Bleed Cubbie Blue - Cubs vs. Phillies Saturday Game ThreadsA Chicago Cubs Fan Community Since February 9, 2005https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47557/cubbieblue.png2014-04-05T17:10:15-05:00http://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/rss/stream/53385292014-04-05T17:10:15-05:002014-04-05T17:10:15-05:00Phillies 2, Cubs 0: A Bit Of History
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<figcaption>Jonathan Daniel</figcaption>
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<p>What happened Saturday at Wrigley Field hasn't happened often in Cubs history.</p> <p>When you see a game as dully played as <a href="http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/news/boxscore.jsp?gid=2014_04_05_phimlb_chnmlb_1" target="_blank">the Cubs' 2-0 loss to the Phillies</a> Saturday afternoon, you look for any angle that could make it interesting.</p>
<p>Here's that angle: in the last 100 years, the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/">Cubs</a> have played just 13 other games in which they were shut out and had at least 10 hits. The last such game was about two years ago, <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/PIT/PIT201205250.shtml" target="_blank">a 1-0 loss to the Pirates</a> May 25, 2012.</p>
<p>Ah, but if you're looking for the last such game <i>at Wrigley Field</i>, you're going to be looking back a little farther. More than three decades farther, <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CHN/CHN198007210.shtml" target="_blank">July 21, 1980</a>, when the Cubs were shut out with 10 hits by the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/">Giants</a>.</p>
<p>But! That game went 15 innings.</p>
<p>For the last time the Cubs lost <i>a nine-inning game</i> at Wrigley Field in which they were shut out and had at least 10 hits, before today, you must go back <i>60 years</i> -- <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CHN/CHN195406091.shtml" target="_blank">to the first game of a doubleheader June 9, 1954</a>, also thrown by the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.thegoodphight.com/">Phillies</a>. There's only one other such game, <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CHN/CHN194205310.shtml" target="_blank">May 31, 1942</a>, shut out by the pennant-bound <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.vivaelbirdos.com/">Cardinals</a> 3-0 on 10 hits.</p>
<p>All three of the Cubs teams I just mentioned were bad-to-awful. The 1980 Cubs were on their way to a 98-loss season. The 1954 Cubs lost 90 in a 154-game season (a 67-95 pace for 162), and in 1942, the .442 winning percentage would compare to a 72-90 season in modern baseball.</p>
<p>That's what we have to look forward to, my friends. I won't sugarcoat. Saturday, this team was able to hit -- as noted, 10 of them -- but went 0-for-7 with RISP and stranded 10 (one walk, one double play). <span>Starlin Castro</span> had three of the hits, which is a good thing. He never got past second base, which isn't. <span>Emilio Bonifacio</span> had a pair of hits, and also never saw third base. <span>Cliff Lee</span> and <span>Jonathan Papelbon</span> had both been hit hard so far this year -- both came in with double-digit ERAs. Lee gave up hits but never seemed to be in trouble, and Papelbon retired the side in the ninth 1-2-3 for his first save of 2014.</p>
<p><span>Jeff Samardzija</span> had his second straight good start, allowing just six hits and striking out eight. The first hit he allowed was a no-doubter home run to <span>Chase Utley</span> (who also had three hits on the game), and, truth be told, the game was really over at that point. Shark isn't doing anything but increasing his trade value with starts like this one. I suppose that's a good thing, in the long run.</p>
<p>The weather was better, with sunshine and lighter winds, though it was still chilly, 41 degrees at game time The Cubs had promised magnet schedules to the first 30,000 fans; despite the fact that nowhere near the announced 30,651 were actually in the park (maybe 19,000 were actually in the house), they somehow ran out of schedules to give out.</p>
<p>Hey, the Cubs are celebrating team history this year. So here's another game to add to team lore, though probably not the kind they have in mind.</p>
<p>Sunday, the Cubs try to avoid the sweep when <span>Carlos Villanueva</span>, who has already posted two losses in relief, gets his first start of the season against longtime Cub nemesis <span>A.J. Burnett</span>. <a href="http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lon=-87.68783&lat=41.93324" target="_blank">The weather will be warmer</a>. That's about all I've got.</p>
https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2014/4/5/5585714/cubs-phillies-recap-cliff-lee-jeff-samardzija-mlb-scoresAl Yellon2014-04-05T16:06:01-05:002014-04-05T16:06:01-05:00Overflow Thread 3: Cubs vs. Phillies, Saturday 4/5
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<figcaption>Jonathan Daniel</figcaption>
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<p>----</p>
https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2014/4/5/5574536/overflow-thread-3-cubs-vs-phillies-saturday-4-5-1-20-ctAl Yellon2014-04-05T15:20:01-05:002014-04-05T15:20:01-05:00Overflow Thread 2: Cubs vs. Phillies, Saturday 4/5
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<figcaption>Jonathan Daniel</figcaption>
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<p>----</p>
https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2014/4/5/5574540/overflow-thread-2-cubs-vs-phillies-saturday-4-5-1-20-ctAl Yellon2014-04-05T14:20:02-05:002014-04-05T14:20:02-05:00Overflow Thread 1: Cubs vs. Phillies, Saturday 4/5
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<figcaption>Jonathan Daniel</figcaption>
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<p>----</p>
https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2014/4/5/5574544/overflow-thread-1-cubs-vs-phillies-saturday-4-5-1-20-ctAl Yellon2014-04-05T11:30:02-05:002014-04-05T11:30:02-05:00Cubs vs. Phillies Preview, Saturday 4/5, 1:20 CT
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<figcaption>Jonathan Daniel</figcaption>
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<p>The Cubs still seek their first Wrigley Field win of 2014.</p> <p>Instead of a preview of this game, I recommend you all read <a href="http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/10716365/mlb-long-sad-history-managing-chicago-cubs" target="_blank">this very long ESPN.com article</a> about the history of Cubs managers. It contains quotes from several recent occupants of that job, up to and including Dale Sveum. There's good advice in there for Rick Renteria, including this from Joe Amalfitano, who managed a couple of Cubs teams that were about as bad as the 2014 edition is likely going to be:</p>
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<pre>"Nobody really cares what I think, but since you're asking, here is what I would tell Rick Renteria. On one of your first days at Wrigley, get there very early, and take your cup of coffee and your fielding charts and your books out to the dugout. Then sit there, and every once in a while, look up from your homework to see the place come alive. The grounds crew will get there first, and then the clubhouse guys and the security and concessions people, and then the pitchers will come out of the tunnel for batting practice, and the media will start to gather. Sit there in that dugout until it's 1 o'clock and there are 30,000 people cheering in the seats. If he does that, he'll realize just how fortunate he is. And that will make the job easier."</pre>
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<p>Amalfitano was a good baseball man who was a bit over his head as a manager; he later was a third-base coach for decades for the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a>. Good advice, I think.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Cubs</a> lineup:</p>
<blockquote>
<pre>Bonifacio CF, Castro, SS, Ruggiano RF, Rizzo 1B, Lake LF, Olt 3B, Castillo C, Barney 2B, Samardzija P</pre>
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<p>The all-right-handed lineup vs. a LHP (except for <span>Anthony Rizzo</span>).</p>
<p>Phillies lineup:</p>
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<pre>Revere CF, Rollins SS, Utley 2B, Howard 1B, Byrd RF, Brown LF, Nieves C, Asche 3B, Lee P</pre>
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<h2><i>Today's Starting Pitchers</i></h2>
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<a target="newwindow" href="http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/8281"><img alt="Jeff Samardzija" src="http://cdn1.vox-cdn.com/assets/4244209/samardzijaheadshot.jpg" border="1" height="480" width="320"></a><br><a target="newwindow" href="http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/8281"> <center>
<h2>Jeff Samardzija</h2>
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<h2>Cubs</h2>
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<td align="center" width="10%">vs.</td>
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<a target="newwindow" href="http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/7026"><img alt="Cliff Lee" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/3119217/clifflee.jpg" border="1" height="480" width="320"></a><br><a target="newwindow" href="http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/7026">
<h2>Cliff Lee</h2>
</a> <br><h2>Phillies</h2>
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<td class="yspscores" align="center"><center> <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/bvsp?playerId=29166" target="newwindow">
<h2>vs. Sox</h2>
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<td class="yspscores" align="center"><a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/bvsp?playerId=5353" target="newwindow">
<h2>vs. Cubs</h2>
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<p><span>Jeff Samardzija</span> threw very well in Pittsburgh in his first 2014 start, not that it led to a win or anything. He faced the Phillies once in 2013. <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/PHI/PHI201308080.shtml" target="_blank">You really don't want to look.</a> (Don't say I didn't warn you.) Part of the result of that game: current Phillies are hitting .300 (18-for-60) against him.</p>
<p>Oddly enough, current Cubs are hitting even better against <span>Cliff Lee</span> -- .308 (16-for-52). A lot of that is <span>Justin Ruggiano</span> (4-for-10, three doubles). <span>Starlin Castro</span> has homered off Lee in the past. Lee got absolutely pounded in <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/TEX/TEX201403310.shtml" target="_blank">his first 2014 start</a> against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.lonestarball.com/">Rangers</a>. Perhaps we're not doomed today after all.</p>
<p>Today's game is on CSN Chicago.</p>
<p><a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/mediacenter/index.jsp?ymd=20130401#date=4/5/2014" target="_blank">Here is the complete MLB.com Mediacenter for today.</a></p>
<p><a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2014_04_05_phimlb_chnmlb_1&mode=gameday" target="_blank">MLB.com Gameday</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/previews/CHC.shtml" target="_blank">Baseball-reference.com game preview</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/events/159999/pregame" target="_blank">SB Nation game preview</a></p>
<p>Please visit our SB Nation <a href="https://www.thegoodphight.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Phillies</a> site <a href="http://www.thegoodphight.com/" target="_blank">The Good Phight</a>.</p>
<p>For 2014, we are going to have the same game-thread routine as 2013. Here's how it works.</p>
<p>You'll find the game preview -- like this one -- posting as the first link in the StoryStreamâ„¢, which will then contain all the overflow threads and the recap. The recap will also be on the front page as a separate post; once I post a game recap, the stream for each game will be retitled "Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of Week) Game Threads" so you can go back and find every thread related to that particular game.</p>
<p>In general, game previews will post two hours before game time. Exception: for day games after night games, that will usually be 90 minutes.</p>
<p>You will also be able to find the First Pitch Thread and all the overflow threads in the box marked "<a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/">Chicago Cubs</a> Game Threads" at the bottom of the front page (<a href="http://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/game-threads">you can also find them in this section link</a>). They will also appear in this StoryStreamâ„¢. As I've done for each regular-season game for several years now, we'll have the First Pitch thread at five minutes before game time (moved up from actual game time per your requests), then an overflow one hour, two hours and 2:45 after game time.</p>
<p>Discuss amongst yourselves.</p>
https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2014/4/5/5574440/chicago-cubs-philadelphia-phillies-preview-saturdayAl Yellon