Tag: jeff baker

Gorzelanny, Baker battle the Bucs for win

Tom Gorzelanny just did what was needed by his team. 

Last night, I checked on Zach Duke’s stats, in particular, how he did against the Cubs.  Going into today’s game, he had a 4-6 record against Chicago.  Yet his 3.09 ERA against them was still pretty tasty.  So I figured it was going to be up to Gorzelanny. 

Well, Duke pitched pretty close to his status quo, allowing three runs in 7 plus frames.  But Gorzelanny was up for the task.  The Pirates only scored one run off him in five innings.  Cubs win 3-1!

The big miracle in today’s win was that the Cubs’ bullpen didn’t implode.  Rather, they pitched pretty dang well allowing two hits over the course of four innings with Gregg getting his 23rd save of the season. 

Jeff Baker continues to produce for the Cubbies.  Today, he went 2 for 4 with his second homer of the year.  This one was a solo shot off Duke in the sixth inning.  In the last six games, the Germany-born Baker has fourteen hits.

Hopefully, Geovany Soto is getting back in the groove.  Soto was 1 for 19 in the first two series back from his month-long DL stint (albeit that one hit WAS a homerun).  In the last two games against Pittsburgh, Soto has collected three hits, two of them doubles.  Let’s hope he can find what he had last year.

Tomorrow:  Rich Harden vs Pirates’ Ross Ohlendorf

Cubs at a low point but hey, the Pirates are comin’ to town

I’ll go on record here.  If, god forbid, the Cubs don’t win the NL Central in 2009, the 2010 review mags and books will point to their series with the Philadelphia Phillies in mid-August and call it one of turning points of the season.  A “lowlight” if you will. 

And there would many reasons to do so.

The Cubs extended their losing streak to five games after getting swept by the Phils.  When they lost 4-3 in a heartbreaking 12-inning affair in which Rich Harden was perfect into the sixth and the Cubs outhit the Phils 10 to 3.  And when they were out-slugged 12-5 on Jeff Samardzija’s first career start. 

And today, when Ryan Dempster saw his August ERA go sky high (Kudos to Jeff Baker, though who went 2 for 2 and has 11 hits in his last 5 games).  Today’s rout of 6-1 puts the Cubs at 4.5 back in the NL Central.

No timing, no patience, no luck, and no clutch.

Oh as if the players weren’t having a tough enough time, who invited this fan into the park??

God, this kind of stuff puts me in a bad mood.  There’s nothing anyone can say  (including “I was drunk”) that excuses this.kind of behavior.  If you can’t treat people with decency, then stay home.  Chicago, the Cubs, and baseball doesn’t need need to make the news for this kind of crap.

But all will be fine again.  Word has it Ted Lilly is ready to come back on Monday after his surgery.  He threw five scoreless innings in Peoria A ball. 

And this weekend, the Pirates are coming to town.  This year, they’ve gone 4-2 against them.  The last three years?  Same ratio… 26-13. 

So say it loud, Cub fans, The Pirates are comin’ to town and all will be fine again! 

Rejoice!