4/13 Reds (Harang) @ Cubs (Big Z!) 1:20 CSN / XM188

[soapy]

Theriot at 3B and Cedeno at 2B

 

Aramis is seeing a hand specialist because a chronic wrist problem caused swelling last night.

 

DeRosa has a sore back.

 

gotta love seeing the word "chronic" in there. :evil:

[98navigator]

Zambrano has to pitch well today. Not only does he need to be the "stopper" he also has to help to quell any internal concerns that may exist about injuries. Winning today will go a long way to settle down anyone on the team who may secretly be fearful that the they can't win without Aramis in the lineup. It's time for the Ace to be great today. I'd like to see him pull a "Harang" and not give up more than 1 run in this game.

 

On another note, Aramis' big bat will be missed, today, in the middle of the order but adjustments to the lineup can be made. I'm not jumping to the conclusion that Aramis' injury is serious. However, if he is lost for any period of time, this team should still have enough offense.

 

EDIT: Harang didn't allow any ERs in that first game against the Cubs. It would be nice to turn the tables.

Edited April 13, 2007 by 98navigator

[abuck1220]

i don't think the cubs have enough offense w/o ramirez.

[Balsa]

Great....This is starting well.

 

WE NEED TO WIN SOME GAMES AGAINST THE CENTRAL

 

ARGGHGHGH

 

:x

[98navigator]

i don't think the cubs have enough offense w/o ramirez.

 

I do. Obviously, it takes away some of their power but unlike last year, when DLee went down, they have other power bats on the team. There will be a larger burden on the pitching staff and the offense without him but it can be done.

[obcubs]

i wonder if soriano will move down in the order with Ramirez out....

[98navigator]

My guess is the Cubs are going to leave Soriano in the leadoff spot. They may chose to bat Murton 3 and DLee 4 or keep Lee in the third spot with Floyd at cleanup (and Barrett behind him).

[pitchcs]

I'll go with:

 

Soriano - CF

Theriot - 3B

Lee - 1B

Floyd - LF

Barrett - C

Jones - RF

Cedeno - 2B

Izturis - SS

 

Yuck!

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

Game Notes

 

The Cubs, who are looking to snap a 3-game losing streak, play their third home game of the season today vs. Cincinnati … Chicago, currently 0-2 at home, last dropped their first three home games to start a season in 1997 … that year, Chicago went 0-6 in their first homestand, April 8-16, against Florida (0-2), Atlanta (0-2) and Colorado (0-2).

 

After batting .271 and averaging 4.3 runs in six road games to start the season, the Cubs have hit just .212 and averaged 2.5 runs over their first two games at home.

 

Today’s pitching match-up features a re-match of the Cubs’ 2006 and 2007 Opening Day contests as Chicago’s Carlos Zambrano will face fellow right-hander Aaron Harang.

This will be the first time the two have faced each other in a non-Opening Day regular season game … both pitchers did not figure in the decision in Chicago’s 16-7 2006 Opening Day win … this season, Harang earned the win – and Zambrano the loss – in the Reds’ 5-1 Opening Day victory in Cincinnati.

 

 

Zambrano has faced Harang’s teammate, lefty Eric Milton, five times since the start of the 2005 season.

 

The Cubs are in the third game (0-2) of a stretch that sees them play 13 of 15 games at Wrigley Field … Chicago is in the third game of an seven-game homestand against Houston (0-2), Cincinnati (3 games) and San Diego (2 games).

 

 

Following this homestand, the Cubs have a brief, two-game series in Atlanta, April 18-19, followed by a six-game homestand against St. Louis (3 games) and Milwaukee (3 games), April 20-25.

Overall, 19 of the Cubs’ first 23 games this season are against NL Central opponents.

[soapy]

i wonder if soriano will move down in the order with Ramirez out....

 

I was thinking about that as well. Maybe this is an oppurtunity for Lou to mix things up. I might go:

 

Theriot

Murton

Soriano

Lee

Jones

Barrett

Cedeno

Izturis

 

I'm sure this won't happen, but it might be worth a shot.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

More from the notes.

 

Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez both have eight-game hitting streaks to start the 2007 campaign.

 

Ramirez has a 14-game hitting streak dating back to last season … he hit safely in his final six games of 2006, batting .333 (8-for-24) from September 23-October 1 … the current 14-game hitting streak, in which he’s batting .375 (21-for-56), is his sixth career double-digit hitting streak.

 

The Cubs have scored 31 runs over eight games this season, and over half of those runs have come in the sixth inning or later.

 

Chicago has scored 18 runs in the sixth inning or later – that’s 58.1-percent of the team’s total runs … the Cubs have scored 9 sixth-inning runs, their most productive frame this season.

 

The Cubs and Reds will meet 18 times this season … the two clubs kicked off the 2007 season with a 3-game set in Cincinnati, April 2-5 … after this current 3-game set, the clubs will not meet again until July 27-29, when the Cubs head to the Great American Ball Park … the Reds again visit Wrigley Field August 14-16 and September 17-19.

2007 Overall: ............................................1-2

At Wrigley Field: ....................................0-0

At Great American Ball Park: ...................1-2

2006 Overall: ...........................................10-9

At Wrigley Field: ....................................5-4

At Great American Ball Park: ...................5-5

All-Time Since 1890: ....................1,059-1,033

At Wrigley Field: .............................417-392

At GABP (since 2003): .........................18-18

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

And even more from the notes.

 

Today’s Cubs starter Carlos Zambrano has been involved in some good pitching duels against the Reds, but one of his best outings came against current Chicago closer, Ryan Dempster.

 

On June 17, 2003, Zambrano opposed Dempster, who started for the Reds from 2002-03, at the Great American Ball Park … both Zambrano (8.0 IP) and Dempster (7.0 IP) allowed just 1 run while tallying 7 strikeouts apiece.

 

Neither pitcher received a decision in the 2-1 Reds victory … with the game tied 1-1 in the 10th, Sean Casey hit a game-winning double off Todd Wellemeyer that scored Wily Mo Pena for the victory.

 

UPCOMING SERIES INFORMATION

Date Opp. Time (CT) TV Radio Probable Pitchers

Fri., April 13 CIN 1:20 p.m. CSN WGN-Radio RHP Carlos Zambrano (1-1, 6.00) vs. RHP Aaron Harang (2-0, 3.55)

Sat., April 14 CIN 12:05 p.m. CSN WGN-Radio LHP Rich Hill (1-0, 1.29) vs. RHP Bronson Arroyo (0-1, 3.86)

Sun., April 15 CIN 1:20 p.m. WGN WGN-Radio LHP Ted Lilly (1-0, 2.77) vs. RHP Kyle Lohse (0-0, 4.05)

 

Carlos, who turns 26 on June 1, makes his third start of the season and is looking for his second straight win … he made his third straight Opening Day start April 2 in Cincinnati but was tagged with the 5-1 loss before winning his last start, April 7 in Milwaukee. ©

Owns a 65-43 career record with a 3.32 ERA (365 ER/989.0 IP) in 169 games (148 starts).

 

His 65 wins are the most by any Major League pitcher currently 25 or under … Dontrelle Willis is second with 60 wins while Jake Peavy is third with 58.

 

The right-hander was the Cubs’ lone representative for the 2006 All-Star Game in Pittsburgh … it marked the second time he’s been named to the National League All-Star Team (also 2004).

 

Zambrano did not pitch in the 2006 Mid-Summer Classic.

 

Zambrano was signed by the Cubs as a non-drafted free agent in July 1997 … he rose through the farm system, reaching the Majors as a 20-year-old in 2001.

 

Has recorded 7.96 strikeouts per 9.0 innings pitched as a starter … that ranks fourth-highest all-time among Cubs starting pitchers (min. 500.0 IP) … Mark Prior is first with a 10.37 mark, followed by Kerry Wood (10.36) and Matt Clement (8.82).

 

His 10 career home runs rank fourth-most among Cubs pitchers in franchise history while his six dingers in 2006 tied Fergie Jenkins (in 1971) for the single-season record by a Cubs pitcher.

 

Pitched for Venezuela in the inaugural World Baseball Classic in 2006, going 1-0 with a 5.40 ERA (4 ER/6.2 IP) in two games, one start.

[Sammy Sofa]

Hey, one year and a day since Lee when down with his wrist "issues," right? And Nomar's groin exploding exactly one year before that? Good to see things are on schedule.

[Moonlight Graham]

Theriot at 3B and Cedeno at 2B

 

Aramis is seeing a hand specialist because a chronic wrist problem caused swelling last night.

 

DeRosa has a sore back.

 

And it Begins.

[98navigator]

In related sports news, The Score is apparently having some problems. There has been dead air on their dial for over 5 minutes.

[Bull]

Do I win if Lou never gets ejected? (Never submitted an entry.)

 

No, if he doesn't get ejected at all this year I win-that's what I chose.

 

Yeah.. and that's probably the best bet.

 

It's the safest one. Not the best one. Mine's the best bet. :wink:

 

If anyone ever gives you 10,000 to 1 odds on ANYTHING.....you. take. it.

 

If John Mellencamp ever wins a grammy, you're looking at a very wealthy man.

[BeerHere]

Do I win if Lou never gets ejected? (Never submitted an entry.)

 

No, if he doesn't get ejected at all this year I win-that's what I chose.

 

Yeah.. and that's probably the best bet.

 

It's the safest one. Not the best one. Mine's the best bet. :wink:

 

If anyone ever gives you 10,000 to 1 odds on ANYTHING.....you. take. it.

 

If John Mellencamp ever wins a grammy, you're looking at a very wealthy man.

 

I love The Office.

 

Dude bit a raw potato and never noticed

[Moonlight Graham]

In related sports news, The Score is apparently having some problems. There has been dead air on their dial for over 5 minutes.

 

Murph is back on. I wish it was dead air.

[BeerHere]

In related sports news, The Score is apparently having some problems. There has been dead air on their dial for over 5 minutes.

 

Murph is back on. I wish it was dead air.

 

Who is this Murph character that you speak of? And why is he any different than dead air?

[Mark_R]

Lineups were announced on ESPN about an hour ago:

 

Soriano- CF

Theriot - 3B

Jones- RF

Lee- 1B

Barrett- C

Floyd- LF

Cedeno- 2B

Izturis- SS

Zambrano

[98navigator]

In related sports news, The Score is apparently having some problems. There has been dead air on their dial for over 5 minutes.

 

Murph is back on. I wish it was dead air.

 

LOL, yeah I hear. They were off the air for 13 minutes.

[illiniguy]

Do I win if Lou never gets ejected? (Never submitted an entry.)

 

No, if he doesn't get ejected at all this year I win-that's what I chose.

 

Yeah.. and that's probably the best bet.

 

It's the safest one. Not the best one. Mine's the best bet. :wink:

 

If anyone ever gives you 10,000 to 1 odds on ANYTHING.....you. take. it.

 

If John Mellencamp ever wins a grammy, you're looking at a very wealthy man.

 

I love The Office.

 

Dude bit a raw potato and never noticed

Wasn't it oscar?

[E.J.]

Lineups were announced on ESPN about an hour ago:

 

Soriano- CF

Theriot - 3B

Jones- RF

Lee- 1B

Barrett- C

Floyd- LF

Cedeno- 2B

Izturis- SS

Zambrano

 

Poor Murton...

[Moonlight Graham]

Lineups were announced on ESPN about an hour ago:

 

Soriano- CF

Theriot - 3B

Jones- RF

Lee- 1B

Barrett- C

Floyd- LF

Cedeno- 2B

Izturis- SS

Zambrano

 

Can we bump Z up to 7th?

[illiniguy]

I don't have a great feeling about this one.