Morning after thoughts

[windycityfan]

Every observation about last night's game should start with the offense (or lack thereof). Keeping Zambrano wouldn't have won it, regardless of how many more scoreless innings he'd have pitched.

 

1-19 with RISP overall and 1-20 top 5 hitters with 8 K's. No matter how you slice it, this ain't going to cut it. Marmol blew it, but the lack of offense was the story.

 

Lastly, I think a lot of fans really hopped on the sweep bandwagon. I never really believed it was going to happen. This being the case, I'd rather had a guaranteed Zambrano as the starter in Game 4 - otherwise, we had no chance.

 

I'm so upset I barely slept, however.

[anabiono]

i was pretty pissed off...it took about 7 innings for me to get there though...when they didn't do jack in the 7th...then i punched the couch and yelled some "friendly" words and phrases...

 

strangely though, i was in a pretty chipper mood once the final out was recorded...and i am still in a pretty good mood today...

 

i am still trying to figure out why and how exactly, but i have a good feeling about tonight

 

murton should be in RF tonight correct?

[Derwood]

it's hard to get too worked up when we've seen that exact game about 60 times this year

[PrimeTime]

I wasn't to sure we were gonna win last night gonig against Webb, but if we did,I think we'd have the series for sure..I don't like how Z got pulled thta early.Lou needs to worry about this game in front of him, not game 4..You can tell Marmol was nervous,I had a bad feeling before he even got in there. I would've put Wood in. Tonight is a must win.If we don't,were down 2-0 and have to win 3 in a row..Im gunna be worried if we lose it tonight.I beleive we'll take it tonight though

[beersoakedivy]

Top five in the order going 1-22 is the reason for this loss...no doubt about it. Too many missed opportunities. The one thing that frustrates me the most is that the CUBS had a chance to steal one on the road with Webb on the mound and they failed to do so.

[C.C.]

I'm hung-over. Bad.

 

It's simple. Unless we score runs, we are going to lose.

[cl smooth]

too many first-pitch swings by the cubs which resulted into outs, which has been the mantra of the cubs since i was a wee lad. i knew after the 6th or so that the cubs were not going to pull out a win by the at-bats they were showing. webb was good, not great. zambrano impressed me and lou's call to pull him was correct. cubs could've had koufax in his prime pitching last night and they still would have lost with the lack of plate discipline they showed. cubs need to take more pitches tonight and lilly has to shut down the dbacks. commen sense, eh? of course. go cubs.

[hardcorecubfan]

I was disapointed that D. Lee didn't at least run as hard as he could to first on the third strike. His speed would have gotten him there if he would have payed attention. why didn't Lee tag up from second on the drive by Floyd, the RF didn't have that great of an arm.

[rawaction]

Why put Wood in? I understand he's pitched well lately, but Marmol has pitched well all year. His role all year has been as a 7th inning pitcher in close games. How can anyone justify changing his role this late in the season, when it has been so successful? He was gonna get into a close game this series, regardless. He was gonna be nervous either way. Might as well get it out of the way early.

 

I probably would have thrown Zambrano 1 more inning, but I had no problem with him bringing in Marmol. If had a bet, I would have placed it on Marmol having a scoreless 7th over Z.

[Banedon]

I've said this elsewhere, but I'll say it again. If you were gonna pull Z anyway in the 7th, please PH Ward for him in the 6th with the bases loaded instead.

[CUBZ99]

The most frustrating thing about the loss last night, was the Cubs approach at the plate. Zambrano was pitching his tail off, and the hitters did not have their head in the game. There were at least two times that the Cubs had a runner at 2B with no outs and they failed to execute. Instead of moving the runner over, they were swinging for the fences and striking out in key situations. I was really not suprised, as that has been their MO all year long.

 

Lets hope that their approach works better against Davis and Co.

[UMFan83]

Every observation about last night's game should start with the offense (or lack thereof). Keeping Zambrano wouldn't have won it, regardless of how many more scoreless innings he'd have pitched.

 

1-19 with RISP overall and 1-20 top 5 hitters with 8 K's. No matter how you slice it, this ain't going to cut it. Marmol blew it, but the lack of offense was the story.

 

Lastly, I think a lot of fans really hopped on the sweep bandwagon. I never really believed it was going to happen. This being the case, I'd rather had a guaranteed Zambrano as the starter in Game 4 - otherwise, we had no chance.

 

I'm so upset I barely slept, however.

 

You can't say that we wouldn't have won it either way if we kept Zambrano in. Perhaps if Z throws 2 more shutout innings, our hitters approaches at the plate change. Perhaps different relievers are put in. But overall you are right, the hitting was poor all night (albeit to great pitchers). Nothing to lose sleep over though...we have the upperhand in matchups the next 3 games. Just win today and all the sudden it is a best of 3.

[windycityfan]

I was disapointed that D. Lee didn't at least run as hard as he could to first on the third strike. His speed would have gotten him there if he would have payed attention.

 

He was undressed in that at bat. He lost his composure.

 

Speaking of at bats, would Soriano ever swing at the right first pitch? Valverde's first heater right down the pipe was the good one. Of course, he became selective after 4 failed at bats. ](*,)

[Banedon]

The most frustrating thing about the loss last night, was the Cubs approach at the plate. Zambrano was pitching his tail off, and the hitters did not have their head in the game. There were at least two times that the Cubs had a runner at 2B with no outs and they failed to execute. Instead of moving the runner over, they were swinging for the fences and striking out in key situations. I was really not suprised, as that has been their MO all year long.

 

Lets hope that their approach works better against Davis and Co.

 

Yeah, that's exactly the Cubs approach all year. They're feast or famine...either it works really well and they do great, or games like last night happen. Hopefully the former is what we can expect tonight.

[C.C.]

I've said this elsewhere, but I'll say it again. If you were gonna pull Z anyway in the 7th, please PH Ward for him in the 6th with the bases loaded instead.

 

Yes! Lou managed a terrible game last night. He really did.

[Mark_R]

She looked good when I took her home....

[CubinNY]

I wish I didn't have that last 3 beers.

[PrimeTime]

I don't feel like working today. I'm kinda hungover on this loss when I shouldn't be since it's only one game going against Webb. All I can think about is tonights game. Tonight is it. We win,we go back home for 2 and have a good chance to take it. We lose, were pretty much done. Im nervous though. But I think we win tonight. Unless are hitters can't hit Davis who shut us down in the regular season.

[anabiono]

how did we do against davis this season...we faced him right??

[windycityfan]

I've said this elsewhere, but I'll say it again. If you were gonna pull Z anyway in the 7th, please PH Ward for him in the 6th with the bases loaded instead.

 

Didn't Z pitch the bottom of the 6th though?

[PrimeTime]

how did we do against davis this season...we faced him right??

 

He shut us down. I think it was like 7IP and 0 or 1 runs we did agaisnt him

[Brendan]

I wasn't to sure we were gonna win last night gonig against Webb, but if we did,I think we'd have the series for sure..I don't like how Z got pulled thta early.Lou needs to worry about this game in front of him, not game 4..You can tell Marmol was nervous,I had a bad feeling before he even got in there. I would've put Wood in. Tonight is a must win.If we don't,were down 2-0 and have to win 3 in a row..Im gunna be worried if we lose it tonight.I beleive we'll take it tonight though

 

i told my girlfriend that after i saw marMOL's first slider.

[windycityfan]

He shut us down. I think it was like 7IP and 0 or 1 runs we did agaisnt him

 

 

:shock: Are you being sarcastic? Honest question. Please say you are.

[Banedon]

I've said this elsewhere, but I'll say it again. If you were gonna pull Z anyway in the 7th, please PH Ward for him in the 6th with the bases loaded instead.

 

Didn't Z pitch the bottom of the 6th though?

 

Yep. But if you are confident enough in your bullpen to pitch 3 innings, why not 4? That one inning of Z wasn't worth not getting runs agains Webb in that situation.

 

If you want to keep Z in, that's fine, but keep him in longer than one more inning.

[rawaction]

I've said this elsewhere, but I'll say it again. If you were gonna pull Z anyway in the 7th, please PH Ward for him in the 6th with the bases loaded instead.

 

Yes! Lou managed a terrible game last night. He really did.

 

I don't agree with pinch-hitting there. There were 2 outs. Still need a big 2-out hit. Webb had control issues in the inning, but I think it was more of a case of pitching around Derosa and Soto. Granted, I would have thrown Z 1 more inning, but I hate wasting PH w/ 2 outs. Chances to score aren't that great even w/ the bases loaded.