Tag: Carlos Zambrano (Page 7 of 7)

      Rays, Cubs clinch playoff berths

      September 20, 2008 /

      Chicago CubsWith a 7-2 win over the Minnesota Twins on Saturday, the Tampa Bay rays clinched their first playoff spot in club history. And with their 5-4 victory over division rival St. Louis, the Chicago cubs are once again NL Central Champions.

      The Rays’ Division Series playoff destination will shake out in the final week of the season. Assuming the Rays win the AL East and Boston wins the Wild Card, the Rays will open at home against the Central winner, either the White Sox or Twins, while the Red Sox would open at the Angels, who have the AL’s best record. Should Boston win the East and the Rays get the Wild Card, the Rays would open at Anaheim, while the Red Sox would host the Central Division champion. The Division Series is a best-of-five set.

      What a magical run the Rays had this year. Finally, all of their young, exciting position talent came together and the pitching staff held up for an entire season. Too bad they don’t sell out in Tampa, because fans are missing one hell of a ride.

      If the standings hold, they will host the Wild Card-leading Philadelphia Phillies on Oct. 1-2 in the first two games of a best-of-five National League Division Series. Games 3 and 4 (if necessary) would be in Philadelphia on Oct. 4-5. If the series goes to a decisive fifth game, it would be Oct. 7 at Wrigley Field. Philadelphia is only a half-game behind the Mets in the East, so the first-round opponent could easily change.

      Teams from the same division cannot face each other in the Division Series. If Milwaukee, Houston or St. Louis wins the Wild Card, the Cubs, if they don’t blow their seven-game lead atop the NL standings, will play the NL division champion with the worst record. The West-leading Dodgers are Chicago’s likely opponent in that scenario, since they are 6 1/2 games behind the East-leading Mets.

      How long before all the curse talk begins? Wait, it’s already started? The Cubs have the most balanced lineup in the NL and if Carlos Zambrano and Rich Harden can stay healthy, the club also has an excellent 1-2 punch at the top of the rotation. But obviously the major question surrounding this team is whether or not they can get over the hump. They certainly have enough talent to make a World Series run, now it’s all about execution.

      MLB

      Carlos Zambrano throws no-hitter…while Cubs play from Brewers’ dugout

      September 15, 2008 /

      Carlos ZambranoIn one of the more unusual situations of the 2008 MLB Season, Chicago Cubs starter Carlos Zambrano threw a no-hitter Sunday against the Houston Astros, and did so while his team was in division rival Milwaukee’s dugout. The Cubs-Astros game had been moved to Milwaukee due to the severe weather conditions in Houston caused by Hurricane Ike. The Cubs beat the Astros 5-0.

      Three and a half cases. That’s how much beer the Cubs dumped on him in a surprise attack when he came back into the clubhouse later, after he had done it. They sprayed shaving cream, too. ”Z. Z. Z. Z.” He struck out Darin Erstad for the last out of his first no-hitter.

      ”I was watching the scoreboard every inning,” Zambrano said. ”In the ninth inning, when I came out, the crowd was all crazy.

      ”[I’m] confused right now. I still can’t believe. Great feeling.”

      After the final out, he dropped to a knee and looked to the sky. And the Cubs came charging from all over. They flooded from the dugout and the bullpen, and surrounded him with a big jump-hug, the kind of thing you do when you clinch the division.

      Which, in a way, the Cubs did.

      ”I guess I’m back,” said Zambrano, who threw a 99 mph fastball in the first inning. ”My arm is back.”

      ”The weirdest game I’ve ever played in,” Cubs first baseman Derrek Lee said. ”Just being in the Brewers dugout …”

      Zambrano takes flack for the way he shows his emotions, for the way he walks too many batters and for the way he sometimes loses his cool. But there’s no denying his a workhorse pitcher, who gives it his all every time he takes the mound. He seems like a guy you would want on your team on a nightly basis because you know he’s going to fight to the end.

      That said, is Zambrano’s no-no a future trivia question or what? “What MLB pitcher threw a no hitter at neither the home or away team’s stadium in 2008?”

      Fantasy Baseball, MLB

      Blame the billy goat – Zambrano and Harden have arm issues

      September 4, 2008 /

      Any Cubs fan knows that even with their team resting comfortably in first place and on the brink of capturing a postseason berth, you just can’t take anything for granted. Case in point, the front of the Cubs’ starting rotation is experiencing some arm troubles.

      Carlos ZambranoCarlos Zambrano will undergo an MRI to determine the severity of his arm injury after leaving Tuesday nights start with a sore shoulder. Even though he says the situation isn’t serious, Rich Harden also admitted to having some arm “discomfort” and will skip his next start as a precaution.

      Regardless of the severity of Harden’s condition or the contradictions built up the last few days, the timing of the media circus building over the pitching staff couldn’t be worse for the Cubs, coming on the heels of Carlos Zambrano leaving Tuesday night’s start with a sore shoulder.

      With the balance of Zambrano’s season hanging on the outcome of today’s MRI exam, the double dose of soreness at the top of the rotation raises the scrutiny as high as the stakes in Harden’s next start, which should come Wednesday in St. Louis.

      ”Look, if he were available to pitch today, or tomorrow, or the next day, why would we wait for St. Louis?” Piniella said when pressed on the reason for Harden being given 11 days between starts. ”Doesn’t that make sense? He’s not available right now is all I’m trying to tell you. And he’s going to be available for the St. Louis series.”

      Pressed again, Piniella revealed the ”discomfort.”

      Everything is serious when it comes to Harden because he has a history of not being able to stay healthy. “Discomfort” might turn into something more and if Zambrano has to be shut down for an extended period of time, the Cubs can’t afford to have Harden sidelined. Worse case scenario, if both Zambrano and Harden were seriously injured, the Cubs would have Ryan Dempster, Ted Lilly, Jason Marquis and Rich Hill/Sean Marshall as their postseason rotation. Yikes.

      Fantasy Baseball, MLB

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