Is it just me, or does there seem to be a palpable lack of passion on this 2009 Cubs team? Piniella seems disinterested at times, and I don't say that simply because he hasn't thrown the third base bag at an umpire, but also because despite mental lapses, a lack of hustle, and bad decisions by his players, he seems calm and content. He doesn't need to throw a baseball bat, but I would like to know that he's concerned about the Cubs' performance.
Soriano runs out ground balls and pop-ups about as often as the Lions win football games; he plays defense like left field is his vacation home--he might as well have a margarita next to him; Derrek Lee didn't even go halfway down the line on a flyout to center Sunday; Marmol, the supposed lockdown 8th inning guy, can't focus enough to throw any strikes; the outfielders just loooove to throw to the wrong base; Bradley talks more than he hits; Ryan Theriot has completely gone away from his patented inside out swing; no one seems to know how to bunt--the Cubs are 15th in the NL in sacrifices; the list goes on.
There was a lot of talk at the beginning of the season about the Cubs walking away with this division, that the regular season was a mere formality. Perhaps some of that talk seeped into the Cubs' mental approach, because we haven't seen much fire (nor fundamentals) from most of the Cubs thus far; instead, they look flat as a pancake.
I'm not saying this can't change: the Cubs looked lazy for the first few months of '07 and then did a 180 in the second half. We've reached the one-third point of the season, and the Cubs are 27-25, within 3.5 games of first; at the one-third point in 2007, the Cubs were just 23-31, 7.5 games back. But I'd just like to see a little more focus and effort--I know the players aren't always going to succeed, but I at least want to know they're trying, and that they want to win as much as I want them to.
Sunday: Cubs 6, Reds 3, 14 inn.
Randy Wells just continues to get people out, though he got yet another no decision to show for his efforts. In six starts, he's allowed just eight total earned runs. Piniella took him out after five scoreless innings in his first start, but his five starts since have all been quality starts. Cubs starting pitching in the series versus the Reds: 19.1 IP, 2 ER, an ERA of 0.93.
Despite the phenomenal starting pitching, the series was a nail-biter because the Cubs offense struggled to come up with the big hit. The Cubs rank just 13th in the NL in both runs scored and batting average. Perhaps the biggest hole in the lineup right now is at the top: Soriano is hitting just .214 since the start of May. Though he did hit the go-ahead home run Sunday, he was 1-for-6, and has 25 strikeouts and just 12 hits over his last 18 games.
I'm very glad we didn't allow Bronson Arroyo to get the win. I say that because a win for Arroyo would have given him the league lead in wins all by himself, despite the fact that going into Saturday's game, his ERA was fifth worst among qualified NL pitchers, and he had allowed the fourth most home runs in the league.
Cubs notes
-Ryan Theriot did something he's never done before: hit a home run in a stadium not named Wrigley Field.
-Derrek Lee's two-run single in the third inning broke an 0-for-22 streak for the Cubs with runners in scoring position. Oh, Aramis Ramirez, please come back soon.
Saturday: Reds 4, Cubs 3, 11 inn.
In the four games on this road trip, all have been one-run games and three have gone into extra innings. This brings to mind the inordinate number of close games the Cubs have played this season. Of their 53 games, 33 have been decided by three runs or less. Additionally, 13 of the Cubs' 27 wins have been by two or fewer runs. The Cubs have also played six extra inning games, a full 11 percent of their schedule.
The Cubs lost despite the fact that for the second straight game, the starting pitcher did not allow an earned run. Unfortunately, Dempster allowed three unearned runs in the first after an error by Mike Fontenot, and though they clawed back to tie the game, a poor throw home by Fontenot in the 11th cost Sean Marshall and the Cubs the loss.
Perhaps the best sight from Saturday's action: Geovany Soto absolutely launched one off the foul pole in left--it was just his second home run this season, and hopefully he'll be sending the ball into orbit a lot more often in the coming months.
And let's give credit where credit is due: Derrek Lee hit .313 in May and after a 2-for-5 day Saturday, he's hitting .438 in June; his average is up to .270 overall. He's also grounded into just one double play this season after racking up 27 last year.
Cubs notes
-Zambrano says he will retire after his current contract expires. Huh? His contract is up in 2012, with a vesting option for 2013; he'll be 32 when the 2013 season ends. First of all, I don't put much stock in these comments. Zambrano's been in a goofy mood all week after his suspension, and most of the things he says don't matter a week later, let alone four years later. The other issue is that if he continues to play after his current contract, there's no guarantee it would be with the Cubs, anyways. So let's check back in with Z regarding his retirement plans in about three years.
-It looks like Marshall will probably be making at least one more start for the Cubs. Rich Harden was scratched from his rehab start Sunday due to a stomach virus, and hopes to do the rehab start Monday and return to the Cubs' rotation Saturday.
No comments:
Post a Comment