Chicago Battle
Chicago, IL – The Chicago Cubs hired a new hitting coach in the hope it would spark a listless offense
but the first game with Von Joshua in charge of the hitters looked like too many others over the past few weeks.
The stumbling Cubs again try to get their offense on track Thursday in the finale of a rain-shortened, two-game series against the crosstown rival Chicago White Sox, who look to win their fourth in a row.
Oddsmakers from online sportsbook Sportsbook.com have made the Cubs -160 moneyline favorites for Thursday’s game against the White Sox. Current MLB Public Betting Information shows that 64% of more than 157 bets for this game have been placed on the Cubs -160.
With an offense that ranks among the worst in the NL, the Cubs (30-31) fired hitting coach Gerald Perry and promoted Joshua from Triple-A Iowa on Sunday. After an off day Monday and a rainout of Tuesday’s scheduled opener against the White Sox (31-34), the sluggish Cubs managed just five hits while striking out 11 times in Wednesday’s 4-1 loss.
The Cubs have dropped five of six, scoring one run or fewer in four of those games. They’ve been held to one run or none 10 times in their last 25 games. In all of 2008, they scored fewer than two runs only 18 times.
"Sooner or later you got to start hitting. If not, you got to give somebody else a chance. That’s all,” Cubs manager Lou Piniella said.
A lack of production from leadoff hitter Alfonso Soriano has been one of the biggest reasons for the sputtering offense.
Soriano drove in Wednesday’s lone run with a groundout, but is 0 for 12 in his last three games and batting .141 (14 for 99) with two homers and three RBIs in 23 contests since May 20.
While the Cubs’ offense continues to scuffle, the White Sox have used timely hitting to win three in a row after losing nine of their previous 12.
On Wednesday, Scott Podsednik delivered a perfect squeeze bunt – a play called by manager Ozzie Guillen – and beat it out for a single to help the White Sox win for the second time in their last eight games at Wrigley Field.
"He likes that style of ball. He likes get-’em-over-get-’em-in, squeezing. He likes those types of plays more than home runs,” Podsednik said of Guillen. "He likes raw baseball, so you’ve got to be ready.”
John Danks pitched seven strong innings – allowing one run while striking out nine – and Gavin Floyd (4-5, 4.94 ERA) looks to give the Sox another solid outing when he takes the ball in the series finale.
Floyd permitted one run and five hits in eight innings of the White Sox’s 4-3 win over Detroit last Thursday, the third time in five starts he yielded one earned run or fewer. The right-hander is 2-1 with a 1.67 ERA in his last five outings after going 0-3 with a 9.95 ERA in his previous five.
This will be his first career start against the Cubs, who counter with staff ace Carlos Zambrano (4-2, 3.39).
Zambrano, originally scheduled to take the ball Tuesday, gave up one run and three hits in eight innings against Houston on June 10. The Astros went on to score in the ninth, handing the Cubs a 2-1 loss.
The right-hander has a 0.86 ERA in his last three starts but has gotten only five runs of support in that stretch, leaving him with a 1-0 record.
Zambrano is 5-2 with a 4.28 ERA in nine starts versus the White Sox. He hasn’t faced them since allowing one run and three hits in eight innings of a 5-1 win June 22, 2007, at US Cellular Field.
Posted: 6/18/09 6:00AM ET