Chicago Cubs vs. San Francisco Giants Preview, Thursday 6/30, 1:20 CT: A Look Ahead

by Al Yellon on Jun 30, 2011 11:00 AM CDT in Chicago Cubs Game Threads

Aramis Ramirez of the Chicago Cubs is congratulated by teammates including Starlin Castro after getting the game-winning hit as a pinch-hitter in the bottom of the 9th inning against the San Francisco Giants at Wrigley Field on June 29, 2011 in Chicago, Illinois. The Cubs defeated the Giants 2-1. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

Before the preview of today's game, I want to talk a little bit about Sunday's game against the White Sox.

The release of Doug Davis yesterday means that Rodrigo Lopez may be in line to start Sunday's game.

To which I ask the question, "Why?" Lopez has been bad in his two starts and many of his relief appearances, and is nearly 36. He is not part of the future of this team. We don't need to find out if he can be any good for 2012 and beyond, because he will be gone.

According to Phil Rogers (however, consider the source) in the Tribune, Ramon Ortiz is being considered for a recall to start Sunday:

Manager Mike Quade hinted that Rodrigo Lopez is the leading candidate for that start, and Hendry said 38-year-old Ramon Ortiz is also under consideration for a promotion from Iowa.

To which I again ask the question, "Why?" Ortiz is not part of this team's future either. His last decent major league season was 2002. The same article says, regarding Casey Coleman:

Hendry said Coleman appeared to turn a corner, looking "like he did last year" when he was 4-2 with a 3.33 earned-run average in eight starts for the Cubs. But the body of work in 2011 remains an issue from the Cubs' standpoint.

That last part is true. Coleman has been pretty bad so far this year in the major leagues. But again, this team is going nowhere this year. If you're going to lose games, at least lose them with someone who might get some valuable major league experience that could be useful to the team in the future.

Starting Rodrigo Lopez or Ramon Ortiz on Sunday is a complete waste of time. Both pitchers need to be thanked for their service and released.

Cubs lineup:

Fukudome RF, Barney 2B, Castro SS, Ramirez 3B, Peña 1B, DeWitt LF, Campana CF, Hill C, Zambrano P

Giants lineup was not in at posting time.

Today's Starting Pitchers


Carlos Zambrano Cubs	vs.	Matt Cain Giants

6-4	W-L	7-4
4.38	ERA	3.22
74	SO	89
40	BB	28
9	HR	7
vs. SF	--	vs. Cubs

	W-L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	BS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP
2011 - Carlos Zambrano	6-4	18	17	0	0	0	0	111.0	109	55	54	9	40	74	4.38	1.34

	W-L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	BS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP
2011 - Matt Cain	7-4	17	16	1	0	0	0	106.1	90	39	38	7	28	89	3.22	1.11

Both of these pitchers have done well against today's opponent. They matched up against each other on September 21, 2010 at Wrigley Field; neither allowed a run in six innings and the Giants won when Buster Posey homered off Andrew Cashner.

Which tells you a lot about the state of injuries in baseball today.

Anyway, Matt Cain has allowed only three runs over his last five starts combined against the Cubs -- all in one game on August 12, 2010 in San Francisco, and the Giants won that game anyway. Current Cubs are hitting .210 (22-for-105) against him, and Cain once homered off Carlos Zambrano, on August 23, 2007 in San Francisco.

Big Z, though, also has held current Giants down -- current Giants are hitting just .201 (28-for-139) against him.

Now that I've set up a pitchers' duel, today's game will probably be 12-11. Heck, Koyie Hill is 3-for-9 with a double against Cain.

Today's game is on WGN and CSN Bay Area. Here is the complete MLB.com Mediacenter for today.

MLB.com Gameday

Baseball-reference.com game preview

SB Nation game preview

Please visit our SB Nation Giants site McCovey Chronicles.

Today's first pitch thread will be up at 1:15 pm CDT and the overflow threads will post at 2:15 pm, 3:15 pm and 4 pm CDT. If you need more overflows due to extra innings or rain delays, post them in the fanshot section.

Discuss amongst yourselves.

Tweet Comment 48 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

This should be another good pitching matchup like last night..

hopefully the Cubbies will squeeze out some more runs.

by bazfan1234 on Jun 30, 2011 11:03 AM CDT reply actions

That's what I did last nigh, but I had some bad calimari.

As I've told you before, I never repeat myself.

by santoswoodenlegs on Jun 30, 2011 1:13 PM CDT up reply actions

Please break the pattern

of winning one, losing two today. Please. Two wins in a row isn’t too much to ask for…is it?

Fasten those seat belts...

by katie casey on Jun 30, 2011 11:08 AM CDT reply actions

Nope, but 3 apparently is.

by bdlugz on Jun 30, 2011 11:40 AM CDT up reply actions

Shhhh, don't say it.

by jpeters407 on Jun 30, 2011 1:02 PM CDT up reply actions

Ortiz at Iowa

This month, 5 starts, 4.24 ERA, only 5 walks all month. 41 hits allowed in 34 innings. Here is what scares me, 1.09 ERA when the bases are empty and 9.21 ERA with RISP (entire season).

I supposed he deserves a chance…..maybe…..but don’t we have anyone at AA that could take a start or two? Even A ball?

We'll miss you Big Boy. #10 for Hall of Fame.

by mrcubsfan on Jun 30, 2011 11:12 AM CDT reply actions

Note as well that his numbers are worse than Coleman's...

Ortiz: 95.1 IP, 4.44 ERA, 1.40 WHIP
Coleman: 30 IP, 3.90 ERA, 1.40 WHIP

Coleman has walked guys more frequently, Ortiz has given up more hits. There isn’t an upside to using Ortiz. There probably isn’t any upside to using Coleman either, but there’s a greater than 0% chance that Coleman has an MLB future, whereas Ortiz has zero MLB future.

by SouthernCub on Jun 30, 2011 11:44 AM CDT up reply actions

Coleman may have an MLB future

And maybe the best course of action for Coleman is keep working where he is. The Cubs may have certain goals they want Coleman to reach before returning to MLB.

The upside of using Ortiz or Lopez is that it allows the Cubs to keep developing the 23 year old Coleman.

"On offense, your most precious possessions are your 27 outs" - Earl Weaver

by RiskyBusiness on Jun 30, 2011 11:49 AM CDT up reply actions

That's a fair argument...

I’m not sure how much Coleman is going to develop in AAA (he’s already been there for over a year), but it’s at least a valid stance.

by SouthernCub on Jun 30, 2011 12:00 PM CDT up reply actions

They may just want to see...

…more consistentcy in lowering his walk rate.

Baseball is pitching, hitting, baserunning and defense.

by daver on Jun 30, 2011 1:04 PM CDT via mobile up reply actions

I would like to see Coleman in Chicago.

If for nothing else we know if he can be a starter or if he needs to focus on becoming a reliever, or if his career will be short lived. Either way he should be in Chicago soon.

by jpeters407 on Jun 30, 2011 1:04 PM CDT up reply actions

I don't often agree with Mr. Yellon, but I fully do today.

Either Lopez or Ortiz are a total waste of starts, money, experience, time and value. One more of the myriad indictments on the current administration.

"I'm not a broadcaster! I'm me!"--Ron Santo

by chilango2 on Jun 30, 2011 11:20 AM CDT reply actions

Yea hill and Dewitt.

by Notsnud on Jun 30, 2011 11:21 AM CDT reply actions

And Campy in Center

Hope he got some practice throws in this morning

by Danwood on Jun 30, 2011 11:26 AM CDT up reply actions

Campy needs a cutoff man in halfway into CF to get the ball to 2nd base in time!

by ubercubsfan on Jun 30, 2011 11:36 AM CDT up reply actions

Go Cubs!

by patches23 on Jun 30, 2011 11:41 AM CDT reply actions

I love the smell

of cubs games in the morning!

by Notsnud on Jun 30, 2011 11:43 AM CDT up reply actions

Here is to hoping that:

1. They want Coleman to build up more confidence in AAA
2. They are seeing if DeWitt can be a super-sub
3. They are showcasing DeWitt for a trade
4. The Cubs dont manage to go on a 15 game winning streak, become buyers at the deadline and then promptly fall back out of contention – just a 15 game winning streak, they still sell at the deadline and we win the WS next year.

by hansman1982 on Jun 30, 2011 11:41 AM CDT reply actions

15-game winning streak?!

“Pass the dutchie to the left hand side.”

"I'm not a broadcaster! I'm me!"--Ron Santo

by chilango2 on Jun 30, 2011 11:42 AM CDT up reply actions

I would settle for a 3 game streak at this point

Last December when I was with New Orleans, our fat punk kicker, Garrett Hartley, missed a game-winner and we lost for the second week in a row – that was one of the times you want to grab a guy and tell him to [bug ] off," Fujita said. "But Hartley was young, and I didn’t want to mess him up for good, so I just bit my lip and said, ‘Hey, man, don’t worry about it — it was a team loss,’ which of course was a total lie."

by Fat Punk Kicker on Jun 30, 2011 11:43 AM CDT up reply actions

I don't know if I've ever seen a team go a full 162 without a 3 game winning...

…streak. I’m almost hoping they can keep the streak alive, I mean ineptitude can’t be rewarded into next year can it?

Guys, hitting is not about muscle. It's simple physics. Calculate the velocity, v, in relation to the trajectory, t, in which g, gravity, of course remains a constant.... It's not complicated. - George Costanza

by troutfishin on Jun 30, 2011 11:57 AM CDT up reply actions

IIRC...

its never been done. or maybe its just that the cubs have never not won three in a row…Al did the research a few weeks back.

by epsilon on Jun 30, 2011 12:02 PM CDT up reply actions

you know you have hit the bottom when you are openly rooting against your own team

by Fat Punk Kicker on Jun 30, 2011 12:30 PM CDT up reply actions

Win big, lose big!

by troutfishin on Jun 30, 2011 12:39 PM CDT up reply actions

That's a joint laced

with blue koolaid

by Notsnud on Jun 30, 2011 11:45 AM CDT up reply actions

I have a gut feeling

Big Z is going to jack one today.

by Notsnud on Jun 30, 2011 11:42 AM CDT reply actions

Mad at not hitting in KC last weekend

"On offense, your most precious possessions are your 27 outs" - Earl Weaver

by RiskyBusiness on Jun 30, 2011 11:51 AM CDT up reply actions

Im going to agree with you on that with one caveat

If he does not hit a home run, I have a gut feeling that a bat will be broken wether (what manager?) likes it or not.

by adam316 on Jun 30, 2011 12:28 PM CDT up reply actions

Possibly splitting a series?

I have a boner

"It's all in the game, yo"

by Worf on Jun 30, 2011 12:16 PM CDT reply actions

Your comments always make you stand out as a man among men.

by ubercubsfan on Jun 30, 2011 12:25 PM CDT up reply actions

How about giving "Zamarge" a start, or maybe our below-slot bargain from the 2010 draft?

You’re absolutely right, Al. It’s time to stop the insanity we see in this parade of has-beens.

"Elder White! Look at the talent on those Cubs!" Harry Caray, KMOX Radio, 4/22/62

"And you have to wonder – What's the matter with Broglio?" Harry, KMOX, 5/24/64

by ernaga on Jun 30, 2011 12:18 PM CDT reply actions

I know we won and all

but I’m still pretty shook over pulling Dempster yesterday, and I think I’m fairly justified in feeling that way. On another board I post at, there’s a few guys I usually talk to. A couple are Giants fans, another is a Yankees fan, one is a White Sox fan, and then there’s a Twins fan and a Tigers fan. They watched that game yesterday, and they were all so confused at why Quade would do that. To them, it was the strangest thing they had ever seen. The Yankees fan commented that he gets why Joe will pull the starter because you have Mariano RIGHT THERE, but with Dempster at 83 pitches and having been left in there for far too long on other starts, it was insane to take him out of the game.

www.facebook.com/craighudak

by Craig in South Bend on Jun 30, 2011 12:23 PM CDT reply actions

Have a drink and get over it

"It's all in the game, yo"

by Worf on Jun 30, 2011 12:26 PM CDT up reply actions

Quade

I don’t like his Pitcher mgmnt 1 bit but with Carlos Marmol ready to go in that situation, that was absolutely the right call. I would do it again and again and again. Quade screws up alot but IMO last night he did not. Hindsight is always 20/20.

by cubsluver22 on Jun 30, 2011 12:32 PM CDT up reply actions

Quade did say

that if it had been a single Demp would have stayed in but with it being a double he wasnt going to chance it…maybe he is finally learning?

by hansman1982 on Jun 30, 2011 12:40 PM CDT up reply actions

I understand the feeling,

Demp had retired 20 in a row up to that point, he wasn’t making any mistakes until he hung that pitch out for Burrell, who is a very good hitter. I don’t think Demp’s effectiveness had worn off by that time, Burrell just made him pay for throwing that pitch. Marmol gets a little “walky” sometimes but did manage to get out of it. Whether the run scored was probably 50/50 with either pitcher out there. I’m just glad we manufactured a run in the bottom of the 9th and got the W.

by Fonzie2178 on Jun 30, 2011 12:41 PM CDT up reply actions

I get a...

I’m a badass feeling in those situations(Cue the Music) to just go get “wild thing” cause no one on the planet earth can touch him and the lights are about to be turned out.

by cubsluver22 on Jun 30, 2011 5:52 PM CDT up reply actions

I'm fine with either move...

Dempster had been absolutely rolling prior to the Burrell at bat, so there’s reason to believe he’d be able to pitch out of the jam.

However, with a runner on 2nd and no outs, you want to go with the guy who can miss bats more often. If Dempster allows a grounder to 2B and a fly out, we lose the lead anyway. Marmol had the better chance to get a K or two and prevent the runner from getting to 3rd with less than 2 outs. Also, Marmol tends to give up fewer hits than Dempster.

Had the Burrell hit just been a single, I think Dempster stays in the game. But the runner on 2nd with no outs changes the perspective a bit.

Obviously, the switch didn’t work out. But who’s to say it works out any better with Dempster?

by SouthernCub on Jun 30, 2011 12:44 PM CDT up reply actions

It's easily a toss-up decision...

but it’s maddening to think about Quade pulling Dempster when he’s crushing a lineup on less than 80 pitches going into the 9th, when he’s left Zambrano and Dempster in there struggling through many more than that. I agree it’s not exactly the same situation, but there’s no consistency with his managing.

--------------------------------
Just North of Wrigley Field

by jameslcrockett on Jun 30, 2011 1:04 PM CDT up reply actions

Why does our team leader in RBI bat 5th?

"You win because of the quarterback. We have to get that position stabilized. We're fixated on that." -- Jerry Angelo (12.30.2008)

Jerry Angelo trades for Jay Cutler! (4.2.2009)

by SackMan on Jun 30, 2011 12:40 PM CDT reply actions

How ready was Marmol?

If Q was going to pull Demp he should have Marmol warming up in the bottom of the 8th instead of at the changeover

by wolfcub on Jun 30, 2011 12:40 PM CDT reply actions

He did not get up until the Cubs went out for the 9th.

It was amazing that he got ready as fast as he did, it also might be why we got bad Marmol last night. Didn’t pitchers used to “get their work in” when the warmed up for a game but didn’t actually get into the game? It seems we never have anybody up in the pen proactively, only after it is too late.

by jpeters407 on Jun 30, 2011 1:10 PM CDT up reply actions

my point exactly, how many times do we see Rivera and Papelbon warmed up and ready before the inning even starts

by wolfcub on Jun 30, 2011 1:31 PM CDT up reply actions

Pouring out a 40 Oz. of Cubbie kool-aid...

…for my main mofo Dougie D Fresh. To be honest, I wondered why the Cubs released him and not Lopez. But maybe they feel Rodrigo offers more flexibility.

Best wishes to our wonderful 2011 team today. Win. Lose. Whatever.

Baseball is pitching, hitting, baserunning and defense.

by daver on Jun 30, 2011 12:59 PM CDT via mobile reply actions