Homers in the Gloaming

Getty Photo/Jonathan Daniel

Box score.  The Cubs put a huge number up (11 to be precise, for the second game in a row), and take this series against the Astros.

The Cubs absolutely go off in the 3rd against Brandon Backe.  They started the inning down 1-4.  Here’s the play-by-play:

Soriano pops out to 2nd (1 out)
Theriot singles to right
Lee flies out to right (2 outs)
Ramirez walks
Edmonds walks
DeRosa homers (grand slam)
Fukudome doubles
Soto intentionally walks
Marquis doubles (Fukudome scores)
Soriano homers (three-run)
Theriot grounds out (3 outs)

That’s 8 runs scoring with 2 outs, and 11 batters in the inning.  How sweet it was.

AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast

Box score.  After yesterday’s rain-abbreviated loss, try as they might, they just can’t blow their lead permanently, and the Cubs bounce back and win an offensive battle.  Doubles from Lee, DeRosa, Blanco, and Soriano, and a three-run homer from Soriano help put that 11 on the board.  It’s a shame we can’t retroactively apply 3 of these runs to yesterday’s game.

Harden struggles in this one.  He goes 5 2/3, giving up 8 hits and a walk, allows 2 home runs, and 5 runs.  Also, Howry is awful.  Just plain awful.  He goes 1 1/3 in this one, giving up a home run and 2 ER, and certainly doesn’t help his 5.09 ERA.  Marmol does pitch a perfect 9th.  Luckily, the offense bails out the rough pitching, and the Cubs walk away.

The lead is now 5.5 and 6 over the Brewers and Cardinals respectively, until their games this evening.  The Brewers are at the Reds, and the Cardinals host the Dodgers.  Baseball Proesctus’s PECOTA-adjusted system has the Cubs’ odds of making the playoffs at 96.3% (84.3% division champs, 12.1% wild card).  This number will tick up slightly after this game.

The Cubs have improved to 42-16 at Wrigley, 68-46 overall.  They have 23 remaining at home, and 25 on the road.  This includes 6 versus the Brewers, and 9 versus the Cardinals.

Box score.  A wild night in Chicago, but not so much on the ball field.  Tornado warnings, fans evacuated from exposed seats, and sirens blaring in Lakeview lead to this game being delayed just after the top of the 6th got under way.

Amazingly, the game resumed after about a 2 hour 45 minute delay, but was delayed again in the bottom of the 8th.  It was officially called another hour or so later.  Astros win a very frustrating, and late, game.  And Jesus am I getting sick of Bret Favre.

The Brewers lost as well, and the Cardinals had no game, so the Cubs tread water, and remain 5 up on Milwaukee and are 5.5 up on St. Louis.

AP Photo/M. Spencer Green

Dempster went 5, struck out 7, and gave up 2 runs on 5 hits, and a bases loaded walk.  The Cubs just had very little going offensively.  The only hit of note: a “double” from Edmonds on a ball that should’ve been caught in right by Pence.

After the delay, Gaudin pitched an admirable, scoreless 2 innings, but the Cubs still can’t put anything on the board.  DeRosa just missed a 2-run homer.  The game was delayed again in the bottom of the 8th, after lightning was striking close to Wrigley.

Some fisticuffs between Prince Fielder and Manny Parra in the Brewers’ dugout today.  More to come.  Easy big fella.

AP Photo/David J. Phillip

Box score.  The Cubs finally look like the Cubs again today, and let’s hope games like these keep on coming.  Back-to-back doubles from Fukudome and Lee, followed up by an Edmonds single got the Cubs off to a quick start in the 1st.  Fontenot was the offensive star, though, hammering a line-drive solo home run in the 5th, and a two-run double in the 9th, ending up with 3 runs and 3 RBI.

Dempster pitched very well, giving up 6 hits and a walk through 8 shut-out innings, throwing 104 pitches and striking out 7.  He got out of a no-out, bases-loaded jam in the 5th, striking out two and inducing a foul pop.

Marmol pitched a perfect 9th.

Theriot extends his hitting streak to 13 games, which is the Cubs’ longest this year.  If you’re curious, the longest streak by a Cubs shortstop is 21, by Don Kessinger in 1972.

Fukudome breaks out of a bit of a slump, posting a 2-5 with 2 doubles.  Aramis posts an 0-5, and is now 1 for his last 21.

AP Photo/Dave Einsel

Box score.  Not Zambrano’s best outing, giving up 4 ER, 6 hits, and 6 walks in 6 1/3, with just 3 Ks.  He did, however, provide the Cubs’ only run, with a opposite field solo shot.  Gaudin was solid, perfect in 1 2/3 innings of relief, with 2 Ks.

With Big Z’s home run, he moves into first place all-time in home runs for Cubs pitchers, with 14.  Fergie Jenkins hit 13, Claude Passeau hit 12, and Charley Root hit 11.  Big Z is .351/.351/.526 batting on the year.

The Cubs managed to out-hit the Astros 9 to 6, but the Astros out-walked the Cubs 6 to 0.  Ramirez and Soto were each 0-4.

AP Photo/David J. Phillip

Box score.  Just painfully little to report in this game.  An Edmonds solo shot, a Carlos Lee solo shot onto some toy train tracks, and then somehow the Astros scored in the 9th.  Lilly was the tough luck loser, giving up 6 hits and 1 run through 7, with 2 walks and 6 Ks.

Hopefully, Soriano will be back Thursday when the Cubs return home to face the Marlins.  He’s scheduled for a couple of games at rookie-league Mesa and then a AAA game with the Iowa Cubs, who’ll be in Tucson.

Baseball is back in full swing tomorrow, and the Cubs (57-38) head to juicy Minute Maid Park (née Enron Field) to take on the Astros (44-51) for 3.  For your convenience, here are the teams’ stats through the first half.

    G   AB    R    H   2B 3B  HR  RBI  BB  SO   BA    OBP   SLG  SB
CHC 95 3317  507  933 191 12 107  478 384  701  .281  .360  .443 53
HOU 95 3257  414  847 178 10  96  396 280  586  .260  .321  .409 84

    G   ERA   W   L  SV  GS  GF IP     H    R    ER   HR   BB   SO
CHC 95  3.89  57  38 29  95  94 857.3  804  401  371  98  320  707
HOU 95  4.53  44  51 26  95  95 840.0  888  458  423 131  314  611

Well it seems like the Cubs are just… better.  Here are the likely matchups:

• July 18th, Lilly (4.68 ERA, 1.34 WHIP) vs. Moehler (4.28, 1.39)
• July 19th, Zambrano (2.84, 1.23) vs. W. Rodriguez (3.48, 1.28)
• July 20th, Dempster (3.25, 1.18) vs. Backe (4.76, 1.56)

Hopefully Theodore Roosevelt Lilly can show us something on 8 days of rest, like some sweet curveballs.

Unfortunately, we won’t see Soriano back in this series as was once thought.  He should be back before the end of July.