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 One game down....and one game down in the series. I could go on and on about how the Diamondbacks have home field advantage and are supposed to win the games in Arizona, but the Cubs had every chance to win this game but they didn't take advantage of it. Hats off to Arizona though on a very well played game. Outside of an errant throw by third baseman Mark Reynolds, the Dbacks played flawlessly the entire night.
Brandon Webb set the tone for the Diamondbacks with his pure assault on the strike zone. He was not only mixing up his pitches well, but he was mixing up the speed of his pitches. This left Alfonso Soriano, Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez flailing at soft curveballs and hard fastballs all night long when the game was on the line. I've seen Webb pitch a few times now and each time I see him I come away more impressed. The guy is a legit ace and the Dbacks are lucky to have him.
After Webb put the Dbacks in position to succeed, it was Stephen Drew who did most of the damage. Not only did he hit a home run to put them up 1-0, but he made at least three defensive plays that kept the Cubs off the bases including one in the sixth on Ryan Theriot's infield single. By keeping the ball in the infield he kept Mark DeRosa from scoring from second base and kept the game tied 1-1....with Carlos Zambrano coming up to hit. That play very well may have saved the game for the Dbacks because if the Cubs could have somehow taken the lead they might not have looked back.
The Dbacks are good and the Cubs should buckle up and prepare for a fight.
As for the Cubs....there will be some talk about Soriano not bunting after Zambrano's leadoff double in the third inning, but it was still very early in the game and the score was only 1-0. The Cubs haven't really been a bunting team all year long and I think they made the right move by going for the big inning. It's a shame that Webb struck out Soriano, Jacque Jones and Lee....in a row, to end the inning, but you have to try to put pressure on Arizona in that situation. The 'should he bunt' situation came up again in the fifth inning after Theriot reached second base on an error and Zambrano coming up to bat. Even though Zambrano had the one of the two hits to that point in the game he should have been bunting Theriot to third in that situation. With Soriano coming up next he was more likely to drive in Theriot with a sacrifice fly than Zambrano was with a base hit.
Zambrano pitched very well tonight throwing six strong innings while throwing only 85 pitches. He gave up the solo shot to Drew and battled with his control at times, but for the most part he was on his game. The fact that he only threw 85 pitches I guess sets him up for Game 4 but.....I think that in the playoffs you play for today. Who knows what will happen between now and Game 4? I think they should have left him out there as he was cruising along. This is the playoffs, you play one game at a time.
That being said, it's easy for me to say that they should have left Z in the game after Carlos Marmol came in and gave up two runs. I figured Marmol would have some jitters...and that he did. He's a tough kid and I figure he'll come back strong on Thursday Night. Bob Howry came in after Marmol and was throwing extremely hard.
As I noted in my preview, the Dbacks bullpen is solid and it shut down the Cubs and any hope they had at the end of the game. Soriano came up with a chance to tie the game in the 9th, but he struck out and with that the Cubs went down one game in this five game series. If the Cubs want to win this series they are going to need to get ahead of the Dbacks early and often.
A couple of other notes from the game:
- Do the TBS announcers do any research/prep for these games? They repeatedly mispronounced Marmol's name and were late on some of their observations.
- The guy sitting behind home plate was a douchebag the entire game and not just when he had the flashing Cubs sign in the 9th inning. The Cubs get out of Chicago but they still have some joker behind the plate wanting attention.
- It was nice to see Augie Ojeda again even though his double off Marmol led to a run. He was Ryan Theriot before Ryan Theriot came along.
- The Cubs hit the ball hard but right at people. A-Ram flied out twice to the warning track and DeRosa hit the ball hard as well. Keep in mind that a lot of the regulars had the last two games off for the most part so their timing might have been a bit off. Look for them to bounce back in Game 2....which leads me to.....
Ted Lilly takes the mound for the Cubs in Game 2 and again, must throw a gem after a Cubs loss. We all now he was the Cubs stopper during the season and he will be counted on to do so again. Doug Davis is on the hill for the Dbacks and while the Cubs haven't played that well against lefties this season, neither have the Dbacks. I'm looking for a 6-2 Cubs win. It's not time to fret just yet folks.
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16 Comments
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2008 Cubs Preview
I questioned the Zambrano decision myself at first, but 2 factors make it work:
1. Suppose the Cubs win Game 1, lose Game 2, then win Game 3 at home. Then a tired Zambrano takes to the hill for Game 4 at Wrigley, and loses. The Cubs then have to win in Arizona right after their ace got beat. I don't like those chances. Unlike in basketball, I believe that you can steal the second game on the road, not the first where you must face the other team's ace.
2. 91 degree heat? Definitely want to cut down on pitch count
Can you imagine if Soriano flubbed the bunt attempt though? You'd be furious. I can't count how many times you've written about the Cubs lack of bunting skill.
It was nice to hear Steve Stone again during the Sox/Angels games. He's quite a bit larger than the last time I saw him on TV.
Did anyone see Frank Thomas look at the screen one time between games and when they cut back to the studio? Frank was reading straight from a paper on the desk and when he would look up, he didn't look at the camera. Does Fox just call pick people and put them on stage without any prep work or tips/hints of how to be a commentator?
I'm enjoying the Cal Ripken experience. They are letting him explain things (Becketts two and four seam fastball) and showing video backup. They did this Monday night with Peavy and his curveball in the altitude. TBS is doing a good job with him.
Anyone see the story that Mariotti will give you a wake up call on your cell phone with the recap of the late game.
http://www.suntimes.com/sports/baseball/cubs/585343,mariottiwakeup100307.article
I've listened to 5 minutes of the national media on Pinella's decision and that is all I could take. In my opinion, that decision shouldn't have been that important. Did I hear this right in that the Cubs went 1-10 with RISP? That's what loses the game. I'm on the fence with the pitching change. I do agree with the play for today theory but Marmol has been better at his respective role than Z at his throughout the season. Pinella might rolled the dice with that decision and we do not know yet if it paid off. If they are playing Sunday, the gamble paid off because there is a huge gap between Z's skill and Marquis skill (no cards fan that isn't a cue to go Marquis bashing).
McBias is completely correct in his assessment. Z was solid and great but one more inning could have become 20/30 pitches putting him at 105-110. Then his arm would be jello at Wrigley on Sunday. Also, with that 1 for 10 stat...Zambrano could have pitched 20 innings and we then we might have scored 4 runs.
Marmol has been lights out, his ERA is under 1.50 and going to him is fine. Maybe it was jitters from the playoffs, but that baseball was nutted.
Go Cubs. Good luck dealing with the assholes that will try to bring you down.
Lou has been making gutsy calls all season and most times they work out. I think in the playoffs you go for today's game and not the game four days down the road. Still, I don't fault Lou for what he did, like I said, hindsight is 20/20....
buck..I didn't say Soriano should bunt, I actually said the complete opposite.
It's one game....this is going to be a long series
The last thing I'm worrying about in this series is Lou. He's been through this many times. Maybe Z should have stayed in but the cubs didn't hit so it's really moot.
oh, and if I see Frank Caliendo in person I will ask him politely to find another gig and then punch him.
hey, Frank TV is going to change the way you look at television!
maybe John Madden will just snap and drive his RV over him.
AHAHAH! jack thats fucking hilarious. if i see that add one more time im gonna puke.
also, that douche behind homeplate needs to be shot. although, he was trying to screw with valverde, its funny the ump came over to get to the bottom of it. then he dropped and broke his camera.
During the game that guy was sitting there waving....constantly. Where he found the glowing Cubs sign from, I don't know. Very odd situation.
Are we talking about the same douchebag that was standing there in his Nike football dri-fit shirt behind home plate?
yep, that would be him
The guy behind home plate was the mold for 85% of Cubs fans. And I say this in all seriousness. I have nothing against the Cubs, just beef with your fans.
Highlights? Check. Not watching a moment of the game because you're on the phone, waving, or talking to your buddies? Check. Undeserved sense of accomplishment? Check. Complete douchebag? Check.
85% is an awfully large number. I will admit that there are a lot of people who don't know what the heck is going on, but the Cubs do have just as many die-hard, knowledgeable fans as the Red Sox and Yankees.