Welcome back, Mr. Dempster.
Ryan didn’t pitch much today – just five innings – but he was effective, allowing just four hits, and striking out four, all while taking his scoreless inning streak up to 27 innings. He was on a pretty strict pitch limit, so the five innings aren’t really an issue. The many, many teams watching were undoubtedly pleased. I hope the Cubs send you to a winner, Ryan.
The Cubs’ offense stepped up with two big innings, capped by a three-run bomb from Starlin Castro. It’s a nice end to an otherwise very ugly first half of the year for the Cubs.
Paul Maholm got a rare relief appearance – the first of his career, in fact – as a tune up before the break.