Recap: Cubs at Astros, 5/21/08

Well, at least we didn't have to use Carlos Marmol.

We seemed in for a really fun game after the first, when Derrek Lee belted a two-run shot into the visiting bullpen in left, and Geovanny Soto followed with an RBI double, scoring Micah Hoffpauir. Unfortunately, the offense decided to shut it down after that, hacking after first pitches, taking only two walks, and generally making life easy for Shawn Chacon, who lasted seven innings despite his trouble in the first.

This seems to illustrate a bad trend for the Cubs' offense: namely, an inability to produce on the road. As a team, the Cubs have a very good .311/.393/.501 batting line at Wrigley, compared to a troubling .252/.341/.378 line on the road. The home split is probably due for a bit of a correction (.347 BABIP) , but the Cubs have got to find some way to take their patient home approach on the road with them.

Sean Gallagher struggled, giving up 8 hits and 5 earned runs in 4 2/3 innings. Most of the damage came on Carlos Lee's three run homer in the third. Gallagher seemed upset by the outing, but I wasn't as troubled by his performance as I was by that of the Cubs' offense. Gallagher only gave up one walk and had four strikeouts. His stuff just wasn't particularly sharp tonight, and he got hit. It happens.

Michael Weurtz relieved Gallagher in the 5th and proceeded to walk his first two batters (including one wildly flailing, light-hitting J.R. Towles). He thankfully struck out Chacon to get out of the jam.

An interesting moment occurred in the 6th, as Scott Eyre was put on the clock for violation of MLB's twelve second rule. Len and Bob mentioned during the telecast that the league is working to reduce the length of games. There were a number of instances where home plate umpire Joe West was seen casting irritated glances in the direction of the pitcher's mound, working to speed up the pace of play. It seems worth noting that he didn't seem to mind Bob Howry's deliberate pace; the rule seems more concerned with avoiding wasted time than with interfering in a pitcher's particular routine (though Jose Valverde did have a ball returned to him after tossing away the first one given to him -- one of the many elaborate and borderline insane rituals Valverde likes to engage in).

Jon Lieber through a scoreless seventh, and Bob Howry struck out the side in the eighth. It's good to see Howry finally coming into form. Once he gets up to his summertime velocity in a week or two, I think we'll finally have a legitimate alternative to bringing Marmol into a game.

The game ended on a frustrating note, from my perspective. Aramis Ramirez took a one-out walk against Valverde to bring the tying run to the plate. That brought Micah Hoffpauir to the plate (who actually had a decent day, going 2 for 4 with a double and scoring a run), who struck out swinging at three pitches, all down and in. Soto popped out to record the final out and earn Valverde his 14th save.

Now, if I'm Micah Hoffpauir -- a rookie in an important 9th inning situation against a reasonably dominating closer that I've never faced before -- I'm pretty sure I have to take at least one pitch. Valverde had just walked Ramirez on 5 pitches. He'd started wild last night too. And taking a pitch gives me the opportunity to at least see a pitch and get a better sense of his delivery and how the ball comes out of his hand. I'm not a major league baseball player, but this line of thinking seems reasonable, no? Instead, Hoffpauir flails at three pitches way out of the zone, letting Valverde get ahead and providing no incentive for Valverde to throw a strike. If Hoffpauir even takes a pitch for ball one in that AB, the entire complexion of the at-bat potentially changes.
Ah well. Soriano will be back in the lineup tomorrow, Hoffpauir will be riding the pine, and all will be right with the universe.

Other notes:

Jim Edmonds Watch: ....Nevermind what I said about all being right with the universe. Edmonds hit two long flies today, each sounding like home-run balls off the bat, yet both dying on the warning track. Bob Brenly was once again apologetic for Edmonds, suggesting that he simply must have caught the ball near the end of the bat. Maybe, Bob. Or maybe Edmonds is washed up and can't get a home-run ball out of the yard anymore. On the bright side, Edmonds didn't ground into any double plays tonight. Can we release him yet?

-Ryan Theriot was picked off at first tonight in the second inning. Someone buy first-base coach Matt Sinatro one of these.

-Lance Berkman made an impressive leaping catch to rob Theriot of a hit in the eighth inning. Immediately following the play, my buddy in Houston -- an Astros fan -- texted me the following: "Did you see lance leap like a majestic puma?"

- Breathe easy everyone: Z's fine, keeping his miraculously durable reputation unblemished. You may all now point to the sky in thanks.

- In related, unsubstantiated rumor, Mark Prior tried emulating Z's appreciative gesture to the heavens after completing his latest round of towel drills. Unfortunately, he tore his rotator cuff in the process. Expect San Diego to move Prior to the 60-Day DL any day now.