7/31/08 Cubs (Harden) at Brewers (Bush): 1:05 CDT

[wibadgers23]

Dave Bush (5-8, 4.51 ERA, 71 SO)

http://assets.espn.go.com/photo/2007/0323/fantasy_w_bush_412.jpg

Previous Starts:

DATE	OPP	RESULT	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	GB	FB	TBF	#Pit	Dec.	Rel.	ERA
7/26	HOU	W 6-4	5.0	9	4	4	2	0	5	7	4	22	94	--	--	4.51
7/10	COL	W 11-1	8.0	3	1	0	0	0	13	7	6	28	124	W(5-8)	--	4.39
7/5	PIT	W 2-1	8.0	4	1	1	0	0	7	8	11	28	100	--	--	4.74
6/30	@ARI	L 3-6	5.0	9	5	4	0	2	1	6	9	25	76	L(4-8)	--	5.06
6/24	@ATL	W 4-3	7.0	4	1	1	0	1	5	10	7	26	98	W(4-7)	--	4.94
6/19	TOR	W 8-7	8.0	2	1	1	0	1	2	11	12	28	106	W(3-7)	--	5.26
6/13	MIN	L 2-10	6.0	10	4	3	0	1	3	10	6	30	88	L(2-7)	--	5.73
6/7	@COL	L 2-7	4.0	5	5	5	2	2	3	4	5	18	69	L(2-6)	--	5.85
6/1	HOU	W 10-1	7.0	4	1	1	1	0	5	11	6	25	103	W(2-5)	--	5.49
5/27	ATL	W 3-2	7.0	6	2	2	2	1	3	6	12	26	92	--	--	6.04

Versus

 

Rich Harden (5-2, 2.10 ERA, 122 SO)

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/indepth/gfx/baseball-rich-harden_392.jpg

Previous Starts:

DATE	OPP	RESULT	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	GB	FB	TBF	#Pit	Dec.	Rel.	ERA
7/26	FLA	L 2-3	5.0	2	1	1	1	3	10	2	2	21	87	--	--	1.04
7/21	@ARI	L 0-2	7.0	1	1	1	1	2	10	4	8	24	112	L(0-1)	--	0.73
7/12	SF	W 8-7	5.1	5	0	0	0	3	10	4	4	24	96	--	--	0.00
Previously with OAK, Acquired by CHC
7/6	@CWS	L 3-4	5.0	5	3	2	0	4	4	5	5	23	95	L(5-1)	--	2.34
7/1	@LAA	L 3-5	5.0	5	2	2	0	1	5	7	2	22	91	--	--	2.25
6/26	PHI	W 5-0	8.0	2	0	0	0	1	11	5	9	27	96	W(5-0)	--	2.15
6/20	FLA	W 7-6	5.2	5	1	1	1	2	5	4	11	24	98	--	--	2.44
6/14	@SF	W 4-0	6.0	1	0	0	0	2	9	5	4	20	95	W(4-0)	--	2.53
6/8	LAA	W 7-3	6.0	6	3	3	1	3	9	4	5	26	99	--	--	2.85
6/2	DET	W 3-2	6.2	5	2	2	1	3	8	4	10	27	115	--	--	2.61

N.L. Central Standings:

Team	W	L	Pct.	GB	Home	Road	East	Cent.	West	L10	Strk
Chi. Cubs	64	44	.593	-	39-14	25-30	9-6	26-19	23-10	6-4	W 4
Milwaukee (51)	60	48	.556	4	32-22	28-26	10-11	28-21	15-8	5-5	L 4
St. Louis (50)	61	49	.555	4	30-25	31-24	14-8	25-24	15-9	4-6	W 3
Cincinnati (41)	51	58	.468	13½	30-25	21-33	18-14	15-23	9-15	3-7	W 1
Houston (42)	50	57	.467	13½	26-26	24-31	10-9	21-26	12-11	4-6	L 1
Pittsburgh (41)	50	58	.463	14	32-26	18-32	12-12	23-25	9-12	6-4	L 1

Wild Card Race:

Team	W	L	PCT	GB
Milwaukee	60	48	.556	-
St. Louis	61	49	.555	-
N.Y. Mets	58	50	.537	2
Florida	57	51	.528	3
L.A. Dodgers	54	53	.505	5½
Cincinnati	51	58	.468	9½
Houston	50	57	.467	9½
Pittsburgh	50	58	.463	10
Atlanta	49	58	.458	10½
Colorado	49	60	.450	11½
San Francisco	44	63	.411	15½
San Diego	42	67	.385	18½
Washington	38	69	.355	21½

[NievesNoNO]

A win tomorrow with a Cardinals loss and I'd almost forget the rest of the homestand. Almost. It certainly won't be an easy task though. Give me Kapler, Counsel, and Durham in the lineup. At least I feel like those guys can put up a quality at bat and get the ball in play or work the count a little. Please let the good Dave Bush show up.

[holybannana]

We got them just where we want them.

[Bruce Ciskie]

Harden as a Cub:

 

17.1 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 30 K

 

Yeah, we're screwed.

[chuckiehacks]

Reverse Mojo!

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e5/dez3030/shelter1broom_curve.jpg

[GoudaBrew]

interesting..........

 

2B Rickie Weeks

3B Craig Counsell

SS J.J. Hardy

1B Prince Fielder

LF Ryan Braun

RF Gabe Kapler

CF Mike Cameron

C Jason Kendall

RHP Dave Bush

[ELCABALLO45]

Not a fan of Dropping Braun down

[Dmiles23]

Not a fan either. They do need someone swinging the bat well batting behind Fielder, but why not go back to the ol' Braun 4th, Fielder 3rd?

[brewcrew00]

At this point, why the heck not. Try it for a day, see if it can spark something, and keep moving forward. I'm down with anything not resulting in a sweep.

[davego]

Well, that is shaking things up a bit. Guess that is one of the few tools a manager really has.

[JumpinMacFlash]

I really don't get it why Branyan isn't in the lineup against Harden. Is Counsell really a better option? If Yost wanted to get him in the lineup, why not start him at second?

[brewcrew00]

Probably didn't want Hall in, and fears Branyan's strike out numbers. Personally not a fan of Rickie being in there, but who knows, maybe he'll luck into something.

[Bruce Ciskie]

I really don't get it why Branyan isn't in the lineup against Harden. Is Counsell really a better option? If Yost wanted to get him in the lineup, why not start him at second?

Because if Branyan starts, then who is Ned going to call off the bench to try to hit a five-run homer against Marmol in the ninth?

[naivin]

So our hopes of avoiding the sweep at home are pinned on Dave Bush against Rich Harden...

 

http://content7.flixster.com/question/36/97/55/3697557_std.jpg

 

 

[JumpinMacFlash]

Because if Branyan starts, then who is Ned going to call off the bench to try to hit a five-run homer against Marmol in the ninth?

 

Touche! I never thought of that! That's gotta be the reason I could never be a major league manager. I just don't "get it." http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

[JumpinMacFlash]

I'm all about some reverse mojo...

 

http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film2/DVDReviews27/a%20mission%20impossible%20season%201/title2%20mission%20impossible.jpg

[holybannana]

This is the first time AccuScore doesn't favor the Brewers so it's rather obvious we will win this one. I just feel by fluke the Brewers should win this one.

[sargennm]

This has been playing on a continuous loop in my head the past few days. Please Brewers, make it stop!

 

[T B0NE 10]

Please win today.

 

Not a fan of batting Braun 5 at all. I do think that possibly putting Braun 4 would be a good idea, with Fielder 3. I think Fielder could use that guy behind him right now

[MillerParkSouth]

Rickie against Harden??? Really Ned??? I like the fact that Corey is sitting, but why Durham and Branyan aren't playing is beyond me.

[eanelson4]

Over/under for ER off of Bush tonight. With his paltry fastball and offspead stuff haning over the plate (like it usually seems to), im going to go with 6 ER in 4 IP (total of 75 pitches).

 

And call me pessimistic, but I get this feeling like the Cubs don't really care who is batting behind anyone else. They are pitching well and we are hitting terribly. I don't see Rich Harden pitching around anybody, because in this series, the Brewers have shown a complete inability to come through with clutch hitting (save for 3TO).

[pete]

What i wonder is whether McClung will be used as long relief if Bush struggles.

[joepepsi]

You can bet Villy won't be coming in until it's too late. He's their best reliever, so it's important he's "fresh" for the Atlanta series.

 

Clever how Ned is "reserving" a couple lefty bats for late in the game. No sense is stacking lefties against a tough righty. Then you'd have to bench more than two starters for a game and their feelings might be hurt.

 

Glad to see Kendall is playing again today. It would be silly to give a slumping catcher a day off after a night game.

[holybannana]

I sort of feel like Yost has to get ejected from this game right away. If only to remove himself from the game, thus giving the team the best chance to win.

 

He's got to use Pinella's voodoo magic against him and go absolutely bonkers out there. He needs to make a scene and a spectacle oh himself. He needs to let the collective frustration of the team out on some poor ump who made a questionable call.

 

I'm talking sun glasses and bat as a blind persons cane ala Billy Martin ona questionable strike. Picking up a base and taking it with him. Spitting and kicking dirt on the plate. I want kicking, screaming and finger pointing. Barking and a thrown hat. And a 2 game suspension.

[sargennm]

OK, everybody. Take a step back. This team is 60-48 and those 60 wins came with Yost at the helm. This team is letting Yost down, not the other way around. Players hitting .300 who hit under .200 with RISP is said player peeing down his leg, not the manager messing up.

 

Last season Yost haters were constantly complaining about the variety of lineups he runs out here, is this even version No. 5 or 6 this year? He's shuffling the deck and seeing what happens, hitting with RISP literally can't be worse than the last three games.