The Chicago Cubs wrap up an August of extremes by heading West to take on the World Champs. Spoilers, ho.
By way of reminder, the Series Preview hooks you up with what you need to know about every series this year – streaks, broadcast information, pitchers, lineups, etc. That way you can look like a genius, hardcore fan in front of all your friends, with minimum effort. Oh, and there will be pictures of beautiful women, too.
We’re Going Streaking
The Cubs have lost seven of eight after being swept in Milwaukee. They’re a season-low 23.5 games out in the NL Central, and are back to 20 games under .500.
The Giants just split a four-game set with the Astros, which is like getting swept in an eight-game set by a good team. In fact, the Giants have lost to the Astros four times in the last nine games. Those woes, among others, have taken them four games out in the NL West.
Game Times and Broadcasts
- Monday, August 29 at 9:15 CT on CSN+.
- Tuesday, August 30 at 9:15 CT on WGN.
- Wednesday, August 31 at 2:45 CT on CSN.
Expected Starters and Lineups
These lineups are likely to be pretty close to what actually gets fielded.
Cubs
Starters: Randy Wells (5-4, 5.53), Matt Garza (6-10, 3.68), Rodrigo Lopez (4-5, 4.80)
Lineup:
- Castro, SS
- Barney, 2B
- Ramirez, 3B
- Pena, 1B
- Byrd, CF
- Soriano, LF
- Soto, C
- Colvin, RF (will he stay up higher in the order?)
- Pitcher
Giants
Starters: Tim Lincecum (12-10, 2.46), Ryan Vogelsong (10-4, 2.54), Madison Bumgarner (8-12, 3.59)
Lineup:
- Orlando Cabrera, SS
- Jeff Keppinger, 2B
- Carlos Beltran, RF
- Pablo Sandoval, 3B
- Aubrey Huff, 1B
- Cody Ross, CF
- Brandon Belt, LF
- Chris Stewart, C
- Pitcher
Hot or Not and Whom to Watch
We’ll see if Ryan Dempster’s “kick in the butt” still does the trick for Randy Wells. He needs to put together four or five straight quality starts to end the year for me to have any kind of confidence that he can be counted on as a four or five next year.
Aramis Ramirez had his 16-game hitting streak snapped yesterday, but he says he’s still feeling it.
Geovany Soto is hitless in his last 23 at bats. Heading into an offseason where a new GM might consider shopping Soto, his deep slump (not to mention his crappy year overall) is ill-timed.
Matt Garza had a rough outing against the Braves his last time out. I suspect he’ll rebound against a much leaner Giants lineup.
Tim Lincecum has allowed two or fewer runs in each of his last nine starts. Did I say last nine starts? Ten seems a fair bet.
Madison Bumgarner doesn’t walk, like, anybody. The Cubs don’t take walks off, like, anybody. I’m setting the over/under on Cubs walks against him at 0. And I’m strongly considering the under. (Not possible, you say? Every five strikeouts counts as a negative walk. According to me.)
The Giants paid a steep price for Carlos Beltran, but he hasn’t quite lived up to the hype – he’s been hurt, and, when he’s been healthy enough to play, he’s hitting just .303/.324/.439. An upgrade for their lineup, to be sure, but hardly the kind of line you give up a top pitching prospect for.
Series She-View
The Series She-View is one beautiful woman representing the Cubs taking on another (usually) beautiful woman representing the opponent. The Cubs’ representative will change as the team’s needs change – in other words, if the Cubs are winning, the rep will stay the same. But if the Cubs’ performance calls for a change, someone new will step in. The opponent’s representative will change from series to series, at my whim. But at least she’ll probably be wearing the opponent’s colors or have some connection to the team or something like that.
So, the Cubs were swept in Zooey Deschanel’s first series as Cubs’ rep. But she’s staying. Why? A few reasons.
I keep seeing trailers for ‘My Idiot Brother’ and her sitcom on NBC, so she’s stuck in my head. Also, the Cubs were playing the Brewers at Miller Park, where Brewers are impossible to beat this year. She stays for at least one more series.
As for the Giants, how about Gisele Bundchen? Mrs. Tom Brady is pretty tall (“Giants”), and her name starts with a G (“Giants” – do you see the depths of my creativity on this one?).
Versus
I am very stoked to be going to Wednesday afternoon’s game with my wife and son. It’ll be his first non-Spring Training Cubs game.
I am less stoked that I’ll be watching Ro-Lo pitch batting practice for the Giants.
And finally, I note with curiosity that this will be the third Giants game in a row that I’ve seen that Bumgarner is starting. Odd.
have fun
Have a blast. Dive into McCovey Cove for me.
Thats about as awesome as when I saw Doug Davis throw BP for the giants at Wrigley. Hope the weather is better tho.
If the Giants don’t sweep the Cubs their season is over (unless the Diamondbacks get swept), so lets be spoilers and at least get one.
Ace I like the sitcom theme. Next lets use that chick Whitney Cummings. mmmmmm
She’s interesting looking. Not saying bad, not saying good. Just interesting.
She does have some sort of alure. Maybe it’s her foul mouth and how she talks about sex and I like a funny chick because if you can’t laugh at this season you might be picking parts of my brain off the moon.
I saw My Idiot Brother over the weekend, it was OK – could have used MORE Zooey and Rashida Jones making out though.
Wow. That’s true of pretty much every movie, though. And my dreams.
I hate to break it to you Brett, but I’m pretty sure that gal in the sitcom that looks like Zooey is not really Zooey.
You forced me to look it up: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1826940/
Didn’t know where to post it, but its good stuff. Vitters went deep, MCNUTT went deep, and pitched well, and Cashner struck out the side on 16 pitches in 1 perfect inning
Great stuff, Julio. Gracias.
okay, so it’s really Zooey, but it’s on FOX. half credit.
For some reason, that actually makes me feel better about myself.
My mistake, wrong sitcom. I bow to your superior Zooey spotting skills.
Only next to those two does Bumgarner look bad.
Well, Tyler Colvin still sucks. Drag.
“He needs to put together four or five straight quality starts to end the year for me to have any kind of confidence that he can be counted on as a four or five next year.”
Once again, proof that the cubs players are reading BN. Randy wells with 87 pitches through 7? I think I just broke my hand knocking on wood.
You broke your hand doing WHAT with your wood?
That obviously wasn’t intended to be a reply to you TWC… But in reply to you, only starter who didn’t even get on base. Yeah, he sucks. Total bummer.
You know who else sucks? Marlon Byrd. I mean, please, just *try* to convince me he doesn’t. I dare you. Does he even have 20 RBI yet? I can’t be bothered to check. He sucks. He’s batting ~.180 w/ RISP. And he’s consistently in the 3, 4, or 5 spot. He sucks. Am I being clear?
If Randy Wells just didn’t pitch a two-hit shutout I would predict that Byrd gets the EBS for getting his TWENTY-FIFTH rbi tonight, with a RISP, no less. so, so bad.
Does this count as Wells having a good start? I know the Giants hitters are to hitting a baseball are what Helen Keller would’ve been to…hitting a baseball, but this still counts as something, right?
Hell yes it counts for something. Randy Wells positively pwned the Giants tonight. They might have a crappy offense, but Wells looked like Cliff Lee (or Tim Lincecum) out there tonight.
..looking like Cliff Lee or Lincecum against hellen keller still doesn’t count (..insert blind squirrel reference) nor does it excuse the rest of his below mediocre 2011 campaign ..odds are (which are good) Wells will not have a quality start next time out
Hopefully the new GM will not see Wells as a 2012 starter, no matter how good his 2009-10 stats were
“Thats about as awesome as when I saw Doug Davis throw BP for the giants at Wrigley. Hope the weather is better tho.”
Not quite as awesome as travelling from Australia to watch the team you love, only for the game to be rained out after a 4 hour delay…on your birthday…with seats behind home plate. And that was the last game of the homestand while we were in Chicago. This happened a couple of years ago and I’m still not over it.
Appreciate every live game you see!
That’s the saddest story I’ve ever heard.
(Well, the saddest story that didn’t involve kittens passing away or the last three episodes of ‘Six Feet Under.’)