2007: May 25-27 Chicago Cubs @ LA Dodgers

[JoseA]

Friday, May 25 Dodger Stadium | 9:40 PM CT

Cubs (21-24) @ Dodgers (27-20)

Ted Lilly, LHP (4-2, 2.69) vs. Derek Lowe, RHP (4-5, 3.84)

Scouting Report:
Cubs: Lilly hung on long enough for the win in his last start against the White Sox. The lefty gave up three runs on six hits over seven innings while striking out six. Lilly leads the National League in strikeout/walk ratio, fanning 54 while walking just 10. His start was pushed back because the Cubs didn't want to have their three lefty starters going back to back to back.

Dodgers: Lowe suffered through an unlucky three-run fifth inning against the Angels in his most recent start. All five hits that inning were ground balls, three not leaving the infield, but it was enough to beat him. He leads the league in complete games, but both were losses as his club scored one run total on his behalf. He struck out six without a walk.

The Official Site of The Chicago Cubs: News: Probable Pitchers

[JoseA]

Should be a good game. Two fairly good pitchers going at it, espically Ted Lilly going on the mound for us. I predict a win in this one, although the Dodgers are going to be a very diffcult team to defeat.

[JoseA]

Big seventh wiped out by Dodgers' rally

Bullpen falters in eighth following Cubs' seven-run surge

LOS ANGELES -- If you went to bed early on Friday night, you missed a wild one.

The Cubs rallied with a seven-run seventh inning to take a three-run lead, but the Los Angeles Dodgers answered with a four-run eighth to post a 9-8 victory in front of 46,011 at Dodger Stadium.

"It's a tough game to lose, but what are you going to do?" Cubs manager Lou Piniella said. "Nobody's trying to give it to them. They're hard losses to take, but what are you going to do? You walk out of here and feel good about the effort, and you come back and play tomorrow. That's all we can do. Nothing more, nothing less."

Recap

[JoseA]

Zambrano digs deep for hard-fought win

Righty fans eight in 7 2/3; Ramirez, DeRosa go back-to-back

LOS ANGELES -- This was exactly what the Cubs needed.

Carlos Zambrano struck out eight over 7 2/3 innings Saturday, Aramis Ramirez and Mark DeRosa hit consecutive home runs to beat a lefty, and the bullpen held a lead as the Cubs edged the Los Angeles Dodgers, 4-2.

"We needed to play a good ballgame, play good crisp baseball, and held on and won a baseball game," Cubs manager Lou Piniella said. "That's exactly what we did. We had our work cut out for us in the eighth and ninth inning, but we got out of it."

Recap

[JoseA]

Well lets just say it was a lousy lost on Friday, I don't even want to remember the game.....

Zambrano pitched excellent yesterday, about time he does something. The bullpen actually looked decent for a change too....

The rubber game should be a good one today, Hill vs. Wolf

[JoseA]

Well today's game is 0-0 after the halfway point. Hill is pitching a great game, Wolf isn't during the worst either.

But we should have at least got some runs when we had the bases load on Wolf. Ryan Theriot is disappointing me, he isn't a clutch player and he has hardly no power. He is an inning killer.....

[JoseA]

Cubs let it get away

Rich Hill was masterful for six shutout innings, allowing three hits.

LOS ANGELES -- Ramon Martinez scored when Juan Pierre was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the 11th inning Sunday to give the Los Angeles Dodgers a 2-1 come-from-behind victory over the Cubs, and also the series.

With the game tied at 1 in the 11th, Angel Guzman (0-1) walked both pinch-hitter Martinez and Wilson Betemit. Rafael Furcal showed a bunt on the first pitch, and Martinez broke for third. Cubs catcher Michael Barrett threw to shortstop Cesar Izturis to try to get Martinez at second, but Martinez ran to third and was safe on the steal.

Guzman exited, and Marmol intentionally walked Furcal to load the bases. With Pierre at the plate, Marmol's 2-2 pitch hit him on the knee and Martinez scored.

Recap

[JoseA]

Yawn....bad offense costed on this one again.

Hill was sharp and it is a shame we lose when he has such a great game. Marmol costed us the game, I think it is just flat out dumb to lose a game with someone walking across home plate...We shouldn't have been in that situation at all in the first place.