BBTF's Game Chatter Discussion :: Cubs (2-5) @ Cardinals (5-2), Friday, April 13, 2012, 3:15pm

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Friday, April 13, 2012

Cubs (2-5) @ Cardinals (5-2), Friday, April 13, 2012, 3:15pm

CHC:Jeff Samardzija (27, RHP, 1-0, 1.04)
STL:Adam Wainwright (30, RHP, 0-1, 4.76)

The Primer Chimp Posted: April 13, 2012 at 10:00 AM | 41 comment(s)
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1. Walks Clog Up the Bases Posted: April 13, 2012 at 05:25 PM (#4106092)

Marlon Byrd is the most frustrating guy to watch bat in this lineup. And no, I didn't forget about Soriano.

2. SouthSideRyan Posted: April 13, 2012 at 05:27 PM (#4106099)

I'm rather fond of Ian Stewart due to his being predisposed towards hitting four baggers.

3. Brian C Posted: April 13, 2012 at 05:46 PM (#4106117)

Yeah, Stewart has looked pretty good so far even in his non-homer at-bats. Certainly he doesn't look like a guy who put up a 464 OPS last year in Coors.

Anyway, not counting his homer today, the Cubs as a team were on pace for 69 homers coming into the game.

4. Brian C Posted: April 13, 2012 at 05:47 PM (#4106118)

LaHair grand slam!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

5. Walks Clog Up the Bases Posted: April 13, 2012 at 05:53 PM (#4106125)

The first thing I thought when that ball went out was, "I don't think they hit ONE last year."

Nice to get these types of games, especially against the Cardinals.

6. SouthSideRyan Posted: April 13, 2012 at 05:57 PM (#4106132)

Up to the minute Cubs run differential: +7

7. Brian C Posted: April 13, 2012 at 06:08 PM (#4106137)

You know who else is looking all right? David DeJesus now has a .467 OBP.

8. SouthSideRyan Posted: April 13, 2012 at 06:14 PM (#4106142)

9. Balkroth Posted: April 13, 2012 at 06:37 PM (#4106157)

10. Brian C Posted: April 13, 2012 at 06:39 PM (#4106159)

Well, here's the Samardzija we all expected to see. Spotted a 9-run lead and now we're going to have to watch the bullpen try and hold them off. Over 100 pitches through 5 innings. Yeesh.

Still isn't issuing a lot of walks, though.

11. Walks Clog Up the Bases Posted: April 13, 2012 at 06:48 PM (#4106165)

This now has the feel of a game the Cubs will lose if they don't tack on any more runs.

12. SteveM. Posted: April 13, 2012 at 06:51 PM (#4106168)

I didn't know this was a WGN game. I would have left work earlier to watch all of it. Nice surprise to come home and find the Cubs winning.

13. Walks Clog Up the Bases Posted: April 13, 2012 at 06:53 PM (#4106169)

Building off of that thought, anytime the Cubs get a huge lead like they did today, my mind drudges up the memory of that 2004 game where they put up 8 on the Cards early at Wrigley. They wound up losing after So Taguchi of all people capped a rally by hitting a game-tying (or perhaps go-ahead) homer off of Farnsworth. I also think Pujols had three homers in that game.

14. Brian C Posted: April 13, 2012 at 06:54 PM (#4106171)

WTF Barney. Get up and get it.

15. Walks Clog Up the Bases Posted: April 13, 2012 at 06:54 PM (#4106172)

I've been watching on WGN even though, for whatever reason, it's not available in HD on my cable system. It's also on MLB Network in HD, which I do have, but that has the Cards feed. Needless to say, I'm sacrificing picture quality for announcer quality.

16. Brian C Posted: April 13, 2012 at 06:55 PM (#4106173)

DeJesus looks OK in the field, too. Nice catch.

17. SteveM. Posted: April 13, 2012 at 06:57 PM (#4106174)

What pissses me off is I didn't need to go in today as normally I work at home or am at an archive on Fridays. I assumed they had a night game.

18. SteveM. Posted: April 13, 2012 at 07:00 PM (#4106180)

It seems like Soriano strikes out at least once every game.

19. Walks Clog Up the Bases Posted: April 13, 2012 at 07:01 PM (#4106181)

There were an unusually high amount of early games today across baseball for some reason.

20. Brian C Posted: April 13, 2012 at 07:06 PM (#4106185)

There were an unusually high amount of early games today across baseball for some reason.

I think they were all home openers.

21. Walks Clog Up the Bases Posted: April 13, 2012 at 07:07 PM (#4106187)

Right you are, Brian.

Also, Soto looks awful.

22. Brian C Posted: April 13, 2012 at 07:08 PM (#4106188)

Soto still looks horrible. If he and Byrd can get it going, this lineup might actually be fairly potent, at least from time to time.

23. Brian C Posted: April 13, 2012 at 07:10 PM (#4106190)

Meanwhile, the Braves and Mariners both have night-game home openers tonight. That's weird.

24. SteveM. Posted: April 13, 2012 at 07:10 PM (#4106191)

If Clevinger keeps up his pace, I suspect Theo will try and move Soto and bring up Castillo for a young and cheap platoon.

25. SteveM. Posted: April 13, 2012 at 07:11 PM (#4106193)

Good thing that ball was hit right in front of Soriano. He can't get to anything less then ten feet from him anymore.

26. Brian C Posted: April 13, 2012 at 07:12 PM (#4106194)

Soriano makes another easy catch look difficult. Still, it's nice to see him diving around and generally showing some agility instead of looking like an 80-year-old man in the outfield. He even stole a base yesterday.

27. Walks Clog Up the Bases Posted: April 13, 2012 at 07:13 PM (#4106195)

Nice work from Dolis. Critical to keep the distance between the teams at least four runs with The Wild Ones looming for the 8th and 9th.

28. SteveM. Posted: April 13, 2012 at 07:15 PM (#4106196)

Soriano makes another easy catch look difficult. Still, it's nice to see him diving around and generally showing some agility instead of looking like an 80-year-old man in the outfield.

That is the best description of Soriano in the field I have seen. Kudos!

29. Walks Clog Up the Bases Posted: April 13, 2012 at 07:15 PM (#4106197)

If Clevinger keeps up his pace, I suspect Theo will try and move Soto and bring up Castillo for a young and cheap platoon.

This. Maybe we're giving Thed too much credit, but I think this is actually a real possibility unlike the Hendry regime where something like this was more of a pipe dream even if it made sense.

30. Walks Clog Up the Bases Posted: April 13, 2012 at 07:15 PM (#4106198)

Blake DeWitt sucks.

31. SteveM. Posted: April 13, 2012 at 07:18 PM (#4106203)

Blake DeWitt sucks

It might be easier for us just to list the Cubs who don't suck. Its a short list.

32. Walks Clog Up the Bases Posted: April 13, 2012 at 07:20 PM (#4106204)

True, Steve, but for a team that isn't going anywhere this season, I don't really mind today's lineup, excluding our 7th and 8th hitters.

33. Brian C Posted: April 13, 2012 at 07:20 PM (#4106205)

It might be easier for us just to list the Cubs who don't suck. Its a short list.

I dunno. They've got a whole lot of "not great", but I don't think they have a huge list of "sucks".

DeWitt's problem, as I've noted before, is that he's a reverse-split guy. That just isn't a terribly desirable trait for a lefty hitter.

34. Brian C Posted: April 13, 2012 at 07:22 PM (#4106209)

That said, what side of the not-great/sucks ledger Russell goes on remains to be seen.

35. SteveM. Posted: April 13, 2012 at 07:22 PM (#4106210)

Is it me, or does Byrd seem to have lost some range out there in CF? In big ballparks, I pity the pitchers with our outfield out there.

36. SteveM. Posted: April 13, 2012 at 07:26 PM (#4106212)

I do think that by the end of the year, we will see some exciting pieces of the Cubs future in Wrigley or ready to be there soon. Jackson being the first candidate, and Soler if they ever get around to signing him in AA or AAA.

37. Walks Clog Up the Bases Posted: April 13, 2012 at 07:27 PM (#4106213)

I was always amazed at the range Byrd had given his frame. I really admire the guy's hustle and him overcoming adversity early in life (didn't he almost lose a leg or something?), but he's kinda this lingering foul taste from the Hendry era to me at this point.

38. SteveM. Posted: April 13, 2012 at 07:31 PM (#4106217)

I had read somewhere Theo offered Byrd to Washington for Lanahan (sp?), the pitcher they demoted to AAA.

39. Walks Clog Up the Bases Posted: April 13, 2012 at 07:38 PM (#4106223)

The Cardinals announcers acted like that called third strike was a HUGE travesty.

40. SteveM. Posted: April 13, 2012 at 07:42 PM (#4106227)

Even with a big lead, Marmol make makes me nervous. Cubs win!

41. Walks Clog Up the Bases Posted: April 13, 2012 at 07:50 PM (#4106232)

He looked good, though.

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Cubs (2-5) @ Cardinals (5-2), Friday, April 13, 2012, 3:15pm

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