Twist of fate: We need Marquis tonight.

by Bildo1805 on Jul 22, 2008 10:12 AM CDT Comment 27 comments

Dat's right. With this team in a mini-slide, having lost 3 of 4...we need a good performance from Jason Marquis tonight.

Sure, this slide has been about the bats. Our pitchers have been dealing, or at least been adequate. But, with the bats in a slump, it's even more important that Marquis doesn't revert to his early season form. Plus, as some of you have already noted today, there's a good chance that one of our big bats gets a rest tonight to end a slump...whether it's Aramis or Derrek.

So, what happens tonight with Marquis? Last game, against the lowly Giants, Marquis was good: 7 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 0 ER, 4 K. He's gone 7 innings in 4 of his last 5, the anomoly being vs. Baltimore on June 26 when he lasted only 4 innings.

The good news: we've been giving Marquis good run support to the tune of 5.65 runs per game.

Here's Marquis vs. notable Diamondbacks, career:

Chad Tracy: 1-14, 3 BB, 1 K

Conor Jackson: 2-8, 1 2B, 1 HR,

Chris Snyder: 2-8

Tony Clark: 1-5, 1 2B

Chris CUB KILLER Young: 3-6, 3 HR (!)

Poll

How will Marquis do tonight? What's the outcome?

Marquis good, offense good, Cubs win!

16 votes

Marquis good enough, offense good enough, Cubs barely win!

57 votes

Marquis terrible, offense good, Cubs win!

10 votes

Marquis terrible, bats still cold, Cubs lose.

6 votes

Marquis good, bats still cold, Cubs lose.

14 votes

103 votes | Poll has closed

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of SB Nation or Al Yellon, managing editor (unless it's a FanPost posted by Al). FanPost opinions are valued expressions of opinion by passionate and knowledgeable baseball fans.

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Comments

Another question I meant to ask:

What makes an offense support a pitcher more than another? Is it just chance or is there something tangible?

"This is the kind of thing … that makes you want to see the Chicago Cubs team lose." Marty Brennaman

by Bildo1805 on Jul 22, 2008 10:56 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

it's just chance

it will fluctuate all over the place from year to year, although worse pitchers will likely have their run support numbers look slightly better- because if, for example, a weak pitcher named Grayson Markey gets bombed and gives up 8 runs, the opponent can put in their mop-up reliever Rob Sowry to give up a few runs but still finish up the game with the W. Just a slight effect i thought of off the top of my head, but it’s more of a hypothetical than anything: Just remember than run support numbers tell you nothing about a pitcher, except allow you to better interpret his W and L totals- but as W/L pitcher stats are silly anyway, there’s no real meaning behind run support stats other than to say “oh tough luck rich!” (harden OR hill who had terrible support last year)

by Canseco's Roid Party on Jul 22, 2008 12:07 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

IIRC, Rich Hill was on the losing end...

...of the run support paradigm last season.

Nanika Ga Okoru!

by dat cubfan daver on Jul 22, 2008 1:20 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Marquis has been doing fine, and should fare well with that big outfield in Zona

Rich Harden Fever, Catch It !!!!!!!!!!

by MDBNIU on Jul 22, 2008 11:07 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

You'll eat those words later tonight. The only reason

Marquis didn’t get bombed last Friday was because the wind was howling in. He’ll have no such luck tonight, unfortunately.

by princefieldersdiet on Jul 22, 2008 11:20 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Let's hope not.

by Archie on Jul 22, 2008 12:19 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Right...but...

Marquis has been good lately. 4 of his last 5 have been quality starts.

"This is the kind of thing … that makes you want to see the Chicago Cubs team lose." Marty Brennaman

by Bildo1805 on Jul 22, 2008 12:24 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

So you're part of the 11% that voted the Cubs will lose tonight?

''Listen, losing Soriano is no box of chocolates.'' ~Lou Piniella

by JohnM on Jul 22, 2008 12:33 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

it's a damn big field

I hate this stadium.

"We expect to win. We go out to win. So we're just living up to our own expectations." Derrek Lee, 5/29/08

by drewishdrewid on Jul 22, 2008 1:22 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

The wind was not the only reason...

Fact is Marquis kept the ball down, was ahead in the count consistently, and pitched a good game as a result. As much as I don’t like Marquis & want him traded as soon as possible, the fact is he pitched well last time, and with a big park like Chase, he stands a good chance to repeat that performance.

Jimmyeatworld

by Jimmyeatworld on Jul 22, 2008 1:43 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Its amazing youre still here

after that cheap shot to a poster about Lees daughter. you bring nothing to this site except free bait--

"Hey.....Cubs win!!!" ---Harry
"Swung on belted!!!"---Chip

by Hammer on Jul 22, 2008 2:39 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

You don't mean me do you Hammer?

Jimmyeatworld

by Jimmyeatworld on Jul 22, 2008 3:06 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Naw. he means

princefieldersdiet

"I've always felt that starting pitching is the most important part of the rotation." - Joe Morgan, Sunday Night Baseball 8-12-07

by gary varsho on Jul 22, 2008 3:22 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Good.

That guy is a tool.

Jimmyeatworld

by Jimmyeatworld on Jul 22, 2008 3:27 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Sheesh......

I have about a dime’s worth on this one.
When he was here he was unpredictable as well, but he didn’t do well under pressure. You just never knew which Marquis was going to show up..
Rumor had it that he was hard headed and for the most part unteachable.
Tony ended up taking the ball away from him and keeping him out of the post season. The next season he was with you guys.
I don’t remember too many games where he was just so so. He was either on or off.
I haven’t kept up with him much in Chicago, but I hope for the Cubs that you have to count on him.

by Dave Pendleton on Jul 22, 2008 12:32 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

That pretty much sums up...

...how I feel about Marquis anyway. He’s been inconsistent and unpredictable – when he’s on his game, I feel like the Cubs are getting away with one, and when he’s off, it’s like watching a very thin man trying to traverse a high wire over Niagra Falls in heavy winds. (That metaphor awkward enough for ya?)

When he first got here last seaon, I really wanted to like him. I admired his grittiness – and I still do, to a certain extent. But, as I’ve become wont to say, he wouldn’t need to be so gritty if he was a better pitcher.

I guess the one thing the Cubs have going for them is that the D’Bags are a fairly weak-hitting team. So if the Cubs can just find a way to put together four runs or so, they should be in a good position to win this game. (I voted for the second option in the poll.) The spell of Chase Field must be broken!

Nanika Ga Okoru!

by dat cubfan daver on Jul 22, 2008 1:29 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

G-d damn

We lose good starts by Zambrano and Harden because we can’t score any friggin runs… and now we need Marquis to turn this around.

I'm not going to even bother trying to update this sig everyday anymore... that's what the standings column on ESPN is for.
Updated on May 25, 2008

by SackMan on Jul 22, 2008 12:36 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

And as they say...

... “That’s Baseball.”

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al on Jul 22, 2008 2:26 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

That's what all the people say...

You’re ridin’ high in April, shot down in May….

Nanika Ga Okoru!

by dat cubfan daver on Jul 22, 2008 2:32 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

why it is a team game

offense needs to score 4-5 runs a game…..

Piniella: "This is a tougher job than I thought it would be, I'm going to be honest with you."

by Ivy Walls on Jul 22, 2008 3:57 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Why?

If we lose, we get them tomorrow. Marquis isn’t temperamentally suited to be a stopper. I’d rather not load his mind up with too much.

Think of how stupid the average person is, and remember, half of them are stupider than that!

by DaBard on Jul 22, 2008 2:33 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

crazy.....

but maybe….

2008 Cubs: Who needs nine innings, when you only need a 7th?

by Chanman25 on Jul 22, 2008 2:47 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

As inconsistent as he can be, Marquis has a weird knack

for stepping up when he really needs to-remember the Sunday night game against the Dodgers several weeks ago? The Cubs were coming off two straight bad losses, he comes in as the weak link of the rotation and throws a very good game. You just never know with the guy but I have a good feeling about tonight.

by bluekoolaide on Jul 22, 2008 2:55 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Ummmmm........

Maybe you haven’t noticed, but it’s July….. more than two months of baseball remain.

If we lose tonight, we are still in first place no matter what.

If we lose tonight, we don’t automatically lose every game for the rest of the season nor does any team in the Central automatically win every game for the rest of the season.

This isn’t a must win. It’s a regular game. Calm down.

by IllinoisCubs on Jul 22, 2008 3:53 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Wow, please don't put words in my mouth.

Just saying, we need Marquis to come through tonight while the bats are cold. Not ledge jumping at all, just wanted to take a look at Marquis coming into a big game.

"This is the kind of thing … that makes you want to see the Chicago Cubs team lose." Marty Brennaman

by Bildo1805 on Jul 22, 2008 6:29 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Every starting pitcher is as important as the other even though the press and fans rank them 1-5

Each game is as important as the other, and often your 5th starter, starts games in the course of the year that are considered BIG GAMES as your ACE does.

Marquis is an okay pitcher he will give the Cubs better than marginal innings at 160 or so a year. He will have some excellent games, he will experience some blow out games and then he will have games on the edge, most of the time.

The question is not whether or not he is a starting pitcher, but whether the value proposition he offers to this club right now is redundant where other teams might value his potential contribution more and in turn offer the Cubs something they need——meaning is Marshall on the same level of effectiveness as Marquis and within a month will Hill offer more potential short term contribution?

But today I am looking for Marquis’s contribution

Piniella: "This is a tougher job than I thought it would be, I'm going to be honest with you."

by Ivy Walls on Jul 22, 2008 3:56 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

please remember marquis haters

the guy is our #5 starter…..is he amazing? no, we shouldn’t expect that out of him…..what we should expect is to keep us in the game and hope our offense can back him up

our rotation can’t be matched 1-3 (who would you rank where?!?), so we can’t expect everyone to be an ace

stop making me stick up for jason freaking marquis!!!!

by cubswynn on Jul 22, 2008 5:29 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs