Before we get to yesterday’s game, we’ll get to what happened before yesterday’s game. With Matt Garza unable to pitch due to the flu, Travis Wood had to be called up from Iowa. The Cubs needed to do something to clear a roster space for him, so they DFA’d Blake DeWitt. Dale Sveum tried to sound genuine in his parting remarks for Blake.
“Hopefully he clears waivers and stays with us,” manager Dale Sveum said. “It’s unfortunate, because of the flu bug it costs somebody his job. But hopefully he stays in the organization.”
Hopefully he’ll stay in the organization but never make it back to Chicago. As for yesterday’s game, the Cubs got a not-horrible start from Travis Wood.
“It felt good,” Wood said. “Pitches were working. I had some unfortunate walks that I don’t like and left a pitch up that Rivera ended up hitting out of the park but I kept them close, we battled back and ended up winning the game.”
Unfortunately for Wood he’s likely to end up back in Iowa today as an extra position player (likely Adrian Cardenas) will be needed. Dale, what did you see out of young Travis?
“He just had a little bit better command,” manager Dale Sveum said of Wood’s turnaround after the Rivera long ball. “He was getting ahead easier after that. I just think he settled into the game and it might have relaxed him a little bit. They had three runs but he threw the heck out of the ball after that and got some pretty weak contact.”
One of yesterday’s heroes was David DeJesus, whose bases-loaded walk drove accounted for the winning RBI. Had the game made it a few more innings, it sounds like David might not have been able to stay out there.
“I think I’m starting to get (the flu ) now,” DeJesus said afterward. “My throat is starting to hurt a little bit so I’m going to keep eating my veggies and go from there.”
Eating your veggies won’t keep the flu away. But good luck with that. Have the Cubs ever heard of flu shots? Might be a decent investment to make at some point. Tony Campana also came through for the Cubs, with the game-tying (almost game winning) hit in the ninth.
“I came up in a couple of situations today when all I could do was get them over and it was nice to finally be able to put a ball in the gap and let them run a little bit and get my first RBI of the year,” Campana said. “It was a good time to get your first RBI.”
And it was a legitimate line-drive. Now we’ll have to wait till July to see another one.
I really don’t expect DeWitt to clear waivers for a second time.
He’ll be back. We’ll never get rid of him.
Everyone keeps saying that…I think it’s 50/50.
we’re trying not to get our hopes up
How sad is it that I’m the optimist on the group on this subject.
Amusingly, I’m simming a rookie player in MLB2K in the Cubs organization. Pretty interesting how “history” plays out there.
I’m in 2013 and my guy just got called up to Iowa in mid-April, and I’ve got Campana, DeWitt, LaHair, Mather and SORIANO (LOL) as teammates. He’s been there too long to be a rehab assignment, so I wish my player could simulate a conversation with Soriano to find out WTF happened.
Cardenas has been called up from Iowa to take the DeWitt/TWood spot on the roster.
Agreed re. flu shots. Isn’t there a flu bug in the Cubs clubhouse every year?
EVERY. YEAR.
maybe theyre like me and don’t like needles.
Isn’t there a flu vaccine that you snort up your nose? These guys are probably pretty good at doing that…right?
I think you’re thinking of something else…
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/qa/nasalspray.htm
Yes I know. It was “humor.”
Humor. That’s a difficult concept.
It’s just about every team every year. Happens pretty frequently. Flu is to baseball what staph is to football.
We’re only 1 game behind Pittsburgh! Woooo!
And, amazingly, only 6 games out. Seems like we should be 60 games out.
that can’t be right. are you being serious?
Small sample size
Indeed.
Well…it’s only May 7th…
The worst any team is out right now is the horrendous Padres at 9.5 games.
If you spread that 6 games out over the course of a season, they’ll be 36 games out by the end of September. That seems about right.
The most surprising thing is the Astros are only 2 games under .500 right now.
Even so. I thought we’d be at least 20 games out by now.
In order for that to have happened, the Cubs wouldn’t have won a game in April.
It’s very possible if it wasn’t for Carlos Marmol, this team would only be a game or two below .500 right now….that’s scary.
DAMN RIGHT! GO CUBS!
If the offense hadn’t been so sluggish to start the season we could be .500 or better. yea baby!
Bryce Harper’s steal of home yesterday got me thinking about the last straight steal of home in the major leagues by Jacoby Ellsbury in (I think) 2009.
How long until Campana makes an attempt at straight stealing home?
I was looking at fangraphs.com. This did not surprise me:
http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/positional-power-rankings-relief-pitchers/
Cubs dead last.
With Marshall the Reds are 3rd.
I feel that there are at least 1 or 2 American League teams that are worse.
I started work at my current job 7 months ago.
Since that time, we’ve had 5 engineers quit…and today a sixth has resigned.
Needless to say, I’m a little depressed that I might be on a sinking ship. And the worst part about it, they haven’t been able to replace a single one of these positions.
Ugh.
You should come work here.
I’ve actually been thinking a lot about my career over the last few days.
If there are openings at 435…let me know. Something might seem to fit…especially if they are looking for a on site grump.
Okay. I will. We’re growing pretty quickly.
How could you be grumpy when you’d work with ME?
I’m always grumpy.
I’m only not grumpy when I have a good bottle of wine and Star Wars in on my TV.
I’m guessing Julie is still on her train back home from work…
Lineup:
Of Jesus
Two Base Tony
E6 II
I have a Y in my name because it makes me look cool.
Stewart Smalley
Goatee Boy
Creationism
Shitty Catcher
Luck o’ the Irish
C’mon, he’s not shitty, he’s just been unlucky. If you look at the numbers — aaaah fuck it, yeah he’s shitty.
sorry–I got home a little late. Also, I’ve been up for over 24 hours. UGH.
Take a No Doz and quit complaining.
No. I want to Doz. Very very much.
And here we are without a game thread.
Marmol didn’t give up any runs!!! WOOHOO!!!
He ratcheted up his Earned Heart Attack Average by a few points though…
A first for this season –
today, all 5 levels of Cubs organization played
and all 5 teams WON !
Chicago, Iowa, Tennessee, Daytona and Peoria
Already had a couple of days when all 5 played and all lost (April 10th and April 19th)
But, let’s dwell on the positive for at least a day.
81 and 81. I’m tellin ya!
Good Day! The Cubs won, and Theriot just threw the ball 4 states away….