Game 8 Preview – CUBS @ Pirates

CUBS (4-3) @ Pirates (3-4)

Wed., April 9, 2008, 6:05 p.m. CT
TV: CSN+ (For most viewers, this is CLTV, but check local listings)
Radio: WGN 720 AM

Probables:
CUBS: Ryan Dempster, RHP (1-0, 1.50 ERA)
Pittsburgh: Zach Duke, LHP (0-0, 3.18 ERA)

Preview:
It’s so far, so good for closer-turned-starter Ryan Dempster. The Canadian righty, who will start tonight, had his a-game in his first start since 2005 when he threw six strong innings, allowed one earned run, and picked up the win last Thursday against the Brewers. The Bucs will counter with southpaw Zach Duke. Duke has been good throughout his career against the Cubs. Over the last three years, Duke is 4-2 against the Northsiders with a 2.10 ERA.

The Cubs will try to win their fourth-in-a row Wednesday night in a game that hopefully won’t last as long as Monday’s five-hour, 12 inning fiasco in Pittsburgh. Despite Monday’s extremely long game, both teams should be rested as Tuesday was an off day.

First baseman Derrek Lee (.400 BA; 8-for-20 against Duke) and right fielder Koskue Fukudome (.458 BA, 6 RBI) will try to continue their hot starts while third baseman Aramis Ramirez and left fielder Alfonso Soriano will try to break out of their mini-slumps.

Injury News:
-Reliever Scott Eyre remains on the 15-day disabled list with elbow pain.
-Shortstop Ryan Theriot is listed as day-to-day by ESPN with a tender wrist.
-Second baseman Mike Fontenot is also listed as day-to-day by ESPN as he battles back issues.

Lineup News:
The Chicago Tribune reports that manager Lou Piniella considered moving Fukudome from fifth to second in the order for tonight’s game, but after the new right fielder went 3-for-4 with a walk on Monday, Piniella says he’ll keep Fukudome in the fifth spot tonight.

Story

Start up the bus:
It looks like it’s time to start the shuttle between Des Moines and Chicago again. The Tribune’s Paul Sullivan reports that Sean Marshall has been moved from the club’s Triple-A Affiliate, the Iowa Cubs, to the majors to replace reliever Carmen Pignatiello who has struggled mightily thus far. Pignatiello has pitched 2.2 innings of relief this season, with a 13.50 ERA. On Monday, he walked two batters on eight straight balls before being lifted.

Marshall, who spent considerable time on the major league roster last year, was 1-1 with a 3.68 ERA in Spring Training.

Left-handed relievers Neal Cotts and Les Walrond are also on the Iowa Cubs.

Story

Weather:
Weather.com says the game-time temperature should be in the mid-60s under cloudy skies. There is a 30-percent chance of thunderstorms tonight in Pittsburgh.

ESPN Preview

MLB Preview

Cubby Corner – April 9

No CC yesterday, even though it was an off-day, so we’ll do one today.

Forgive and forget: Billy Buck gets his day

I guess the Red Sox’s two World Series rings in the past four years made it easier to forgive poor Bill Buckner.

For those of you who may not know, Bucker was the Red Sox first baseman who famously – or infamously – was blamed for single-handedly losing the 1986 World Series for the Sox. With two out in the bottom of the 10th inning of Game 6 of the 1986 World Series, Mets outfielder Mookie Wilson hit a routine ground ball to first. Bucker should have fielded the ball cleanly and made the out, giving the Red Sox their first World Series Championship since 1918, but the ball rolled under Bucker’s glove into shallow right field. Ray Knight scored the winning run for the Mets on the play, and the Red Sox would go on to lose Series in seven games.

Buckner, who was an outstanding first baseman for the Cubs for the better part of seven seasons between 1977 and 1984, threw out the first pitch Tuesday at Fenway Park (right) as the Crimson Hose opened their home season against the Tigers. (The Red Sox would go on to drop the Tigers 5-0, extending the misery of the Tigers, a team that was the odds-on favorite to win the World Series just two weeks ago.) Bucker, who was on the ballot for league MVP in 1978 and 1980-82, was named to 1982 All-Star team as a Cub. I think I speak for everyone at CS when I say: WAY TO GO BILL! It’s nice to see him get a second chance. I never thought that one bad play should have marred an otherwise impressive career anyways.

If the Cubs (knock-on-wood, fingers crossed) can win the Series in the near-future, does that mean infamous Cubs fan Steve Bartman will throw out the first pitch at Opening Day the year after they win?

Chicago Tribune story

(Image courtesy of Chicago Tribune/Charles Krupa/AP/April 8, 2008)

Dude man, I want it more!

Former Cubs manager, Dusty “Dude Man” Baker (who has been so nicknamed because that was his favorite phrase when he was the Cubs skipper), who is in his first year managing the division-rival Reds (Baker spent some time as a commentator at ESPN following his time with the Cubs; I can’t imagine they were thrilled about his vocabulary or linguistic ability) said he wanted one more shot with the Cubs, but the team wouldn’t give it to him. Baker, who was fired following a dismal 2006 season, told Melissa Isaacson of the Chicago Tribune that he asked Cubs general manager Jim Hendry for a one-year extension following the 2006 season, because “there were some circumstances that were way out of my control at the end.”  I wonder if the circumstances he was referring to was the fact that his black and Latin players didn’t preform well until the weather warmed up, as he contended (to a wave of controversy), while managing the Cubs.

Dude man, get over it!

Chicago Tribune story

Please stand by

Seems that we at CubbySwagger aren’t the only ones experiencing technical difficulties of late.  On Monday’s WGN-TV broadcast, there were some glaring technical miscues -perhaps to match the pitching and defensive mistakes on the field- during the broadcast:

1. The audio during the pregame segments, was spotty at best;
2. There was entirely no audio for about 42 minutes during the third and fourth innings;
3. A shot from the CW show “Gossip Girl” replaced the live at-bat of Doug Mientkiewicz, for about one second.

In related news, I think the CS staff has a new nickname for Mientkiewicz.

Chicago Tribune story

(Image courtesy of  http://www.wxyc.org/blog/uploaded_images/please_stand_by.jpg)