The Northwest Indiana Times reported that our old Z-Meter chum Jeff Samardzija – former Notre Dame football star and a short-term Bus Leaguer before his callup to the Cubs last year – has shored up his standing with the team by appearing in the Mexican Fall League.

Samardzija was 2-0 with a 2.25 ERA in five starts with a club known as Mexicali (which makes me think of that corn with the peppers and pimentos in it), which was apparently enough to earn him a long look as a contender for the Cubs’ rotation in 2010.

“He threw well,” [Cubs GM Jim] Hendry said of Samardzija at the GM meetings Tuesday. “His command of his fastball was better. His secondary pitches were better. His command in the strike zone was better — not just throwing strikes, but location in the zone was much better. The slider got better. The (split-fingered fastball) obviously, he got back on track with a little better strike zone command of that, too.”

[Samardzija impresses Cubs' brass with play in Mexico]

This is all very interesting news, but this article never told me what I really wanted to know. Considering how much difficulty American announcers have had with Shark’s family name, it would make my day to hear the Spanish interpretation. I’m guessing something in the neighborhood of “Samaryee-yah!!!!”

Odds are, he won’t be back in Mexico any time soon, so we’ll just have to guess.

Three layers and winter gloves was no match for the bitter cold rain at Wrigley Thursday night.

Although, somehow I managed to be the last man standing on the rooftop at the Skybox on Sheffield.

For that achievement I won a covered seat on the lower deck after the second inning.

Nothing like having a clear view of Jeff Samardzija getting pounded by the Buccos!

I’ve said all year Samardzija isn’t big league ready.

He entered Thursday night’s game with an overall record of 1-3 with a 7.53 ERA.

That breaks down to an abysmal 1-1, 9.19 ERA home record, and 0-2, 6.16 ERA road record.

It’s apparent Jeff needs more minor league seasoning. Period.

I’m bothered by the situation on two fronts.

First, the Cubs’ unwillingness to let Samardzija mature at his own pace, and secondly, Jeff’s lack of progression with the big club.

Lastly, the Cubs have been too indecisive about Jeff’s role.

Is the guy a starter or a reliever?  A question I’m not sure even Samardzija himself could answer.

Tell the kid his role and let him earn the promotion come spring training.

Stop hurrying him to the North Side, if he needs more time at Iowa, give it to him.

Rushing Jeff isn’t helping the Cubs win games, and isn’t that the whole point?

2009 could be a make or break year for Weis

So far, the only success Weis has had was with Ty Willingham’s recruits for his West Coast system.  Willingham, who was run out of South Bend after only three seasons, was the coach who brought in players like Brady Quinn, Jeff Samardzija and Tom Zbikowski, who were the backbone of Irish for Weiss’ first two seasons.

So far, Clausen has been less than stellar and has spent almost as much time on his back as he has on his feet–he was sacked a team-record 34 times as a freshman (wikipedia).  Clausen rebounded a bit from a rough freshman season in 2008  with just over 3000 yards passing with 25 TD’s and 17 picks, but critics will point out that the Notre Dame schedule, which is usually among the toughest in the nation, was far from that last season, facing off against teams like San Diego St., Syracuse and Washington.

Despite a weak schedule in 2008, Weis and his troops had to beat Hawaii in the Sheraton Hawai’i  Bowl game to secure a winning record of 7-6.  Not to be outdone, the 2009 schedule may just qualify the Irish for a shot at the Indiana Class 2A State Championship…if they can squeeze by Washington St. and Washington, who won a combined two games last season.

Just how bad has it gotten for Notre Dame?  Navy is listed as a rival on Wikipedia.  Before Weis’ tenure, the Irish managed to rattle off 43 consecutive victories over the Midshipmen.  That streak came to an end in 2007’s triple overtime upset in South Bend.  Navy nearly started a winning streak of their own, but they eventually fell to the Irish in last year’s match up by a score of 27-21.

With a weak schedule and a lot of experienced juniors and seniors, Weis actually has a great opportunity to turn things around this season.  But if he falls short of a BCS bid, there is a very strong possibility that alumni and boosters could turn up the heat, or even take the pan off the stove all together.

It is no secret that many Notre Dame faithful would love to take a second run at Florida coach Urban Meyer, whose 44-9 record overshadows Charlie’s very underwhelming 29-21 mark in the same time span.

Having finished the NL East overviews, we’ll now shift to the NL Central and start with Chicago’s North Siders.

Chicago Cubs Depth Chart – mlb.com

Kevin Gregg – RH (Closer)

Carlos Marmol – RH (Set-up)

Sean Marshall – LH (Set-up)

Angel Guzman – RH (Set-up)

Aaron Heilman – RH (Mid-relief)

John Grabow – LH (Lefty specialist)

Esmailin Caridad – RH (Long-relief)

Justin Berg – RH (Long-relief)

Manager: Lou Piniella

Pitching Coach: Larry Rothschild

Bullpen Coach: Lester Strode

Overview:

The Cubs have put together a very solid and deep bullpen that lacks a blue-chip closer.  If they had one of those (and I imagine they’ll get one this off-season), they’d probably have close to the best bullpen in MLB.  Gregg, as I mentioned, is not the kind of pitcher you want to hand the ball to in the 9th during a stretch run and in the playoffs.  He’s got a 3.88 ERA and a 58-to-21 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 55 and 2/3 innings this season.  He’s certainly no Mike MacDougal, but the Cubs could do much better than Gregg.  He’s blown 5 saves in 28 opportunities to do so.  He’s pitched very badly in August, allowing 4 (!) Home Runs and posting a 7.36 ERA in 7 and 1/3 innings.  He’s blown 2 saves in that span.

Carlos Marmol looked like and pitched like the closer of the future last season, but has been super-wild this season, walking 52 batters in 55 and 2/3 innings.  He’s also hit 11 batters.  That figure leads the league (and this includes starting pitchers).  To his credit, he’s struck out 66 batters and has a 3.56 ERA, so the stuff is obviously still there.  I wonder if it’s something mechanical, because 52 walks in 55 and 2/3 is killing him.  He could be one of the best relievers in the league if his walk rate weren’t twice what it was last year.

Sean Marshall has been a fixture in the Cubs bullpen/rotation for 4 years now.  He’s only 26 years old and the Cubs probably like him as a starter better than a reliever, but he’s posted a 4.86 ERA as a starter and a 2.91 ERA as a reliever in his career.  The splits this season have been eerily similar: 5.24 ERA as a starter, 2.77 ERA as a reliever.  He’s been a late-innings lefty when he’s in the bullpen.

Aaron Heilman had been coveted by the Cubs for his entire career before they finally landed him from the Mariners (a team he never threw a single pitch for) for Ronny Cedeno and Garrett Olsen.  For the past three years, Heilman’s K/BB has been trending downward.  After posting a 3.15 K/BB in 2007, he posted a 1.74 K/BB in 2008 and the trend has continued this season, as his 48-to-31 strikeout-to-walk ratio has contributed to his pedestrian 95 ERA+.  The Cubs have to be concerned with his 2-year running 5+ walk/9 rate.  He’s 30 years old and a bad season away from being relegated to journeyman land.

Angel Guzman has been good, albeit lucky, this season.  He’s posted a 2.47 ERA and a 39-to-15 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 52 innings.  His ERA is largely a product of his .210 BABIP.  Smoke in mirrors works sometimes.  Still, he’s a serviceable low-leverage reliever.

John Grabow came over to the Cubs from the Pirates in that trade with some other guy for a guy and two other guys.  Seriously, he figures to be a big part of the Cubs bullpen down the stretch and gives them one of the best lefty specialists in the game.  Overall this season, he’s posted a 45-to-33 strikeout-to-walk ratio and a 3.06 ERA.  He’s stranded over 80% of the baserunners he’s allowed.  Specialists tend to out-pitch their peripherals.

Esmailin Caridad has experience playing in NPB, but I don’t really know anything about him.  He’s only pitched 6 and 1/3 MLB innings this season.  I’ll refer to this piece:

Last offseason the Cubs’ biggest foreign signing was Dominican-born Esmailin Caridad. Yet he wasn’t your typical teenager drafted for an insane bounty (see the A’s 2008 signing of 16 year old Michael Iona 4.25M), instead he was a 24 year old who came via the Japanese circuit. As a 18 year old, Esmailin signed on to play in Japan and worked his way through their academy system and industrial leagues (a comparable close mesh to low level minor leagues and independent baseball). In 2007, he even played briefly (2 G, 2/3 IP, 2 H, 1 BB) in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), our MLB, with the Hiroshima Carp before a loophole allowed him to sign with a MLB club. It just so happens Hendry and VP of player personnel Fleita were in the Dominican at the time of Caridad’s return and had him pitch against Cubs’ players in the Dominican Instructional League. After that Caridad signed for 175K in December and started the 2008 season for High A Daytona.

He has a career 3.92 ERA and a 193-to-83 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 277 and 2/3 minor-league innings.

Justin Berg is 25 years old and has only pitched 2 MLB innings.  He put up rather mediocre numbers throughout the minors until this year, when he posted a 2.33 ERA in 46 and 1/3 innings.  His strikeout-to-walk ratio was only 27-to-24, so there’s not much to be excited about there.  His MiLB career K/BB ratio is 321-to-246, so there’s not a load of potential there anyway.

Usage:

Gregg generally finishes games and Marmol generally pitches the 8th.  Marshall serves as a late-innings lefty specialist, though Grabow figures to take a great deal of those appearances.  Guzman is generally used in the 7th.  Heilman pitches in low-leverage situations and the final 2 members of the bullpen will most likely be used exclusively for meaningless situations.

Inactive Notables:

Carlos Zambrano – 15 day DL.  Back.  ETA August 25.

Jeff Samardzija – AAA.

Neal Cotts – AAA.

On a day with a limited baseball schedule, most of the news was focused on Johnny Gomes hitting three homers, Prince Fielder hitting  a pair – including one high off the scoreboard about 460 away in centerfield – and a number of great pitching performances, highlighted by Bronson Arroyo’s two hitter over Washington yesterday.  However,  a few other things caught my attention and might be of interest to my baseball brethren…

Speaking of Bronson Arroyo, he’s admitted to doing Andro while a member of the Red Sox (again – Boston may really have been the hub of PED usage, alongside Texas, Oakland, and New York).  Now, he talks about his own supplement usage and whether or not he thinks it really matters.  [ESPN]

Tiger Rick Porcello changed his mind – he’ll accept his five day suspension, though he really did nothing to deserve it other than plunk Kevin Youkilis.  It’s not like he SAID he would do it, like – say – Matt Garza.  [SI]

Meanwhile, Tiger slugger Miguel Cabrera’s hand is still sore, but is willing to play through the pain at the base of his left thumb – the spot where he was hit by a pitch three days ago.  [MLB]

Seattle’s Adrian Beltre doesn’t like to wear a cup.  Now he is paying for it.  A couple of nights ago, he took a grounder in the groin – stayed in the game to score the winning run in the 14th inning – but the pain never went away.  He’s got bleeding in a testicle and is on the DL while it’s being treated.  Ouch.  [SI]

Jake Peavy fanned five of the eleven batters he faced in his first rehab outing, and now the new White Sox ace needs to build up some endurance.  He’s a few weeks away from joining the rotation, which could put Chicago over the top in the AL central.  [ESPN]

Another ace making his way back?  Tim Hudson of the Braves, who had a solid four inning performance at AAA Gwinnett.  I always liked Hudson and hope his return is steady and long-term.  [MLB]

How long before Cubs pitcher Jeff Samardzija signs with the Bears?  After getting shelled by Philadelphia this week, the Cubs sent Samardzija back to AAA.  Now – the Cubs need help with none of the starters getting the job done and the bullpen being savaged lately.  Justin Berg was recalled in part to have a fresh arm in the pen. [FoxSports]

There is some good news for the Cubs though…  Cubs starter Ted Lilly had success in his minor league rehab start and proclaimed himself ready for Monday’s start…  [MLB]

FoxSports reports that the Red Sox may be interested in Red shortstop Alex Gonzalez, who played in Boston back in 2006.  Not sure how much help he will be as he’s been fighting injuries and aging for the last couple of years…  [FoxSports]

Twins starter Glen Perkins learned that his shoulder problem is a strain and will not require surgery.  [FoxSports]

Welcome Back!  Royals ace Gil Meche, who beat the Twins last night in his first start after returning from the DL.

Hurry Back!  Royals reliever Doug Waechter, who heads to the DL with a shoulder strain just days after coming off the DL.  Not a good sign.

Afterthoughts…  If you want a good read, take a look at SI’s Joe Posnanski’s article about the worst active contracts in baseball.

I don’t know what is the bigger story in the Philadelphia area.  The Phillies sweep of the Chicago Cubs or the pre-season opener of the Philadelphia Eagles?

Now, I love the start of football season as much as anybody, but at this point of time, the answer a no brainer.

After getting swept by the Florida Marlins this past weekend and opening up the NL East title race, the Phillies showed in their 3-game sweep of the Cubs why they are considered one of the most dangerous teams in Major League Baseball.

The Phillies looked awful against the Marlins. 

Really awful.

They couldn’t hit, they had no starting pitching, the bullpen struggled, and even the fielding was poor. Every indication after the series was saying that the Phillies were in line for an August swoon.

The home-field advantage of Wrigley Field couldn't even stop the Phillies in the 3-game sweep.

But for some reason, going on the road for 3-games at one of the best home field advantage sites in all of baseball, Wrigley Field, brought the best out of the 2008 World Series Champs. The Phillies, as they have done on the road all season long, came to life and played like one of the best teams in the NL.

The focal point of this resurgence was undoubtably that contributions that the bats made. That’s not to put down the performance of the pitching staff, they were great throughout the whole series. J.A Happ gutted through a performance where is stuff looked sub-par and kept the Phillies in the first game, Pedro Martinez had a solid 2009 debut, and Cliff Lee looked like the ace we’ve been accustomed to seeing in the two week since the Phillies acquired him.

However, it was the offense that finally reappeared after a two week hiatus, putting up 22 runs over the three games against the Cubs (7.3 runs a game).

That’s more like the Phillies that fans have grown to know and love.

With a combination of clutch hitting by unlikely sources (Ben Francisco), and dominate hitting by the usual suspects (Ryan Howard has 6 RBI’s in the series and Jimmy Rollins hit 2 HR’s), the Phillies showcased their potent lineup, using the Cubs inconsistent and inexperienced pitching (in the case of Jeff Samardzija) as mere examples to show the baseball world the difference between a good team and a great team.

The question is, will this just be a temporary display of success, or will the Phillies ride the confidence boost of a 3-game sweep at Wrigley towards separation from the pact to clinch another NL East title?

The Cubs better be careful with Jeff Samardzija.

It doesn’t take long for major league hitters to ruin a young kid’s confidence on the mound.

At some point, of course, you have to get Jeff’s feet wet starting, but as I’ve said all season long, this kid isn’t big league ready yet–as a starter or reliever.

It’s not that I blame Samardzija; he’s just 23-years-old.  So what if he needs another year of minor league seasoning under his belt.

The Cubs don’t seem as patient, however, bouncing Samardzija between Triple-A and the major leagues as a starter/reliever.

I think it’s a noticeable disservice to the young man. Why rush the guy to the show as a reliever when you want him to start?

Reminds me of the Reds’ mistake of jumping the gun on two bright pitching prospects in 2001: Brian Reith and Chris Reitsma.

Both pitchers were 23-year-old right-handers, both were prematurely called to the majors, and both had their confidence shattered by the end of September.

Reith started eight games finishing 0-7 with an arcade like 7.81 ERA. Reitsma managed 29 starts, but ended the campaign 7-15 with a 5.29 ERA.

At the time the thinking was the two hurlers gained boat loads of experience, despite the horrific numbers, and would prosper from it a year later.

That, obviously, didn’t happen as the mental scars never fully healed before the start of spring training.

And by the end of 2004 Reith carried a career 4-12 record and would never again pitch in the major leagues.

In Reitsma’s case, his sophomore season produced a 6-12 record. He then, however, rebounded nicely during the 2003 season, but did so as a reliever and not a starter.

Who knows what happens had the Reds let both pitchers come of age as starters in the minor leagues.

Cincinnati appeared to assume that the road to the majors didn’t matter, that haste was better than waste, and that both Reith and Reitsma would become staples in the rotation no matter how hard they got kicked around in the early years.

I think the Cubs are making the same assumptions with Samardzija, and it’s worse because he’s far more talented a pitcher than either one of the Reds’ failed prospects.

Giving Jeff the chance to start in Zambrano’s absence was a smart move, but the outing and his season as a whole has been shaky at best.

I’m not saying Samardzija has lost his confidence, but the Cubs better be careful he doesn’t.

In tonight’s game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Chicago Cubs, Pedro Martinez will make his Phillies debut. As Well, former Notre Dame receiver Jeff Samardzija will make his first career start, filling in for an ailing Carlos Zambrano. He’s pitched 52 innings over the last two seasons to the tune of a 4.15 ERA and 1.58 WHIP.

We all know Pedro’s deal: great stuff and diminishing velocity on the fastball. If he can spot his pitches, he should be successful. But I am very interested to see how the young Cubs hurler performs. He has great stuff as well: a mid-90’s fastball and good secondary pitches. His control has not been great (4.7 BB/9) but, if the Cubs are deciding to give him a start, he must be improving. And he is.

In 67.2 innings at AAA Iowa this season, he has put up a 3.72 ERA with a 1.32 WHIP. Not great, but very serviceable. Furthermore, he is averaging seven strikeouts per nine innings and has raised his SO/BB ratio to 2.65. Granted, these are minor league hitters, but he has shown that he has bettered his control: two wild pitches and three hit batters.

I’m really looking forward to this game. I could see it being a slugfest just as easily as I could see two guys throwing six solid innings apiece.

I haven’t done a series preview in the seven week existence of this blog, but after getting swept by the Florida Marlins this past weekend, superstition is telling me this could be good luck.

So, this is it. Cubs vs. Phillies. Huge three-game series. 

Here it is.

Philadelphia Phillies (61-48) vs. Chicago Cubs (58-52)

Probables:                                                                                                                              

Tuesday: J.A Happ (8-2, 2.74 E.R.A) vs. Rich Harden (7-7, 4.41 E.R.A)                                               Wednesday: Pedro Martinez (No Record) vs. Jeff Samardzija (1-1, 6.29 E.R.A)                                       Thursday: Cliff Lee (9-9, 2.95 E.R.A) vs. Ryan Dempster (6-5, 4.04 E.R.A) 

What to Expect From the Cubs:

Alphonso Soriano will be chomping at the bit to break out of a season-long slump

As the Phillies may have too MUCH starting pitching, the Cubs may have too LITTLE. That is most certainly due to the injury bug, as 2009 All-star Ted Lilly and staff ace Carlos Zambrano have landed on the disabled list for various injuries over the last two weeks and are unavailable for this series. However, with Harden going in game 1 and Dempster going in game 3, the Phillies will face two pitcher who have both been all-stars at certain points in their respective careers.

Offensively, injuries have defined the season for the Cubs. At this point of the season, all major contributors to the Chicago Cubs lineup are healthy besides Aramis Ramirez (may be placed on the D.L in the next 24 hours), who ironically was the one player who really killed Phillies pitching in a series between the two teams in late July. While mostly healthy, the Cubs have struggled at the plate, due to the season-long struggles of the usually consistent Alphonso Soriano and the 2008 NL Rookie of the Year Geovanny Soto. However, with those players still reside in the lineup, along with Derek Lee, Kouske Fukudome and company, if the Phillies pitchers decide to make a mistake in the form of a pitch down the middle of the plate, the Cubs hitters will surely take advantage of that.

Cubs Player to Watch:

This one has to be the person who is starting Game 2 of this series. The former Notre Dame All-American wide receiver decided to go the baseball route after the conclusion of his junior season. Samardzija, who has been a reliever for his year and change in the big leagues, will get his first start of his entire career on Wednesday against the Phillies.

Just a quick flashback for fans, the last time the Phillies saw Samardzija, he was walking off the mound with his head down after giving up a walk-off 3-run homerun to Jason Werth on July 25th.

Hopefuly that’s a sign of things to come.

What to Expect From the Phillies:

I would say a good series because of somewhat favorable pitching matchups, but now I’m not sure. Where has the offense gone? After scoring seven runs in J.A Happ’s complete game shutout against the Colorado Rockies, the Phillies have only average 3 runs a game in the four games since then. 

That’s not nearly enough. 

This Phillies have seen Rich Harden this year, struggling against him, as he went 7 innings on July 25th against Philadelphia, giving up just one run and striking out six. However in the final two games, the Phillies will facing a kid who will be starter for the first time in his career, and a player in Dempster that has inconsistent all season long because of nagging injuries.

Two out of three wouldn’t be bad.

Phillies Player to Watch:

This one is a no-brainer. During the second game of the series, one Phillies player who will be making his 2009 season debut.

That player will be Pedro Martinez.

After being signed on July 15th, Martinez will pitch in the big leagues after two rehab appearances in the minors, and a countless number of bullpen sessions. From what they have seen in the past four weeks, The Phillies believe that Martinez is ready to contribute at the big league level and help the Phillies towards a potential playoff push.

Only time will tell if that will be the case.

Pedro's debut is set for Wednesday night

The Cubs offense has struggled all season. Today’s loss to the Rockies highlighted the offenses horrible ability to get runners in. The offense had seventeen hits, I REPEAT SEVENTEEN HITS, and still only 5 Cubs crossed homeplate in a 12-5 loss at Coors Field. The Cubs were 5 for 19 (.263) with runners in scoring position which is quite a bit above how miserable they have actually beer this year with RISP. Even with the 5 hits with RISP the Cubs left 13 runners on base.

Dave Otto on the Cubs radio broadcast brought up the Cubs poor hitting with RISP. He was right on. The Cubs offense has the worst batting average of all MLB clubs with RISP. This team hits an anemic .229 with RISP. It’s hard to understand because it’s a lineup with many of the same players from last season. In 2008 the Cubs hit .278 in the same category and that ranked 1st in the NL and 7th in all of baseball.

The inability of this club to deliver big clutch hits has frustrated fans all season.

The other frustrating part of the season has been the injuries. There’s really nothing you can do when these things happen. The latest bad news is of course Big Z going on the DL and Aramis Ramirez having a sore shoulder. If either of these guys miss large stretches of what remains in the season it could mean the Cubs are at home watching Uncle Bud’s annual baseball tournament this fall. The real bad news for the Cubs is with Lilly out and with the Cubs pitching depth being stretched to its end we will get to see Jeff Samardzija make his first big league start (this has bad written all over it.).

The Good news Cubs fans is neither Lilly nor Zambrano will be out very long. This from ESPN 1000’s Bruce Levine:

According to baseball sources, an MRI revealed an inflammation in Carlos Zambrano’s back. With proper treatment and following the trainers’ exercise program, it is hoped Zambrano will be able to return to the rotation when he’s eligible to come off the disabled list Aug. 23.

Left-hander Ted Lilly will hopefully be available to start for the Cubs around Aug. 17. The team and Lilly had both targeted that date as a possible return. Lilly will make one rehab start in the minor leagues before his return to the Cubs.

Let’s hope that’s the case. One start by Samardzija will be enough. So the Cubs have that going for them.

They also have what looks to be the awakening of Milton Bradley on their hands. Since Bradley moved into the second slot in Piniella’s lineup he’s been on base all of the time. He was 1-2 on Friday with two walks, 2-4 yesterday with a double and 4-5 today with another double. Bradley’s batting average rose .010 points today to a respectable .266. This from a player that seemed to be stuck in the .230’s for most of the season.

White Sox

Poor Rick Porcello.  The Detroit starter was robbed, darn it.  He gave up five runs in the first two innings, and by the time he was yanked in the sixth his team had already gotten one back.  But in an unbelievable twist of fortune, Sox closer Tony Pena didn’t blow a four-run lead.  So Porcello gets the loss, even though he did nothing any worse than his other lucky-to-get-a-win-or-at-least-not-a-loss teammates who beat the South Siders the past two days.

For his second start in a row, Clayton Richard gave up one run in eight innings.  The fire is still under his ass, folks.  I don’t know if it’s the real deal or just a temporary, luck-induced surge.  If the Sox have any inclination it’s a surge, they have to trade the 25-year-old lefty immediately for more than he’s worth.  Either way, there’s no way in good conscience – or even in bad conscience – I can consider him the the Goat today.

Another youngster isn’t so lucky.  Rookie Chris Getz went 0-4, with two of his outs ending innings.  In the sixth, after Carlos Quentin – who was also 0-4 – advanced A.J. Pierzynski to third on a ground-out, Getz lined a shot right to third to end the inning and ruin a chance to extend the lead.  In the eighth, with Pierzynski on first and one out, Getz grounded into a double play.

Being up 5-1 is great, but in this series not enough.  The way the Sox were blowing late opportunities, the team had to score any way it could.  Stranding a runner on third and getting doubled up are solid methods of squandering.  And it’s Chris Getz’s fault.  He’s the Daily Goat.

Cubs

I come from the “blame pitching first” school of baseball analysis.  It’s an established fact that pitching is 80% of the game.  (Okay, not “established” so much as “made up by me right now.”)  So it saddens me when I can’t blame Rich Harden, who like Clayton Richard gave up one run (albeit in six innings), or Jeff Samardzija, who also gave up a run (and two hits in two thirds of an inning), because neither ever really put the Cubbies in any real danger of a loss.

So instead I’ll blame the fielding.  In the top of the eighth, ahead only 3-1, Angel Guzman loaded the bases with Reds with just one out.  Enter pinch-hitter Jerry Hairston, Jr., who stepped in and skied a pop-up to center, a can-of-corn fly ball that Kosuke Fukudome fielded easily.  Two out.  At third base, Edwin Encarnacion tagged up and whizzed for home plate.  Fukudome’s throw was off, not on the third-base side of the plate, and by the time catcher Koyie Hill could turn around to try the tag, Encarnacion had scored, the Reds were down only one run and there were still two baserunners.

Except the home plate ump didn’t see it that way.  He called Encarnacion out, which was fun because we got to watch Reds manager Dusty Baker come out and get all huffy.

Encarnacion wasn’t really out, though.  The replay made it obvious:  it was a blown call.  Fukudome, whose arm is supposed to be so reliable, couldn’t put the ball where it needed to go when the game was on the line.  A lucky call excuses bad play on the scoreboard, but The Daily Goat is not so forgiving.

Goat Note:  The next two days the Daily Goat will be in the hands of David Just, while I take the Illinois Bar exam.  I’ve watched David lose at poker many times, and have full confidence in his ability to place blame with others.

Cubs

Spoiler alert:  it’s Kevin Gregg.

First of all, jeers to Yahoo! Sports for publishing a box score in which the Cubs won 6-5.  It was 8-5, you morons.  Your recap even says that in the headline.

Anyway, not a lot to talk about today.  The offense was great, Randy Wells gave a solid effort and everything looked good going to the top of the ninth.  Gregg came in with a five-run lead because the Cubs scored too many runs too quickly in the eighth for Jeff Samardzija to get warm.

But it wasn’t a five-run lead for long.  Two runs scored on Willy Taveras’s two-out, bases-loaded single, and the tying run came to the freaking plate.

Yes, Gregg then finished it out.  But I don’t even have to explain this one.  Two earned runs for a closer in one inning, and going from a five-run lead to big, big trouble?  That’s Daily Goat material right there, is what that is.

White Sox

So many losers to choose from in today’s double trouble chokefest.  First it was Gordon Beckham grounding into a double play with bases loaded and no outs in the top of the ninth, the Sox trailing 5-1 in the opener.  Then it was Matt Thornton walking in the go-ahead run in the bottom of the eigth of the evening game, thanks to Scott Linebrink loading the bases in the first place.

Don’t get me wrong; other players sucked as well.  For example, Paul Konerko went 0-4 in the afternoon and 0-3 at night.  But that wasn’t what lost either game.  Beckham, Thornton and Linebrink blew it when the game was actually on the line, when a single at-bat could’ve made or broken the White Sox.  In both cases:  break.

So which was worse?  Not Beckham’s folly.  A double play was bad, but it’s not like the kid is a home run machine.  He could’ve singled; that would’ve been huge.  But by no means a guarantee of victory, or even a tie.  A single probably meant two runs, a two-run deficit with runners on the corners.  And no outs.  Doable, but the way Justin Verlander was pitching, how safe would that have felt?

No, it’s some combination of Thornton and Linebrink tonight.  Linebrink packed the bases; Thornton struck out Ryan Raburn before walking Clete Thomas and sending Placido Polanco across the plate.  So it’s neither of their faults.  And both.

Which is why tonight’s White Sox Daily Goat is Scatt Thornbrink.  The two-headed portmanteau monster cost the split, and buried the Sox two behind the Detroit friggin’ Tigers, of all teams.  They both deserve the Goat.  So they both get it.

Sort of.

White Sox

Daily Goat fan Dave e-mailed me before the end of the game, suggesting I make Alexei Ramirez the goat for blowing a 2-0 count with bases loaded to strike out and end the seventh inning.

I wish Alexei could be today’s Goat, I really do.

Bobby Jenks took the mound in the ninth to protect a 2-1 lead.  Without getting an out, he gave up two singles and hit a batter with a pitch – then walked in the tying run.  It’s sheer luck alone the Sox didn’t lose by more.

Now I get that Jenks is a pretty good closer, and that sometimes a guy’s gotta load the bases with no outs to give himself a challenge.  But this is two nights in a row now that he’s played with fans’ hearts on a string like that.

But The Goat does more than just announce each day’s recipient.  We also recognize the above-and-beyond performances of multiple Goatketeers.  Today that means a special nod to Clayton Richard, The Daily Goat’s first ever Ungoat, who allowed one earned run and generally gave the Rays fits.  Alas, if only he were at risk of losing his job every start, the team might have something.

Cubs

Less than a minute after the Sox lost, Jeff Samardzija gave up a three-run blast in the bottom of the 13th.  I haven’t watched baseball forever – just the past few years or so – but I’d be willing to bet it’s rare a team gives up a triple-RBI homer in the 13th and goes on to win.

But really, should that inning even have been necessary?  Shouldn’t somebody have, you know, scored a second run during the previous 12?  The team had five hits in 44 plate appearances.  Unacceptable.  And not Samardzija’s fault.

Unfortunately all the batters pretty much sucked equally.  But Richard “Dick” Harden sucked a little more.

True, the starter gave up only one run and four hits in seven innings.  But that one run was a homer to Jimmy Rollins, who’d only gone deep on seven previous occasions this year.

Nitpicky?  Maybe.  But not any more nitpicky than only pitching at night because you’re afraid of sunlight.  For an unnecessary homer – and for making it so Cubs fans can only see a Dick Harden at night – the starter gets the Goat.

Days like this are the worst.  How can you find a Cub who deserves the Goat?  Or a White Sox who doesn’t?

Cubs

Oy.  An eight-run game that never really seemed in doubt.  Aren’t home teams supposed to, you know, at least make things interesting?

What we had here was a visitor completely on top of its game, and a home team caught taking a siesta.  Nearly every Cub making a plate appearance scored a run.

The Cubs did everything right.  They pitched well.  They hit well.  They fielded well.  It was a complete team victory.  Everybody had some role in destroying the gNats.

So how do you pick a Daily Goat?  The guy who pitched the worst?  How?  Kevin Hart went five innings and gave up two earned runs.  Is that really worse than Jeff Samardzija, who gave up one run in three innings?  The Cubs hit so well, three earned runs feels like a World Series effort. 

And don’t get me started on the fielding.  Zero errors?  A double play?  Yawn.  Nothing to distinguish anybody there.

Granted, a couple players played exceptionally well:  Jake Fox and Alfonso Soriano, guys who aren’t exactly close to leading their team in home runs, each belted a dinger.

So who gets the Goat?  I thought about awarding it to everybody, but that’s a cop-out.  So it’s going to the team’s back-up catcher, Koyie Hill, who had no hits (but drew a walk).  That might not be bad enough on its own, but Hill left five men on base, chances where hits maybe could’ve made this more of a blowout.  Not that the game’s outcome was ever seriously in doubt.

White Sox

Oy.  An eight-run game that never really seemed in doubt.  Aren’t home teams supposed to, you know, at least make things interesting?

What we had here was a visitor completely on top of its game, and a home team caught taking a siesta.  Nearly every Oriole making a plate appearance scored a run.

The Sox did everything wrong.  They pitched poorly.  They hit poorly.  They fielded poorly.  It was a complete team loss.  Everybody had some role in getting destroyed by the Orioles.

So how do you pick a Daily Goat?  The guy who pitched the worst?  How?  Jose Contreras went four and a third innings and gave up four earned runs.  Is that really worse than Aaron Poreda, who gave up one run in zero innings?  The White Sox hit so poorly, nine total earned runs feels like a spring training effort.

And don’t get me started on the fielding.  Two errors?  A lone double play?  Yawn.  Nothing to distinguish anybody there.

Granted, a couple players played exceptionally well:  Chris Getz and Dewayne Wise, guys who aren’t exactly close to leading their team in home runs, each belted a dinger.

So who gets the Goat?  I thought about awarding it to everybody, but that’s a cop-out.  So it’s going to the team’s back-up catcher, Ramon Castro, who had no hits (but drew a walk).  That might not be bad enough on its own, but Castro was credited with both Sox errors, the absence of which maybe could’ve made this less of a blowout.  Not that the game’s outcome was ever seriously in doubt.

Hopefully this will be easier to write tomorrow.

NEWS – Cubs

Yesterday the Cubs announced they would be bringing up Jeff Samardzija to replace Jose Ascanio in the bullpen. Ascanio struck out 18 in just over 15 innings, but he also walked nine and allowed six runs.

Samardzija was with the ball club to start the season but was optioned back to the minors so he could focus on being a starter. So, in perfect Cubs fashion, they now bring him up to pitch relief, ultimately wasting half a season of development. What’s worse is that he was actually doing well as a starter in the minors. For Triple-A Iowa, Samardzija was 5-3 with a 3.72 ERA, 53 Ks and just 20 walks.

“It’s a little bit of a problem,” Piniella said. “But, look, to prove the pitches like the breaking ball and so forth, that’s why they sent Jeff down originally.”

And to develop him into a starter.

If the ultimate goal is for Samardzija to be in the rotation, which he was a candidate for back in spring training, then let him grow into that position. There are pitchers that start in the minors knowing very well they’ll be relievers once they get in the majors, and pitchers who start in the minors with the intention of being everyday starters once called up. The Cubs have given every indication that Samardzija is the latter. I’m all for doing what you can to help the ball club now, but don’t risk the future of a young, talented player by halting the progress he’s making and throwing him into a roll he’s not accustomed to nor has he trained for. It’s irresponsible and the Cubs could pay for it in the long run.

The Pittsburgh Pirates made a second deal including an outfielder today, sending Nyjer Morgan and Sean Burnett to the Washington Nationals for outfielder Lastings Milledge and reliever Joel Hanrahan. [MLB]

The Nationals get a reasonably good defensive centerfielder with some offensive skills and a middle reliever who has been successful in a not-too demanding role.  Meanwhile the Pirates get an outfielder who just doesn’t seem to be living up to the promise (or at least the hopes of promise) attached to him while in the Mets farm system three years ago.  And, they get a failed closer who throws hard, but has a flat fastball.

If you want to know what the Nationals think of Milledge, listen to the comment from Acting GM Mike Rizzo: “We have a great character guy in Morgan.  We have our centerfielder.”

Morgan has essentially a full season of games in his career (157), and has hit .286 with little power, but he draws walks and has some speed (34 steals, but 18 caught stealing).  He’s not a bad fourth outfielder and isn’t even a horrible lead off option if he can just add about 10 points to his batting average and be even more selective at the plate.

Milledge is three years younger than Morgan, so there’s room to grow, but it doesn’t look like he’s grown much since he took AA by storm, hitting .337 at Binghamton.

As for Hanrahan, he was a surprise success for Washington in 2008, with a lot of strikeouts (93 in 84.1 innings) and nine saves when he took over the closer job down the stretch.  However, this year, he sports a 7.71 ERA and has given up 50 hits in 32.2 innings.  Hopefully the change of scenery (getting away from all that losing and going to the Pirates?) will help him find what made him successful last season.

I’m not convinced that the Pirates management has any idea what it’s doing.  It left it’s best prospect in AAA at the start of the season, gave away Nate McLouth for scratch, and now unloaded a productive corner outfielder for two distant prospects at best.  Now this.  How does adding two underperforming guys help Pittsburgh?

On to Other News…

Yesterday’s post included a report about Mike Lowell receiving treatment for his infected and troublesome hip.  Today, the Red Sox placed Lowell on the 15-Day DL.  Returning to the roster is Jeff Bailey, a very good first baseman and hitter, which means Kevin Youkilis will be playing more third base in the near future. [ESPN]

FoxSports reporter Ken Rosenthal reports that the Diamondbacks turned down the Angel’s trade offer for Dan Haren. [FoxSports]

Grady Sizemore’s left elbow may require surgery in the offseason to address the synovitis that causes an inflammation of the joint lining.  As Sizemore has already lost three weeks to the season, the goal is to keep him healthy enough not to miss many more games down the stretch. [SI]

ESPN’s rumor mill includes a note about Brandon Webb likely facing surgery to repair a torn labrum – per a report coming from the Arizona Republic. [ESPN]

Texas Centerfielder Josh Hamilton feels great in his rehab assignment and hopes to join the parent club this weekend.  Even if he returns, Hamilton will not participate in the All-Star Game’s Home Run Derby. [ESPN]

Cardinal Centerfielder Colby Rasmus has missed a few games suffering from a hiatal hernia.  The slumping rookie decided to check out stomach pains and, other than late night feedings contributing to some of the problem, the hernia was discovered.  He hopes to play this week. [SI]

With the Phillies losing Antonio Bastardo to the DL with a strained shoulder, Sergio Escalona gets the call from AAA Lehigh Valley.  Escalona has been with the club on and off this season with moderate success.  He had a solid 2008 in A and AA, turning out strikeouts but still walking a few guys.  He must have a live arm because the Phillies have constantly tried to move the guy up the ladder without having sustained success for long periods of time.  Not that he’s been horrible – it’s just hard to get a reading on a guy when he only pitches in a few games before he moves on.  Anyway – he might get a baseball card, and if he does, you won’t get much money on Ebay for it. [FoxSports]

Welcome Back!

Chad Tracy returns to Arizona after missing a month with a strained oblique.  [SI]

Former Notre Dame Wide Receiver Jeff Samardzija returns to the Cubs, replacing Jose Ascanio who was sent to AAA Iowa.  Though Samardzija was a starter at Iowa, he’ll likely spend more time in the Cubs bullpen. [MLB]

He won’t be back soon, but injured Reds starter Edinson Volquez was cleared to begin throwing.  According to reports, he’ll literally be starting from scratch. [MLB]

I see the Astros brought Mike Hampton off the DL today.  He’ll be back soon…

With Adrian Beltre heading to the DL for shoulder surgery, former Braves farmhand Ryan Langerhans gets a trip to the Mariners.