Results tagged ‘ White Sox ’
3/7 Cubs vs White Sox
It’s just another Cactus League game Thursday for Cubs manager Dale Sveum, but not for Chicago fans, it’s round one of Cubs vs. White Sox. The two teams square off at HoHoKam Stadium.
“I’ve got to be honest, they just run into each other,” Sveum said of the Cactus League games. “It’s just another game where everybody gets their work in. That’s what it is. It’s just another Cactus League game where guys are just getting their work in, getting their at-bats, getting their innings in. It’s a little tough to think you’re going to be super serious when you don’t have your [regular] lineup out there, they won’t have their lineup out there. It still in the preliminary stages of Spring Training where obviously, two weeks from now, if we had five or six games left, you’d have your team out there and start playing matchups and doing the things you’d do during the season.”
This season, the Cubs-White Sox series has been condensed into a four-game stretch May 27-30 with two games at each ballpark. Major League teams will have Interleague games every day during the season.
“We’re all going to play the same amount of games against Interleague play,” Sveum said. “It’ll be sporadic from day one. It’s not something you have to deal with. It’s just going to be earlier than normal.”
There will be a slight difference. In the past, the Cubs usually had all of their games vs. AL teams in one stretch, and would add a player to be the designated hitter. This year, the games are spread out and that may not be an option. The Cubs play the Rangers April 16-18, for example, then have to deal with NL Central rivals for the next six games.
The Cubs also will play the Angels June 4-5 in Anaheim; and travel to Seattle June 28-30 and to Oakland July 2-4. The Angels come to Wrigley Field July 9-10.
– Carrie Muskat
6/17 Cubs lineup & extra bases
Paul Maholm is on the mound Sunday night when the Cubs close their three-game Interleague series against the Red Sox. Here’s the lineup:
Johnson RF
Barney 2B
Castro SS
Soriano LF
Baker 1B
Mather CF
Castillo C
Valbuena 3B
Maholm P
* Starlin Castro has started each of the Cubs’ first 65 games this season, and is one of two NL players to start all of the team’s games so far. The Braves’ Dan Uggla also has done so.
* The Cubs are batting .224 against southpaws this season, third lowest in the NL. They are 3-14 against left-handed starters, including a loss Saturday.
* The Cubs have lost 23 of their last 30 games since May 15, and 12 of those 23 losses have been by one run. Alfonso Soriano has provided much of the offense, hitting 12 homers in his last 30 games. He’s batting .294 in that stretch with seven doubles, 24 RBIs and a .688 slugging percentage.
* The Cubs are 3-8 in Interleague play, with three games remaining against the American League. They face their crosstown rivals, the White Sox, in a three-game set starting Monday night at U.S. Cellular Field. Pitching matchups:
Monday: Matt Garza (2-5, 4.04 ERA) vs. Zach Stewart (1-1, 5.18 ERA)
Tuesday: Travis Wood (0-3, 4.58 ERA) vs. Jake Peavy (6-2, 2.91 ERA)
Wednesday: Ryan Dempster (3-3, 2.11 ERA) vs. Gavin Floyd (4-7, 5.63 ERA)
* Happy birthday to bullpen coach Lester Strode, who is 54. He’s in his 24th season as a member of the Cubs organization.
– Carrie Muskat
5/31 Cubs sign Lindsay
The Cubs signed free agent pitcher Shane Lindsay and assigned him to Triple-A Iowa. The Cubs also have released pitcher Nate Robertson, and he is now a free agent. In December, Lindsay signed with the Dodgers as a Minor League free agent and was a non-roster invite to Spring Training. He was 0-1 with a 5.00 ERA in eight games for the Albuquerque Isotopes from April 27-May 19, before getting released. Last season, Lindsay was 2-2 with a 1.98 ERA and four saves in 45 games for Triple-A Charlotte and was named to the International League All-Star team. He was called up by the White Sox on Sept. 2 and made four appearances for his first big league action. Lindsay originally signed with the Rockies in 2003 as a non-drafted free agent out of his native Australia. He missed the entire 2007 season due to shoulder surgery. Entering this season, Lindsay was 22-17 with a 3.37 ERA and six saves in 169 career Minor League games (46 starts) with the Rockies (2004-10), Yankees (’10), Indians (’10), and White Sox (’11). Robertson was 0-2 with an 8.10 ERA in 14 games with Iowa.
– Carrie Muskat
4/18 Buehrle vs. Cubs
On this date in baseball history in 2007, Mark Buehrle faced the minimum 27 batters in a 6-0 no-hit victory over the Rangers. The lefty, who was then pitching for the White Sox, did walk Sammy Sosa with one out in the fifth but picked him off first base. On Wednesday in Miami, Buehrle will face the Cubs at Marlins Park. Now with the Marlins, the lefty has made 13 starts against the Cubs in Interleague play and compiled a 5-4 record and 4.15 ERA. That includes a complete game victory on May 19, 2006, when he threw a complete game two-hitter.
– Carrie Muskat
11/16 Cubs look for pitching help – UPDATE
The Cubs may be one of several teams to talk to Bob Garber, agent for free agent pitcher C.J. Wilson. SI.com’s Jon Heyman says Wilson is seeking a six-year, $120 million deal, which could price him out of the Cubs’ market. Garber was to meet with at least 10 teams at the GM Meetings, including the Marlins, Yankees, Royals, Angels, Nationals, Rockies, and Rangers. When asked if he had talked to Theo Epstein, Garber smiled.
“I’m not going to comment on that at this point,” Garber said. “You can ask Theo that.”
Could Mark Buehrle switch to the north side of Chicago? According to FOX Sports, the Cubs have had multiple discussions with Buehrle’s agent, Jeff Berry. The other teams interested in the left-hander include the White Sox, Marlins, Blue Jays, Royals, Angels, Nationals and Diamondbacks.Buehrle is 24-6 in 40 games (39 starts) his career against National League teams with a 3.32 ERA. And, against the NL Central, he’s 13-4 with a 3.28 ERA. Last season, he won 13 games for the fourth straight year, going 13-9 with a 3.59 ERA.
The Cubs do need pitching — a lack of depth was a problem last year. Heyman also reported the Cubs and Royals are talking to Scott Boras about pitcher Bruce Chen. The 34-year-old left-hander was 12-8 with a 3.77 ERA last season with the Royals, and has pitched for the Braves, Phillies, Mets, Expos, Reds, Astros, Red Sox, Orioles and Rangers besides the Royals.
– Carrie Muskat
3/24 Cubs lineup vs White Sox
The White Sox will use a DH in Thursday’s Cactus League game against the Cubs at HoHoKam Park in Mesa. The game will start one hour later at 2:05 p.m. Arizona time, and be broadcast on Comcast Sports Net and Cubs.com. These two teams will meet again June 20-22 at U.S. Cellular Field, and July 1-3 at Wrigley Field. Here’s the lineups:
RF Fukudome
SS B-day boy Starlin Castro (he turns 21 Thursday)
CF Byrd
3B Ramirez
1B Pena
LF Soriano
2B Barney
C Hill
P Garza
Here’s the White Sox lineup:
LF Pierre
2B Vizquel
DH Dunn
1B Konerko
CF Rios
RF Quentin
C Pierzynski
SS Ramirez
3B Morel
– Carrie Muskat
3/23 Looking ahead to Cubs vs. White Sox
On Thursday, the Cubs and White Sox will meet one more time before the regular season. The White Sox are expected to use a DH; Mike Quade posted his lineup, and said he wants Matt Garza to get some at-bats. Here’s the early lineup for Thursday:
RF Fukudome
SS Castro
CF Byrd
3B Ramirez
1B Pena
LF Soriano
2B Barney
C Hill
P Garza
– Carrie Muskat
3/11 Cubs lineup vs White Sox
Going to Glendale, Ariz., for today’s game between the Cubs and White Sox? Ryan Dempser will start for the Cubs. Here’s the lineup:
2B Baker
SS Castro
CF Byrd
C Soto
RF Colvin
LF Soriano
1B Pena
DH Luis Montanez
3B Marquez Smith
– Carrie Muskat
3/10 Cubs vs. Sox, Round 1
Mike Quade has a good friend coming to Friday’s Cubs game against the White Sox, and it’s going to be a test. His friend is a White Sox fan.
“He says, ‘Geez, couldn’t you work for somebody else?’ I’m like, wait a minute, you’re a good friend of mine — c’mon,” said Quade, the Cubs manager.
Quade grew up in Chicago, watching Bozo’s Circus like most kids, and also watching the Cubs on WGN TV when he came home from school. He knows there is no gray area when it comes to loyalties in the city. On Friday, the Cubs travel to Glendale to face the White Sox, and will try to get every edge, using a designated hitter instead of having pitcher Ryan Dempster bat.
“There’s spirited competition amongst the organizations but also with their skipper [Ozzie Guillen] and third base coach [Jeff Cox], who is a friend of mine, so it’s a little different,” Quade said. “All you’re trying to accomplish here, even with the White Sox, other than me DH’ing tomorrow, is still within the confines of getting our work done. That’s the difference between how many games you win and lose here. I’m not matching up late in the game. Guys are going to play, and we’ll do it the same way.”
– Carrie Muskat
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