So. . .um hey! Good morning!
Uh, remember yesterday when I dedicated the entire game thread to declaring that Soriano wasn’t moving out of the leadoff spot and we all just had to get over wanting him to move down in the lineup?
Rookie Sam Fuld is expected to move into the Cubs leadoff spot Saturday with Alfonso Soriano moving to the middle of the order.
Manager Lou Piniella declined to discuss the move, except to say “we’ll probably make a few adjustments with our lineup.”
Soriano was 0-for-5 in Friday’s 2-1 victory over Milwaukee after a two-day rest and is hitting .173 over his last 36 games. He said he will hit anywhere Piniella wants and understands his reasoning.
So. . . yeah.
Don’t look now, kids, but we might have to start easing up on Groggles:
Gregg watch: Kevin Gregg threw two scoreless innings to notch the 2-1 victory over Milwaukee and now has held opponents scoreless in 24 of his last 27 outings.
“Just getting comfortable,” he said. “If you remember how the first part of the season went, I had some unfortunate breaks — a couple of balls lost in lights. … The ball is starting to bounce my way, I guess.”
It helps that Gregg has walked only eight batters in his last 28 appearances after walking eight in his first 10 outings.
I joined the approximately 3.5 million people who went to see REEDZ and Aramis in Kane County last night. I can report that both Aramis’ swing and REEDZ’s fabulous bod look like they are ready to roll:
Aramis Ramirez arrived at the home of the Kane County Cougars on Friday, and any Cubs fan who could snag the hottest ticket in Geneva wanted to see if he truly was a savior-in-waiting.
Ramirez looked fairly similar Friday to the way he did May 8 — the day he dislocated his left shoulder diving for a ball at third base. He went 1-for-2 with a walk, two runs and a double off the top of the wall in his first at-bat playing for the Class A Peoria Chiefs on Day 1 of his long-awaited rehabilitation assignment.
Afterward, Ramirez pronounced himself fit to return to the Cubs’ lineup Monday. After playing in front of 14,872 fans — a record for a Midwest League ballpark — Ramirez will play two more games for the Chiefs before returning to Chicago.
”I’m very pleased with the way I feel,” Ramirez said after starting at third base — getting no chances — and playing five innings. ”I can’t expect any better.”
The most annoying thing about last night? All the Cubs fans who couldn’t get tickets because the game sold out, coupled with all the stupid White Sox fans, all decked out in their white trash glory, who were at the game.
We’ve got a 12:05 start today, assuming the weather holds. Braden Looper (6-4, 4.90, 1.40) will head to the hill for the Brewers, while Rich Harden (5-4, 4.57, 1.40) will go for the Cubs.
The game is on WGN. Lineups to come.
lineup:
fukudome (?????)
theriot
lee
bradley
fox
soriano
soto
fontenot
harden
okay–that’s weird.
That was terrible.
seriously, I get an hour, maybe an hour and a half of tv baseball this week, and thats the inning I get?
at least Hart made up for some of it with that error
Bases loaded, one out, down by 6. Harden even lays down a nice bunt and runs like a real player.
No runs being scored was not the result I was looking for.
People are getting restless. I think (unfortunately) trash is going to be thrown onto to the field in a few innings.
Dammit, dammit, dammit. Let’s hope the rain gets to Wrigley soon.
I want 2008 Harden back!!!
This is just a mess. Light rain starting….
Only good thing is that REEDZ and Ramirez (which, now that I’ve written it, sounds like a folk-rock duo) looked good last night. Ramirez with a stand-up double — against rookies, sure, but better than several strikeouts.
Cubs win, Cards win… Cubs lose, Cards lose. God damnit.
Well that is probably why we are still somehow in this race
Where is our 7-8 game winning streak? How do teams like the Rockies pull that shit off?
It’s a good thing much of the Chicagoland area celebrates the 4th on the 3rd, because today stinks. It’s cold, it’s raining, Cubs lost, and there is nothing on TV.
I’m heading to the coffeeshop.
Sorry you’re cold and rainy-here it’s hot and sticky-trade you! You could always watch the Dodgers/Padres on big Fox.
If you do go to the coffee shop-have some bacon and eggs for me!
dude. . .i’m a vegetabletarian.
it’s absolutely POURING here in chicago. ick.
for those that watched the game. . . how long did Lou leave Rich out there to rot before he pulled him?
Not to mention the stupid Sox–though they lost to KC today. Heh.
What is the deal with Hart and Braun pulling their shirts out as soon as the last out is made? It was bad enough to lose, I didn’t need to see that much of Corey Hart on top of it. Gross!
I believe it’s a practice that started last year when Mike Cameron came over from San Diego. Cameron’s father would come home from work and ceremonially untuck his shirt to say that work was over; it was a job well done. The Brewers players liked the idea and have employed it. It has this sense of “working class hero”-ism to it that the Brewers like and helps their image. Corey Hart’s batting music is about an International Harvester. People love the Brewers and untucking their shirts.