I'm expecting Randy Wells to finally get shelled one of these days, and I fear that might be tonight against one of the best offenses in the league, even without Manny Ramirez. Hell, Matt Kemp is their #8 hitter tonight.
Game: Los Angeles Dodgers(33-15) @ Chicago Cubs(23-22)
Game Time: 7:05 PM CT
TV: WCIU, MLB Network, Prime Ticket
Pitching Matchup:
Cubs- Randy Wells(0-1, 1.50 ERA)
Dodgers- Randy Wolf(2-1, 3.02 ERA)
Lineups:
Dodgers
1. Juan Pierre, LF
2. Rafael Furcal, SS
3. Orlando Hudson, 2B
4. James Loney, 1B
5. Casey Blake, 3B
6. Andre Ethier, RF
7. Russell Martin, C
8. Matt Kemp, CF
9. Randy Wolf, P
Cubs
1. Alfonso Soriano, LF
2. Ryan Theriot, SS
3. Milton Bradley, RF
4. Derrek Lee, 1B
5. Reed Johnson, CF
6. Geovany Soto, C
7. Mike Fontenot, 3B
8. Andres Blanco, 2B
9. Randy Wells, P
Well I have to watch on MLB Network or Prime Ticket with it being a WCIU game that isn't carried on MLB Extra Innings. So far going with Costas and Plesac on MLB Net, but so far just highlights of the 08 playoffs and talking about how good the Dodgers are, how crappy the Cubs have been, etc. Fun stuff.
Top of the 1st
Cubs going with the blue jerseys again. Juan Pierre continues to hit, singles to lead it off.
Pierre runs on the 1st pitch, Soto gets too itchy back there and forgets to catch the ball. Pierre likely would've had it stolen anyway. 1-1 count to Furcal. Furcal a push bunt, gets through the hole with the infield in all the way to left field. Pierre scores, Furcal at 1st with no outs. 1-0 Dodgers.
Nice slider on a 1-2 pitch by Wells, gets O-Dog swinging. 1 down, Furcal still at 1st. Might see him running this at bat.
0-1 on Loney, prime double play candidate. A couple of nice two-seam fastballs from Wells on the inside corner, 0-2 now. Wastes a pitch over Loney's head, then Loney rips one up the middle on the next pitch. Speed making a big difference for the Dodgers early in this one, showing it's far from an overrated thing to have. 1st and 3rd, 1 out.
Still another double play candidate here with Casey Blake. 1st splitter of the night is inside, 2-1 count. Fouls the next pitch back. Great location on a 4-seam fastball on the inside corner, strike 3. Blake doesn't like it. Questionable call, but great spot there. 2 outs, Andre Ethier up.
Breaking ball in for a strike to start it off. Wells has great command today, but doesn't want to leave any over the plate too much or these Dodgers will hit it across the street. 89 mph fastball fouled off, 0-2. Can't give him anything to hit here. High and inside fastball jams Ethier, and he hits a weak flyball to Soriano in left field, inning over. That could've been a lot worse.
MLB 2K9 is awful, they're showing a simmed Cubs-Dodgers game that is cracking me up. They have Fontenot playing shortstop for the Cubs. Cubs win it 3-2 though!
Bottom of the 1st
Soriano takes a strike right where he usually likes it, 0-1. Gets another one on the next pitch and lines it into left-center for a single. Could've possibly turned it into a double but not worth the risk.
Theriot hits a 6-4-3 double play on the 2nd pitch of the next at bat. Start going to right field again.
Bradley strikes out swinging on some high cheese from Wolf, inning over.
Top of the 2nd
Wells continues to throw strikes, 0-2 on Martin. Then he almost hits the Dodgers catcher on the next pitch. Andres Blanco awkwardly fields a play backhanded up the middle, but makes the play, 1 out.
Wells with a nice slider on Kemp, I'd feed Kemp sliders all day. Another slider just misses. 3-1 count now, fouls off a meatball. Now a single on a fastball to left.
Big at bat here for Wolf, who will be bunting. Pierre is going to put the ball in play and on fire right now so a single then would make it 2-0. Well actually swings at the 1st pitch, misses. Now he shows bunt, misses. 0-2 count. Slider down and in fouled off, strike 3 as he was bunting. 2 outs.
I'd expect Kemp to try to get to second base for Pierre now early in the count. Wells thinking the same thing and fires over to first but Kemp back standing up. Now he's running and is safe. It was a pitch out. Wow, I think he's out seeing the replay. You know Pierre is getting a single now. There's few hitters I'd rather have up here with 2 outs where it just takes a single. Bouncer down the first base line, Lee makes a nice play going into foul territory, flips to Wells, and they get Pierre by a couple steps. I'm very surprised it's only 1-0 right now.
Bottom of the 2nd
Lee on a 3-2 pitch drives it off the wall in right-center field, after Dan Plesac was ripping on him. Face treatment. Runner on 2nd base, no outs.
Bad at bat by Reed Johnson, grounds out to third base, Lee can't advance. 1 out.
Soto falls behind 0-2 and gets a pitch he wants back, fouled it straight back. Well, I think he just struck out and so does Randy Wolf, but called ball 1. Bad call. Now he takes again, right down the middle on a curveball. 2 outs.
Let's see how Fontenot hangs in tonight against the lefty. Takes a ball to start out. Ends up striking out looking. Nobody advances Lee past 2nd base. Awful execution.
Top of the 3rd
This will be an interesting half inning, to see if the Dodgers 2-3-4 gets better swings the 2nd time around against Wells. Wells walks Furcal on 4 pitches, awesome start.
Now the Dodgers can put their speed in movement again. A slider on 0-2 that just misses the inside corner. Now on a 1-2 pitch, a high fastball just above the letters, 2-2. Finally gets him swinging on a 2-2 pitch, 1 out.
Loney singles into left, the ball dies in left field. Soriano tries to get Furcal at 3rd, but Furcal beats it, and Loney advances to 2nd. Bad decision by Soriano.
A groundball up the middle that Theriot gets to and throws out Blake at 1st. 2-0 Dodgers. Runner still on 2nd, 2 outs.
Slow roller to 2nd from Ethier, Andres Blanco with a great play flipping the ball to Lee with his glove and the Cubs are out of the inning, 2-0 Dodgers now though.
Bottom of the 3rd
Blanco foul tip strikeout and loses his bat, goes flying into the crowd. A little girl is crying, hopefully she was just scared and not actually struck by the bat.
Now Randy Wells hits a line drive right into that same crowd area. Full count now, nice at bat from the pitcher. Fouls one off. The girl is apparently okay but they're escorting her out for right now. She gets to keep the bat and is getting applause from the fans. Wells hits one hard up the middle but Furcal gets to it and throws the pitcher out, 2 down.
Soriano grounds out softly to Furcal, inning over. Randy Wolf is really locating his pitches well right now.
Top of the 4th
Wells with a generous strike call to even the count at 2-2, it was definitely high. Doesn't matter now though to Martin who laces a single into left field. Another leadoff runner on.
Matt Kemp hits into a 6-4-3 on the next pitch though, 2 outs. Nice quick turn by the Cubs' keystoners and they get the speedy Kemp by a lot.
Bottom of the 4th
Theriot continues to try to hit a homer every swing, pulling everything. Shorten it up Theriot. 2-2 count now. Full count now. Breaks his bat and hits a one hopper to Hudson. Plesac is very misinformed about the DeRosa situation.
3-0 count to Bradley. Walks on the next pitch.
Lee with a big swing on the 1st pitch, misses. He drives it to right-center field again, but Ethier runs it down at the track. Lee getting the best swings off of Wolf so far.
Reed's chasing a lot more pitches out of the zone this year. Swings at a couple that aren't close in this at bat. 1-2 count now. Reeds grounds out to 3rd to end the inning.
Top of the 5th
67 pitches for Wells, 62 for Wolf. This one's going about as expected so far. Blanco makes an outstanding play, diving for it in right field, but can't get Pierre. Much closer than I expected it would be. Leadoff hitter on base at least 4 of the innings so far, probably 5, I don't remember.
I have a feeling this is the inning that puts it out of reach. 2-1 count, Wells with a nice pickoff throw and a quick tag by Lee, but Pierre gets back safely. Pierre runs and Furcal hits a rocket, but right at Reed Johnson in center. Easy double play.
3-1 count on Hudson and he grounds out to Blanco at 2nd. Still 2-0 somehow.
Bottom of the 5th
Wells really doing a nice job throwing strikes for the Cubs. Falling behind some hitters, but throwing a strike when he needs to.
Soto stays on a curveball nicely on a 1-2 count and lines it back up the middle for a single.
Going to be tough for the Cubs to get much out of this bottom of the order tonight, with Fontenot facing the lefty, and Blanco being Blanco and having no clue which side of the plate he wants to bat from. Lefty tonight.
Fontenot looks uncomfortable against Wolf right now, 1-2 count. Strikes out on a foul tip.
Blanco goes down swinging predictably.
And so does Wells. Like I said, not going to get much out of this part of the order tonight.
Top of the 6th
That young girl is okay, back in her seat. Good to see.
Loney flies it out to left field, Soriano makes a nice running catch.
2-2 on Casey Blake. Blake whiffs on a nice splitter, 5th strikeout for Wells.
Plan on doing an "Around The Bigs" over on the Thigh later tonight so make sure to swing over there to see if I took the time to do it yet. It's 50/50, especially since I'll surely start drinking soon with how this game's going.
On a 3-2 count, Ethier gets around on a fastball and hits it deep into the right-center field gap for a 2-out double. 8th hit for the Dodgers, but the 1st one for extra bases.
Wells appears to be losing it now. Labored through these 98 pitches so far. Bullpen getting up. Martin hits a hard groundball and Fontenot plays a tough hop, then fires to 1st to end the inning. Wells doing a great job of escaping trouble. 100 pitches, and he's had to work through difficult situations for many of them, so I'd guess that's it.
Bottom of the 6th
Big inning here for the Cubs, with their 1-2-3 due up. Jonathan Broxton looms in the 9th so the Cubs likely have to do it soon. Well, Costas just informed me that Broxton threw 38 pitches last night so maybe he doesn't throw tonight.
2-0 on Soriano. Fastball on the outside corner for a strike, Soriano doesn't like it. Now fouls one off that he should've hit a long way. Costas thinks it's gone, but Kemp runs it down a couple feet in front of the wall in left-center.
Theriot shows bunt on an 0-1 count and it almost hit him. Jason Waddell and Aaron Heilman up in the bullpen for the Cubs. Theriot with a sharp single up the middle.
Come on Bradley, park one. He takes a curveball for a strike. Another curveball and he hammers it foul. Hit hard up the middle but Furcal doesn't have to range much to his left, 6-3 double play.
Top of the 7th
92 pitches for Wolf, he'll go one more. Wells still in for the Cubs to my surprise. And of course he strikes out Kemp looking to start the inning.
2-2 on Wolf. High fastball by him for strike 3. Wells isn't hitting higher than 91 or so on the gun but he's locating his pitches well.
Pierre hits one about as far as he can, but that's about 150 feet short of the wall in right-center and Bradley makes the catch to end the inning.
Bottom of the 7th
Lee crushes it to right-center for the 3rd time, and Ethier runs it down at the wall. Sigh.
Reed with a bloop single into center.
Soto hits into a 5-4-3 double play to end the 7th. Wolf can go one more now with that quick inning.
Top of the 8th
Aaron Heilman in for the Cubs, great job by Wells again. Heilman sporting some old school stirrups. Furcal swing bunts again but right back to Heilman.
Hudson up. Great play by Fontenot at 3rd base on a rocket that he backhands short hop. 2 outs.
I get sick just seeing James Loney in the box on a night game at Wrigley. Heilman blows him away with a fastball here though, good to see him throwing strikes. He's going to be very good when he does that.
Bottom of the 8th
We'll probably see Jake Fox pinch-hit this inning. I assume Bobby Scales is available off the bench tonight also.
And as I say that, he's pinch-hitting, Scales that is. He's hitting for Fontenot who looked lost against the lefty. Fox is on deck. Well what are they going to do with the infield then? 1-2 on Scales. I guess this means Fox is going to play 3rd. 2-2 on Scales. Works it to a full count now, crowd getting into it. BOBBY SCALES HOMERS INTO LEFT-CENTER!!!!! 2-1 NOW!
What an at bat. It was an 0-2 count, works it back to a full count and he goes yard. That's going to be it for Randy Wolf.
Fox rips one up the middle for a single off of Ramon Troncosco.
Fukudome pinch-hitting after some confusion. 2-1 on Fukudome. Crowd really into it now. Fukudome walks. 1st and 2nd, no outs.
Won't be any bunting with Soriano up. This is one spot I'd like it though, if somebody else were up. Well, squares but takes a strike. Now he swings at a slider nowhere close. The first pitch was a fastball right down the middle. And another one even further outside to strike out.
Now Theriot on the first pitch, 4-6-3 double play. Inning over. Man was that pathetic after such a great situation.
Top of the 9th
Jose Ascanio in. Jonathan Broxton will not pitch tonight. Ascanio on a 3-2 pitch throws an offspeed pitch to Casey Blake, foolish. It's out of the zone for ball 4. Make them hit the ball here.
2-0 count and Rothschild comes out. Ethier with a lazy flyball out to left, 1 out.
2-1 on Martin. Ascanio is all over the place. 2-2 now, and now full. Now another walk. Guzman coming in.
Slider outside from Guzman against Kemp. Jake Fox's horrid defense already comes into play, can't cleanly field a tailor made double play, just get the force at 2nd.
The pitcher Troncosco is batting. 0-2 count. Kemp takes 2nd, nice job by Soto of a slider way outside. 95 mph fastball and he has no chance, inning over.
Bottom of the 9th
Troncoso in for his 2nd inning of work. Bradley a pop up bunt in a perfect spot, beats it out!
Lee singles into center, 1st and 2nd no outs!
Johnson fouls off a bunt try. Troncoso with a wheel play to see if Reed showed. Now fouls the bunt off again. Incredible. 0-2 count. Luckily he hits a slow bouncer to shortstop that is too slow to get a force, 2nd and 3rd 1 out.
Intentionally walking Soto, fine by me. He's a great K candidate. Scales up, bases loaded. Nobody up in the pen for LA, this is Troncoso's game. Torre with a mound visit.
1-1 count on Scales. 2-1 now, good take. Slow bouncer foul, 2-2. Come on, contact. Scales strikes out, did anybody expect otherwise? Guess I would've rather had Soto up.
It's up to Jake Fox. 1-1 count. 1-2 now as he fouls it off. And Fox strikes out on a slider. Most frustrating loss of the year.
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