Final
Brewers-Cubs Preview
Sep 15, 2009 - 9:39 PM By ALAN FERGUSON STATS WriterMilwaukee (69-74) at Chicago (74-68), 8:05 p.m. EDT
Subpar performances from some of their expected contributors have played a big part in the Chicago Cubs' discouraging season.
One of those disappointing players has been Carlos Zambrano.
The Cubs right-hander, however, still has an opportunity to end this year in positive fashion and will attempt to win back-to-back starts Tuesday night against the visiting Milwaukee Brewers.
Following consecutive NL Central titles, Chicago (74-68) has been out of this year's race for the last two months as St. Louis has pulled away. The Cubs are currently 9 1/2 games back of the rival Cardinals.
Zambrano (8-6, 3.77 ERA) has shown his usual histrionics and had troubles staying healthy this season, but wins have been harder to come by. He entered this year with six consecutive 13-win seasons but will fall short of that mark with four scheduled starts remaining.
"It's been miserable," he said. "I think I only have to win. This is my first year I've been so poor in the second half. (I'm) just trying to finish the season strong."
Even after his first victory in seven weeks Wednesday in Pittsburgh, Zambrano was again at the center of controversy.
In an 8-5 win over the Pirates, he and manager Lou Piniella argued on the mound when he was pulled in the seventh inning, and the animated discussion continued in the dugout.
Zambrano will try to put that behind him with another strong outing against the Brewers (69-74). He's posted a 1.32 ERA in his last five starts versus Milwaukee dating back to the start of last season, but has only one win in that span - on July 29, 2008 at Miller Park.
Zambrano will also attempt to beat the Brewers at Wrigley for the first time since June 28, 2005, and lead the Cubs to their seventh win in eight games.
With Monday's 2-0 victory, Chicago improved to 4-1 at home against the Brewers and 7-4 overall. Derrek Lee homered for the second time in as many games and moved within three RBIs of reaching 100 for the second time in his career.
He had 107 RBIs in 2005 and has 33 homers for the first time since hitting 46 that same season.
The Cubs and Brewers reached the playoffs last season but are left to go for franchise milestones this year.
Chicago is trying for three straight winning seasons for the first time since a six-year run from 1967-72. Milwaukee is attempting to record three consecutive winning years for the first time since 1978-80.
Milwaukee, though, is 5-8 this month and scheduled starter Yovani Gallardo (12-11, 3.59), is 2-4 with a 5.13 ERA in his last seven starts.
Gallardo, who last year tore his ACL at Wrigley and missed most of 2008, hasn't started since losing to San Francisco on Sept. 5 as the Brewers are trying to limit the right-hander's workload.
"I don't want to be shut down. I want to finish out the year strong," he told the team's official Web site. "We're trying to find ways to make that happen. It's somewhat of a compromise."
Gallardo earned his first win over the Cubs on May 9, allowing two runs over five innings in a 12-6 home victory.
- Cubs 13, Brewers 7 - FINAL
MILWAUKEE ab r h rbi bb so lob avg
F Lopez 2b 2 1 0 0 2 1 0 .306
F Catalanotto 2b 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 .286
C Hart rf 5 1 1 3 0 1 2 .257
R Braun lf 4 1 1 1 1 2 1 .308
P Fielder 1b 3 1 0 0 2 1 1 .298
C McGehee 3b 3 0 1 0 0 1 1 .304
va-M Gam
Sep 15 11:29 PM - NL
AT CHICAGO CUBS - SCORING UPDATE
GROUND OUT BY COREY HART SCORED FRANK CATALANOTTO
SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, NONE ON, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: MILWAUKEE 7
CHICAGO CUBS 13 TOP,9TH
DUE UP FOR MILWAUKEE: R BRAUN (.308, 1-FOR-4, RBI)
Brewers 7, Cubs 13 Top 9, 0 OutsSep 15 11:23 PM - NL
AT CHICAGO CUBS - SCORING UPDATE
TRIPLE BY FRANK CATALANOTTO SCORED JODY GERUT
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, F CATALANOTTO ON THIRD, 0 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: MILWAUKEE 6
CHICAGO CUBS 13 TOP,9TH
DUE UP FOR MILWAUKEE: C HART (.257, 1-FOR-4, 2 RBI)
Brewers 6, Cubs 13 Top 9, 0 OutsSep 15 11:22 PM - NL
AT CHICAGO CUBS - SCORING UPDATE
BASES LOADED WALK TO MICAH HOFFPAUIR SCORED JEFF BAKER
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, M HOFFPAUIR ON FIRST, D LEE ON SECOND, R
THERIOT ON THIRD, 2 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: MILWAUKEE 5
CHICAGO CUBS 13 BOTTOM,8TH
DUE UP FOR CHICAGO CUBS: G SOTO (.226, 2-FOR-4, BB, HR, 3 RBI)
Brewers 5, Cubs 13 Bot 8, 0 OutsSep 15 11:16 PM - NL
AT CHICAGO CUBS - SCORING UPDATE
HIT BY PITCH BY MILTON BRADLEY SCORED RYAN THERIOT
SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, M BRADLEY ON FIRST, D LEE ON SECOND, K
FUKUDOME ON THIRD, 2 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: MILWAUKEE 5
CHICAGO CUBS 12 BOTTOM,7TH
DUE UP FOR CHICAGO CUBS: M FONTENOT (.236, 2-FOR-3, BB, RBI)
Brewers 5, Cubs 12 Bot 7, 0 OutsSep 15 10:52 PM - NL
AT CHICAGO CUBS - SCORING UPDATE
BASES LOADED WALK TO DERREK LEE SCORED JEFF BAKER
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, D LEE ON FIRST, K FUKUDOME ON SECOND, R
THERIOT ON THIRD, 0 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: MILWAUKEE 5
CHICAGO CUBS 11 BOTTOM,7TH
DUE UP FOR CHICAGO CUBS: A RAMIREZ (.325, 1-FOR-3, HBP, RBI)
Brewers 5, Cubs 11 Bot 7, 0 OutsSep 15 10:45 PM - NL
AT CHICAGO CUBS - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY MIKE FONTENOT SCORED GEOVANY SOTO
SITUATION: 5 RUNS IN, M FONTENOT ON FIRST, M BRADLEY ON SECOND, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: MILWAUKEE 5
CHICAGO CUBS 10 BOTTOM,6TH
DUE UP FOR CHICAGO CUBS: B SCALES (.244, 1-FOR-3)
Brewers 5, Cubs 10 Bot 6, 0 OutsSep 15 10:25 PM - NL
AT CHICAGO CUBS - SCORING UPDATE
ERROR BY PRINCE FIELDER ALLOWED ARAMIS RAMIREZ TO SCORE.
SITUATION: 4 RUNS IN, M BRADLEY ON FIRST, G SOTO ON THIRD, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: MILWAUKEE 5
CHICAGO CUBS 9 BOTTOM,6TH
DUE UP FOR CHICAGO CUBS: M FONTENOT (.233, 1-FOR-2, BB)
Brewers 5, Cubs 9 Bot 6, 0 OutsSep 15 10:24 PM - NL
AT CHICAGO CUBS - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY GEOVANY SOTO SCORED DERREK LEE AND KOSUKE
FUKUDOME
SITUATION: 3 RUNS IN, G SOTO ON FIRST, A RAMIREZ ON SECOND, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: MILWAUKEE 5
CHICAGO CUBS 8 BOTTOM,6TH
DUE UP FOR CHICAGO CUBS: M BRADLEY (.258, 0-FOR-3)
Brewers 5, Cubs 8 Bot 6, 0 OutsSep 15 10:19 PM - NL
AT CHICAGO CUBS - SCORING UPDATE
HIT BY PITCH BY ARAMIS RAMIREZ SCORED RYAN THERIOT
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, A RAMIREZ ON FIRST, D LEE ON SECOND, K
FUKUDOME ON THIRD, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: MILWAUKEE 5
CHICAGO CUBS 6 BOTTOM,6TH
DUE UP FOR CHICAGO CUBS: G SOTO (.224, 1-FOR-2, BB, HR, RBI)
Brewers 5, Cubs 6 Bot 6, 0 OutsSep 15 10:15 PM - NL
AT CHICAGO CUBS - SCORING UPDATE
SOLO HOME RUN BY GEOVANY SOTO (11) TO LEFT CENTER WITH 0 OUT
IN THE 5TH OFF YOVANI GALLARDO.
CURRENT SCORE: MILWAUKEE 5, CHICAGO CUBS 5
DUE UP FOR CHICAGO CUBS: M BRADLEY (.258, 0-FOR-2)
Brewers 5, Cubs 5 Bot 5, 0 OutsSep 15 9:45 PM - NL
AT CHICAGO CUBS - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY MIKE CAMERON SCORED PRINCE FIELDER AND RYAN BRAUN
SITUATION: 5 RUNS IN, M CAMERON ON FIRST, C MCGEHEE ON THIRD, 2 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: MILWAUKEE 5
CHICAGO CUBS 4 TOP,5TH
DUE UP FOR MILWAUKEE: J KENDALL (.239, 0-FOR-2)
Brewers 5, Cubs 4 Top 5, 0 OutsSep 15 9:39 PM - NL
AT CHICAGO CUBS - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY RYAN BRAUN SCORED COREY HART
SITUATION: 3 RUNS IN, R BRAUN ON FIRST, 2 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: MILWAUKEE 3
CHICAGO CUBS 4 TOP,5TH
DUE UP FOR MILWAUKEE: P FIELDER (.299, 0-FOR-1, BB)
Brewers 3, Cubs 4 Top 5, 0 OutsSep 15 9:32 PM - NL
AT CHICAGO CUBS - SCORING UPDATE
DOUBLE BY COREY HART SCORED FELIPE LOPEZ AND YOVANI
GALLARDO
SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, C HART ON SECOND, 2 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: MILWAUKEE 2
CHICAGO CUBS 4 TOP,5TH
DUE UP FOR MILWAUKEE: R BRAUN (.307, 0-FOR-2)
Brewers 2, Cubs 4 Top 5, 0 OutsSep 15 9:31 PM - NL
AT CHICAGO CUBS - SCORING UPDATE
DOUBLE BY DERREK LEE SCORED RYAN THERIOT AND BOBBY SCALES
SITUATION: 3 RUNS IN, D LEE ON SECOND, 2 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: MILWAUKEE 0
CHICAGO CUBS 4 BOTTOM,4TH
DUE UP FOR CHICAGO CUBS: A RAMIREZ (.326, 1-FOR-2)
Brewers 0, Cubs 4 Bot 4, 0 OutsSep 15 9:20 PM - NL
AT CHICAGO CUBS - SCORING UPDATE
SACRIFICE FLY BY CARLOS ZAMBRANO SCORED MIKE FONTENOT
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, B SCALES ON SECOND, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: MILWAUKEE 0
CHICAGO CUBS 2 BOTTOM,4TH
DUE UP FOR CHICAGO CUBS: R THERIOT (.285, 1-FOR-2, RBI)
Brewers 0, Cubs 2 Bot 4, 0 OutsSep 15 9:15 PM - NL
AT CHICAGO CUBS - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY RYAN THERIOT SCORED MIKE FONTENOT
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, R THERIOT ON FIRST, 2 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: MILWAUKEE 0
CHICAGO CUBS 1 BOTTOM,2ND
DUE UP FOR CHICAGO CUBS: K FUKUDOME (.260, 0-FOR-1)
Brewers 0, Cubs 1 Bot 2, 0 OutsSep 15 8:39 PM
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