5/23 CHC@SD, 9:05 p.m.; TV: WGN; Radio: WGN

[ryno4ever]

Season series: Padres lead 2-1.

Tuesday: San Diego 5, Cubs 1

Wednesday: 9:05 p.m., WGN-Ch. 9. LH Sean Marshall (0-0, 0.00) vs. LH David Wells (1-2, 5.40).

Thursday: 9:05 p.m., CSN. TBA vs. RH Chris Young (5-3, 2.89).

Who's hot: Aramis Ramirez is 9-for-15 in his last four games with two homers, a triple, a double and seven RBIs. Peavy leads the NL in ERA and strikeouts per nine innings (10.6), and is limiting opposing hitters to a .194 average. Young has an NL-leading 0.44 ERA at home.

Who's not: San Diego is hitting .235 vs. right-handed pitching, second worst in the league to Washington's .233. The Cubs are hitting .262 with runners in scoring position, 11th in the NL.



Pagan is in the lineup...Murt is in the lineup, but Theriot has the night off.

[ryno4ever]

Soriano
Pagan
Lee
Ramirez
Barrett
Murton
DeRosa
Izturis
Marshall

Padres:
M. Giles
Cruz
Cameron
Gonzalez
Greene
Bard
Kouzmanc
Sledge
Wells

[ryno4ever]

No VanMan yet, so I will attempt the play by play for awhile.

[ryno4ever]

David Wells takes the mound, and Soriano leads off. Fouls off first pitch. Sorino flies out to deep right. Angel Pagan, batting right handed, strikes out looking. Dee Lee bounces out to third, to make him 0-6 for this series. Cubs go down in order, 1-2-3.

Middle of the 1st
Cubs 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors
Padres coming up

[ryno4ever]

Bottom of the 1st

Sean Marshall starts off his 2007 Big Leagues (his 25th career start with the Cubs. second vs the Padres). Sean was 3-0 in Iowa. He starts the inning with a walk to Marcus Giles. De ja vu.

Jose Cruz, Jr. is at the plate and he lined right to first base....which takes the force out at second, and Izturis was on the bag, but Giles slid around the tag, so Giles is safe at second with one away.

Mike Cameron fouls the pitch straight back. Cameron bounces back to the mound, and Lee had to stretch to catch Marshall's throw, but Cameron is out at first. Giles advances to second.

A. Gonzalez has one ball and one strike. He fouls one off for strike two. He takes pitch number four for a ball. Fouls one down the first base line. Flies out to Soriano for the third out. Giles left on third base.

Bottom of the first inning
0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors
Chi Cubs 0, San Diego 0

Coming up in the top of the second:
Ramirez, Barrett, Murton

[ARamfan]

Hi Heather, another one of these late games tonight. Right in the middle of my cooking dinner and your time to put the little guy to bed, I presume. I have to say, I'm really happy to see Sean Marshall back. I've always liked the kid. :)

[ryno4ever]

Wells to Ramirez....he takes a ball for the first pitch. He fouls the second pitch off. He fouls off the third pitch. 1-2 pitch, got him looking. Strike three for out number one.

Michael Barrett grounds out to Greene. Out number 2

Ugh.

Matt Murton takes a strike at the knees. Murt takes ball one. A very right handed lineup tonight, as Murt takes strike two. Ball high and inside. He fouls off pitch number 5. Murt gets a base hit into left! BIG MURT! 2 for 2 in the series.

DeRosa is past due....MURTON STEALS SECOND BASE!!!!! BIG MURT! Count is 1-0. DeRosa finds the left center field gap as he doubles and Murton Scores! Big Murt! How huge was that stolen base now?

Izturis is batting right handed. Takes a ball. Takes a striek looking. Izturis flies out to right.

Middle of the 2nd
1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors

Cubs:1
Padres:0

[ryno4ever]

Hi Heather, another one of these late games tonight. Right in the middle of my cooking dinner and your time to put the little guy to bed, I presume. I have to say, I'm really happy to see Sean Marshall back. I've always liked the kid. :)

Hi Mara.... he's long gone asleep...it was really hot and humid here today, so the heat got to him. He crawled in bed after his shower and was out within minutes! I love Marshall... I love his curve!

[ryno4ever]

Bottom of the second.

Greene pops a ball foul...and Lee slams into the wall at knee level to catch the ball for out number one.

Josh bard takes a ball. Takes a strike. Looks at ball 2. Looks at ball 3. Izturis ROBS Bard of a single! Nice play! Out 2!

Awesome defense here in the second.

Kouzmanoff singles to left

Sledge swings and misses for strike one. He fouls one off for strike 2. STRIKE THREE ON A BIG SLOW CURVE!

End of the 2nd:
0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors

Cubs 1
Padres 0

[ryno4ever]

Due up for the top of the third,

Marshall, Soriano, Pagan

[dundeecub]

For a tiny guy (he must be close to being the shortest guy in the majors), Izturis has a pretty good reach... Awesome play.

[ryno4ever]

Pitcher vs Pitcher... the only left handed bat in the lineup, Marshall quickly has 2 strikes on him as he looks at ball one. He hit .125 last year with one home run. Swing and a miss for strike three...Out number 1

Soriano for his second time around....looks at strike one....strike two... flies out to Cameron in CF.... Out number 2

Pagan at the plate, again batting right handed, 7-19 with two homers so far this year... looks at ball one...takes ball two...looks at strike one, 2-1 count.... looks at strike two... flies out to deep left for out number three.

They go down 1-2-3

Middle of 3rd
Cubs 1
Padres 0

[ryno4ever]

For a tiny guy (he must be close to being the shortest guy in the majors), Izturis has a pretty good reach... Awesome play.

Have you ever seen Eckstein? I was at a Cubs/Cards game, and went down to the field to watch Cards take batting practice. Eckstein looked like he was batting from his knees because he is so short!!!!!

[ryno4ever]

Dundee, do you set an alarm to get up to watch these games?

[dundeecub]

Have you ever seen Eckstein? I was at a Cubs/Cards game, and went down to the field to watch Cards take batting practice. Eckstein looked like he was batting from his knees because he is so short!!!!!

Good shout, Eckstein is shorter at a tiny 5'7 to Cesars 5'9.

[ARamfan]

Have you ever seen Eckstein? I was at a Cubs/Cards game, and went down to the field to watch Cards take batting practice. Eckstein looked like he was batting from his knees because he is so short!!!!!

How short is Eckstein? I know Corey Patterson is really short (I saw him here in Phx v. the D-Backs), is he shorter than Corey?

[dundeecub]

Dundee, do you set an alarm to get up to watch these games?

Usually i'm still awake, but i did have to set my alarm for today. The 7 CT starts are usually ok, but 9 is pretty harsh if i havent been out.

[dundeecub]

How short is Eckstein? I know Corey Patterson is really short (I saw him here in Phx v. the D-Backs), is he shorter than Corey?

Corey is also 5'9.

[ryno4ever]

Marshall vs Wells....1 ball 1 strike.... Wells swings at strike two. Wells announced in the offseason that he has type 2 diabetes...so does Lou... Ronnie has type 1 diabetes... 2 balls, 2 strikes... and swings at strike three!

1 out

Giles swings and fouls off the first pitch. He has the highest batting average of all active players against the Cubs at .374. He looks at ball one. Looks at ball two. Fouls off this one for strike two...Giles grounds out to second.

2 Out

Cruz: base hit into center for his first base hit of the series

Cameron looks at strike one...Marshall throws back to first to hold on Giles... Marshall misses outside with a breaking ball for ball one...ball two is outside... ball three is high and outside... he walks Cameron. Giles to second...

Gonzalez comes to the plate with two outs, two on, takes low for ball one, he pounds one into deep center but Pagan is there for out number three

0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors

Bottom of 3
Chi Cubs 1, San Diego 0

[ryno4ever]

Todd Walker is very short too...and that was a shock to me when I finally got to meet him... I was taller than he is!

[ryno4ever]

Top of the 4th

Lee flies out to deep center

Ram flies out to right field

Barrett trying to snap an 0-9 and .170 average on the road....sends one way out to deep left for ANOTHER 1-2-3 inning.

0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors

Middle of 4
Cubs 1
Padres 0

[ARamfan]

Corey is also 5'9.

I thought Corey was shorter than that. I take note of these things since I'm so small, 5' 0" and 108 lbs. Isn't Jose Macias shorter than Eckstein? I remember his story in Vine Line a while back, telling about how everyone told him he was too short to play in the major leagues and he proved them wrong.

[dundeecub]

Todd Walker is very short too...and that was a shock to me when I finally got to meet him... I was taller than he is!

How tall are you?! Because mlb players says Todd is 6'0...

[ryno4ever]

How short is Eckstein? I know Corey Patterson is really short (I saw him here in Phx v. the D-Backs), is he shorter than Corey?

I used to watch Corey's brother Eric, in Peoria when he was with the Chiefs, and he was "vertically challenged" as well.

[ryno4ever]

How tall are you?! Because mlb players says Todd is 6'0...

5'7"...he is not 6'! I will try to find the picture I have where he is signing my jersey and post it.

[dundeecub]

That reminds me: Peoria lost, Daytona lost, Tennessee are up 16-10 in the 9th, Iowa won (grand slam from Soto, 1 hit over a three inning start for Cotts).

[ryno4ever]

Greene flies out to the deepest part of left for out one

Bard grounds out to the shortstop

(This game is moving along very quickly!)

Kouzmanoff with a 1 ball 2 strike count on him swings at strike three.

Marshall is doing AWESOME!

Speaking of the height of players...Marshall is extremely tall!

[ryno4ever]

That reminds me: Peoria lost, Daytona lost, Tennessee are up 16-10 in the 9th, Iowa won (grand slam from Soto, 1 hit over a three inning start for Cotts).

Cotts is starting????????? Oh, no...that may give Lou more "surprises"...or as David Kaplan on WGN says "thinking out loud moment"....

[dundeecub]

Cotts is starting????????? Oh, no...that may give Lou more "surprises"...or as David Kaplan on WGN says "thinking out loud moment"....

They said a while back they were gonna stretch out Cotts to be the swingman in the pen, especially important now that Guzman will be limited innings-wise. He started a couple in ST.

[ryno4ever]

Big Murt is up and he is being patient... he isn't swinging at the first pitch and BIG MURT sends another single into center!

DeRosa is at the plate, but Wells is concentrating on Murton. Derosa drops one into left. Murton holds at second.

Izturis flies out to right and Murton is doubled up at second easily. ANOTHER BAD BASERUNNING MOVE! He should have been aware where the outfielders were playing, as the right fielder was playing really shallow for Izturis.

Marshall strikes out.

Cubs 1
Padres 0

[ryno4ever]

Cotts can stay in Iowa!

[ryno4ever]

Both Houston and Milwaukee are losing.....

[ARamfan]

Both Houston and Milwaukee are losing.....

YAY! :D

[ARamfan]

Dundee, how's your mlb.tv working tonight? I'm tired of the crap that's been happening lately. Last night wasn't the only time that's happened to me. It's a treat to have the game on WGN tonight.

[dundeecub]

Dundee, how's your mlb.tv working tonight? I'm tired of the crap that's been happening lately. Last night wasn't the only time that's happened to me. It's a treat to have the game on WGN tonight.

touch wood, but fine so far

[ryno4ever]

Bottom of the 5th.

Sledge leads off...full count... flies out to right.

Wells steps to the plate. 44 years old and a big guy....bunts it foul. Len says he would like to see "Boomer" get put on base and make him run! It may take a lot out of him on the mound. An intentional walk to the pitcher with no one on...just to wear him out! LOL As "Boomer" tries to bunt with two strikes for a strikeout.

M. Giles flies out to Soriano.

Cubs 1
Padres 0

[ryno4ever]

We need some "tack on runs" as Lou likes to call them.

[ryno4ever]

Mara, which speed are you watching your MLB.tv on? I have problems when I use my 700kb, but if I switch it to 400kb, it works better for me.

[dundeecub]

If you were wondering, and I'm sure you weren't: the shortest player EVER was Eddie Gaedel who had a pinch hit walk for the St Louis Browns in 1951 in his only ever plate appearance. He was 3'7 and used a 17" bat.

[ryno4ever]

Soraino grounds out to second base for the first out of the 6th ining.

Pagan strikes out swinging

Lee grounds out to shortstop.

Ugh, what is with the top of our order tonight????

[ryno4ever]

If you were wondering, and I'm sure you weren't: the shortest player EVER was Eddie Gaedel who had a pinch hit walk for the St Louis Browns in 1951 in his only ever plate appearance. He was 3'7 and used a 17" bat.

How would you like to be his opposing pitcher trying to find a strikezone on him????

[ARamfan]

Mara, which speed are you watching your MLB.tv on? I have problems when I use my 700kb, but if I switch it to 400kb, it works better for me.

I've been using 400kb, since I thought 700kb was for the mlb.tv upgrade.

[dundeecub]

Ominously Boomer has only thrown 65 pitches through 6, he could be here for a while...

[ryno4ever]

I have the mlb premium package, it was only $5 more a month and I got the mlb mosaic where I can watch 6 games at one time and the MLB channel.

[ARamfan]

How would you like to be his opposing pitcher trying to find a strikezone on him????

That's completely unbelievable! I feel tall now, compared to him! :D

[dundeecub]

How would you like to be his opposing pitcher trying to find a strikezone on him????

Well, he walked on 4 balls (off Detroits Bob Cain), so yeah, one would have issues there.

[ryno4ever]

Ominously Boomer has only thrown 65 pitches through 6, he could be here for a while...

If the Cubs would quit swinging at the first pitch, make him work deeper into the count, he would be out a lot quicker.

[ryno4ever]

Bottom of 6

Cruz strikes out swinging

Soriano makes a GREAT running catch as he crashes into the scoreboard in left and makes out number two to retire Cameron

Gonzalez pops one foul...Ram and Barrett both give chase... Ram catches the ball.

Marshall is rolling with the help of some awesome defense tonight....now lets get him some more runs...

Cubs 1
Padres 0

*I'll be back in a few minutes... my son woke up and is calling for me.....

[dundeecub]

wasn't too hard to lipread Wells there.. not so happy about that walk...

[dundeecub]

For the love of.......... aaargh...

[dundeecub]

Did anyone else see that coming after leaving the bases loaded? Marshall shouldnt even be in the game here!

[ARamfan]

We can't afford to lose this series, in more ways than one.

[dundeecub]

Given the performances of the Astros and the Brewers of late, this is very disappointing...

[ARamfan]

Okay, Ohman didn't do so bad. Here we go to the ninth. They're only one run ahead. We've scored 6 or 7 runs in one inning, so there's hope. :cool:

[ARamfan]

Given the performances of the Astros and the Brewers of late, this is very disappointing...

Yea, I hope we don't lose this chance to slide in ahead of them. It's now or never as far as this season goes! :eek:

[ARamfan]

It's up to DeRosa now, why isn't Ward in to PH?

[ARamfan]

We're still in this game. DeRosa has a triple!

[dundeecub]

Pheuf that was close.. please send out Ward!!

[ARamfan]

JJ the pH for Izturis. Ward is up next. :cool:

[ARamfan]

DeRosa only has to make it 90 feet to tie it. :eek:

[dundeecub]

Damn, blast, etc. Screw this, I'm going back to bed...

[ARamfan]

Unfortunately, it's the Cubs' 10th 1-run defeat.

Cubs 1
Padres 2

[ARamfan]

Damn, blast, etc. Screw this, I'm going back to bed...

I feel bad for you, staying up for this. It's probably morning there now.

[VanMan]

Hey guys! Just so all of you know, I work Wednesday nights now, so I can't do PBP then. I may refrain from doing that tonight, as I have other things I need to do, and I won't be available until after 9:30 tomorrow night between work and Star Trek: A Call To Duty (a role-playing game). Heather and Mara, you ladies can always cover if I'm not available, and I can jump in when I'm here.

[ARamfan]

I just got home and I see first of all the Cubs are ahead, and second, there's no game thread tonight. I got trapped in downtown Phoenix trying to get my son to a CD store he wanted to go to. It's all torn up through Central Phoenix, since they are putting in a light rail system. I had no idea I'd be missing that much of the game by going down there! :( I did pull out of the construction and stopped in a sports bar to see part of this game and check the score. Here we are in the ninth and Cubs are leading! :cool:

[ARamfan]

I just tried to post a few times and the server went down. Bottom line is:
CUBS WIN CUBS WIN!

5/24

Cubs@ Padres

Cubs 3
Padres 1