The Cubs did manage to break their “we haven’t led a game in 59 innings” streak last night, with a home run by REEDZ in the first inning. Unfortunately, that’s all the offense the Cubs would get, and they lost their ninth straight game, 5-1. Jeff Samardzija pitched well again, allowing only two runs in his six innings.
“I thought I battled with guy on base, put a couple of good swings on the ball,” Samardzija said. “I need to get a couple of quicker outs there (in the fourth inning) and get our offense back in the dugout. But I thought I battled and made some pitches.”
The two runs were on a strange play where David DeJesus appeared to catch the ball, but Darwin Barney knocked the ball out of his glove.
“It was one of those plays that was too much in the middle of us,” Barney said. “It was placed at a point where he didn’t have a chance to call it. It’s unfortunate. My job is to go until I hear somebody call me off and that ball was put into a spot where he didn’t know he’d have a chance until he got there. He probably didn’t know he’d be able to get there.”
Barney had a bloody elbow and hip after the fall because of the rocky surface on the warning track.
“I thought he caught it,” Barney said. “I went and when I was on the ground, I thought he had it in his glove and there it was. We both did our job and it just happened to turn out that way.”
Maybe gravedigger can help put some salve on Barney’s hip.
Finally today, Crazy Uncle Phil gives us the scoop on Carlos Marmol and Steve Clevenger.
Carlos Marmol passed the first test in his recovery from a strained hamstring, throwing a simulated game on Wednesday with Triple-A Iowa. Jamie Quirk, who is filling in as the Cubs’ manager with Dale Sveum attending his son’s high school graduation, said Marmol is expected to pitch in a game Friday or Saturday.
(snip)
Steve Clevenger caught four innings for Iowa Wednesday, continuing his recovery from a strained oblique muscle. He threw out the only runner that attempted to steal against him.
Come back soon, Steve. We’ve had enough Koyie Hill.
I get the feeling that when Clevenger comes back, Lalli will be demoted. I fear we are going to be stuck with Koyie for a while.
I thought the same thing. I guess he’ll go when the first of Soto/Castillo is ready.
I know no one is going to like this…but I think Clevenger and Castillo are likely to spend most of the rest of the season at Iowa once Soto is healthy again.
Castillo definitely looks like he needs some more seasoning…Clevenger is the only one who potentially could knock Hill off the roster, but people in the Cubs organization just love Koyie.
I’m not so sure people in the Cubs organization like him, but he’s pretty much the only guy out there who has any recent context with a good chunk of our big league pitching staff.
I’d guess he shuffles between AAA/AA to be the warm body in waiting when one of the prefered MLB catchers breaks down again. Having Koyie around is at least a warm body to plug in the lineup after we offload Soto. It’s not like we’ve got durable catchers or anything.
I never thought Theo would love Koyie. In fact, I bet strongly that he wouldn’t.
I’m just going to sit back and believe this was not Theo’s call and that it was all Jed’s fault.
bleuh.
Don’t blame me. I’m not the one making the decisions. If the Cubs had hired me to be GM this would never have happened.
ha
ugh
yes, we suck. But I really hate off-days.
Damn! And in the GB dept. we’re double figures. Tell you the truth I hadn’t looked lately and thought it was worse.
Even though the Cubs aren’t playing today…I’m pretty sure they are still going to lose today.
yep
Wander if there will be a sure thing in next year’s draft? Looking like we will get the #1 Pick.
i don’t believe there is such a thing as a sure thing in the MLB draft
I would have to agree with that. The closest people to “a sure thing” in the last number of years have been Mark Prior, Steven Strasburg and Alex Rodriguez. Prior broke, Strasburg looks like prior did when he first came up, and Rodriguez is going to the Hall of Fame.
Even the surest things often fail in baseball.
The fans in Minnesota screamed bloody murder when they took Mauer over Prior.
The Cubs fans were elated.
Which would you rather have had now?
Honestly…I think that jury is still out. The Mauer contract with the Twins is looking more and more like a horrid albatross. He’s becoming an oft injured catcher…and he’s injured so often, the Twins are considering moving him to another position. If he moves to a position like 1st base, he a average/below average hitter at a power position with what will likely be an average glove.
In the end, Mark Prior helped the Cubs to more post season wins than Joe Mauer has led the Twins to…and the Cubs spent a lot less money on Prior. Joe Mauer will earn $5 million more this season than Mark Prior did in his entire career.
Last nite’s loss made the Cubs the worst team in baseball.
We play the Twins, the 2nd worst, June 8,9,&10. Will it be the ‘Yeller for the Cellar’?
And the best team in baseball? the dodgers. I really need a beer now.
GO CUBS! Julie(LYH)
Hey–the new comments are in red again!
It happens occasionally I’ve noticed. Comes and goes.