Open Thread: Cubs vs. Pirates, Tuesday 8/29, 6:05 CT

Cy Young Watch for Z:

Wins: 14 (tied for first)
Winning %: .737 (tied for first)
ERA: 3.31 (sixth)
Innings: 184.2 (fourth)
Strikeouts: 180 (first)
Opp. BA: .207 (first)
Walks: 99 (first)... oops! That's not supposed to be on the "Good Things" list!

The next walk Z issues will be his 100th of the season. The last Cub pitcher to issue 100 walks in a season was Kerry Wood, who walked exactly that many in 2003. The last one to walk MORE than 100 was Rick Sutcliffe, who walked 106 in a year he won 18 games, leading the league in that category (1987).

Eighteen, incidentally, is the NL record for the fewest wins for a league leader. To date this season, only Z and Brandon Webb have as many as fourteen. That record could be equalled, or even broken.

Today's Starting Pitchers

C. Zambrano Cubs vs. P. Maholm Pirates 14-5 W-L 6-10 3.31 ERA 4.82 180 SO 99 99 BB 70 19 HR 18 vs. Pit -- vs. Cubs

All the walks (and the Cubs are going to lead the majors in walks, AND strikeouts, becoming the first team to do so since the 1989 Texas Rangers, whose staff included a Hall of Famer in Nolan Ryan) are due to Larry Rothschild's insistence on "nibbling". Even more so than Dusty Baker, Rothschild has destroyed this pitching staff. He has to go.

Maholm's only career appearance against the Cubs was on a wet and gloomy Wednesday afternoon last September, the last home game of the 2005 season, and he and the Pirates won 3-2, largely because a Nomar error led to two unearned runs.

MLB.com Cubs Gameday

BCB reader Various Styles claimed, in last night's game recap thread, to already have today's lineups. If this is true -- post away!

Discuss amongst yourselves.