So, Lou switched around the lineup yesterday and it accomplished nothing. Marlon Byrd did a nice job leading off -- but no one could get any hits with RISP.
What to do, then, today? The Cubs will face a RHP for the only time in this series. Ryan Theriot needs a day off, so Lou is starting Mike Fontenot at SS with Jeff Baker at 2B. Here's a case where the team really misses having Andres Blanco. Not that Blanco's a great hitter, but he could hardly be worse than Theriot has been so far this year.
Lou should have given Chad Tracy his first start of the year. Aramis Ramirez has been scuffling and could use a day off, and eventually you have to give your bench players some regular AB's, or they get too rusty and then can't hit off the bench when you need them to. As you'll see after the jump, Tracy has a good career history off Mike Pelfrey, too. I'd expect Tyler Colvin to get the start in LF, also. Some may say this is an "obsession", but at this point, let's get some hitters in the lineup who can hit. What Lou did instead, via Twittermyer:
fuke, bake, lee, rami, byrd, sori, font, hill, z
Kosuke Fukudome leading off: good. Fontenot at SS: um, er, maybe. Why isn't Tracy starting? If he's not going to start at all, why is he on the team?
More attendance woes: last night, the Blue Jays, Nationals and Mariners all drew the smallest crowds in the history of their ballparks. The Mariners will probably be OK due to advance sales, but there are some teams who could be in financial trouble if they don't draw this year.
Something I didn't know until today: new Mets 1B Ike Davis is the son of former Cubs reliever Ron Davis, who had his best years with the Twins. He was drafted by the Cubs in 1976 and traded away for a washed-up Ken Holtzman in 1979. By the time the Cubs got him back in 1986, he himself was washed up. (How many times have we heard that story?)
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Mike Pelfrey has made one career start vs. the Cubs, last September 6 in New York; he threw well against a makeshift Cubs lineup. As noted above, Chad Tracy, who has not yet started a game, is 3-for-9 with 4 RBI vs. Pelfrey; he probably should have started tonight.
In Z's one good start this year, he threw seven strong innings against the Reds and got the win. In the other two starts, he has allowed 11 earned runs in 6.1 innings for a 15.43 ERA. Which Z do we get tonight? And if he pitches badly again, is he the one sent to the bullpen when Ted Lilly comes back? In nine career starts (ten total appearances) vs. the Mets, Z is 4-2, 3.71 with an unseemly 27 walks in 51 total innings. Jason Bay has hit him hard: 14-for-39 (.359), four doubles, a triple, five HR, 16 RBI, eight walks.
Today's game is on WGN and SNY. Here is the complete MLB.com Mediacenter for today.
Baseball-reference.com game preview
Please visit our SB Nation Mets site Amazin' Avenue.
This afternoon's first pitch thread will be up at 6 pm CDT, and the overflows will post at 7:15, 8:15 and 9 pm CDT.
Discuss amongst yourselves.