Chi Cubs (29-27) at Houston (26-32)

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chc

Piniella takes active role to help Bradley

Carrie Muskat / MLB.com
Lou Piniella has taken a more active role in Milton Bradley's hitting. After watching nearly an hour of video on Bradley, Piniella discovered something.
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Cubs probable pitcher

Ryan Dempster

  • #46 RHP
  • (4-3) 4.12 ERA 64 SO
Dempster did not get the win in his last start against the Reds. He gave up three runs, all unearned, on six hits over six innings and struck out seven. The right-hander was pulled after 84 pitches, his second-shortest outing of the year as far as his pitch count goes. He has faced Houston once, and that was in his first start, on April 7. In that game, Dempster gave up two runs on six hits over six innings, but did not get a decision.
  W-L ERA IP BB SO AVG
Career 80-84 4.53 1499.1 736 1258 .260
Season 4-3 4.12 74.1 29 64 .241
June 0-0 0.00 6.0 2 7 .250
Vs. Houston 0-0 3.00 6.0 3 5 .261

Series at a Glance

Standings - 06/11/2009 W L PCT GB Home Away
Chicago Cubs (NL Central) 29 27 .518 2.5 16-10 13-17
Houston Astros (NL Central) 26 32 .448 6.5 15-18 11-14
Stats - 06/11/2009 AVG R HR RBI SB SO ERA IP H BB SO
CHC .250 245 63 233 25 425 3.89 499.2 438 220 449
HOU .272 243 46 231 36 331 4.47 517.0 560 202 404
hou

Berkman eyes milestone 300th homer

Brian McTaggart / MLB.com
In his typical humorous fashion, Lance Berkman offered to all reporters within earshot his thoughts on what might happen when he hits his 300th career homer.
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Astros probable pitcher

Russ Ortiz

  • #23 RHP
  • (3-2) 3.96 ERA 28 SO
Ortiz pitched 4 1/3 innings of scoreless relief on Sunday, coming in to replace Felipe Paulino, who was forced to come out with a right groin strain. Ortiz will again step in for Paulino, who is sidelined with the groin injury for his next start. Ortiz has put together a 12 1/3-inning scoreless streak. As a starter this season he is 2-1 with 5.82 ERA and hasn't allowed more than three runs in any start. His last start came on May 7 against the Cubs, who he'll face again Thursday. Ortiz is 3-5 with a 5.71 ERA in 12 games against Chicago.
  W-L ERA IP BB SO AVG
Career 113-84 4.41 1607.1 833 1149 .256
Season 3-2 3.96 38.2 26 28 .270
June 1-0 0.00 7.1 1 5 .250
Vs. Chi Cubs 0-1 10.13 5.1 7 7 .400

Cubs hitters vs Russ Ortiz

  2009 2004-2008
Hitter AVG AB HR RBI AVG AB HR RBI
Adduci, James - - - - - - - -
Baker, Jeff - - - - - - - -
Blanco, Andres - - - - .000 2 0 0
Bradley, Milton .333 3 0 1 .286 14 1 3
Castillo, Welington - - - - - - - -
Colvin, Tyler - - - - - - - -
Fontenot, Mike .333 3 1 3 .429 7 1 4
Fox, Jake - - - - .500 2 1 1
Fukudome, Kosuke 1.000 2 0 0 .800 5 0 3
Fuld, Sam - - - - - - - -
Hill, Koyie .500 2 0 0 .571 7 0 2
Hoffpauir, Micah .500 2 0 1 .250 4 0 1
Lee, Derrek .000 2 0 0 .000 7 0 0
Miles, Aaron - - - - .333 3 0 0
Ramirez, Aramis .500 2 0 0 .333 6 0 0
Soriano, Alfonso .000 3 0 0 .375 8 0 0
Soto, Geovany 1.000 1 0 0 1.000 1 0 0
Theriot, Ryan 1.000 2 0 0 .429 7 0 2

Astros hitters vs Ryan Dempster

  2009 2004-2008
Hitter AVG AB HR RBI AVG AB HR RBI
Berkman, Lance .000 3 0 0 .148 27 0 0
Blum, Geoff .333 3 0 0 .294 17 0 0
Bogusevic, Brian - - - - - - - -
Bourgeois, Jason - - - - - 0 0 0
Bourn, Michael .333 3 0 1 .400 15 0 1
Johnson, Chris - - - - - - - -
Keppinger, Jeff - - - - .500 18 0 3
Lee, Carlos .000 3 0 0 .333 24 1 5
Manzella, Tommy - - - - - - - -
Matsui, Kazuo .500 2 0 0 .154 13 0 0
Maysonet, Edwin - - - - - - - -
Pence, Hunter .667 3 1 1 .348 23 2 5
Quintero, Humberto - - - - .250 4 0 2
Ramirez, Yordany - - - - - - - -
Sutil, Wladimir - - - - - - - -
Towles, J.R. - - - - .000 5 0 0
Vallejo, Jose - - - - - - - -

Fool me twice (29-28) (27-31)

Astros 2, Cubs 1 (13)

Overtime blues

Carrie Muskat / MLB.com
It was the Cubs' fifth extra-inning game in their past eight, and it didn't end well. For the second consecutive day, Astros third baseman Geoff Blum tormented the Cubs when it mattered most, driving home the winning run in the 13th inning.

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Series at a Glance

 

Lucky 13

Brian McTaggart / MLB.com
Geoff Blum did it again. One day after knocking in the game-winning run in the ninth inning, the Astros third baseman slapped a single down the right-field line with two out in the 13th to beat the Cubs and take their fourth straight series.
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Astros 2, Cubs 1

Chi Cubs AB R H RBI BB SO LOB AVG
Soriano, A, LF 5 0 1 0 1 0 1 .236
Theriot, SS 4 0 0 0 0 3 2 .283
  Marmol, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
  c-Johnson, Re, PH 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 .272
  Gregg, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
  Scales, 2B 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 .228
Fukudome, CF 5 0 0 0 1 2 2 .285
Lee, D, 1B 4 1 1 1 1 0 3 .269
Hoffpauir, M, RF 5 0 1 0 0 1 2 .266
Fontenot, 3B 4 0 1 0 1 1 1 .247
Hill, K, C 3 0 0 0 0 1 3 .246
  b-Bradley, PH 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 .215
  Soto, C 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .219
Blanco, A, 2B-SS 4 0 0 0 0 2 1 .219
Dempster, P 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 .107
  a-Miles, PH-2B 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 .200
  Ascanio, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
Totals 42 1 6 1 5 11 18  

a-Grounded out for Dempster in the 8th. b-Singled for Hill, K in the 10th. c-Popped out for Marmol in the 10th.

BATTING
HR: Lee, D (7, 9th inning off Hawkins, 0 on, 1 out).
TB: Soriano, A; Lee, D 4; Hoffpauir, M; Fontenot; Bradley; Dempster.
RBI: Lee, D (25).
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Lee, D; Johnson, Re.
S: Blanco, A.
GIDP: Hill, K; Soriano, A.
Team RISP: 0-for-6.
Team LOB: 8.

FIELDING
E: Blanco, A (1, fielding).
DP: (Blanco, A-Miles-Lee, D).
 
Houston AB R H RBI BB SO LOB AVG
Bourn, CF 6 1 1 0 0 2 3 .290
Tejada, SS 6 0 1 0 0 0 2 .350
Pence, RF 5 1 0 0 1 1 5 .329
Lee, C, LF 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 .315
  Michaels, LF 3 0 0 0 0 2 1 .170
Berkman, 1B 4 0 2 0 2 1 1 .253
Blum, 3B 6 0 3 1 0 1 2 .273
Rodriguez, I, C 5 0 0 0 0 1 4 .251
Keppinger, 2B 5 0 1 0 0 0 0 .262
Ortiz, R, P 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 .286
  Byrdak, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
  Arias, A, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
  a-Erstad, PH 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .130
  Sampson, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
  Hawkins, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
  b-Kata, PH 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 .111
  Fulchino, P 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
Totals 47 2 11 2 3 8 18  

a-Grounded out for Arias, A in the 7th. b-Singled for Hawkins in the 10th.

BATTING
2B: Bourn (13, Dempster), Berkman (11, Dempster).
TB: Bourn 2; Tejada; Berkman 3; Blum 3; Keppinger; Ortiz, R 2; Kata.
RBI: Lee, C (39), Blum (18).
2-out RBI: Blum.
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Blum; Pence.
SF: Lee, C.
GIDP: Rodriguez, I.
Team RISP: 2-for-6.
Team LOB: 11.

BASERUNNING
SB: Pence (7, 2nd base off Ascanio/Soto).
CS: Keppinger (2, 2nd base by Dempster/Hill, K).

FIELDING
DP: 2 (Tejada-Keppinger-Berkman 2).
 
Chi Cubs IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA
Dempster 7.0 7 1 1 0 4 0 3.87
Marmol 2.0 0 0 0 1 1 0 3.41
Gregg 2.0 3 0 0 0 1 0 4.28
Ascanio (L, 0-1) 1.2 1 1 1 2 2 0 2.92
 
Houston IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA
Ortiz, R 5.1 3 0 0 3 5 0 3.48
Byrdak (H, 4) 0.1 0 0 0 0 1 0 3.63
Arias, A (H, 4) 1.1 0 0 0 1 1 0 3.07
Sampson (H, 9) 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1.66
Hawkins (BS, 3) 2.0 2 1 1 1 1 1 2.70
Fulchino (W, 2-1) 3.0 1 0 0 0 2 0 2.77

IBB: Berkman (by Ascanio), Soriano, A (by Hawkins).
Pitches-strikes: Dempster 102-66, Marmol 30-18, Gregg 35-24, Ascanio 26-14, Ortiz, R 92-58, Byrdak 5-3, Arias, A 21-11, Sampson 9-6, Hawkins 35-24, Fulchino 36-22.
Groundouts-flyouts: Dempster 5-11, Marmol 1-4, Gregg 5-0, Ascanio 2-1, Ortiz, R 9-2, Byrdak 0-0, Arias, A 2-1, Sampson 2-0, Hawkins 3-2, Fulchino 3-4.
Batters faced: Dempster 27, Marmol 7, Gregg 9, Ascanio 8, Ortiz, R 20, Byrdak 1, Arias, A 5, Sampson 3, Hawkins 9, Fulchino 10.
Inherited runners-scored: Byrdak 2-0, Arias, A 2-0.
Umpires: HP: Ed Rapuano. 1B: Joe West. 2B: Paul Nauert. 3B: Paul Schrieber.
Weather: 73 degrees, roof closed.
Wind: 0 mph, None.
T: 4:08.
Att: 34,250.
June 11, 2009

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