4/27 CHC @ STL 7:05 p.m.; TV: WGN, Radio: WGN

[ryno4ever]

Friday, April 27 Busch Stadium | 7:10 PM CT


Jason Marquis, RHP (2-1, 1.88) Cubs (8-13)
@
Anthony Reyes, RHP (0-3, 5.63) Cardinals (10-11)



Cubs: Marquis will get another chance against his former teammates right away. He threw seven shutout innings last Saturday against the Cardinals, giving up seven hits and striking out five. The right-hander also escaped several jams, as St. Louis stranded 10 base runners in those seven innings. Marquis' career numbers at new Busch Stadium are 8-8 with a 6.91 ERA.

Cardinals: If Reyes could just start in the third inning, he'd be unbeaten this year. He's allowed 10 runs in three starts, all of them in the first two innings of games. The right-hander lasted longer in his most recent outing, making it through the sixth after early difficulties. He also made progress as far as pitch efficiency and throwing strikes, two elements that will be most helpful if he can keep it up. Still, Reyes needs to avoid those early runs.


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[VanMan]

Reyes has already thrown 64 pitches through three IP. Even though we've struck out six or seven times already, we're making him work.

[ryno4ever]

Soriano has gotten two really good defensive plays from left tonight! I actually like this lineup, even though it is dominated by righties.

[ryno4ever]

Ram with a 2 run homer...and barrett hits it hard, but Edmonds stops him. Note about Chris Duncan...he is playing with stiches in his head. He was leaving his apartment yesterday, went to jump down some stairs and cracked his head on the ceiling.

[VanMan]

How about Pie hitting his first Major-League ding dong?! Welcome to the bigs, rook!

[VanMan]

Looks like things have slowed since the Pie homer. Both pitchers have settled.

[VanMan]

Marquis just gave up a 2-run HR, and now Lou's coming to get him after 6 2/3 innings. Good time to get him with the lead and no one on.

[VanMan]

Oh, boy! It's Ohman! He just gave up a double to the first man he faces!

[VanMan]

Got out of the inning with no further damage! Good move to bring in another reliever.

[SkullKey]

Will Ohman - the second coming of Bob Scanlan.

[ryno4ever]

Anyone else see a mysterious trip to the DL coming up for Ohman when Guzman comes up?

[SkullKey]

You know - real certified doctors are supposed to "sign-off" on those DL injuries (wink, wink) . I'll bet Ohman cuts his head jumping down stairs or something really dumb like that.

[VanMan]

Cotts just hit Taguchi on an 0-2 pitch to load the bases. Now Lou's going to bring in Dempster with one out in the 8th.

[VanMan]

You know - real certified doctors are supposed to "sign-off" on those DL injuries (wink, wink) . I'll bet Ohman cuts his head jumping down stairs or something really dumb like that.
Like what Chris Duncan did the other day?

[VanMan]

Demp just made Wilson look silly, and he busted his bat on the ground!

[VanMan]

Whew! Got out of it! Grounder to Izturis to DeRosa to get Taguchi at second.

[ryno4ever]

Oh my gosh! These Cubs/Cards games are enough to drive someone crazy!

[ryno4ever]

Sorry haven't been able to contribute more to the thread tonight, Van... I have a sick little boy tonight :(...

[VanMan]

Murton leads off with a double, and DeRosa grounds him over to third. Let's see if we can get some insurance.

[VanMan]

Sorry haven't been able to contribute more to the thread tonight, Van... I have a sick little boy tonight :(...
Nor have I. I had an RPG to participate in.

[VanMan]

Pie was only able to tap to the pitcher Flores. Murton had to hold at third. Two gone for Izturis.

[ryno4ever]

You know - real certified doctors are supposed to "sign-off" on those DL injuries (wink, wink) . I'll bet Ohman cuts his head jumping down stairs or something really dumb like that.

Sosa throwing his back out with a sneeze during a big slump... Remlinger, after struggling badly, suddenly getting his fingers on his pitching hand caught in a folding chair in the locker room.... Farnsy kicking the fan in the tunnel (cooling fan, not a Cubs Fan).

[VanMan]

Could it be we actually get a one-run victory? I hope I didn't just...

Forget what I just said! Izturis just drove in Murton with a single to left-center.

[ryno4ever]

They may find Ohman has a strained oblique (a common DL ailment lately), back spasms, tendonitis.

[ryno4ever]

Cubs are 0-8 with 1 or 2 run games, so we still may improve that record tonight. Demp, if he can pull it off, will definately deserve the save tonight. Buckle our seatbelts, going to the bottom of the ninth!

[VanMan]

Soriano strikes out, but we add a bit of insurance for Dempster to work with in the ninth.

Middle 9th, Cubs 5, Cardinals 3

[VanMan]

Buckle our seatbelts, going to the bottom of the ninth!
My seatbelt is buckled. My seat and tray table are in their full, upright positions. Ready for take-off!

[VanMan]

Izturis just couldn't catch the liner off Molina's bat. Scorer calls it a hit.

[VanMan]

No one up in the Cubs' 'pen. It's Dempster against the world now. Eyre and Howry it seems are out of the 'pen set-up roles for the time being.

[VanMan]

Spiezio just missed a two-run HR, hooked it in front of the right-field pole! Whew!

[ryno4ever]

OH MY GOSH! GOT HIM STRIKE 3!

[VanMan]

He then looked at strike three! Yeah!!! Comeback sinker over the inside corner.

[VanMan]

Tough to double up Eckstein. They do get Molina at second, but Eck's too fast.

Now, let's get Duncan! DO NOT ALLOW PUJOLS TO BAT!!!

[VanMan]

Worked Duncan 3-2 on a pitcher's strike. One more, Demp!

[VanMan]

CUBS WIN!!! CUBS WIN!!!! Duncan flies to Soriano to end the game!!! WHEW!!!!!

Final score, Cubs 5, Cardinals 3

W - Marquis
L - Reyes
S - Dempster

HRs - Ramirez and Pie

[ryno4ever]

typical Cubs/Cards game! Let's play two...that was fun!

[VanMan]

First close win we've had all season! And we needed to use Dempster for five outs!

[ryno4ever]

Pie just got the Chevy player of the game

[ryno4ever]

demp just earned a lot of respect from me.... despite the pink backpack he was parked by during the rest of the game.... last year, he would have buckled under the pressure. Lou did a great job managing tonight.

[VanMan]

demp just earned a lot of respect from me.... despite the pink backpack he was parked by during the rest of the game.... last year, he would have buckled under the pressure. Lou did a great job managing tonight.
Anyone know/hear why Demp had that pink backpack/diaper bag with him?

On a sidenote, anyone hear about Tony's postgame presser tonight? They had it on Baseball Tonight on ESPN2. It seems that the St. Louis Post-Dispatch had printed some stuff in this morning's edition that became bulletin-board material for Lou's boys. First, Pujols said that in last Saturday's game at Wrigley, Marquis started like he usually did when with the Cardinals, but he always had some lucky pitch that got him out of a jam. Then, the headline writer (I heard on the radio this evening when Corey Provus talked with Ron Santo) wrote over the weekend's preview, "No Tinkers, No Evers, No Chance!"

Anyway, Tony told the Post-Dispatch's reporter that he would refuse to talk to him during the presser because of the negative coverage it gave the Cubs that riled them into the way they played tonight. The reporter kept defending the paper's position, and advised not to try to control the Post-Dispatch's coverage. They nearly got into blows.

Let's hope this will get the Tards into a tailspin for the rest of the weekend.

[dundeecub]

Anyone know/hear why Demp had that pink backpack/diaper bag with him?

The bag is full of bp goodies, gum, seeds, gameboys (?), not sure why demp had it but usually its the rookie of the pen who has to take it out, so its been Cherry of late.