Chi Cubs (5-3) at Pittsburgh (3-5)

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chc

Cubs out to end long series with sweep

Carrie Muskat / MLB.com
After two marathon wins, the Cubs will try to end their first road series of the season with a sweep when they face the Pirates on Thursday at 6:05 p.m. CT.
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Cubs probable pitcher

Rich Hill

  • #53 LHP
  • (0-0) 3.00 ERA 4 SO
Hill gave up two runs on four hits and three walks over six innings in his first start of the season, and he pitched well. The problem was one of those walks came with two outs and J.R. Towles followed with a two-run homer. It's all part of growing pains for Hill. He didn't get much run support, something he had to deal with last year as well. The lefty ranked second in the Majors in lowest run support in 2007. Maybe he needs to take his teammates out to dinner.
  W-L ERA IP BB SO AVG
Career 17-17 4.36 324.0 122 298 .234
Season 0-0 3.00 6.0 3 4 .182
April 0-0 3.00 6.0 3 4 .182

Series at a Glance

Standings - 04/10/2008 W L PCT GB Home Away
Chicago Cubs (NL Central) 5 3 .625 1.5 3-3 2-0
Pittsburgh Pirates (NL Central) 3 5 .375 3.5 0-2 3-3
Stats - 04/10/2008 AVG R HR RBI SB SO ERA IP H BB SO
CHC .257 42 9 38 9 53 3.73 82.0 72 22 61
PIT .257 46 7 40 5 64 5.49 82.0 90 37 65
pit

Pirates' bullpen stepping up

Jenifer Langosch / MLB.com
With the way the last week has gone, the Pirates' bullpen -- once expected to be a weak point on the team -- has emerged as one of the club's strong suits this season.
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Pirates probable pitcher

Matt Morris

  • RHP
  • (0-0) 5.40 ERA 2 SO
Morris wasn't fooling the Marlins offense in his first start of the season, as the veteran right-hander was knocked around for eight hits and four runs (three earned) in five innings. The Marlins pushed Morris to have to throw 98 pitches, and most of what they hit was hit on the nose. Morris continues to try and tinker with his delivery and needs to find better location with his fastball. In 30 career appearances against the Cubs (27 starts), Morris is 12-8 with a 4.50 ERA.
  W-L ERA IP BB SO AVG
Career 121-88 3.91 1788.2 504 1207 .267
Season 0-0 5.40 5.0 2 2 .333
April 0-0 5.40 5.0 2 2 .333

Cubs hitters vs Matt Morris

  2008 2003-2007
Hitter AVG AB HR RBI AVG AB HR RBI
Adduci, James - - - - - - - -
Baker, Jeff - - - - - - - -
Blanco, Andres - - - - - - - -
Bradley, Milton - - - - .400 5 0 1
Castillo, Welington - - - - - - - -
Colvin, Tyler - - - - - - - -
Fontenot, Mike - - - - .429 7 1 2
Fox, Jake - - - - - - - -
Fukudome, Kosuke - - - - .000 3 0 0
Fuld, Sam - - - - - - - -
Hill, Koyie - - - - - - - -
Hoffpauir, Micah - - - - - - - -
Lee, Derrek - - - - .375 24 4 9
Miles, Aaron - - - - .429 7 0 0
Ramirez, Aramis - - - - .355 31 2 6
Soriano, Alfonso - - - - .538 13 1 3
Soto, Geovany - - - - 1.000 4 1 2
Theriot, Ryan - - - - .250 8 0 0

Pirates hitters vs Rich Hill

  2008 2003-2007
Hitter AVG AB HR RBI AVG AB HR RBI
Alvarez, Pedro - - - - - - - -
Bixler, Brian - - - - .000 1 0 0
Cedeno, Ronny - - - - - - - -
Clement, Jeff - - - - - - - -
Cruz, Luis - - - - .000 2 0 0
Diaz, Argenis - - - - - - - -
Doumit, Ryan - - - - .250 4 0 0
Hernandez, Gorkys - - - - - - - -
Iwamura, Akinori - - - - - - - -
Jaramillo, Jason - - - - - - - -
Jones, Garrett - - - - - - - -
LaRoche, Andy - - - - .000 1 0 0
McCutchen, Andrew - - - - - - - -
Milledge, Lastings - - - - - - - -
Moss, Brandon - - - - - - - -
Pearce, Steve - - - - .400 5 0 0
Tabata, Jose - - - - .500 2 0 1
Vazquez, Ramon - - - - - - - -
Walker, Neil - - - - - - - -
Young, Delwyn - - - - - - - -

Soto breaks out the broom (6-3) (3-6)

Cubs 7, Pirates 3

Road sweeping

Carrie Muskat / MLB.com
Catcher Geovany Soto matched a career best with four hits, including two doubles and a go-ahead two-run home run in the sixth inning, to lift the Cubs to their fifth consecutive win and their first road series sweep of the season.

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Series at a Glance

 

Sunk in the sixth

Jenifer Langosch / MLB.com
After the Pirates jumped out to an early lead with three runs in the first inning, veteran starter Matt Morris seemed to be cruising towards his first win before the Cubs jumped on him for five runs in the sixth inning.
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Cubs 7, Pirates 3

Chi CubsABRHRBIBBSOLOBAVG
Soriano, LF5220012.163
Fontenot, 2B5122002.417
Lee, 1B4002012.300
Ramirez, A, 3B4000002.222
Fukudome, RF4100101.371
Soto, C5142000.333
Theriot, SS3120101.250
Pie, CF2000023.182
  Lieber, P1000012.000
  Howry, P0000000.000
  Wood, P0000000.000
Hill, R, P1000002.000
  Johnson, R, CF2111100.389
Totals3671173517 

BATTING
2B: Soto 2 (3, Morris, Morris), Soriano (1, Morris).
HR: Soto (2, 6th inning off Morris, 1 on, 0 out), Fontenot (1, 6th inning off Morris, 1 on, 2 out).
TB: Soriano 3; Fontenot 5; Soto 9; Theriot 2; Johnson, R.
RBI: Lee 2 (6), Soto 2 (8), Johnson, R (4), Fontenot 2 (2).
2-out RBI: Fontenot 2.
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Hill, R; Pie; Lieber; Lee.
S: Lieber.
SF: Lee.
GIDP: Fukudome.
Team LOB: 8.

BASERUNNING
SB: Johnson, R (1, 2nd base off Meek/Paulino), Soriano (2, 2nd base off Morris/Paulino).
CS: Theriot (1, 3rd base by Morris/Paulino).

FIELDING
DP: 2 (Fontenot-Theriot-Lee 2).
 
PittsburghABRHRBIBBSOLOBAVG
McLouth, CF5120001.391
Sanchez, F, 2B4111012.214
Bay, LF3110101.267
LaRoche, Ad, 1B3010101.129
Nady, RF2001101.308
Paulino, C3020100.308
Bautista, J, 3B3001014.194
Bixler, SS3000012.000
  b-Morgan, PH1000000.200
Morris, P2010010.250
  a-Mientkiewicz, PH1000000.300
  Meek, P0000000.000
  c-Doumit, PH1000000.355
Totals313834412 

a-Flied out for Morris in the 7th. b-Grounded out for Bixler in the 9th. c-Flied out for Meek in the 9th.

BATTING
2B: McLouth (7, Hill, R), Morris (1, Lieber).
TB: McLouth 3; Sanchez, F; Bay; LaRoche, Ad; Paulino 2; Morris 2.
RBI: Sanchez, F (3), Nady (10), Bautista, J (4).
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Bixler; Bautista, J; Sanchez, F.
SF: Nady; Bautista, J.
GIDP: LaRoche, Ad; Bautista, J.
Team LOB: 7.

FIELDING
E: Sanchez, F (2, fielding), Bautista, J (3, missed catch).
DP: (Bixler-Sanchez, F-LaRoche, Ad).
 
Chi CubsIPHRERBBSOHRERA
Hill, R 3.03334305.00
Lieber (W, 2-1)4.15000100.00
Howry (H, 3)0.20000008.44
Wood 1.00000006.00
 
PittsburghIPHRERBBSOHRERA
Morris (L, 0-1)7.011742325.25
Meek 2.000012013.50

WP: Hill, R, Morris.
IBB: Theriot (by Morris).
HBP: Ramirez, A (by Meek).
Pitches-strikes: Hill, R 72-34, Lieber 58-41, Howry 3-2, Wood 16-9, Morris 113-74, Meek 26-12.
Groundouts-flyouts: Hill, R 3-3, Lieber 8-4, Howry 2-0, Wood 1-2, Morris 9-9, Meek 4-0.
Batters faced: Hill, R 16, Lieber 17, Howry 1, Wood 3, Morris 35, Meek 7.
Inherited runners-scored: Howry 2-0.
Umpires: HP: Mike Reilly. 1B: Scott Barry. 2B: Alfonso Marquez. 3B: Andy Fletcher.
Weather: 67 degrees, cloudy.
Wind: 7 mph, L to R.
T: 2:30.
Att: 9,798.
April 10, 2008

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