Chicago Cubs @ Houston Astros GameThread, Jul 20, 2008 1:05 PM CDT

Chicago Cubs at Houston Astros, 1:05 PM CDT

by Stros Bro on Jul 20, 2008 1:00 PM CDT Comment 100 comments

Current Series

3 game series vs Cubs @ Minute Maid Park

Fri 07/18	WP: Geoff Geary (2 - 1) LP: Bob Howry (3 - 3)	2 - 1 win
Sat 07/19	WP: Wandy Rodriguez (5 - 3) SV: Jose Valverde LP: Carlos Zambrano (10 - 4)	4 - 1 win
Chicago Cubs Bleed Cubbie Blue @ Houston Astros The Crawfish Boxes Sunday, Jul 20, 2008, 1:05 PM CDT Minute Maid Park Ryan Dempster vs Brandon Backe Partly cloudy. Winds blowing out to left field at 5-10 m.p.h. Game Time temperature: Around 95. Complete Coverage >

	W-L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	BS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP
2008 - Ryan Dempster	10-4	20	20	1	0	0	0	124.2	97	52	45	11	50	104	3.25	1.18

	W-L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	BS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP
2008 - Brandon Backe	6-9	20	20	0	0	0	0	111.2	124	61	59	22	50	83	4.76	1.56

Lineup

Chicago Cubs @ Houston Astros

07/20/08 1:05 PM CDT

Chicago Cubs	Houston Astros
Ryan Theriot - SS	Kazuo Matsui - 2B
Kosuke Fukudome - RF	Darin Erstad - CF
Derrek Lee - 1B	Lance Berkman - 1B
Aramis Ramirez - 3B	Carlos Lee - LF
Jim Edmonds - CF	Miguel Tejada - SS
Mark DeRosa - LF	Geoff Blum - 3B
Geovany Soto - C	Hunter Pence - RF
Mike Fontenot - 2B	J.R. Towles - C
Ryan Dempster - P	Brandon Backe - P

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Comments

Yay

I get to watch the game today, but I may have to do it on WGN…. (ewwwww) if our public access channels don’t come through. crosses fingers

by saylinara on Jul 20, 2008 1:01 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Double YAY

Public access came through for us!!!

by saylinara on Jul 20, 2008 1:04 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Wow Lee

How long have you been playing LF? That was just bad…...

by saylinara on Jul 20, 2008 1:08 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

1-0 Cubs

and i’m not even settled in yet.

Astros fan for life

by Joe in Birmingham on Jul 20, 2008 1:11 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Jim Edmonds makes it 2-0

Astros fan for life

by Joe in Birmingham on Jul 20, 2008 1:11 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

did edmonds hit another HR?

by lnewcomer on Jul 20, 2008 1:15 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

No it was a single

through the middle that was able to score the guy on second.

by saylinara on Jul 20, 2008 1:19 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

thx

missed all the action in the first

by lnewcomer on Jul 20, 2008 1:20 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

You missed two really bad fields

by Lee and Erstad. Lee completely misread the ball and ended up chasing it around LF (would have been a double anyways, he got it back in time before it became a triple) and Erstad ran after a ball, thought it was a homer and it landed like a foot behind him (he was facing the fence). Luckily Pence had ran in and scooped it and threw it back. That’s how the first run scored—two doubles.

by saylinara on Jul 20, 2008 1:26 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

wow, the curse of everyday play really is affecting Erstad

by lnewcomer on Jul 20, 2008 1:27 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

You mean 2-0

Sigh. Well, pitching can’t be everything.

by saylinara on Jul 20, 2008 1:11 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Come on offense!!!!!!!

I know you’re there, somewhere, anywhere.

by saylinara on Jul 20, 2008 1:14 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

we gotta watch this fool flip his glove around like a seal

all damn game today.

by lnewcomer on Jul 20, 2008 1:18 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

We got out of the first

so maybe Backe can settle and we can tack a few here and there.

by saylinara on Jul 20, 2008 1:24 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Rumor now is that Brewers are trading for Ray Durham

and a LH reliever from the Giants. brewers would send a minor league OF and pitcher, neither of whom are top prospects.

deal is supposedly waiting on Durham’s approval as 10-5 player

by lnewcomer on Jul 20, 2008 1:28 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I thought Durham

was a washed up oldie?

by saylinara on Jul 20, 2008 1:30 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I think it's a move trying to plug holes now

for a push to win it all this year. durham’s not what he once was, but weeks hasn’t had a good offensive year. also, veteran, yadda yadda yadda

by lnewcomer on Jul 20, 2008 1:33 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Still. Durham's

the best they can get? It’s not like last year where everybody and their brother was contending in late July.

by saylinara on Jul 20, 2008 1:34 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

if the prospects weren't too hot

then it seems like a decent stop-gap move. Brian Roberts is the only other 2B out there who’s both playing well and would be available, but apparently the Orioles are demanding a lot for him.

by lnewcomer on Jul 20, 2008 1:38 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

from the Fanhouse post on the trade

Durham will probably start off as a utility reserve for the Brewers, but considering that he’s hitting .293/.385/.414 it’s very likely the 36-year old may replace Rickie Weeks at second base. Weeks is only hitting .218/.322/.367 on the season, and if he wasn’t struggling so much, the Brewers would have never pursued this deal in the first place.

http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2008/07/20/brewers-trade-for-ray-durham/

by lnewcomer on Jul 20, 2008 1:35 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Hmm I guess I didn't realize

Durham was doing so well. What’s his homers like?

by saylinara on Jul 20, 2008 1:39 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Just Durham is the latest.

by ol Pete on Jul 20, 2008 1:31 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

wow, way to kill a rally

w/ that DP ball there miggy

by lnewcomer on Jul 20, 2008 1:30 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

anybody see that article from Ed wade saying that he's looking for a reliever

that raised an icy ball of fear in my stomach. I wonder what he’ll give away to get a reliever to help us go 79-83 this year, instead of 78-84?

by lnewcomer on Jul 20, 2008 1:34 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I'm thinking it's more of a contingency plan

in case Oswalt isn’t coming back anytime soon. If they got another reliever, Sampson could start again.

by saylinara on Jul 20, 2008 1:39 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'd much rather see them give cassel and extended shot

i think he recently came back from the d/l.

by lnewcomer on Jul 20, 2008 1:44 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I think they said

it’d be hard giving many more AAA pitchers big league time because they’re stripping the AAA shelves dry.

And my god, I’m about to shake freaking Dempster through my TV screen because that glove is driving me freaking CRAZY!

by saylinara on Jul 20, 2008 1:54 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Berkman does look pretty different all trimmed up

by ol Pete on Jul 20, 2008 1:35 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I like it

I didn’t like the mop(of course, I don’t really care what he looks like as long as he rakes like he has been this season)

Go 'Stros!

by Stros Bro on Jul 20, 2008 1:51 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I like Puma's jeter-like jump toss there

JD & Brownie’s commentary pretty funny too

by lnewcomer on Jul 20, 2008 1:36 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Me 2

thankfully he throws left handed.. very nice play

Go 'Stros!

by Stros Bro on Jul 20, 2008 1:51 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Backe's pitched well the last 3 innings

and apparently, maybe one of those runs in the 1st shouldn’t have scored b/c of bad fielding?

by lnewcomer on Jul 20, 2008 1:49 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Even two runs is nothing to scoff at

Good teams would come back from that pretty easily.

by saylinara on Jul 20, 2008 1:52 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

boy, Milo is going to be slobbering all over poor Natalie Niekro

assuming she’s doing the radio as well as TV.

by lnewcomer on Jul 20, 2008 1:53 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I happened to be listening on my car radio when she was interviewed...

Milo ended the inning, talking about how beautiful she is, etc. Natalie said, “Thanks. Have another drink, Milo.” :)

by clack on Jul 20, 2008 2:19 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

lol, classic

you stay classy, Milo.

by lnewcomer on Jul 20, 2008 2:20 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

DeRosa thinks he's Torii Hunter out there

are there two ‘ii’s in Torii? for some reason it seems like there are. I guess to keep it from being like Tori spelling.

by lnewcomer on Jul 20, 2008 1:56 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Yeah, two ii's

by saylinara on Jul 20, 2008 1:57 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

c'mon ball

you couldnt’ get give more feet to the right. dammit.

by lnewcomer on Jul 20, 2008 1:58 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Oy oy oy oy oy

by saylinara on Jul 20, 2008 2:01 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Backe gives up another HR

solid line drive that just stayed fair down RF line.

wonder how many that is on the year for Backe. W/ Oswalt out for a couple starts I think he might pass him for the team lead.

by lnewcomer on Jul 20, 2008 2:03 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I wanna say 18, but it feels too low

by saylinara on Jul 20, 2008 2:04 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

23, including this one.

by saylinara on Jul 20, 2008 2:06 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

And Oswalt's at 18

so he’s already been passed.

by saylinara on Jul 20, 2008 2:07 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

ouch

by lnewcomer on Jul 20, 2008 2:11 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Put a fork in 'em he's done

by saylinara on Jul 20, 2008 2:03 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

2 singles to start the 5th

is a start. bottom of the order up.

I smell a Towles hit sometime soon. Who’s with me?

by lnewcomer on Jul 20, 2008 2:10 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

pence w/ a f/c

and the runer’s safe at 2nd.

by lnewcomer on Jul 20, 2008 2:11 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Ohemgee loaded bases with no outs!!!!

by saylinara on Jul 20, 2008 2:10 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Astros load bases no outs

but it’s Towles batting

Astros fan for life

by Joe in Birmingham on Jul 20, 2008 2:11 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

oh that was an ugly swing

almost as bad as Uggla in the ASG, which is the new standard by which all ugly swings are measured

by lnewcomer on Jul 20, 2008 2:12 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

he just looks overmatched

just strike out. don’t hit into Dp

by lnewcomer on Jul 20, 2008 2:13 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

and Towles looked terrible striking out

Astros fan for life

by Joe in Birmingham on Jul 20, 2008 2:12 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Towles' approach in that at bat was so bad, I would send him to AAA...

almost immediately. When he came to bat, my thought was, “just don’t get too anxious.” Jeez, he swung at 3 straight breaking pitches, all way out of the strike zone. As JD said, Towles is just up there guessing. Dempster throws a low percentage of strikes. You have to be patient.

by clack on Jul 20, 2008 2:23 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

agreed

Q played well enough when he was up to not lose his job b/c of injury and Towles hasn’t shown that his little offensive run in AAA came back with him to the big club.

by lnewcomer on Jul 20, 2008 2:26 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

plus, there's the whole waiver thing w/ Q

let him finish the year, bring up Towles in Sept. again.

by lnewcomer on Jul 20, 2008 2:26 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Towles seems to be one of the ones

that gets so nervous being in the majors that he automatically presses. He just doesn’t look relaxed—at the plate or in interviews.

by saylinara on Jul 20, 2008 2:29 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Now Backe can win his own game

if he hits a good one

Astros fan for life

by Joe in Birmingham on Jul 20, 2008 2:13 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

BAD call on 3-2 pitch

Backe called out and he should have walked in a run!

Astros fan for life

by Joe in Birmingham on Jul 20, 2008 2:15 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

pinning all our hopes on Brandon

by lnewcomer on Jul 20, 2008 2:13 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

3-2

oh, that was a horrible call. way low

by lnewcomer on Jul 20, 2008 2:15 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Dunno

The pitch tracker showed it rrrrrright on the corner.

by saylinara on Jul 20, 2008 2:16 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

pitch tracker's been wrong before

on replay it was low and outside

by lnewcomer on Jul 20, 2008 2:17 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

JD and Brownie thought it was kind of legit

Anyways, we got lucky Backe didn’t get himself thrown out on that one.

by saylinara on Jul 20, 2008 2:18 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Backe should locate there

and see if he gets the same call. Ump almost has to now.

by saylinara on Jul 20, 2008 2:19 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

JD said pitch tracker thought it was OK

and Brownie just disagreed w/ pitch tracker.

it’s moot. it would have only been one run and matsui prob grounds into a dp anyway. we were destined to lose this game regardless. series win against the cubs is more than we could expect.

by lnewcomer on Jul 20, 2008 2:21 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Matsui popped out, didn't he?

That would have been Berkman with bases loaded.

by entropic soul on Jul 20, 2008 2:29 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

erstad

by lnewcomer on Jul 20, 2008 2:32 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah.

Just realized that as I sat back down. He prolly would have struck out. :p
Still would have been 1 run. Terrible offense continues in the Cubs series. We are lucky we won the first two games considering we are averaging 2.3 runs a game in this series.

by entropic soul on Jul 20, 2008 2:36 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Damn that was funny

I could watch Backe jump up and down all the time.

COME ON KAZ!!!

by saylinara on Jul 20, 2008 2:15 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

according to gameday

strike three was lower than ball one

by ol Pete on Jul 20, 2008 2:16 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Sigh

by saylinara on Jul 20, 2008 2:17 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Bases left full - no score

Backe still disgusted over the called third strike – -and I don’t blame him.

Astros fan for life

by Joe in Birmingham on Jul 20, 2008 2:17 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I ALMOST

would have pinch-hit for Towles there. I would imagine Ausmus has a standing agreement with Cooper that when Towles comes up with bases loaded that he could come in. Because Coop has dogged his offense in recent days, with Quintero about to come back.

by saylinara on Jul 20, 2008 2:24 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

yeah, maybe let Newhan have a shot there

although it’s early to be p/h like that.

by lnewcomer on Jul 20, 2008 2:27 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

It may be early

but I get the feeling that was our last big chance for a rally, especially with the top of the order coming.

by saylinara on Jul 20, 2008 2:30 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

The umpire is daring Backe

to look at him. – that’s lwo

Astros fan for life

by Joe in Birmingham on Jul 20, 2008 2:19 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Yeah, some definite body language going on there.

by ol Pete on Jul 20, 2008 2:20 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

some Astros fan needs to tear down that cubs fan's sign

by lnewcomer on Jul 20, 2008 2:22 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

You’d get a beer shower, plenty of verbal abuse and a challenge to fight if you did that in Wrigley.

by ol Pete on Jul 20, 2008 2:23 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Jim Edmonds

is batting like .223 but he must be a .500 hitter against the Astros -0 2 hits today

Astros fan for life

by Joe in Birmingham on Jul 20, 2008 2:25 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

carlos lee is hot

everything he touches w/ the bat is landing. too bad nobody else on the team is.

and what was w/ what looked like water splashing up from the grass when the ball landed? it always seems like they overwater the IF before games at MMP. Now are they doing the OF as well?

by lnewcomer on Jul 20, 2008 2:34 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

by lnewcomer on Jul 20, 2008 3:28 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

nope, marmol on to finish it

by lnewcomer on Jul 20, 2008 3:30 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

ASTROS LOSE 9-0

Two steps forward; one step back.

Astros fan for life

by Joe in Birmingham on Jul 20, 2008 3:35 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Hey, if we do this the rest of the way, we'll win 40 more games :p

by entropic soul on Jul 20, 2008 7:07 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

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Current Series

3 game series vs Pirates @ Minute Maid Park

Pittsburgh Pirates Bucs Dugout @ Houston Astros The Crawfish Boxes Monday, Jul 6, 2009, 7:05 PM CDT Minute Maid Park Virgil Vasquez vs Mike Hampton Partly cloudy,rain. Game time temperature around 90. Complete Coverage >
Tue 07/07		7:05 PM CDT
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NL Central Standings

	W	L	PCT	GB	STRK
St. Louis Viva El Birdos	45	39	.535	0	Won 1
Milwaukee Brew Crew Ball	43	39	.524	1	Won 1
Chicago Bleed Cubbie Blue	40	39	.506	2.5	Lost 1
Cincinnati Red Reporter	40	40	.500	3	Lost 1
Houston The Crawfish Boxes	39	41	.487	4	Won 1
Pittsburgh Bucs Dugout	37	45	.451	7	Lost 2