Chicago Cubs vs. St. Louis Cardinals Preview, Sunday 8/21, 7:05 CT
by Al Yellon on Aug 21, 2011 5:00 PM CDT
in Chicago Cubs Game Threads
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The Cubs and Cardinals are always a good national TV draw, but I suspect the ESPN moguls wish they hadn't chosen this game. On August 4, when this was announced, the Cardinals were in second place in the NL Central, three games out, and just five games behind the Braves in the wild card race.
Since then, the Cardinals are a pedestrian 7-7, while Milwaukee is 14-2 and Atlanta is 11-4. That's put the Cardinals on the brink of falling out of contention; with the Brewers' win over the Mets this afternoon, St. Louis is now nine games out of first place.
And the Cubs have a chance for a sweep tonight. Oddly enough, the last time the Cubs swept the Cardinals at Wrigley Field was in another bad season, 2006. In fact, the Cubs swept the Cardinals at Wrigley twice that year -- on the season's first weekend, April 7-9, capped by a game-winning grand slam by Michael Barrett, and then in a four-game series from July 27-30. The Cubs went 11-8 against the Cardinals in 2006 -- and St. Louis went on to win the World Series. Go figure.
Enjoy, as it will be the Cubs' last national television appearance of 2011 (unless ESPN picks up one of the midweek games against Milwaukee the last week of the season).
Cubs lineup:
Castro SS, Barney 2B, Ramirez 3B, Peña 1B, Johnson LF, Byrd CF, Colvin RF, Soto C, Lopez P
Cardinals lineup:
Schumaker 2b, Freese 3b, Pujols 1b, Holliday lf, Berkman rf, Jay cf, Molina c, Descalso 3b, Westbrook p
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I simply don't understand the decision to start Rodrigo Lopez tonight; his turn could have been skipped and Ryan Dempster could have started. Beyond that, Lopez has been awful against the Cardinals this season. There's this July 30 game, which prompted me to write my blow it up post; then there's this relief appearance on June 5 where he gave up the second of Albert Pujols' two straight walkoff HR. Overall against St. Louis this year, Lopez has an 11.81 ERA and 2.438 WHIP. Why would you do this?
On the other hand, Jake Westbrook hasn't pitched well against the Cubs either this year; the Cubs have won both times Westbrook started against them and he has a 9.72 ERA in those starts. Carlos Pena does particularly well vs. Westbrook: .314 (11-for-35) with six doubles and four home runs.
So maybe this will work out. Based on these performances, expect a 12-11 game.
Today's game is on ESPN. Even though most of today's games are over, here is the complete MLB.com Mediacenter for today.
Baseball-reference.com game preview
Please visit our SB Nation Cardinals site Viva el Birdos.
Today's first pitch thread will be up at 7:05 p.m. CDT and the overflow threads will post at 8 pm, 9 pm and 9:45 pm CDT. If you need more overflows due to extra innings or rain delays, post them in the fanshot section.
Discuss amongst yourselves.
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GO CUBS!
If the Cubs still have a chance, no matter how small, it’s still Go Cubs, damn the math and pass the KoolAid.
Nice. I love to sweep the Cardinals.
We'll miss you Big Boy. #10 for Hall of Fame.
by mrcubsfan on Aug 21, 2011 5:06 PM CDT via mobile up reply actions
Preemptively bent about Lopez over Dempster tonite
Quade
Is
A
F
Moran
Get a brain.
WWOZ.org - New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Station
Because everyone in the rotation has had very high pitch counts
It not remotely unreasonable to give them one. The Cubs are not in a race and they don’t have to overwork pitchers. Lopez is the 5th starter and it is not going to help him to be skipped.
"I am not ashamed to say I love Greg Maddux" - Jim Hendry
Me either
by Doggie Stalker on Aug 21, 2011 5:55 PM CDT up reply actions
Fair enough
But the Cubs also have the chance to throw another shovel full of dirt on the Cardinals post-season hopes and in a season devoid of goals being the spoiler to a rival is as good as they’ve got.
WWOZ.org - New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Station
by Gibbon Jockey on Aug 21, 2011 5:57 PM CDT up reply actions
Well if they win, we will the extra fun of knowing they could not beat a guy we
found in trash bin (and I like Lopez) and if we lose, they only beat a scrub.
"I am not ashamed to say I love Greg Maddux" - Jim Hendry
Me either
by Doggie Stalker on Aug 21, 2011 6:04 PM CDT up reply actions
Disagree...
Soriano in LF and Reed in RF is the best we could do. Soriano should be playing every pitch between now and Sept. 1st just in case, by some fluke, some contender may want his bat in their line up. After Sept. 1st…it makes no difference. Cubs playing good…Hendry getting dumped…Soriano getting claimed? You never know…stuff like that happens in threes. ; )
Good job, Tom...now on to the manager problem.
Sori, can't see it.
What contender? For that matter, what bat? There is no way a GM on any contender has not already made up his made on Sori; nothing he does between now and Sept. 1 will change that. The Cubs have offered to kick in a giant percentage of his salary, and still no takers. I am afraid we are stuck with him, and hopefully by some miracle will be able to move him in the winter. In the meantime, I say play the lineup that gives you the best chance to win, and for me, that is one that does not include Alfonso Soriano…..
When you are going through hell, keep going- Winston Churchill 1940
by RushToGalt on Aug 21, 2011 6:30 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
No chance of marketing Soriano this year, so no good reason to play him
None of the AL contending teams need a gimp DH. Any deal to move him will need the time the offseason provides to hammer out details.
...
Enjoy, as it will be the Cubs’ last national television appearance of 2011
you mean you ENJOY the idiot announcers talking about how bad the Cubs are historically?
never forget...
1.7%
anything is possible...
by wrigleyrocker12 on Aug 21, 2011 5:11 PM CDT reply actions
I'm just glad
that I don’t have to listen to Joe Morgan anymore. Now if only someone would fire McCarver the network broadcasts would be much more tolerable.
And so it goes.
I believe McCarver's days are numbered...
…if he’s back in 2012 I’d be shocked. Joe Buck, on the other hand………………..!
Good job, Tom...now on to the manager problem.
there's been something with joe buck's voice
Tim MCarver needs to go yesterday. I don’t have a problem or an axe to grind with Joe Buck like a lot of other people, but his voice hasn’t sounded the same the past season or two. The other announcers during the Eagles/Steelers game (Aikmen and Bradshaw) mentioned on how he’s sounding better. Which I took as them knowing something was going on with his voice.
by DieHardFlyersFaninChicago on Aug 21, 2011 6:49 PM CDT up reply actions
He has herpes of the brain.
Which makes his voice raspy and his dendrites unable to fire any coherent thought.
"I'm not a broadcaster! I'm me!"--Ron Santo
LOL
The only problem with that hypothesis is that he was unable to form a coherent thought LONG before he lost his voice….or maybe his herpes just needed time to spread?
When you are going through hell, keep going- Winston Churchill 1940
On the bright side
My Vikings suck so bad (ducks and covers) that I may not be burdened with Buck again until next April……
When you are going through hell, keep going- Winston Churchill 1940
BUT BUT BUT
Donovan McNabb!……….If the Vikes have ever made a more pointless signing, I can’t remember what it was…
When you are going through hell, keep going- Winston Churchill 1940
Ever heard of a dude named Favre?
He was pointless last year.
"I'm not a broadcaster! I'm me!"--Ron Santo
1 – I have an autographed Michael Barrett ball
2 – I miss Joe Mogan
3 – Cardinals fans down here in KC aren’t too happy with their team’s play as of late
4 – #2 is not true
"The riches of the game are in the thrills, not the money." --Ernie Banks
The one argument for starting Lopez is that it would let the Cubs skip the Coleman/Ortiz/Russell turn this time around
It is pretty stuff to skip a guy in the rotation when a team only has 3 real starters…….
don't cubs-mets appear 9/11
on Sun. Nite Baseball? thought so…more about 9/11 than cubs-cards. maybe they’ll snag an interview tonight with ricketts. has makings of high-scoring game
this is last nat'l tv appearance for Cubs
Fukudometer: Created 3/31/08 Wrigley Debut 4/5/08 WGN and Japan TV Debut 4/6/08 Sun Times Debut: 4/20/08 Coffee Table Debut: 7/17/08
I don't think there is Sunday Night Baseball...
when Sunday Night Football starts…is there?
Good job, Tom...now on to the manager problem.
I stand corrected...
I just checked…they ARE scheduled for ESPN on Sun. 9/11
Good job, Tom...now on to the manager problem.
yes
NBC does Sunday Night FB, ESPN Monday. But seriously who watches Sunday night baseball during FB season?
Fukudometer: Created 3/31/08 Wrigley Debut 4/5/08 WGN and Japan TV Debut 4/6/08 Sun Times Debut: 4/20/08 Coffee Table Debut: 7/17/08
I was at the fourth game of that sweep in July 2006.
I went with my aunt, uncle, and two cousins. The male cousin went to the men’s room, and said there was something like a six-foot tower of confiscated broom heads at Wrigley in the restroom.
Minor League Contributing Writer, Athletics Nation.
State high point count: 4/50
If you are grouchy, irritable, or just plain mean, there will be a $10 charge for putting up with you.
by Vermont Cubs Fan on Aug 21, 2011 6:10 PM CDT reply actions
Estoy muy bien, y usted?
Minor League Contributing Writer, Athletics Nation.
State high point count: 4/50
If you are grouchy, irritable, or just plain mean, there will be a $10 charge for putting up with you.
by Vermont Cubs Fan on Aug 21, 2011 6:22 PM CDT up reply actions
I'm bored.
Watching the Chicago Fire game. They just scored. The announcer’s catchphrase for a goal is “BOOM GOES THE DYNAMITE.” I swear. On CSN.
"I'm not a broadcaster! I'm me!"--Ron Santo
A Blast from the Past Department
Anyone see who the starting and winning pitcher was for the Angels today ( going seven strong innings giving up one run)? Ex Cub Jerome Williams who has not started in the MLB in over 4 years and spent last season in Taiwan. I have very fond memories of Williams who amazingly is not yet 30.
"I am not ashamed to say I love Greg Maddux" - Jim Hendry
Me either
LOL
Minor League Contributing Writer, Athletics Nation.
State high point count: 4/50
If you are grouchy, irritable, or just plain mean, there will be a $10 charge for putting up with you.
by Vermont Cubs Fan on Aug 21, 2011 6:48 PM CDT up reply actions
More like we traded LaTroy Hawkins to get him
That will give you fond memories.
"I am not ashamed to say I love Greg Maddux" - Jim Hendry
Me either
by Doggie Stalker on Aug 21, 2011 7:19 PM CDT up reply actions
This is slightly OT
but the Padres honored all-time saves leader Trevor Hoffman by retiring his No. 51 here is SD. I am no Padre fan, but Trevor has always been a class act and definitely one of the premiere closers of all time.
"Chicago baseball fans, who are composites of scar tissue and mortifying memories..." - George F. Will
Avatar provided courtesy of AndrewJStone.
I hope the Padres go bankrupt tonight and their fans remove themselves from baseball.
"I'm not a broadcaster! I'm me!"--Ron Santo
Hoffman was awesome...but yeah, to all Padre fans..
As I've told you before, I never repeat myself.
by santoswoodenlegs on Aug 21, 2011 6:54 PM CDT up reply actions
Rafael Furcal
tripped over a rope during BP at Wrigley and sprained his thumb
Fukudometer: Created 3/31/08 Wrigley Debut 4/5/08 WGN and Japan TV Debut 4/6/08 Sun Times Debut: 4/20/08 Coffee Table Debut: 7/17/08
Nobody wants to make light of injuries...
but LOL.
As I've told you before, I never repeat myself.
by santoswoodenlegs on Aug 21, 2011 7:00 PM CDT up reply actions
And on a completely unrelated note...
LaRussa filed a complaint with the league office that the Cubs were unfairly manipulating their ropes….
When you are going through hell, keep going- Winston Churchill 1940
not before instructing his pitchers to plunk said rope
"Hey Hey, Holy mackerel, no doubt about it,!"
by scottsdalecubs on Aug 21, 2011 7:08 PM CDT up reply actions
Well, it still pales in comparison
to Vince Coleman being run over by the tarp.
but that’s not bad.
WWOZ.org - New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Station
by Gibbon Jockey on Aug 21, 2011 7:07 PM CDT up reply actions
Other good news...
….according to Al’s lineup, Cards playing without a SS and with 2 3B today….perhaps to stop Campana pinch hit bunts?
Fukudometer: Created 3/31/08 Wrigley Debut 4/5/08 WGN and Japan TV Debut 4/6/08 Sun Times Debut: 4/20/08 Coffee Table Debut: 7/17/08
The Drunken Genius is 50-70 at Wrigley?
Wow.
Did not know that.
WWOZ.org - New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Station
TR...becoming the MAN! Z highly doubtful coming back...
Can we get an AMEN??
by AnotherCubsHangover on Aug 21, 2011 9:06 PM CDT reply actions
Lots of rookies playing in AZ today
Shoulders and Vogelbach 1-4
Lockhart, Martin 0-3
Cubs lose 7-1
I'm a Cubs fan. The Jaded Bitterness comes as a Standard Feature.
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