Game: Chicago Cubs(27-26) vs. Cincinnati Reds(29-26)
Game Time: 1:10 PM ET
TV: WGN

Pitching Matchup:

Reds- Bronson Arroyo(7-4, 5.37 ERA)
Cubs- Randy Wells(0-2, 1.69 ERA)

Lineups:

Cubs
1. Alfonso Soriano, LF (.243, 13 HR, 26 RBI, .787 OPS)
2. Ryan Theriot, SS (.285, 5 HR, 22 RBI, .783 OPS)
3. Kosuke Fukudome RF (.300, 5 HR, 20 RBI, .920 OPS)
4. Derrek Lee, 1B (.268, 6 HR, 21 RBI, .789 OPS)
5. Mike Fontenot, 3B (.228, 5 HR, 24 RBI, .695 OPS)
6. Reed Johnson, CF (.293, 3 HR, 14 RBI, .820 OPS)
7. Koyie Hill, C (.224, 2 HR, 6 RBI, .800 OPS)
8. Andres Blanco, 2B (.150, 0 HR, 1 RBI, .400 OPS)
9. Randy Wells, P (.111, 0 HR, 1 RBI, .222 OPS)

Reds
1. Jerry Hairston Jr., 3B (.258, 7 HR, 17 RBI, .765 OPS)
2. Chris Dickerson, CF (.241, 2 HR, 9 RBI, .725 OPS)
3. Brandon Phillips, 2B (.278, 10 HR, 41 RBI, .874 OPS)
4. Laynce Nix, RF (.265, 7 HR, 18 RBI, .881 OPS)
5. Ramon Hernandez, 1B (.271, 4 HR, 24 RBI, .720 OPS)
6. Jonny Gomes, LF (.286, 0 HR, 4 RBI, .681 OPS)
7. Alex Gonzalez, SS (.217, 2 HR, 16 RBI, .564 OPS)
8. Ryan Hanigan, C (.321, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .801 OPS)
9. Bronson Arroyo, P (.143, 0 HR, 0 RBI, .381 OPS)

Rubber game in the 3 game series. The Cubs have had a ton of chances this series and should have easily won both games, but errors, dumb plays and an 0 for 17 with RISP have kept the Reds close. Hopefully we will be able to get to Bronson Arroyo today.

Looks like Lou has Geovany Soto right back on the bench after playing one game and hitting a home run. I know this is a day game after a night game, but he had the previous 4 days off and tomorrow is another off day. He should be back in the lineup after his homer. Not real good for his confidence.

One thing we have learned this series is that Chris Dickerson is amazing in center field for the Reds, he gets to pretty much everything, so hopefully we start hitting the ball somewhere else. Looks like Jay Bruce has a day off for the Reds. With injuries, off days and benchings, both of these teams are sporting lineups that look pretty ugly compared to what they had on opening day.

Top 1st

Soriano leads it off, he hits a slow roller to short, Gonzalez with an easy play, 1 out.

Ryan Theriot swings at the first pitch and hits a long fly ball to left and it gets out! Babe Theriot is back. 1-0 Cubs

Fukudome is up next, works a full count, then hits a bouncer to 2nd base for an easy 2nd out. Kosuke now 0 for 10 in his career against Arroyo.

Arroyo with another full count, this time on Derrek Lee. Lee gets tied up on the 3-2 and squibs one to 2nd for the 3rd out.

Bottom 1st

Randy Wells on the hill for the Cubs after taking a no hitter in to the 7th in his last start and still not getting a win.

Jerry Hairston leading it off for the Reds, hits a soft liner in to left field, Soriano makes the hopping catch, 1 out.

Dickerson hits the 2nd pitch hard towards second base, Andres Blanco makes a diving play in the hole! Gets to his feet and over to first for the out. Great play, if Blanco could only hit.

Phillips up next for the Reds, works a 3-1 count, almost got hit by the ball 3 pitch, and now another ball high and tight. Phillips walks for the Reds first base runner.

Laynce Nix who was hot coming in to this series is 0 for 9 this weekend, hopefully we see more of that. Wells throwing strikes now, gets ahead of Nix 0-2 and now a swing and a miss for strike 3. Nice start for Wells.

Top 2nd

Mike Fontenot leads off the 2nd for the Cubs, its been a long time since he went deep, he needs to catch up to his buddy Theriot, who now has more HRs than him. The Cubs continue to work the count on Arroyo, 2-2 count on Fontenot and he smokes a hard liner right at the 2nd baseman Phillips, about the 9 millionth time that's happened to the Cubs this year, 1 out.

Arroyo gets ahead of Reed Johnson 1-2, then throws some sort of weird floater, Johnson way out in front and strikes out swinging. 2 outs

Koyie Hill up next, this bottom 3rd of the order for the Cubs is beyond awful, they are going to have to score runs with their top 6 today. Hill hits a bouncer to 2nd, easy play for the 3rd out.

Bottom 2nd

Hernandez leading it off for the Reds, hits a 2-2- pitch in to left field for a single.

Jonny Gomes up next, hits a swinging bunt right down the 3rd base line, couldn't have rolled it any better, Wells gets to it quick but can't pick the ball up, might not have got him anyway, 2 on, no outs for the Reds.

Wells gets ahead of Gonzalez 0-2, Gonzalez hits another little squibber, Lee charges it hard and tosses to Wells for the 1st out. Pretty much works the same as a sac bunt, runners on 2nd and 3rd with 1 out now.

Ryan Hanigan is up now, corner infielders are playing in, Cubs back in the middle. Hanigan gets ahead 2-0, Wells bounces back, throws a fastball by him, Hanigan fouls off the 2-1 to even things up. Hanigan hits a ground ball to SS, Theriot chases the runner back to 2nd and then throws over to 1st for the out. Hernandez scores from 3rd however, 1-1 game.

Wells strikes out the opposing pitcher Arroyo easily on 3 pitches, good job to limit the damage.

Top 3rd

Andres Blanco leads off the Cubs 3rd with a soft liner that gets in to left field for a single, good start. Wells will probably be bunting next.

Wells shows bunt and now pulls it back and smacks one in to left field for a single! Great piece of hitting by Wells. He surprised me and the entire Reds infield, they were way in. Great start to the inning.

Soriano up next and hits a one hopper right back to Arroyo and he throws it high and off target! Everyone is safe. Huge break for the Cubs, that was an easy double play. Bases loaded with no outs.

Theriot up with the bases juiced, he homered his last time up. Right now just a single would be heaven. Cubs trying to break up an 0 for 20 slump with RISP. Theriot fouling off pitches, working the count, now can't check his swing on a 2 strike pitch and strikes out. Same old Cubs. 0 for last 21 now with RISP

Fukudome up next and hits a shallow fly ball for an easy 2nd out, no one can advance, bases loaded 0 outs and Theriot and Fuk do nothing, I would say unreal but its what they do every single time.

Lee trying to save the Cubs inning and he does!!! Single in to center, 2 are going to score, finally! Thank you Lee. 3-1 Cubs!

Mike Fontenot with a single now on a line drive in to right. 2 hits in a row with RISP, this time he hits it too hard though, Soriano can't score, bases loaded again.

Reed Johnson hits a high pop on the infield, Hairston under it and makes the catch. Cubs could have really blown the game open that inning, but the way things have been going, I'll take the 2 runs.

Bottom 3rd

Hairston leads off the 3rd, strikes out swinging, Hairston argues that it was a foul tip in the dirt, but ump says Hill caught the foul tip clean, looks like the right call, 1 out.

Dickerson hits the first pitch hard on the ground but right at Theriot, easy play for the 2nd out.

Brandon Phillips up next, Wells is working quick and the Reds are swinging early, Phillips hits a liner in to left for a single.

Nix works a 2-0 count, hits a floater out to left field, Soriano coming in, makes the catch for the 3rd out.

Top 4th

Hill leading off for the Cubs, works a full count and then takes ball 4 in tight. The bottom 3rd of the lineup is proving me wrong so far, all 3 have reached already.

Andres Blanco hits one pretty hard and deep to right field. Nix back on the ball and will make the catch, but a nice swing. 1 out.

Wells lays down a nice sac bunt on the first pitch, Arroyo's only play is to first, Wells has looked good in every way today. Runner on 2nd with 2 outs for Soriano

Alf continues to really struggle, hits a grounder to short for an easy 3rd out.

Bottom 4th

Carlos Hernandez with a nice at bat against Wells but eventually hits a floater caught by Blanco at 2nd. Not many Reds have worked the count before that.

Wells looking really good now, throws a nasty slider on a 2 strike pitch to strike Gomes out, 2 outs.

Alex Gonzalez is up next and hits the first pitch on the ground to Fontenot, easy play. Good 1-2-3 inning for Wells.

Top 5th

Theriot takes the first 4 pitches to work a 3-1 count, takes ball 4 outside, nice way to start things out.

Kosuke is slumping, would be nice to see him break out. Theriot is running and Fuk hits a soft liner in to right field for an out, Theriot gets back easily. 1 out.

Lee is up now after a great at bat last time up, he gets sawed off big time, broken bat roller to the left side. Reds get one out at 2nd but that's it. 2 outs.

Fontenot up next, bounces back to Arroyo on a 2-2 pitch, over to first for the 3rd out.

Bottom 5th

Clapp: Justin has a bird in his laundry room apparently, no joke. So he's trying to get rid of that thing, and I'll live blog for a bit.

Ryan Hanigan grounds out to Blanco, 1 down.

The pitcher Arroyo helping himself with a single into center.

Jerry Hairston pops up a 2-1 pitch to Theriot.

Dickerson lines the 1st pitch into left field, Soriano shockingly cuts it off before it can get all the way to the corner, so a run doesn't score. 2nd and 3rd, 2 outs for Brandon Phillips.

Phillips check swinging roller foul, unfortunately. Wells pounced off the mound like a lion after it. 0-1. Holds up on a slider away, 1-1. Fastball way outside, 2-1. As Len and Bob are saying, you don't want Phillips to beat you, so don't groove anything here. Bouncer to the left side, Fontenot moves to his left and fields it, throws a bit on the run to the left of 1st base, Lee jumps off the bag, makes the catch, tags Phillips. Inning over.

Top of the 6th

Laynce Nix flies out to Soriano. Len pointed out he was crushing the ball right before this series, 0 for 12 in this series though.

Full count on Ramon Hernandez, Wells able to throw a strike as has usually been the case and gets Hernandez to flyout to right.

Jonny Gomes 1st pitch-swinging, flies out to Fukudome. He and Reed almost collide. Learn how to speak Japanese, Reed!

Top of the 7th

Randy Wells grounds out to Phillips.

Soriano flies out weakly to Nix in right. Now batting .239.

100 pitches for Arroyo, 1-1 on Theriot. Theriot goes for his 2nd bomb of the game, but Dickerson handles it with ease near the track in center.

Bottom of the 7th

Only 78 pitches for Wells. If I'm Lou, I'm letting this dude throw up to 130 if that's what it takes to get a W. With my thinking, Wells should be able to get through 9.

Pitch #80 results in an "excuse me" swing from Gonzalez, who hits a slow roller to Fontenot, and a good throw this time to get the out.

0-1 on Hanigan. Activity in the Cubs bullpen, Heilman and Waddell. Dammit Lou. 2-1 now. Fukudome makes a great play in right to cut the ball off, holds Hanigan to a line drive single.

Jay Bruce pinch-hitting, Arroyo's day done. 1-0 count. Now a foul ball, 1-1. Line drive into left-center, Soriano with a bobble and slip, throws late to 2nd, Bruce barely slides in safely. 2nd and 3rd, 1 out. Wells staying in.

1-1 on Hairston. Hairston flies out to medium deep right, Fukudome fires home, gets past home plate, but Wells backing up so Bruce can't also score. 3-2.

Wells is done. I hate this move. Waddell in to face the left-handed hitting Dickerson. 1-0. 2-1 now. 3-2... Dickerson with a roller that dies in between Waddell and Hill, Waddell makes the throw, Lee has to get out of the way of the runner, snags it. Great play by Lee to make that catch, inning over. Randy Wells still in line for the win.

Top of the 8th

Fukudome grounds out against new pitcher Arthur Rhodes, who has been unbelievable.

Lee pulls one down the third base line, Hairston makes a nice play to prevent a double, but then creates a double by throwing it into the stands.

2-2 on Fontenot. A ridiculously well located fastball strikes Fontenot out. Right on the outside corner, nothing you can do there but tip your cap.

0-1 pitch, Reed bounces out to 2nd.

Bottom of the 8th

Marmol coming in to face Phillips.

Phillips backs away like he was going to get hit, a slider for a strike. Another slider stays up, 1-1. 92 mph fastball swung on and missed. Foul ball, now a fastball way high, 2-2. Slider outside, full now. Now another walk from Marmol. Incredible.

2-0 now on Nix. And 3-0. Ball 4, 2 on, no outs. Wells should still be in the game. Now Heilman coming in.

Ramon Hernandez shows bunt at the 1st Heilman offering, taken for a strike. Bunt down, Heilman throws to 3rd, don't agree with the decision and he's called safe. Lou comes out freaking, and the replay shows Phillips was out at 3rd. Instead, bases loaded, no outs.

Gomes now appears to swing, 1st base ump disagrees. 1-0. Gomes flies out to center, Reed overthrows the cutoff man, everybody moves up a base. 3-3 now, 2nd and 3rd, 1 out.

And that assures Randy Wells can't get a victory.

Intentional walk, now Hanigan up. What looks like a strike on the 1st pitch called a ball. Next pitch a fastball, swing and a miss. 1-1. 2-1 now, nowhere to put him. Foul ball, 2-2. Heilman gets him swinging, 2 outs. Inning should be over with no runs scored.

Willy Taveras pinch-hitting. He's missed 7 of the last 8 games with a tight hamstring. 1-0 count. 1-2 count. Heilman gets a bouncer back to himself to get out of the jam. Great job by him.

Top of the 9th

Milton Bradley pinch-hitting, Daniel Ray Herrera pitching. 3-0 count, now full. Foul ball. Bradley crushes one down the left field line, but foul. Draws the leadoff walk, Bobby Scales pinch-running.

Blanco gets down a nice bunt, runner at 2nd, 1 out. David Weathers coming in for the Reds.

Geovany Soto pinch-hitting, 0-2 count. 1-2 now. Soto takes one just off the corner, 2-2. Soto grounds out to short, 2 outs. Scales moves up to 3rd.

Soriano takes a slider for a strike. Tries to do it again, just a bit too outside. 2-1 count. Takes a fastball strike, 2-2. A couple of hangers and he fouls them off. Shows how bad he is right now, he should hammer those. Now a swing and a miss on a fastball outside for the strikeout.

Bottom of the 9th

Kevin Gregg in, 1-1 on Hairston. Ball outside now. Come on, no more leadoff walks. Hairston pops out to Blanco.

Curveball for a strike, that's been Gregg's best pitch of late. 1-1 now. Dickerson foul ball. Flies out to right.

2-1 on Phillips. Don't give him any meatballs with 2 outs and nobody on. Gregg paints the corner, called a ball. Same thing the on the next pitch, called a strike. Now a rocket line drive caught by Lee.

Top of the 10th

Theriot singles into left off Jared Burton.

Fukudome sacrifice bunt.

They'll likely walk Lee here. Well, looks like they're going to pitch to him. Slider borderline... called a strike. Thanks for giving Gregg that call last inning. Now a foul ball on the same pitch, 0-2. Flies out center on the next pitch, 2 outs.

Fontenot gets a head 3-0, now they just put him on.

Reed takes a strike. Foul ball into the left-handed batter's box. 1-2 count. Slow bouncer booted by Gonzalez, bases loaded.

Hoffpauir pinch-hitting, 1-1 count. Should be 1-2, umpire calls it a ball, 2-1. Huge swing pitch.

Bottom of the 10th

Jose Ascanio in. Laynce Nix with a bloop double in shallow right-center right in between Fukudome and Blanco. Incredible.

Hernandez with a sacrifice bunt, winning run at 3rd.

For some reason the Cubs don't walk anybody with the winning run at 3rd. Flyball to right, surprisingly the Reds don't try to score but Fukudome throws an absolute strike anyway.

0-2 on Gonzalez. 1-2, pitch in the dirt blocked. Foul ball, 1-2 still. 95 mph high fastball fouled off. STRIKE 3 SWINGING ON A SLIDER!

Wow, I totally thought it was ending that inning.

Top of the 11th

1-2 on Blanco. This is a great at bat, full count. On the 12th pitch, Blanco walks.

Soto trying to bunt for the 1st time of his career, fouled. I don't like having him bunt here. Another foul bunt. This is stupid. Send the runner or something, hit and run(well not here with 2 strikes), try something new. Soto gets a meatball and fouls it. Dammit, smack that. 2-2. Soto slow bouncer to 3rd, would be a double play if he hit it hard at all, Rosales can only go to 1st. Runner on 2nd, 1 out.

3-0 on Soriano... and they just put him on? Um, thanks.

Carlos Fisher in. Nice name. 2-0 on Theriot. A 2-1 dribbler foul. That's where you should be taking your big hacks, Babe. Now he does that, another foul ball. It was ball 4. 3-2 count. A couple more foul balls with the runners going. Runners going again, Theriot takes a breaking ball right down the middle, I mean it split the plate. Runner easily thrown out at 3rd. Thanks for swinging at ball 4 on the 3-1 count, then taking a meatball on the full count.

Bottom of the 11th

Hanigan leading off, ball 1 from Ascanio. Now a strike. He gets out somehow, like you're reading anyway.

Taveras flies out to center.

Strikes out Janish looking on a fastball.

Top of the 12th

More sucking. Carlos Fisher strikes out the side.

Bottom of the 12th

Jose Ascanio still in, Snowman warming up.

3-1 on Dickerson. Full count now. Foul ball. Ball 4.

Ball 1 on Phillips. Swings and misses, 1-1. 2-1 now on a high breaking ball. Dusty calls the hit and run on 2-1, pitch is way outside but Phillips has to swing and fouls it off. Runner goes again, again foul ball. Off the bat, looked like Phillips just won the game, but Fukudome runs it down. 1 out, runner still on 1st.

I'd think we'll see movement here again. Movement on the pitch at least, Nix misses it badly, 0-1. Nix just foul down the right field line. Single up the middle, Dickerson to 3rd.

Winning run at 3rd, intentionally walking Hernandez to load the bases with 1 out. Adam Rosales will get a chance to redeem himself for not coming through in a situation like this earlier.

Ascanio misses his spot badly, but its over the plate. Foul ball, 0-2. Same thing as last night, groundball to Fontenot, gets the force at the plate this time though. 2 outs.

Pitcher Micah Owings pinch-hitting, 1-0 count. 1-2 now. Strike him out Jose. And he does, high gas. I'm amazed. I'm getting pumped up again. If they can find a way to win this, as ugly/pathetic the offense has been, I'll go nuts.

Top of the 13th

Coco Cordero is in, the closer.

1-1 on Reed. High flyball to left... caught at the track. I yelled, "Get out!", I really thought it had a chance.

Fox singles. Just another runner to strand. Need a home run to score in this one. Although a 2-run homer is preferred, especially with Patton coming in.

Blanco saw 12 pitches the last at bat, so of course he swings at a pitch 10 feet over his head here. 1-1. Fouled off, 1-2 now. Rips a single up the middle.

2-2 on Soto, the strike zone all of a sudden is all over the place. Then the 6-4-3, which Justin told me was going to happen before the at bat.

Bottom of the 13th

David Patton in, woohoo!

Cubs are 2 for 16 today with runners in scoring position, Reds are 0 for 11. Clutch hitting.

1-1 on Hanigan. Patton missing the target badly, 2-1. I thought for sure Hanigan was going to try for 2nd on this liner in the gap, but he holds. Reed makes a perfect throw though. Runner on 1st, no outs.

Patton is so God awful. Taveras bunt right in front of the plate and Willy Taveras still almost beats it out. 1 out, runner on 2nd.

Fastball right down the middle to Janish. Curveball misses low, 1-1. Curveball in for a strike, 1-2. A hanging curveball at the letters, Janish thankfully swings through. 2 down.

2-2 on Dickerson. Curve in the dirt, 3-2 now. Ball 4.

And on we go. Brandon Phillips up. Somebody HAS to get a hit with a runner in scoring position... right? 2 curveballs to Phillips, 0-2 count. I thought the game was over, yet again, and but Phillips' liner stays up for Kosuke.

Top of the 14th

Well, I might have to cancel the Marv Albert/Bill Walton live blog of game 2 of the NBA finals on the Thigh that I was planning to do.

Mike Lincoln is in. He's not good. Maybe this is where the Cubs somehow scratch a run across. Maybe? Probably not.

WRONG! 1st pitch, Soriano goes yard, 4-3 Cubs!

Theriot singles.

Fukudome walks.

Angel Guzman warming up. Cubs could use some insurance runs though because he won't be able to go more than 1 or so, and just Marshall after him, who also pitched yesterday.

Lee flies/pops out to Dickerson in foul territory right by the stands. Great baserunning by Theriot, for the 1st time in his life I'm pretty sure, gets to 3rd.

Fontenot infield single to shortstop, 5-3 Cubs! The baserunning play before that came up huge. The 3rd baseman might be able to make that play if he's back at normal depth, but had to play in with the runner at 3rd.

1-2 on Reed. Zambrano on deck to pinch-hit. Reed boucnes it down the left field line, an RBI double. 6-3 now!

Zambrano on a 1-0 pitch swings for Sacramento, and then again at the next one. Grounds to 2nd, Phillips fires home, Fontenot out at the plate. Great slide to try to get around the tag though, almost got in there. 2 outs, 1st and 2nd.

Andres Blanco up, 2-0 count. Walks.

Soto takes 2 meatballs with the bases loaded. Swing the bat. Ball 1 now. Broken bat flyout to right.

Bottom of the 14th

Angel Guzman in. Nix singles up the middle. Please don't blow this.

2-1 now on Hernandez. Right on a fastball, fouls it straight back. Now a breaking ball misses, apparently. Looked like a strike to me. Now pops out to Blanco.

1-1 on Rosales. Matt Maloney, yesterday's starting pitcher, is on deck. 1-2 now. Strikes out looking on a questionable curveball strike call. 2 down.

Now the pitcher Maloney. 1-2. Strikes out, CUBS WIN!


It was ugly. The offense continues to struggle with runners in scoring position. But, outstanding job by the bullpen outside of Marmol, and it's a series win on the road. Picked up a game on everybody in the standings. I'll take any win the Cubs can get while Aramis is out and the offense is struggling like this. Things will change.

Off to Houston now, and it's going to be a tough series with the pitching matchups, along with them swinging the bats well of late. Be happy today though.


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