Game: Chicago Cubs(27-25) vs. Cincinnati Reds(28-26)
Game Time: 7:10 PM ET
TV: WGN

Pitching Matchup:

Reds- Matt Maloney(Major League Debut... Triple-A Stats: 4-3, 2.01 ERA)
Cubs- Ryan Dempster(4-3, 4.48 ERA)

Lineups:

Cubs
1. Alfonso Soriano, LF (.243, 13 HR, 26 RBI, .785 OPS)
2. Ryan Theriot, SS (.286, 5 HR, 22 RBI, .786 OPS)
3. Derrek Lee, 1B (.263, 6 HR, 21 RBI, .789 OPS)
4. Jake Fox, RF (.429, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 1.071 OPS)
5. Reed Johnson, CF (.287, 3 HR, 14 RBI, .799 OPS)
6. Geovany Soto, C (.209, 1 HR, 12 RBI, .599 OPS)
7. Bobby Scales, 2B (.224, 2 HR, 6 RBI, .762 OPS)
8. Mike Fontenot, 3B (.232, 5 HR, 24 RBI, .704 OPS)
9. Ryan Dempster, P (.080, 0 HR, 2 RBI, .235 OPS)

Reds
1. Jerry Hairston Jr., 3B (.253, 7 HR, 17 RBI, .764 OPS)
2. Chris Dickerson, CF (.241, 2 HR, 8 RBI, .723 OPS)
3. Brandon Phillips, 2B (.284, 10 HR, 41 RBI, .890 OPS)
4. Laynce Nix, LF (.278, 7 HR, 18 RBI, .920 OPS)
5. Ramon Hernandez, 1B (.272, 3 HR, 22 RBI, .704 OPS)
6. Jay Bruce, RF (.215, 14 HR, 30 RBI, .765 OPS)
7. Alex Gonzalez, SS (.209, 2 HR, 16 RBI, .552 OPS)
8. Ryan Hanigan, C (.325, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .809 OPS)
9. Matt Maloney, P (N/A)

Well as you can see, Jake Fox is indeed starting in right field, so it's going to be interesting to see how he looks out there.

Rookie Matt Maloney is making his MLB debut for the Reds. He's a 6'4", 220 pound left-hander. He's been throwing strikes at a high rate it appears in the minors, and has a 6.44 strikeout/walk ratio this season(58/9) in 67.1 innings pitched. The 25-year-old's struck out 592 in 589.1 minor league innings.

Ryan Dempster gets the start for the Cubs, and is coming off his best outing of the year after a disastrous performance before that. He went 7 innings, allowing no runs, 3 hits, 1 walk, and striking out 5 against a very good Dodgers offense at Wrigley Field.

About the Reds, Dusty Baker says Cub-killer Joey Votto will not return from the disabled list by June 14th, when he's eligible to. He's been dealing with some mental issues.

Top of the 1st

Prediction: Alfonso Soriano has a good game at the plate.

First pitch of Matt Maloney's career is a changeup, which Soriano swings through. Now Soriano drills one into left for a double. I'm so smart.

Theriot shows bunt and is drilled on the forearm by a fastball, ouch. 1st and 2nd, no outs.

Lee fouls a fastball back to start the at bat. Lee swings and misses at a change, now takes the same pitch. That's a very nice changeup for the rookie left-hander. Comes inside with the fastball now, Lee fouls it off. Since May 27th, Derrek Lee has the 2nd best on-base percentage in baseball. Lee takes another change outside, even at 2-2. Curveball fouled off. Reaches for a change, blooped out into center and it appears it's going to drop for a single, but Chris Dickerson with an incredible diving catch. That's his 3rd diving catch of the series already, which isn't even 10 innings long.

Runners go on the first pitch, both are safe... well then Theriot apparently slips off the base and is called out. He is furious, goes sort of Zambrano on the umpire, then Quade, Sinatro, and Lou follow. The replay makes it tough to tell, but it looks like he did come off the base at one point and Gonzalez may have held the tag.

Fox crushes one to center but Dickerson of course is there at the track, inning over.

Bottom of the 1st

Dempster's first pitch is upstairs. 1-0 pitch, Hairston with a groundball to Fontenot, Fontenot bobbles it, picks it up with his barehand and fires to first, nowhere close. Very ugly error after he'd been playing great there. Thankfully it doesn't bounce out of play at least.

1-0 on Dickerson, 2-0 now. Rips one into left-center, Soriano with an awful route as usual on it, gets to the wall. Hairston racing around the bases, great throw by the cutoff man Theriot to home plate, but Hairston with a great slide barely gets around a Soto tag. 1-0 Reds, runner on 2nd, no outs.

Groundball in the hole at 3rd, Fontenot ranges to his left and makes a nice play this time, fires to 1st for the out. Dickerson read the play perfectly though and took off for 3rd. There's really nothing Fontenot can do in that situation as he had no time to freeze the runner, that's just great baserunning. So 1 out, runner on 3rd.

Outstanding 2-seamer from Dempster on a 1-2 pitch to Nix gets him looking on the inside corner. 2 down, runner still at 3rd. That's a huge out.

Now Ramon Hernandez hits one hard to right but it looks like it could be playable off the bat, but of course we're playing at this circus of a ballpark and it leaves the yard. That's one of the cheapest home runs you'll ever see, barely clearing the wall in right field. 3-0 Reds.

Bouncer up the middle from Bruce and Dempster makes a nice leaping play to end the inning.

Frustrating start to this one.

Dempster allowed 5 runs, 0 earned at this park last year. 3 runs, 0 earned so far tonight.

Top of the 2nd

Reed bloops a double into left to start the inning.

Hairston does the same thing Fontenot did earlier. Bobbles it at 3rd, then picks it up, throws it away. 1st and 3rd, no outs.

Bobby Scales with a lazy flyball to shallow right, no advance. Now Fontenot against the lefty followed by Dempster, I don't think they're going to score. Pathetic.

Ball 1 outside to Fontenot, and again. 2-0. Breaking ball away, 3-0. Fastball high, ball 4, bases loaded.

I don't know if that's a good thing with Dempster up now. Swings and misses at a change. Fouls one off, 0-2. I wish Fontenot got something to hit. 90 mph fastball misses up and away, 1-2. Fastball just misses inside, 2-2. Strikes out looking. Sigh.

Sorry, computer turned off and might again soon. Soriano saw a bunch of changeups, of course couldn't do anything with them. He saw about 6 balls in the at bat, and struck out on a full count.

Top of the 2nd

Gonzalez sneaks a single through the left side.

Hanigan swings and misses and Gonzalez runs, Soto with a bad throw on the shortstop side of 2nd base, Theriot dives for the tag and Gonzalez is called out. Replay shows he was probably safe though.

Matt Maloney up the middle and Theriot dives but has no chance. Infield single in Maloney's first career at bat.

Hairston lines a single into center, 1st and 2nd, 2 outs.

Dickerson grounds out to 2nd on a 3-1 pitch to end the inning.

Top of the 3rd

Here's some interesting Soriano stats and just more evidence for why he shouldn't bat in the middle of the order...

With runners in scoring position, 2 outs: 2 for 20.
With bases loaded: 0 for 7.
With runners on: 11 for 62.
With runners in scoring position: 6 for 40.

With none on: 42 for 154.
Leading off an inning: 28 for 98.

Theriot flies out to Bruce who makes a running catch in shallow right.

1-1 on Lee. 2-2 on Lee. WGN has their worst feed in years right now. It's flashing black and white nonstop. Full count on Lee. Maloney's change is nasty, nobody's getting good swings on that. Lee strikes out swinging on it on the 8th pitch.

Fox swings and misses the change now. Fox grounds out to 2nd.

Bottom of the 3rd

1-0 on Phillips. 2-0 count, Phillips bounces out to shortstop.

Nix bounces a groundball to Lee who backhands it, flips to Dempster for the 2nd out.

Dempster with some high and inside heat to Hernandez, who homered off him in the 1st. Same again on the 2nd pitch, 2-0 count. Slider in for a strike. And again... if the umpire were qualified. 3-1. Hernandez fouls a 3-1 fastball straight back. Slider high, 2-out walk.

0-2 on Jay Bruce. Stick with the offspeed on him. Slider in the dirt, inning over.

Top of the 4th

Other NL Central scores: Cardinals losing 4-0 to the Rockes in the 4th, Brewers-Braves have no score in the 4th.

Curveball high and away to Reed. Reed crushes one to deep right-center, just away from Jay Bruce. Reed spreading doubles all over the park.

2-0, 2 pitches in the dirt to Soto. Should see a fastball here. Fastball borderline... called a strike. 2-1. Soto flies out to center, Dickerson throws a one hop strike and gets Reed. 3 leadoff doubles wasted now.

Bobby Scales with an absolute bomb off the 2nd deck in left field. 3-1 now.

Fontenot hits a line drive and Phillips makes a leaping grab to end the inning.

Bottom of the 4th

Gonzalez singles to left, and Soriano of course can't field it cleanly allowing Gonzalez to get to 2nd.

Hanigan groundball to 2nd, advances the runner, 1 out.

2-0 on the pitcher Maloney. 2-2 now. Need a strikeout here. And he gets it, Maloney takes a fastball right down the middle.

Hairston takes a fastball for a strike. Slider in for a strike, 0-2. Broken bat liner on a 2-2 count, Theriot catches it.

Top of the 5th

Cubs could, probably should have over 4 or 5 runs so far.

Dempster fouls off the first pitch of the inning. Grounds out.

Soriano takes a fastball for a strike. Now he's gonna see changeups. 2-2 count. Strikes out on the changeup.

Theriot swinging for the fence again, flies out to center.

Bottom of the 5th

0-2 on Dickerson. Dempster strikes out looking.

Phillips strikes out swinging on a nasty slider from Dempster. Looks like it may have been a splitter actually. Whatever the case, Phillips doesn't want to see it again.

Strike 1 to Laynce Nix. 0-2 now. Strikes out swinging, Dempster strikes out the side. He's doing a great job again just like his last start, and because he's been throwing strikes in each of them.

Top of the 6th

Lee, Fox, and Reed due up for the Cubs. Need to score this inning.

0-1 on Lee. 0-2 now, chases a pitch in the dirt, something he hasn't done much of lately. Ball high, 1-2. Fouls one off. Takes that same pitch in the dirt this time, even at 2-2. Ball 3 inside. Fouled off. Lee drills one into left for a single. He's seen over 20 pitches I believe in his 3 at bats, finally has something to show for it. 23 pitches to be exact.

Jake Fox pops out to center on the 2nd pitch.

Reed takes a fastball high. Huge hack now but comes up empty, he was trying to tie this game up. That nasty changeup fools Reed. Reed bounces to 3rd, 5-4-3 double play. I thought he beat it out, but the umpire didn't. Another leadoff runner wasted.

Bottom of the 6th

Ramon Hernandez bounces out to short to start the inning.

2-0 on the struggling Bruce. 3-0 now. Don't groove anything though or he'll hit it a mile. Ball 4 high.

Slider outside, called a strike. Fastball right on the inside corner, called a ball. 1-1. Lazy flyball by Gonzalez and it travels out to the track in right-center. Len even said the wind is blowing in tonight, the ball just flies out of this place.

0-2 now on Hanigan. Strikes out on a filthy slider. Dempster's been terrific tonight. 84 pitches, he should definitely be able to go 8 innings.

Top of the 7th

2-0 on Soto. An absolute BOMB, off the foul pole. That's why you have to keep playing him, not Koyie Hill. 3-2 now.

Maloney done. Daniel Ray Herrera, the screwballer in. Gets a generous strike call with it. Now another one, Scales with a slow bouncer up the middle, Gonzalez gets it but makes a low throw, nice scoop by Hernandez at 1st. 1 out.

1-1 on Fontenot. Fontenot fooled by it, hits a spinner to Hairston for the 2nd out.

Milton Bradley pinch-hitting. Hits a bouncer that Phillips has to range far to his left to, but he's got plenty of range and makes it look easy. Bradley got down the line alright and looks okay heading back to the dugout. So although he failed in his at bat, its' great to see him moving well.

And that just made me realize Dempster is out of the game. I don't know if I like that very much with 2 outs in the inning there, and Dempster could've gone 2 more.

Bottom of the 7th

Aaron Heilman in, Micah Owings pinch-hitting. 2-0 count, now a fastball strike. Flyball near Jake Fox in right, Reed Johnson sprints over and calls Fox off. I can picture Lou telling Reed before the game, "If you can get to it, get Fox the hell out of the way." Reminded me of Kelly Leak in Bad News Bears.

1-2 on Hairston, pulls a foul ball, shocking! He only leads the history of baseball in that.

0-2 on Dickerson. Full count, great change from Heilman to strike Dickerson out.

Top of the 8th

Top of the order up. I'm glad the screwballer is out, he would've made Alfonso Soriano look like a blind kid at the plate.

And Weathers does that anyway, with a slider of course.

2-1 on Theriot, showed bunt on the last ball. Lee swinging the bat well but is 3 for 25 against Weathers. Theriot singles into left-center.

Lee right on a fastball, fouls it back. Cutter outside, 1-1. Another one, in the dirt low and away, 2-1. 3-1, drills a single into left, Theriot to 3rd. 28 pitches in 4 at bats seen from Lee tonight.

1-1, the first base ump says he went on the last one, yeah he did. Shallow flyball, and whaddya know, Dickerson makes a diving catch, his 4th in the last 2 days. Theriot scores because of the dive though, 3-3!

Reed gets a pitch to hammer but pops up in foul territory to Hernandez. Inning over, but tied game at least.

Bottom of the 8th

Just hand Dickerson the Gold Glove already.

Marmol in. Throw effing strikes. 2 STRIKES TO START IT! 1-2. Fastball high, 2-2. Now a slider way outside, 3-2. Now a hanger, and a ball, Phillips swings through it.

2-0 on Nix. 3-0 now. Throw strikes. 3-1, Nix swings and pops out to Fontenot in foul territory. Marmol getting help from the Reds batters.

2-2 on Hernandez. Hernandez a soft liner right to Scales.

Top of the 9th

1-1 on Soto, Francisco Cordero in. Slider outside, 2-1. Now another, but Soto chases this one, 2-2. And again, but Geo takes it. Chases ball 4 high and pops out to Hernandez right near the stands in foul territory.

Scales hits one right where Hernandez is at 1st, 2 down.

Fontenot is 2 for 2 against Cordero, one of the few with any sort of success in the Cubs lineup. 1-2 count, fouls it off his foot. Fastball just misses inside, 2-2. Now just a little bit outside, 3-2. Now the strikeout, Fontenot swinging at a fastball.

Bottom of the 9th

Angel Guzman in. 0-2 on Jay Bruce. 1-2, fouls a breaking ball off his leg. Breaking ball outside, 2-2. Throw that near the dirt. I feel like we just got a free game to play. Bruce hits one that looks like a bomb off the bat, but shockingly doesn't carry very far for a flyout.

1-1 on Gonzalez. Angel goes up and in with the fastball, 2-1. 90 mph slider swung through, 2-2. Deep flyball into foul territory, Fukudome catches it a few feet away from the wall. He came in for defense, I should've mentioned that earlier.

2-1 on Hanigan. Singles into left-center, could've possibly gotten to 2nd.

Brenly is -ripping- on Carlos Beltran. "How about you stop talking, start playing."

1-1 on pinch-hitter Jonny Gomes. 2-1 now, curveball just misses. 3-1 now. Angel doesn't have his best stuff tonight. Great pitch, a 3-1 slider, Gomes misses, full count. And another one, slider just off the plate, great pitch. Inning over.

Top of the 10th

Gomes pinch-hit for Cordero, so at least we don't have to see him the Reds' closer anymore. That single ended up being a good thing. Nick Masset in. He's been pretty darn good himself, with an 0.95 ERA and no homers allowed.

Fukudome takes a fastball for a strike. Now swings and misses at one. 0-2. 1-2, hanging curveball, Kosuke gets some good wood on it and drives it to left-center, but the ball doesn't seem to be carrying as well now, 1 out.

2-0 on Soriano. Hopefully they're stupid enough to throw him a fastball. Slider/cutter outside, 3-0. Ball 4, fastball just barely high.

Theriot takes a strike. Fastball low, I guess. Soriano would've easily been picked off with a good throw, casually stands up going back to 1st. 2-1 on Theriot. Hit and run please. That's what it is, but Theriot fouls it off. Full count. You'd think Soriano will run here. Soriano runs, Theriot hits a rocket line drive right at Hernandez, easily walks back to 1st for the double play. Nothing you can do about that, just incredibly bad luck. Should've been a double to give the Cubs the lead.

Bottom of the 10th

Double-switch. Hoffpauir in left for Soriano, Marshall replaces Guzman on the mound.

2-0 on Hairston. 3-0 now. 3-1 now, generous strike call. Foul ball, full count. Bloop single into left-center.

0-1, Dickerson with a bunt foul. 1-1, as Dickerson almost gets hit in the face. Sacrifice bunt, 1 out, runner on 2nd.

Intentional walk to Phillips to get the lefty-lefty matchup with Laynce Nix.

Curveball in for a strike, nice pitch. Another curve in the dirt, 0-2. A couple of foul balls, now swings and misses at another curveball. 2 outs.

Hernandez up. I'm afraid this is where it ends. Curveball in for a strike though. Threw another that I thought was a strike, called a ball. Now some sort of offspeed pitch right down the middle, 1-2. Bouncer to 2nd, inning over!

Top of the 11th

0-2 on Lee. Fouls one off, now takes a slider for a ball, and again. 2-2 now. Another foul ball. Swings and misses at a slider now. 1 out.

Hoffpauir up. Takes a change for a strike. Hoffpauir gets a fastball where he likes it, fouls it off. He wants that pitch back. Foul ball. Takes a curveball that looks high, called a strike. Hoffpauir is yelling at the umpire, thankfully doesn't get tossed. Replay shows it was definitely high.

Reed grounds out to short.

Bottom of the 11th

This Reds bullpen is unbelievably good so far this year. Masset, Cordero, Rhodes, Weathers, and that screwballer Herrera even, all dominating.

Bruce should be standing on first base right now on a slow curveball, but backs out of the way. Now whiffs on a slider, now takes a curve. 2-1 count. Foul ball, 2-2. Bruce check swing, didn't go. Full count. Leadoff walk. Brenly points out how Taveras would definitely be pinch-running here if he were healthy.

Wild pitch or a passed ball, just missed hitting Gonzalez's glove. Soto lost sight of the ball under Gonzalez's foot. Sacrifice bunt, runner at 3rd, 1 out.

Intentionally walking Hanigan. Will be 1st and 3rd for rookie firecracker Adam Rosales. Slow bouncer to 3rd, Fontenot charges in and fields it where he is positioned directly behind the runner, has to throw over him, throws too high and Bruce is safe at home. Game over, Reds win 4-3.

A couple things there. Either bad managing, or Theriot not handling his assignment correctly on the Gonzalez bunt. He ran straight to second base, when there's no runner coming there, and the batter means nothing. If the Cubs throw it away on a bunt, the winning run is scoring anyway, there's no reason to have anybody even near second base. Instead Fontenot looks stupid for charging on the bunt, and nobody covering third base. He should've gotten a better read on it and stayed back, absolutely, but the play they had on/what Theriot did made no sense in the situation.

The last Fontenot error was a very tough play and I'm not mad about that. I was quite infuriated by the first inning one, but this play he had to field it directly behind the runner, and had no choice but to throw over him. He didn't have the time to possibly get to the side and get a better angle to throw, he had to throw high. Unfortunately, he threw too high. I'm seeing some ridiculous comments about that play. Blame him for the error in the 1st inning, but you're wrong if you think Aramis for sure makes that play, especially with his arm angle. You can't hit the runner, and you can't throw it over Soto's head, so you have inches to work with, on the run as well.

More noticeable to me though, is how the team continues to struggle with runners in scoring position. If they could just get a sacrifice fly or two(aside from Fox's in the 8th), that game doesn't go into extra innings. The situational hitting must improve.


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