MEL ROJAS AWARD 2: SCOTTSDALE, AZ -- The Mel Rojas Award for bad relief pitching by a Cubs relief pitcher to Kyle Farnsworth. Farnsworth also pitched zero innings, giving up 3 hits, 3 runs (1 earned).
posted by Thomas at 10:30 AM
MEL ROJAS AWARD 1: SCOTTSDALE, AZ -- The Mel Rojas Award for bad relief pitching to Glendon Rusch. Rusch pitched zero innings, giving up 1 hit, 1 walk, 2 earned runs, with 3 runs giving up overall.
posted by Thomas at 10:27 AM
FRIDAY'S GAME VS. LOS ANGELES: SCOTTSDALE, AZ -- What looked like a pitchers duel turned into another blowup by the Cubs bullpen in the ninth. Going into the top of the ninth Los Angeles led 2-1. Glendon Rusch came on to pitch for the Cubs. Rusch who pitched 4 innings on Tuesday did not have it, nor did Kyle Farnsworth. Farnsworth who had pitched well earlier this season, has been awful of late. Farnsworth has more explosions than all of Baghdad. The Cubs offense continues to be MIA as the Cubs get only one run on six hits in an 8-1 loss to the Dodgers.
posted by Thomas at 10:08 AM
CHARLIE WILLIAMS AWARD: SCOTTSDALE -- The Charlie Williams Award for bad umpiring to Bruce Froemming. In the top of the sixth, Froemming missed Nomar Garciaparra touching second base with the ball in his glove, and called Terrence Long safe at second base when he was out.
posted by Thomas at 12:08 PM
CARLOS LEZCANO AWARD: SCOTTSDALE, AZ -- The Carlos Lezcano Award for poor play by a Cubs outfielder to Sammy Sosa. Sosa went
0 for 5 with 4 strikeouts. Sosa continues to slump and must be dropped in the order regardless of whether his feelings will be hurt.
posted by Thomas at 12:03 PM
THURSDAY'S GAME VS. SAN DIEGO: SCOTTSDALE -- Well that was a tough loss to take yesterday. The Cubs lost a game I figured they were going to win. The Cubs looked to be in good shape leading 2-0 after 5 innings. The umpires did their best to hurt the Cubs in the top of the sixth as Bruce Froemming blew a call at second base when Nomar Garciaparra had touched second with the ball but Froemming called Terrence Long of the Padres safe. After San Diego took the lead 3-2 in the top of the seventh, Nomar Garciaparra hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh to give the Cubs a 4-3 lead. But the bullpen was back to its mediocre self and let San Diego tie the game at 4. Ryan Dempster came on in the top of the eleventh and gave up on the lead on a base hit to Khalil Greene on an 0-2 pitch with two outs to give the Padres the run they needed to win the game 5-4.
posted by Thomas at 11:49 AM
