7/16 SF @ CHC 6:05 p.m.; TV: ESPN/WCIU; Radio: WGN

[VanMan]

Well, gang, the Cubs are now 3 1/2 behind the Brewers, as they open a three-game set against the San Francisco Giants. However, Barry Bonds, the human asterisk, is not starting tonight, citing swolen ankles and knees after going 30 straight innings over three games and in an 0-for-20 slump.

Dave O'Brien and Rick Sutcliffe are on the ESPN call tonight.

[VanMan]

The Lite Beer sign behind left field says "755 Bottles of Beer on the Wall" tonight.

[VanMan]

Rich Hill will open the game facing Dave Roberts. First pitch is a strike on a fastball. Another fastball is fouled off, 0-2. Fastball freezes Roberts to sit him down with a backwards K.

[VanMan]

Vizquel takes a fastball for a strike. Next pitch is popped to the mound, Lee and Ramirez converge, but ARam calls off everyone else to squeeze it, two gone.

[VanMan]

Randy Winn takes a fastball too close for ball one, the first non-strike. Slow curve fools Winn, swung and missed for strike one. Fastball inside at the knee, 91mph, for ball two. Curve is fouled off, 2-2. Curve is fouled away again. Curve coming... comes inside over the shoetops, full count. Curve grounded to Theriot at short, over to Lee for the out. One-two-three top of the first.

Middle 1st, Giants 0, Cubs coming up

[VanMan]

Soriano leads off for the Cubs. Lincecum throws the first fastball high, ball one. Soriano laces the next offering up the middle for a lead-off single.

[VanMan]

Theriot takes a fastball low and away for ball one. Lincecum keeps Soriano close. Fastball, 95, over for strike one. The 1-1 is grounded to Vizquel, to Aurelia for one, to first for the double play.

[VanMan]

Lee swings at the first fastball and fouls it off. Curveball doesn't curve, misses up and in, 1-1. Fisted to Vizquel, over to first to end the inning. No runs, one hit, none left.

End 1st, Cubs 0, Giants 0

[VanMan]

Top second, first pitch from Hill, a curve, to Durham misses away, next pitch is inside. The 2-0 is sharply to Ramirez, over to Lee for the first out.

[VanMan]

Benji Molina takes a fastball low in the dirt, ball one. He pops one up in the infield, Theriot is under it for the second out.

[VanMan]

Rich Aurelia takes a fastball away, ball one. Off-speed pitch catches the outside corner for strike one. Fastball down Michigan Avenue, strike two. A 91mph fastball misses low and in, 2-2. Curve is ripped to Ramirez, who gloves it and throws to Lee to retire the side. Another 1-2-3 inning for the Giants.

Middle 2nd, Cubs 0, Giants 0

[VanMan]

Ramirez will lead-off the second inning for the Cubs. He fouls off the first pitch from Lincecum. Curve is swung on and missed, 0-2. Fastball was popped foul. Another fastball swung on and missed. One out.

[VanMan]

Ward takes a ball high. Fastball high and away, 2-0. Another one misses, 3-0. Fastball gets over to make it 3-1. Ward fouls one off to the left, count's full. Next pitch is fouled back. Change up is swung on and missed, two gone.

[VanMan]

DeRosa grounds the first pitch foul. Curve is high, 1-1. Another curve is popped foul out of play, 1-2. Fastball is fouled off, 97mph. Another 97mph fastball misses inside, 2-2. Fastball, 96, misses low and away, it's full. Another 96mph fastball misses low, DeRosa walks.

[VanMan]

Jones takes a fastball, 93, low, ball one. Change-up, 86, swung and missed. Another change misses away, 2-1. Change-up is swung and missed, 2-2. Fastball, 96, is up and in, full count, DeRosa will go on the next pitch. Ground ball to Vizquel, over to first for the third out. No runs, no hits, a walk and one left.

End 2nd, Cubs 0, Giants 0

[VanMan]

Feliz swings at the first pitch and fouls it into the Giant bullpen, no one can get it. Smash off the third-base bag, gets by Ramirez, Theriot backs him up, Feliz is held to a single.

[VanMan]

Kevin Frandsen up, but Hill keeps Feliz close. First pitch is a fastball, 90, up, but swung and missed. Another fastball, 91, is fouled off, 0-2. Another fastball is popped into shallow center, Theriot there for the out.

[VanMan]

Lincecum bunts the first pitch hard to Ramirez, throws to Theriot for one, but the relay is not in time to DeRosa. Two gone.

[VanMan]

Robert takes a strike on a fastball away. Another outside fastball misses, 1-1. Fastball away is swung and missed, 1-2 to Roberts. A 91mph fastball just missed for ball two. The 2-2 is popped to left-center. Jones and Soriano converge, Jones is able to make the catch in front of Soriano to retire the side. No runs, a hit, one left.

Middle 3rd, Cubs 0, Giants 0

[VanMan]

Koyie Hill leads off the third for the Cubs. He rips the first pitch into the right field stands for a solo home run! Cubs up 1-0.

[VanMan]

Rich Hill takes the first pitch away. A fastball misses up and away, 2-0. Fastball catches the zone at the knees, strike one. Hill fights an inside fastball foul. Another fastball, 94, fouled off. Change up is swung poorly and missed for the first out.

[VanMan]

Soriano takes a change low and in, ball one. Another change upstairs misses for ball two. Fastball upstairs misses, 3-0. Soriano takes a fastball on the outside corner for a strike. Change up is waived at and missed, full count. Another change up is fouled off. Soriano flies to Winn for the second out.

[VanMan]

Theriot chops up the middle, Vizquel "gets to the choppah" and throws out Theriot to retire the side. But the Cubs score one on Koyie Hill's first-pitch home run.

End 3rd, Cubs 1, Giants 0

[VanMan]

Vizquel lines one to Theriot on a full count. Then DeRosa bobbles one from Winn, but gets him in time at first.

[VanMan]

Durham walks with two out.

[VanMan]

Molina pops out to end the inning. No runs, a walk and one left.

Middle 4th, Cubs 1, Giants 0

[VanMan]

After the Giants take the lead in the 8th with an RBI single, with two outs in the bottom half, Theriot hits a broken bat single to second, then Lee executes a perfect hit-and-run to put Theriot at third. After Randy Messenger comes in to relieve, Ramirez smacks a 2-1 change-up off the left-field wall to score both Theriot and Lee to re-take the lead, 3-2.

[VanMan]

Pagan grounds to second to end the inning, but the Cubs re-take the lead, and here comes Howry to save it in the ninth!

[NeifiPerezMVP2007]

Thats the kind of thing winning teams do, come from behind late in the game. Hill is up for the win!

[ARamfan]

Rammy really came through! I'm ecstatic right now! :D

[VanMan]

Howry's first pitch to Winn is tapped back to Howry, over to Lee for the first out.

[VanMan]

Rammy really came through! I'm ecstatic right now! :D
I'll bet you are, Mara.

[VanMan]

The 1-0 pitch to the next batter is popped to shallow right. DeRosa squeezes it for the second out.

[BigZ38]

Aramis is a stud. Lou did a heck of a job managing this game.

[VanMan]

Molina takes the first pitch low and away. The 1-0 is popped into the seats. Another pop foul off the screen, 1-2. Fastball misses low and away, Molina does not chase, 2-2. Fastball swung on and missed! Cubs win! CUBS WIN!!!

Final score, Cubs 3, Giants 2

[VanMan]

Aramis is a stud. Lou did a heck of a job managing this game.
I agree with that, Mara! Two key managerial moves: the pitch out on the squeeze play attempt after the Giants took the lead and the hit-and-run with Theriot and Lee that set up the Ramirez two-RBI double.

[ARamfan]

I am thrilled, Eric. Just pleasantly surprised at how it happened. CUBS WIN CUBS WIN! :cool:

[ARamfan]

IMO, either Lou is a genius or just verrrrry lucky! :p

[VanMan]

IMO, either Lou is a genius or just verrrrry lucky! :p
I think it's a little of both. Lou sensed the squeeze, so he had the Hills pitch out, and it worked. He also figured Lee would put it where they aint with the hit-and-run.

[BigZ38]

I agree with that, Mara!

Actually you quoted something I said and I'm not Mara....but I know what you meant.

[VanMan]

Sorry, BigZ, I thought you were Mara, since she's ARamFan.

[BigZ38]

Sorry, BigZ, I thought you were Mara, since she's ARamFan.

I figured it might confuse some people if I used an Aramis Pic with a Z name.

[ARamfan]

Actually you quoted something I said and I'm not Mara....but I know what you meant.

I think VanMan was a little excited, like the rest of us at that point, and missed the quote. :)

[ARamfan]

I figured it might confuse some people if I used an Aramis Pic with a Z name.

Yeah, I've been wondering about that. :confused:

[BigZ38]

Yeah, I've been wondering about that. :confused:

I put it up because it's the pic of when he hit his walk off over the Brewers. It's the best part of the season so far so I thought I'd pay tribute.

[ARamfan]

I put it up because it's the pic of when he hit his walk off over the Brewers. It's the best part of the season so far so I thought I'd pay tribute.

I'll admit I'm very biased, so I'll be the first one to agree with you that it's the best part of the season so far! :D