As you can imagine, I wasn't in a big hurry to post the recap of today's 15-3 loss to the White Sox, the Cubs' first spring loss of 2010.
Carlos Silva had a real chance to show the Cubs, and everyone else, that what's been said about him all winter was wrong. At that, he failed miserably, giving up seven hits and six runs in two innings of work, including a pair of home runs to Carlos Quentin. (For the record, Quentin had been 1-for-3 with a walk in four career regular season PA vs. Silva.)
I realize this likely means that Silva is headed to the 60-day DL or maybe even an outright release. At this point, the Cubs probably will give him at least one or two more chances to show that he has anything left -- and then I would recommend exactly that. If a guy's going to be this bad, you obviously can't have him hanging around even as the 12th man on the staff who pitches in garbage time. But to me, with only three games completed out of more than 30 scheduled, it's too early to completely throw him on the scrap pile. And no, I do NOT want Milton Bradley back under any circumstances. For that, the deal was still worth it.
It is, though, getting closer to dumping time. More after the jump.
As for the other Carlos who threw today, Carlos Marmol, much better results were had. Marmol looked sharp and focused, despite a couple of pitches thrown well out of the strike zone. He struck out two and didn't walk anyone and what more could you ask?
Meanwhile, the other Cubs pitchers didn't show so well, either. Andrew Cashner, who is now in the bullpen mix, walked two and gave up a run, and John Grabow looked awful, giving up a three-run homer to Jayson Nix. Four more runs were allowed by Jeff Kennard, who won't see Wrigley Field this year without a ticket.
The Cubs offense, so good the last two days, was mostly absent today. Kosuke Fukudome drove in a pair of runs with a bases-full single and Ryan Theriot had his first two hits of the spring. Geovany Soto's two singles and a base hit by Chicago-area native Jim Adduci were the rest of the "offense".
On the WGN telecast, Lou said that the two open rotation spots were being fought for by Silva and Jeff Samardzija from the RHP side, and Tom Gorzelanny and Sean Marshall from the LHP side. (Two, because Ted Lilly, Lou said, would likely not be ready till May 1.) Samardzija and Gorzelanny are supposed to start tomorrow's split squad games (Gorz against the Dodgers in Mesa, Shark vs. the White Sox in Glendale), but this weather forecast calls for chilly rain all day in the Valley, and two rainouts might result, setting both of them back.
And as if that weren't bad enough news, Andres Blanco sprained his knee today on what looked otherwise like a routine play, and he may be out for more than a week.
It's early enough in the spring so that all of these things can work themselves out. But today wasn't a good day. Let's hope for better things tomorrow, weather permitting.