IOWA… ER, CHICAGO CUBS SHUT OUT ASTROS 12-0

On Opening Day, if I had told you which someday in midsummer, I would see Randy Wells and Mitch Atkins mix on a shutout at Wrigley Field, you substantially would have insincere I was articulate about the “Road to Wrigley” game that’s going to take place on Aug 9 in between Iowa and Las Vegas (note on which page it still says Jake Fox is a “rising star” personification for Iowa — might be which needs to be updated).

Instead, Wells, who is creation a clever box for NL Rookie of the Year, threw 8 shutout innings, needing usually 6 singles and not needing a curtain past initial bottom until the eighth inning, and Atkins, in his vital joining debut, threw a scoreless ninth to finish off a 12-0 shutout of the Astros, the Cubs‘ greatest shutout feat in some-more than 4 years, given they blanked the Marlins 14-0 on Jun 14, 2005, at the behind of a five-hit shutout by Sergio Mitre. nineteen outs currently were available on belligerent balls and the Cubs incited 4 stand in plays at the behind of Wells and Atkins.

I was kind of anticipating Wells could keep his representation equate down in the 7th and 8th innings so he could have a shot at a CG shutout — you do not see many of those any more, and the Cubs’ usually CG this year is by Sean Marshall in a five-inning, rain-shortened win over the Pirates on May 26. But with Wells at 110 pitches by 8 innings and a uninformed arm in Atkins in the pen, it was substantially correct to get Wells out of there and rest him up for his subsequent start. Wells’ ERA, right away 2.85, would arrange eighth in the joining if he had sufficient innings to qualify. His 8 innings currently give him 95; the Cubs have played 99 games, so he’d need to throw a CG to validate after his subsequent start. More likely, it’ll take dual starts to get him there, but Wells, who with his seventh win right away has some-more than any Cub rookie pitcher in a deteriorate given Kerry Wood’s thirteen in 1998, has been usually about the many unchanging pitcher the Cubs have had given his recall. He has left at slightest 6 innings in twelve of his fifteen starts and has, arguably, had usually one unequivocally bad begin between the 15.

In further to Wells, the offense came out smoking in the initial inning and never stopped.

The Cubs battered Mike Hampton for 5 hits and dual walks in the initial inning; along with a furious representation and a scapegoat fly, the big blow was Alfonso Soriano’s three-run homer (I theory Soriano’s behind on lane now, wouldn’t you say?) and nonetheless Hampton substantially would have been yanked early in many circumstances, the Astros‘ beleaguered bullpen standing meant which Hampton had to toil by 3 some-more innings, receiving one for the team, prior to he was private for a pinch-hitter. All told he took 79 pitches to get twelve outs, authorised 4 walks, 8 hits, and 9 warranted runs, together with a second homer by Aramis Ramirez. You know by right away if you follow me or ballhawk on Twitter which Ballhawk Ken held A-Ram’s HR on the fly, right nearby the dilemma of Waveland & Kenmore. He pronounced “the round held me, rsther than than me catching it”, but he is being as well modest. I watched the round all the approach in to Ken’s glove and it was a plain catch, really impressive. He pronounced after the diversion which he held one from Khalil Greene final year, but can’t recollect the final Cub HR he held on the fly. Just got an additional twitter from Ken thanking Ballhawk Jeff for tracking down A-Ram’s car and removing Aramis to pointer the round for him.

By the center innings Lou had proposed to dull his bench; the initial to lay was Reed Johnson, who left after fouling a round off his feet in the initial inning. Late air wave reports prove which Johnson has a fractured bone in his feet and might be out a month — job Sam Fuld, I suppose, nonetheless an additional Iowa recall.

After the seventh inning, the dais all emptied out and some-more players who outlayed most time at Iowa wound up in the game, together with Jake Fox, who gathering in a span of runs with a weal fly and a single, and Andres Blanco, who strike his initial vital joining home run off the RF tainted stick in the 8th. Congratulations to him, and props to the Cubs, who can win this array tomorrow and, if the Dodgers can concur by violence the Cardinals tonight, take over initial place again after this evening.

Final shout-out to a immature integrate creatively from England, right away vital in Chicago, who have been “just removing in to baseball”, in attendance the diversion with one of their dads (sorry, I never did find out which!) — acquire to Chicago and the Cubs, you certain saw a special diversion today.