Cubs manage only 3 hits, fall to Cardinals 3-0

The Cubs offense was pathetic tonight, they managed only three hits off of Joel Pineiro. Even more disturbing was that Pineiro only had to throw 92 pitches in 9 innings. Alfonso Soriano led the game off with a single only to be picked off at first. Derrek Lee would later single (his average is up to .229 by the way) only to have Milton Bradley ground into a double play. Later in the game, Mike Fontenot had the only Cubs extra base hit with an opposite field double, but Geovany Soto could not knock him in with 2 outs. Simply put, this was a terrible effort from the Cubs offense. Pineiro even pitched a four-pitch inning! He walked nobody! The Cubs were overly aggressive throughout the game. Bradley is finally starting to worry me, his .188 AVG at this point in the season is unacceptable and he needs to step it up. Also, Micah Hoffpauir has been one of our best run producers this season, he needs to get more at-bats. Especially against right-handed fastball throwing/control pitchers like Pineiro (who did strike him out in his only at-bat). Either sit Bradley or Lee for Hoffpauir in one of the two remaining games in this series.

Cubs starter, Ted Lilly (5-3) gave the team a quality start: 7IP, 3ER, 4H, 5K, 3BB. His lead-off walk in the bottom of the first led to the game winning run for the Cards. He also allowed a 2R-HR to Colby Rasmus in the bottom of the fifth. All three runs for the Cards were scored with two outs. Ted Lilly did not have a bad game, the Cubs hitters did, and Pineiro was very effective. Thank goodness I had the Blackhawks game, which was a heart-breaker, to distract me from watching most of this yawner tonight.

Tomorrow night Ryan Dempster faces Adam Wainright. Wainright is a tough customer, he has a power fastball, and a big curve ball. I would expect Lou Piniella to insert some lefties into the lineup, especially Hoffpauir, who is capable of driving in runs. Also, Soto appears to be unable to hit a breaking ball, perhaps Koyie Hill should start at Catcher in his place? Hopefully for the Cubs, Dempster will pitch like he did in his last outing, when he dominated the Padres over 7 innings. The Cubs will need him too if they hit like they did tonight.