Open Thread: Cubs vs. Nationals, Saturday 4/26, 6:10 CT
by Al
on Apr 26, 2008 3:00 PM CDT
in Game Threads
Chicago Cubs @ Washington Nationals
Just win, baby. (Thought I'd put that football-related phrase in here on the day of the NFL draft.)
It's interesting, isn't it, how we react to a two-game losing streak, after all the winning. Feels strange, doesn't it? I'm guessing it does to the players, too.
Geovany Soto is working on his footwork in order to improve his skills at throwing out basestealers.
As noted in the game box above, the storms that rolled through the Chicago area last night are expected to hit the Washington area tonight. Here's the more detailed forecast:
Tonight: Showers and thunderstorms before midnight, then a chance of showers. Low around 58. East wind 6 to 9 mph becoming north. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
This Wall Street Journal article, appearing yesterday, discusses some of the "unusual" strategies some managers are using lately, including Ned Yost's and Tony LaRussa's batting the pitcher 8th and Bobby Cox's recent swapping of Chris Resop to the OF for one batter so he could get a LOOGY in the game (which the Braves lost anyway). I'd have to draw the line, though, at this proposal:
But if [Brewers GM Doug] Melvin had his way, the Brewers organization might be even more progressive. He has another counterintuitive idea: using relievers to start the game, and delaying the "starting" pitcher's entrance until the third inning or so. The thinking is that starters are typically among a team's best pitchers, yet nowadays they often pitch only through the fifth or sixth inning, well before many games are decided. By having them pitch later, they'd be around for the higher-leverage innings.
Um, no. First problem: what "starting" pitcher would agree to do that? He'd rarely have a chance for a win, since the current rules say a starter has to go five innings to qualify. Also -- would you really want a tiring "starter" going in the 8th or 9th inning? Or would you rather have a fresh body? I'm going with the latter.
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This looks like a mismatch if you only look at this year's numbers -- and Matt Chico has been bad in all but one of his five starts this year -- but Chico threw seven shutout innings against the Cubs last July 4 in DC, allowing only four hits (singles by Rich Hill, Aramis Ramirez and Mark DeRosa, and a double to Ryan Theriot). So let's consider that "practice", and tee off on this guy tonight.
Z is 5-2, 3.42 in ten career appearances (eight starts) vs. the Nats/Expos franchise. He hasn't lost to them since May 14, 2005, the second game the Cubs played the Nats in DC after their move to Washington. Z has been solid all year, especially with his control (5 walks in 33.2 IP). Expect to see Rob Mackowiak in the starting lineup for Washington again tonight, as he has pounded Z in his career (.306/.419/.556, 11-for-36, 4 doubles, a triple, a HR, and 7 walks). Last night's Nats hero, Wil Nieves, might also play -- he's 2-for-2 lifetime against Z.
Today's game is cable in Chicago on CSN, on cable in the Beltway on MASN, and at the MLB.com Mediacenter.
MLB.com Gameday (2007 version)
MLB.com Gameday (2008 version)
Baseball-reference.com game preview
For the Nats fan's view of this game, check out the SBN Nats site Federal Baseball.
Tonight's overflow comment thread will post at 7:45 pm CT.
Discuss amongst yourselves.
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Let's get em' Big Z..!
Let’s Go Cubs!
"I'm not normally a religious man, but... if you're up there, save me, Superman!"
Homer Simpson
by blueivy on Apr 26, 2008 3:25 PM CDT 0 recs
Lets get a new win streak rolling here.
3 losses in a row ugh :P
My 08 Cubs record 4-0
My 08 W.Sox record 0-2 (I havent seen a sox win in 3 years)
Updated April 26th
by Rudey on Apr 26, 2008 3:28 PM CDT 0 recs
If someone wants to make a 'progressive' change in pitching strategy...
I wish some GM would have the confidence, guts – not to mention enough job security – to give the 4 man rotation a try. Seeing as how that’s the way it used to be, I guess it’d be a ‘regressive’ change, but still…
I don’t think this is something you could just try at the major league level – it would have to be a complete change of philosophy throughout the whole organization. Which means the logistics are pretty overwhelming which is why it will probably never happen. But I think we’ve seen this season a lot of situations where having another player would have made a big difference. Take whatever you spend on the 5th starter and put it into another horse in the bullpen or a critical bench player. Or even better – put it back into your starting rotation; i.e. improve your #3 and #4 guys.
btw- Bears just selected Chris Williams, OT. Vanderbilt.
Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."
by ballhawk on Apr 26, 2008 3:37 PM CDT 0 recs
You could do it IF...
... you scheduled it carefully. For example, Lou is sort of doing it now, by skipping Rich Hill’s turn twice this month. What you could do is schedule four starters, using off days to still give them four days’ rest, and then when you don’t have off days, use that “fifth” starter. He’d probably wind up getting 18-20 starts, and could be useful in the bullpen the rest of the time—thus, relieving a manager of the necessity of having a 12-man pitching staff, so he could have that extra bench player.
"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx
by Al on
Apr 26, 2008 3:59 PM CDT
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I just find it distressing that...
...Lou has decided that Hill is his firth starter in that regards, apparently.
by cwyers on
Apr 26, 2008 4:08 PM CDT
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Why?
Who would you pick?
"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx
by Al on
Apr 26, 2008 4:11 PM CDT
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Well...
... except he hasn’t been a bad pitcher so far this year. Lou, as you know, goes with the hot hand. Hill’s been shaky, so right now, you skip his turn.
If, as I expect, Hill improves and Marquis gets worse, well then, you just switch those roles.
"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx
by Al on
Apr 26, 2008 4:27 PM CDT
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Just my opinion...
...but I really hate that line of thinking. Does anyone really think that Scott Olsen is a better pitcher than Roy Oswalt? I mean, seriously?
We don’t even need to bring stats into this – we know that Hill has better stuff and is a more dominating pitcher than Marquis. Treating Hill like he’s some scrub instead of a guy with top-ten stuff makes me think less of Lou.
by cwyers on
Apr 26, 2008 5:49 PM CDT
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At the same time...
... you can win a lot of games by going with who’s hot. So far, Lou’s pretty much punched the right buttons. I trust him more than a stat sheet.
"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx
by Al on
Apr 26, 2008 6:03 PM CDT
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Being hot is only really knowable in retrospect.
A guy’s seasonal numbers are a better indicator of how he’ll perform for you than what kind of a streak he’s in.
And Lou will play the cold hand when it’s one of “his guys.” Ask Mike Fontenot, who hasn’t been the hot hand in what, nine months?
by cwyers on
Apr 26, 2008 6:14 PM CDT
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Headed out to the game now.
get it done, Z. I’ll be watching. Oh, and the Johnson catch was MUCH better in person. The camera angle doesn’t do it justice.
"I'm like the tide baby: I come and go as I please." --Johnny Drama
by cubs2234 on Apr 26, 2008 3:39 PM CDT 0 recs
cheer your hardest now and want to hear you on teevee ; )
that stadium looks awesome for lack of words… have fun…
"I'm not normally a religious man, but... if you're up there, save me, Superman!"
Homer Simpson
by blueivy on
Apr 26, 2008 3:44 PM CDT
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Is it on WGN?
cubs.com says CSN Chicago. I would love for it to be on WGN though.
by KZ Cubs Fan on Apr 26, 2008 3:42 PM CDT 0 recs
showing Comcast on mine..
"I'm not normally a religious man, but... if you're up there, save me, Superman!"
Homer Simpson
by blueivy on
Apr 26, 2008 3:45 PM CDT
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You're right
It IS on CSN. I’ll fix the sidebar and the post.
"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx
by Al on
Apr 26, 2008 4:00 PM CDT
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Oh cruel, cruel Al
It appears WGN is showing the White Sox game tonight. Sunday afternoon’s game should be on WGN.
Shame on you for getting my hopes up. For Shame! ;)
by cheesehead_jon on
Apr 26, 2008 3:59 PM CDT
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Brewers Pitching Strategy
If I recall correctly last year Lou was going to make a “surprise announcement” and one of the major speculations was that Lou would start with the relievers as well. That of course never happened.
by ak123 on Apr 26, 2008 4:35 PM CDT 0 recs
Not too worried about rain tonight
People forget that we have this persistent mass of hot air, coming up from the Capitol Hill area, that usually makes cold storm fronts split in half, retreat, or run home crying for mommy.
Can’t wait to see Zambrano pitching again in person – if any other BCB’ers are going tonight and want to say hi, my wife and I will be in left field, section 108 with the rest of the DC Illini Club… I’ll be the guy in the grey Cubs jersey (i.e. dressed the same as half the ballpark). Go Cubs!
by jcg996 on Apr 26, 2008 4:39 PM CDT 0 recs
Not to be "nitpicky"
about Al’s phrasing…but “on cable in the Beltway” is a strange way of saying “on cable in the DC metro area” or “on cable in the Baltimore-Washington metro area”.
It would be the equivalent of someone in DC saying “on cable in the Loop” instead of “on cable in Chicagoland”.
Disclaimer: I live 2-3 blocks outside of the Beltway, but very much inside the DC metro area in Bethesda :-)
by zevkalman on Apr 26, 2008 4:43 PM CDT 0 recs
Oh, well.
You’re probably right. My attempt to be clever. Obviously, it failed.
"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx
by Al on
Apr 26, 2008 5:41 PM CDT
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Is it just me
or does that picture of Matt Chico look like the guy just passed gas?
Let’s wipe that grin off his face early and often. The bats have rested long enough. Time to crank up the RISP #s again!!
Go Cubs! Take the last two in DC.
This is our century!
by LAcarl519 on Apr 26, 2008 5:10 PM CDT 0 recs
Both lineups
Cubs
Johnson, CF
Theriot, SS
Lee, 1B
Ramirez, 3B
Fukudome, RF
DeRosa, LF
Soto, C
Cedeno, 2B
Zambrano, P
Gnats
Lopes, 2B
Guzman, SS
Zimmerman, 3B
Johnson, 1B
MIlledge, CF
Kearns, RF
Estrada, C
Pena, LF
Chico, P
by Bruce Miles on Apr 26, 2008 5:18 PM CDT 0 recs
Wow, Manny Acta must not play matchups.
Both Mackowiak and Nieves, who have hit Z in the past, are on the bench. Good.
"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx
by Al on
Apr 26, 2008 5:41 PM CDT
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Weird
Theriot is angering me
"I played with one of the best pitchers in history, Greg Maddux," Zambrano said"
by fischisgod on
Apr 26, 2008 5:55 PM CDT
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Honestly we shouldnt let Carlos throw a pitch.....
THe forecast is horrible no reason to waqste him
"I played with one of the best pitchers in history, Greg Maddux," Zambrano said"
by fischisgod on Apr 26, 2008 5:57 PM CDT 0 recs
lets get back on track
"I played with one of the best pitchers in history, Greg Maddux," Zambrano said"
by fischisgod on Apr 26, 2008 6:07 PM CDT 0 recs
Hey Chicago What do you say?
The Cubs are gonna win today
. My prediction… 4-1 (RBI’s Im gonna say – Mark Derosa, Derek Lee, and Carlos Zambrano, Runs scored (Theriot 2, Lee, Cedeno) Zambrano Im gonna guess goes 7… Just having fun with guessing, so lets see what happens!
"God will squeeze really hard, but he will never choke you" - Carlos Zambrano
by SouthsideCUBSfan on Apr 26, 2008 6:09 PM CDT 0 recs
I know this sounds weird,
but I want the Cubs to be more aggressive at the plate tonight. It’s nice to make a pitcher work and to draw walks, but you hit strikes. I thought that several guys - especially DeRo - took a lot of hittable strikes early in the count the last two days (at least according to Gameday), and left themselves with 0-2 and 1-2 counts quite a bit.
Pitches per plate appearance is one means to an end, but it isn’t the end—getting hits, especially extra base hits, is what we seek.
"I've never complained about it. I'm thankful to have a jersey." Mark DeRosa, 22 Aug 2007
by DeRoMyHero on Apr 26, 2008 6:10 PM CDT 0 recs
Good start
"Clogging up the bases isn't that great to me." -Dusty Baker on OBP
by vtcub on Apr 26, 2008 6:15 PM CDT 0 recs
1-0 CHC
3 straight singles. Damn that lack of extra-base hitting ;)!
There is no place like Nebraska - Go Huskers!
by sanantonecub on Apr 26, 2008 6:17 PM CDT 0 recs
Getting back on track
and taking the lead early…
"I played with one of the best pitchers in history, Greg Maddux," Zambrano said"
by fischisgod on Apr 26, 2008 6:21 PM CDT 0 recs
Fuk takess another walk
dude is an OBP machine.. clogging bases
"I played with one of the best pitchers in history, Greg Maddux," Zambrano said"
by fischisgod on Apr 26, 2008 6:23 PM CDT 0 recs
Kosuke draws the walk on a 3-2 - bases are full of Cubs
Lou even had the hit and run on but Dome fouled it off
by va cubsfan on Apr 26, 2008 6:23 PM CDT 0 recs
Fukudome with *another* full count...
And takes a walk. I love this guy.
There is no place like Nebraska - Go Huskers!
by sanantonecub on Apr 26, 2008 6:24 PM CDT 0 recs
Darn it, you're ahead of mlb.tv
But I FORGIVE YOU!!! D-RO!!!
There is no place like Nebraska - Go Huskers!
by sanantonecub on
Apr 26, 2008 6:25 PM CDT
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shake off the rust with that one!
Felix Pie must play everyday!
by JB 23 on Apr 26, 2008 6:25 PM CDT 0 recs
Geo...
Looks out of sorts lately…
"The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball"
by Bump Bailey on Apr 26, 2008 6:26 PM CDT 0 recs
yup....chasing the breakers. His timing looks off..
....of course I am a hitting instructor on the side.. ;)
Felix Pie must play everyday!
by JB 23 on
Apr 26, 2008 6:28 PM CDT
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it seems like he knows it's coming
and also knows he’s going to strike out, psyching himself out a bit, they’re going to keep throwing him breaking balls until he quits swinging at them
by dogcatratcheese on
Apr 26, 2008 6:29 PM CDT
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we just better not get rained out
"I played with one of the best pitchers in history, Greg Maddux," Zambrano said"
by fischisgod on Apr 26, 2008 6:26 PM CDT 0 recs
seriously??
"I played with one of the best pitchers in history, Greg Maddux," Zambrano said"
by fischisgod on
Apr 26, 2008 6:27 PM CDT
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wait you are legitimately worried about Geo hitting???
cant tell if there is sarcasm
"I played with one of the best pitchers in history, Greg Maddux," Zambrano said"
by fischisgod on
Apr 26, 2008 6:38 PM CDT
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Worrying about Soto hitting
is similar to worrying that the sun won’t come up tomorrow.
Just a nasty 5 AB he’s had, nothing more.
"I think Hendry still has a few years to serve on his 'grand larceny' sentence before he can shop in Pittsburgh again" - ballhawk
by NittanyCub on
Apr 26, 2008 6:39 PM CDT
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I am worried some.
Hopefully he’ll get back on track.
by sue369 on
Apr 26, 2008 6:41 PM CDT
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Geo
same here…
"The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball"
by Bump Bailey on
Apr 26, 2008 6:27 PM CDT
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Lopez
grounds to D-Lee unassisted, 1 out.
Alan Trammell: Assistant (to the) Manager
by northsider on Apr 26, 2008 6:31 PM CDT 0 recs
GOOOOOZZZZZMON...
...I like how they say his name….
"The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball"
by Bump Bailey on Apr 26, 2008 6:32 PM CDT 0 recs
Guzman
doubles to the wall in left-center.
Alan Trammell: Assistant (to the) Manager
by northsider on Apr 26, 2008 6:32 PM CDT 0 recs
OT: Bears draft
I’m surprised they didn’t take Mendenhall when he was still on the board. Well, actually I was kind of hoping they would.
Alan Trammell: Assistant (to the) Manager
by northsider on Apr 26, 2008 6:33 PM CDT 0 recs
LT was an absolute neccessity....
Felix Pie must play everyday!
by JB 23 on
Apr 26, 2008 6:35 PM CDT
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Zambrano's pickoff attempt
sails into CF, Reed Johnson with a good throw to 3rd but just a little late. E1, runner to 3rd.
Alan Trammell: Assistant (to the) Manager
by northsider on Apr 26, 2008 6:34 PM CDT 0 recs
Zimmerman
strikes out called on what I think was a 2-seam fastball with good movement. 2 out.
Alan Trammell: Assistant (to the) Manager
by northsider on Apr 26, 2008 6:35 PM CDT 0 recs
Nick Johnson
Hit by pitch. Ouch.
Alan Trammell: Assistant (to the) Manager
by northsider on Apr 26, 2008 6:35 PM CDT 0 recs
Right off the right thigh.
Alan Trammell: Assistant (to the) Manager
by northsider on
Apr 26, 2008 6:35 PM CDT
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Bet that hurt...
n/t
"The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball"
by Bump Bailey on Apr 26, 2008 6:36 PM CDT 0 recs
These DC announcers are idiots
Their two cents on Zambrano: “I just think your #1 pitcher should be stable, and be read to go every fifth day.”
REALLY? I COULD HAVE SWORN THAT’S WHAT YOU WANT FROM EVERY STARTING PITCHER
"I think Hendry still has a few years to serve on his 'grand larceny' sentence before he can shop in Pittsburgh again" - ballhawk
by NittanyCub on Apr 26, 2008 6:36 PM CDT 0 recs
What, are they saying Zambrano isn't?
Alan Trammell: Assistant (to the) Manager
by northsider on
Apr 26, 2008 6:37 PM CDT
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Yeah
They also said his contract is too big, and that the throw to 2nd was him “trying to do too much”
Which is actually the truth, but they’re giving him no credit on any of his Ks
"I think Hendry still has a few years to serve on his 'grand larceny' sentence before he can shop in Pittsburgh again" - ballhawk
by NittanyCub on
Apr 26, 2008 6:38 PM CDT
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That's amusing.
That’s what happens when your baseball historical perspective begins with the first game you’ve seen the Cubs play, yesterday, I suppose.
Alan Trammell: Assistant (to the) Manager
by northsider on
Apr 26, 2008 6:41 PM CDT
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Milledge
strikes out swinging, 95mph. 3 out.
Alan Trammell: Assistant (to the) Manager
by northsider on Apr 26, 2008 6:37 PM CDT 0 recs
Big Z
strikes out.
Alan Trammell: Assistant (to the) Manager
by northsider on Apr 26, 2008 6:40 PM CDT 0 recs
Johnson
singles to CF.
Alan Trammell: Assistant (to the) Manager
by northsider on Apr 26, 2008 6:43 PM CDT 0 recs
Theriot singles to right-center.
Johnson to 3rd. 1 out.
Alan Trammell: Assistant (to the) Manager
by northsider on Apr 26, 2008 6:43 PM CDT 0 recs