Cubs sweep Astros, Bonds comes to town next
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by Silencer76
The Chicago Cubs continued their hot play even after the All Star Break.
Even after Jason Marquis sunk the Cubs into a 5 run hole after an inning and a half at Wrigley Sunday, the North Siders refused to give in. A six run second, whose scoring started on a RBI single by recently recalled Geovany Soto, propelled the Cubs from down 5-0 to up 6-5 seemingly in the blink of an eye. After not going deep in ten games before a Soriano blast off Houston ace Roy Oswalt in the Cubs 9-3 rout Saturday, the Cubs tagged three into the bleachers Sunday.
Angel Pagan followed Soto's run scoring hit with a 2 run bomb into the left center field bleachers. After Marquis and Ryan Theriot contributed base hits, Wandy Rodriguez misplayed a comebacker by Mike Fontenot that may have gotten him out of the inning, leaving two on and two out.
Enter Derrek Lee.
Lee had not homered since June 3, and had just six long balls to his credit on the year. Yet, with his team trailing by two, he got just enough of a Rodriguez pitch to deposit it into the seats making it 6-5.
Marquis gave the lead back on a solo homer to Mike Lamb in the third, but once again, the Cubs defense kept them in it. Carlos Lee smoked a liner with two out and two on in the fourth that Aramis Ramirez made a diving spear on, and the momentum seemed to carry the club. Theriot tagged a solo homer in the bottom of the inning, and then it was the battle of the bullpens.
Scott Eyre got the first two outs of the fifth before giving up a hit and a walk. Carlos Marmol, he of the now 0.88 ERA, got the last out of the fifth, and retired the side in the sixth. Will Ohman got two outs in the seventh, but departed with runners on second and third. Michael Wuertz, who gave up 2 of the 3 Houston runs on Saturday, gave up a walk to load the bases, then fanned Chris Burke on a 3-2 slider to end the threat. He then retired the Astros in order in the eighth, with Bob Howry closing the deal for his fifth save. All told, five Cubs relievers tossed five scoreless frames, allowing three hits, three walks and striking out five.
The second half started well, as Carlos Zambrano rebounded from his defeat at the hands of the Pirates in the final game before the break with 6 2/3 innings of three hit shutout ball, and even was 2 for 3 at the dish with an RBI as the Cubs blanked the 'Stros 6-0. Ted Lily was dominant Saturday, shutting down Houston after a first inning run that was helped by a swirling wind and Cliff Floyd injuring his shoulder on a Burke triple.
The sweep of Houston at Wrigley was the Cubs first of the Astros in Chicago since 1984...coincidentally a division title year for the team from the North Side.
They stand just three and a half games back of division leading Milwaukee, and are only getting healthier. Ryan Dempster is due back within the week from his strained oblique, Kerry Wood and Wade Miller are on rehab assignments, and will certainly bolster the bullpen with fresh, proven arms. Add the fact that the Cubs have a plethora of outfield talent, with Pie and Murton still down in Iowa, and things are looking good. The team is 15-4 in their last 19, 25-12 since June 3, and four games above .500 for the first time all year. For a team that won just 66 ballgames a year ago, Lou Piniella has found the right buttons to push.
Barry Bonds and the Giants come to town for a four game set beginning tonight, and one has to wonder how much he will actually play considering the fact that everyone wants him to hit 756 at Pac Bell Park, not to mention Bonds's proclivity for sitting out day games after night games. Another interesting side story will be seeing how youngsters Matt Cain and Tim Lincecum pitch for the Giants, as Lincecum is still very raw, while Cain has been a hard luck pitcher, 3-9 despite a 3.53 ERA. His task will get no easier, facing Zambrano in the third game of the set.
The Brewers have to be fretting a bit, especially in light of the injury to Ben Sheets, the lack of production from Rickie Weeks, the sudden implosion of Chris Capuano, and a scuffling offense. If things don't change, you may hear Bob Uecker revive a comment from his Major League days..."Well, one run on let's see...one hit...that's all we got, one goddamned hit?" For eight innings Saturday that was all Milwaukee got off Rodrigo Lopez and the pen, before breaking through against ex half the league, Cub included, LaTroy Hawkins in a 2-1 ten inning win.
Win or lose, it would appear that the Central is merely a two horse race, and the Cubs seem to be finding their kick...the key will be keeping it down the stretch and not fading.
