Chi Cubs (8-7) at St. Louis (12-5)

TV: FOX | Radio: WGN 720 4:10 pm ET Busch Stadium TV: FOX | Radio: KTRS 550
chc

Cubs concentrate on shoring up 'D'

Carrie Muskat / MLB.com
When the Cubs square off against the Cardinals on Saturday, expect Reed Johnson, Kosuke Fukudome and possibly Joey Gathright in the Cubs' outfield in an attempt to shore up some sore spots.
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Cubs probable pitcher

Sean Marshall

  • #45 LHP
  • (0-0) 4.50 ERA 4 SO
This will be Marshall's second start of the season. He did not get a decision in his first outing against the Cardinals, giving up three runs on seven hits and two walks over five-plus innings. He also struck out four. Lou Piniella's concern was that Marshall had some trouble with the Cardinals' left-handed hitters, and threw too many pitches to them. The lefty, who won the fifth starter spot this spring, is 1-0 with a 2.12 ERA in six games in his career against the Reds.
  W-L ERA IP BB SO AVG
Career 16-22 4.61 300.1 120 206 .264
Season 0-0 4.50 6.0 3 4 .304
April 0-0 4.50 6.0 3 4 .304
Vs. St. Louis 0-0 5.40 5.0 2 4 .350

Series at a Glance

Standings - 04/25/2009 W L PCT GB Home Away
Chicago Cubs (NL Central) 8 7 .533 3.0 4-4 4-3
St. Louis Cardinals (NL Central) 12 5 .706 - 9-2 3-3
Stats - 04/25/2009 AVG R HR RBI SB SO ERA IP H BB SO
CHC .251 70 16 67 7 105 4.11 135.2 125 60 133
STL .302 104 20 104 10 90 3.79 154.1 153 53 111
stl

Big stage doesn't bother Boggs

B.J. Rains / MLB.com
Nobody needs to tell rookie Mitchell Boggs about the Cardinals-Cubs rivalry. No one has to mention that Saturday's game is being broadcast nationally on FOX, either.
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Cardinals probable pitcher

Mitchell Boggs

  • #41 RHP
  • (0-0) 4.50 ERA 3 SO
Boggs entered the spring as the primary candidate to get a start if anything happened to one of the regular starting five. Then he got hurt in Spring Training, and P.J. Walters passed him on the depth chart. But Boggs showed the Cardinals something they liked in his relief appearance last time out, and he'll get a look against Chicago. One thing that impressed the staff last season was that he didn't shrink from difficult or high-profile assignments, and a Saturday afternoon game in front of a big crowd against the Cubs certainly fits that description.
  W-L ERA IP BB SO AVG
Career 3-2 7.25 36.0 23 16 .301
Season 0-0 4.50 2.0 1 3 .250
April 0-0 4.50 2.0 1 3 .250
Vs. Chi Cubs 0-0 4.50 2.0 1 3 .250

Cubs hitters vs Mitchell Boggs

  2009 2004-2008
Hitter AVG AB HR RBI AVG AB HR RBI
Adduci, James - - - - - - - -
Baker, Jeff - - - - - - - -
Blanco, Andres - - - - .500 2 0 0
Bradley, Milton - - - - - - - -
Castillo, Welington - - - - - - - -
Colvin, Tyler - - - - .000 1 0 0
Fontenot, Mike .000 1 0 0 .250 4 0 0
Fox, Jake - - - - .167 6 1 2
Fukudome, Kosuke 1.000 1 0 0 .750 4 0 0
Fuld, Sam - - - - .222 9 0 0
Hill, Koyie - - - - .143 7 0 0
Hoffpauir, Micah .000 1 0 0 .667 3 1 3
Lee, Derrek .000 1 0 0 .200 5 0 0
Miles, Aaron - - - - .500 2 0 0
Ramirez, Aramis 1.000 1 0 1 .500 2 0 1
Soriano, Alfonso .000 1 0 0 .000 4 0 0
Soto, Geovany - 0 0 0 .000 3 0 0
Theriot, Ryan .000 1 0 0 .200 5 0 1

Cardinals hitters vs Sean Marshall

  2009 2004-2008
Hitter AVG AB HR RBI AVG AB HR RBI
Anderson, Bryan - - - - - - - -
Craig, Allen - - - - .000 3 0 0
Freese, David - - - - .000 2 0 0
Greene, Tyler - - - - .000 2 0 0
Hamilton, Mark - - - - .667 3 0 1
Jay, Jon - - - - - - - -
Jones, Daryl - - - - - - - -
Ludwick, Ryan .333 3 0 1 .214 14 1 2
Lugo, Julio - - - - .333 3 0 0
Mather, Joe - - - - .333 3 0 0
Molina, Yadier .000 2 0 0 .263 19 0 2
Pagnozzi, Matt - - - - .000 2 0 0
Pujols, Albert .000 2 0 0 .250 20 1 1
Rasmus, Colby - - - - .333 9 0 1
Robinson, Shane - - - - .333 3 0 0
Ryan, Brendan .333 3 0 0 .263 19 1 1
Schumaker, Skip - - - - .143 7 0 0
Stavinoha, Nick - - - - .250 4 0 1

Pujols' slam helps 'Bogg' down Cubs (8-8) (13-5)

Cardinals 8, Cubs 2

Lineup lacking pop

Carrie Muskat / MLB.com
Playing without the injured Aramis Ramirez and Milton Bradley, the Cubs left nine men on base and were unable to stage a late rally after David Patton allowed a grand slam in the seventh. Sean Marshall was solid, allowing three runs in six innings, and he scored Chicago's first run.

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Series at a Glance

 
Albert Pujols takes a curtain call after his second grand slam of the year. (AP)

Milestone backs rook

B.J. Rains / MLB.com
Mitchell Boggs allowed just one unearned run in 5 2/3 innings, but the Cubs were still within striking distance before Albert Pujols hit a mammoth grand slam that gave him 1,002 RBIs for his career -- making the slugger the 23rd active player to reach the 1,000-RBI mark.
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Cardinals 8, Cubs 2

Chi Cubs AB R H RBI BB SO LOB AVG
Theriot, SS 4 0 2 1 1 0 1 .344
Fukudome, RF 5 0 2 0 0 1 2 .345
Soriano, A, LF 4 0 0 0 0 3 3 .294
Lee, D, 1B 4 0 0 0 0 1 1 .197
Fontenot, 3B 4 0 2 0 0 0 0 .235
Johnson, Re, CF 4 0 1 0 0 1 3 .320
Soto, C 3 1 1 0 1 0 0 .143
Miles, 2B 4 0 1 0 0 0 3 .120
Marshall, P 2 1 0 0 0 0 1 .000
  a-Gathright, PH 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 .200
  Patton, D, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
  Cotts, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
  b-Hoffpauir, M, PH 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 .318
Totals 36 2 10 1 2 6 15  

a-Singled for Marshall in the 7th. b-Flied out for Cotts in the 9th.

BATTING
2B: Soto (1, Boyer).
TB: Theriot 2; Fukudome 2; Fontenot 2; Johnson, Re; Soto 2; Miles; Gathright.
RBI: Theriot (6).
2-out RBI: Theriot.
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Johnson, Re; Soriano, A 2; Miles; Fukudome.
GIDP: Fukudome.
Team RISP: 2-for-8.
Team LOB: 9.

BASERUNNING
CS: Gathright (1, 2nd base by Motte/Molina, Y).
PO: Gathright (1st base by Motte).
 
St. Louis AB R H RBI BB SO LOB AVG
Ryan, Br, 2B 4 0 0 0 0 1 4 .259
Rasmus, CF 4 1 1 0 1 1 2 .304
Pujols, 1B 4 1 1 4 0 0 2 .348
Ludwick, RF 4 1 1 0 0 2 0 .356
Molina, Y, C 4 1 1 0 0 0 0 .333
Duncan, LF 3 0 0 0 1 2 2 .298
Greene, K, SS 4 2 2 1 0 0 1 .246
Barden, 3B 3 1 3 2 1 0 0 .419
Boggs, M, P 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 .000
  Motte, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
  a-Ankiel, PH 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 .232
  Perez, C, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
  b-Thurston, PH 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 .325
  Boyer, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
Totals 32 8 10 8 4 7 12  

a-Walked for Motte in the 7th. b-Singled for Perez, C in the 8th.

BATTING
2B: Ludwick (4, Marshall), Greene, K (2, Marshall).
HR: Pujols (7, 7th inning off Patton, D, 3 on, 1 out).
TB: Rasmus; Pujols 4; Ludwick 2; Molina, Y; Greene, K 3; Barden 3; Thurston.
RBI: Greene, K (8), Barden 2 (6), Pujols 4 (25), Thurston (11).
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Pujols; Ryan, Br; Rasmus 2.
S: Boggs, M; Ryan, Br.
Team RISP: 6-for-13.
Team LOB: 6.

FIELDING
E: Barden (1, throw), Rasmus (1, fielding).
DP: (Ryan, Br-Pujols).
Pickoffs: Motte (Gathright at 1st base).
 
Chi Cubs IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA
Marshall (L, 0-1) 6.0 6 3 3 1 5 0 4.50
Patton, D 1.2 4 5 5 3 2 1 11.37
Cotts 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 0 4.15
 
St. Louis IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA
Boggs, M (W, 1-0) 5.2 6 1 0 1 3 0 1.17
Motte (H, 3) 1.1 1 0 0 1 0 0 5.40
Perez, C 1.0 1 0 0 0 2 0 3.18
Boyer 1.0 2 1 0 0 1 0 23.14

WP: Boggs, M 2.
Pitches-strikes: Marshall 90-66, Patton, D 44-23, Cotts 1-1, Boggs, M 99-59, Motte 18-9, Perez, C 17-10, Boyer 15-11.
Groundouts-flyouts: Marshall 6-7, Patton, D 3-0, Cotts 0-1, Boggs, M 5-9, Motte 2-1, Perez, C 0-1, Boyer 1-1.
Batters faced: Marshall 25, Patton, D 12, Cotts 1, Boggs, M 25, Motte 4, Perez, C 4, Boyer 5.
Inherited runners-scored: Cotts 2-0, Motte 2-0.
Umpires: HP: Scott Barry. 1B: Laz Diaz. 2B: Chuck Meriwether. 3B: Eric Cooper.
Weather: 84 degrees, partly cloudy.
Wind: 15 mph, R to L.
T: 2:50.
Att: 46,707.
April 25, 2009

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