Cubs- Brewers Series Recap, thoughts

I was busy all weekend with partying and family obligations, so this is my first chance to write about the Cubs series up in Milwaukee this weekend.

Game One: This game was moving along quite nicely until the bottom of the third when Aramis Ramirez made a nice diving stop only to dislocate his left shoulder. I do not care what other fans say, Ramirez is the best hitter and best clutch hitter on our team. He is irreplaceable. He is the guy you can always count on to step up and get a clutch hit when the team needs one.

The Cubs got a nice outing from recent call-up Randy Wells:5IP, 5H, OER, 5K. It seems like Wells was pitching in and out of trouble all night, yet he kept escaping. I was impressed with his velocity at times he was overpowering. Wells belongs on the big league roster. Wells left the game with a 1-0 lead after my boy Milton Bradley hit a towering solo-HR to right field. Alfonso Soriano added a Sac-Fly in the 6th. The Cubs were done scoring, Milwaukee was not. Angel Guzman gave up a run in the 6th and Aaron Heilman choked again walking Corey Hart and giving up a HR to Ryan "Lloyd" Braun in the bottom of the 8th. I have a question for Heilman, how do you walk Hart? He swings at everything! The Cubs looked demoralized after losing Ramirez to a serious injury and then blowing the save in the late innings. I seriously felt as if the season could be over at this point. In all fairness, I did not get to see all of the end of this game because my friend Eric was more concerned with watching an episode of The Cougar on TV Land, weak.

Game Two: I really do not even want to write about this game, it upset me in so many ways. The lone bright spot for me was to see Micah Hoffpauir, who is better than Derrek Lee, hit a double and a 2R-HR. Hoffpauir has been filling in nicely for the injured Lee, who is set for a MRI today. We could really use Lee's defense at the very least, maybe even his leadership with Ramirez out. But again I ask, how can you sit Hoffpauir for Lee when one hits and the other does not?

What bothered me most in this game: 1. Ryan Dempster/Lou Piniella: I am not sure whose idea it was to send Dempster out to start the 7th, but he had 111 pitches to that point, and sure enough he imploded giving up two solo-HR's and basically putting the game out of reach. Leaving Dempster out there so long, was Lou's fault. He keeps on doing this with everyone, Marshall, Rich Harden, and now Dempster. Lou needs to stop doing this, no matter how pathetic our bullpen. Also, Dempster has sucked this season: 2-2 4.98 ERA, I am sorry but this is not the same guy as last year. He no longer has consistent control and seems prone to allowing the "big inning", a lot! This guy is certainly not deserving of the fat contract he got from the Cubs, now we get to watch him lose games for the next four years, sweet. Dempster is showing no signs of improvement, I expect him to lose at least 10 to 12 games this season. On a serious note however, I do hope that his baby daughter is ok and gets better, she is very ill, and I'm sure this is seriously weighing on him. 2. Geovany Soto: Yeah he had two hits, both singles. But this guy is a joke. I keep saying he's fat and out of shape because he is! His offense is atrocious (.169 avg, 0HR, 4RBI, 2Extra Base Hits, for the season!) and so is his defense (he had an error in this game and almost everyone steals on him now). Soto needs to figure things out fast to get back on track and to be honest I do not think he will. I would send him down to the minors and play Koyie Hill and anybody else every day, until Soto shows improvement in the minors. And 3. The Bullpen enough said here, they were terrible, but this game was over when Dempster came out to pitch in the 7th inning. Thank goodness the Blackhawks were on TV Saturday night and won. Watching this Cubs game was like getting punched in the stomach over and over again.

Game Three: Going into this game, I thought this was a must win, and the most important game for the Cubs this season. Also I had the pleasure of listening to most of the game on the radio, since I was driving to South Bend and back, Pat Hughes is the man!

Cubs starter, Sean Marshall, got off to a rocky start allowing a lead-off HR to the impressive Rickie Weeks. I have seen a lot of Weeks in the past few years (I used to live in Milwacky) and he has improved a great deal, even since last year, and this is not good news for our Cubs. Any who, Marshall allowed another run in the 2nd inning after former-Cub Jason Kendall (deep breath) Tripled! To score Bill Hall, who had doubled, and is the greatest Mother's Day hitter of all-time (Seriously, ESPN ran a segment on this last night). Kendall played well all series and always tries to stick it to his former teams and I like it. He is a hard worker and a real pro. Can we trade Geovany Soto for him? Just joking. After the 2nd, Marshall and the Cubs did not allow another run. Marshall's line: 5IP, 5H, 2ER, 3BB, 4K, he did not have his best stuff (no curve) or control yet he got the win. It looked like Marshall took a page out of Ted Lilly's book in this outing.

The Cubs got all of their runs in the top of the 3rd inning. Bobby Scales got things started with a single (he's hitting .385) and Soriano knocked him in with a LONG 2R-HR to tie the game. Bradley had an RBI single and Fukudome scored on a Jeff Suppan Wild Pitch. The Cubs were done scoring and it was enough to hang on for a 4 to 2 win. Angel Guzman was impressive in his two scoreless innings. Carlos Marmol made things interesting, loading the bases, and getting out of the jam. Kevin Gregg got his sixth save, despite allowing a walk, he made up for it by striking out Braun to end the game (although he was aided by the sun, which was obstructing the hitter's view). The Cubs had a big inning going in the 9th, until newly acquired Ryan Freel was picked off 2nd base by Kendall. This happens to Cubs players way too often, where is our focus and intensity?

Thoughts: Lou thinks he may have finally found his 7th inning set-up guy or bridge guy in Angel Guzman, I still am not sold, he has not been very consistent, ever. Mike Fontenot made a lot of nice plays at 3rd base over the weekend and is improving quickly. This is exactly what we need. Although I still think he is too short to play 3B, he does hit well enough, and has a solid arm. The Cubs have had short 3rd Basemen before, just look at Ron Cey. If the line-up were up to me: I would have Fontenot playing 3B every day with Scales playing 2nd against right handed starters, allowing Aaron Miles to play 2nd against lefties. Lou also now has Freel to play at 3rd base as well, but he will likely see some time in the outfield. Chad Fox's career is over... again. The Cubs called up minor league starter Jose Ascanio who had a 1.01 ERA at Iowa and will pitch out of the bullpen for the Cubs. The Cubs have the day off today after playing in 20 straight. The Cubs return to action against the visiting San Diego Padres and (future Cub) Jake Peavy on Tuesday night at 7:05pm. Also, is it possible the Indians would trade us back Mark DeRosa? No offense to Fontenot, Miles, Freel, and Scales, but all of you combined (maybe except Fontenot) are not as good as DeRosa.