Results tagged ‘ Travis Wood ’
April 16, 2013 – Rangers @ Cubs; Lineups
Darwin Barney makes his return to the lineup, and he was greatly missed on the defensive side of the ball, and if he can work deep counts he will be a big improvement to the Cubs lineup. Early season inter-league play as Travis Wood will battle the Rangers and Derek Holland. Dale Sveum counters with his “left lineup” which has been a giant failure in the early going.
Thanks for reading,
- George
Series Preview – Rangers @ Cubs; April 16 – April 18, 2013
The Cubs welcome another tough opponent to Wrigley, quite the back-to-back series as the Cubs, who are coming off a series with Giants now entertain the Texas Rangers. As bad as the weather was this past weekend it might be even worse this week. Tomorrow’s game looks okay, but Wednesday and Thursday are supposed to be wet, very wet, 70% chance of rain each day. Obviously with this being an inter-league series they will do everything they can to get these games in. Darwin Barney is scheduled to make his return to the Cubs lineup tomorrow, and he has been missed greatly in the defensive lineup. One could say the Cubs have had some bad luck in the early going this year, but they have made most of that luck, if they just convert their save opportunities this team could be no worse than .500, just have to keep fighting.
Last Series:
The Cubs lost three out of four to the Giants at home.
The Rangers split a four game series with the Mariners in Seattle.
Game Times and Broadcast Information:
- Tuesday, April 16, 2013 – 7:05 PM CST on CSN Chicago
- Wednesday, April 17, 2013 – 7:05 PM CST on WGN TV
- Thursday, April 18, 2013 – 1:20 PM CST on WGN TV. MLBN
Starting Pitchers Scheduled:
Cubs:
Game One - Travis Wood (1-0, 1.46)
- Career vs. Rangers (First appearance)
Game Two - Carlos Villanueva (0-0, 0.64)
- Career vs. Rangers (8 appearances, 2 GS) (1-1, 3.16)
Game Three - Jeff Samardzija (1-2, 2.75)
- Career vs. Rangers (First appearance)
Rangers:
Game One - Derek Holland (0-1, 2.40)
- Career vs. Cubs (1 GS) (0-0, 3.00)
Game Two - Justin Grimm (0-1, 4.50)
- Career vs. Cubs (First appearance)
Game Three - Alexi Ogando (2-0, 1.08)
- Career vs. Cubs (First appearance)
Who’s Hot / Who’s Not:
Let’s start with “not” for the Cubs. The bullpen, and defense, both have been a disaster lately, and for the most part of the year. The pen has been bad at the worst time too, in the seventh inning or later the Cubs have a bullpen ERA of 5.67 
which is 29th in the Majors. That number alone says a lot as the Cubs have had a chance to win pretty much every game they have played so far this year, maddening. Carlos Villanueva has been a big part of getting the ball to the seventh inning this year as he has been outstanding, unfortunately he has nothing to show for it except a sparkling 0.64 ERA. Starlin Castro has basically made up for his slow start in the last seven days as he is hitting .379 over that period of time. The only guy hotter is David DeJesus who is hitting .381 over that same period of time. Another big reason for the Cubs early season struggles has been their success or lack thereof with runners in scoring position, they are hitting a paltry .141, 29th in the Majors.
The Rangers look rather different this year, but still come into this series with an 8-5 record. Gone are Josh Hamilton and Michael Young, but the Rangers have persevered early in the season. A big reason is the play of two newcomers, Lance Berkman, and everyones favorite catcher, A.J. Pierzynski. Berkman is hitting .389 in the early going, and Pierzynski is hitting .342 so far. Ian Kinsler has found some power in the early going and has stayed healthy, he’s 
hitting .292 with four home runs and nine RBI’s. David Murphy is struggling mightily, he is hitting .160 on the season, that’s with fifty at bats too (8-for-50). Yu Darvish is the high-profile name on the Rangers staff, but the guy that is pitching like a number one is Alexi Ogando, and the Cubs will see the latter in this series. Ogando has been outstanding, he is 2-0 with a 1.08 ERA, and opponents are hitting only .194 against him this season. The Rangers also boast the fourth best bullpen in all of baseball with a 2.06 ERA from their relief pitchers. Moral of the story, get to their starters early.
Bold Prediction:
The Cubs win the two out of three if all games get played. A few breaks have to start going the Cubs way soon….right….Go Cubs!
Thanks for reading,
- George
Comeback Successful! Cubs Even Series With Brewers
One day after the Cubs teased us all with the possibility of a thrilling comeback they actually delivered. Trailing 3-0 early because of mostly defensive miscues the Cubs pitching shut the door and for the first time all year the offense sprung to life when the team needed it the 
most. After inching closer on RBI ground outs from Rizzo in the 5th and Castro in the 7th the Cubs found a new level of clutch tying the game in the seventh then breaking it open in the eighth inning. The last two games the Cubs have shown some fight with two comebacks, well one and a half, and at this point that’s all you can ask for, a team that fights.
At The Plate – Finally some production from the top of the order, after two listless at bats David DeJesus broke out. DeJesus was 3-for-5 with a double, two RBI’s, and two runs scored. Anthony Rizzo showed a much better approach tonight as he went 1-for-2 with a huge game tying single off of lefty Michael Gonzalez (previously 0-for-6 vs LHP), he also had two walks, and two RBI’s. Scott Hairston registered the game winning RBI with a sac fly in the eighth inning to give the Cubs a 4-3 lead.
On The Mound - Another outstanding effort from Travis Wood who could have easily mailed it in after a rough second inning in which his defense let him down. Wood ended up going 6.1 innings giving up three runs, two earned, on seven hits while walking three and striking out six. Hector Rondon continued his spotless work out of the bullpen as he worked two-thirds of an inning giving up nothing. Carlos Marmol entered the game in eighth, and I’m guessing I wasn’t the only one holding my breath. Marmol was effective, he worked one inning giving up a triple and the was it, he was bailed out by a spectacular play by Castro to end the eighth and keep the game tied at three. Marmol ended up getting the win as Kyuji Fujikawa earned the save, Kyuji worked the ninth giving up one hit and striking out two to earn his second save of the season.
Up Next - The rubber game of the series as Scott Feldman makes his Wrigley Field debut against Brewers newcomer Kyle Lohse. The weather is supposed to be craptastic, we’ll see if this one gets in, scheduled first pitch is 7:05 PM CST.
Stat Of The Night - David DeJesus had two hits on the season coming into this one, he had three hits tonight.
Game Highlights:
Castro’s RBI groundout
Hairston’s sac fly puts Cubs in front
Game saving play by Castro
Rizzo’s RBI groundout
Rizzo’s huge RBI double to tie the game
DeJesus pads the lead
Thanks for reading,
- George
April 9, 2013 – Brewers @ Cubs; Preview/Lineups!
Could be a long night as rain is expected to move into the area around game time, or just after. Tomorrow looks even worse so expect the umpires and teams to do everything they can to get this one in. Travis Wood is coming off a brilliant start to his 2013 season and will face a stiff test in the Brewers lineup which gets Jean Segura back tonight. The Cubs will face youngster Wily Peralta who can rush it up there, look for a low scoring affair as it will be cold and damp at Wrigley, that usually doesn’t add up to a lot of runs.
Thanks for reading, go Cubs!
- George
Cubs Tease at Thrilling Comeback, Fall Short
For most of this home opener it was the same old story for the Cubs, well, at least offensively. Marco Estrada shut the Cubs down on a really tough day to pitch, winds were at 25 MPH gusting to 45 MPH blowing straight out for the majority of the game, pay attention to the majority part. After getting behind 5-0 early and 7-2 late the Cubs mounted a furious rally in the ninth inning, but all to often the Cubs get just close enough to tease us that a comeback is 
possible only to lose, and that’s exactly what happened. Trailing 7-4 with the bases loaded Starlin Castro flew out to the right field warning track with the wind howling in….wait, what? That’s right, the wind shifted in the late innings and was blowing straight in, if Castro hits that ball earlier in the game it’s a grand slam, amazing.
At The Plate – Starlin Castro ended the game at the plate, but was locked in today, he finished the day 2-for-5 with a double and a triple. Welington Castillo continued his strong start to the season going 2-for-4 with a home run, two RBI’s and a run scored. Nate Schierholtz also stayed hot going 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI, and a run scored.
On The Mound - Tough day to pitch, well for anyone other than Marco Estrada. Edwin Jackson got the start and couldn’t find the plate early, when he did he found too much of it. To Jackson’s credit he settled down after giving up four runs in the first inning, he ended up going six innings giving up five runs on eight hits while walking five and striking out six. Shawn Camp couldn’t keep things close as he gave up two runs on three hits while walking two and striking out two in an inning of work. Carlos Marmol worked a scoreless inning, but it wasn’t without the usual theatrics, he gave up one it, while walking one, throwing a wild pitch, and struck out two.
Up Next - The first night game of the season, Travis Wood looks to follow up his outstanding first start of the season against Brewers youngster Wily Peralta at 7:05 PM CST.
Stat Of The Night - The Cubs struggles with runners in scoring position continued today as they were 2-for-12 in the loss.
Game Highlights:
Valbuena’s RBI single
Schierholtz RBI single
Castillo’s two-run homer
Thanks for reading,
- George
Series Preview – Brewers @ Cubs; April 8 – April 10, 2013
Finally some home baseball! There really is nothing like the home opener at Wrigley, I love watching baseball there, on TV or in person. The Cubs welcome the banged up Brewers to town for a three game set. The Cubs need to find some hits and more importantly runs, both have been at a premium so far this season. The Brewers are struggling as well, I mentioned they were banged up, they are also losing, five straight in fact.
Last Series:
Cubs suffered a three game sweep at the hands of the Braves in Atlanta
The Brewers were swept in a three game series by the D-Backs at home
Game Times and Broadcast Information:
- Monday, April 8, 2013 – 1:20 PM CST on WGN TV
- Tuesday, April 9, 2013 – 7:05 PM CST on WGN TV
- Wednesday, April 10, 2013 – 7:05 PM CST on CSN+ (click to find your channel)
Starting Pitchers Scheduled:
Cubs:
Game One - Edwin Jackson (0-1, 3.60 ERA)
- Career vs. Milwaukee (7 GS) (3-2, 3.06 ERA)
Game Two - Travis Wood (1-0, 0.00 ERA)
- Career vs. Milwaukee (7 appearances, 6 GS) (3-2, 3.40 ERA)
Game Three - Scott Feldman (0-1, 7.71 ERA)
- Career vs. Milwaukee (1 GS) (1-0, 0.00 ERA)
Brewers:
Game One - Marco Estrada (0-0, 7.20)
- Career vs. Cubs (8 appearances, 3 GS) (2-0, 3.86 ERA)
Game Two - Wily Peralta (0-1, 6.75 ERA)
- Career vs. Cubs (First appearance)
Game Three - Kyle Lohse (0-0, 1.50 ERA)
- Career vs. Cubs (16 GS) (4-4, 5.17 ERA)
Who’s Hot / Who’s Not:
The Cubs are coming off a tough series in Atlanta where they should have had at least one win, maybe two. Unfortunately the bats remained cold as they rank 29th in the Majors in average, on base percentage, runs, and slugging percentage. The Cubs best hitter right now is Welington Castillo, “beef” is hitting .357 (5-for-14) on the season. There are a number of Cubs hitters struggling as I mentioned, Valbuena, DeJesus, and Soriano would have to be at the top of that list. The pitching on the other hand has been outstanding, sans Carlos Marmol of course. The Cubs have a team ERA of 3.75 which is 14th best in the Majors, and that includes the last two games where they gave up a total of eleven run.
To say the Brewers are banged up might be an understatement. Ryan Braun has missed the last three games, and might miss the series opener today, Jean Segura is hobbled, and Aramis Ramirez is out of the lineup indefinitely, and Corey Hart hasn’t played a game yet. The Brewers have been scoring runs, and hitting as of late, but three of the guys that I mentioned as being hurt are their top hitters so far. Rickie Weeks is having a bounce back year so far as he is hitting .333 on the season so far. Norichika Aoki has been on fire as well as he is hitting .370 (10-for-27) in the early going. Pitching is an issue for the Brewers as they have a team ERA of 5.68 “good” for 28th in the Majors.
Bold Prediction:
I think the Cubs get the bats going this week at Wrigley, finally feeling comfortable being at home. The Cubs take two out of three from the Brewers this week, winning the first and third game of the series.
Thanks for reading, go Cubs!
- George
Wood Brilliant as Cubs Take Series From Pirates, Barely
Marmol coaster! It’s too early in the year for this kind of drama. The Cubs once again couldn’t find much offense, but managed just enough to get the win with Nate 
Scheirhioltz providing the big blow, a two-run homer in the ninth inning which the Cubs ended up needing. Travis Wood was outstanding in his first start of 2013 but had to sit on the edge of his seat with the rest of us as Carlos Marmol came within a small unit of measurement of blowing it. After allowing the Pirates to score twice in the ninth, Marmol got Alvarez to strikeout, and Walker to hit into a double play, never a doubt, Cubs win three to two…… Nice series win for the Cubs to start the season.
At The Plate – The Cubs only had two hits last night, today they had three, at least the result was different. Starling Castro was 1-for-4 with an RBI on the day and has the honor of being the first Cubs player to get a hit with a runner in scoring position this year, yep. Nate Schierholtz was the offensive hero going 1-for-3 with a walk, a run, and two RBI’s which came on a huge two-run homer in the top of the ninth to give the Cubs a three run cushion.
On The Mound - Travis Wood was outstanding this morning/afternoon, Wood went six scoreless innings, giving up one hit while walking two and striking out four to earn his first win of the season, barely. Shawn Camp, James Russell, and Kyuji Fujikawa were very good out of the bullpen as they tossed a combined two scoreless innings, giving up no hits, no walks, and struck out three. Cue the circus music… enter Carlos Marmol. Marmol wasn’t very good, again, as he gave up two runs on three hits while walking one and striking out one, but battled and ended up “earning” his first save of the season.
Up Next - The Cubs head to Atlanta for a weekend series against the high-powered Braves. Scott Feldman will make his Cubs debut against Atlanta lefty Mike Minor at 6:30 PM CST.
Stat Of The Night - The Cubs team ERA is 2.08, Carlos Marmol’s ERA is 20.25
Game Highlights:
Nice diving catch by Schierholtz
Russell gets a big strikeout
Starlin Castro puts the Cubs on the board
Schierholtz goes deep in the ninth
Thanks for reading,
- George
April 4, 2013 – Cubs @ Pirates Preview/Lineups
Pitching Matchup - Cubs (1-1): Travis Wood (0-0, 0.00) vs. Pirates (1-1): James McDonald (0-0, 0.00)
Where: PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA
When: 11:35 AM CST
TV/Radio: WGN TV / WGN 720
The Run Down: The Cubs look to win the first series of the year, but will have a tough test against James McDonald who really came into his own last season. It seems clear that the Cubs have to generate offense at the top of the order because the bottom part has not been close to adequate so far. The Cubs will look to get their first hit with men in scoring position today, of the year. Obviously that has to improve, but looking at the big picture it really would be nice to start the season with a series win.
Thanks for reading, go Cubs!
- George
Cubs Bats as Cold as the Weather in Loss to Pirates
It was rather obvious early, the Cubs offense was awfully disinterested in this one. Wandy Rodriguez and the cold temperatures combined to keep the Cubs at bay as they could only manage two 
hits all night. The Cubs opportunity came in the seventh inning when they put the first two on, and then loaded the bases with one out only to come up empty. It really was a story of one inning both ways tonight for the Cubs as Edwin Jackson was decent except for the fourth inning. Jackson struggled with his command in the fourth and gave up two runs in the frame which was more than enough for the Pirates in this one.
At The Plate – How many ways can I say bad? I guess I’ll just leave it at that, the Cubs approach and the subsequent results or lack there of left a lot to be desired. Alfonso Soriano and Alberto Gonzalez were the only Cubs to register hits in this one, both singles.
On The Mound – Edwin Jackson was really good early, then got into deep count after deep count and had to exit after five innings of work. Jackson gave up two runs on three hits while walking one and striking out five in his Cubs debut. Hector Rondon made his Major League debut, tossing a scoreless inning while walking two, and striking out two. Michael Bowden gave up one run in his inning of work on two hits. Shawn Camp and Hasanori Takahashi each had scoreless outings.
Up Next – The rubber game of the series. Travis Wood will take on James McDonald at 11:35 AM CST, love morning baseball! Look for the normal Cubs lineup sans Welington Castillo tomorrow.
Stat Of The Night – Here I will feature a stat, either from the game, or a trend, could be good, or bad, or alarming. Tonight it’s alarming, the Cubs are 0-for-13 as a team with RISP, yikes.
Game Highlights:
The Cubs had two hits, there are no highlights worth watching, I promise.
Thanks for reading,
- George
Rusin Shuts Down Dodgers in Win
Chris Rusin was outstanding Thursday afternoon, which is nothing new this Spring as he has been nothing short of brilliant. The lefty is slated to start the 2013 season in the Iowa rotation, and if he has continued success like this don’t be surprised if he is back at Wrigley sooner than later, either starting or coming out of the pen.
Brent Lillibridge made a triumphant return to the lineup going 2-for-3 with a double and two runs scored. Welington Castillo got the start behind the plate and was 1-for-2 with a triple, two RBI’s and a run scored. Luis Valbuena (1), Brian Bogusevic (2), Dave Sappelt (1), and Darnell McDonald (1) had the rest of the runs knocked in.
As I mentioned, Chris Rusin was awesome. Rusin tossed five nearly perfect innings, giving up no runs on one hit while walking one, and striking out one. Raley improved to 2-0 on the Spring with a 0.69 ERA, he has worked thirteen innings this spring and has given up one run. Drew Carpenter, Jaye Chapman, and Blake Parker all had scoreless appearances in the victory.
Split squad action tomorrow as half the team will face the White Sox on the road, and the other half will face off against Team Japan. Travis Wood will make the start against Team Japan, and Scott Feldman will work against the White Sox.
Thanks for reading,
- George
