Cubs Swept as Ninth Inning Rally Falls Short
The Cubs seem to spring to life in the ninth inning today, unfortunately poor at bats from Starlin Castro and Josh Vitters brought a would be rally to a grinding halt. Trailing 7-3 heading into the ninth inning the Cubs strung together four straight hits which resulted in two quick runs but that’s as far as it would get. With runners at second and third, trailing by two with 
nobody out, Castro and Vitters both struck out and looked bad in doing so, and the Cubs inched closer to the 100 loss mark. Chris Volstad was Chris Volstad bad today as he could only last for three innings giving up seven runs on ten hits while walking none and striking out none, with the loss he falls to 3-11 on the season. The Cubs were actually uncharacteristically clutch, I mean not counting the ninth inning. The Cubs pounded out 13 hits, and were 5-for-12 with runners in scoring position, but still managed to leave 11 guys on base. Anthony Rizzo snapped out of a mini funk by going 3-for-3 with his 15th home run of the season, two RBI’s, two walks, and a run scored. Alfonso Soriano added to his career high RBI total in this one as well, registering an RBI double in the ninth inning to give him 106 for the season. The Cubs now head to Arizona where they will meet the Diamondbacks and possibly 100 losses.
Game Highlights:
Full Video Recap
Soriano’s RBI Double
Rizzo’s RBI Single
LaHair’s RBI Single
Rizzo Goes Deep
Jackson’s RBI Single
Thanks for reading,
- George
Cubs Pull Off Nearly The Impossible In Loss
That’s right, the Cubs not only lost last night in Colorado, but they were shut out in the process, that’s not easy to do. The Cubs, like their fans seem ready for the season to end given their effort the last couple of nights. Last night was 
a sleepwalk effort if I have ever seen one as they could only muster five hits in the loss. I can’t really blame them as these games really don’t matter, but I still would like to see a better effort and of course a better result.
Jason Berken got the start for the Cubs, and struggled through his Coors Field debut, as many pitchers usually do. Berken only lasted four innings giving up six runs on nine hits while walking two and striking out two, the loss dropped Berken to 0-2 with the Cubs. As I mentioned the Cubs offense left a lot to be desired but they did have their chances as they earned five walks on the night. Unfortunately the Cubs couldn’t get a hit when they needed it as they were 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position and left eight guys on base in the loss. Dave Sappelt got a chance to lead off again, and for the second straight night was productive as he went 2-for-4 with a double. Sappelt is making a very strong case to be a fourth outfielder on the Cubs 2013 roster with his September performance.
Game Highlights:
Soriano Makes a Nice Play
Vitters’ Great Play
Thanks for reading,
- George
Cubs Squander Early Lead
Dave Sappelt and the Cubs offense got going early, but the pitching staff could not hold the lead and the Cubs dropped game one to the Rockies 10-5 in a rain-shortened game. Dave Sappelt led the game off with a towering home run to left and before the inning was over the Cubs would 
add two more runs, including an RBI double from Welington Castillo. After Chris Rusin shut down the Rockies in the first, things did not go so well the rest of the way for him or the Cubs bullpen as Colorado would score in each of the next five innings. Chris Rusin took the loss lasting only 3.2 innings, allowing six runs on seven hits. Rafael Dolis continued to struggle, giving up three runs in just one 1.1 innings of relief and Manuel Corpas allowed one run in his inning of work. Starlin Castro connected on his 14th home run of the season and Darwin Barney added an RBI in the loss. After dealing with the rain for most of the game it was eventually called after a 48-minute rain delay following the top of the seventh. Despite the cold and the rain the ball was really jumping out of Coors Field on Tuesday and the Cubs hope to take advantage of that on Wednesday and keep the Rockies at bay in doing so.
Game Highlights:
Dave Sappelt’s first career Home Run
Castillo RBI double
Castro Home Run
Barney RBI single
Thanks for Reading,
-Mark
September 26, 2012 – Cubs Lineup vs. Rockies
The Cubs look to play a full nine innings tonight, and even up the Series against the Rockies. Jason Berken will get the ball for the Cubs tonight as he continues to vie for a spot on the 2013 roster. Here’s how the Cubs will line up.
1. Sappelt – RF
2. Barney – 2B
3. Rizzo – 1B
4. Soriano – LF
5. Castro – SS
6. Castillo – C
7. Vitters - 3B
8. Mather – CF
9. Berken – P
Go Cubs!
- George
September 25, 2012 – Cubs Lineup vs. Rockies
Chris Rusin gets the ball tonight against the Rockies. Here is what the rest of the Cubs lineup looks like against Jorge De La Rosa. The game is set to start at 7:40 on WGN.
Sapplet – RF
Barney – 2B
Rizzo – 1B
Soriano – LF
Castro – SS
Castillo – C
Vitters – 3B
Mather – CF
Rusin – P
Go Cubs!!
-Mark
September 25 – 27, 2012; @ Rockies – Series Preview
It’s a battle for second worst! Okay, that doesn’t sound so great but this series will go a long way in determining who gets the number two pick in the draft next year behind the Astros. Coming into this series the teams are deadlocked 
at 59-94, and the winner of this series has a great shot at losing out on the second pick. I for one would prefer to play as hard as you can and if you lose, you lose, no tanking it here. The Cubs, to their credit, have done just that as many players and front office staff have made it quite clear that they do not want to lose 100 games. It’s nice to have goals, but as a team you really never want to say that your goal is to stay under 100 losses, but it is what it is right now. The Cubs tend to struggle in Colorado regardless of the record of the Rockies, and this series might be more of the same as the Cubs don’t exactly have a lights out staff, but you never know. Of course the Rockies can score runs in this park, the Cubs will have to keep up if they want to win this series, I’m expecting a lot of offense over these three games.
Here are the pitching matchups for this week.
Tuesday September 25, 2012
Cubs: Chris Rusin (1-2, 6.00 ERA)
Colorado: Jorge De La Rosa (0-1, 12.27 ERA)
Wednesday September 26, 2012
Cubs: Jason Berken (0-1, 1.80 ERA)
Colorado: Drew Pomeranz (1-9, 5.30 ERA)
Thursday September 27, 2012
Cubs: Chris Volstad (3-10, 6.22 ERA)
Colorado: Jhoulys Chacin (2-5, 4.73 ERA)
Season Series: Cubs lead 2-1
Prediction: Rockies win series, 2-1
Thanks for reading, go Cubs!
- George
Cubs Can’t Overcome Early Deficit
The Cardinals used some two-out magic in the third inning against Justin Germano to build a 3-0 lead and eventually went on to win the rubber game of the series 6-3. The Cubs did try to make a game of it as they cut the lead to one two different times today but couldn’t come all the way back. Justin 
Germano got the start for the Cubs as he continues his 2013 tryout and had some good, some bad today. Germano went 5.2 innings giving up four runs on ten hits while walking one and striking out three. The Cubs only managed seven hits today, six of them coming from three guys, the four, five, and six hitters. The rest of the lineup could only register one hit as the Cubs went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position. Alfonso Soriano doesn’t want 2012 to end as he continues his tremendous season going 3-for-4 with his 31st home run of the season. Soriano also registered his 105th RBI of the season, a new career high which is amazing at this age and on this team. Welington Castillo was the only other offense for the Cubs as he went 2-for-4 with a double, RBI, and a run scored. Castillo is now hitting .282 on the season and has put up a really strong argument for why he should be the starting catcher in 2013.
Sveum Postgame
Game Highlights:
Kerry Wood and Family Sings the Stretch
Soriano Goes Deep
Cubs Slick DP
Kerry Wood Honored By Cubs
Castillo’s RBI Double
Thanks for reading,
- George
Cardinals Get Payback Right Away
One day after the Cubs rallied in the ninth inning to tie the game and win in extra innings the Cardinals did the same thing. After trailing for the majority of the game today the Cubs broke through in the 6th inning, scoring three times to take a 4-3 lead. The Cubs pen held strong into the ninth, that’s when Carlos Marmol blew his first save in his last 20 chances by giving up a one out solo homer to Carlos Beltran to tie the game at four. 
Jaye Chapman took over in the 10th for the Cubs and after retiring the first two hitters he walked the next two guys which is all the Cardinals needed to take advantage. Jon Jay, who was 0-for-the series ripped a two out double down the right field line to put the Cardinals up for good. For the second straight day a Cubs starter struggled with pitch count, today it was Travis Wood. Wood went five innings giving up three runs on six hits while walking two and striking out seven, he settled for a no decision. Offensively the Cubs couldn’t get much strung together against Adam Wainwright. David DeJesus blasted his 8th home run of the season as he continues to haunt the Cardinals. Dave Sappelt had the biggest hit of the afternoon, an RBI single in the sixth inning to put the Cubs up 4-3, he finished 1-for-3 with a walk. The rubber game of the series will be tomorrow afternoon, which is also Kerry Wood appreciation day.
Game Highlights:
Castillo’s Sac Fly
DeJesus Goes Deep
Barney’s Nice Play
Sappelt’s RBI Single
Thanks for reading,
- George
September 22, 2012 – Cubs Lineup vs Cardinals
Still on a high from yesterday’s comeback/walk-off victory the Cubs will try to win a second straight game over their rival, and continue to play the role of a playoff roadblock. Travis Wood takes the ball for the Cubs today on a cool, and wet day at Wrigley Field, it’s dry now but they are expecting rain at some point today. Here is how the Cubs will line up at 12:05 PM CST on WGN.
1. DeJesus CF
2. Barney 2B
3. Rizzo 1B
4. Soriano LF
5. Castro SS
6. Castillo C
7. Sappelt RF
8. Vitters 3B
9. Wood P
Go Cubs!!
- George
Cubs Shock Cards; Walk-Off in 11th
Shortly after Pat Hughes said on WGN Radio that it was nearly impossible to hit a home run to left field given the wind shift and intensity, little Darwin Barney said not so fast, blasting a two-out, two-strike homer to tie the game at four in the bottom of the ninth. Two innings later David DeJesus laced his fourth hit of the day into right field to score pinch runner Brett Jackson and give the Cubs a thrilling 5-4 victory. If the Cardinals somehow miss the playoffs they might point to this game as a big reason why. 
Chris Carpenter made his 2012 debut for the Cardinals and pitched well enough to win, Chris Volstad countered for the Cubs and found himself in trouble all day long. All you had to do was look at his pitch count at the end of the 5th inning, it told the troublesome story for Volstad, 116 pitches. Volstad bent but never really broke, he gave up three runs on six hits while walking three with no strikeouts. Volstad gave his team a chance to win, which is really all you can ask a back of the rotation starter to do. The Cubs bullpen was once again outstanding today as they pitched the final six innings giving up only one run on two hits while walking three and striking out seven. As I mentioned, David DeJesus had a huge day at the plate, he finished the day 4-for-6 with a triple, an RBI, and two runs scored. Darwin Barney, Luis Valbuena, and Welington Castillo all had two hits in the victory, none bigger than Barney’s two-run shot in the ninth. Great win!
Sveum Postgame
Game Highlights:
Cubs Walk-Off
Barney and Rizzo Team Up
Barney’s Game-Tying Blast
Soriano’s RBI Double
Thanks for reading,
- George
