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Ted Lilly vs.
Dontrelle Willis
Lineups:
Soriano LF |
Ramirez SS |
DeRosa 2B |
Uggla 2B |
Lee 1B |
Hermida RF |
Ramirez 3B |
Cabrera 3B |
Murton RF |
Jacobs 1B |
Soto C |
Olivo C |
Monroe CF |
Linden LF |
Theriot SS |
Carroll CF |
Lilly P |
Willis P |
Just
16 days short of four years ago, the Cubs hooked up with Willis in Miami, Aramis Ramirez clubbed a first-inning grand slam, and every Cub fan on the planet was scrambling to figure out who he would have to bribe, suck up to, or kill in order to get himself a World Series ticket.
Now only Ramirez, Carlos Zambrano and Kerry Wood remain from that star-crossed Cub team, and the sights will be set a little lower for the moment, with the focus on getting the Cubs one step closer to locking up the NL Central.
Willis was a winner in his only start against the Cubs back in May. Lilly lost to the Marlins in the finale of that same miserable series, a three-game Florida sweep in Wrigley that left the home team 22-29, six games behind the first-place Brewers, and looking almost completely hopeless. At cubs.com,
Carrie Muskat points out that the 9-4 Cub loss on 5/29 was so bad, it prompted a players-only meeting before the game on 5/30...which the Cubs then went out and lost 9-0 behind Lilly.
I'm glad it's now and not then.
Among the current Cubs, Alfonso Soriano has had the most luck against the Florida lefty (8-for-17 with a home run).
Overall, the Cubs have won 10 of 12; the Marlins have lost 7 of 8.
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