Miller Park
Milwaukee, WI
May 10, 2015
The Cubs are struggling badly of late and have drifted dangerously near the “anything can happen” middle of the pack. They are also at a point where due to schedule adjusting to get to the 140 game season I wanted that they are playing a lot of “one off” games.
Today’s game sees Jon Lester facing Jorge Lopez with the hopes of getting something, anything to spark this team.
The Cubs go down in order to start the game, but Milwaukee gets a run in a hurry. Jean Segura, who has one of the lowest batting averages in all of baseball when not facing the Cubs slaps an opposite field single on the first pitch.
Segura was on second with one out then Khris Davis, who has really begun to heat up this month hits a single to right and the home team scores first. Lester settles down and gets out of the inning with just the one run scored.
The Cubs again go down in order in the second, but the Brewers continue to work hard, and once again, the weakest hitters come through for the brew crew. Shane Peterson draws a one out walk, and in a flurry of wildness Elian Herrera draws another walk.
Lopez strikes out for out number two and it looked like Lester was going to wriggle off the hook, but Segura hits a fly ball that sends Kyle Schwarber all the way to the warning track, and might be caught, but this one barely clears the wall for a two run homer, his second of the year, and both off the Cubs staff. That makes the game 3-0 Brewers and a now angry Lester gets the final out, but the way the Cubs have been hitting it may already be too late.
Chicago gets on the scoreboard at last, and the Brewers basically had to do all the work for them. Anthony Rizzo hits a grounder that eats up Adam Lind for an error. Kris Bryant hits a single putting runners on first and second with no outs, so Joe Maddon signals for the sacrafice bunt with Miguel Montero at the plate.
The sac is successful and runners are now in scoring position with just one out and the Cubs look primed for a big inning. Schwarber hits a fly to deep center field, and while it is caught, it’s enough for a run to score. Jorge Soler strikes out and the inning ends with Milwaukee leading 3-1.
The score was still the same as the Cubs come to bat in the seventh inning when Schwarber gets a hanging curveball from Lopez and he hits this deep into the right field seats for his first homer of the year. That’s a big relif for Kyle, who is not even hitting Eddie Gadel’s weight right now. The Cubs show some patience and wait Lopez out, and load the bases on walks, but come up empty, but the score is now 4-2 Brewers leading.
Unfortunately for the Cubs the Brewers get to their bullpen and Michael Blazek and Francisco Rodriguez keep them in check and the Brewers win this one 4-2.
For the Brewers Lopez evens his record at 3-3, and lowers his ERA to a horrible 5.94. Rodriguez picks up his seventh save.
Jean Segura, who is one of the worst hitters in the league (teammate Elian Herrera is another) does big damage again. He went 3-4 and only needed a triple for the cycle. He is hitting just .182 for the year.
Lester pitched poorly and picked up his second loss of the year and is now 5-2. The good news is that the bottom of the bullpen actually looked good.
Zac Rosscup and Ferdnando Rodney pitched the final four innings and allowed no runs.
Around the horn
Cleveland beats Houston 5-4. Giovanny Urshela was the hero, with a pair of homers, including the game winner in the bottom of the ninth.
Max Scherzer, who has been off to a terrible start shuts down the Braves on a two hitter as the Nationals beat the Braves 2-1.
Aramis Ramirez hits a game winning pinch hit homer in the bottom of the 10th inning and the Pirates beat the surging Cardinals 4-3.
Photo by Keith Allison from Hanover, MD, USA – Jean Segura, CC BY-SA 2.0,
