4/5 Cubs @ Reds 11:35 AM CT CSN

[ryno4ever]

Just a reminder...early game on Thursday! Let's take the first series of the year!

Game 3
Cubs: 1-1
Reds: 1-1
Place: Great American Ballpark
Cubs Pitcher: Jason Marquis
Reds Pitcher: Kyle Lohse

Jason Marquis was excited about making his first Cubs start March 1 in the Cactus League opener. He's probably giddy now.
Thursday will be Marquis' first start for the Cubs, who signed the pitcher to a three-year deal in December. At least he doesn't have to worry about getting the Cubs their first win. Ted Lilly, another free-agent acquisition, took care of that Wednesday night, fighting off an inner ear infection to strike out nine over seven innings in a 4-1 victory.

"Let's hope Marquis is just as sick [Thursday]," Cubs manager Lou Piniella said jokingly.

Last year, Marquis made one start in Cincinnati, and it wasn't one he'd like to remember. He gave up four runs on nine hits, including a Rich Aurillia home run, over 2 2/3 innings in the St. Louis Cardinals' 10-3 loss to the Reds.

Well, this is a new year, and the Chicago Cubs hope it will be a new Jason Marquis. The 2006 season was bizarre. Marquis pitched for the St. Louis Cardinals, who made it to the World Series. Yet, he was left off the playoff roster. Only two pitchers since 1900 have finished with higher ERAs than Marquis did and won 14 or more games. They include Wes Ferrell, who was 15-10 with a 6.28 ERA in 1938 for the Senators, and Guy Bush, who was 15-10, 6.20 in 1930 for the Cubs.

Marquis got to work quickly this offseason. He met with Cubs pitching coach Larry Rothschild in Florida before the right-hander even signed with the team to go over mechanics. Marquis' former teammate Greg Maddux had encouraged the two to get together.

"I knew I wasn't far off," Marquis said when he signed with the team. "Knowing the knowledge Larry had, they said he would be a good guy to see. It was nothing more than to get my mind right and get in a positive frame of mind."

The problem was mechanics, and Marquis said he wasn't far off. But the tweaks that Rothschild made helped him. If he can get his sinker in sync, Marquis will have success.

"We both feel confident and feel the problem is fixed and we're going in the same direction," Marquis said.

If there's one thing Piniella noticed this spring, it's that when Marquis gets into trouble, he tries to overthrow. Whoever is catching will have to keep an eye on the right-hander.

"I have something to prove to myself and the city of Chicago and that's it," Marquis said. "I know what I'm capable of doing, and the Cubs know what I'm capable of doing."

In his final spring tune-up Saturday in Las Vegas against the Seattle Mariners, Marquis gave up one run on two hits over four innings. The Cubs aren't looking for miracles. Fifteen wins and 200 innings would be nice. Marquis will get started on Thursday.

Pitching matchup
CHC: RHP Jason Marquis (14-16, 6.02 ERA in 2006)
Marquis has a career 3-2 record and 4.38 ERA in seven starts at Great American Ball Park. He's made 10 starts against the Reds in his career, and is 4-3 with a 4.76 ERA.

CIN: RHP Kyle Lohse (5-10, 5.83 ERA in 2006)
Lohse made one start against the Cubs last Sept. 23, and gave up six runs on seven hits over three innings. He was slowed this spring by a hamstring injury. He was dealt to the Reds last July 31 from the Twins for Minor League pitcher Zach Ward, and in 11 appearances for Cincinnati was 3-5 with a 4.50 ERA.

Player to watch
Aramis Ramirez has hit 12 home runs at Great American Ball Park, and is tied with Lance Berkman for the most dingers by an opponent at the Reds' home park.

On the Internet
MLB.TV
Gameday Audio
• Gameday
• Official game notes

On television
• Comcast Sports Net

On radio
• 720 AM WGN

[scuba]

Hopefully Marquis can come out as hot as Lilly was last night. Lilly was on fire. Time to win our first series of the year! :D

[scuba]

A couple of singles by Lee and Ramirez, but nothing comes of it.

Middle of the 1st: Cubs 0, Reds 0

[scuba]

Nothing doing for the Reds. Nice first inning for Marquis.

End of 1st: Cubs 0, Reds 0

[scuba]

DeRosa goes deep! First Cubs homer of the year!! :D

[scuba]

Izturis follows with a double. Let's see if Marquis can drive him in...

[scuba]

Marquis strikes out. Soriano grounds out.

Mid of 1st: Cubs 1, Reds 0

[NeifiPerezMVP2007]

Thats a guy thats under the radar. DeRosa is a good hitter. Soriano needs to start hitting soon!

[NeifiPerezMVP2007]

LOL ITS 18 DEGREES IN DETROIT! They postponed the game!

[scuba]

I saw that Neifi. I can't imagine playing with it as cold out as it is there. I agree, Sori needs to get going a little.

Marquis with a nice 1-2-3 inning.

End of 2nd: Cubs 1, Reds 0

[NeifiPerezMVP2007]

Anyone notice Lohse's pitch count? Its at 43 pitches in the 3rd with 1 out.

[NeifiPerezMVP2007]

A-Ram is starting strong this season. 2nd hit today.

[scuba]

Aramis is having a great start to the season. Maybe he can get a HR today at some point.

Mid of 3rd: Cubs 1, Reds 0

[dundeecub]

3rd inning over. marquis 33 pitches, lohse 52. not bad at all

[jmorrison1]

Got out of a jam in the 3rd. Good job.

[scuba]

Yep, Marquis is looking pretty good today.

End of 3rd: Cubs 1, Reds 0

[scuba]

Izturis sends it deep...here comes Lou...

[jmorrison1]

I'm listening on the radio, did it look like a homer?

[dundeecub]

I swear, I was just about to say, Izturis is another who has started the season really well.

Good to see Lou get out for that as well.

[scuba]

Wow, a couple more inches and Izzy has a homer. Double goes for nothing.

Mid of 4th: Cubs 1, Reds 0

[scuba]

Yeah Jim, I thought it was gone. It ended up hitting the top of the wall on the yellow line and bouncing back in play.

[scuba]

Well, Marquis gives up a hit, stolen base, and another hit to tie the game. Still keeping his pitch count good though at 48.

End of 4th: Cubs 1, Reds 1

[dundeecub]

Garr, Phillips works his way round to home off a single, steal, groundout and single.

1-1

[scuba]

Yeah baby!! Aramis with a 3-bagger to score Murton! Aramis is on fire!

[dundeecub]

Holy crap, Aram managed to run a triple! Murton scores!

2-1

Wait, its a double with an error on Griffey. Oh, well, nice to see the big man run freely.

[jmorrison1]

Ramirez is AWESOME!

[scuba]

Cubbies regain the lead.

Mid of 5th: Cubs 2, Reds 1

[scuba]

Yeah, dundee, it's nice to see Aramis not worry about getting injured when he runs anymore.

[dundeecub]

Lovely, Marquis Ks Dunn with 2 on to end the inning!

[scuba]

Way to go Jason! Runners on 1st and 2nd with Dunn at the plate and he gets the strikeout he needs to end the inning. Big-time pitching right there.

End of 5th: Cubs 2, Reds 1

[jmorrison1]

Dunn strikes out. Marquis makes up for walking someone. PHEW!

[scuba]

Uneventful inning for the Cubs.

Mid of 6th: Cubs 2, Reds 1

[scuba]

Marquis with another good inning. Great outing for him so far. Sori is looking pretty comfortable in center too. Nice to see.

End of 6th: Cubs 2, Reds 1

[jmorrison1]

Hey! Soriano's on base finally. Maybe we can score him...

[jmorrison1]

Hey! I just got promoted to "Minor Leaguer"! WOOHOO! 50 posts!

[dundeecub]

Sori PO, Murton single, Lohse out.

Congrats JM!

[WrigleyFielder]

I'm watching this thing on that stupid MLB.com Gameday thing, ugh

[WrigleyFielder]

The fact that we have 2 runs on 10 hits is a bad omen

[dundeecub]

I have gameday open as well as mlb.tv, gameday is slightly ahead, its really quite annoying!

[WrigleyFielder]

What's goin on? The count has been 2-0 forever!

[WrigleyFielder]

I have gameday open as well as mlb.tv, gameday is slightly ahead, its really quite annoying!

I can imagine, although it's like that show Early Edition if you remember it lol

[WrigleyFielder]

Gameday is messed up. D-Lee was batting with a 2-0 count for 3 minutes then like 12 pitches all happened at once lol

[scuba]

Bad mistake by Theriot. May have cost the Cubs a run there.

Mid of 7th: Cubs 2, Reds 1

[dundeecub]

Afraid I don't recall (I'm British, so some American tv is utterly beyond me).

Inning over: Aram finally gets out, Theriot SB in there, Lee reaches on a fielders choice.

2-1

[WrigleyFielder]

Bad mistake by Theriot. May have cost the Cubs a run there.

Mid of 7th: Cubs 2, Reds 1

What exactly happened??

[dundeecub]

Reds getting their bunts down well today, though that one was pretty flukey.

[WrigleyFielder]

So much for Marquis' first win....thanks Howry

[scuba]

Yeah, that has to be frustrating. He pitched such a great game and the very next inning after he gets taken out, the bullpen gives up the lead. Let's just hope it only stays tied.

[scuba]

I love Lou. He just looked pissed going out to the mound and just took the ball from Howry and didn't say anything. Dusty would have slapped him on the butt as if to say "it's okay, we'll get 'em next time". That attitude is going to go a long way to us being better this year.

[scuba]

Frickin' Ohman! Damn bullpen! Way to give them the lead! :mad:

[dundeecub]

Oh, for Gods Sake!!

WPx2 on Ohman

2-3, Reds on 2nd, 3rd

[roenick99]

Bad mistake by Theriot. May have cost the Cubs a run there.

Mid of 7th: Cubs 2, Reds 1

Not to mention, Soriano getting picked off right before that. The Cubs screwed themselves out of at least one run if not two with more of the bad baserunning. Then you got Howry to come in and stink up the joint. Not sure why Marquis didn't get to go one more inning anyway.

I know it's early and his stamina isn't what it will be later, but I would have felt better to give him the shot to blow it and not let a reliever do it. Everyone cannot be on all the time, but as Pat and Ron just said that he had one job to get the one guy out and couldn't get it done. These early games (about the first 20) are vital and we can't capitalize on anything...

[roenick99]

Are you freaking kidding me? Piniella should nothing short of rip off Ohman's head and set it on the seat next to his lifeless corpse.

Sorry! I'm just annoyed by the little league mistakes these guys continue to make...

[dundeecub]

Actually WP and a PB.

[jmorrison1]

What the HECK happened? I leave my desk for 5 minutes and were now down by a run! OMG!

[scuba]

Well, needless to say a poor inning there. One swing of the bat can tie it, though.

End of 7th: Cubs 2, Reds 3

[dundeecub]

My 2 cents: I don't think Ohman is calling his own pitches, so you have to put that on Rothschild (unless Barrett is calling this year, he wasnt last), he didnt look at all comfortable on the mound and he shouldnt have been left in to face Dunn at all. Barrett have a bad series with the bat and behind the plate...

[WrigleyFielder]

Looks like Jacque just missed a HR

[scuba]

I agree, roenick. I mean, Marquis' pitch count was only 82. I know it's just the beginning of the year, but at least let him start the innning and see how he does. You just hate to see one of our starters do their job so well and then the bullpen blows it right away.

[scuba]

Man, Barrett hasn't looked good at the plate so far this year.

[scuba]

Okay, we have to take advantage of Dunn missing that ball now....

[dundeecub]

OK, 2 on, 2 out, time for Floyd or Ward.

[dundeecub]

It's Floyd but the Reds are putting Stanton in.

[WrigleyFielder]

C'mon Floyd!

[dundeecub]

Ok, now its Cedeno in for Floyd.

[dundeecub]

Fly out.

2-3

[scuba]

Damn. I don't like seeing Cedeno swinging at 2-0 there. Inning over.

Mid of 8th: Cubs 2, Reds 3

[roenick99]

Damn. I don't like seeing Cedeno swinging at 2-0 there. Inning over.

Mid of 8th: Cubs 2, Reds 3

What? Do you actually expect him to take a pitch?

[dundeecub]

Hatteburg 2run hr, sayonara series.

[roenick99]

Good times...

Serving hot meatballs at the Great American Ballpark today!

[scuba]

I know he strikes out a bunch, but he was tied for the team lead in walks during ST. Thought he might be more patient there.

And of course, the Reds smack a two-run homer to extend the lead.

[scuba]

One last chance.

End of 8th: Cubs 2, Reds 5

[dundeecub]

And 1-2-3 gone!

[scuba]

Wow. Way to be patient guys. :rolleyes: Cubs lose series 2-1.

FINAL: Cubs 2, Reds 5

[ryno4ever]

cubs.com recap:

CINCINNATI -- The Cubs missed opportunities Thursday and the Cincinnati Reds didn't.
Scott Hatteberg belted a two-run homer in the eighth, but the damage came in the seventh when pinch-hitter Jeff Conine hit a game-tying RBI single and then scored on a passed ball to help the Cincinnati Reds beat the Cubs, 5-2.

"We did have opportunities," Cubs manager Lou Piniella said. "We had 10 base hits. We certainly had a chance to score a lot more than two runs."

Jason Marquis was in line for the win in his Cubs debut, exiting with a 2-1 lead. But Hatteberg singled to lead off the seventh against Bob Howry (0-1) and eventually scored on Conine's single.

"I had a chance to get out of it," Howry said of the inning. "[Conine] is a good hitter and put it in play. I compounded it by walking the next guy.

"It's one thing to give up the tying run -- it's like being 0-0 and you're starting clean. You walk the next guy and put another guy in scoring position -- and I hate walking guys."

Ryan Freel drew the walk and forced Howry's exit. Enter Will Ohman, who allowed both Conine and Freel to advance on a wild pitch. Ball four to Adam Dunn got away from catcher Michael Barrett, and Conine scored the go-ahead run on the passed ball. Barrett wasn't crossed up.

"It was a poor 3-2 pitch to an above-average hitter," Ohman said. "If I hit my spot, I'll take my chances. I just didn't locate well. That's on me. If I don't throw the first wild pitch, they don't advance. If the last pitch doesn't happen, he doesn't score. You can't look at a game and do hindsight. I'll take my lumps and that's what it is. I didn't get my job done."

Barrett said the wild pitch had gone to his left, so he was prepared to go left. The ball that allowed Conine to score skipped to the right.

"My job right there is to keep the ball in front of me no matter what," Barrett said. "I didn't get it done, I didn't get the job done. We'll get to work on it. It's not a matter of whose fault it is."

Barrett chased the ball to the backstop, but wasn't able to get a grip on it to attempt a throw home.

"When I went back, I knew it was a do-or-die play. I had to make a perfect attempt, and I went back and I tried to be quick with it and didn't get a grip on it," he said.

Hatteberg then sealed the win and the series for the Reds when he belted his first homer off Scott Eyre with one out and one on in the eighth.

Marquis, one of the Cubs' free-agent additions this offseason, held Cincinnati to four hits and two walks over six innings while striking out one. Mark DeRosa belted a solo homer and Aramis Ramirez had three hits, including a tie-breaking RBI double, for the Cubs, who had chances. They stranded 10 baserunners in the game.

They also ran themselves out of an inning in the seventh when Alfonso Soriano singled to lead off but was picked off at first. Matt Murton then singled and pinch-runner Ryan Theriot came in to steal, which he did. But Theriot was forced out at third on Derrek Lee's grounder and the rally ended.

Marquis did his job.

"When his ball is sinking, he throws a lot of ground balls," Piniella said of the right-hander. "That's what we're looking for. He had some really good games this spring where his ball had good movement and good sink and his ball moved really well. He had a couple games where his ball was a little flat and he got hit.

"One thing I do like is he throws strikes and goes after the hitter," Piniella said. "One thing we're trying to work on and improve on is he gets two quick strikes and then has a tendency to get deep in the count for no reason."

One thing Piniella didn't like was the walks. On Monday, Cubs pitchers walked six and lost. On Wednesday, they issued two walks and won. On Thursday, five Reds drew walks.

"We weren't walking them in Spring Training," Piniella said. "Maybe this cooler air has something to do with it."

It was another day better suited for hot chocolate than lemonade with a game-time temperature of 35 degrees.

"I'd rather have snow than rain," Lee said.

He got it. There were snow flurries at the start of the game. DeRosa, who had two hits and two RBIs Wednesday, hit his first homer with one out in the second off the first pitch from Reds starter Kyle Lohse. DeRosa is now 6-for-8 lifetime against Lohse.

The Cubs thought they had another homer when Cesar Izturis' line drive hit the top of the right-field wall, then bounced back onto the field. Piniella argued the ball had cleared the fence, but replays showed the call was correct. Izturis had a double, but was stranded when Marquis grounded out.

The Reds tied the game in the fourth on Edwin Encarnacion's single. But with one out in the Chicago fifth, Murton walked, and scored one out later on Ramirez's double -- his third hit of the game. The Cubs third baseman, who hit .197 last April, also had three hits Wednesday. It's the first time he's posted three consecutive three-hit games since May 29-31, 2005.

The Cubs now head to Milwaukee for a three-game series. What has Piniella learned so far about his team?

"It's the start of the season," he said. "We have to do a better job with men on base. We have to cut down on the walks. Baserunning mistakes hurt us today. All in all, it's the start of the baseball season and we'll go from here."

[VanMan]

I was listening on and off in my car when I made my deliveries today, and I heard on the post-game show that the Cubs just need to be able to hit in the clutch today. Getting the hits is one thing, clutching up is another. Lou's gotta get in the guys' heads about getting that clutch knock.