Cubs win sixth in seven games
After a rough stretch the past couple of weeks, that saw the Chicago Cubs lose nine of thirteen games, it appears all the club needed was a visit back to the Friendly Confines.
The Cubs won their second straight, and sixth of seven games on this season long ten game homestand, blanking the San Diego Padres 4-0 this afternoon behind a gem of a performance from Ryan Dempster and one big inning. One night after chasing Jake Peavy after four frames, his shortest outing since last September, in a game he started on short rest against Arizona, the Cubs tagged Greg Maddux for 11 hits and four runs in 4.1 innings in his return to Wrigley.
Dempster allowed six hits in 8.1 shutout innings, walking one and fanning 12, before leaving after 116 pitches with runners on the corners in the ninth. Closer Kerry Wood came on to fan Khalil Greene and pinch hitter Josh Bard, the latter with a knee buckling curve looking, to end the game and pick up his eighth save. Dempster even did it at the plate, singling home the first run of the ballgame.
Ronny Cedeno led off the fifth with a base hit, and went to third on a base hit by catcher Henry Blanco. Dempster then slashed a hit to left, scoring Cedeno with the only run the Cubs would need on the day. Alfonso Soriano singled loading the bases, and Blanco trotted home on a Ryan Theriot sacrifice fly. Derrek Lee would break an 0 for 12 slump by slashing a 3-1 pitch into the gap in left center, scoring Dempster and Soriano, to complete the scoring.
The Cubs have outscored the opposition (Arizona and San Diego) by a combined 43-19 in the homestand, which wraps up this weekend against the Pittsburgh Pirates, a team who has been better of late, but who the Cubs are 6-0 against on the season. Sean Gallagher will make his second start for the Cubs, against Tom Gorzelanny, who the Cubs have smacked around the park this season. In two starts against the Cubs, Gorzelanny is 0-1 , allowing 14 runs on 12 hits, with eight walks and five strikeouts, in just five innings of work.
The Cubs have now opened a one and a half game lead on Houston, who rallied from down 6-0 to beat the Giants 8-7 and a two game lead in the division over the Cardinals, who the Pirates dusted 11-5 Thursday afternoon on getaway day at Busch Stadium.
Gametime is 2:20 ET, 1:20 CT and can be see on Chicago's superstation, WGN.
The Cubs won their second straight, and sixth of seven games on this season long ten game homestand, blanking the San Diego Padres 4-0 this afternoon behind a gem of a performance from Ryan Dempster and one big inning. One night after chasing Jake Peavy after four frames, his shortest outing since last September, in a game he started on short rest against Arizona, the Cubs tagged Greg Maddux for 11 hits and four runs in 4.1 innings in his return to Wrigley.
Dempster allowed six hits in 8.1 shutout innings, walking one and fanning 12, before leaving after 116 pitches with runners on the corners in the ninth. Closer Kerry Wood came on to fan Khalil Greene and pinch hitter Josh Bard, the latter with a knee buckling curve looking, to end the game and pick up his eighth save. Dempster even did it at the plate, singling home the first run of the ballgame.
Ronny Cedeno led off the fifth with a base hit, and went to third on a base hit by catcher Henry Blanco. Dempster then slashed a hit to left, scoring Cedeno with the only run the Cubs would need on the day. Alfonso Soriano singled loading the bases, and Blanco trotted home on a Ryan Theriot sacrifice fly. Derrek Lee would break an 0 for 12 slump by slashing a 3-1 pitch into the gap in left center, scoring Dempster and Soriano, to complete the scoring.
The Cubs have outscored the opposition (Arizona and San Diego) by a combined 43-19 in the homestand, which wraps up this weekend against the Pittsburgh Pirates, a team who has been better of late, but who the Cubs are 6-0 against on the season. Sean Gallagher will make his second start for the Cubs, against Tom Gorzelanny, who the Cubs have smacked around the park this season. In two starts against the Cubs, Gorzelanny is 0-1 , allowing 14 runs on 12 hits, with eight walks and five strikeouts, in just five innings of work.
The Cubs have now opened a one and a half game lead on Houston, who rallied from down 6-0 to beat the Giants 8-7 and a two game lead in the division over the Cardinals, who the Pirates dusted 11-5 Thursday afternoon on getaway day at Busch Stadium.
Gametime is 2:20 ET, 1:20 CT and can be see on Chicago's superstation, WGN.
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