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Game 66 Recap: Cubs 0, Braves 2
A Loss, or a Metaphor?
W - Vazquez (5-6)
L - Dempster (4-5)
S - Soriano (6)
Things to Take from This Game
1. An Evening Full of Singles and Scoring Opportunities...
The Cubs had 9 hits off of Vazquez, all of them singles, and another hit off of Soriano in relief.
2. ...That Leads to Nothing but a lot of Getting Left Stranded on Second Base.
The Cubs left 12 men on base. Perhaps most
confounding was the decision to let Blanco bat with the bases loaded
and two outs in the sixth.
3. But at Least there are Consolation Prizes?
We can be happy that Dempster had a fine performance, gutting out 6.2 innings in the Atlanta heat. He still had some control problems, but other than McLouth, the Braves struggled to do much against him. And that has to make up for some of the frustration at getting shut out, right?
The futile details, below.
Game Recap
Inning 1 - Top
- Wow, we have a funky lineup tonight. It works, initially, with Theriot leading off the game by singling sharply to the left of the shortstop.
- Then, not so much, as Fukudome grounds into a 4-6-3. I miss it as I'm synching up my mlb.tv.
- Fox singles to left. I miss that, too. Ok, now back on it.
- Wow, Len with a FanGraphs.com reference, saying that Dempster and Vazquez get more swings and misses than anyone in the game. (By percentage, I take it? Wasn't fully explained. In any case, go Len!)
- (researching... Ok, this is what Len is referencing. Indeed, he's correct.)
- Lee with a sharp single in front of McLouth in center, extending the hit streak. Fox to second.
- 3-2, 2 out pitch to Hoffpauir, a big off-speed curve and he swings over and in front of it.
Inning 1 - Bottom
- Dempster strikes McLouth out on a slider, I think, diving inside toward his knees. Nasty pitch. McLouth also lost a bat into the stands, earlier in the AB.
- Kelly Johnson with an easy bouncer to Fontenot at third.
- Jones walks on an outside fastball
- McCann sends a lazy fly to Hoffpauir, easy inning for Dempster. Three hits, no runs.
Inning 2 - Top
- Larry Rothschild is away at a funeral, Lester Strode is tonight's pitching coach.
- Big looping curve to Fontenot. It's up in the zone and he singles to center.
- Blanco slices one to left, where Garret Anderson makes a bit of an awkard catch right on his hip.
- Three quick strikes to Dempster, the last one a fastball on the outside corner, looking.
Inning 2 - Bottom
- Dempster's kid will be leaving the hospital soon, reports Len. Here's to good news.
- 3-2 count to Anderson, he flies out to Fox in left. Len cheers for a hop as the ball's in the air, but no, just a plain old catch.
- Kotchman with a soft liner to Fontento
- Len reminds us that we can vote for the All Star game starters. I'm sorry, but there's no way I'm voting for Soriano to overtake Beltran for the third outfield spot.
- Francouer grounds to Theriot, who makes a bad throw to Lee. Lee with the nice pick at first.
Inning 3 - Top
- Theriot with another single into center.
- 0-2 to Fukudome, k's swinging at a fastball.
- Fox with a soft fly to Francouer
- 3-1 to Lee, he drives a fastball to deep right center, but McLouth tracks it down.
Inning 3 - Bottom
- Diory Hernandez (who!?!?) the shortstop hitting .192 with a leadoff walk. Vazquez with a perfect bunt up first to advance him.
- Cubs have five hits, no runs. McLouth gets the Braves' first hit, singling softly to center, and it scores Hernandez. 0-1 Braves
- and McLouth gets a nice jump, steals second. A high breaking pitch, throw is a bit to the right side of the bag. Theriot catches it way in front of the bag. 31st consecutive successful steal for McLouth.
- and now Johnson walks. Soto out to talk with Dempster.
- Full count to Chipper.
- Hit and run, Chipper K's and Soto nails the previously unnailable McLouth at third. Soto suddenly 7 for his last 11 in stolen base attempts. Nice way to get out of a big jam.
Inning 4 - Top
- Hoffpauir grounds to Johnson
- Soto K's swinging
- Fontenot with a bouncer back up the middle, Hernandez comes over to get it and makes a nice running throw.
Inning 4 - Bottom
- Curve in the dirt, McCann tries to check his swing, but on appeal it's strike three.
- Anderson lines a double just out of Hoffpauir's reach, bouncing up against the right-field wall.
- Kotchman chops back to Dempster, who catches Anderson off of second. Dempster runs right at him, driving him back to second. Flips to Theriot, who chases him toward third, before flipping to Fontenot for the out. Kotchman holds at first. Nice play.
- Francouer lines one just out of Fukudome's left, is able to stretch it into a double. Runners at 2 and 3, 2 outs for Hernandez. Len and Bob note that Dempster is taking a lot of time, laboring in the Atlanta heat.
- Fastball just off the corner, full count to Hernandez. Comes back with a nice slider for called strike three.
Inning 5 - Top
- Interesting. LouPa wanted to give Theriot a night off, but with Reed Johnson ailing, he wound up needing to put Fox in left, instead of third. The plan had been to have Fox, Blacno and Fontenot at 3rd, Short and 2nd. But no go.
- Blanco singles into left-center.
- Dempster pops a bunt foul, McCann runs for it, slides, and crashes head and knees first into the padding of the wall. Shaken up, seems to be ok. Eventually, Dempster gets down the bunt back to Vazquez.
- Theriot cues one out to Johnson at second, Blanco to third.
- 1-2 to Fukudome, he watches a fastball sail past that, someone, is called a ball. phew.
- 3-2 curve to Fukudome, he flies out to Francouer. We've had a few chances to get to Vazquez, and turned up nothing.
Inning 5 - Bottom
- Vaquez K's swinging at a slider out of the zone.
- McLouth grounds back to Dempster.
- 3-0 to Johnson, fastball over for the strike. Eventually loses him to the walk.
- Chipper with a solid liner to right-center, Fukudome gets over, but Jones makes it in to second. Johnson holds at third. two outs for McCann. Dempster better be pitching around him to get to Anderson...
- A lot of sliders later, full count, and Dempster gets a slider up. McCann lines it hard to Lee, who makes the catch. Phew.
Inning 6 - Top
- Fox flies toward the left field line, Anderson gets it.
- Full count to Lee. Eventually rolls out to short.
- Hoffpauir bounces one back up the middle, just to the right of Johnson. (Check that, Johnson take out with leg cramps, Martin Prado in.)
- and Cox and a trainer are coming out to check with Vazquez. BJB had been mentioning that Vazques was looking a bit tired this inning, and he does look kind of spent right now. Bullpen starts warming up.
- Soto singles up the middle as well, this time just left of the bag. 8 hits, all singles for the cubs. Runners at 1 and 2, 2 outs.
- 3-0 count to Fontenot. Slider for a strike, walks on the next pitch. Loaded for Blanco.
- We learn Bradley is 3-18, Soriano 2-9 against Vazquez. Perhaps why Blanco gets to hit. I dunno, I think it would be worth bringing someone in for this AB...
- ball 1 to Blanco. Fastball down the middle for a strike. Fastball outside, 2-1. Blanco flies the next one to straight-away center, inning over. 8 LOB through 6.
Inning 6 - Bottom
- Ripping off the Sausage Race, in Atlanta they have the Tool Race. There are just too many possible jokes here.
- And as long as we're pointing things out for others to joke about, the Drill wins, but wow, the drill bit is.... limp.
- Anderson singles past Theriot, diving to his right.
- Kotchman weakly singles to second, Blanco gets the force to Theriot, but too slowly hit to get Kotchman at first.
- Francouer reaches for a slider and just does feather it over Dempster's head, into center for a single.
- Hernandez rolls right to Theriot, who starts a nice 6-4-3.
Inning 7 - Top
- Dempster has thrown 105 pitches, and Miles was coming out to pinch hit. But Dempster seems to have talked his way into staying in, so down 1-0 in the 7th, Dempster leads off the inning.
- Six pitches later, called strike three.
- Theriot with another one back up the middle, this time Prado gets to it, makes the out.
- Fukudome walks.
- Full count to Fox, he chops one into the left-side hole. Hernandez gets to it, makes a strong throw, but Fox just does beat the throw at first. (Or does he?)
- That chases Vazquez after 116 pitches, Peter Moylan in.
- Lee with a lazy fly out to Francouer. 10 stranded in the game.
Inning 7 - Bottom
- Gregor Blanco pinch-hits for Moylan. 3-0 count, Dempster comes back for called strike three on a high curve. Thanks for the help, ump.
- McLouth lines a fastball up over the plate into right, one-hopping the wall for a double.
- Prado singles, McLouth to third. LouPa comes out to check on Dempster, and leaves him in. LouPa really trying to save the bullpen tonight, it seems.
- Chipper drives one to the warning track in center, for an easy sacrifice fly. 0-2 Braves. Prado advances from first to second. Marshall in to face McCann. 118 pitches, 8 hits, 4 walks, 6 K and 2 ER for Marshall.
- McCann pulls one to Blanco's left, he makes a nice stop, throws him out.
Inning 8 - Top
- Mike Gonzalez in to pitch for Moylan.
- Hoffpauir with a very, very high fly ball to center. Too high to be a home run.< /Major League>
- Soto wiffs at a slider, I think, that dips across the outside corner.
- Fontenot grounds to Prado's left at second, makes the play.
Inning 8 - Bottom
- Hart in to pitch.
- Garret Anderson with a soft grounder to Fontenot. Easy out.
- Kotchman falls to his knees, trying to avoid a pitch near his feet. Kind of funny. Walks on a slider that misses the outside corner.
- Francouer hits a soft fly into shallow right, and Hoffpauir makes a nice belly-flop dive for the catch.
- And after turning the wrong way, Hoffpauir catches a drive from Hernandez at the warning track.
Inning 9 - Top
- Diaz in to play left, and Rafael Soriano in for Gonzalez. Double switch.
- Blanco swings and falls to a knee, but manages to single into left field.
- Bradley hits for Hart, K's swinging at a pitch in the dirt.
- Theriot also K's swinging at a tough slider.
- Blanco takes second uncontested. 3-0 to Fukudome. Walks. Tying runs on base for Jake Fox, two outs.
- Fastball strike 1 to Fox.
- A bit of a hanging slider, Fox is out in front of it, strike 2.
- Fastball on the low and outside corner, perfect pitch, called strike 3. 12 stranded for the night.
Inning 9 - Bottom
Parachat Recap
Inning 1
- Settling in.
- Andrew, CincyKid rally the forces for a good parachat to recap...
- Sawing him off at the bat knob. Oh my.
- The McLouth trade.
- Braves' shabby treatment of Glavine.
- CincyKid gets his first "oh,honey!" task of marriage. In the middle of a Cubs game.
Inning 2
- Oh my.
- More on the Pirates
- How hot IS it?
- Drugs to take when going with the kids to see Transformers.
- Remembering when we regretted trading away Willis, and knew that Lee was finished.
- Is it too early to mention Dempster's pitching a hmm-hmm?
- yes, damnit, that's why I called it a hmm-hmm and not a no-no, Cincy Kid.
- damnit, now you made me do it.
- yes, damnit, that's why I called it a hmm-hmm and not a no-no, Cincy Kid.
- Beltran onthe DL
- Father's day gifts.
Inning 3
- What did Andrew and AngelFanWife get Rob for father's day?
- Jacos declares that Charlie Brown would be justified in smacking Lucy.
- Newport.
- Do I dress like Charlie Brown?
- No.
- It's Rob's birthday. Way to have been born, Rob. We're proud of you.
- Rob and Al are Friends.
- Torrance, CA.
- Ammonia sniffing
- Eamus-catuli's overly technical explanation of his connection to the porn industry.
- I am very, very confused.
- In the midst of all the talk about the porn industry, Ryno emits a curious *groan*
Inning 4
- No one cares about Whip's health
- Is getting traded from Pittsburgh to Atlanta really an improvement?
- Attempting to list Cox's couches [sic] that go on to manage
- Sofa, so good! Hah! I crack myself up
- Horror Punk.
- Guys your age who are dead.
- Eye shit.
- The price of dairy is doubling?!
- Chicago politics.
- Bible tokers.
- Hoffpauir deserves a head-start when he plays defense.
- Craving some Anderson.
- "If ballplayers were animals, Hoffpauir would be a holstein" - Ryno.
- Milking ballplayers.
- Remember when Hendry went after.....
- Garret Anderson
- Jason Schmidt
- Jake Peavy
Inning 5
- Making a backwards K in parachat.
- Moneyball, the Movie
- Holy Moly, it's Chad.
- Theriot's throws from short, compared to Dunston's.
- Re-hashing some TCR drama between parachatters that took place in the comments, that I know virtually nothing about to begin with, and understand even less about, now that I've followed along in the re-hashing session. It appears that they've kissed and made up. Except I didn't see nearly enough kissing.
- Explaining away Sosa's "false positive." heh.
- Hitting like leadoff men, sans the sub-.300 OBP and the power.
- Time to retire the song "Jump"?
- never.
- Parachat flaunts its old-school street cred. Hilarity ensues. Only no one seems aware that it's ensuing.
- Pulling a Trans.
- Jewdicious. lolol
Inning 6
- The Fatburger and Sliders.
- Ryno misses steroids.
- So do the A's
- Paul Noce warns us about cocaine.
- A's who've been linked to steroids.
- "Marmol hit wells with a pie yesterday in the tunnel... only took 3 tries to hit him" - Crunch
- The Girl from Ipanema
- Most important AB of the game so far, and Parachat is telling jokes like "What did the Drummer get on his IQ test? Drool." Good grief.
- Racing Tools.
Inning 7
- Panning the decision to keep Dempster in.
- Recipies.
- odd moving parings.
- AC/DC.
- the NY Punk scene of the 1970s. Because it hasn't been discussed enough, by enough people who fit this profile.
Inning 8
- Clearly, I'm missing something about this photo. It must be a pun on something I'm too young to know about.
- Parachat degenerates into wanton obscurantism as an end unto itself.
Inning 9
- Parachat is going to buy me a third monitor and an intern, so that I may watch all the allegedly hillarious things Whip, Crunch and Paul Noce are finding on youtube. My cup runneth over.
- If I stop recapping, the terrorists win.
- I stop.
- Crap.
Cubs' record in games recapped on the computer that isn't powered by hampsters drops to 2-2.
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