7/28/08 Cubs (Lilly) at Brewers (Sabathia): 7:05 CDT

[wibadgers23]

CC Sabathia (10-8, 3.30 ERA, 154 SO)

http://a123.g.akamai.net/f/123/12465/1d/www.nationalpost.com/sports/396699.bin?size=404x272

Previous Starts:

DATE	OPP	RESULT	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	GB	FB	TBF	#Pit	Dec.	Rel.	ERA
7/23	@STL	W 3-0	9.0	3	0	0	0	2	7	12	7	31	106	W(4-0)	--	1.36
7/18	@SF	W 9-1	9.0	4	1	1	1	0	10	16	4	31	110	W(3-0)	--	1.88
7/13	CIN	W 3-2	9.0	8	2	2	0	1	9	10	8	36	122	W(2-0)	--	2.40
7/8	COL	W 7-3	6.0	5	3	2	0	5	5	11	2	27	97	W(1-0)	--	3.00
Previously with CLE, Acquired by MIL
7/2	@CWS	L 5-6	8.0	7	5	4	2	2	5	10	10	34	123	--	--	3.83
6/27	CIN	W 6-0	8.0	4	0	0	0	2	11	8	6	30	116	W(6-8)	--	3.78
6/21	@LA	W 7-2	7.0	5	1	1	1	1	10	12	2	27	116	--	--	4.06
6/15	SD	W 7-3	8.0	6	3	3	0	1	10	5	9	30	112	W(5-8)	--	4.26
6/10	MIN	W 1-0	9.0	5	0	0	0	0	5	7	8	29	106	W(4-8)	--	4.34
6/5	@TEX	L 4-9	6.0	9	5	4	0	3	8	11	5	30	121	L(3-8)	--	4.81

Versus

 

Ted Lilly (10-6, 4.49 ERA, 120 SO)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2f/TedLilly2007.JPG/300px-TedLilly2007.JPG

Previous Starts:

DATE	OPP	RESULT	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	GB	FB	TBF	#Pit	Dec.	Rel.	ERA
7/23	@ARI	W 10-6	6.0	6	3	3	1	3	6	6	5	26	115	W(10-6)	--	4.49
7/18	@HOU	L 1-2	7.0	6	1	1	1	2	6	6	9	28	104	--	--	4.49
7/10	CIN	L 7-12	2.2	6	4	4	2	2	3	2	8	16	63	L(9-6)	--	4.68
7/5	@STL	L 4-5	6.0	7	2	2	1	1	5	9	6	25	90	--	--	4.47
6/30	@SF	W 9-2	8.0	7	2	2	0	2	5	14	5	31	110	W(9-5)	--	4.56
6/25	BAL	W 7-4	7.0	5	4	4	2	2	4	6	10	28	108	W(8-5)	--	4.74
6/20	CWS	W 4-3	6.2	7	3	3	2	3	8	3	13	30	106	--	--	4.71
6/15	@TOR	W 7-4	6.0	1	0	0	0	5	6	8	6	25	110	W(7-5)	--	4.76
6/10	ATL	W 10-5	6.2	4	3	3	1	3	8	6	8	27	98	W(6-5)	--	5.13
6/4	@SD	L 1-2	7.1	7	2	2	1	2	8	5	9	31	110	L(5-5)	--	5.23

N.L. Central Standings:

Team	W	L	Pct.	GB	Home	Road	East	Cent.	West	L10	Strk
Chi. Cubs	61	44	.581	-	39-14	22-30	9-6	23-19	23-10	4-6	W 1
Milwaukee	60	45	.571	1	32-19	28-26	10-11	28-18	15-8	8-2	L 1
St. Louis	58	49	.542	4	30-25	28-24	11-8	25-24	15-9	4-6	L 1
Cincinnati	50	56	.472	11½	30-25	20-31	18-14	14-21	9-15	4-6	L 3
Houston	48	56	.462	12½	24-25	24-31	10-9	19-25	12-11	5-5	W 1
Pittsburgh	48	57	.457	13	30-25	18-32	12-12	23-25	7-11	4-6	L 3

Wild Card Race:

Team	W	L	PCT	GB
Milwaukee	60	45	.571	-
St. Louis	58	49	.542	3
Philadelphia	56	49	.533	4
Florida	55	50	.524	5
L.A. Dodgers	52	52	.500	7½
Cincinnati	50	56	.472	10½
Atlanta	49	55	.471	10½
Houston	48	56	.462	11½
Pittsburgh	48	57	.457	12
Colorado	48	58	.453	12½
San Francisco	43	61	.413	16½
San Diego	41	65	.387	19½
Washington	38	67	.362	22

[hawing]

Dear Brewers:

 

Please bring your 'A' game tonight. Thank you.

 

Lots of love,

hawing

[Brian the Automator]

Lilly is a girl's name.

 

go brewers.

[cubfan1126]

Time to get it on!

 

Go Cubs!

[Irish Brewer]

Here's to seeing a couple of Ted Lilly patented glove slams...

 

Get after them boys!

[sgtcluels]

Looking at the splits, I fully expect to see Branyan in today. 1.167 OPS (Course small same size but shhh). 5 Brewers have .900 + OPS (4 over 1.100) including Kendall with an anti-grit .929 OPS.

 

Soriano has had good success against CC, 5 HR.

 

big series....

[Menotti80]

i will be missing (and dvr-ing) the first 1/2 or so of the game. hopefully when i tune in the brewers will have a comfortable lead.

 

CC- we all know you eventually will have an off game and take the loss... but PLEASE let it NOT be this game! thanks.

[SoCal Brew Crew Fan]

Of all the games in the series...this one sets up the best for the Brewers...which is why I'm so darn nervous!!! We've had a habit of turning a few "meat" pitchers into Cy Young.

 

I'm pulling for 8 solid innings from CC and 2 runs. I'm also hoping we get back to feasting on lefties and soften up that Cubbie bullpen for the last three.

 

If you are going tonight...scream a little extra for me!!!

[crewcrazy]

I'm incredibly pumped for this series, but incredibly nervous at the same time...it feels a lot like the start of that Cardinals series to me. Hopefully they can get a win out of the way tonight so I don't spend the rest of the series worrying about getting swept. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif

[TauPentaRei]

I'm also hoping we get back to feasting on lefties and soften up that Cubbie bullpen for the last three.

Here here! If we can somehow chase Lilly in the 4th - the series changes big time. Gaudin's gone 2 days in a row and Marshall picked up 3 innings on Saturday in the one that went 12 - limiting the options they have for long relief (Cotts?) Marmol, Cotts and Howry are fresh - and Smardja should get tomight off.

 

Ban all bananas from Wisconsin so Cra-Z gets his cramps tomorrow and then Jekyl-Dempster comes out to play before their 5-inning horse toes up game 4.

 

Is Harden going to get scratched so he can get his beauty rest?

[fondybrewfan]

I think I was way more nervous for the Cards series than this series. I can't put my finger on exactly why that is the case. I think it might be that no matter what happens in these 4 games, we will probably still be in the playoffs afterwards (As in still leading the wild card at worst). I think both Cubs and Brewers fans would be happy with a split, after all the teams are pretty well matched. We have a big advantage today, the Cubs have a big advantage on Thursday (Although they can't score runs for Harden for what ever reason). I fully expect CC to have a bad game sometime but I thought the same thing against the Cardinals and he went on to cruise against them.

 

I also don't like it that Billy is playing every day. No Brian he is not hot, he has just gotten some big hits. We better see Branyan against Zambrano and Harden because I don't think Billy would have a chance. I wouldn't mind seeing durham in at least one of those games either.

 

This is going to be a long day for me, thankfully the last 2 hours (5-7) will go fast because of my newly acquired Wii.

 

EDIT: I need to proofread

[cruiserx43]

After yesterday's induced buzzkill, I need a little something to pick me up, but like fondybrewfan said, I am oblivious to winning the division as long as we are still in the playoffs/wild card lead. It will all work itself out eventually. I don't want everyone to get too worked up over something happening in late July. Too much time left...I know it's the Cubs, but still need to keep everything in perspective.

[berniebrewer4life]

Starting vs a lefty? This should be fun.

[Shamrock]

This is the game that really scares me as a Cubs fan. Lilly is our worst starter that is going this series and the Brewers mash lefties. Braun is the guy that I am really scared of. He absolutely destroys lefties and is on a tear. I would like Lilly to not give him anything to hit, with a lefty hitting behind him. Also, the Cubs bullpen isn't going to be very good today. Woody is on the DL, Samardzija and Gaudin cannot go today. Marmol and Marshall can go an inning if they have to. Cotts and Eyre are rested. Howry just scares me no matter when he pitches. Lilly really needs to go six innings here, or else Eyre and Howry are both pitching

[diesmitty]

Brewers should be heavily favored, but don't be deceived by Lilly's season numbers. Since April 22nd (after his first 4 starts), he is 10-3 with a 3.69 ERA 1.28 WHIP 106 K.

 

That's not to say he's not an absolutely horrible matchup against the Brewers, who both hit a lot of HRs and mash lefties. Lilly is 2nd in MLB in Home Runs allowed with 23 this year, so if they tee off on him early it could be a long night for my Cubs. Lilly tends to get beat up in the first couple innings, as it takes him 20-30 pitches to get his fastball into the 90's, but once he gets there, he seems to get stronger in the middle innings.

[Brian the Automator]

Splits vs. Lilly:

 

OPPOSING HITTER	AB	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
Ryan Braun	8	4	1	0	1	1	0	2	.500	.500	1.000	1.500
Rickie Weeks	8	2	0	0	2	2	1	1	.250	.333	1.000	1.333
Russell Branyan	2	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	.500	.667	.500	1.167
Corey Hart	10	3	2	0	1	2	1	2	.300	.364	.800	1.164
Jason Kendall	12	4	2	0	0	2	2	1	.333	.429	.500	.929
Prince Fielder	9	3	1	0	0	1	1	2	.333	.417	.444	.861
Ray Durham	12	3	0	1	0	1	3	1	.250	.438	.417	.854
Mike Cameron	23	7	1	0	1	4	0	7	.304	.304	.478	.783
Gabe Kapler	25	4	2	0	0	2	3	3	.160	.250	.240	.490
Bill Hall	8	1	0	0	0	1	2	2	.125	.300	.125	.425
J.J. Hardy	11	2	0	0	0	0	0	1	.182	.182	.182	.364
Jeff Suppan	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	.000	.000	.000	.000
Craig Counsell	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	.000	.000	.000	.000
Manny Parra	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	.000	.000	.000	.000
Ben Sheets	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	.000	.000	.000	.000
Totals	134	34	9	1	5	17	13	26	.254	.329	.448	.777

[brewcrew00]

I want me some Russel tonight. He needs a start here.

[SoCal Brew Crew Fan]

I want me some Russel tonight. He needs a start here.

 

Against a lefty? No way...Billy Hall mashes lefties. How about some 3TO power off the bench?

[pitchleague]

I'm very happy to see the Cub fans on our board playing nice. A rivalry should be fun and good, wholesome ribbing is fine. I hope they enjoy the game as much as we do. I hope everyone remains civil in the IGT.

 

Most of all, I hope the Brewers win.

[Trombone482]

I will be there tonight in the loge outfield with my Ryan Braun retro jersey. If anyone else is going, lets make sure we are louder then the cubs fans. Lets make this a fun series boys. GO BREWERS

[chuckywang]

Series of the year for both the Cubs and the Brewers.

 

Go Cubs!

[Legacy25GT]

No way Branyan gets the start tonight... he's been struggling lately, and Hall...um... hasn't.

 

And besides, Hall will go with the Lefty on the mound.

[Oldcity]

Hall has been struggling terribly--.693 OPS in the last 14 days. That said, the Brewers should go back to the platoon and Hall should start against lefties.

 

It will be exciting, but I don't think this series is as big as many think, unless either team sweeps. If nobody sweeps the division will still be very close, and both teams will still be in a playoff spot.

[fondybrewfan]

No way Branyan gets the start tonight... he's been struggling lately, and Hall...um... hasn't.

 

And besides, Hall will go with the Lefty on the mound.

Actually Hall hasn't been all that good, the only hits he has been getting are the late inning type. Don't confuse "clutchness" with "hotness" because from innings 1-7 Hall has been crappy.

[naivin]

http://www.kruufm.com/files/61/cowbell_skit.jpg