Giants end Cubs 4-game win streak

The game yesterday afternoon was over after the first inning, when Cubs starter Sean Marshall gave up a 3-R HR to Giants C Benji Molina. With the B-Team lineup that Lou Piniella put out there, it was going to be hard for the Cubs to muster up 3 runs, in fact they only scored two. After the first inning however, Marshall settled in nicely, before leaving the game in the 8th inning with two on and nobody out. His final line for the day: 7IP, 5ER, 8H does not do him justice for how well he pitched. Lou probably should not have let him pitch the 8th. Jeff Samardzija was brought in to relieve Marshall and he shit the bed, 0.1IP, 2H, ER, BB. It seems like every time Samardzija comes in with men on base they eventually score. He looked awful and his ERA is up to 8.10. Maybe instead of sending down Bobby Scales to make room for Randy Wells (Big Z's replacement), the Cubs should send down Samardzija, who has looked nothing like the occasionally dominant set-up man he was last year. The Cubs decided to tinker with Samardzija's release point which looks like it did no good. Not only has this made him ineffective, but it also can lead to an injury.

Offensively, the Cubs were not very impressive, but that was assumed given that most of the regulars did not play, and we were facing Tim Lincecum. The Cubs managed to score two runs off of Lincecum, who looked sharp. Unfortunately the Cubs could only put up 5 hits and only Derrek Lee had an extra base hit, a double off the wall in left. Just like I called it, Scales got a hit! Even the pathetic one-two combo of Joey Gathright and Aaron Miles got one hit apiece. Unfortunately, after Gathright got his, Miles grounded into a double play. Overall, a weak effort from the Cubs offense. Mike Fontenot did get his 15th RBI of the season, he is now tied for the team lead.

Tonight the Cubs head to Houston for a short two game series with the Astros. Tonight's match-up is Rich Harden vs Mike Hampton. Harden was not too sharp his last time out, I look for him to have a solid outing tonight. Hampton is a veteran lefty and the Cubs have struggled vs lefties all season. Hopefully, with some regulars back in the line-up, the Cubs can score a few runs tonight, and get back to winning games.