Game chat: Cubs enter for two-game fling in Philly

Lefties Tom Gorzelanny (1-4, 3.60) and Jamie Moyer (5-2, 4.57) meet when the Cubs and Phillies open a short set starting tonight at 7:05.

Preview: Money hasn't bought the 18-22 Cubs happiness. Chicago maintains a $146.6 million payroll, the third highest in baseball. They've lost nine of their last 12 and are 5.5 games out in the central circuit. It's such a weak league this year, isn't it? Meanwhile, the Phillies try to rebound after giving one away last night against the Pirates. Still riding high at 10 games over .500, the Phils welcome back Chase Utley, who's been out the last two games with flu-like symptoms. So to make room, Jimmy Rollins will slide down to the six hole, bumping Raul Ibanez to seventh.

Comments

[Old Phan]

At least it's a run, no matter how you get it.

[MG]

At least Howard didn't K there for a change vs. LHP reliever which he has done at nearly at 50% clip the past 2 years. Grabow made a pretty good play too.

[bananagrabbers]

Howard had that if he didn't shorten his stride about 3 steps in front of first base. Looked like he was worried about awkwardly hitting the bag and slowed a bit to get it right.

Bummer that he wasn't safe, but then again, would rather see that than the big guy rolling an ankle.

[bay_area_phan]

Jayson Werth seems to be the engine that makes this offense run this year. He hasn't hit in the last 2 games & the offense has stunk, as a result.

[GBrettfan]

Missed most of the game tonight. Second night in a row of no runs? Well, ok, 1 run now. Slumping bats? Or good pitching? Both?

Jamie appears to have done an outstanding job. Too bad he's not in line for a W - If we can pull one off.

[Hope SE]

Do we have a last-of-the-9th win this year? Can't seem to remember one. We've had too many leads; last year it seemed like it was all come-from-behinders. Need some of that magic tonight.

[MG]

Castro with a great play there. Cubs have made the defensive plays tonight & Polanco hsan't. Difference in the game so far.

Don't like the Phils' chances of touching Marmol in the 9th either.

[MG]

Brett - Both. Gorzelanny was better than Duke last night. Phils though have missed a couple of limited chances tonight including last inning.

[GBrettfan]

Thanks, MG.

Heather - There was that Carlos Ruiz walk-off in the 10th a few weeks back.

[MG]

Really use one of those patented DP sliders right now from Durbin . . .

[GBrettfan]

I mean, Hope, not Heather. Oops.

[Hope SE]

GBrett: There may have been another 10th or 11th or 12th inning also; but I don't recall a 9th -- but I haven't looked.

[MG]

Good AB by Soriano. Bases loaded with Romero coming in? Ugh.

[SmokyJoe]

I can't see how it could possibly backfire to bring in JC with the bases loaded, with his pin point control and all.

[bay_area_phan]

Romero pitched well the last time out, but he is absolutely the last guy I want in the game with the bases loaded. Likelihood that he'll walk in a run: right around 50%.

[gobaystars]

no closers scare me.

[GBrettfan]

What happened to Durbin tonight?

Ironic, replacing a wild Durbin with JC. Hopefully, the normally wild JC will do as well as he did the other night. Because I could picture a walk-in run here. (Which is better than a grand slam, but...)

Although it may not matter if our offense can't muster itself.

[MG]

What are the odds Romero walks in a run here? I say at least 50/50. There is no way Nady should be swinging at the first pitch.

[dlhunter]

Jose Mesa's speeding back to town on the Chinatown bus from Atlantic City...

[GTown_Dave]

Bases loaded. One out. You need a double play grounder. So naturally Charlie calls upon ... Romero?

[curt]

I'm gonna predict that Durbin & Romero aren't the guys that show up in this situation come September. At least I hope.

[MG]

Thanks for swinging at ball 1 there Colvin.

[Sophist]

Seems like every single important offensive play on both sides was to the gap between 3B and SS. Werth's GB could have easily ended up like the one that scored the Cubs first run. Not sure it will matter after the Durbin BB adventure.

[Sophist]

That was just an awful AB. Thank you Colvin.

[gobaystars]

little jesus throwing gas. alright.

[MG]

That was a clown AB from Colvin. Not a single strike and he swung at 3 balls.

[Dukes]

Swinging at the first three pitches is the completely wrong approach against JC with the bases loaded but I'll take it.

Great job by Ruiz to block those balls in the dirt!

[bay_area_phan]

Nice job by Romero, but I don't know why you wouldn't go to a righty here.

[Sophist]

Romero against a righty. This night is full of surprises.

[Old Phan]

I'll give JC some credit on that AB.

[dlhunter]

Well, that went well...

[Sophist]

There is absolutely no reason to have Romero pitch to two RHB in a row here.

[bay_area_phan]

That wasn't a well-struck ball but, still, those 2 runs are on Cholly. There's no reason for the 2010 version of Romero to ever face a right-handed hitter in a close game.

[Dukes]

One of those nights, I guess.

JC and Victorino both have that small guy chest out shoulders up macho walk that really annoys me.

[doubleh]

Some bad mgmt from Cholly over the past two games.

[bay_area_phan]

Every so often the Phillies have a game where they look completely lifeless for 8 innings & then pull the game out of their you-know-what with a dramatic 9th inning rally.

But this doesn't feel like one of those nights -- especially after that fiasco.

[SmokyJoe]

Phillies 1 for 8 with RISP, Cubs 3 for 6 (all with 2 outs)...that's your ballgame.

[MG]

BAP - Nope. I don't event think Cholly has anybody else warmed.

Romero wasn't bad tonight and he uncorked a few decent pitches. Still he shouldn't have faced Nady there.

[EastFallowfield]

For a small pick-me-up, Billy Wagner blew a save for the Braves tonight.

[Chris Wheeler]

Old Cholly Manuel is as dumb as a sack of rocks.

[MG]

I just give Ibanez gas here and watch him flail helplessly until you finish him the slider. . .

[gobaystars]

charlie didn't lose these games by any stretch. these games were settled this morning when dave frankle put mittens on the bus stop buddy. this is not hittin weather.

[MG]

Good AB Ibanez. Didn't chase.

[dlhunter]

@EastFallowfield

It terrifies me that there's someone else in my township on BL.

[Old Phan]

Ouch

[tg082]

A Mar-meltdown?

[Sophist]

Just thought I'd take a look at the Phils so far against LHP

Vic: .370/.408/.652
Polanco: .275/.333/.350
Utley: .356/.500/.867
Howard: .262/.294/.477
Werth: .378/.521/.514
Rollins: .167/.375/.167
Ibanez: .189/.268/.351
Ruiz: .368/.538/.579

[Sophist]

That was some heat to get Gload there, but wasn't that pitch all over the plate? Maybe that's just the benefit of Marmol's slider.

[MG]

Gload vs. a 97-mph inside fastball? No chance.

[Sophist]

At least they don't play that stupid Cubs song at away game. One of the dumbest things in sports.

Moyer was excellent tonight, as he has been almost all year, but this is one of those games you hate to attend. Over in less than 3 hours without much to cheer for.

[EastFallowfield]

If they called that check swing a swing every time games would be a lot shorter.

[Old Phan]

"Excellent lineup. Should yield at least 2 runs.
Posted by: Old Phan | Wednesday, May 19, 2010 at 05:47 PM"

Well, I was wrong about that.

[MG]

Cubs' defense made the plays tonight, Polanco didn't and Cholly got caught with his pants down leaving Romero out there to face the 2 right-handed bats.

Too bad they wasted another weak solid start by Moyer tonight.

[Sophist]

MG, do you think those are plays many 3B make? Esp. that hard hit ball that scored the 2nd run? Looked to me like Polanco was guarding the line with a man on second and even a good dive wouldn't have gotten that one.

Phils were 1-10 w RISP. Cubs were 3-6.

[doubleh]

Two good pitching performances in a row wasted.

[MG]

Sophist - Turning them into outs? Nah especially the second one. He could have knocked it down though. It would have saved the 2nd run because Soriano wouldn't have scored.

Cubs made some really outstanding defensive plays tonight including that one by Gorzelanny and by Castro.

[The Truth Injection]

RHB were batting .000 coming into the game against Romero. Small sample size for sure but it's not completely ridiculous that Manuel would leave him in.

[Dukes]

I think some folks are being too hard on Polanco here. It's not like those plays were right in front of him and he booted them. They were tough ass plays. As the Wise Wes Helmes once told Hanley Ramirez, it doesn't matter if you make the play, it matters only if you hustle (or something like that). Yes, I just quoted Wes Helmes.

A win tomorrow is a split of a four game series which is fine.

[Dukes]

...people also being hard on Romero. He hasn't looked good this season so far but he looked good tonight. If that ball is to the right 5 feet Utley throws him out. I just didn'nt see a terrible game from the defense or the pitchers (besdies Durbins walks). The offense just struggled.

[MG]

Dukes - I did think Romero looked decent enough tonight and made a few good pitches. Leaving him to face 2 right-handed hitters though is generally kind of a low odds play. That's all.

Same on Polanco. I don't think he should have gotten outs on either ball. Just might have knocked the ball down and kept in the INF. Either time would have saved a run. It wasn't bad defense by any stretch. Cubs' defesne was flawless tonight though including a real highlight plays.

[denny b.]

I think Werth gets the day off tomorrow.

His swing has looked a little slow the past few days. He's been late on fastballs a lot lately. Get him ready for the BoSox this weekend in a warm CBP. Could be a lot of of long balls this weekend, against that Red Sox pitching staff.

Give Gload a start in RF tomorrow against the RHP.

JRoll
Polanco
Utley
Howard
Vic
Ibanez
Gload
Hoover
Blanton

Tough couple of games. Some bounces have gone the wrong way.

Give Duke and Gorzellany the credit. Good lefty starters still can neutralize this lineup.

Marmol threw a ton of pitches tonight so that could limit him tomorrow. Besides Durbin, everybody is very rested in the Phil pen.

[GTown_Dave]

Dunno if this has been mentioned, but the Phils are now 1-6 vs. LHP at Home, & 4-1 vs. LHP on the Road. Also, Ben Francisco is totally ineffective vs. anyone.

Speaking of ineffective, how 'bout that offense? Charlie continues to make questionable moves (Romero? In that situation? Really?), but they hardly matter. This team couldn't find home plate right now if it had a laser-guided bloodhound strapped to its collective ass.

[GTown_Dave]

All that said, Moyer pitched a helluva game. Much like Halladay last night, he deserved far better.

[goody]

denny: Worth's birthday tomorrow. Doubt he gets the day off, unless he does too much early celabrating tonite.

[goody]

It's also WERTH'S birthday.

[Old Phan]

I was just thinking that, since there is a guy on Oakland named Worth.

[GTown_Dave]

Worth, Hammels, Holiday, Manual ... that's the making of a pretty good team right there. Of course Madsen is on the DL & Meyers wasn't re-upped, but these things happen. Now if they could only sign Pooholes ...

[Hugh Mulcahy]

So much for scoring 7 runs a game when the old man pitches. He looked pretty sharp last night. Rest of teh team? not so much.

[R.Billingsly]

At the game last night and it was frustrating. There were very few points that the crowd could get involved, as it was one let down after another. Another game where the offense was basically silent. I may be mistaken, but I don't think they had a hit in innings 2-8. With this offense that is unacceptable, regardless of who is toeing the rubber for the other team. When it warms up, however, so will the bats.

I have a feeling they are going to put up some big numbers tonight against Dempster.