Results tagged ‘ Pirates ’
5/23 Cubs lineup
The Cubs close their three-game series against the Pirates on Thursday at PNC Park, facing right-hander Jeanmar Gomez. Edwin Jackson gets the start. Here’s the lineup:
DeJesus CF
Castro SS
Rizzo 1B
Soriano LF
Schierholtz RF
Castillo C
Valbuena 3B
Barney 2B
E. Jackson P
* The Cubs have lost their last four games by one run, and now are 6-12 in one-run games this season. The 18 one-run games are tied for second-most in the Majors with the Royals (the Diamondbacks lead with 19) while their 12 one-run setbacks are tops in the Majors.
* Jackson has faced the Pirates as a member of six teams: the Dodgers in 2005, the Rays in 2008, the D-backs in 2010, the Cardinals in 2011, the Nationals in 2012 and the Cubs this year. This is his second start vs. the Bucs this year. He gave up two runs over five innings on April 3 at PNC Park in his Cubs debut. In his career, Jackson is 4-1 with a 3.09 ERA in seven career starts against the Pirates.
* How good has the Cubs’ starters been? They’ve posted 28 quality starts this season, and have a 1.98 ERA in those games yet have won just 11. Only three NL teams have more quality starts than the Cubs: the Phillies (32), the Cardinals (30) and the Nationals (29). The Cardinals have won 20 of their QS, the Nats 16, the Phillies 15.
– Carrie Muskat
9/9 Good timing
Kelly Shepardson was on her way to the airport when she got a flat tire. That’s the bad news. The good news is the delay gave her time to hear more of the Cubs-Pirates radio broadcast, and she could hear her fiance, Anthony Recker, hit his first Major League home run in the fourth inning for the Cubs. Recker, who is from Allentown, Pa., was making his first start for the Cubs. His father was at the game.
“I’m glad he got to see it — he was pretty pumped,” Anthony said.
How do we know all of this about Kelly’s day? She kept people posted on Twitter, and apparently announced when Recker was designated for assignment.
“She keeps up to date on everything,” Recker said.
– Carrie Muskat
9/8 Samardzija finishes strong
Jeff Samardzija may have finally convinced people he picked the right sport. He threw his first career complete game and the first by a Cubs pitcher this season in his final start, notching the win in a 4-3 victory over the Pirates.
“That was pretty impressive,” Cubs manager Dale Sveum said. “I think he knew he had 125 pitches to get it done in, and he did it right there.”
Alfonso Soriano hit his 27th home run and David DeJesus hit a tie-breaking RBI single in the eighth to back Samardzija, who threw 120 pitches, 81 for strikes. With the win, the Cubs posted their first back-to-back wins on the road since July 23-24, which also came at PNC Park.
Samardzija is done because he’s reached his innings limit for the season. The right-hander is not coming off surgery like the Nationals’ Stephen Strasburg. This is just a precautionary move in Samardzija’s first season as a starter. He admitted to reflecting on how far he’s come when he took the mound for the ninth, and thought about the pressure he put on himself this year to perform.
“I wanted to prove I could be the guy they needed me to be and I didn’t want to leave any question marks out there,” Samardzija said.
Said Pirates manager Clint Hurdle: “The guy over there, that’s a special arm.”
Samardzija struck out nine in his 17th quality start, and finished with 174 2/3 innings, more than twice as many as he totaled last season (88) when he pitched in relief. The right-hander began this year with 169 2/3 career innings in the big leagues over four seasons.
“He mixes his pitches well,” Pittsburgh’s Pedro Alvarez said. “He’s got a good fastball, and he just competes well. He keeps the ball down, and makes good pitches when he needs them. Anytime anyone can do that, makes him tough to hit. He hit the strike zone pretty much the whole game.”
What the Cubs want next season is for Samardzija to do in six months what he did in the second half, which was post a 2.58 ERA. He won’t have to battle for one of the five spots in the rotation, and could be the Opening Day starter.
“I knew what I needed to do and I knew I had a lot of question marks around myself coming into the year,” Samardzija said. “I knew where I was going as a pitcher and the direction I was going and wanted to keep improving and get that experience late in games. You really want the staff and everyone to know they can trust you and keep giving you the ball.”
– Carrie Muskat
7/30 Cubs lineup
Justin Germano makes his first start for the Cubs Monday night as they open a three-game series against the Pirates at Wrigley Field. This will be Germano’s 37th Major League start and first since 2010 with Cleveland. Germano has never faced the Pirates, and last pitched at Wrigley Field in 2008 while a reliever with the Padres. Lefty Erik Bedard will start for the Pirates. Here’s the lineup:
Johnson CF
Castro SS
Rizzo 1B
Soriano LF
Baker RF
Soto C
Barney 2B
Mather 3B
Germano P
– Carrie Muskat
7/31 Cubs face D-Lee, Pirates Monday
Last August, when the Cubs traded Derrek Lee to the Braves, it created an strange scenario. Lee was dealt the day before the Braves played the Cubs at Wrigley Field, so he had to face his former teammates about 48 hours after he left. The Gold Glove first baseman played in Chicago from 2004-10.
It’s almost the same situation this year as the Orioles traded Lee to the Pirates, whom the Cubs face on Monday. That will be the first baseman’s first game with his new team.
“He’s a very professional player, a quiet, silent leader,” Geovany Soto said of Lee. “I had the pleasure of playing with him for a couple years and it was special. He’s always upbeat, he’s always positive. I think he’ll be a good addition to the Pirates.”
So, how was it last year when the Cubs had to face Lee in his first game with the Braves?
“It’s a litte awkward, but good for him,” Soto said. “He’s got a chance to compete and get to the playoffs and best of luck.”
– Carrie Muskat
6/6 Up in the air
In a span of about 57 hours, give or take a few, the Cubs will play in three different ballparks, beginning Sunday in Houston at Minute Maid Park. They have a makeup game Monday at PNC Park in Pittsburgh (11:35 a.m. CT) and then fly to Milwaukee to open a series Tuesday night against the Brewers at Miller Park.
* Last season, the Cubs played three games in three days in three different ballparks when they met the Indians at Wrigley on June 21, 2009; then play at Atlanta, then at Detroit.
* The last time the Cubs played three games in three days in three different road parks was 2004 when they faced Cincinnati on Sept. 19 (a 5-1 win), then played a doubleheader in Florida Sept. 20 (which they split), and then traveled to Pittsburgh Sept. 21 (a 10-inning win). Hurricane Francis in Miami forced that crazy itinerary.
– Carrie Muskat
1/4 Cotts to Pirates; Sheets to Cubs?
The Pirates agreed to terms Monday on a Minor League contract with Neal Cotts, who is coming off Tommy John surgery in July. Cotts appeared in 19 games with the Cubs in 2009, his third season with the team. He never did match his 2005 numbers when he posted a 1.94 ERA in 69 games with the White Sox. The left-hander was the only arbitration eligible player who was non-tendered by the Cubs.
Cotts blew a save May 25 against the Pirates, and was sent down to Triple-A Iowa after that. He appeared in 12 games and had a 2.84 ERA before he was sidelined. Cotts moved his family to Arizona so he could focus on his rehab.
“I enjoy it over here and I’ve enjoyed the organization,” Cotts told me in an interview in October in Mesa, Ariz. “I know in terms of performance and in terms of staying up there, it hasn’t been as planned for by either side. I’d like to be up there to help the team.”
Now, he’ll be trying to make the roster of one of the Cubs’ division rivals.
* Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports predicts the Cubs will sign free agent Ben Sheets, who missed all of last season recovering from elbow surgery. Rosenthal says teams may need to see Sheets throw before deciding whether to make an investment in the right-hander. He was 13-9 in 31 starts in 2008 with the Brewers.
– Carrie Muskat
12/13 Cubs consider Capps
The Pirates’ decision to not tender closer Matt Capps could benefit the Cubs. Capps is now a free agent and his rep, Paul Kinzer, told the Chicago Tribune that the right-hander is interested in the Cubs. Chicago does have Carlos Marmol as its closer but Capps could be the experienced right-handed set-up pitcher the Cubs are looking for. He made $2.4 million last season and the Pirates did not tender him because they felt Capps would receive a significant pay increase in arbitration.
– Carrie Muskat
9/29 A little trivia
Remember the last time the Cubs and Pirates played a doubleheader at Wrigley? It was Sept. 27, 2003, and Chicago swept the twinbill. Mark Prior and Matt Clement were the winning pitchers and the wins, plus the Astros’ loss to the Brewers that day, helped the Cubs clinch their first division title since 1989.
– Carrie Muskat
9/9 Hoffpauir's day
Micah Hoffpauir was able to smile after Wednesday’s game. He came into the Cubs’ series finale against the Pirates 1-for-9 on the road trip, and was batting .217 since he rejoined the big league club. In Wednesday’s 8-5 win, he hit a solo homer, a sacrifice fly, a double, and scored three runs.
Going down to the Minors for a stretch helped, Hoffpauir said.
“Getting away from it a little bit, kind of helps,” he said. “Getting away from the hustle and bustle of everything and being able to clear your head makes a difference for me.”
He broke camp with the Cubs and batted .314 in the first 28 games, but was .179 since May 22. His approach in the final month?
“I was going to have as much fun as I could in the last month and change,” Hoffpauir said.
So, he’s back. At least for one day.
“I felt really good at the beginning of the year and felt good today, nice and relaxed and slow,” he said. “Hopefuly, I can stick with that and remember how I did that today going forward.”
– Carrie Muskat
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