8/8 CHC @ HOU 7:05 p.m.; TV: WGN; Radio: WGN

[ryno4ever]

Cubs vs Houston at Minute Maid Park
Carlos Zambrano (14-7, 3.42) vs
Roy Oswalt (11-6, 3.55)

The Lineups:
THE CUBSTheriot SS
Jones CF
Lee 1B
Ramirez 3B
Floyd RF
DeRosa 2B
Murton LF
Hill C
Zambrano P

THE ASTROS
Biggio 2B
Lamb 3B
Berkman 1B
Lee LF
Scott RF
Lane CF
Bruntlett SS
Ausmus C
Oswalt

Cubs have recalled Felix Pie and put Angel Pagan on the DL.

Brewers got swept today by the Colorado Rockies by a score of 19-4! First place is ours for the taking!

[ryno4ever]

Lou's pregame show:

Lou didn't realize there was that many strikeouts the last couple of games... 26 K's in 2 games!

No Batting Practice today hoping to loosen up the team....

Lou wanted the "blast" with the bases loaded twice!

(Or even a bases clearing double into the gap)

Lou is starting to get concerned about the lack of offense, and the lack of home runs.

Murt was a breath of fresh air with his homer

These guys HAVE to get the guys in when they are on base when we aren't hitting homers.

This divisional race is very odd this year...

Zambrano vs Oswalt...

Hoping for a winning lineup....

This is Z's only start on the road trip!

Lou wants a plane trip to Colorado being in first place!

[ryno4ever]

Kerry Wood on the pregame show:

He got a chuckle out of Howry getting Kerry's ovation a couple of days ago.

Arm feels great....

Kerry felt better last night.

Kerry will be building the velocity....

Last night, the adrenaline was flowing...and had to relax a little after the first two batters....

He's gonna concentrate on being sharper on the first batter out of the pen.

He is using fastball, curveball, sliders....doesn't throw the changeup anymore. He wants to sharpen his slider a little more.

[ryno4ever]

Ram is out of the lineup!!!!!! De Ro moves over to third, Fontenot is over at second... Floyd moves up to the cleanup spot?? Len and Bob are talking about how Lou said earlier today that Ram would be in the rest of the games on the road trip...but not only is ram dealing with a sore knee, but a sore wrist!

[ARamfan]

I didn't know if you had heard yet, but Lou just took Aramis out of the lineup for tonight! Len and Bob said they'll let us know why when they know something. :(

[ryno4ever]

Hi Mara!!!!!

[ryno4ever]

Yeah, I heard! I really hope it isn't anything serious!

[ryno4ever]

Top 1st: Chi Cubs
- R. Theriot grounded out to shortstop
- J. Jones walked
- D. Lee walked, J. Jones to second
- C. Floyd grounded into double play second to shortstop to first, D. Lee out at second

0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors
Chi Cubs 0, Houston 0

[ARamfan]

Hi Mara!!!!!

Hi Heather! I forgot to greet you on my last post because I was thrown by the change in the lineup. It looks like you don't have to work this evening. You deserve to see a good game! :)

[roenick99]

So, Oswalt walks Jones and Lee, so what does Cliff Floyd do? Swings at the first pitch. If Piniella doesn't bitch slap him as soon as he gets back to the dugout, there is something wrong with this world. I am so sick of **** like that!

[ryno4ever]

Carlos hasn't allowed a Houston runner to score in his last 23 innings! Wow!

[roenick99]

Hi Heather! I forgot to greet you on my last post because I was thrown by the change in the lineup. It looks like you don't have to work this evening. You deserve to see a good game! :)

I think we all deserve to see a good game. It's been a while...

[ryno4ever]

Hi Heather! I forgot to greet you on my last post because I was thrown by the change in the lineup. It looks like you don't have to work this evening. You deserve to see a good game! :)

Heck, any Cub fan that has suffered through the last couple of days deserves to see a good game tonight!:D

[ryno4ever]

Bottom 1st: Houston
- C. Biggio flied out to deep left center
- M. Lamb flied out to deep center
- L. Berkman struck out swinging

0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors
Chi Cubs 0, Houston 0

[ryno4ever]

Ram's wrist!!!! Wow, we don't need this!

[ryno4ever]

I'm really thinking that Hendry HAS to try to make a move now!

[ryno4ever]

DeRosa starts out the offense pretty well!

[ARamfan]

I'm really thinking that Hendry HAS to try to make a move now!

Maybe this will convince him to get on it now!

[ryno4ever]

Get 'em on....get 'em over.............................................. ..................

[ryno4ever]

get 'em out????? that's not how the saying is supposed to go!

[ryno4ever]

Man, this sucks!

[ryno4ever]

Top 2nd: Chi Cubs
- M. DeRosa doubled to left
- M. Fontenot grounded out to second, M. DeRosa to third
- M. Murton grounded into fielder's choice, M. DeRosa out at home
- K. Hill grounded out to shortstop

0 runs, 1 hits, 0 errors
Chi Cubs 0, Houston 0

[roenick99]

Man, this sucks!

You forgot the word "team" in there...

[ryno4ever]

Carlos Zambrano just got his 1000 strikeout! Congrats Big Z

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w224/ryno4ever/Zambrano-1.jpg

[ARamfan]

Hooray for Z! :D

[ryno4ever]

Bottom 2nd: Houston
- C. Lee doubled to deep right center
- L. Scott struck out swinging
- J. Lane struck out swinging
- E. Bruntlett singled to shortstop, C. Lee to third
- B. Ausmus struck out looking

[ryno4ever]

Top 3rd: Chi Cubs
- C. Zambrano struck out swinging
- R. Theriot singled to third
- J. Jones lined out to shortstop
- D. Lee walked, R. Theriot to second
- C. Floyd flied out to center

0 runs, 1 hits, 0 errors
Chi Cubs 0, Houston 0

[ryno4ever]

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w224/ryno4ever/thblowup.gif

Bottom 3rd: Houston
- R. Oswalt popped out to third
- C. Biggio homered to deep left
- M. Lamb grounded out to first
- L. Berkman walked
- C. Lee singled to left, L. Berkman to third
- L. Scott tripled to deep right center, C. Lee and L. Berkman scored
- J. Lane grounded out to shortstop

3 runs, 3 hits, 0 errors
Chi Cubs 0, Houston 3

[TheriotSterio]

Nice single by Derosa in top of 4th. Let's see if they can get him in for a change!

[TheriotSterio]

Nice single by Fontenot as well. 1st and 2nd nobody out.

[TheriotSterio]

Flyout by Murton. Derosa should be at 3rd base but didn't tag. Another stupid mistake.

[TheriotSterio]

Koyie Hill walked. Bases loaded. One out for Big Z.

[TheriotSterio]

Big Z strikes out on three pitches and then busts his bat on his knee. 2 out

[ryno4ever]

Z???? Wow! broken bat over knee????

[TheriotSterio]

Up to Theriot now.

[TheriotSterio]

Soft liner to Biggio. Cubs leave bases loaded. This is really hard to watch.

[Drockvb]

Bah! I am over it.

[roenick99]

The ****ing pitcher gets a ****ing hit off of ****ing z, but z leaves the bases ****ing loaded...

just ****ing classic...

I'm not angry though.

[ryno4ever]

Top 4th: Chi Cubs
- M. DeRosa singled to right center
- M. Fontenot singled to center, M. DeRosa to second
- M. Murton flied out to center
- K. Hill walked, M. DeRosa to third, M. Fontenot to second
- C. Zambrano struck out looking
- R. Theriot lined out to second

0 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors
Chi Cubs 0, Houston 3

Bottom 4th: Houston
- E. Bruntlett grounded out to shortstop
- B. Ausmus grounded out to shortstop
- R. Oswalt singled to left
- C. Biggio safe at first on second baseman M. Fontenot's fielding error, R. Oswalt to second
- M. Lamb flied out to deep left center

0 runs, 1 hits, 1 errors
Chi Cubs 0, Houston 3

[ryno4ever]

oh my gosh....what is going on with this freaking team? do they NOT know that first place is theirs for the freaking taking tonight?

[TheriotSterio]

They are playing like they don't even care. I'm so sick of Floyd. He is pretty much worthless. Slow in the outfield. Horrible at the plate.

Oh great, as I'm typing this....solo homer by Lance Berkman to center.

Astros 4-0 Bottom of the 5th.

[TheriotSterio]

No more runs after the Berkman homer. Going to top of the 6th

[TheriotSterio]

Derosa grounds out

[ARamfan]

Wow! I've been gone for the past hour (picking up my son), and things don't look good. :mad: I just read through this thread to catch up.

[TheriotSterio]

Mike Fontenot flies out to center. 2 out

[TheriotSterio]

Murton has a nice single to right center. Runner on 1st. 2 outs.

[TheriotSterio]

Grounder sneaks through the right side for a single. Murton to second. Koyie Hill at 1st. Big Z at the bat again with 2 outs.

[TheriotSterio]

Big Z takes a wild swing at the first pitch, takes a ball for the 2nd pitch, looks at a strike for the 3rd pitch, fouls off the 4th pitch, and strikes out swinging on the 5th pitch. He didn't kill his bat this time though. 2 more left on base, which brings the total to 9 through 6.

[ARamfan]

NINE left on base so far? :eek: GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

[TheriotSterio]

Yes, 9. Astros have runners on 1st and 2nd, one out in the bottom of the 6th

[TheriotSterio]

Theriot made a nice play with a nice catch by Lee to get the runner at 1st. Runners on 2nd and 3rd. 2 out.

[TheriotSterio]

Mike Lamb doubles to the left field corner. Both runners score. Astros lead 6-0. Big Z is comin out of the game and he looks quite pissed.

[Drockvb]

Hey everyone!! Rate the probability of the cubs winning tonight.

-out of 100%.

I give them an 11% chance. :o

[Drockvb]

oops posted too soon.- 4% chance now

[TheriotSterio]

I say 2%

[Drockvb]

I say 2%

So i am the optimist? LOL

[SKIPPER 11]

0%............

[TheriotSterio]

Scott Error walks his first batter. Runners on 1st and 2nd, still 2 outs.

[SKIPPER 11]

We have scored 3 runs the entire series- we would have to double that +1 in 3 innings

[ryno4ever]

I think I'm gonna cry!

[TheriotSterio]

Error's fat ass doesn't get off the mound to cover first on a slowly hit ground ball by Carlos Lee. A run scores. 7-0

[TheriotSterio]

Oops nevermind. I thought a runner was on 3rd. It's still 6-0, bases loaded

[ARamfan]

This is unbelievable! :mad:

[TheriotSterio]

Guess what...Scott Error walks in a run. 7-0, bases loaded still. 2 out.

[ARamfan]

Thanks Error! Another one in!

[TheriotSterio]

Lou needs to find somethin to flip out about again. Error is out, Wuertz is in. Bases loaded still. 2 outs

[TheriotSterio]

I say 0% now

[ARamfan]

Lou needs to find somethin to flip out about again. Error is out, Wuertz is in. Bases loaded still. 2 outs

Mount St. Lou is overdue for an eruption!

[TheriotSterio]

7-0 Astros. Top of the 7th. Theriot leads off the inning with a single

[TheriotSterio]

Jacque Jones doubles down the 1st base line. Runners on 2nd and 3rd,no out.

[TheriotSterio]

Len just said the Cubs are 0 for their last 28 with runners in scoring position. PATHETIC

[TheriotSterio]

Derrek Lee grounds out to third, but A RUN SCORES!!!!! The shutout is NO MORE!!!!

[TheriotSterio]

Borkowski out, Trevor Miller in to face Cliff Floyd. Runner on 2nd, 1 out.

[TheriotSterio]

Cliff Floyd walks on 4 pitches. Runners on 1st and 2nd, 1 out.

[TheriotSterio]

Mark Derosa flies out to left. 2 out.

[TheriotSterio]

Fontenot grounds out weakly to Lance Berkman. He steps on the bag and down go the Cubs. Astros up 7-1 mid 7th.

[TheriotSterio]

Solo home run by Brad Ausmus. 8-1

[ARamfan]

Darn that A$$mus!

[TheriotSterio]

Murton leads off the 8th with an infield single

[TheriotSterio]

Koyie Hill flies out to left.

[TheriotSterio]

Felix Pie gets his first at bat, grounds into a fielders choice, Murton out at 2nd. Pie on 1st, 2 outs.

[TheriotSterio]

Palmiero misjudged a ball hit by Theriot. Pie scores, Theriot to 2nd. 2 outs. 8-2

[TheriotSterio]

Single by Jacque Jones. Theriot stops at 3rd, Jones to 1st. Derrek Lee to the plate.

[TheriotSterio]

Derrek Lee grounds out. 2 more LOB. Astros lead 8-2 mid 8th.

[TheriotSterio]

Cubs lose. The brewers don't play tomorrow, so we will either be out 0.5 or 1.5 games after tomorrow. We need a friggen win. Lilly was the last pitcher to get one, I hope he can right the ship.