We all know the struggles that Edwin Jackson has been through so far in his first year with the Chicago Cubs. He’s been particularly bad at Wrigley Field so far this season. Despite picking up the loss in yesterday’s game, he pitched reasonably well, allowing three earned runs in 6.2 innings. But he’s still a disappointment to Bruce Levine. Let’s check out his story with the headline “Jackson’s Struggles at Wrigley Continue”.

Edwin Jackson, who signed a four-year, $54 million contract with the Cubs last winter, continued to struggle at Wrigley Field on Friday despite turning in his longest performance of the season.

Jackson pitched into the seventh inning for the first time in 2013 before being lifted after allowing a go-ahead single to Mets starter and winner Matt Harvey as New York held on for a 3-2 win. Jackson is 1-6 in eight starts in Wrigley with an ERA above 8.00.

So he had a quality start, his longest outing of the year and only gave up three runs. I’m not sure how he continued to struggle, other than that the picked up the loss. And that could have been different, were it not for a bad decision by third base coach David Bell.

The Cubs had the potential tying run on second base with one out in the eighth inning when David DeJesus hit a line drive single to former Cubs outfielder Marlon Byrd in right.Darwin Barney hesitated a bit and then took off around third base with Bell’s blessings toward home plate. Byrd’s throw was a perfect strike to catcher John Buck, who tagged Barney out three feet from the plate.

”Obviously it is disappointing. It turned out it wasn’t a very close play,” Bell said. “I just watched the replay again and it wasn’t close. As a third base coach you always want to make the right decision. and that clearly wasn’t the right decision.”

As it turns out, Byrd, once again, was the wyrd.

» Continue reading “Chicago Cubs Headlines/Game Thread: Marlon Byrd Foils Cubs”

I’ll be honest, I had no idea that Marlon Byrd was on the Mets, or even that he was still in major league baseball. In fact, until today, I don’t think I’ve thought about him since he was suspended for PEDs last . . well, whenever that was.  But today, today Marlon will make his triumphant return to Wrigley Field. And he’s bringing his ginormous biceps with him:

When he wore Cubs blue, Marlon Byrd would salute the Bleacher Bums at Wrigley Field. And for a while, they loved him. Fans arrived at games wearing “Byrd is the word” T-shirts, as they watched him patrol center field for more than two seasons and earn a trip to the 2010 All-Star Game.

But when Byrd was traded to the Red Sox last season after only 13 games, he was hitting .070 and had recorded only two RBIs. It didn’t get much better for Byrd in Boston. After just 34 games, he was suspended for 50 games for a positive drug test.

On Friday, Byrd will return to Wrigley Field for the first time since Chicago traded him last April. After a brief stint in the Mexican Pacific League during the offseason, the 35-year-old Byrd is hitting .271 with three homers and 16 RBIs in 96 plate appearances with the Mets this season.

When New York opens a three-game series in Chicago on Friday, Byrd will once again settle into his spot in front of the ivy.

So if anyone is feeling nostalgic for the Mike Quade year, today’s your chance to relive the glory days. By the way, I would KILL to be able to find our old “Marlon Byrd is Magic” pic. If anyone has a copy, let me know.

» Continue reading “Cubs Live Game Thread: The Return of Marlon Byrd”

Last night was unarguably a great night for Chicago Sports. Bulls season? Mercifully over, but not until one of the biggest comebacks in playoff history was achieved. Blackhawks? Killed the Red Wings made it look easy. Chicago Cubs? Took the second series in a row AND leapfrogged the hated Brewers in the process. No, I’m not kidding. The Cubs are in 4th place.

I’ve often spoken of my complete and total disdain for the Milwaukee Brewers. I realize that, as a Cubs fan, I’m supposed to reserve most of my hate for the St. Louis Cardinals, with a small amount left over for the White Sox. And, after all, I grew up halfway in-between Chicago and Milwukee, and the Brewers were my AL team.

However, all that has changed since the Brewers moved to the NL Central. And while my hatred for the Cardinals is tinged with a begrudging respect that they always seem to be in the running when the post-season rolls around, I can’t say the same for the Brewers. For them, my hatred is only tinged with disgust. Accordingly, the above standings have brought me great joy.

» Continue reading “Chicago Cubs Thursday Headlines: Suck on that, Cheeseheads”

Our dearly beloved Chicago Cubs will seek to continue their new-found winning ways tonight. With a win against the Colorado Rockies, they will have won two consecutive series for the first time in 10 years. Of course, now that I’ve stated the possibility of a win, I’ve stacked the deck against the Cubs and we’ll likely see the greatest pitching performance of the year from the Rockies’ starter, Jon Garland.

You might remember Jon Garland from his stint on the south side, or before that, as the guy the Cubs traded to the White Sox for Matt Karchner. I was going to make a joke about how old he is, but looked up his age and he’s a year younger than me. He’s bounced around the last few years, and I can’t find anything about him pitching anywhere last season. So far for 2013 he’s allowed 22 earned runs in 41 innings over the span of seven starts. Opposing batters are hitting .304 against him, totaling 48 hits allowed. Maybe the Cubs can add on to their Major League-leading 90 doubles and score some runs against the not-so-young Mr. Garland.

Tonight on the mound for the Cubs, we’ll see the flowing locks of Jeff Samardzija whipping about in the breeze. Young Mr. Spellcheck is looking to rebound from a horrible start in DC last Friday. In case you’d forgotten, he allowed seven runs (five earned) in five innings that night. He’s allowed 42 hits and 20 earned runs in 48.2 innings over eight starts. He’s also leading the league with six wild pitches.

Lineup after the jump.

» Continue reading “Chicago Cubs Game Thread: Matt Karchner Lives In Our Hearts And Minds”

Today marks the next installment of LOHO’s “use a number as a post title” series. It also might be the last in the series, but who knows? Yesterday, Julie pointed out that the Cubs were but five games out in the Wild Card race. What most of us probably expected was a Cubs loss to the Rockies and falling to six games behind the Wild Card leader. That’s exactly what happened. But another bit of news highlighting the number six came out before yesterday’s game when Dale Sveum was asked about the starting rotation after Matt Garza’s return from his rehab assignment.

“It’s a tough decision because everybody has pitched pretty well,” Sveum said. “It’s going to be one of those things that will be unfortunate for somebody but it’s a reality and it’s going to happen.”

Carlos Villanueva, who started Tuesday, has the most experience as a swingman.

“It might lean to who we’re playing that series, the matchups,” Sveum said. “Maybe you go to a six-man rotation for a week because of matchups. You never know what the bullpen is like. A lot of things come into play. We’ll make that decision — and I know you guys are going to keep asking this question every day. It’s not going to change.”

A six-man rotation? That makes no sense, especially when what he’s describing is a spot start. He’s not even talking about a six-man rotation. Is he just trying to get our hackles raised? Is Dale Sveum trolling us? Fortunately for Dale Sveum (and our sanity), Carlos Villanueva may have made the decision an easy one after last night’s start. He gave up seven runs on 12 hits in five innings.

“I know we’ll be a stronger team when he [Garza] comes back,” Villanueva said after the game. “A night like tonight didn’t help my cause.”

(snip)

“You would be lying if you said stuff doesn’t cross your mind when it comes up, but, like I said, we’re professionals,” he stated. “It’s hard to play that way [thinking of your job], hard to pitch, hard to play defense.”

(snip)

“Chalk it up to a bad day at the office,” Villanueva said. “When the good ones get hit, obviously the bad ones get hit even harder.”

At least there will be one more slightly competent pitcher in the bullpen when Villanueva is sent there.

» Continue reading “Chicago Cubs Wednesday Headlines: SIX!”

See this? These are the NL Central standings. See where the Chicago Cubs are? Okay, at the bottom. But that’s not my point.

My point is that the Chicago Cubs are only five games back in the Wild Card standings. FIVE! That’s only one more than four! That’s single digits!

And no, I’m totally not getting all hyper after a three-game win streak and thinking the Cubs have a shot at the playoffs. But still. FIVE! FIVE games back! If they win tonight, it could be FOUR! FOUR GAMES BACK!

Five games back in the wild card standings is nothing to get exicted about in May, except when you totally expected your team to be, like, 27 games back at this point. This season, we hold on to what we can. I’m holding on to five games back in the wild card race. FIVE!

Speaking of five, could the Cubs be on their way to their first five-game win streak since 1967 (okay, I’ll admit. I don’t know how long it’s been, but it’s been a while)? We’ll find out tonight, as Carlos Villanueva (1-2, 3.02) takes the hill for Cubs.  He’ll face Jeff Francis (1-3, 6.90) who probably gets mistaken for Jeff Francouer all the time. Can the Cubs extend their winning streak to four games (four! it’s one less than five!)?

Tonight’s lineup:

DeJesus
Castro
Rizzo
Soriano
Hairston
Castillo
Ransom
Barney
Villanueva

First pitch is at 7:05 pm CT on WCIU, Just kidding! It’s on CSN.

Sometimes, in life, things happen that make you question everything you’ve ever believed. Things like Travis Wood having an ERA of just over 2.00 on May 14. Things like wondering if Nate Schierholtz or Luis Valbuena is the happiest suprise this season.  Things like the Chicago Cubs taking 2-3 from the Nationals (against Stephen Strasburg, no less), and then going on to beat the Rockies 9-0. Oh, didn’t you hear? The Cubs beat the Rockies 9-0:

The Cubs may be lacking in overall talent, but they aren’t lacking in confidence.

The stabilization of the closer’s role since Kevin Gregg took over, the continued dominance of the starters and the recent improvement of the offense has the players believing they’re not as far away as most observers believe.

These rooftop owners are a lot easier to get along with, as is LEGO Tom Tunney

“The only thing I think about is that — winning it here,” Starlin Castro said. “It’s going to be unbelievable. That’s why those people (President Theo Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer) are signing people here for multiyear (deals), to be here when the team is competing every season.

“I think it’s going to happen pretty soon.”

Travis Wood turned in his eighth straight quality start in a 9-1 victory over the Rockies, improving to 4-2 with seven shutout innings.

Kyuji Fujikawa and Carlos Marmol finished it against a Rockies team that has fallen back to earth after a 13-5 start.

Personally, I think Carlos Marmol’s biggest contribution to the game was making fans wonder if a 9-0 lead in the top of the 9th was enough, but maybe that’s just me. You can check out the box score here. Just look at all those runs!

» Continue reading “Chicago Cubs Morning Headlines: When Bad Cubs Go Good”

We’re all thrilled and excited and overjoyed about Anthony Rizzo’s new long-term contract with the Chicago Cubs. That is, as along as he turns out not to be a total bust (what? It could happen. These are the Cubs). With that in mind, here’s some friendly advice for young Master Rizzo. Pay attention, Kid:

10.  Don’t go all Duncan Keith and try to prove to everyone how much you deserved the big payday. Trying to prove yourself results in pressing, and pressing results in getting a whole fuckload of teeth knocked out. Or something. Okay not really. But still. Relax and play the game the way you always have. Only with 10 times more awesomeness.

9.   Definitely don’t add a “hop” to your catching mechanics.

8.   No matter how much crap you get from the guys, don’t cut off the curls. The women are mad for them. But stop slicking them back like that. This isn’t the South Side.

7.    If you get injured, come back. Being cleared by doctors and choosing to sit on  the bench while your teammates battle for a World Series appearance won’t sit well with Chicago fans.

6.  Never say anything nice about the White Sox, Brewers, or Cardinals. EVER. We’ll never forgive you for it.

5.  Don’t pretend Wrigley Field is a glorious place to watch and play baseball. It’s not. In fact, if you could complain about Wrigley a little, it would probably help the cause.

4.  If there are any old “Corey Patterson hitting” videos laying around, don’t watch them.

3.  Always eat out before a game. You don’t want to get stuck and have to resort to the food at Wrigley.

2.   Don’t ever take advice from Jeff Samardzija when it comes to fashion or facial hair.

and finally

1. Try to stay good at baseball for the entire length of your contract. I sure would appreciate it.

» Continue reading “10 Things Anthony Rizzo Should NOT Do With His New Contract”

The Chicago Cubs won a road series against a good team this weekend, but the big news came late last night. Ken Rosenthal reported that the Cubs and first baseman Anthony Rizzo have come to an agreement on a contract extension. Take it away, Ken.

The Cubs have reached agreement with Rizzo on a seven-year, $41 million contract through 2019, according to major-league sources. The deal also includes two $14.5 million club options, sources said.

Thus, the total value over nine years could be $68 million; Rizzo would not receive a $2 million buyout if both options are exercised. Escalators could further increase the size of the package to $73 million, sources said.

Rizzo, who has just over a year of major-league service, is earning $498,000 this season. His new deal will include an immediate increase for 2013 while covering all four of his arbitration years — Rizzo was on track for Super Two status — and his first free-agent year.

That means the Cubs have Rizzo and Starlin Castro locked up through 2019. Will a Jeff Samardzija extension be next? Whatever happens with Spellcheck, we can be happy knowing that Castro and Rizzo will be around for awhile. We can also be happy that the Cubs managed to take two out of three from the Nationals this weekend. Yesterday’s game featured another good start from Scott Feldman.

After allowing an RBI double in the first, Feldman settled down and was dominant the rest of the way, opening the door for the Cubs to pull out 2-1 victory. Feldman allowed just one run on five hits with six strikeouts and three walks over six innings. He did not earn a decision for the first time in six starts this season, but lowered his ERA from 2.70 to 2.53

“[Gonzalez] was throwing really well and he had really good stuff today,” Feldman said. “It was just a battle and we were able to squeeze across a couple of runs there at the end and come away with a series win. It was good team win and hopefully we get some momentum rolling back home.”

» Continue reading “Chicago Cubs Monday Headlines: Get Ready For Seven Years Of RizzOMG”

You saw that right, folks. With Edwin Jackson starting for the Chicago Cubs, they beat Stephen Strasburg and the Washington Nationals yesterday, 8-2. Despite two TOOTBLANS in the fifth inning, the Cubs managed to score four unearned runs off the Nationals wunderkind. Strasburg’s demise was aided by a two-run double by Jackson. 

With two outs in the Cubs fifth, Welington Castillo reached on a throwing error by Ryan Zimmerman. Darwin Barney then walked, and both he and Castillo scored on Jackson’s double, his first hit in 12 at-bats this year.

“That was probably the difference in the whole ballgame,” Sveum said of Jackson’s hit. “If Strasburg punches him out there, it’s a whole different ballgame. Those kind of guys settle in and it’s a shutout and you’re battling the rest of the game.”

How did Jackson hit it?

“It was 3-2 [in the count], I was looking for something I could hit hard,” Jackson said. “He’s throwing 96, 97, 98 [mph], and I’d been missing the whole game, and I told myself to relax and find something I could make contact with.

“You saw how he made me look the first [at-bat],” Jackson said of a strikeout in the third. “Fastball, fastball, than, whoo, slider and kind of froze me. I felt when it was 3-2, he was going to try to come at me — he doesn’t want to walk a pitcher — and I got a pitch I could drive.”

Four runs in the fifth and another four in the sixth were enough to get Jackson his first win as a Cub.

» Continue reading “Cubs Sunday Headlines: Jackson Beats Strasburg? Jackson Beats Strasburg.”