15. That’s the number of times the Cubs struck out against the Brewers last night. Add 14 the night before and you’ve got the beginnings of a pretty impressive streak. Oh, and Paul Maholm gave up four runs in only four innings.
“He just couldn’t keep the ball down in the inning, he gave it up,” Sveum said. “He got the ball up to Braun. His change-up was up, so he just couldn’t get the ball down.”
Maholm was not pleased when Sveum pinch hit for him in the fifth inning.
“I understand it, but I’m never going to agree with it,” Maholm said. “I want to go deeper into the game, but I completely understand the move, but me, I want to be out there.”
Maholm has thrown just 14 1/3rd innings over his past three starts during which he has given up 10 earned runs.
And the Cubs could have used some of the 10 runs they scored Tuesday night, as they were shut out.
“Today we really didn’t put together any good swings or anything,” Sveum said. “(Greinke) kept the ball down, we just didn’t cover the outer part half of the plate.”
Geinke has now run his Miller Park record to 15-0 since being traded by Kansas City before the 2011 season.
“When you have chances and you don’t come through, you start pressing when you have a guy like him on the mound,” said Cubs outfielder Tony Campana, who struck out four times Wednesday. “They are tough guys to hit against out there. It’s not really an excuse because you just can’t chase stuff like I have been doing the last couple days.”
Especially when your only value to the team is base stealing.
Remember all the times we clamored for Jim Hendry to make deadline trades, and failed to see much happen? It looks like this year is going to be different.
“We’ve already started talking to teams,’’ said Hoyer, a few hours before Zack Greinke and the Milwaukee Brewers sent the Cubs to their 17th defeat in 21 games, this time 8-0.
“Teams work on somewhat dual tracks this time of year, but even in the [next] couple days I think those calls will pick up. … Saying we’re turning our attention sounds like we weren’t paying attention before, but that’s where the focus is going to be now.’’
(snip)
“We’ll see how it looks in six weeks, but right now there’s not a lot of [sellers],’’ Hoyer said. “That’ll shake out a little bit over the next six to eight weeks, and as it does, teams will get more active. A lot of teams are probably in a wait-and-see mode, and will see how the next month or so works out. We’ll be on the phones.’’
But until something happens, we’ll just have to continue following the current team. They play the final game of three in Milwaukee today at 1:10 Central. Matt Garza (2-4, 4.10) pitches against Randy Wolf (2-5, 6.05). As Wolf is a lefty, Sveum is trotting out the right-handed lineup today:
Johnson RF
Barney 2B
Castro SS
Soriano LF
Baker 1B
Mather CF
Stewart 3B
Hill C
Garza P
If you’re not doing anything else this afternoon and get CSN, you can watch today’s game.
Campana not only struck out 4 times yesterday, but he struck out 3 times the day before. 7 strikeouts in 9 plate appearances. It’s hard to steal bases when you can’t get on base…and it’s hard to get on base when you can’t make contact.
No one has anything to say. God, I hate this team.
It’s not so much that there is anything to say-it’s that everyone has said it before. The Cubs need pitching first, as does a lot of other teams. The Cubs are saddled with old,expensive players that no one wants.(yet) Cubs pitchers are delusional.(see Maholm’s comment on wanting to stay in) I think that if the team does not at least win one or two games in a row before the All-Star break, the pitching coach or the hitting coach will be fired.(easiest to fire)
What I would like to hear about today’s game,(since I can’t watch it) is a fight. The Cubs bean one of the Brewers, and benches erupt.It won’t change anything, but seeing some emotion on the part of the Cubs would be a change. The other night, when I was sentnced to watching the Dodgers game, one of their players got a hit, and you would think he found the cure for cancer. He pounded his chest, was screaming and doing the act a lot of the Dodgers do. It ticked off the other team, but the Dodgers ended up coming back and winning the game. It feels as though the Cubs are already going through the motions and it’s only June- I say let’s have a brawl…….
I always want to see a fight. That goes without saying.
I guess that’s what the real frustration is. It’s the third year in a row of seeing very little emotion from anyone on this team. The only person who ever gets fired up is Garza.
Dead ass team.
If they don’t win one game in a row?? I LOL’ed.
It’s one or 2….
I know but one game in a row, it’s setting the perfect, lowest bar possible for this team.
What is this team you speak of?
I’ve got plenty to say…just not about the Cubs.
I’m sorry- I see “I’ve got plenty to say,” and I’m waiting to read “it’s better to burn out then fade away..” But then I am a Def Leppard fan..
uggg
I’m LaSpeechless again
do the Cubs have the worst record yet?
I think the Padres have a half game lead in the worst record in baseball contest…mainly because the padres have had the opportunity to lose one more game than the Cubs have.
You have to admire a team making the most of their opportunities.
I fear that playing the Twins this weekend will allow the Padres to increase that lead
One inning down. How many errors does Garza have today?
I don’t want to jinx anything, but Garza has a perfect game going.
He’s still perfect. “Perfect game watch” is on!
And now he just hit a double
His trade value will never be higher. They should trade him mid-game!
Another perfect inning for Garza. Only a few outs away from a perfect game.
I guess I jinxed it.
They should have traded him
Why do I see you at your desk throwing your head back and cackling madly every time you do that?
Because I’m a mad doctor.
Bye bye perfect game
I’m in such a bad mood.
You should just tell us when you are in a good mood. We pretty much assume you are always in a bad mood.
care to explain Julie?
Annd the pitchers once again snatch defeat from the jaws of victory…
I <3 Casey Coleman…the same way I love living in Wisconsin.
this is 1 brutal season.
It’s been 3 brutal seasons.
I would trade everyone on the team except for LaHair oh and Mather for some reason I like that dude
I’d hold on to Samardzija before keeping LaHair. LaHair is going to probably pan out to be a corner outfielder in the end…which won’t be too difficult to replace. I’d seriously consider trying to get some prospects for him.
And I’ll continue to say that they shouldn’t trade Geovany Soto.
Wasn’t there a bit of noise last month about Rizzo coming up for the Twins series?
Did the noise come from the general direction of the Front Office or was it just the usual suspects making shit up because they couldn’t think what to write in the Trib?
Just the usual suspects. Theorizing that it would be easier to get him in the lineup with the DH. But they only have one other series and it’s a couple weeks away where they’ll have the DH.
I suspect his service time is more important, and they still think he has some improvements to make. Not sure what they are, but after the service time issue passes, we should expect to see him.