The Shark part Two- The Pirates Revenge
There’s big bats in the Cubs lineup. Alfonso Soriano, Starlin Castro, Anthony Rizzo, Nate Shierholtz, David Dejesus and Darwin Barney. All Stars and Golden Glove winners.
None of them were to be found last night. Wellington Castillo, Julio Borbon and Cody Ransom got the only hits in yesterdays 1-0 drubbing by the Pittsburgh Pirates.
“That’s (the same old) song and dance,” Dale Sveum said. “We get people on. We just can’t get ‘em in.”
I think he’s mad.
Were they afraid of the water? or were they just sitting back enjoying A Shark chewing up some Pirates. Jeff Samardzija proved himself again. The Shark went seven innings and struck out eight. A great night’s work. Now, if everyone else showed up for work.
“That’s just electric stuff,” Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said of Samardzija. “He’s definitely been hard on us and to score early in the first and to only have two opportunities the rest of the game … and for them, the third inning, with the bases loaded, was the difference.”
It was those “Big Bats” that were afraid of the water in the third inning that kept the Cubs off of the scoreboard. A strikeout here, a pop up there, I might be a nice guy and I firmly stand on the side of the optimists out there, but one of the fundamentals in the game is to hit the ball, land on base, run the base and score. Yes, it’s that easy and the Cubs will remain at the bottom of the NL Central until they can find a way to get those guys on base and home.
“Early on we made some dumb mistakes that cost us big time,” Anthony Rizzo said. “We’ve been in close games all year. Now it’s about scratching runs across and keeping the lead.”
The Cubs try to get things going this afternoon and salvage something against the Pirates. Game time is 12:30 eastern. Edwin Jackson gets the ball.
—Mark
Pirates Spoil Matt Garza’s Return
Matt Garza’s return last night created a lot of excitement for Cubs fans everywhere. It was looking good through four innings and perhaps there was a no hitter in the cards for him, but Andrew McCutchen landed on base, spoiling that. The pirates went on to defeat the Cubs 5-4
Then it happened.
Travis Snider walloped a grand slam in the sixth inning off of Shawn Camp and taking the lead 5-3.
The Cubs came within one run in the ninth and was turning into a rally for them, but things came up short when Anthony Rizzo, who was having an unusually off night, struck out swinging.
In all fairness, it was bad luck that the Cubs lost a 3-0 lead going into the sixth. I think part of baseball is those games where everything can be going right and all the momentum is shifting in the right direction, but it takes one pitch to change everything.
The positives to take from last nights gut wrenching loss is again, a pitcher lands on base. Matt Garza hits a double in the second inning to drive Wellington Castillo and Darwin Barney home that gave the Cubs a 3-0 lead.
“Two of our runs were driven in by a pitcher,” Dale Sveum said. “We have to be better and score runs and get those big hits and bust games open.”
Hector Rondon came in for Matt Garza in the sixth inning. maybe it was to ease him in slowly, who knows?
“I had a little nerves that I had to fight off early,” Garza said. “I was disappointed I didn’t go deeper. I don’t like coming out in the fifth. That’s not what I train for, that’s not what I strive to do. It is what it is — I felt great being back out there, but it [stinks] the way it ended.”
You’ll always get the naysayers who scream about, “How can they blow that lead?” but Matt Garza did everything right. In fact, he was down right filthy on the mound.
Baseball isn’t like hockey where a team can out play the opposing team and still get the loss. Baseball has that uniqueness to it that through carefully crafted plays and strategy, that one play can change everything.
There’s always the ninth inning. Other sports, you’re on the clock.
Welcome back Matt Garza, we missed you.
Game time is 7:05 pm eastern.
The Cubs Statistical Breakdown
Here’s a look at the Cubs season so far with some statistics. This is overall in the NL and AL
HITTING
The Cubs are sitting in the 17th spot in the majors in the hitting column. It’s no secret that guys like Anthony Rizzo and Nate Schierholtz are putting the pop to their bats, but it’s also the pitching staff that has made it on base as well. Great job, guys!
PITCHING
The Cubs are in the top ten when it comes to pitching. Their rotation is nothing short of incredible. Working both sides of the plate, these guys have a combined ERA of 3.67. Way to go!!!
FIELDING
If there is any weakness in the Cubs hide, it’s fielding. The Cubs are scraping the bottom in this category in the 28th spot.
HOME RUNS
This is a category that’s pretty cool with the Cubs this year. They’re third in the National League and that’s no surprise. Anthony Rizzo is tied for fifth in Home Runs and that’s pretty cool. Way Cool!!!
STOLEN BASES
The Cubs are in a four way tie in stolen bases with 29. Why is this an important stat? Because you’re that much more closer to scoring. Plus, I love the stolen bases. Makes it exciting.
SECOND BASE
Well, here’s a kicker of a stat. The Cubs are first in this spot. That’s right folks, we’re number 1! The Cubs lead the league with 101 times on 2nd base. So, why aren’t they higher in the standings?
RUNS
The Cubs are 24th overall in runs. Which means that they can get on base, hell bash that sucker out of there at times, but they’re getting help with—
RBI
Yup, 24th in the league here too. Which makes sense. The Cubs can get on base but have such a hard time driving in runs.
WALKS
The Cubs are in the bottom of the barrel here. Sitting in last place here, the Cubs aren’t drawing the walks.
So, these stats are the sign of a young team. They’ve got the pitching and the power but still are impatient when it comes to base running and plate work.
This will come in time and proves to this fan anyways that the Cubs will be an exciting team in two years. Ok, I’ll give em’ next year.
Theo Epstein and his staff are doing a great job with this team. Dale Sveum and his crew–Two Thumbs Up! The Cubs are going to plan.
At least we’re not the Brewers.
—Mark
Cubs Take it On The Chin
Fans cheer on their ace, Travis Wood after he clubs his two run shot
The Cubs are suffering the ,”Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda” Blues this morning after a tough loss to the NY Mets 4-3 yesterday.
Again, it was the Cubs pitching staff that came through for them yesterday when Travis Wood worked his magic on both sides of the plate. Travis Wood knocked a two run home run in the fifth inning.
“We struck out twice with guys on third base and [one out], so those kinds of things come back to haunt you,” manager Dale Sveum said.
Yes, they did come back to haunt the Cubs, who were leading most of the game, but couldn’t hang on for the win.
It’s ironic though, that it was Travis Wood that would have put the Cubs in the win column, but it was Travis Wood that released that now infamous ugly pitch in the eighth inning to Juan Legares and watched the ball being crushed into the stands.
“As soon as it left the hand, I didn’t like it,” Wood said of the fat pitch Juan Lagares deposited into the left-field bleachers for a two-run homer to tie the game. “I was hoping he would pop it up or something, but he didn’t.”
Cubs catcher, Wellington Castillo had a great game going 2-4. I tell ya, the Duke is going to be around when the Cubs make it to the World Series.
So, the Cubs played extremely well yesterday, but ran out of luck towards the end.
Sure, it counts as a loss in the standings, but I think they’re coming together and are turning into a tough team to beat.
“We had a chance to break that game open in different situations,” Dale Sveum said. “From the dugout (Sweeney) looked out, and the replay … it was maybe a tie. We took some bad turns around the bases.”
That my friends, is baseball.
An off day today before the Cubs visit beautiful Pittsburgh with Matt Garza returning to the mound on Tuesday. Game time is 7:05 eastern.
It’s going to be good.
—Mark
The Fantastic Mr. Feldman
I’ve read somewhere that the Cubs rotation is pretty weak. It hasn’t been in 2013 and it certainly wasn’t bad yesterday as Scott Feldman and the Cubs proved to the New York Mets that they’re for real in an 8-2 victory.
Scott Feldman was fantastic on the mound as well as behind the plate. He knocked out a double in the fourth inning that could have been a home run.
“I got myself into some trouble in the first couple innings, but was able to right the ship at the right time and make a pitch when I needed to,” Feldman said. “After those first couple innings, guys were running down those balls in the outfield and making plays.”
Ah, Scott’s humble too.
The win yesterday improves Scott’s totals to 4-0 for the season. Way to go Scott,”Mr. Fantastic” Feldman.
Has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?
Meanwhile, the newly inked Anthony Rizzo, added to his totals, sending his tenth home run into the bleachers for a souvenir. Nate Schierholtz collected his fifth home run of the season.
Yup folks, the Chicago Cubs are on a roll stretching their record to 18-24. You know what the best part is?
We’re better than the Brewers.
The Cubs finish up with the Mets today, then a break tomorrow before an important three game series with the Pirates starting Tuesday.
Game Time today is at 2;20 eastern.
—Mark
Baseball: It’s Beautiful
The Chicago Cubs can be a frustrating team to follow. They can make you cringe in your seat or scream in ecstasy at a fantastic play. They can put you asleep on the couch before the fifth inning or they can leave you hanging until midnight when you know full well you have to be up early for work.
Chicago Cubs fans know that they haven’t won a World Series since 1908. That’s a long time and the longest drought between championships in professional sports. To put this into perspective, my grandfather was born in 1908 a month and two weeks after the Cubs won the series. My grandfather passed on just over twenty years.
Passionate fans swear that there is a curse. You can blame it on Goats, Cats or just about any other barnyard animal, but the true blame is just on the team. There is no curse, there is no “lovable losers” and someday, they will win it all.
Maybe I’m being too optimistic in their chances, but this is a team that gives me great pleasure watching on a lazy Weekend afternoon in the middle of a scorching July.
I’m here to tell loyal fans of the Cubs. Young and old. Purists and non purists. Baseball is a fantastic game. Families and friends can catch up on old times during the games while sharing a wobbly pop. They can play catch with their kids(I did that just yesterday) and they can share old stories of legendary players of days gone by. In a world sometimes torn by strife and hatred, baseball brings peace.
I’ve never seen the Cubs play. I’ve never been to Wrigley Field, but I hear it’s a hell of place. I’ve never seen them hoist the trophy.
Neither has my grandfather.
—Mark
Shark Attack!
It seems this year it’s all about the pitching. Last night, The Chicago Cubs beat the Colorado Rockies, 6-3. It might as well be the Shark Jeff Samardzija, doing all the damage. Check out what he did:
Popping a two run dinger of a Home Run in the second inning, almost getting a complete game but Jimmy Russell replaced the Shark in the ninth inning but Samardzija collected his first win since opening day. oh yeah, Jeff Samardzija was an all american wide reciever for Notre Dame. Bet you didn’t know that one didn’t you?
“He used the whole four corners of the plate,” Sveum said. “He pitched up, he pitched in, he pitched away, used his slider, used his split, used a lot of cutters tonight. He used his whole repertoire tonight.
Talk about multi tasking–
Then there’s David DeJesus who started the game with a lead off home run. Way to go David, you can fill in a certain reference to the movie Big Lebowski.
You see, I think the key to the Cubs success this season is going to be getting help all around. Not just the money guys like Alfonso Soriano, Starlin Castro or Anthony Rizzo, but David Dejesus(who is so underated on both sides of the plate)Wellington Castillo and Gold Glove winner Darwin Barney.
“We’re playing great baseball and not shooting ourselves in the foot and we’re just looking to keep it going, keep the momentum going that we’ve built up in the last couple weeks,” Samardzija said. “It’s exciting now, it’s exciting in the locker room and fun to play with these guys.”
Ah but there’s the secret right there, you have to have fun with the guys in order to win. When your ace gets a home run, it helps a little bit too.
Does anyone know what the statistic is when a pitcher gets a home run. What is the ratio between wins/losses?
The Cubs have a much deserved day off after collecting their first series win this year at Wrigley before they hosting a weekend series with the New York Mets.
—Mark
Carlos”The Villan” Villanueva Hits Rockies Bottom
The Cubs/Rockies game didn’t go well last night. First off, the Cubs lost 9-4. Carlos “The Villan” Villanueva did not have a great outing, and you know what that means? once Matt Garza gets back, Well, Cubs fans can fill in the blanks.
“Obviously, I have my own opinions,” Villanueva said. “Obviously, a move will be made. A night like tonight didn’t help my cause. I’ll take the ball whenever they need me to. I’d like to contribute and to win as many ballgames as we can. In the end, it really doesn’t matter that much what I think. Whatever happens will happen and they’ll make their decisions. We’re professionals here and we’ll handle it like professionals.”
Hector Rondon came in to replace Villanueva in the sixth inning after giving up seven runs over five.
The good news is Carlos is a great pitcher and I’m sure he’ll find a home in the organization.
“You chalk it up to a bad day at the office. It’s easy when you’re out there to put your head down in a game like today, but for me, it was try to get out of it and try to stay in as long as I could. It’s just a tough day all around.”
Maybe that was just it with last night’s game. it was a tough day at the office, lick your wounds and do it again.
“There wasn’t a whole lot he had tonight,” Sveum said.
I have to give credit to Dale Sveum for keeping The Villan in the game. Sure, it was a tough outing, but it also builds character and this is the time of year to try things out and experiment. Isn’t this the season for the Cubs to do that?
There was a fantastic play by Michael Bowden to ground out Edgmer Escalona. I can’t find a video to show you, but it was an amazing grab!!
The Cubs try to salvage the series tonight at 8:05 eastern before they host the Mets on Friday.
—Mark
No Steep Mountain
The Rockies came to Chicago hoping to take an easy win from the Cubs. That didn’t happen. At all. The Chicago Cubs defeated the Colorado Rockies in a lopsided victory 9-1.
“Thank you for coming out, we hope that Wrigley Field tour was to your satisfaction, tomorrow we’ll show you where our new video board will be placed.”.
The factor that is getting the Cubs these wins and I don’t mind repeating my self is guys like Travis Wood who got the win.
“He’s doing a lot of this without secondary pitches,” Sveum said. “It’s not like he’s throwing a lot of curveballs or changeups. He’s mixing in those pitches and using them when he has to against people who are vulnerable, and able to use both sides of the plate and be aggressive and not walk people and help out with his bat, too.”
The ageless wonder and the Cubs poster boy for excessive spending Alfonso Soriano, is proving that the money is well spent dinged his fourth home run and helping the Cubs win three in a row.
You know, it all starts with Alfonso Soriano, because he is this team’s leader and he’s the one that’s going to help the guys win the World Series. If he’s doing well, it’s going to spread down to the younger guys like Starlin Castro.
“The only thing I think about is that — winning it here,” Starlin Castro said. “It’s going to be unbelievable. That’s why those people (President Theo Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer) are signing people here for multiyear (deals), to be here when the team is competing every season.
With Anthony Rizzo’s signing, Happy Times might be here again. Just in a couple of years.
“Every time we win here and you hear that ‘Go Cubs Go’ song, for me personally I get a vision of going to the playoffs,” Rizzo said. “I think we’re going in the right direction. … We’re not far off right now. We’re going to continue to build and be a powerhouse.”
Ok, it’s a tradition up here to take a jab at the Toronto Maple Leafs. Last night, the Leafs got ousted from the NHL playoffs and because I’m a tried and true Ottawa Senators fan, here goes,
Q: What do the Maple Leafs, Argonauts and Blue Jays all have in common besides being based in Toronto?
A: None of them can play hockey.
Actually, it was a heartbreaking loss. I feel for them, I really do.
The Cubs continue their dominating ways tonight against the Rockies, game time is 8:05 eastern.
—Mark
The Cub Den
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