ByOr, notes from the transaction list…
The big news is that LHP Jon Coutlangus has been traded to Arizona for outfielding prospect Daniel Perales. (No more Coutlangus jokes. Sniff.)
By| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Astros | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 1 |
| Cubs | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | 3 | 8 | 0 |
Houston (2-5) closed out their series against the Cubs (3-3) with a loss.
Brandon Backe held his own against Carlos Zambrano (1-0). Back provided a quality start with 6 innings, 2 runs, and 7 strikeouts. Zambrano outlasted him and the Cramps to get the win, while the Astros bullpen allowed a run in the 7th, with Oscar Villareal (0-2) picking up his second loss on the young season. Kerry Wood (S 3) showed he could pitch a lot in a short number of games by getting his 3rd save.
The Cubs fly to Pittsburgh to play in beautiful PNC Park against the Pirates today at 1:35pm EDT. Ted Lilly (0-1) for the Cubs and Tom Gorzelanny (0-1) for the Pirates.
By| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Giants | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 |
| Brewers | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | - | 7 | 12 | 0 |
Enjoy it while you can, Brewers fans! There’s never been any doubt that Ben Sheets (1-0) is awesome. Unfortunately, his career path more closely resembles that of so many broken Cubs starters. He was healthy yesterday as he delivered a complete-game shutout for the Brewers (5-1) against the hapless Giants (1-5). That’s old-school.
Milwaukee now is tied for the best record in baseball with the surprising Cardinals. Hey, both of those teams are in the NL Central. Wouldn’t it be nice if the division weren’t dismissed as the worst in the league this year? Stranger things have happened. Like frogs turning into princes or men getting pregnant.
The Brewers take a game off before heading to Cincinnati to face everyone’s favorite rookie, Johnny Cueto (1-0). Jeff Suppan goes for the Brew Crew at 7:05pm EDT on Tuesday.
By| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nationals | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Cardinals | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | - | 3 | 8 | 1 |
Kyle Lohse (1-0) gave one of his great starts yesterday against the Nationals (1-4) and the Cardinals (5-1) reaped all the benefits.
Lohse, who has the consonants at the end of his name pronounced in the reverse order in which they’re spelled, pitched 7 scoreless innings while scattering 4 hits and a walk. Jason Isringhausen (S 3) picked up his third save.
Rick Ankiel was the offensive hero again. The fade he faced last year after the HGH revelation has all but, well, faded. He clubbed his third home run, a solo shot, and also drove in another, to provide St. Louis with more than they’d need.
The Cardinals will take their shiny new best record in the M. L. B. to Houston for the Astros’ home-opener. Todd Wellemeyer (1-0) and Wandy Rodriguez (0-0) are the pitchers at 6:05pm CDT.
By| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pirates | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 9 | 15 | 1 |
| Marlins | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 2 |
The Pirates (3-3) brought their record back to .500 with a win against Florida (3-3).
Xavier Nady and Nate McLouth both drove in a pair of runs, Nady’s off of his 3rd home run in 6 games. Trade him while his value’s up!
Ian Snell (1-0) and the bullpen were no slouch for once. Snell dominated with 10 strikeouts in 6 innings, and Phil Dumatrait, formerly of the Reds, pitched a scoreless 9th. It must be easier to close out those games when you have a 7-run lead.
The Pirates return home to host the Cubs today at 1:35pm EDT as Tom Gorzelanny (0-1) faces Ted Lilly (0-1).
