Dusty Says

Game Preview for August the Thirtieth
GAME: Los Angeles Dodgers (60-71) at Chicago Cubs (62-69.).

Broadcast:
WGN; national coverage

Lineups:

Not yet

Pitchers

The Dodgers will send Brad Penny to the mound; he’s 1-2 with a 4.24 ERA in five starts this month.

Mark Prior will open for the Cubs tonight. The righthander is 2-0 with a 1.85 ERA lifetime against the Dodgers.

Game notes and streaks

Think the Cubs have injuries? The Dodgers have eight players on the DL // SS Neifi! Perez is a mighty 3/18 against P Brad Penny.

Game Preview for August the Twentythird
Atlanta Braves (71-54) at Chicago Cubs (60-65).

Broadcast:
Turner

Lineups:

Pitchers

John Thompson, recently rehabbed, will take the mound for the Atlanta Braves; he’s been really incosistent, and is 0-1 with a 8.20 ERA in his last four starts.

Righty JeroWilliams is scheduled to open for the Cubs. He’s got an extra week of rest though he took bullpen sessions because his game was skipped due to an off day.

Game notes and streaks

The Cubs have lost six out of the last nine against the Atlanta Braves // OF Francoeur is batting .386 (17-for-44) in 12 road games

Game Preview for August the Seventeenth
Chicago Cubs (58-62) at Houston Astros (64-55).

Broadcast:
ESPN;

Lineups:

Pitchers

Roy Oswalt, the expert against the Cubs, will start for the Astros. He’s 14-9 this year with a 2.57 ERA.

The Cubs will send righty Carlos Zambrano to the mound; he’s 5-1 in his last nine starts and sits with a 9-5 and 3.17 ERA. He’s also a fierce pitcher, so expect a lot of passion from him in games that matter.

Game notes and streaks

P Zambrano has a 1.06 ERA in August// 3B Ramirez is hitting .353 against left-handers, with 11 doubles and nine homers

Game Preview for August the Twelveth
St. Louis Cardinals (73-42) at Chicago Cubs (55-60).

Broadcast:
WGN; national coverage

Lineups:

Pitchers

Jason Marquis will open for the Cardinals. He’s 0-4 with a 6.56 ERA in his last four starts.

Carlos Zambrano, a righty, will start for the Cubs. He’s 2-4 with a 2.92 ERA against the Cardinals in lifetime.

Game notes and streaks

The Cubs have a three game winning streak against the Cardinals // 1B Pujols is hitting just .185 (5-for-27) with two homers and five RBIs in his career against RHP Zambrano

Game Preview for August the Third
Cincinnati Reds (50-62) at Chicago Cubs (54-58).

Broadcast:
WGN; national coverage

Lineups:

Pitchers

Reds’ most consistent starter Aaron Harang will take the mound for them; he’s 2-0 against the Cubs lifetime. His main success as a Red is that he can keep the ball inside the park.

The Cubs will send righty Mark Prior to the mound. He’s been shaked up in his last three starts, but is looking to rebound against the Reds, a team against whom he’s had a lot of success lifetime.

Game notes and streaks

Want a scary thought? The Reds are just four games below the Cubs in the NL Central // C Henry Blanco is 3/6 in his last seven games

Game Preview for August the Third
Chicago Cubs (54-54) at New York Mets (54-54)

Broadcast:
WGN; national coverage

Lineups:

Not yet.

Pitchers

Tonight’s matchup should be more interesting than it looks. Rich Hill (0-0) will face fellow lefthanded Tom Glavine (7-9), who was once a solid prospect like Hill and an ASG participant. Glavine is still rather effective, but nothing more than a fourth starter, and a good one at that. He has played 195.0 innings against the Cubs, and has went a not pretty 13-11 against them. This is the first start of Hill against the Mets, and the third this season.

Game notes and streaks

This is the first time the Cubs at .500 have faced a team that’s also .500 in the season // SS Neifi! Perez is batting .354 in the last seven games as a starter