Chi Cubs (14-12) at Houston (11-16)

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chc

Cubs regulars due back in Houston

Carrie Muskat / MLB.com
Manager Lou Piniella gave several players the day off against San Francisco's Tim Lincecum, but expect them to return in the Houston opener. It will be interesting to see how Piniella tweaks the middle of the order, where some of his struggling hitters bat.
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Cubs probable pitcher

Rich Harden

  • #40 RHP
  • (2-1) 5.11 ERA 37 SO
Harden struggled with his control in his last outing against the Marlins. He walked four, matching a season high, and was pulled after 3 2/3 innings. It was his shortest outing since a 3 2/3-inning start against Texas on May 11, 2008. Harden had struck out 35 in 21 innings prior to the Florida game, when he fanned just two. He did not face the Astros on the Cubs' first trip to Houston, and did not get a decision in his only start against them last year. It also was the 17th time in his career he's given up five or more runs in a game.
  W-L ERA IP BB SO AVG
Career 43-21 3.30 637.1 276 649 .217
Season 2-1 5.11 24.2 14 37 .228
May 0-0 12.27 3.2 4 2 .400

Series at a Glance

Standings - 05/06/2009 W L PCT GB Home Away
Chicago Cubs (NL Central) 14 12 .538 2.5 8-6 6-6
Houston Astros (NL Central) 11 16 .407 6.0 5-8 6-8
Stats - 05/06/2009 AVG R HR RBI SB SO ERA IP H BB SO
CHC .247 123 31 117 18 193 4.53 232.2 216 109 217
HOU .258 106 21 101 17 159 4.45 240.2 257 110 179
hou

Tejada contributing without power

Jeff Seidel / Special to MLB.com
As the Astros head home to face the rival Cubs, they can rest easy knowing that Miguel Tejada is finding ways to provide offense despite a decrease in power numbers.
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Astros probable pitcher

Mike Hampton

  • #11 LHP
  • (1-2) 4.88 ERA 22 SO
Hampton's return to Atlanta didn't go in his favor, and he ended up tagged with a loss after allowing six runs (five earned) over 4 1/3 innings. The Braves scored four off him in the fifth, due partly to a Lance Berkman error that allowed the bases to be loaded with one out. Hampton has pitched well against the Cubs through his career, compiling a 9-4 record and a 2.98 ERA over 23 games (19 starts).
  W-L ERA IP BB SO AVG
Career 142-107 4.02 2179.2 865 1332 .271
Season 1-2 4.88 27.2 11 22 .279
May 0-1 10.38 4.1 2 0 .278

Cubs hitters vs Mike Hampton

  2009 2004-2008
Hitter AVG AB HR RBI AVG AB HR RBI
Adduci, James - - - - - - - -
Baker, Jeff - - - - .000 1 0 0
Blanco, Andres - - - - - - - -
Bradley, Milton - - - - .455 11 0 1
Castillo, Welington - - - - - - - -
Colvin, Tyler - - - - - - - -
Fontenot, Mike - - - - - - - -
Fox, Jake - - - - - - - -
Fukudome, Kosuke - - - - .000 1 0 0
Fuld, Sam - - - - - - - -
Hill, Koyie - - - - .500 2 0 1
Hoffpauir, Micah - - - - .333 3 0 0
Lee, Derrek - - - - .250 4 0 2
Miles, Aaron - - - - .300 10 0 0
Ramirez, Aramis - - - - .429 7 1 2
Soriano, Alfonso - - - - .333 6 1 3
Soto, Geovany - - - - .000 2 0 0
Theriot, Ryan - - - - .200 5 0 0

Astros hitters vs Rich Harden

  2009 2004-2008
Hitter AVG AB HR RBI AVG AB HR RBI
Berkman, Lance - - - - .333 6 1 2
Blum, Geoff - - - - .267 15 1 3
Bogusevic, Brian - - - - .000 2 0 0
Bourgeois, Jason - - - - - - - -
Bourn, Michael - - - - .200 10 0 1
Johnson, Chris - - - - .500 2 0 0
Keppinger, Jeff - - - - .400 5 0 0
Lee, Carlos - - - - .294 17 1 5
Manzella, Tommy - - - - .000 2 0 0
Matsui, Kazuo - - - - .400 10 0 1
Maysonet, Edwin - - - - - - - -
Pence, Hunter - - - - .300 10 0 0
Quintero, Humberto - - - - .000 2 0 0
Ramirez, Yordany - - - - .500 2 0 0
Sutil, Wladimir - - - - - - - -
Towles, J.R. - - - - .000 1 0 0
Vallejo, Jose - - - - - - - -

One and done: Cubs run away (15-12) (11-16)

Cubs 6, Astros 3

First inning decisive

Gene Duffey / Special to MLB.com
Reed Johnson delivered a three-run triple in the first inning and scored twice to give Rich Harden more than he would need to earn the victory. Harden yielded three runs on eight hits over seven-plus innings and was also backed by Aramis Ramirez's fourth homer of the season.

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Series at a Glance

 

Off from the get-go

Alyson Footer / MLB.com
Mike Hampton was touched for four runs in the first inning, and the Astros' bats and gloves were unable to compensate. Lance Berkman hit a late two-run homer and Hampton had an RBI single, but too many miscues -- including two passed balls by Ivan Rodriguez -- proved too damaging.
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Cubs 6, Astros 3

Chi Cubs AB R H RBI BB SO LOB AVG
Soriano, A, LF 5 1 1 0 0 3 5 .270
Theriot, SS 5 0 0 0 0 1 5 .305
Bradley, RF 5 1 1 0 0 0 2 .135
  Gregg, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
Ramirez, A, 3B 4 1 2 1 1 0 2 .344
Soto, C 3 1 0 0 1 1 2 .159
Johnson, Re, CF-RF 3 2 1 3 1 1 0 .234
Hoffpauir, M, 1B 4 0 1 0 0 1 1 .295
Miles, 2B 3 0 1 0 1 0 0 .203
Harden, P 4 0 1 0 0 2 3 .250
  Marmol, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
  Gathright, CF 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .154
Totals 36 6 8 4 4 9 20  

BATTING
2B: Miles (4, Hampton), Hoffpauir, M (3, Hampton).
3B: Johnson, Re (1, Hampton).
HR: Ramirez, A (4, 7th inning off Arias, A, 0 on, 1 out).
TB: Soriano, A; Bradley; Ramirez, A 5; Johnson, Re 3; Hoffpauir, M 2; Miles 2; Harden.
RBI: Johnson, Re 3 (4), Ramirez, A (15).
2-out RBI: Johnson, Re 3.
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Bradley; Theriot 2.
GIDP: Soto.
Team RISP: 1-for-9.
Team LOB: 7.

FIELDING
DP: (Theriot-Miles-Hoffpauir, M).
 
Houston AB R H RBI BB SO LOB AVG
Matsui, K, 2B 5 0 2 0 0 1 1 .274
Bourn, CF 4 1 1 0 0 1 2 .299
Berkman, 1B 3 1 1 2 1 0 1 .194
Lee, C, LF 3 0 1 0 1 0 1 .294
Tejada, SS 4 0 0 0 0 0 4 .287
Pence, RF 4 1 2 0 0 0 1 .310
Blum, 3B 3 0 0 0 1 1 2 .272
Rodriguez, I, C 4 0 0 0 0 0 3 .247
Hampton, P 2 0 1 1 0 1 0 .273
  Arias, A, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
  a-Erstad, PH 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .148
  Wright, W, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
  Fulchino, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
  b-Michaels, PH 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 .286
Totals 34 3 8 3 3 5 15  

a-Flied out for Arias, A in the 7th. b-Struck out for Fulchino in the 9th.

BATTING
2B: Pence (6, Harden).
HR: Berkman (7, 8th inning off Harden, 1 on, 0 out).
TB: Matsui, K 2; Bourn; Berkman 4; Lee, C; Pence 3; Hampton.
RBI: Hampton (3), Berkman 2 (16).
2-out RBI: Hampton.
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Rodriguez, I; Tejada 2.
GIDP: Rodriguez, I.
Team RISP: 1-for-5.
Team LOB: 7.

FIELDING
E: Blum (1, throw).
PB: Rodriguez, I 2 (2).
DP: (Tejada-Matsui, K-Berkman).
 
Chi Cubs IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA
Harden (W, 3-1) 7.0 8 3 3 3 4 1 4.83
Marmol (H, 7) 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4.85
Gregg (S, 5) 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 4.61
 
Houston IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA
Hampton (L, 1-3) 5.1 7 5 3 4 4 0 4.91
Arias, A 1.2 1 1 1 0 3 1 5.40
Wright, W 1.0 0 0 0 0 2 0 7.45
Fulchino 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5.91

Harden pitched to 3 batters in the 8th.

WP: Harden, Arias, A.
Pitches-strikes: Harden 99-66, Marmol 10-8, Gregg 12-9, Hampton 107-66, Arias, A 25-18, Wright, W 11-8, Fulchino 15-12.
Groundouts-flyouts: Harden 8-9, Marmol 2-1, Gregg 2-0, Hampton 7-5, Arias, A 3-0, Wright, W 1-0, Fulchino 2-1.
Batters faced: Harden 31, Marmol 3, Gregg 3, Hampton 27, Arias, A 7, Wright, W 3, Fulchino 3.
Inherited runners-scored: Marmol 1-0, Arias, A 2-0.
Umpires: HP: Wally Bell. 1B: Adrian Johnson. 2B: Marvin Hudson. 3B: John Hirschbeck.
Weather: 83 degrees, partly cloudy.
Wind: 11 mph, Out to LF.
T: 2:49.
Att: 29,415.
May 6, 2009

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