Game: Chicago Cubs(29-26) vs. Houston Astros(25-31)
Game Time: 8:05 PM ET
TV: WGN

Pitching Matchup:

Astros- Wandy Rodriguez(5-5, 2.97 ERA)
Cubs- Carlos Zambrano(4-2, 3.79 ERA)

Lineups:

Cubs
1. Alfonso Soriano, LF (.240, 14 HR, 27 RBI, .790 OPS)
2. Ryan Theriot, SS (.284, 6 HR, 23 RBI, .791 OPS)
3. Milton Bradley, RF (.208, 5 HR, 14 RBI, .695 OPS)
4. Derrek Lee, 1B (.269, 6 HR, 24 RBI, .795 OPS)
5. Reed Johnson, CF (.283, 3 HR, 15 RBI, .794 OPS)
6. Geovany Soto, C (.218, 2 HR, 14 RBI, .622 OPS)
7. Bobby Scales, 3B (.226, 3 HR, 7 RBI, .800 OPS)
8. Aaron Miles, 2B (.204, 0 HR, 4 RBI, .515 OPS)
9. Carlos Zambrano, P (.259, 2 HR, 3 RBI, .805 OPS)

Astros
1. Michael Bourn, CF (.292, 1 HR, 13 RBI, .756 OPS)
2. Miguel Tejada, SS (.357, 6 HR, 33 RBI, .906 OPS)
3. Hunter Pence, RF (.340, 7 HR, 25 RBI, .940 OPS)
4. Carlos Lee, LF (.315, 10 HR, 38 RBI, .887 OPS)
5. Lance Berkman, 1B (.251, 11 HR, 33 RBI, .866 OPS)
6. Geoff Blum, 3B (.264, 1 HR, 15 RBI, .670 OPS)
7. Matt Kata, 2B (.000, 0 HR, 0 RBI, .000 OPS)
8. Humberto Quintero, C (.325, 0 HR, 8 RBI, .766 OPS)
9. Wandy Rodriguez, P (.043, 0 HR, 1 RBI, .087 OPS)

Cubs vs. Rodriguez notables
Derrek Lee- .500(12-24), 2 HR, 1.456 OPS
Ryan Theriot- .500(9-18), 1 HR, 1.439 OPS
Alfonso Soriano- .083(1-12), 0 HR, .298 OPS

Astros vs. Zambrano notables
Miguel Tejada- .467(7-15), 1 HR, 1.200 OPS
Carlos Lee- .347(17-49), 4 HR, 1.101 OPS
Lance Berkman- .154(10-65), 4 HR, .651 OPS


As you can see, Aaron Miles is back from the disabled list, in the lineup, and batting 8th. The Cubs sent down Jake Fox to make room for Miles on the roster.

The Astros keep changing around their rotation. They've officially settled on Russ Ortiz as the starter for tomorrow night.

This is going to be a tough game for the Cubs, as Wandy Rodriguez has been known to give them problems. He faced the Cubs in Houston on the 2nd game of the season, and allowed just 4 hits and 1 run over 6 innings.

Carlos Zambrano matched that performance though one day before that on Opening Day, allowing 1 run and 5 hits over 6 innings to lead the Cubs to their 1st win. Remember, he also no-hit the Astros last September in Milwaukee.

Top of the 1st

First pitch from Wandy a ball, now a swing and a miss on a 91 mph, now a ball. 2-1 to Soriano. High fastball swung on and missed by Soriano to even the count. Strikes out looking at a high breaking ball, very questionable call. Brenly thinks that's way high, and Soriano had some words with the home plate umpire.

Theriot down 0-1. 2-1 count now. Rodriguez working quickly. Theriot flies out to Pence in right, 2 outs.

As Len points out, Wandy has always been much better at home. 1-1 count for Bradley. Cubs wearing the blue tops tonight. 2-1 count now, swings and misses at a fastball. Fouls a fastball off. Breaking ball in the dirt, full count. Fouls off a couple pitches, good at bat. On the 9th pitch, Bradley flies out to Carlos Lee in left field to end the inning.

Bottom of the 1st

Nice at bat by Bradley there after it appeared Rodriguez was only going to need a dozen or so pitches to get through the inning.

1-1 on Bourn. On a 2-1 pitch, he bloops a single into right-center. Would definitely like to keep his speed off the bases.

Tejada is one of the top double play candidates in baseball, so I think we'll see some movement. Well, they don't, next pitch he hits into a double play.

Hunter Pence pops out on the 1st pitch. Well, that was nice after a tough start.

Top of the 2nd

Lee strikes out swinging, pitch gets away from Quintero but Lee doesn't realize it for a bit, barely out at 1st.

0-2 on Reed. Reed bloops it into left-center, really nice play by Carlos Lee. I thought that was a single off the bat but Lee read that perfectly off the bat, 2 outs.

1-1 on Soto. 3-1 count, Soto crushes it into left-center for a solo homer. 1-0 Cubs! Geo's looking very good of late.

Bobby Scales with an infield single on the right side of the infield.

Aaron Miles grounds to Tejada, who goes to 2nd for the force to end the inning.

Bottom of the 2nd

1-1 on Carlos Lee. Rips a single into left field. He continues to hit Zambrano hard.

Slider misses on Berkman. Fastball inside, 2-0. 3-0 now. Fastball for a strike. Soft liner at Theriot who makes the catch, throws back to 1st, but not in time. Big out for Zambrano after falling behind 3-0.

Blum with a slow roller to Miles, nice play by Miles as he gets rid of the ball quickly to get the force at 2nd.

Matt Kata flies out to center. Zambrano's done a great job to get out of trouble. Some quick swinging from the Astros hasn't hurt either. Just 18 pitches after allowing the leadoff hitter to reach each inning, and after falling behind Berkman 3-0 there.

Top of the 3rd

Big swing as always from Zambrano. Broken bat, Zambrano pops out to 1st. He didn't run, maybe he was serious about not hustling after his leg injury.

Soriano breaks his bat and pops out as well, half of the bat ended up in the backstop netting.

3-0 on Theriot. Full count, Theriot bounces it up the middle, Kata makes a nice play throwing on the run, but Theriot beats it out. Nice 7 pitch at bat after 2 quick outs.

1-0 on Bradley. 1-1 on Bradley, and one of the worst strike calls you'll ever see. 1-2. Now one that is a strike, called a ball. Infield single on a slow roller to 3rd.

Lee takes a strike. Grounds out to 3rd to end the inning.

Bottom of the 3rd

1-2 on Quintero. Pops out to Lee in foul territory.

1-0 on Wandy, there's a strike. Wandy sporting the double flapped helmet. 2-1 now. 2-2 pitch is low, full count. A cutter gets the pitcher swinging, 2 outs.

0-2 on Bourn, fouls a pitch off. Flies out to center.

35 pitches for Zambrano, 57 for Rodriguez.

Top of the 4th

Reed pops out into foul territory. Lots of pop ups the last couple games by both teams.

3-1 count on Soto, draws the walk.

1-0 on Scales. 2 breaking balls just missed in this at bat, 2-1. Now he fouls it off down the right field line. Scales hits it hard into right-center but Pence has good speed for a corner outfielder and easily gets there. 2 down.

Check swing by Miles, didn't go around. 2-0 on Miles. Miles hits a liner sharply into left for a 2-out single. 1st and 2nd for Zambrano.

Zambrano takes 2 pitches, wow. Both curveballs. 1-1 count. Pops a fastball foul. 1-2. Very late on a high fastball, inning over.

76 pitches through 4 for Wandy. He likely won't be able to go more than 6, very good news for the Cubs. That's especially the case since the Astros appear to have a short bullpen tonight.

Bottom of the 4th

A ball and a strike to Tejada. Nice play by Lee on a bouncer to the right side, backhands it, tosses to Zambrano at 1st for the out.

0-1 on Hunter Pence. Bounces to Bobby Scales, 2 outs.

A really weird play. Carlos Lee hits a broken bat blooper that dies in the infield grass, but he's not exactly motoring down the line. Derrek Lee casually picks it up, tossed it to Zambrano to end the inning. Brenly is cracking up.

Just 42 pitches through 4 for Zambrano.

Top of the 5th

2-0 count on Soriano. Misses again, ball 3. Ball 4 barely.

0-1 on Theriot. Full count on Theriot now. I think Soriano will be running. Soriano is running, and Theriot drives it to left-center but doesn't carry nearly as much as I thought. Honestly, I thought it was a homer off the bat.

1-0 on Bradley. 2-1 now. Fastball taken for a strike. And he grounds into a double play, but he's clearly in pain right after he finishes his swing. Here comes another DL stint.

Bottom of the 5th

Well, Bradley is staying in the game.

3-1 count on Berkman. 3-2 on Berkman, doesn't like the 3-1 call and is laughing. Now he grounds to the right side of the infield, Miles makes a nice play ranging to his left and gets the out.

1-1 on Blum, broken bat pop up into shallow center, Theriot makes a nice play running back to catch it.

Groundball hit fairly hard, again Miles moves to his left to make a nice play. He's had a very good game at 2nd base tonight.

Just 55 pitches for Zambrano.

Top of the 6th

1-2 on Lee. Fouls an inside fastball off. Lee goes down swinging on a breaking ball in the dirt. Odd to see Lee struggling tonight with how well he's swung the bat over the last 5 weeks and his career success against Rodriguez.

1-1 on Reed. 2-2 now. Some high gas gets Reed swinging.

Soto grounds out to 3rd.

Wandy has some nasty stuff tonight. Good breaking ball and pitching inside well with his fastball to the right-handed hitters, which is all the Cubs have in the lineup today(some of them switch-hitters of course).

104 pitches for him and he looked great that inning, I'd expect him to go 1 more.

Bottom of the 6th

Quintero flies out on the 1st pitch to center.

1-1 on Wandy, so he'll go 1 more. Grounds out to Lee.

0-2 on Bourn. Fastball misses. Zambrano is effortless throwing, and only at 61 pitches along with that. Now 62. Full count on the 66th pitch. Bourn making him work more than anybody has in this game right here. Fastball misses, Bourn draws the walk.

Slide step fastball strike. Bourn probably can't get a great jump off him. Pickoff throw gets away a few feet from Lee, he almost kills the umpire going for it. Doesn't get far enough away for Bourn to go though. 1-1 to Tejada. Another jam job on an inside fastball, Tejada pops out weakly to Miles.

Top of the 7th

Bobby Scales grounded out apparently while I was in the bathroom, 1 out.

2-1 on Miles. Flies out to right.

Zambrano strikes out swinging. 116 pitches, that has to be it for Wandy, thank God. I'd rather see about any pitcher in baseball than him against the Cubs. Well, maybe not Doug Davis.

Bottom of the 7th

Ball 1 to Pence. Huge hack on a 2-0 pitch, comes up empty. Misses outside, 3-1. Don't want to walk him ahead of Lee and Berkman. And he does.

Fastball with a ton of movement just misses outside. Groundball single up the middle, 1st and 3rd, no outs. Tough break, almost a double play ball.

1-1 on Berkman. 1-2 now. 2-2 count. Overthrows a fastball and misses away, full count. Yikes. Berkman pops it up into the middle of the infield, Lee makes the catch. A HUGE out for Zambrano.

1-0 on Blum, foul ball, 1-1. Splitter in the dirt, nice job by Soto to field it cleanly, 2-1. Groundball through the right side gets past a diving Lee, great play by Miles backing up, and then Zambrano covering 1st to get an out. Game tied at 1-1 now though.

1-2 on Kata, Zambrano gets him swinging on a splitter I believe in the dirt. Could've been worse.

Top of the 8th

Chris Sampson in as the new pitcher, Jeff Keppinger in at 2nd on the double-switch.

Soriano thought he just gave the Cubs the lead, but Hunter Pence makes the catch right near the wall in right-center. 5 feet to the right and its probably gone.

Theriot drills a single into center.

Bradley hits a groundball and it appears it's going to be an inning-ending 4-6-3 double play, but Keppinger can't field it cleanly and they only get the force at 2nd.

1-1 on Lee. Slider misses, 2-1 now. Lee singles into left-center.

Lou pinch-hits Fukudome for Reed against the righty. I don't know if I really agree with this, seems like a minimal upgrade. Just looking for a single. And Kosuke strikes out on 3 pitches. I wanted Kosuke to pinch-run for Bradley at 2nd, not pinch-hit for Reed.

Bottom of the 8th

2-1 on Quintero, fouled off. 2-2 count, foul ball down the right field line, Bradley slides hard into the wall. I figured he was dead, somehow isn't. Looks shaken up though. Quintero bounces out to Zambrano for the 1st out.

Keppinger bounced out to shortstop on the 1st pitch.

Bourn strikes out swinging.

Top of the 9th

Soto strikes out swinging.

0-2 on Fontenot who is pinch-hitting for Scales. 1-2 now. Fontenot pops out to left.

2-0 on Miles. Zambrano standing on deck. 3-0 on Miles, takes a strike. Miles lines out to left to end the inning.

Bottom of the 9th

Not sure if Zambrano is coming out for the bottom of the 91th. 104 pitches through 8. If this goes to extras, will be the Cubs' 5th extra inning game of the road trip.

Angel Guzman in for the Cubs. Tejada leads off the 9th with a single.

Guzman just misses with a 1-1 pitch, 2-1 now. And 3-1. This isn't looking good. Check swing on a ball, didn't go, ball 4. Replay looks like the Astros may have gotten a break. Winning run at 2nd, no outs.

Carlos Lee will be swinging here surely. 1-0 count. Flies out to center, but it's deep enough to advance Tejada to 3rd.

They intentionally walk Berkman, for one to get to Blum, and to get the force at the plate. Double play up the middle, corners will be throwing home surely.

1-1 on Blum. 1-2 after Blum fouls off a hanger. Guzman has nothing tonight. And Blum singles into center, Astros win 2-1.


That game doesn't bother me too much. Went about as I thought it would, just frustrating to lose after having the lead late and with Zambrano having a brilliant performance. Get the series tomorrow and I'll be thrilled.


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