Arizona @ Chicago preview
Wrigley Field
Last Meeting ( Apr 3, 2010 ) Chi. Cubs 6, Arizona 0
Chicago Cubs manager Lou Piniella is getting tired of seeing well-pitched games from his starters and having nothing to show for it.
Piniella’s frustrations bubbled over following a second second straight loss (3-2) to the Washington Nationals on Wednesday.
The object of Piniella’s ire has been a lackluster offense that continues to leave runners draped on the bases like mannequins in a department store window.
The Cubs were 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position Wednesday and 4-for-27 overall in the three-game series in which they managed just seven runs. It marked the ninth game this year in which Chicago was held to two or fewer runs.
So for the moment Piniella has no choice but to put the ball in left-hander Ted Lilly’s hand for the opener of a four-game series with the Arizona Diamondbacks and hope the solid pitching continues while the offense works out its many kinks.
Lilly (1-0) made his 2010 debut last Saturday, throwing six scoreless innings in a 5-1 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers. It was an encouraging outing from the left-hander, who started the season on the disabled list while recovering from off-season shoulder surgery.
He’ll need to be sharp against the Diamondbacks, who are coming off a euphoric 12-11 win over the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday.
Arizona bolted to a 6-0 first-inning lead, fell behind 11-6 and then clawed back for a dramatic victory on Kelly Johnson’s home run in the 10th inning.
Right-hander Ian Kennedy (0-1) will oppose Lilly as he searches for his first win in his fifth start of the young season.
Kennedy, who was involved in the three-team trade that sent Curtis Granderson to the New York Yankees and brought pitcher Edwin Jackson to Arizona, has yet to enjoy the success expected of a former first-round draft pick.
If fact, if he does manage to get that elusive first victory today, it will serve to double his career total. Kennedy’s first - and only - win in the majors came on Sept. 1, 2007, when he was still with the Yankees.
To be fair, today’s start will be just the 17th of his career for Kennedy, who missed almost the entire 2009 season after undergoing surgery for an aneurysm near his pitching shoulder.
And he is coming off his best outing of the year, going a career-high eight innings against the potent Phillies in which he scattered four hits and allowed two runs on a pair of solo homers.
Kennedy might be wise to pitch around Cubs leadoff hitter Ryan Theriot and take his chances with the supposed big bangers in Chicago’s lineup. Theriot has been on a tear, hitting .487 (19-for-39) during an eight-game hitting streak that has featured seven multiple-hit contests.