Interleague play throws all numbers out of whack. Chase Utley sucked vs. Boston. Webb, Halladay and Zambrano sucked this week. I never trust numbers in interleague play.
It's so on! Game thread Pimp is in this b.i. I hate that this series is important now that the Cubs just got swept. Danks is beatable. He has good numbers so far, but he's nothing special. Lefties have hit Danks better than RHs, so I pray that Lou doesn't start the all RH lineup. I'd imagine Fukudome will be in there. I hope Lou doesn't shy away from using Hoffpauir in LF either. Lilly will probably see a completely RH lineup as the Sox only LH hitters are Thome, who hasn't played the field yet this year and AJP, who will probably sit today. Sox are all swinging hot bats, but this ain't the Pirates pitching. Beat them 5 of 6 times last year. They are the same team. Cubs are better. Aramis has great numbers vs. the Sox pitching. I expect big things from him being at home. Derosa will be big in this series. And the White Sox have seen nothing like Kosuke Fukudome.
Really stretching Marshall out tonight. He's thru 8 with 87 pitches. He did give up a solo HR in the 8th though. 8 IP, 4 hits, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 Ks. Interesting stat. 11 outs on the ground, and 7 in the air. Only 1 of those air outs recorded by an OF, and Marshall got 2 doubleplays on balls hit in the air on the infield. 24 outs recorded and 1 left the IF.
If it makes anyone feel better. Cincy, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, soon to be Houston, San Diego, Washington, Toronto and potentially Cleveland have all been swept this week.
Strange. Ramirez has had a good season. Derrek Lee had an amazing April, but the Cubs would be nowhere without the Fukudome, Soto, Derosa in the bottom half of the order (where they've been most of the year)