Houston (1-3) at Chi Cubs (1-2)

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hou

Sampson eyes more success vs. Cubs

Sandy Burgin / Special to MLB.com
Chris Sampson is 2-0 with an 0.60 ERA vs. the Cubs, and on Friday he'll get another chance to improve upon that when he faces Chicago at 1:20 p.m. CT.
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Astros probable pitcher

Chris Sampson

  • #43 RHP
  • (0-0) -.-- ERA 0 SO
Sampson, who made the season-opening rotation for the second consecutive year, was 7-8 with a 4.59 ERA and a career-high 51 strikeouts over 24 appearances (19 starts) for the Astros in 2007. He struck out a career-high eight batters on April 28 against the Brewers, allowing one run over 6 1/3 innings for his third win of the season. He missed the last several weeks of the season with an elbow strain.
  W-L ERA IP BB SO AVG
Career 9-9 4.05 155.2 35 66 .274

Series at a Glance

Standings - 04/04/2008 W L PCT GB Home Away
Houston Astros (NL Central) 1 3 .250 1.5 0-0 1-3
Chicago Cubs (NL Central) 1 2 .333 1.0 1-2 0-0
Stats - 04/04/2008 AVG R HR RBI SB SO ERA IP H BB SO
HOU .203 12 4 11 6 20 4.09 33.0 46 12 28
CHC .206 11 4 11 5 22 4.18 28.0 27 7 26
chc

Soto's crash course extends to Astros

Carrie Muskat / MLB.com
The Brewers were 5-for-5 on stolen-base attempts in the three-game series against Geovany Soto and the Cubs. The rookie knows teams will test him, and he'll be cramming for the three-game series against the Houston Astros, which begins Friday.
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Cubs probable pitcher

Rich Hill

  • #53 LHP
  • (0-0) -.-- ERA 0 SO
Hill had a spring he'd probably rather forget. The young lefty did not walk a batter in 15 2/3 innings in 2007, but in 1 1/3 innings this year, he walked six. It wasn't pretty. He has to concentrate on keeping his shoulders level, and his mechanics in line, and then he'll be fine. He was 1-0 with a 3.32 ERA in three starts against Houston.
  W-L ERA IP BB SO AVG
Career 17-17 4.39 318.0 119 294 .235

Astros hitters vs Rich Hill

  2008 2003-2007
Hitter AVG AB HR RBI AVG AB HR RBI
Berkman, Lance - - - - .200 10 1 2
Blum, Geoff - - - - - - - -
Bogusevic, Brian - - - - - - - -
Bourgeois, Jason - - - - - - - -
Bourn, Michael - - - - .000 2 0 0
Johnson, Chris - - - - - - - -
Keppinger, Jeff - - - - .500 6 0 1
Lee, Carlos - - - - .250 12 1 1
Manzella, Tommy - - - - - - - -
Matsui, Kazuo - - - - .500 4 0 1
Maysonet, Edwin - - - - .000 1 0 0
Pence, Hunter - - - - .286 7 0 1
Quintero, Humberto - - - - .000 8 0 0
Ramirez, Yordany - - - - - - - -
Sutil, Wladimir - - - - - 0 0 0
Towles, J.R. - - - - .500 2 1 2
Vallejo, Jose - - - - - - - -

Cubs hitters vs Chris Sampson

  2008 2003-2007
Hitter AVG AB HR RBI AVG AB HR RBI
Adduci, James - - - - - - - -
Baker, Jeff - - - - 1.000 1 0 2
Blanco, Andres - - - - .143 7 0 1
Bradley, Milton - - - - - - - -
Castillo, Welington - - - - - - - -
Colvin, Tyler - - - - - - - -
Fontenot, Mike - - - - .375 8 0 3
Fox, Jake - - - - - - - -
Fukudome, Kosuke - - - - .333 6 0 1
Fuld, Sam - - - - - - - -
Hill, Koyie - - - - - - - -
Hoffpauir, Micah - - - - - 0 0 0
Lee, Derrek - - - - .333 12 1 1
Miles, Aaron - - - - .200 5 0 1
Ramirez, Aramis - - - - .357 14 1 2
Soriano, Alfonso - - - - .167 12 0 0
Soto, Geovany - - - - .250 12 1 4
Theriot, Ryan - - - - .294 17 0 1

Astros have answer for Cubs (2-3) (1-3)

Astros 4, Cubs 3

Resounding response

Alyson Footer / MLB.com
Miguel Tejada broke a tie game in the eighth with an RBI triple and scored on Ty Wigginton's sac fly to lift the Astros over the Cubs. Chris Sampson, who entered 2-0 with a 0.60 ERA vs. the Cubs, blanked the hosts through six before allowing two runs, and J.R. Towles hit a two-run homer.

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Series at a Glance

 

Late rally snuffed out

Carrie Muskat / MLB.com
Geovany Soto got the Cubs on the board and tied the game on a two-out, two-run single in the seventh, but Mark DeRosa, who later homered in the ninth, committed an error that began a two-run eighth that sunk Chicago. Rich Hill allowed a two-run homer and four hits in six innings.
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Astros 4, Cubs 3

HoustonABRHRBIBBSOLOBAVG
Bourn, CF4000120.133
Pence, RF4000001.182
Berkman, 1B4110001.250
Lee, LF4010002.190
Tejada, SS4121012.263
Wigginton, 3B2001110.176
Loretta, 2B3100102.214
Towles, C3112000.231
Sampson, P3000013.000
  Wright, P0000000.000
  Brocail, P0000000.000
  a-Erstad, PH1000000.000
  Valverde, P0000000.000
Totals324543511 

a-Flied out for Brocail in the 9th.

BATTING
2B: Tejada (2, Hill, R).
3B: Tejada (1, Lieber).
HR: Towles (1, 4th inning off Hill, R, 1 on, 2 out).
TB: Berkman; Lee; Tejada 5; Towles 4.
RBI: Towles 2 (3), Tejada (2), Wigginton (2).
2-out RBI: Towles 2.
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Sampson 2; Tejada.
SF: Wigginton.
Team LOB: 6.

FIELDING
DP: (Tejada-Loretta-Berkman).
 
Chi CubsABRHRBIBBSOLOBAVG
Soriano, LF-2B4000001.059
Theriot, SS4010001.222
Lee, 1B4010000.222
Ramirez, A, 3B4110012.154
  Wuertz, P0000000.000
Fukudome, RF4120000.500
DeRosa, 2B-3B4121003.333
Soto, C4012001.167
Pie, CF4000001.200
Hill, R, P1000010.000
  a-Johnson, R, PH10100001.000
  Lieber, P0000000.000
  b-Cedeno, PH0000000.000
  c-Ward, PH-LF1000000.000
Totals35393029 

a-Doubled for Hill, R in the 6th. b-Batted for Lieber in the 8th. c-Grounded out for Cedeno in the 8th.

BATTING
2B: Johnson, R (1, Sampson).
HR: DeRosa (1, 9th inning off Valverde, 0 on, 1 out).
TB: Theriot; Lee; Ramirez, A; Fukudome 2; DeRosa 5; Soto; Johnson, R 2.
RBI: Soto 2 (4), DeRosa (2).
2-out RBI: Soto 2.
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Theriot; Ramirez, A.
GIDP: DeRosa.
Team LOB: 5.

FIELDING
E: DeRosa (1, fielding).
 
HoustonIPHRERBBSOHRERA
Sampson 6.26220102.70
Wright (W, 1-0)0.10000000.00
Brocail (H, 1)1.02000100.00
Valverde (S, 1)1.01110016.00
 
Chi CubsIPHRERBBSOHRERA
Hill, R 6.04223413.00
Lieber (L, 0-1)2.01200100.00
Wuertz 1.00000000.00

HBP: Towles (by Hill, R).
Pitches-strikes: Sampson 71-49, Wright 7-5, Brocail 18-12, Valverde 12-8, Hill, R 88-53, Lieber 24-20, Wuertz 14-9.
Groundouts-flyouts: Sampson 10-9, Wright 1-0, Brocail 1-1, Valverde 0-3, Hill, R 6-8, Lieber 3-2, Wuertz 2-1.
Batters faced: Sampson 25, Wright 1, Brocail 5, Valverde 4, Hill, R 26, Lieber 8, Wuertz 3.
Inherited runners-scored: Wright 1-0.
Umpires: HP: Charlie Reliford. 1B: Kerwin Danley. 2B: Brian Runge. 3B: Chris Guccione.
Weather: 43 degrees, cloudy.
Wind: 10 mph, In from LF.
T: 2:26.
Att: 37,812.
April 4, 2008

Box score official statistics approved by Major League Baseball Office of the Commissioner