Chi Cubs (8-8) at St. Louis (13-5)

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chc

Cubs hope to start delivering in clutch

Carrie Muskat / MLB.com
Last year, the Cubs led the National League in runs and had their best team batting average since 1937. The first month of this season, however, has been a struggle offensively.
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Cubs probable pitcher

Rich Harden

  • #40 RHP
  • (1-1) 4.20 ERA 26 SO
Harden showed he's a hearty Canadian in his last start. He shrugged off 40-degree temperatures at Wrigley Field to strike out eight over six innings against the Reds. The right-hander wore short sleeves despite the cold and gave up three hits. It was a much improved outing from his previous start, when he lasted three innings. He's now fanned 26 in his three starts. Harden won his only start against the Cardinals last season.
  W-L ERA IP BB SO AVG
Career 42-21 3.25 627.2 270 638 .216
Season 1-1 4.20 15.0 8 26 .200
April 1-1 4.20 15.0 8 26 .200

Series at a Glance

Standings - 04/26/2009 W L PCT GB Home Away
Chicago Cubs (NL Central) 8 8 .500 4.0 4-4 4-4
St. Louis Cardinals (NL Central) 13 5 .722 - 10-2 3-3
Stats - 04/26/2009 AVG R HR RBI SB SO ERA IP H BB SO
CHC .253 72 16 68 7 111 4.39 143.2 135 64 140
STL .303 112 21 112 10 97 3.58 163.1 163 55 117
stl

Cards aim to win 10th straight at home

B.J. Rains / MLB.com
The Cardinals have won nine consecutive home games and have a 10-2 home record. It's their best start at home since 1968, when they started 10-1 before eventually winning the National League pennant.
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Cardinals probable pitcher

Todd Wellemeyer

  • #37 RHP
  • (1-1) 5.29 ERA 8 SO
Just as it seemed Wellemeyer had gotten sorted out after an iffy spring and start of the season, he was a bit shaky again on Tuesday. As he pointed out, though, some of what happened against him on Tuesday was a matter of ground balls finding holes. Additionally, Wellemeyer hasn't historically done well on long rest, and he had seven days between starts last time out. He'll need to be better against a potent Cubs team, but he's pitched very well against his old team.
  W-L ERA IP BB SO AVG
Career 23-20 4.45 450.2 217 348 .256
Season 1-1 5.29 17.0 4 8 .403
April 1-1 5.29 17.0 4 8 .403

Cubs hitters vs Todd Wellemeyer

  2009 2004-2008
Hitter AVG AB HR RBI AVG AB HR RBI
Adduci, James - - - - - - - -
Baker, Jeff - - - - - - - -
Blanco, Andres - - - - - - - -
Bradley, Milton - - - - .000 2 0 0
Castillo, Welington - - - - - - - -
Colvin, Tyler - - - - - - - -
Fontenot, Mike - - - - .250 8 0 1
Fox, Jake - - - - .000 1 0 0
Fukudome, Kosuke - - - - .333 6 0 2
Fuld, Sam - - - - - - - -
Hill, Koyie - - - - 1.000 1 0 1
Hoffpauir, Micah - - - - 1.000 1 0 1
Lee, Derrek - - - - .231 13 0 2
Miles, Aaron - - - - .167 6 0 0
Ramirez, Aramis - - - - .333 9 0 2
Soriano, Alfonso - - - - .417 12 0 1
Soto, Geovany - - - - .091 11 0 0
Theriot, Ryan - - - - .417 12 0 1

Cardinals hitters vs Rich Harden

  2009 2004-2008
Hitter AVG AB HR RBI AVG AB HR RBI
Anderson, Bryan - - - - - - - -
Craig, Allen - - - - - - - -
Freese, David - - - - - - - -
Greene, Tyler - - - - - - - -
Hamilton, Mark - - - - - - - -
Jay, Jon - - - - - - - -
Jones, Daryl - - - - - - - -
Ludwick, Ryan - - - - .250 8 0 2
Lugo, Julio - - - - .273 11 0 0
Mather, Joe - - - - - - - -
Molina, Yadier - - - - .143 7 1 1
Pagnozzi, Matt - - - - - - - -
Pujols, Albert - - - - .375 8 1 3
Rasmus, Colby - - - - .200 5 0 0
Robinson, Shane - - - - - - - -
Ryan, Brendan - - - - .000 1 0 0
Schumaker, Skip - - - - .222 9 0 0
Stavinoha, Nick - - - - 1.000 1 0 0

Cubs cool off Cards at Busch (9-8) (13-6)

Cubs 10, Cardinals 3

Bats back Harden

Carrie Muskat / MLB.com
Staked to a three-run lead before he took the hill, Rich Harden fanned nine and held the hot-hitting Cards to two runs in six innings. Kosuke Fukudome homered and drove in five, and Micah Hoffpauir, replacing the injured Derrek Lee, drove in a pair.

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Series at a Glance

 

Early hole sinks hosts

Matthew Leach / MLB.com
Winners of nine in a row at home, the Cards fell behind and couldn't catch the Cubs, despite homers from Yadier Molina and Rick Ankiel. Starter Todd Wellemeyer remains winless at Busch this season, giving up five earned runs in five innings.
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Cardinals Wrap >

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Cubs 10, Cardinals 3

Chi Cubs AB R H RBI BB SO LOB AVG
Soriano, A, LF 4 2 2 0 0 1 2 .306
Theriot, SS 5 3 1 0 0 0 4 .333
Fukudome, RF 4 2 3 5 1 0 0 .371
Lee, D, 1B 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 .209
  Hoffpauir, M, 1B 3 1 2 2 1 0 0 .360
Johnson, Re, CF 5 0 0 0 0 2 7 .267
Fontenot, 3B 4 0 1 1 1 1 3 .236
Soto, C 4 0 0 0 0 1 2 .128
  Heilman, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
  a-Gathright, PH 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 .167
  Gregg, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
Miles, 2B 5 2 3 0 0 1 0 .200
Harden, P 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 .250
  Cotts, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
  Hill, K, C 2 0 1 0 0 0 2 .318
Totals 40 10 14 9 3 8 21  

a-Struck out for Heilman in the 9th.

BATTING
2B: Lee, D (4, Wellemeyer), Soriano, A (6, Wellemeyer), Miles (1, Miller, T).
HR: Hoffpauir, M (2, 7th inning off Walters, 0 on, 0 out), Fukudome (4, 8th inning off Miller, T, 2 on, 2 out).
TB: Soriano, A 3; Theriot; Fukudome 6; Lee, D 2; Hoffpauir, M 5; Fontenot; Miles 4; Hill, K.
RBI: Fukudome 5 (15), Lee, D (10), Fontenot (6), Hoffpauir, M 2 (7).
2-out RBI: Hoffpauir, M; Fukudome 3.
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Soto; Johnson, Re 2; Fontenot; Hill, K 2.
S: Harden.
GIDP: Soto.
Team RISP: 4-for-15.
Team LOB: 8.

BASERUNNING
SB: Soriano, A (3, 3rd base off Wellemeyer/Molina, Y).

FIELDING
DP: (Fontenot-Miles-Hoffpauir, M).
 
St. Louis AB R H RBI BB SO LOB AVG
Schumaker, 2B 5 0 1 0 0 1 2 .298
Rasmus, LF 5 0 1 0 0 3 2 .294
Pujols, 1B 1 0 0 0 3 0 2 .343
Ludwick, RF 4 0 0 0 0 1 6 .333
Ankiel, CF 4 1 1 1 0 0 2 .233
Molina, Y, C 4 1 2 1 0 2 0 .344
  LaRue, C 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .625
Greene, K, SS 4 0 0 0 0 1 1 .230
Thurston, 3B 3 1 1 0 1 0 1 .326
Wellemeyer, P 2 0 0 0 0 1 1 .200
  Walters, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
  a-Ryan, Br, PH 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 .286
  Boyer, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
  Miller, T, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
  Reyes, D, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
  b-Duncan, PH 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 .310
Totals 34 3 8 3 4 9 17  

a-Doubled for Walters in the 7th. b-Doubled for Reyes, D in the 9th.

BATTING
2B: Ryan, Br (2, Cotts), Duncan (7, Gregg).
HR: Molina, Y (2, 2nd inning off Harden, 0 on, 0 out), Ankiel (2, 4th inning off Harden, 0 on, 0 out).
TB: Schumaker; Rasmus; Ankiel 4; Molina, Y 5; Thurston; Ryan, Br 2; Duncan 2.
RBI: Molina, Y (11), Ankiel (6), Ryan, Br (3).
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Ankiel; Ludwick; Thurston.
GIDP: Pujols.
Team RISP: 2-for-10.
Team LOB: 9.

BASERUNNING
SB: Thurston (1, 2nd base off Cotts/Soto).

FIELDING
E: Greene, K (5, throw).
DP: (Greene, K-Schumaker-Pujols).
 
Chi Cubs IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA
Harden (W, 2-1) 6.0 4 2 2 2 9 2 3.86
Cotts 0.2 1 1 1 1 0 0 5.40
Heilman 1.1 1 0 0 1 0 0 0.82
Gregg 1.0 2 0 0 0 0 0 5.63
 
St. Louis IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA
Wellemeyer (L, 1-2) 5.0 8 6 5 2 5 0 6.14
Walters 2.0 2 1 1 0 2 1 9.72
Boyer 0.2 2 2 2 0 0 0 24.00
Miller, T 1.0 2 1 1 1 1 1 5.68
Reyes, D 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 0 3.00

HBP: Pujols (by Harden), Soriano, A (by Wellemeyer).
Pitches-strikes: Harden 107-69, Cotts 20-12, Heilman 20-11, Gregg 8-7, Wellemeyer 103-69, Walters 22-15, Boyer 14-9, Miller, T 20-13, Reyes, D 3-2.
Groundouts-flyouts: Harden 2-7, Cotts 1-1, Heilman 1-3, Gregg 2-1, Wellemeyer 4-6, Walters 2-2, Boyer 1-1, Miller, T 1-1, Reyes, D 1-0.
Batters faced: Harden 25, Cotts 4, Heilman 6, Gregg 4, Wellemeyer 27, Walters 7, Boyer 4, Miller, T 6, Reyes, D 1.
Inherited runners-scored: Heilman 1-0, Miller, T 2-2, Reyes, D 2-0.
Umpires: HP: Laz Diaz. 1B: Chuck Meriwether. 2B: Eric Cooper. 3B: Scott Barry.
Weather: 83 degrees, partly cloudy.
Wind: 17 mph, Out to LF.
T: 2:57.
Att: 44,742.
April 26, 2009

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