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Game 35 Recap: Cubs 4, Phillies 1
A Lilly for Mother.
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W - Lilly (3-2), Mom. L - Lieber (1-2) S - Dempster (8) Important things to take from this game: 1. Lee's pain in the neck. Derrek Lee wasn't supposed to start today, due to a sore neck. He talked his way into the lineup, but then left after the end of the first inning. For the day, he was 0-1 with a GIDP. Daryle Ward came in to replace him at first. Early report from Len is "neck spasms, day-to-day." 2. The great starting pitching. Lilly was absolutely dominant, allowing one hit (which should have been an out) through seven. He got several called strike-threes on the Lilly-hammer. Lieber was hitable, but succeeded in pitching out of a few jams (with some help from the Cubs.) All told, it was a crisp, clean, refreshing game through seven. With that choice of adjectives, I feel the need for a cheap domestic "beer." 3. The Eighth Inning. With a 2-0 lead, 94 pitches thrown and only one hit allowed, Lilly comes out to start the eighth. Helms singles, Nunez singles, and runners are at first and third with no outs. Ruiz lines one to Ramirez, who catches it but then tries to double the runner off of first. It was ill-advised to begin with, before accounting for Ramirez's wild throw. The runner on third scores, the runner on first advances to second, 2-1 Cubs. A soft fly-out gets the second out. A line out to Soriano, and we escape the inning. Should have been scoreless, but could have been much, much worse. 4. The Ninth Inning. The Cubs load the bases with one out, and Ward up. Fabio Castro comes in to face Ward, Cubs respond with DeRosa off the bench. DeRosa is among MLB leaders with 4.33 pitches faced per AB. That percentage will be a bit lower, after walking on four pitches, for a much needed insurance RBI. Another run scores on a Ramirez FC, which should have been an inning-ending DP. Dempster pitches an effective ninth, with two ground balls, and an Utley single that ended with a Soriano assist, as he tried to stretch it to a double. My more extensive write-up is below. Game Notes:- Looks like a "high sky" today - very clear with lots of sunshine. Theroit did a nice job battling a very high pop fly in the first.
- Wind continues to make fly balls an adventure, as Soriano gets a second life after the wind blows his fly ball into the seats in the Third. Burrell staggered after it like a drunk toddler.
- And as a result, Soriano walks after taking a VERY close pitch off the corner.
- Top of the fourth, Ward doubles, Ramirez is safe at first on a throwing error that perhaps should have been an error on Helms, the 1Bman. Murton then guides a single into center for the first run of the game. Nice stroke by Murton.
- And how about that: A tw0-out RBI by Izturis in the fourth. Don't look now, but he has a modest six-game hitting streak.
- Not that I expected much from Lilly, but bunting with two strikes and two outs and a runner on second? Bad call.
- That said, we're paying him to pitch, and Lilly responds with a 1-2-3 inning, striking out Werth and Utley. He's making it look easy, today.
- I didn't notice, but Lilly had an Interesting Statistical Event through 4 IP. He lost it when Nunez hit a sharp groundball to second. Theriot broke right, the ball was to his left, and it got through. A base hit, but the proper break on the ball would have made it an easy play.
- With runners at first and second in the sixth, and one out, Murton gets thrown out trying to score on a single to left. Burrell fielded the ball in shallow to mid-left, threw a strike, and with Ruiz blocking the plate, it wasn't close. Philly outfielders keep gunning down Cubs runners...
- And with Izturiz getting a hit on the next AB, that's four consecutive singles, and nary a run scored in the inning, yet. Lilly up with the bases loaded and two outs. Lilly might pitch like Babe Ruth, but he can't hit like him. Inning over.
- The first "Real" hit off Lilly comes by Wes Helms, to lead off the eighth. He laces a single to center.
- The wind is still dangerous. The fly ball that results in the second out in the bottom of the eighth almost gets by Jones in center. That would have been a Cubs-like disaster.
- Don't look now, but Izturis has seven hits in the series
- Here's a good test for the Cubs: Runners at first and thirdd in the ninth, no outs, and Alfonseca pitching. Soriano strikes out, 1 out. Pagan steals second, now second and third, with one out. Theriot walks, bases loaded, one out, heart of the order coming up. It's a 2-1 game with Dempster to come into the game. A good team has GOT to score runs in this situation. DeRosa pinch-hits for Ward...... and walks on four balls! Send him to the Minors!
- Very little booing from the Philly fans on mother's day, until we get to the ninth inning when things begin falling apart for them. At that point, they begin booing everyone and everything.
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