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An unhappy Robin Ventura speaks to the press after today’s 8-3 loss.
After an RBI single by Adam Dunn and a two-run homer by Paul Konerko within the first three innings, it looked like the White Sox would be in good shape with a 3-0 lead. Unfortunately it was all the Sox could come up with as Dunn would finish the game with a fly out and two walks. While Konerko would finish with two strikeouts, and the Sox would only get two base runners for the remainder of the game.
Tampa Bay on the other hand got plenty of production from their lineup. The top five hitters in their batting order finished the game hitting a combined 6-for-12 with 5 RBI’s, and putting Sox pitchers Dylan Axelrod and Nate Jones out of their misery. Not helping matters was the Sox pitching staff as a whole walking six batters, combined with a crucial fielding error by Alex Rios in the top of the eighth inning.
The White Sox as a team today finished the game batting 6-for-26 with 12 strikeouts and stranding five base runners. The Rays as a team went 10-for-35 with two home runs, and with six of their eight total runs coming in the last four innings. Despite a six inning, three run, and three strikeout game by Dylan Axelrod, Nate Jones wound up taking the loss for the White Sox when he gave up three runs with game tied at three in the top of the sixth inning.
Being down 6-3 in the eighth inning is still a reasonable deficit. Especially when Matt Thornton and Jesse Crain relieved Jones and didn’t allow a single base runner in between them. But with the Sox offense going 0-for-5 in the final two innings, and with the Rays able to get two more insurance runs in the top of the ninth off of Sox reliever Duente Heath, this one was pretty much over.
The 22,677 fans started leaving U.S. Cellular Field after Heath had given up those runs with nobody out. Overall it was just another bad day at the office for the South Siders. After the game a frustrated Robin Ventura told the media “We had it early on but we let it get away from us. We stopped hitting, and it eventually caught up to our pitching staff.”
When asked if the string of injuries on this roster have played a part in the teams recent slump Ventura said, “Injuries are gonna happen. We can’t worry about who’s not here. We can only worry about who’s here and who’s available and that is what we have to work with.” It must be noted that the White Sox do have some good news on the injury front in the case of pitcher John Danks.
It was announced that Danks would make his first rehab start of 2013 on May 2nd for the White Sox AA team the Birmingham Barons. However, there is still no timetable as to when Danks will return to the Sox rotation. But for the moment, the White Sox have now lost back-to-back games and are 3-6 in their last nine. They are currently being outscored 31-24 in this stretch.
It only continues to get difficult as the Sox will hit the road for an eight game road trip in which they’ll pay visits to the Rangers, Royals, and the Mets before returning home to begin a three game set with Anaheim on May 10th. Here is the box score from today’s game:
For sports anytime you can always follow me on Twitter @GabeSalgado82 #Q101Sports
There was some rain that moved through the Chicago area earlier this morning but it looks like we will get the game in today. The White Sox are wrapping up their four game series with the Tampa Bay Rays this afternoon. The Sox have been on an up and down roller coaster lately as they are 3-5 in their last eight games.
Overall the “Good Guys” are 10-13 on the season and they currently sit fourth in the American League Central Division. They are 3.5 games behind the first place Kansas City Royals. The reason for this unbalanced season is their lack of offense at times. During this eight game stretch the Sox have been outscored 23-21.
Adam Dunn has struggled at the plate this year as he is only batting .134 with just five home runs and 10 runs batted in. He has also struck out 30 times in 2013. Paul Konerko has also had his rough patches as he is only hitting .232 with three home runs, 12 RBI’s, and just a .229 on base percentage.
Other players have also had tough times in the batters box including Tyler Flowers, Jeff Keppinger, and Alejandro De Aza. The lack of hitting at times has put a great deal of stress on this White Sox pitching staff. Another issue that has been a thorn in the side of the South Siders is injuries.
Second baseman Gordan Beckham is still out with a wrist injury, outfielder Dayan Viciedo is out with an oblique strain, infielder Jeff Keppinger is day-to-day with back spasms, and it was just announced within the last couple of hours that pitcher Gavin Floyd is going on the 15-day disabled list because of a strain in his right flexor muscle.
The White Sox are the walking wounded at the moment and they are depending on some younger players to fill those voids in the meantime. As for the Rays, they are 11-13 this year. But they did manage to snap the White Sox three-game winning streak last night. The 10-4 victory gives them the chance to even up the series at two games a piece today.
Evan Longoria, James Loney, and Ben Zobrist have been the big pieces to the Rays offense this season. They combined for five RBI’s and five scored runs in last night’s victory. Manager Joe Maddon will be leaning on these three men again today. Both teams will have a chance for success this afternoon as they will be sending winless pitchers to the mound when the game starts just after 1pm.
Dylan Axelrod will get the nod for the Sox as he is 0-1 on the year with a 3.80 earned run average. The Rays will counter with David Price who is 0-2 with a 5.52 ERA. If the Sox can score some runs and take advantage of a lackluster pitcher in Price they can be successful today.
Here are today’s starting lineups:
Tampa Bay:
1. CF #8 Desmond Jennings
2. RF #20 Matt Joyce
3. SS #17 Ben Zobrist
4. 3B #3 Evan Longoria
5. 1B #21 James Loney
6. 2B #19 Ryan Roberts
7. DH #2 Kelly Johnson
8. C #59 Jose Lobaton
9. LF #1 Sean Rodriguez
Pitcher: #14 David Price LHP
White Sox:
1. LF #30 Alejandro De Aza
2. 2B #1 Tyler Greene
3. RF #51 Alex Rios
4. DH #14 Paul Konerko
5. 1B #32 Adam Dunn
6. SS #10 Alexei Ramirez
7. 3B #12 Conor Gillaspie
8. C #21 Tyler Flowers
9. CF #28 Dewayne Wise
Pitcher: #33 Dylan Axelrod RHP
This game will be decided by who can score the most runs. You can get game updates from me on Twitter @GabeSalgado82 #Q101Sports
It was a busy Friday night for both of Chicago’s professional football teams. The Rush were looking to continue their winning streak while the Bears were bringing in talent for the future…..
The Rush made their way to corn country on Friday night as they took a trip to Des Moines to take on the Iowa Barnstormers. The Rush lost to the Barnstormers in their season opener back on March 23rd. After looking to Spokane a week later, the Rush went on a three-game winning streak.
As they made their way into Iowa, first place in the AFL Central Division was on the line. This game would push both teams to the limits as it took overtime to settle this one. It looked Week 1 was repeating itself early on as the Barnstormers quickly jumped out to a 13-0 lead.
The Rush offense struggled in the opening moments of this game. But some how, some way, the flame lit underneath Carson Coffman as he would lead the Rush on a 21-0 run in the next 12 minutes and 30 seconds. With the Rush leading 21-13, Iowa would battle back. Barstormers quarterback J.J. Raterink led his team to two scoring drives.
The Rush took a narrow 28-26 lead at the break. The second half was back and forth all the way until the very last second. Rush kicker Jose Martinez attempted a game-winning field goal but a bad snap put an an end to any game ending heroics. They ended regulation all tied up at 56.
In the overtime period Iowa struck first after Raterink found Barnstormers wide receiver Marcus Harris to take a 63-56 lead at the start of OT. The Rush would win the game on their only possession of the extra frame as quarterback Carson Coffman marched his team down the field, leading to a Kelvin Morris touchdown run.
The Rush elected to gamble and go for a two-point conversion as opposed to kicking the extra point. The gamble paid off as Coffman found receiver Jared Jenkins in the back of the end zone to walk out of Des Moines with the 64-63 victory. The Rush are now 4-2 on the season and they increase their winning streak to four games.
They are in control of their own destiny as they are still on top of the Central Division. The Rush also improve to 3-0 on the road which equals their away game victory total from last season. Hopefully the Rush can keep up these type of performances. Carson Coffman had another solid effort by completing 23-of-36 passes for 354 yards and seven touchdowns.
“Big Play” Reggie Gray led all Rush receivers by catching 12 of Coffman’s 23 passes for 234 yards and six touchdowns. Rush defensive back Jorrick Calvin was the leading tackler with 12.5. The Rush will return home on Saturday May 4th to welcome the Philadelphia Soul to Allstate Arena, yours truly will be in attendance.
As for the Bears, the NFL Draft has kept them very busy over the last couple of days. It all started on Thursday night. They had the 20th pick overall as the first round opened up things in New York City. There were many mock draft predictions as well as rumors that the Monsters of the Midway would trade that pick.
Instead they used it to draft Oregon guard Kyle Long. Many were hoping that the Bears would have taken a more notable lineman or perhaps a tight end or a defensive player. Kyle Long is the son of NFL Hall of Fame defensive end Howie Long and the younger brother of St. Louis Rams defensive end Chris Long.
Despite the family name and the pedigree, Long isn’t exactly your top notch prospect. At 6’6″ and 313 pounds, Long only started four games as a member of the Oregon Ducks in 2012. Before attending Oregon, Long played at a community college for two years with most of his games as a defensive lineman just like his father and brother.
He moved to offensive line in 2011 and then transferred to Oregon. Speed is a concern for Long among other things, so the Bears coaching staff will have their work cut out for them. While the Rush were handling business in Iowa on Friday night, the 2013 NFL Draft resumed.
In the second round the Bears had the 18th pick {50th overall), and decided to go defense this time around. They drafted Florida middle linebacker Jon Bostic. A vicious defender who was one of the best defenders in the Southeast Conference in 2012. He was named second team all SEC last year.
But despite his strength, credentials, and physical presence, speed can be an issue with him at times. But the Bears will bring him in and he’s expected to compete with D.J. Williams for the starting middle linebacker position that was vacated by Brian Urlacher back in March.
The Bears did not have a third round pick on Friday thanks to the Brandon Marshall trade, but here are their remaining picks:
4th Round: #20/117th overall
5th Round: #20/153rd overall
6th Round: #20/188th overall
The Bears do not have a 7th round choice this year. With three picks left, the Bears are expected to possibly draft another offensive lineman, another defensive player, perhaps a tight end, or maybe even a backup quarterback. When the clock strikes 11am on Saturday morning we will have our answers.
This Sunday afternoon I will be at U.S. Cellular Field covering the White Sox game as they will take on the the Tampa Bay Rays. First pitch is scheduled for 1:10pm. For sports anytime you can always follow me on Twitter @GabeSalgado82 #Q101Sports
Last night the Rush did the impossible as they went into Salt Lake City and walked out with a victory. Something that they failed to do against the Utah Blaze last year. The Rush who only won three road games all of last season have already won two this year. And in the process they have now won three in-a-row after starting the season with back-to-back home losses.
The game was a back and forth affair for pretty much the whole night. Both teams were tied at 28 at halftime, and when the second half began these two conference rivals continued to score at will. It seemed like defense on both sides would be left out in the cold. Especially when the Rush had a 56-48 lead with 2:57 remaining.
The Blaze managed to tie the game with a touchdown and a two-point conversion. Utah would try to take the lead on their next possession, but a big interception by Rush defensive back Jorrick Calvin would stop the Blaze momentum. Bob McMillen’s group would win the game with a last second field goal from kicker Jose Martinez. The Rush would be triumphant with a 59-56 victory.
Aside from Calvin’s interception, Rush linebacker Kelvin Morris had a pick as well. It was Calvin’s second INT of the season while Morris picked up his first. The Rush now have seven interceptions on the season all within the last few weeks. The Rush failed to grab any during the first two weeks of the season.
Defensive lineman Brian McNally and linebacker Tyus Jackson had a half sack each. The Rush now have four total sacks on the season, a category they also struggled in at the beginning of the season. The Rush defense continues to improve on a week to week basis. In the last two weeks the Rush have only allowed 70 points compared to the 139 total points they allowed in the first two weeks.
Of course we can’t forget about the offense as the Rush were once again in the drivers seat. Carson Coffman completed 22-of-37 passes for 275 yards and 5 touchdowns. Two of those touchdown passes went to “Big Play” Reggie Gray, he now has 12 touchdown catches on the season.
Rodney Wright also had two touchdown receptions as well giving him eight on the year. The other scoring catch went to receiver Jared Jenkins. The running game also continues to have a presence as fullback J.J. Payne had yet another touchdown run, he now has 5 scores and 47 yards on the 2013 campaign.
Credit must also be given to the offensive line as they only gave up one sack this week. The Rush now sport a record of 3 wins and 2 losses and they still hold first place in the Central Division. First place will be on the line this Friday when the Rush travel to Iowa to take on the Barnstormers one more time.
Iowa pulled off the upset over the Rush on opening night and will be looking to do so again. With the top spot in the division at stake this game has a little more meaning. For all things sports you can follow me on Twitter @GabeSalgado82 #Q101Sports
Even though the college basketball season has been over for three weeks now, there is still some activity amongst some of Chicago’s men’s basketball programs. Here is the latest…..
The Loyola Ramblers announced recently that they will be joining the Missouri Valley Conference on July 1st of this year. They will essentially be replacing Creighton who joined DePaul and “The Catholic Seven” in what will be the new version of the Big East next season. Loyola was a core member of the Horizon League since it joined in 1994 when it was known as the Midwestern Collegiate Conference.
They played in the Summit League before that which was known back then as the Mid-Continent Conference. Over the years they formed a fierce rivalry with UIC as well as other Chicago schools, most notably DePaul and Chicago State. With Porter Moser trying to bring Loyola back to it’s winning ways of the past, perhaps a change of scenery will be the the boost that this program needs.
It’ll be interesting to see Loyola create new rivalries with Illinois State, Bradley, and Southern Illinois. It is a brand new day for basketball in Rogers Park.
Speaking of Loyola’s former rival UIC, the Flames athletic department announced yesterday that head coach Howard Moore has been given a three-year contract extension. The deal still needs approval from the UIC Board of Trustees, but that shouldn’t be a problem. Especially since Coach Moore led his Flames to accomplish quite a bit this past season.
In 2013, the UIC Flames made it to the postseason for the first time since 2004 and won their first postseason game in school history. They defeated Chicago State in the first round of the College Insider Tournament back in March. Moore has also done a solid job of recruiting local players which were a major asset to the teams success this year.
This extension will keep Moore at Harrison and Racine through the 2017-2018 season. Of course we couldn’t leave you without talking about the DePaul Blue Demons…..
Last week, four players decided to transfer other schools. This week, it looks like those four spots have been filled with the announcement of some new recruits. The biggest recruit so far has been shooting guard R.J. Curington. The 6’5″ Curington is originally from Chicago but played his high school ball at the legendary Oak Hill Academy in Virginia.
Oak Hill is the home for NBA alumni such as Carmelo Anthony, Michael Beasley, and Jerry Stackhouse just to name a few. Hopefully Curington will be the next NBA star to come out of Oak Hill. Joining Curington will be Morgan Park guard Billy Garrett Jr., and junior college transfer forwards Forrest Robinson and Greg Sequele.
Earlier this week I was once again on the “Cooley and Chivari Show” on Sportstownchicago.com. Starting on Monday, the show will air from 6pm-8pm moving from it’s former 12pm-2pm time slot. You can hear my interview here:
This Friday night I will be coming to you from U.S. Celluar Field on the South Side as the White Sox return home to face the Minnesota Twins. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05pm and you can follow on Twitter for game updates @GabeSalgado82 #Q101Sports
We here at Q101 send our prayers, thoughts, and condolences to the victims in Boston.
Pittsburgh started the second half on a positive note as they scored on the opening drive of the half in just two plays. Power quarterback Jordan Jefferson started off with a big 32-yard run after escaping the Rush defense and took the ball down to the 3-yard line. Power fullback Kirby Griffin would punch in it on the very next play to cut the Rush’s lead to 14-7.
When the Rush took the field on their first second half possession, Carson Coffman was on the field and he made an immediate impact. It turns out he had a dislocated finger on his throwing hand, thus the reason why he didn’t start the game. But after the dismal offensive performance in the first half, Coach McMillen decided to risk it.
Coffman didn’t disappoint as the Rush would score in five plays capped off by a 4-yard J.J. Payne run. This gave the Rush a 21-7 lead. The Rush would force Pittsburgh to turn the ball over on downs and get the ball back at the Pittsburgh 12-yard line. But Carson Coffman would throw three straight incomplete passes forcing the Rush to kick a field goal.
Jose Martinez would convert and the Rush took at 24-7 lead. The Power would get a score in just before the third quarter ended. Jordan Jefferson found his favorite target Mike Washington from nine yards out and the Power cut the Rush’s lead to 10. It was 24-14 after three. Reggie Gray would finally reach the end zone when the Rush started the 4th quarter.
He caught a a 33-yard bomb from Coffman and the Rush took at 31-14 lead at that point. When the Rush went back on defense they would once again stop the Power on 4th down to get the ball back. Rodney Wright would score two plays later for his first touchdown catch of the game. J.J. Payne would follow it up a few possessions later with another 4-yard touchdown run. The Rush would lead 45-14 at the one minute warning.
The Rush defense would do the rest and they would stop the Power offense once again and would walk off the Allstate Arena floor with the 45-14 victory. The Rush defense reached a milestone as 14 points is the second lowest point total allowed in team history. The all-time record is 13 points.
Bob McMillen’s squad limited the Power to just 1-5 on fourth down conversions, forced two turnovers and got a couple sacks in the process. Carson Coffman has fully established himself as the new leader on offense. Hopefully his finger can heal before the next game. The Rush are now 2-2 on the season and find themselves on top of the central division for the first time in a year.
Here is the box score from today’s game:
After the game the team was very happy at the post game press conference:
I also got a one-on-one interview with Rush linebacker Kelvin Morris talking about the Rush defense:
The Rush have a very difficult road ahead of them as they are on the road for the next two weeks. The Rush struggled on the road in 2012, but they have already won a road game in 2013. They start their road trip next Saturday in Utah. The Rush lost to the Blaze in last year’s trip to Salt Lake City.
Hopefully they will have better fortunes this time around. For sports anytime you can always follow me on Twitter @GabeSalgado82 #Q101Sports
Despite the score, it has been a heck of bad day for the Rush so far. Carson Coffman was pulled from the lineup at the last minute for reasons still unknown. Danny Southwick got the start at quarterback and has struggled to some degree. He’s been sacked twice, he’s only completed 17-of-26 passes, and he has held onto the ball too long at times and has taken some unnecessary hits in the process.
However Southwick has managed to throw two touchdown passes so far. The first one was a 19-yarder to Reggie Gray in the first quarter. The second one was a 12 yard pass into the back of the end zone which was caught by Jared Jenkins who is in for the injured Nate Forse in the second. The Rush did try to score before the end of the first half.
At first it appeared that Jenkins had another touchdown reception in the corner of the end zone, but it was ruled incomplete. The call would stand after a review. So the Rush would attempt a last second quarterback sneak with Southwick but he failed to reach the end zone.
So here we stand with the Rush leading 14-0 at the half. The Rush defense gets all of the credit for today, they have forced three Pittsburgh turnovers. They also have a sack and they have made forced Pittsburgh quarterback Jordan Jefferson into some bad situations.
The referees have made some bad calls at times but unfortunately we have to deal with that.
Let’s see if the Rush can keep this up. Pittsburgh will get the ball to start the second half. Here are the halftime stats: You can continue to follow me on Twitter @GabeSalgado82 #Q101Sports #REDemption
As much as I’d like to say home sweet home in regards to the Rush, the heart has not at been home for the Rush in 2013. The Rush began the 2013 season with back-to-back home games against Iowa and Spokane, both were humiliating losses. Bob McMillen’s squad got back into the swing of things with a crucial road victory against San Antonio last week. It was the Rush’s first ever win over the Talons.
Today they are looking for their first ever victory over the winless Pittsburgh Power. This is the first ever meeting between these two franchises as the Power have only been in the league since 2012. The Steel City boys are also looking for their first winning season in franchise history.
Last year was not exactly a good start for this franchise as high roster turnovers, injuries, and a lack of fan support all contributed to a lousy debut season in 2012. This year the Power aren’t fairing much better. They had a bye week last week but lost their first two games to start the season.
Despite the Rush’s misfortunes this year, they will present a huge problem for Pittsburgh this afternoon at Allstate Arena. Wide receiver Rodney Wright has been emerging as a major contributor on offense and special teams. Reggie Gray is a force to be dealt with as always, and other players have been stepping up as well.
Fullback J.J. Payne has been more involved in the offense compared to last season, the offensive line has seen improvement, and new quarterback Carson Coffman is development as one of the AFL’s best young arms. The defense has been a concern at various points this season but last week they stepped up big time against San Antonio.
While the Rush may advantage on paper, the Power does have a couple of Chicago connections on their bench. Pittsburgh offensive lineman Beau Elliot was the Rush’s starting center during the 2010 and 2011 seasons. He is now in the second season with the Power and perhaps he may be able to divulge some secrets to help his team.
Calling the offensive plays for the Power is former Chicago Bears quarterback Mike Tomczak. After leaving the Bears in the 90′s Tomczak finished his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers and has been a mainstay in that city ever since. The head coach of the Power is AFL legend Derek Stingley. Stingley played in the league from 1995-2004 and was a member of the Chicago Rush during their very first season back in 2001.
So there are a lot of Chicago ties in this game but I expect the Rush to take home the victory. They are a much better all-around team and the Pittsburgh Power is a team that’s still trying to find it’s identity.
There are some injuries for both teams, here are the scratches for the Rush:
#10 WR Nate Forse
#89 WR Taurus Johnson
#63 OL Ryan O’Neill
#58 DL Jacob Hardwick
Here are the scratches for Pittsburgh:
#12 WR Curtis Walls
#47 FB Brandon Link
#21 LB Ryan Lewis
Here are today’s starting lineups….
For the Pittsburgh Power:
Offense:
QB: #7 Jordan Jefferson
FB: #31 Kirby Griffin
WR: #1 Mike Washington
WR: #8 P.J. Berry
WR: #18 Perry Baker
G: #71 Daverin Geralds
C: #56 Beau Elliot
G: #69 Jason Thomas
Defense:
DE: #52 Donnie Pittman
NT: #94 Willie McGinnis
DE: #4 Neil Purvis
JLB: #17 Alvin Ray Jackson
MLB: #11 Gary Butler
DB: #9 Sergio Gilliam
DB: #6 Brandon Freeman
DB: #5 Chris LeFlore
And for the Rush:
QB: #11 Carson Coffman
FB: #34 J.J. Payne
WR: #1 Reggie Gray
WR: #2 Rodney Wright
WR: #15 Jared Jenkins
TE: #75 Colin Madison
C: #66 Jeff Maddux
G: #79 Steve Edwards
DE: #55 Brian McNally
NT: #92 Darrell Campbell
DE: #12 Anthony Hoke
MLB: #7 Tyus Jackson
JLB: #8 Kelvin Morris
DB: #4 Vic Hall
DB: #14 Jorrick Calvin
DB: #3 Joe Phinisee
If the Rush can win this game, they will reach the .500 mark and turn their season around. A loss will set them back which is something they don’t need this early in the season. You can follow me on Twitter for game updates @GabeSalgado82 #Q101Sports #REDepmtion
The Cubs celebrate after their come from behind victory tonight.
In the early going it looked like the Cubs were going to continue their losing ways. Two errors by catcher Welington Castillo and a throwing error by shortstop Starlin Castro allowed the Milwaukee Brewers to score three runs in the top of the second inning. But the Cubs defense wouldn’t allow any more runs to come across from that point on.
It took a while for the North Siders to get their bats going. They only managed two hits in the first four innings. The Cubs would begin to scratch the surface in the bottom of the 5th inning. After Travis Wood struck out to start the inning, David DeJesus would get a single. Starlin Castro would reach first on a throwing error by the Brewers. Anthony Rizzo would finally break the ice for the Cubs grounding out to second base and allowing DeJesus to score. The Brewers still led 1-0 after five.
The Cubs would tie the game in the seventh inning after another rally. It started with a pinch-hit single by Steve Clevenger, followed by a David DeJesus double. An RBI ground out by Starlin Castro allowed Clevenger to score and moved DeJesus to second. Then Anthony Rizzo would come up next with a huge RBI double, scoring DeJesus and tying the game at 3.
From there Carlos Marmol would come in to pitch the eighth inning. He was booed out of the ball park as Cubs fans assumed the game would be lost from here. It looks like Marmol got his act together as he would only allow one hit in his solo inning of work. Cubs fans were thanking God for that one.
Then in the bottom of the eighth, the Cubs offense would make the Brewers pitching staff feel their wrath. Brewers reliever John Axford gave up a single to right fielder Nate Schierholtz followed by back-to-walks to Luis Valbuena and Dioner Navarro to start the inning. A pinch-hitting Scott Hairston flied out, but that allowed Schierholtz to score from third. Then David DeJesus would step up with a monster, bases clearing, two RBI double to put the Cubs up for good 6-3.
Rookie closer Kyuji Fujikawa would finish the game from there by striking out the side to pick up his second save of the season. Carlos Marmol believe it or not picked up the victory, he is 1-1 on the year. Credit must also be given to starter Travis Wood and reliever Hector Rondon.
They combined for seven innings of work. Rondon did not allow a single base runner, while Wood allowed 7 hits, 3 walks, and he was charged with the three runs from the second inning. He also struck out six Milwaukee batters. The Cubs losing streak stops at five games, and they hope to begin a winning streak starting tomorrow. The Cubs have yet to win two in-a-row this season.
They are hoping to start that trend tomorrow with game three of this four game series with the Milwaukee Brewers. Here is the box score from tonight’s game.
For sports anytime, you can always follow me on Twitter @GabeSalgado82 #Q101Sports
After taking two out of three in Pittsburgh to start the season, the Cubs have lost five in-a-row since then. Offense hasn’t been a major issue for the Cubs although it wouldn’t hurt for them to score a few more runs. Defense and pitching have been the achilles heel for the Cubs so far in 2013.
The loveable losers gave Atlanta an early 4-0 lead last Friday and lost 4-1. The next night, the bullpen would be the Cubs undoing as a a few bad pitches wound up costing the Cubs a 5-1 lead. They would lose that game 6-5. Then to wrap up the Atlanta series on Sunday, an out of control 7th inning by Jeff Samardzija ruined another Cubs lead and they would lose once again.
In yesterday’s home opener, the Cubs were simply out matched by the Milwaukee Brewers. Not helping matters was the fact that Edwin Jackson gave up four runs in the first inning. With Travis Wood taking the mound for the Cubs today they have a little hope heading into game two against Milwaukee tonight.
Wood is already 1-0 on the season with a perfect earned run average of 0.00. In his first outing in against Pittsburgh last Wednesday, Wood pitched a flawless six innings, only giving up one hit and one walk. He also struck out four batters. The Cubs are hoping and praying for similar performance out of him tonight.
Considering the Brewers are only 2-5 this season, the Travis Wood gives the Cubs a good chance to win this evening. But you can never underestimate the Brew Crew as they tagged the North Siders for seven runs in yesterday’s series opener. The Cubs will need another strong outing from Travis Wood combined with some solid offense if they are going to break their losing streak tonight.
Increasing the Cubs chances for victory is the fact that the Brewers are sending Wily Peralta to the pitchers mound tonight. Peralta lost his only start of the year and already has a 6.75 ERA. He struggled in his season debut by allowing 4 runs, 6 hits, and and 3 walks against Colorado last week.
Tonight is a huge opportunity for the Cubs to get back on the winning track.
Here are tonight’s starting lineups:
Milwaukee Brewers:
1. RF #7 Norichika Aoki
2. 2B #23 Rickie Weeks
3. LF #8 Ryan Braun
4. C #20 Jonathan Lucroy
5. 3B #11 Alex Gonzalez
6. CF #27 Carlos Gomez
7. SS #9 Jean Segura
8. 1B #3 Yuniesky Betancourt
9. P #60 Wily Peralta
Chicago Cubs:
1. CF #9 David DeJesus
2. SS #13 Starlin Castro
3. 1B #44 Anthony Rizzo
4. LF #12 Alfonso Soriano
5. RF #19 Nathan Schierholtz
6. C #53 Welington Castillo
7. 3B #24 Luis Valbuena
8. 2B #20 Brent Lillibridge
9. P #37 Travis Wood
It’s very cold here at Wrigley Field, with temperatures expected to drop in the low 40′s tonight. We are also expecting a chance of rain. There is some fog in the area but it’s not causing any problems at the moment. Fans are making their way into the Friendly Confines and they are bundled up in sweaters and coats. Some are even carrying blankets.
There’s even a draft up here in the press box. Hopefully the Cubs can get this game in before the rain arrives this evening. You can follow me on Twitter for game updates @GabeSalgado82 #Q101Sports
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