Daily ArchiveSunday, September 3rd, 2006
Posted on September 3, 2006 by Andrew Flynn
Overnight Dispatches
Kerry Wood (shoulder) has been feeling much better and could resume throwing off a mound in the next few months. “Right now, we’re looking to get him throwing off the mound in mid-October or November, sometime around there,” Cubs’ trainer Mark O’Neal said. “We just have to play it by ear. He’s not going to have much down time this winter, that’s for sure. He’s going to be busy staying on top of all his strength work.” The Cubs hope to resign Wood and use him in relief next season. The Cubs will decline their $13.5 million contract option on Kerry Wood this offseason. However, the club hopes to re-sign him at a much lower salary and would want to use him out of the bullpen. “I think he is pretty much resolved he will pitch out of the bullpen.”
Pinch-hitter Geoff Jenkins hit a game-tying two-run homer off Joe Borowski in the ninth to send Saturday’s game against the Marlins into extra innings. Jenkins might have earned himself some additional playing time with the blast, though it won’t come with the Marlins throwing a lefty on Sunday. Jenkins has started just one game in the last week.
John Maine yielded two runs and two hits in 6 1/3 innings Saturday in a defeat of the Astros. Until the ninth, the Astros’ only two hits were solo homers from Lance Berkman and Mike Lamb. Houston rallied late against Billy Wagner in a 4-2 game, but after a double and a walk, Lance Berkman flied out to the wall in left-center and Chris Burke struck out looking. Maine is 5-0 in his last eight starts.
After working two hitless innings for a relief win in the afternoon, Chad Cordero pitched a scoreless ninth for a save in the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader. It seems like a terrible risk for a last-place team to be using one of its building blocks like this. Still, Cordero’s fantasy owners will appreciate the big day. He struck out five and allowed just one baserunner in the three innings.
Armando Benitez was pulled out of a save opportunity after entering with a three-run lead against the Cubs on Saturday. Benitez gave up a homer to Derrek Lee to start the ninth, and a single, a stolen base and walk got the tying run to home plate with one out. That caused manager Felipe Alou to turn to Mike Stanton. Stanton went on to pick off the baserunner at first base and strike out Ronny Cedeno to end it. Benitez’s latest rough outing isn’t likely to cost him his job, but it does seem as though Stanton is the reliever Alou has the most faith in right now. Benitez will continue to work with a very short leash.
After Tony Pena gave up three runs in eighth, Jorge Julio blew a two-run lead in the ninth Saturday in the Diamondbacks’ loss to the Nationals. Julio, a lousy reliever for the majority of his career, has done nothing to deserve such a long leash. In his last 14 appearances, he’s given up 14 runs in 13 1/3 innings. It’s past time for him to be taken out of the closer’s role, and Pena, who is also struggling lately, shouldn’t be a candidate to replace him. Luis Vizcaino and Brandon Lyon have both pitched very well the last couple of months, although Lyon struggled mightily in the 11th inning to take the loss today. It might be time for Vizcaino to take a turn. Jose Valverde is also turning himself back into an option.
Tim Lincecum struck out nine while allowing one hit in five scoreless innings Friday for Single-A San Jose. Lincecum’s 1.71 ERA and 58/12 K/BB ratio in 31 2/3 innings as a pro won’t earn him a September callup apparently, but he’ll definitely be someone to watch out for next year.
Khalil Greene will have his strained left middle finger examined by a specialist today, and he likely will have an MRI taken of the digit within a few days, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. Trainer Todd Hutcheson said Greene has a torn ligament in the finger, which could be about 50 percent torn. There is some concern that Greene won’t be able to return this season.
Posted on September 3, 2006 by Andrew Flynn
September 3rd - Standings and Statistics
Standings: 4TH - 76 points - 15 out of first Gained 1.5 points and 0 standings place since yesterday GOK! 91 / Cover Zero 83 / X 79 / AARR / SJ 71 / 10PK 60 HR AVG RBI R SB W ERA WHIP K'S S -- --- --- --- --- --- ---- ----- --- --- 227 .2820 853 829 128 77 4.36 1.421 850 46 2ND 4TH 2ND 5TH 2ND 4TH 5TH 9TH 6TH T-4 --- --- --- --- -.5 --- --- --- + 1 + 1 BOX SCORE FOR 09.02 Atomic Roadrunners ab r h bi | bb so avg --------------------------------------------------------- Johnny Estrada Ari C 5 0 1 0 | 0 1 .303 Ronny Paulino Pit C 2 0 0 1 | 0 0 .316 Prince Fielder Mil 1B 5 0 1 1 | 0 1 .274 Jeff Kent LAD 2B 2 2 1 1 | 2 0 .277 Chipper Jones Atl 3B 7 1 2 2 | 0 2 .318 Mike Jacobs Fla 1B 4 2 2 2 | 1 2 .276 Stephen Drew Ari SS 4 2 2 0 | 1 0 .325 Adam Dunn Cin OF 4 1 1 1 | 0 3 .245 Moises Alou SF OF 4 1 1 1 | 0 0 .293 Dave Roberts SD OF 5 0 1 2 | 0 0 .310 Shane Victorino Phi OF 11 2 6 1 | 0 1 .296 Carlos Quentin Ari OF 4 1 1 1 | 0 2 .233 Jason Bay Pit OF 4 0 0 0 | 0 4 .286 --------------------------------------------------------- Totals 61 12 19 13 | 4 16 .311 --------------------------------------------------------- RBI: RPaulino 1(44), PFielder 1(69), JKent 1(63), CJones 2(79), MJacobs 2(70), ADunn 1(88), MAlou 1(53), DRoberts 2(39), SVictorino 1(38), CQuentin 1(20) 2B: JKent 1(21), SVictorino 1(15) HR: CJones 1(23), MJacobs 1(18), ADunn 1(39), MAlou 1(15), CQuentin 1(5) ERRORS: JKent 1(5), CJones 1(18) PITCHING ip h r er bb ibb so bf era whip ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Chad Cordero W(6-4)S(24) 3.0 0 0 0 1 0 5 10 0.00 0.33 John Maine W(5-3) 6.3 2 2 2 1 0 3 22 2.86 0.48 Francisco Cordero 1.0 3 1 1 1 0 3 7 9.00 4.00 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Totals 10.3 5 3 3 3 0 11 39 2.62 0.78 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- RESERVE HITTING ab r h bi | bb so avg --------------------------------------------------------- Geoff Jenkins Mil OF 1 1 1 2 | 0 0 .252 Scott Thorman Atl 3B 2 0 0 1 | 0 0 .250 Ryan Spilborghs Col OF 1 0 0 0 | 0 0 .283 --------------------------------------------------------- Totals 4 1 1 3 | 0 0 .250 --------------------------------------------------------- RBI: GJenkins 2(60), SThorman 1(12) HR: GJenkins 1(11) RESERVE PITCHING ip h r er bb ibb so bf era whip ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Armando Benitez Ho(1) 0.3 2 1 1 1 0 0 4 30.00 10.00 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Totals 0.3 2 1 1 1 0 0 4 30.00 10.00 ----------------------------------------------------------------------