SB Nation - Login for mobile commenting

Bleed Cubbie Blue

Much-Maligned Bullpen & Fukudome Lead Cubs To 6-5 Win Over Rockies

So if I had told you yesterday afternoon that:

  • Aramis Ramirez would make a costly error and leave the game with shoulder soreness;
  • The Cubs would cough up a lead by allowing three unearned runs;
  • Lou would take Kosuke Fukudome out of the leadoff spot where he'd been successful;
  • And, the Cubs would nearly lose a run when Milton Bradley would get thrown out trying to take an extra base while Ryan Theriot was racing to score...

You'd probably have thought that last night's game would be a 10-2 blowout loss, or something along those lines, right?

The Cubs overcame all that wackiness and beat the Rockies 6-5, behind Fukudome's RBI double and ninth homer of the year and some clutch pitching from a bullpen where "shaky" has been the operative word for the last couple of months.

Ryan Dempster threw well enough; he allowed the Rockies five runs, but only two of them were earned after Ramirez's miscue helped open the door to four Colorado runs (only one earned) in the fourth inning after the Cubs had taken a 2-0 lead in the top of the inning. I'm going to cut Aramis some slack, because after he had leaped to try to snag a line drive into left field earlier in the inning, his left shoulder appeared to visibly bother him and he eventually had to leave the game. Ramirez won't play today and hopefully, just needs a couple days of rest.

Star-divide

The Cubs started to pick away at the Rockies' 4-2 lead; Derrek Lee's 23rd homer of the year made it 4-3 in the fifth. D-Lee now has more homers than any full season since 2005, and there's still a third of this year left -- so he has an outside shot at 40 for only the second time in his career.

Another pair of runs gave the Cubs a 5-4 lead in the sixth; this was the inning in which Bradley hit a ball high off the wall in right field with Theriot on second. It came right back to Brad Hawpe, who gunned down Bradley trying to stretch this hit into a double. It wasn't an unreasonable chance, but the tag came down only a second or so after Theriot scored; had it been a little bit quicker the run wouldn't have counted.

Fukudome's homer made it 6-4 and then the bullpen took over. After Clint Barmes homered off Dempster with nobody out in the seventh to make it 6-5, Angel Guzman, Carlos Marmol and Kevin Gregg shut down the Rockies over the last three innings, giving them a pair of harmless singles and striking out four. Marmol, in particular, looked really good last night -- he threw 13 strikes in his 19 pitches and appeared, at least for one night, to have his command back. If he can keep throwing like this, that solidifies the entire rest of the bullpen.

One thing I haven't commented on before, but really noticed last night -- Guzman looks very strange in those glasses.

So the Cubs win despite Lou's wacky lineup and more injuries. Both Theriot and Fukudome produced in their new lineup spots, and Bradley raised his BA to a season-high .256 with his pair of hits. Let's keep it going this afternoon; the game preview thread will be up at 12 noon CDT.

0 recs  |  148 comments

Comments

You forgot the Aaron Miles TRIPLE

THE play of the game! Just kidding, but where the Hell did that come from?

Aaron Miles is pretty forgettable.
Aaron Miles

name is familiar, but I can’t remember why. He must have been horribly inconsequential. Like a Bears QB or a Bulls center. Or maybe Ozzie’s PR guy.

He still needs a HR

to have hit for the “season cycle”. Pretty typical performance: Over a 7-year career, Miles has 15 triples and 16 HRs. I’m pulling for him to hit another triple, balance the stats…and get put on waivers while his value is (relatively) high.

I dunno If it was just me...

But the way he was running I was laughing my ass off.

It wasn't just you

there was something about the way he was motoring around the bases that looked funny

To say of nothing....

…of how awkward he looked on some double plays around 2nd base. Just weird.

Because he didn't expect they'd actually turn any!
My friend I was watching the game with

said that Miles looked like one of those old movies sped up as he was running the bases.

"I think I can I think I can I think I can!"
Aaron who now?

Where does he play and for whom?

Get Aaron Miles off this team already.

He once again failed to make plays in the field last night that even Fontenot would have made… and Blanco certainly would’ve made. He’s garbage.

Even the sun shines on a blind squirrel's ass every once in a while.
...and he also fins a "nut" or two while his ass is warming in the sun...
fins=finds
That is about

The strangest thing I’ve ever heard.

I've always heard

it said “a dogs ass” but I may be wrong too.

It was a combination of the sun shining on a dog's ass

and a blind squirrel finding a nut every once in a while. I guess if I had thrown in the one about a broken clock being right twice a day I would have befuddled everyone.

I thought maybe

that’s what you were doing. :-)

Did you see how awkward he looked running that thing out?

I mean, far be it from me to make fun of someone for actually hustling around the bases (THERIOT!), but we were laughing hysterically at how funny Miles looked zipping around the bases.

Yeah, his arms were going one direction and his legs were going another. I thought he was going

to fall flat on his face as he rounded second.

It was hilarious.
Was it funnier than Lilly's triple ?

I was not watching ( too cowardly ) so I don’t know.

Yes.

He looked like a miniature Ron Cey with loaded drawers . . .

Oh yes much funnier.
hes not used to running around the bases

he was caught up in the moment, like a little kid

Oh yeah, FIRST

I’m here in Denver, but won’t catch any of the games this weekend. Long story, but I’m representing Cubbie blue when I’m out and about. Front page story in yesterday’s Denver Post about how well the Cubs fans travel on the road – it was called “Cub Level Seats.”

Was it

This story?

Yup - thanks for finding the link
If the Boston Red Sox have their own nation, that must mean the Chicago Cubs have their own continent.

I like that. Cubs Continent!

I look forwar to representing the cubs contenent...

…this afternoon at Coors Field :) My sons first baseball game and m y first game (and probably only) game this season.

Spell check I did not
Have a great time and

I hope you get to see a Cubs victory.

me likey :-)
I love it

I despise de term “nation.” So I hope this new word gets adopted.

So, let's be "Cubs Continent" from now on!

P.S.: Not sure how I ended up in preview in the other post.

This 9th day of August...

Year 2009, the term Cub Continent was born.

Somebody should send a note of acknowledgement to Jim Armstrong of the Denver Post

He coined it, after all.

Volunteer? Anyone?

I guess it's better than

“Cubs Incontinent.”

Good win - recovering from a lot of sloppy play

The 4th inning was the worst that I’ve seen in a long time. Three botched double plays and a botched caught stealing on a wild pitch. Pretty tough to come back from that and they did it.

Theriot continues to show a lack of baseball smarts as he trotted around on Bradley’s hit, only hustling at the last minute. I had the Rockies’ announcers, so I can only imagine what Brenly said when Soriano got doubled off on a line drive right to the second baseman.

I don't think it was all Soriano's fault on the line drive.

That hit was pretty much right up the middle to a shifted second baseman. If he’s being played straight up thats an RBI single.

A runner needs to look at where the fielders are
Still...

Soriano should have been aware of where the fielders were positioned. Maybe if he freezes on the line drive, and it gets through, then he doesn’t score. That would leave us with runners at the corners and one out, not a bad situation. As it was, I think he would have scored anyway. The ball was tailing back towards right, and the CF was playing him to pull.

What did Brenly say, btw?
I don't know, either.

I was stuck with the MLB Network broadcast, which used the Rockies feed like you had.

Brenly didn't have a complaint...

As far of a lead as Fonzie had, and with the Rockies SS toward the 2nd place bag, I think he’s doubled off even if he froze.

When did he say that remark that we were commenting on in the game threads?

“Can we ever run hard,” or something like that?

Riot on Bradley's double attempt?

That really was a brain fart by Riot. Or Quade. Or both.

Wasn't Quade's fault. The replay showed him yelling at Theriot. He was waving

his arms to try to get Theriot to speed up but Theriot was watching the ball. The basball I.Q. of this team is unbelieveable.

This...

Theriot slowed up expecting to score easily, but Bradley was running hard and Theriot was in “oh shit” mode trying to score.

It really is - and that's an organizational issue

There are teams like the Twins that always seem to do the little things right, including players that come up from their system.

Sori

had no chance to get back to the bag. The shift killed it.

I can see that

That’s just bad luck. If it was not knowing where the fielder was, that would’ve been inexcusable.

Brenley did go-off on Theriot for not running on that Bradley hit...

“Is it too much to ask for major league players to RUN during the few times they’re on base during each game?!” Something along the lines of that, and they replayed him jogging at least 4 times. He didn’t get on Bradley at all since he was apparently running the whole time he was trying to stretch it out.

BB no longer feels it necessary to sugar coat bad play.

He tread lightly his first couple of years doing color commentary often giving excuses for bad play- but no more. And I’m glad of that. Call it what it is. Good play or bad.

I also like it when he calls out other teams' players for something bad they do.

See Dan Uggla, Leo Nunez, and Koyie Hill about a week ago.

I'm not sure.....

…..if he just hasn’t had more opportunities to be blunt this year. You can justify some poor play if your team is scoring bunches of runs like 2008.

When you struggle to score runs, waste good starting pitching, have players having down years, not playing fundamental baseball…..I think BB’s frustration level is about the same as ours.

I’m trying to think back to the first couple of months or ’07 when we were playing like crap if BB was just as outspoken. Not sure.

I don't believe he was. I thought less of him as a color guy

because he came off as a “company” man then. Pulling his punches, so to speak…

I for one love it...

He doesn’t harp on things all game, but he points out what needs to be pointed out and then moves on.

And he doesn't constantly whine about the umpires like Hawk does.
Bradley

was running as hard as ever. Riot was doing what we always tell the little league kids to not do — watch the ball.

Bradley was not

running hard down to 1st. You could tell the difference in his pace when he noticed that there was about to be a play on him at 2nd. Theriot was just plain stargazing. Brenly ripped him time and again.

I think you are mistaken. Bradley ran hard right out of the box. They had the camera on him and

he never slowed up after he hit the ball. It was a good play for the RF to catch the ball and turn and fire it to second like he did. The ball was a rocket that never got high in the air. I was surprised that the play was as close as it ended up being.

Absolutely

Can’t rip MB for that one- Riot was flat trotting. Got lucky on that one

Agreed. Bradley really did nothing wrong.

Sometimes you have to give the other guy credit – it was a good play.

Yep, Milton

gave it all he had.

He's been doing that the whole season

That’s why it gets me so mad when people rip on him. He try’s to hard.

Yep, they showed several views, several times...

he ran from box to base.

Soriano

and 99% of any other runners would have been doubled off on that play. Take a look at the replay and you’ll see it was just one of those plays. As for Theriot, he was starwatching. It was a terrible decision on his part and should never have occurred. However, to suggest this reinforces Theriot’s lack of baseball smarts is outrageous.

Brenly said nothing about Soriano on the DP. It was a play that almost every other ballplayer would have been doubled on.

Fair enough on Soriano

Theriot was flat out sleeping

reminded me of game 2 of the 2008 NLDS...
Bradley, Fox & Dome need to step up

While aRam is on the mend. Let’s hope it is only a minor tweak.

And kudos to the cardiac bullpen!

glasses

>One thing I haven’t commented on before, but really noticed last night — Guzman looks very strange in those glasses.<

Guzman = Erkle.

I watched opening day in bar in NYC

with a group of other Cub fans and the thing I remember most is when Gregg started warming up some guy shouts out
" Our closer wears googles ?". Maybe you had to be there but it was pretty damn funny.

Maybe we need to start calling Gregg "Barney Google"

…with the goo-goo googley eyes…

Someone else already has googly eyes.

I won’t say who, but he plays for Milwaukee and has a huge ego.

A few things.

Milton is hitting fairly well recently, I like him hitting second.
Kosuke, the deal isn’t looking so bad as it was in July last year.

Oh and Al, typo, D Lee’s solo shot made it 4-3.

The Cubs started to pick away at the Rockies’ 4-2 lead; Derrek Lee’s 23rd homer of the year made it 4-2 in the fifth.

Whoops.

Typo is right. I’ll fix it.

A win is a win!! Thankfully there was no" quit" in the cubbies, last night

In spite of fact that some bumbling defense made the hill steeper!…… I heard the end w/laptop in the sack, and fell asleep to wrapup! :P ……….followed by sweet dreams!

lets get’em again today!

I like our chances today with Randy Wells...

If we split the next two games, the road trip ends 5-5.
If we win the next two games, the road trip ends 6-4.

Big difference. It would be nice to take 3 of 4 against the Rockies…

lineup

Regarding the discussion I had with a few yesterday. With the exception of the sac, Milton is on his way back and the #2 spot is where he should be for now. I am very happy with the Riot Dome change. These two can be flip flopped if needed. Now if we can get really really good news on the Aram front..The future looks good. Must hit the road, no responses from me today.

Agreed...

Milton should stay in that #2 spot.

One thing that hasn't been mentioned...

Milton Bradley had a pretty clutch catch at the wall.

Yeah, that was a really nice grab.
...sounded clutch on the radio when Pat called it...
And, the Cubs would nearly lose a run when Milton Bradley would get thrown out trying to take an extra base while Ryan Theriot was racing to score…

Was Ryan really “racing to score”? I was quite upset about this play because he was trotting at best, until the last few steps. He made that play a lot closer than it needed to be (and could have been called out).

If Bradley hadn't gone for second, Theriot would probably still be at third base (or gunned down at home)

I don’t fault MB for running hard in to second there anyway. He hit that ball off the wall in Coors field – it took a great bounce right to the OF who made a spectacular throw. 99 times out of 100 he makes it into second easily there

that's a good point...
This is the first game all year

That I can remember the Cubs making a costly error and not blowing their lead.

Had they lost last night I really think it would have been detrimental to their seasons success.

Slightly OT: Missed most of last night's Cubs game watching the Dayton Dragons

beat the living crap out of a terrible Lansing Lugnuts team at Olds Park 18-5. And believe me when I tell you, the game wasn’t THAT close. The Lugs had 3 errors, and should have had six. The Dragons had 21 hits and went on cruise control after the 7th inning.

It was so bad mid-game that Dayton quit trying to score. With the Dragons up 18-2 and runners on the corners and one out, the Dayton batter hit a deep fly ball to the warning track in left and the runner at third DIDN’T tag up and score on the “gimmie” sac fly to make it 19-2.

Too bad there isn’t a “mercy” rule in minor league ball. It would have gotten the post game fireworks started an hour earlier…

Can the Lugnuts “re-affiliate” with the Cubs please? This relationship with the Toronto Blue Jays ’ain’t workin’…

Any more word yet on ARam's shoulder soreness?
I was listening on WGN radio, so I'm basing this on Pat's call...

but isn’t worth mentioning that Bradley twice just missed HR’s? (ie two shots off the top portion of the wall?). He had an excellent game both at the plate and in the field (that running play notwithstanding…and which didn’t bother me that much since it was a hustle play, and the fact that the closeness of the run scoring was Theriot’s fault). His catch in right was excellent as well.

I mention this ’cause I was a little surprised that about the only thing said about Bradley in the recap was his running mistake…even though he had an excellent game and was essential to the win.

I’m not Bradley’s agent or anything, but give credit where credit is due and all that…

Did say he had two hits and raised his BA to a season high.
Seriously?

That’s your response? Multiple posters have pointed out how dead wrong your description of the Bradley/Theriot play is and this is your defense?

What happened to acknowledging you’re wrong when presented with a reasonable argument?

Going to turn this into a witch-hunt with your second post?

Sure, I got it wrong. You could have been more pleasant. Guess that’s not within you.

Or...you could have corrected it rather than grudgingly saying that he had two hits

Or by sweeping Theriot’s lollygagging under the rug.

You are correct.

I did NOT mean to imply anything wrong with Bradley’s play. My mistake, and I apologize.

Al, I have to say, this does come across as anti-Bradley bias

And that play was 100% on Theriot

Man- lighten up, Francis
I think the problem is

that this:

And, the Cubs would nearly lose a run when Milton Bradley would get thrown out trying to take an extra base while Ryan Theriot was racing to score…

Seems to put the blame for nearly losing the run on Bradley, not on Riot, when it’s exactly the opposite.

To be honest,

I had actaully missed that you said that. So I guess that counts a little.

Though, respectfully, I’m not sure that still quite captures that it was solid shots twice off the top of the wall. They weren’t cheap, Aaron Miles-esque hits for example…(well, I’m imagining what it would be like if Miles ever GOT a hit….) :)

Ugh... Miles.

This guy isn’t even making routine plays out there. Disgusting.

Actually...

given that he had a triple yesterday, I probably should withhold making fun of him for a day. I’m not willing him to be a failure or anything…(and for all I know that was the first of a 30 game hitting streak). :)

(dying laughing)
Bradley in the #2 spot

I don’t know what took so long for that to happen. We’ve been discussing that around here for a while. He’s an OBP guy… not an RBI guy.

The only downfall from it is… Dome moves out of the lead-off spot… where he’s really turned it on. But, at least Dome moved back to the 5th spot, where he’s also done very well in his career splits so far.

I was wondering why that necessitated Dome's move in Lou's mind?

Is it because of the obsession of never having a 2 lefties in a row?

Probably
I don't get Piniella's lefty-righty obsession!

Or his determination to play the percentages with the bullpen, either. If someone’s pitching well, let him pitch to more than one batter, for cryin’ out loud!

It was trying....

To fit a square peg in a round hole all year. He was signed to be a big RBI guy in the middle of the order. However, he hasn’t been that this year (not saying he can’t be), so I’m glad the staff finally decided to use the strengths he does have this year (OBP) and put him in the appropriate spot.

Just saw Dome

on TV news show for his homer and double. Keep runs coming, Dome!

Stat of the day

David Aardsma: 26 saves, 1.58 ERA, 62 Ks in 51.1 Innings

Un-farking-believable
You're tellin me. Unreal.

This is the kind of surprise we need to happen for us at closer.

The White Sox...

Essentially gave up on him as well.

That's because they should have

Here’s a season from another player the Cubs let ‘slip away’

728 PA, 57 HR, 142 RBI, .325/.429/.688, 174 OPS +

The player? Luis Gonzalez in 2001. Doesn’t change the fact that releasing him in 1996 was the right move for the Cubs, just like getting rid of Aardsma after 2006 was the right move for the Cubs. You just can’t expect these things

Exactly...

He just wasn’t very good here. Things like this happen.

Same with McGehee, really
Right, that's an even better example
See? We can get along. ;)

Actually, I wasn’t all that upset yesterday, just surprised by how heated the thread became . . . and got defensive.

The universe is against us.

This almost cinches it.

Great

Let’s make a fanpost on how the Cubs should have kept him.

I was very surprised

when Lou chose to pitch to the #8 man in the 4 run inning. Even though Marquis is a decent hitting pitcher, he is a pitcher. Add to that the #8 hitter already had a hit off Dempster.

Though wasn't that #8 man...

batting something like .158? (I’m going off memory).

yeah he's blanco-esque

all glove no bat

A great win even

though there were many blunders in the game. I am really happy with MB’s play last night. I have always wanted him to do well in a Cub uniform and I hope he can keep this going. I was worried about Dome not being in the leadoff spot but it worked out well anyway.

I love that BB isn’t afraid to criticize when it is warranted. I really love the sense of humor that he and Len both have. They do a great job.

I am worried about Aramis. I hope it is only a few days rest thing but my fear is he will end up needing surgery on his shoulder. I felt so bad for him when they showed him sitting on the bench after he reinjured his shoulder.

After we lost the lead last night the game thread was infested with BLou. All he did was bait people and call them names. Of course as soon as we took the lead back he disappeared. He relishes Cub losses and I have no clue why he is still here.

Maybe he's actually a Cardinals fan, who gets his jollies out of depressing the Cub's fanbase...

I can’t say I’ve never wondered that.

As for the rest of your post, I think I agree with everything there. :)

You may be onto

something there. When I first joined this site he did talk about being in St. Louis a lot.

Did you hear Brenly

When Sori wasn’t hustling on Friday? “Are you suprised,” was his line.

Yes I did. I love

that he calls out lazy, sloppy, dumb, etc. plays.

Snagglepuss even

-The Len and Bob show is outstanding. And they get exponentially more fun when the team is losing. Case in point, Friday night. They were off in their little world, talking about randomness. And it made the game bearable, mostly.

-Ramirez should have the surgery in November, no matter if he feels good the rest of the season. It’ll alleviate any lingering pain and will have him swinging hard by January. I’ve gone through the process myself and the rehab is more painful than the surgery.

-I understand BLou’s role here. I just wish you all would stop answering. Treat him as a n00b even.

So, should we act like BLou's not there?
Sound advice
-I understand BLou’s role here. I just wish you all would stop answering.

And, if people really, really feel the need to respond, perhaps killing him with kindness.

He really does live for this. I suspected it several times last year, and yesterday’s game thread clinched it for me.

Makes sense. Rabblerousers often have thin skins.
I don't know if it's a thin skin, though

I think he loves those reactions. I really do.

You must Login with your SB Nation account and be a member of Bleed Cubbie Blue to post a comment.