As I watching the game, I felt it was a big swing game either way. Not only because the Brewers and Cards had already lost, but these long, grinding games seem to carry with them a sense of momentum. I think that this especially rings true since Soriano’s solo shot in the 14th led to a single, a walk, and eventually two more runs scoring. Kudos to the bullpen today, and let’s carry this momentum with us into Houston!

…I Can’t See Him.

of extra innings games last year? They always seemed to happen against the Pirates. Right about the time Sori came back from his first DL stint.

This was an exhausting game, and the game-threads were… very interesting… for a while.

Soriano gets that HR, and the bats COME ALIVE! It was good to see. Hopefully this means more offense in general.

They’re learning how to use their Pen, and it’s responding. They’re winning close games. They’re SP are continuing to come up big.

If you look at the team stats tomorrow, you’ll find a pleasant surprise in where the Cubs rank, both in their division and in MLB regarding both ERA and WHIP.

I couldn’t be more pleased with the problems being resolved right now. The hitting will come. When Ramirez is healthy, we’ll have most of the corps out there who led the league in runs scored last year. They’ll wake up, and as long as the momentum as kept on the pitching end, the Cubs will begin to look like the team to beat in the NL.

I think this was big to win this game.

Soriano going a fat 0fer, then getting a homer to essentially win the game.

Solid starting pitching, held together by the smallest of leads, only to have a bullpen pitcher blow it in epic fashion, followed by a bullpen shut down that was equally impressive.

Geovanny coming in late in the game to leave 7 LOB (SE7EN!!), and Bradley being used like a DH, to only pinch hit and actually come out with a walk.

Finally, Lee’s average has climbed to .262. I’d rather depend on him than most other guys on this roster right now.

Dan

PS – I laughed when you wrote something about posting a delayed recap, Al, made me think of that person that said “Lazy Al” the other day. Work = Work; Blog = Hobby

Yet, we find ourselves just 3.5 games out of 1st place… having played 3 less games than Milwaukee and St. Louis.

Let’s start playing some winning baseball!

Oh… and keep rooting for the Rockies this week!

Guzman has really shown me something so far this season. 6 holds, a WHIP under 1, 25 K’s in 27.2 innings. I really hope Lou uses him more out of the bullpen. He really has impressed me to this point.
Great win today. The bats finally woke up in the 14th, which made me, and I’m sure many of you guys happy. Lilly on the mound Tuesday, so I like our chances. Have a good night all, and GO CUBS GO!

My strategy of stayiing out of the game threads is paying off.

As for why this is the case, I don’t know. But who are we to question the baseball gods.

Jose Ascanio, in my opinion, has all but solidified his role as our #3 bullpen option behind Marmol and Guzman before we get to Gregg.

The hitting however was atrocious. The only impressive thing that I saw was Lee knocking in 2 on a single, RISP is the way to do it. Home runs should not be depended on either. The we go cold from the 4th til the 13th until we beat a pitcher that probably shouldn’t be in the bigs. Don’t get me wrong I’m elated that we won, but this isn’t our game of shining light.

or do the Cubs go back to having 11 pitchers?

The Padres and Diamondbacks are in the 18th inning. Our old friend Henry Blanco just came in to play third base for the Pads.

Patton, who’s got good stuff but hasn’t been all that great, has 2 major league wins. While Wells, who has been completely fantastic, is 0-2.

Poor guy. I’m glad we won, but I can’t imagine Wells is a huge Heilman fan.

Was at work couldn’t follow the game until 5pm eastern time. I feared that the Cubs would lose the game because they just haven’t hit a lick all week.
 Not only was Soriano’s HR huge to tack on two more was key.
 Great pen work, Marmol does worry me also, he is over throwing and I am sure he knows it and has been told it.
 Wells has to be good, this many starts in and he still is throwing well each time out.

Rich Hill updade: 2/3 of an inning, 3 ER, 4 BB and 1 HBP, ouch

as a closer? I like the idea, he seems to have figured it out, and is electric out there

Not sure where that came from. He should work regularly but not like this. He has thrown 88 pitches since Tuesday.
That after throwing another 22 in his WORTHLESS appearance in last Sunday’s blowout. You simply can NOT use him like this. Lou supposedly hates walks , well NO one is walking more than Marmol 27 walks to 29 Ks. This is nuts. My dislike of Lou’s managing and his overuse of Marmol in particular is well known since last season. My one hope is that today’s outstanding performance from all those pitchers he won’t trust might change his mind just a little bit.

Wilson’s name has been involved in talks with Seattle and, oddly enough, San Diego during the past two weeks. Also… Orlando Cabrera’s name finally popped up this year, as should be expected.

from MLBTradeRumors.com

According to ESPN.com’s Buster Olney, the Red Sox have “had conversations” with the A’s about shortstop Orlando Cabrera, who was Boston’s shortstop on their 2004 World Series club. Cabrera is hitting just .235/.286/.303 after signing a one year, $4MM contract this offseason. He will receive a $250,000 bonus if traded. Boston shortstops have hit .235-.311-.325 this season.

Olney also says the Red Sox have also talked to the Pirates about Jack Wilson, but says the two teams don’t match up well because “the Red Sox probably would prefer to keep some financial flexibility in the event that they need to acquire a DH type” in case David Ortiz doesn’t turn it around. Wilson is still owed close to $6MM this season.

Can this guy give credit to anyone?

he learned from yesterday about getting back to 3B based on where a bunt is, and got there today. Kudos to him for learning that quickly.

looks similar to what happens to a golfer when the pressure is on. Marmol looks to be tensing up and throwing hard. It is a known fact that muscles work a hell of a lot better when they are relaxed. This is why Marmol has tended to throw better when tired. Unfortunately, now the stress in his head has him stressed and tense at all times.

You really can see the difference in his delivery (he stays on the mound, and his pitches snap better) when he is relaxed. When he tenses up, he flies open, usually landing well to the first base side and his pitches flatten out (and he can’t control where they are going because his body is too wild, not quiet).

I just don’t understand why Rothschild is not reviewing film with him, as even a novice like me can tell right away when he tenses up. I have studied body mechanics in golf, and I am not a baseball expert, but I can see two very different Marmols and he needs to be made conscious of this and work on staying calm. Quiet muscles work better. It is what pro golfers call “hitting 80%.” While we muni-hacks tend to always take our max-club and swing hard.

Marmol is throwing like a muni-hack right now. Larry and Lou have to get him to mentally think about the “golf equivalent of 80%.” That is when Carlos is un-hittable. The problem with Marmol’s mechanics are all between his ears and learning to relax when the pressure is on. Throwing harder to achieve results is not the way for him to succeed.

Cubs are finding ways to win in close ball games. Runs will come!

of the game today but was thrilled to hear that they won. When I was in the game threads I was told this team was the same night after night and they had already lost. Hope those predicting a Cubs loss aren’t to disappointed that they did in fact win the game.

I am really worried about Marmol and happy to see the rest of the pen pitch well. We’ve been waiting for that to happen so I hope it continues.

GO CUBS!!!!

I’m confident Marmol will turn things around and handle the 8th. Gregg and a mix of others can handle the prior innings based on matchups.

Drove from Bloomington, IN 2 1/2 hours over to Great American. Nose bleed seats, really hot sitting in the sun, got up and moved to the first row on the first base side in about the 11th, then was forced to move, so ended up sitting in the 4th row just past 3rd. Its nice being able to do that at a ballpark, especially in extra innings after even more people leave (a lot harder to do at Wrigley)… great game to be at, great day outside.. home safe and sound.. CUBS WIN! – First time at Great American.. pretty nice place, Ill have to go back sometime.

They were saying “Hitting coach needed to teach the team how to shorten up and hit it to RF.” I’m pretty sure they know that already. I pointed out that a team wide slump can not be reasonably blamed on a hitting coach. It can be blamed on “pressing”. The whole team has been pressing, trying as hard as they might to get that hit that is needed so badly, inning after inning after inning.

What they needed was a psychologist. They got their psychologist in the top of the 14th, in the form of a much needed hit, (HR), from our resident whipping boy Fonzie. When a team is pressing sometimes all they need is that one big important hit to loosen everybody up. Fonzie’s hit did just that, and our boys in blue proceeded to put another two runs on the board to give Guz a little breathing room in the bottom of the 14th.

Is this team going to be ok? Certainly, unequivocally, YES. Why? We have arguably the best starting pitching in the NL, maybe the entire MLs. Our hitters aren’t going to slump all year. Aramis is going to come back for the entire second half of the season. Hoff is settling into his PH role quite nicely, (as is the Fox). Oh, and the bullpen is starting to shake out. Marmol needs some rest, and spot work from now until the break in order to get his confidence back. Gregg, (Stinky Ben), is starting to settle in. Guz and Ascanio are beginning to fulfill the promise that both, (Guz longer though), have always shown.

Lastly, and most importantly… If Fox can learn to play a little third, and Fonty can get some rest, then be back at 2nd where he belongs. If Freel can get his head out of his rear, then Miles will be gone, and we’ll have a suitable back-up at all positions.

I’m more excited about this years edition that last years after today’s game. All this adversity is going to make the team more versatile, stronger, and more cohesive. Why do I feel this way? I’m a dyed in blue, bleedin’ Cubbie blue, drewish kind of fanatic. I’m a diehard. The Cubs run through my veins. They ooze out out of my pores. When they finally win it all, which I believe will be this year, the world will change. It’s time to get on board, or get off. It’s always been a hell of a ride, and it isn’t going to get any less bumpy…

Sori is:

    * 1/3 of the way through the season, but has hit nearly 50% of the home runs he hit last year (14 so far this year, 29 last year), and is on pace to hit 42 Hrs this year.

    * on track to equal his SB total for last year and the year before

    * on track to have about the same number of Ks as he did last year.

    * on track to play 44 games more than last year (109 last year, on track for 153 this year

    * On track to have 717 PAs, his fourth most ever, and the most since 2006

    * on track to walk 54 times, the second most of his career

    * on track to get 160 hits, 30 more than last year

    * on track for three GIDP

So he’s playing in more games, batting more, striking out less, walking more, hitting more…

and all with this terrible slump for the last 20 or so at bats.

Something to think about.

.. it just took getting into a 13 inning to do it… :)

Let the kid pitch now and then, Lou!

(explanation of “WMD” here: http://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2009/6/6/900776/overflow-thread-2-cubs-vs-reds#16652093)