DENVER. August 9, 2009. Randy Wells had the edge on his opposite number this season. He is 8-4 to Jason Hamel’s 6-6 but is the 1st rookie pitcher for the Cubs to win 4 in a row since Kerry Wood. Hamel can be good if he is on song but he also has a tendency to self destruct. The Mets gave him a hard lesson on the 30th July when they took him for 5 runs in 7 hits in less than 2 innings. But if Hamel thinks that’s tough let him try being a lifelong Cubs fan! At times enough to make a grown man shed a tear in his beer.

The game started moderately for the Cubs with a single for Bradley and a ground rule double for Fox but they couldn’t capitalize and the side were out. Hamel only had 12 pitches. Wells put himself under pressure immediately.  He walked 1st up Fowler. Next up Gonzales got a single. Helton singles to get the walked Fowler home for an RBI and Gonzales advanced to 3rd on a Soriano throwing error. A Tulowitzki single got Gonzales home for a run. Next up Hawpe grounded into a double play but Helton got in for another run. The 1st ended when Stewart was struck out. It was 0-3 and already the Cubs were behind the 8 ball!

The 2nd was memorable for no runs and the early bus home for Lou the Guru Piniella. He was unhappy with what looked to be a bad call when Hill was given out on a double play to end the innings by the 2B Umpire and was ejected from the game.

The 3rd for the Cubs saw three single and one hit by pitch but it fell to Fukudome to drive home their first run but the Rockies responded immediately with Fowler getting all the way around the bases on 2 errors, a steal and a wild pitch. It was 1-4.

This is what typifies the Cubs problems at the moment: the sloppy defense. They are getting bat on ball but not only do you have to score runs…you have to stop the opposition scoring as well.

The 4th was similar to the 3rd for the Cubs. More hits. A single for Hill and Bradley double to get Hill home. Then Wells stemmed the tide for the time being and got the Rockies out runless to leave it 2-4.

Hamel got hit pitching together in the 5th and it was 3 up 3 down for the Cubs. Sadly Wells was going in the other direction as Fowler started with a single and Helton doubled to get him home for a score. It was 5-2.

Hamel started pitching the 6th for the Rockies by giving up a triple to Baker and when Hill got him home with a single Hamel was out and Daley was in. It looked hopeful for the Cubs at 3-5 but Daley earned his keep. Wells was out on a sac bunt and Theriot and Bradley were struck out. And Wells wasn’t to be in the game too much longer. He faced 3 more batters and was then gone with 1 on and 1 out and a further run home scored Stewart. He had chucked 101 pitches of which 59 were strikes. Jeff Stevens replaced Wells but gave up a double and a single which resulted in two more runs scored by Torrealba and Seth Smith. It was running away from the Cubs at 3-8.

While the Cubs did get a run in the 8th and the 9th it was basically all over by the end of the 7th as the Rockies had added 3 more runs of their own, one a home run when the bases were loaded and Stephens hit Barmes with a pitch. Heilman and Grabow finished the pitching for the Cubs without conceding any more runs. The final score was 5-11. The Cubs had 17 hits and 3 errors on the night to the Rockies 14 hits and 1 error. There still is one more game to go in Colorado. Lou would want to start earning his money. Major motivation is required. The first topic for conversation should be fielding concentration. It wasn’t a good night for the Cubs as the Cardinals won in Pittsburgh to put 2 points between them in the NL Central Division race.

40,217 souls witnessed a competent hometown win. He might have given up 11 hits but my hat is off to Hamel who held his nerve together to get 49K’s from his 70 pitches.

A.L.

Chicago Cubs Baseball Insider