The Cubs head to St. Louis to take on the Central-leading Cardinals for two games. That means a sweep is totally possible, in either direction, and all the positive/negative connotations that accompany “a sweep.” I’d take a split.
Ryan Dempster goes tonight for the Cubs, so it’s fair to expect a 1-0 game in the Cardinals’ favor (with that one run coming in the 8th or 9th, after Dempster’s left the game). I kid. Mostly. Hopefully.
Tonight’s game is on ESPN, which means we should all be watching. Hopefully the Cubs can embarrass the Cardinals. That would be neato.
I really hate the Cardinals, by the way. They are sitting their best hitter tonight – Carlos Beltran – and their lineup still looks stacked.
Game Info
Chicago Cubs (14-20) at St. Louis Cardinals (20-14), 6:05pm CT on ESPN, WCIU.
Game Thread and Series Preview
The Game Thread lives here. You should participate in the madness. And, of course, for those who aren’t into message board-style game threads, please feel free to use the comments on this post for your in-game commentary/outbursts.
The Series Preview for this series lives here.
Starting Pitchers
Ryan Dempster (0-1, 1.02 ERA, 2.16 FIP)
versus
Jake Westbrook (4-2, 1.76 ERA, 2.79 FIP)
St. Louis Cardinals Lineup
1. Rafael Furcal, SS
2. Jon Jay, CF
3. Matt Holliday, LF
4. Allen Craig, RF
5. Lance Berkman, 1B
6. David Freese, 3B
7. Yadier Molina, C
8. Skip Schumaker, 2B
9. Jake Westbrook, P
Chicago Cubs Lineup
1. David DeJesus, RF
2. Tony Campana, CF
3. Starlin Castro, SS
4. Bryan LaHair, 1B
5. Alfonso Soriano, LF
6. Ian Stewart, 3B
7. Geovany Soto,C
8. Darwin Barney, 2B
9. Ryan Dempster, P
Bah! They don’t scare me!
Castro is a jerkoff wanna be out ptangin
Soriano is a putzeke
Schwaim is a goof
Theo is a nerdo
Cubs suck
Who the heck is Schwaim, genius?
Mom! Is that you?
I so despise the Cardinals. Have I said that enough? No. It can never be said enough. Yeah, I’d be thrilled with a split.
Hate ‘em, hate ‘em, hate ‘em. And I work in St. Louis 2 blocks from the stadium, so I have to see the mulleted multitudes en masse 81 times a year.
i think itd be worth a pay cut to not have to see that. id rather be a janitor at thomson correctional than have to go through that man. sorry pete, be strong.
“the mulleted multitudes”
Gotta love it.
A boy bull and a daddy bull are sitting on a hill, and there’s a herd of cows grazing down in the field.
The boy bull looks up and says “Hey dad, why don’t we run down there and f#@%^ one of them cows?”
The daddy bull looks down and says, “No son… lets walk down… and #$&^% them all”
Creedo of the Cubs-Cards rivalry.
Can Cardenas get a start at second base please????
They haven’t really started him so far this year at second, have they?
Calicub–one start and a goofed up double play. But stats aside, he does look like a hitter.
Ahhhh Campana 2nd again…
What do you guys think about this :
We all know Castro is an agressive hitter and it’s frustrating that he’s even more agressive when Campana is on……I’m starting to think that Castro doesn’t want Campana to catch up to him in SBs. Castro gets noticeably upset when an outfielder or Stewart wave him off for a pop up so with him being so young I feel like this might be the case when Campana gets on.
Better chance seeing him in left to spell Sorri.
Cubbies gonna win both!
I try to be really optimistic
Let’s go Cubs!! Please, please kick the Cards’ ass!!!!
That sneaky ass LaRussa hides in the clubhouse and is making the double switches.
Who knows? Maybe he hides there and relays to Matheny via radio to make a the double switch. The Cards’ conspiracy. Weirder things have happened in baseball.
Oh, man, the Cardinals make me so damn angry. Deferring to Ace’s front page sensibilities, please head to the appropriate Message Board thread in which I will continue waxing poetic about the Cardinals while using colorful metaphors.
That color would be mostly blue.
I know I’ve said it before, but how sweet would that picture be if about a mile past that stupid arch, just across the River, was a 2,000 foot tall statue of someone in a Cubs jersey playing croquet? Just think of how that would change the stadium experience for Cardinal fans.
That’s a great idea that undoubtedly would give rise to one of the most awesome lawsuits of all time.
David Kaplan just proposed a Soriano for Josh Beckett trade. Thoughts?
I see no reason the Red Sox would want Soriano, and I see very few reasons the Cubs would want Beckett.
Use your imagination!
The more I hear Kaplan speak the more I want to ignore him.
I got a trade for ya. Kaplan for Edes straight up.
Kaplan is an idiot.
Pass. Please tell me thats a joke. Trade one overrated “talent” for another? Pass.
well, lol. Boston needs pitching not a 250 single hitting DH.
At the game. Bet on a 4-1 Cubs win
how much?
Attention people of Chicago: Ian Stewart has re-crossed the Mendoza Line.
Got to know Mendoza when he managed a double a team . Interesting fellow . Giant organization
Kyle silently weeps.
..and Mendoza takes his revenge…
I know this is the big league thread but this is post worthy. Junior Lake in game 1 of the Smokie’s double header was 2 for 2 with 3 BB’s and a HR. Yes you read that right 3 BB’s! Also had a stolen base and scored 4 times.
Thanks Jeremy. He played very well in Arz Fall League–batted third daily–fit in well with the super stars such as Bryce Harper etc. Defense was not an issue either. We need him at Wrigley someday.
Which is all awesome (and he’s 1-1 in Game Two already), but, to be fair, the entire Smokies’ lineup was killing it. I’m thinking it was some crummy pitching playing a part.
No doubt.
Lake deserves some credit for not flailing at pitches out of the zone and taking advantage of pitches he can hammer. Those are positive signs, but nothing earth shaking.
At least, not yet.
Still its a good sign that he currently has more walks then K’s right now. He is really showing some patience at the plate.
our top 4 matches up nicely with any other team…but need to work on the lower half to win more often…Switch Soriano and whoever is catching perhaps?
I would say Clevenger, but he is still injured and we have no clue what he will play like after a relatively serious injury. Then one might say Castillo, but he is still really really green. Maybe if we trade Garza to Toronto, we could get Travis D’Arnaud (is that his name?) in the deal. As much as I would love to not have to see Swingin Soriano whiff on 85-90 mph dirtballs, there is no point benching a multimillion dollar player.
Brett: can this site have an official god or goddess of BABiP? I’m thinking Shiva or something….
Can you explain the BABiP equation to me? Math isn’t my strong suit.
(Hits – HR) / (AB – HR -K). In other words, batted balls that could have been turned into outs. Singles are the single most common hit, and those have by far the biggest “luck” factor.
The problem with this is that it treats hits as coin flips. Really, it should be treated as a weighted die with 4 sides: out, single, double or triple, HR. That is for another day!
If yo’re thinking about a god or goddess wasn’t Shiva one of destruction? Actually in Hindu theology Shiva was the destroyer. How about Sol?
Good one, but I was always more a fan of the Conan the Destroyer: – “Dah! I live for the crushing of my enemies, the lamintations of the women and some other heavily accented Austrian nonsense! DAH!”
Yeah, Shiva is destruction: but it seems like balls just falling in or just getting caught are death on either the pitcher or batter. Maybe Loki would be more appropriate. I like Ganesh, too: doesn’t Apu keep Ganesh at the Qwik Emart?
What I said!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sETSR-d-gTM
Ganesh: the god of luck
Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of good fortune.
El Pelo strikes again!
El Pelo en mi pantalones!
I love LaHair. Perfect time for that homer.
Yep, he needed that. Good job Lahair!
There goes Dumpster, give him 4 runs and cant hold it. Dont go crying about your lack of support. The guy is a sham. Hold the 4 run lead dude.
This is the first time he’s gotten 4 runs and its also the first he’s aloud more than 3 runs all season, he has the best ERA in the majors and still no wins, that is the definition of lack of run support, you cant expect him to be perfect all the time. Next time use your brain dude.
So what you are saying is all he does not win games. If a pitcher of his ilk is up 4-0. I expect a victory. Stop making excuses for the guy because he does a ton for charity and also does a hacky Harry Caray impression.
HE HAS THE LOWEST ERA IN BASEBALL!!! First time he’s given up more than 3 runs, that stuff happens, especially when you are playing against a team that scores the most multi-run innings in baseball. You have got to be a troll because there is no one that understands baseball that can be this fucking stupid.
Easy, Action.
My bad, but can you believe this guy?
I know. I already did a public mea culpa this season for every time in the past that I called Dempster “Dumpster.” And I don’t intend to turn on him now. He has pitched brilliantly and has helped rescue this Cubs season from potential nightmarishness. For that, he deserves some respect and gratitude.
LaRussa spotted in tunnel managing this game.
What are you his agent? I wouldnt be calling people stupid if I spelled allowed like this (aloud).
That has nothing to do with the fact that you know nothing about baseball.
Ladies! Please, leave it at the salon.
And don’t call someone out on their spelling when you yourself can’t handle putting an apostrophe in “wouldn’t”
what was that call
That bunt with Castro? Maybe Quade took over Dale’s brain for a second.