Florida @ Chicago preview
Wrigley Field
Last Meeting ( May 10, 2010 ) Florida 4, Chi. Cubs 2
It took just three days for Cubs rookie Starlin Castro to hear chants of “phenom” turn to venom in Chicago.
Such is life when a player is anointed as The Second Coming – especially with a team that has stumbled to three consecutive losses and six defeats in its last seven games.
Castro’s stunning debut, in which he set a major league record by driving in six runs in a rout of the Cincinnati Reds on Friday night, seemed like ancient history in the wake of his three-error performance Monday night at Wrigley.
That it just happened to be Castro’s first game in front of the home fans certainly didn’t help matters, nor did his lackadaisical effort following his third error of the night that allowed the Marlins’ Hanley Ramirez to take second base and brought boos raining down on Castro.
And while it would be too easy to point a finger at the 20-year-old shortstop for what is ailing the Cubs, his play is symptomatic of a malaise that seemingly has gripped the club.
A little offense certainly could go a long way to providing a jolt from the lethargy. In the last six losses, Chicago has scratched out 12 measly runs, including just a pair in Monday’s 4-2 loss to the Florida Marlins in the opener of an eight-game homestand.
For five innings Monday, the stars appeared to be aligned for the Cubs. Ted Lilly was working on a no-hitter before Castro’s error in the sixth opened the door for the Marlins to push across the tying run.
One inning later, Lilly surrendered a two-run homer to Ronny Paulino to lose the lead, and then lost his composure as well in an attempt to pick a runner off first base as Cody Ross dashed in from third with a steal of home plate.
It was the third time in the last seven games that a Chicago pitcher has served up a go-ahead home run in the very next at-bat after the Cubs had taken the lead.
Randy Wells (3-1) will try to end the Cubs’ slide, as well as rebound from his worst start of the season, when he takes the mound on Tuesday.
In his last outing, Wells suffered his first loss of the season when he was shelled for seven runs on five hits in two-plus innings of an 11-1 beating by the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Marlins right-hander Ricky Nolasco (2-2) will be trying to end his own two-game losing streak. He allowed three runs on five hits in six innings last time out.
Nolasco’s two best performances of the season – and two wins – have both come on the road. For his career, he is 2-1 with a 2.86 ERA against the Cubs.