Chris Rusin’s debut for the Cubs Tuesday night wasn’t exactly highly anticipated. I mean, we’ve seen the likes of Casey Coleman and Boo Radley earn call-ups before he did. But Rusin wasn’t too bad in his debut, pitching 5 innings of 1 hit 1 run ball.
“He was a little effectively wild, but got the job done for his first night,” manager Dale Sveum said. “He had some jitters and I don’t know how many times the first pitch a pitcher’s ever seen he hit a triple. Maybe a home run but I don’t know about a triple.”
Oh yeah, he hit a triple in his first MLB at bat. As Rusin was mostly a fill-in because of Saturday’s double header, he likely won’t continue in the rotation, at least for now. But he might stick around and hang out in the bullpen.
‘‘If they decide to keep me here, I’ll do my best every outing,’’ said Rusin, who called it a ‘‘bad night’’ because of the loss. ‘‘If not, I’ll do the same thing in Iowa. It’s whatever they think.’’
The likely story is that Rusin will be sent back down when Boo Radley makes his next start, then we’ll see him again in September.
In order to make room for new reliever Alex Hinshaw on the 40-man roster yesterday, Matt Garza was placed on the 60-day DL. That leaves him eligible to return from the DL with 8 games left in the season. Take it away, Dale Sveum:
‘‘He’s shut down for the rest of the season,’’ Cubs manager Dale Sveum said, making official what already looked inevitable.
Matt Garza, any thoughts?
‘‘If this is it, then I’m disappointed,’’ said Garza, who’s eligible to return with eight games left in the season, ‘‘because I want to finish it off. I like to be the guy to step out there every five days and be known for that. It’s a little hiccup, but I’ll come back even stronger and get better and learn a lot from what I have to deal with right now.’’
(snip)
‘‘Maybe it’s just the Lord’s way of telling me I need a break,’’ said Garza, who hasn’t pitched since July 21, when the elbow forced him from a game after three innings. ‘‘Maybe it’s a good thing. So I’ll use it as a blessing and get my body in tip-top shape for next season.’’
It’s paid vacation! Enjoy it!
‘‘If they decide to keep me here, I’ll do my best every outing.’’
Well, that’s a relief. I thought he was going to come up here, slack off and not even bother trying.
That’s the Soriano way…
Has anyone else noticed that Rizzo is hitting a resounding .182 over the last 15 days?
We seem to have a pattern here of guys coming up, going gangbusters, then not having the help/tools/education or whatever needed to make adjustments once the Pitchers union figures them out and starts getting them out. LaHair, Colvin, now Rizzo.
That’s pretty common for most young players on all teams. The good players find a way to adjust to what pitchers are going to them. We can only hope that Rizzo can adjust.
But…it should also be noted that at the same time Rizzo cooled off, Soriano cooled off as well which has resulted in Rizzo not getting as many good pitches to hit.
Rusin still did a better job than the pitcher who replaced him. I was waiting for Dale’s excuse about that…
And now his career has nowhere to go but down.
We stinks.
Don’t drag me into this. I don’t stink. I took a long shower this morning.
The “we” refers to the Cubs- the fans are not the ones stinking…
“We”, definition would include me and Johnny, and I suppose you too.
“They stinks” is more appropriate. I want to have no part of it.
Only add me in if this team is winning.
I didn’t shower today.
Well, then, you are just like the Cubs.
Me stinks.
and you turned your underwear inside out so they would be good another day.Huh?
Keith Law is reporting on Twitter that the Cubs have fired another 6 scouts.
These scouts work at both the pro and amateur levels.
It’s kinda funny, because I didn’t think the Cubs even had 6 scouts when Jim Hendry was here.
Bartolo Colon, who’s been having a very good resurgent season with the A’s this year, has failed a drug test and is to be suspended for 50 games.
It’s interesting to see two of the players with “way out of the norm” statistics this year being suspended.
Nice.
so tomorrow we’ll get his mea culpa?
I’m glad that the testing is working, and I’m glad that the suspensions are happening, but the “I’m sorry, I know it was wrong, I’ve let down my teammates and the fans” is starting to wear thin, the first batch of guys who kinda admitted it, I thought let the past go, we can have the hall of fame discussion, but had no desire to trash a bunch of retired players, and when Andy Pettitte nearly broke down in a press conference I believed him, wanted him to pitch well again
I’m done with that now, its been a couple years, they know whats going to happen and willingly choose to try and deceive the league and the fans, serve the suspension and don’t try to pretend you feel sorry
Honestly…I’m a bit torn as far as my thoughts on whether the system is working or not.
It is working in that it appears to be catching some players who have taken PEDs. That’s fine. But the number of players being caught hasn’t really dropped. Two possible explanations for that.
1) While in the past a number of players were getting way with it, now few are getting away with doing PEDs and the ones that are get caught still, but with more efficiency.
Result, the system has been successful
2) The testing has not been a deterrent and as many, or more players have been using PEDs and getting a way with it.
As a result the system has not been successful.
Oh well.
I’m not surprised about Colon-he’s had links to doctors who in the past supplied PED’s to others. Reporters covering the Angels have hinted that Colon had “help” for his big comeback, so am only surprised it took so long to catch him. I feel bad for the A’s because now the LA media will have another team to bash to drum up support for the Angels…
Whoops. Day game. Here’s our thread.
Travis Wood is shitty today. I blame it on the lack of a game thread.
yay day game!
and Pat is back in the booth, yay!
Sveum has said that Volstad is remaining in the roation for the rest of the year.
Given those are guaranteed loses, I’m pretty sure the Cubs will need to go 34-0 in games he doesn’t start in order to avoid 100 loses this year.
Volstad will win his next start.
I was making funny faces at a baby and it crapped itself. I fear I have become too powerful.
Just in case anyone cares, the Cubs lost again today.
They struck out 37 times in the three games against the Brewers. 31 of those strikeouts were from Brett Jackson.
I watched the game and they simply just look horrible. I don’t have the stats yet but in one inning every single batter struck out looking.
The only runs we are getting are from lucky home runs. We have left so many players on base and have had many multiple opportunities to score. Again We Stinks.
The Cubs have struck out 66 times in there last 6 games. Something is reallllllly realllly wrong. I see another batting coach in the future. (Rubbing crystal ball)
Best Hitting coach in the World isn’t make this team hit
Guess these rookies think the ump is going to give them the call on the close ones. A common rookie flaw in thinking. Needs to be addressed.
8 of the 13 strikeouts were ‘looking’ today
I need 28 wins out of the last 39 games or else my $200 O/U bet is toast