Houston @ Chicago preview
Wrigley Field
Last Meeting ( Jul 20, 2010 ) Houston 7, Chi. Cubs 14
Chicago Cubs manager Lou Piniella announced Tuesday that he would retire at the end of the season, marking the end of the run for one of the best in the game.
After a solid playing career, Piniella has been one of the top managers over his 23 years at the helm, including the past four seasons with the Cubs.
Piniella had one standout season – 2008 – with the Cubs, leading the team to a 97-64 record and earning his third manager of the year honors.
As the Cubs face the Houston Astros on Wednesday afternoon in the finale of a three-game series, they will take the field with an unspectacular record of 43-52 and are 10 ½ games back of the National League Central-leading St. Louis Cardinals.
But, on the day Sweet Lou announced his retirement, the Cubs had a fitting response, coming back from a six-run deficit and pulling out a 14-7 victory. Aramis Ramirez had three home runs, including two three-run bombs, to spark the Cubs’ remarkable rally.
Geovany Soto also went deep for Chicago and Starlin Castro and Derrek Lee both had multi-hit games.
The Cubs send left-hander Ted Lilly to the mound for the series finale. He will be searching for his fourth win of the season.
Lilly is coming off a strong outing against the Philadelphia Phillies in which he went seven innings, allowing three runs on four hits with a walk and 10 strikeouts. The 10 strikeouts were a season high for the veteran lefty.
Prior to that start, Lilly had his worst outing of the season on July 9 at the Los Angeles Dodgers. He lasted only 3 2/3 innings, allowing seven runs (five earned) on seven hits with two walks and a strikeout.
Lilly has yet to face the Astros this season, but has a career 7-1 record and 2.49 ERA in 10 lifetime starts against them.
Houston, meanwhile, will counter with right-hander Brett Myers, who has put together a solid season so far, going at least six innings in all 19 of his starts.
In his last outing against the Pirates, Myers went 7 2/3 innings, allowing two runs (both earned) on five hits with a walk and four strikeouts to earn the victory.
When he faced the Cubs on June 6, Myers picked up the victory, going 6 2/3 innings and allowing two runs on eight hits with a walk and six strikeouts.
Offensively, the Astros have played well the first two games against the Cubs. They had built a 6-0 lead on Tuesday before Wesley Wright, making his first career start, faltered in the fifth inning and the big lead eventually dissolved.