Houston (53-57) at Chi Cubs (67-45)

TV: FSN-HD, ESPN | Radio: KTRH 740, KLAT 1010 7:05 pm ET Wrigley Field TV: WCIU, ESPN | Radio: WGN 720
hou

Cooper thrives on big games

Krysten Oliphant / MLB.com
Manager Cecil Cooper likes tight games, and he got just that against the Mets. The three-game set was tightly contested, hardening his charges as they head to Chicago to face the division-leading Cubs.
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Astros probable pitcher

Brian Moehler

  • #38 RHP
  • (6-4) 4.23 ERA 50 SO
Astros: Moehler fell one out shy of his 11th career complete game and his first in eight years during his last start against the Reds, but the right-hander still walked away with his sixth win of the year. Moehler pitched well in his last outing against the Cubs, allowing one run over seven innings while taking a no-decision on July 18 at Minute Maid Park. He also faced them on May 19, allowing three runs over five innings in a losing effort.
  W-L ERA IP BB SO AVG
Career 70-87 4.71 1299.2 367 708 .293
Season 6-4 4.23 93.2 26 50 .272
Vs. Chi Cubs 0-1 3.00 12.0 3 4 .239

Series at a Glance

Standings - 08/04/2008 W L PCT GB Home Away
Houston Astros (NL Central) 53 57 .482 13.0 29-26 24-31
Chicago Cubs (NL Central) 67 45 .598 - 41-15 26-30
Stats - 08/04/2008 AVG R HR RBI SB SO ERA IP H BB SO
HOU .263 482 113 464 90 672 4.49 975.0 1038 352 720
CHC .280 593 128 560 66 820 3.76 1009.1 930 375 863
chc

Soto offers silly solace to pitchers

Nick Zaccardi / MLB.com
Catcher Geovany Soto has a secret for calming down his pitchers: silliness. Sometimes he uses silence. Sometimes he'll ask a ridiculous question that had nothing to do with the game at hand. "I'll just come up with stuff," Soto said. And it works.
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Cubs probable pitcher

Ryan Dempster

  • #46 RHP
  • (12-4) 2.90 ERA 126 SO
Cubs: Dempster held the Brewers to one run on five hits and struck out nine over seven innings in his most recent start. The right-hander picked up his second straight win on the road, so that's not a problem any more. He was able to hide his delivery so well, the Brewers couldn't tell when he was throwing his fastball and when it was his split. His approach was to get ahead in the count, and it worked. He is 1-1 vs. Houston this year, with a win July 20.
  W-L ERA IP BB SO AVG
Career 71-79 4.62 1364.0 689 1133 .261
Season 12-4 2.90 145.2 58 126 .207
Vs. Houston 1-1 2.57 14.0 3 12 .226

Astros hitters vs Ryan Dempster

  2008 2003-2007
Hitter AVG AB HR RBI AVG AB HR RBI
Berkman, Lance .333 6 0 0 .138 29 0 0
Blum, Geoff .400 5 0 0 .294 17 0 0
Bogusevic, Brian - - - - - - - -
Bourgeois, Jason - - - - - - - -
Bourn, Michael .000 3 0 0 .333 6 0 0
Johnson, Chris - - - - - - - -
Keppinger, Jeff .444 9 0 2 .417 12 0 2
Lee, Carlos .333 6 0 0 .412 17 1 3
Manzella, Tommy - - - - - - - -
Matsui, Kazuo .143 7 0 0 .091 11 0 0
Maysonet, Edwin - - - - - - - -
Pence, Hunter .500 6 1 4 .429 14 1 4
Quintero, Humberto - - - - .250 4 0 2
Ramirez, Yordany - - - - - - - -
Sutil, Wladimir - - - - - - - -
Towles, J.R. .000 5 0 0 .000 5 0 0
Vallejo, Jose - - - - - - - -

Cubs hitters vs Brian Moehler

  2008 2003-2007
Hitter AVG AB HR RBI AVG AB HR RBI
Adduci, James - - - - - - - -
Baker, Jeff .000 2 0 0 .000 3 0 0
Blanco, Andres - - - - - - - -
Bradley, Milton - - - - .250 4 0 0
Castillo, Welington - - - - - - - -
Colvin, Tyler - - - - - - - -
Fontenot, Mike .333 3 0 0 .250 8 0 0
Fox, Jake - - - - - - - -
Fukudome, Kosuke .200 5 0 0 .143 7 0 0
Fuld, Sam - - - - - - - -
Hill, Koyie - - - - - - - -
Hoffpauir, Micah - - - - .000 2 0 0
Lee, Derrek .000 6 0 0 .273 11 2 3
Miles, Aaron - - - - - 0 0 0
Ramirez, Aramis .333 6 0 0 .308 13 0 3
Soriano, Alfonso .000 2 0 0 .333 15 0 0
Soto, Geovany .333 6 1 3 .200 10 1 3
Theriot, Ryan .200 5 0 0 .167 6 0 0

'Stros storm into Wrigley, blank Cubs (54-57) (67-46)

Astros 2, Cubs 0 (8)

Astros win wet one

Alyson Footer / MLB.com
Overshadowed by two delays that included a tornado warning, lightning, thunderstorms and strong winds at Wrigley Field, starter Brian Moehler shut out the Cubs for five innings to earn the victory. After the second delay, the game was called in the bottom of the eighth inning.

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Series at a Glance

 

Cubs' bats stymied

Nick Zaccardi / MLB.com
On a wild night of weather at Wrigley Field, the Cubs could not get on track offensively, mustering just five hits as they were shut out by the Astros. Losing pitcher Ryan Dempster, who fanned seven, gave up two runs in five innings before the first delay, which lasted two hours and 45 minutes.
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Astros 2, Cubs 0

HoustonABRHRBIBBSOLOBAVG
Matsui, 2B4000020.280
Tejada, SS4110000.281
Berkman, 1B4000021.333
Lee, LF4121020.305
Pence, RF3010001.277
Wigginton, 3B2010110.269
Erstad, CF3000024.269
Quintero, H, C2001110.203
Moehler, P2000013.000
  Byrdak, P0000000.200
  a-Newhan, PH1000000.212
  Geary, P0000000.000
  Hawkins, P0000000.000
Totals292522119 

a-Grounded out for Byrdak in the 7th.

BATTING
TB: Tejada; Lee 2; Pence; Wigginton.
RBI: Lee (90), Quintero, H (4).
2-out RBI: Lee; Quintero, H.
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Pence; Moehler 2.
Team LOB: 5.
 
Chi CubsABRHRBIBBSOLOBAVG
Soriano, LF4000022.291
Fontenot, 2B-SS3010001.289
Ward, 1B3000021.231
Ramirez, A, 3B2000111.275
Edmonds, CF3010001.242
Soto, C3010001.279
Fukudome, RF3000021.277
Cedeno, SS3010001.281
  Cotts, P0000000.000
Dempster, P1010000.174
  Gaudin, P0000000.000
  a-DeRosa, PH-2B1000001.270
Totals260501710 

a-Flied out for Gaudin in the 7th.

BATTING
2B: Edmonds (14, Moehler).
TB: Fontenot; Edmonds 2; Soto; Cedeno; Dempster.
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Fontenot; Soto.
S: Dempster.
Team LOB: 6.

FIELDING
E: Fukudome (2, fielding).
 
HoustonIPHRERBBSOHRERA
Moehler (W, 7-4)5.04000404.01
Byrdak (H, 6)1.00001102.65
Geary (H, 8)1.01000102.50
Hawkins (S, 1)0.10000105.57
 
Chi CubsIPHRERBBSOHRERA
Dempster (L, 12-5)5.05221702.93
Gaudin 2.00001303.26
Cotts 1.00000103.32

Pitches-strikes: Moehler 63-48, Byrdak 20-12, Geary 13-9, Hawkins 7-5, Dempster 75-52, Gaudin 33-24, Cotts 8-7.
Groundouts-flyouts: Moehler 7-4, Byrdak 1-1, Geary 0-2, Hawkins 0-0, Dempster 5-3, Gaudin 2-1, Cotts 1-1.
Batters faced: Moehler 19, Byrdak 4, Geary 4, Hawkins 1, Dempster 21, Gaudin 7, Cotts 3.
Umpires: HP: Laz Diaz. 1B: Adrian Johnson. 2B: Marty Foster. 3B: Wally Bell.
Weather: 78 degrees, clear.
Wind: 8 mph, R to L.
T: 2:19 (2:45 delay).
Att: 40,867.
August 4, 2008

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