July 2009
Astros Falter As Cubs Bats Stay Red Hot
Bats were still blazing in this series win against the Astros. The Cubs have looked really good at the plate this homestand going 6 and 1.
Behind Kevin Hart, who had some command issues and pinged two batters, the Cubs bats surged. It was learned after the game that Kevin Hart was dealt to the Pirates in a five man trade. He wasn’t fantastic, but he did bring three wins to the Cubs and will probably help the Pirates as he finds a home there.
Derrek Lee has been our hottest hitter as of late, sometimes carrying the team on his more than capable shoulders so today when he went 0-4 all I could think was it was about time that the team carried him for a change.
Just about everyone got in on this one. Fukudome was swinging a really hot bat going 3-3 and pretty close to hitting for the cycle. He was one of two that had a triple, Mike Fontenot also had one today. Theriot had a hit that I believe was ruled a double, but he ended up at third on it. Fukudome and Theriot paced the offense, each driving in four RBI’s.
Every article I’ve read on the double play that D. Lee tagged out Ortiz keeps saying that it was a high throw from Fontenot. Which is true, but they don’t mention the fact that Fontenot was air born as the base runner took him out to try to break up the double play. Now as for the play on D. Lee’s part, we are very lucky to have him on first. I’m not sure many first baseman make this play, that is just his gold glove calibur over there. Lee is a tall guy so everyone says he makes a good target out there for the infielders and Lord knows he has saved many an error with his skills.
It was pretty funny because as the bottom of the third inning started I told my mom that the next three guys up were more than capable of hitting homeruns so we might see some more and just after I said it Jake Fox sent a ball to the bleachers and then Milton Bradley followed it with a homerun of his own. It’s good to see Bradley getting some hits now.
I am so sick of the comments about Mike Fontenot. I have never seen one person ragged on so much for a hitting slump. It makes me mad because there are other players on this team that were in slumps or are still in them and people are sticking behind them as they work through it. I don’t think anyone will be happy with the second baseman no matter who it is because it’s not Mark DeRosa. I loved Mark DeRosa, I think we were stupid for trading him the Cardinals are lucky to have such a great player, but I also feel that we have a great team and we are now starting to show what we are capable of. It has been said that the guys on this team don’t feel that we need to do a lot of trading and I agree. Fontenot had a double and a triple in this game and I was disappointed that Yahoo sports didn’t post a picture of Fontenot.
Good luck to Kevin Hart with the Pirates, I hope that your career is rewarding and thank you for the help that you gave the Cubs in your short major league stay with us.
Let’s go beat the Marlins, I won’t be able to watch this game I am volunteering for the Relay for Life tomorrow, but I’ll be rooting for my Cubs hoping that their bats remain hot. Go Cubs Go!
Final Score: Cubs 12 Astros 3
~Milli~
9 Days Until Game Time!!
Cubs Smoke Astros Behind Randy Wells!
This game was incredibly fun to watch! The Cubs…every one of them, brought their bats today. We had several homeruns, Soriano belted a three run homer in the first, Rammy homered in the second…can I just take a minute to say how excited I am to have his bat back in the lineup?…and Andres Blanco hit his first homerun this year in the eighth!
The first inning was my favorite because it just showed how every guy is capable of contributing something. This is how the first inning broke down-
Reed Johnson-single, Ryan Theriot-eighteenth double, Derrek Lee-sac fly Johnson scores and
Theriot to third, Aramis Ramirez-singles and Theriot scores, Milton Bradley-walks, Alfonso Soriano-three run homerun, Baker walks and on wild pitch reaches second, Koyie Hill singles and Baker scores, Randy Wells-sac bunt. Every Cub did something to contribute to the game in the first inning and it was amazing!
Hoffpauir had his first career triple in the eighth inning and Fox drove him in after Fontenot walked and Bradley lined out. This was nine innings of shut out baseball and I’m surprised they didn’t leave Wells in to pitch the last inning, but Atkins did a nice job for us and we slaughtered the Astros! Hope the Cards lose tonight, Go Cubs Go!
Final Score: Cubs 12 Astros 0
~Milli~
*Side note: Reed Johnson bounced a foul ball off of his foot in the first inning and has a fractured foot. He is to miss at least a month. I’m am so sad about this because I was hoping to see him at the game in Colorado. I wish you a speedy recovery, Reed!
10 Days Until Game Time!!
Dempster Struggles In First Game Back
We knew that Dempster would be rusty and we were right. He gave up way too many hits and our guys just couldn’t get caught up. We put up a fight and Rammy sure helped us out with his homerun, hopefully today’s game will go much better.
They are platooning second base with Font against right and Baker against left. I’m not opposed to this idea, however Fontenot needs to start hitting he is currently in a slump and we need someone better than Baker. I haven’t been impressed with him, though he can come through with some clutch hits. Fontenot will take on this role with class, put up bigger numbers and show us why he is on this team. I have every faith in him.
Great two RBI pinch hit from Reed Johnson, too!
Let’s play hard today, it’s a day game and we will hopefully swing better and get those hits. I have faith in my Cubbies and could someone please kick the Cardinals butts so we have a chance at first again? 
Go Cubs Go!
Final Score: Astros 11 Cubs 6
~Milli~
10 Days Until Game Time!!
Just One More Thing…
This is my blog dedicated to Mike Fontenot. I am so tired of everyone ragging on him in comments. Has he made mistakes, yes. Is there one guy in our lineup that hasn’t made mistakes? No.
I know that a lot of the flack he is catching is because he took over DeRo’s spot. Get over it! I loved DeRosa as much as the next Cubs fan and I am just as angry that they let him go, but penalizing Fontenot because he is now the second baseman is just plain stupid.
I want players that put up good numbers, I know that Fontenot is capable of great numbers and has been struggling this year, but so has just about every other Cub. Except Theriot and maybe Lee now, but even Lee had a slow start.
This team is starting to play better together and the reason that one person’s faults are showing more is because we are barely hanging in first right now. We have to have someone to blame, but I don’t blame it on Fontenot. It takes a team to lose and it takes a team to win. Even if one player is having a stellar game, it can be lost if he is the only one doing anything.
So basically, I am a huge Mike Fontenot fan and a huge Ryan Theriot fan. I’m all about the Cajun Connection and seeing them in action. They didn’t help win a College World Series because they sucked.
There are players on this team that I have been hard on, but it seems that they come through eventually. I am hoping that others can get behind this team, beacuse we really have a team that can win it all again. Dempster is back on the mound tonight, let’s hope we can get another ‘W’. Go Cubs Go!
Let It Fly–Sori’s Grand Slam Tops Astros In Extras!
Thirteen innings, our bench is exhausted, our pitching is wearing thin…the guys have to be tired…then Soriano lets a beauty fly and the Cubs will maintain their lead for another day! Derrek Lee drew a walk and then with runner in motion Aramis Ramirez hit a single. So you have first and third, no outs. Now their decision to walk Bradley surprised me. Is he a guy who can do damage? Definitey, but so is every other guy in this lineup and Bradley was having a bad game, but they walked him to load the bases and no outs. Soriano walks to the plate, he is also struggling, but he let one rip thinking deep fly ball scores winning run and ended up with his fourth career grand slam!
And of course every win with a grand slam deserves a little cream pie…! 
Good job Theriot, you really nailed him with it!
All right, here is my little protect my Fontenot mangerial rant. In the ninth we had bases loaded one out and Fontenot up to pinch hit, Piniella decides now…with the game on the line, to try a suicide squeeze. I’m not saying this is a bad move at all, but you have to play the hitter to their strengths and I
can honestly say I’ve never seen Fontenot bunt or even try to bunt. It’s a play that should be made, yes, but you have a guy at the plate with an erratic pitcher. Fontenot has a very good eye for the strike zone and can take his walks. He walks and we win, the other thing that Fontenot is very good at is deep fly balls. Guess what? A deep fly ball and we win. Which he hit after the botched squeeze play for the third out. If they had let him swing, we would have won the game right there. In that situation, if you have Reed Johnson or Ryan Theriot at the plate, let them bunt. Both are excellent bunters and can direct that ball with ease, I just feel that if we had played Fontenot to his strength there wouldn’t have been any reason for thirteen innings. That being said, we still won so all is great in Cubbieland! Maybe this will have Fontenot working on his bunting, I imagine it’s not an easy skill to get down, there are some everday guys in our lineup that can lay them down that aren’t pitchers, but Fontenot wasn’t one of them. No matter what, I love Fontenot, I think he is great for this team. Everybody has their off days and yesterday was his.
Derrek Lee was not kept off the bases, he was really dialed in with a moon shot of his own to tie the game at one. The commentators were hilarious yesterday. Here is a comment that I found so funny I was almost rolling on the ground, “Is this room service? Yes, I would like to order a fastball at 92 please?”, “Sorry sir, we only have sliders.” Oh my God, I rolled! D. Lee was at the plate when they made this comment. Then they said, “I wonder how much a fastball costs on a room service menu.” It was so incredibly funny!
Well, here is hoping we win today. I won’t get to watch the game as it’s being played because I’m getting together with my work for preparations for the Relay For Life on Friday, but I’m recording it and will watch it tomorrow. Keep swinging those bats Cubbies and lets win again today! Go Cubs Go!
Final Score (thirteen innings): Cubs 5 Astros 1
~Milli~
11 Days To Game Time!!
Harden’s Gem Puts Cubs In First!
Going into this we thought we were in trouble with the stats that Harden had against him. He was pitching in the day and at Wrigley, but Harden basically threw those out the window. I’ve never seen him pitch better and was really upset that they pulled him after the fifth. I would have let him go another inning or two with the way he was pitching. Allowing only the one hit from Joey Votto for the homerun and it was shut out baseball after that.
Just about everyone was getting hits in this game, which is so great to see after so many months of no offense. Rammy is looking great and how about Koyie Hill’s first major league triple? It was just amazing to watch.
Milton Bradley had a great game, with only one strikeout which was questionable. It’s good to see so many hits coming off the bats of our Cubbies.
I really wish I had money to bid on the day with Ryan Theriot, whom also had a great multi hit game. This would be a dream come true, but I don’t have that kind of money even for a good cause like this one. I love the charities that the different teams do, it is great to see fortunate people giving back to their communities.
I hope that people stop commenting on Mike Fontenot not being a good second baseman and that we should trade for a better one. Are there better ones in the major leagues? Yes, but Fontenot is a great second baseman and he plays with so much heart. I love having him in the lineup, not to mention the pop he has in his bat is definitely nice to have on the left side.
Keep playing like this Cubbies and we could reach the threepeat of the division title. Go Cubs Go! Let’s kick some Astros butt. Partially because then I can pick on Courtney at work that my team beat her’s.
Final Score: Cubs 5 Reds 2
~Milli~
13 Days Until Game Time!!
Rammy Flexes More Power In Cubs Victory
It is great to have Rammy back! I didn’t get to watch this game, but I hope the Cubs are putting it together now. The last three games we have looked great, minus Heilman’s pitching. I’m glad they brought Gregg in for that last out, because Heilman was giving up too many long balls.
Soriano and Bradley also homered in this game and Theriot extended his hitting streak. Yay! I don’t have much I can write about because I didn’t actually see it, but we put up
another W, so that makes me happy! I almost forgot to mention D. Lee’s triple!! Go Cubs Go!
Final Score: Cubs 5 Reds 3
~Milli~
14 Days Until Game Time!!
Wrigley Hosts Impromptu Homerun Derby In Cubs Win
The ball was flying out of the park all day today. Thankfully it was mostly the Cubbies sending them to the stands.
The surprise of the game was the Reds pitcher, Aaron Harang, hitting a three-run homer to give them the lead. After that it was pretty much all Cubs.
Today’s homerun hitters were, Mike Fontenot, Derrek Lee, Jeff Baker and Aramis Ramirez. It was Jeff Baker’s first homerun of the year and the funny part is I was upset they had taken Fontenot out of the game. Aramis Ramirez was deservingly player of the game. He had four hits and was a triple shy of the cycle with two doubles, a single and a homerun.
Ryan Theriot continued his hitting streak as did Kosuke Fukudome. Theriot is amazing! They announced they were auctioning off a lunch with him through Cubs Care, I wish I had the money to not only win that and fly out to Chicago, but help their charity. Theriot impresses me everytime he plays. He singled in the eighth inning for an RBI and then stole second. Derrek Lee followed it up with a two run homer to deep center.
I have a thought on Milton Bradley. I think that they should take him off switch hitting and leave him as a right handed hitter. I feel that he is too tense on the left side of the plate. They were trying in the minors to turn Theriot into a switch hitter and when they made him just a right handed hitter he progressed to the major leagues and now look at him. I know that Piniella and Hendry are looking for more left handed hitters, but look what we did the last two years with primarily right handed hitters and Bradley isn’t dong anything from the left side of the plate anyway.
I hope the Cubs keep getting their hits like they have the last two games they played in and finally showing their true talent. Go Cubs Go!
Final Score: Cubs 8 Reds 5
~Milli~
15 Days Until Game Time!!
Cubs Win Halts Phillies Streak
This blog is going to be another two for one because yesterday’s game wasn’t exciting enough to have it’s own blog, however, today’s game was great! The Phillies winning streak halts at ten when the Cubs get thirteen hits and ten runs. Zambrano pitched a great game, allowing five runs and striking out five.
My seven year old niece spent the night with me last night and when I got off work we were watching the game. During the first inning I turned to her and asked how would the game turn out? What would the score be? She said the Cubs will win and the score will be Cubs 10 and Phillies 4 or 5. Imagine how freaked out when I got to the end of the game and she was right! Creepy! lol
When I started my blog this morning about yesterday’s game, I didn’t finish because I had to go to work, I was thinking that if the Cubs spent more time swinging their bats for hits instead of swinging for the fences we would get more runs that way. Today, we got hits. There were very few in the lineup that didn’t help, it was just an all around great effort.
They named Ryan Theriot as the Chevrolet Player of the Game. He had three hits, one walk, three stolen bases and two runs. It really was a great game for him.
It makes me happy to see him doing so well this year. I knew that he would be a great player if he was given the chance and he has shown time and again that he belongs here. Now in yesterday’s game he made me laugh, he played just about all the positions on the field. Fielding a pop up on the third base foul line and then moving towards second for another. I love how he just goes after everything, he’ll just keep getting better with time. The Phillies commentators said that Theriot was a pain today, it’s good to see him on base so much that he could be a pain.
Rammy had a couple of hits in this game, with a couple of RBI’s, Lee singled and I didn’t think I would say this, but Bradley had a decent game. I was impressed. Maybe his time working with Piniella is making a difference. Jeff Baker contributed in a big way with a double that resulted in three RBI’s due to an error on the Phillies side.
So the trades we made sucked, becoming more left handed didn’t help. Though when Fontenot settles in, it will get better. He can hit and he plays a great second base to Theriot’s shortstop. Now we need to quit blaming our troubles on the crappy trades and injured players and start hitting like we are capable of. Today’s game showed that we can do it with the lineup that we have. If we stop trying to take just moon shots we’ll be more successful. Go Cubs Go! Enjoy your night off and let’s go beat the Reds!
Final Score Tuesday: Phillies 4 Cubs 1
Final Score Wednesday: Cubs 10 Phillies 5
~Milli~
Ryan Theriot Drives In Only Run In Slaughter
Ted Lilly and the Cubs were thoroughly slaughtered in the first game against the Phillies. I knew this series was going to be rough, but I didn’t realize how rough.
Lilly couldn’t hit his spots, whether it be due to his knee or just poor pitching, I’m not sure. I don’t understand why we put our high ball starter in a park that obviously favors homeruns, especially to the Phillies.
I just hope tomorrow we can bring some offense. Ryan Theriot is the only one that had a decent game, which was a perfect one with two walks and an RBI single. Then he was pulled from the game.
Alfonso Soriano is still making me mad. He misses balls he should catch and his lack luster actions make me think he just doesn’t want to be there. I don’t want to think that is true so I’m hoping it’s not. The ball that fell between Kosuke Fukudome and Alfonso Soriano would have been caught had Reed Johnson been in the game. Free Reed!
Here is hoping tomorrow brings more runs. Go Cubs go!
Final Slaughtering Score: Phillies 10 Cubs 1
~Milli~
19 Days Until Game Time!!
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