Tough-luck Garza truly ace of Cubs staff
When the Cubs traded for Matt Garza last January, it was with an eye toward Garza one day being the ace of the pitching staff.
If that day isn’t here already, it’s fast approaching.
Never mind Garza’s 5-8 record after Wednesday night’s 1-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. He has pitched much better than that.
With a little bit of luck and support from his teammates, Garza could well be in the double digits with victories.
Although Garza doesn’t lead the team in wins — Carlos Zambrano and Ryan Dempster have 8 apiece — Garza leads the starters in ERA (3.79) and WHIP (1.30).
However, he has left six games this year with the lead only to come away with no decision.
That didn’t happen Wednesday. Hot-hitting shortstop Starlin Castro accounted for the only run of the game with a booming home run to left-center leading off the eighth. Garza gave up a leadoff walk in the bottom of the inning before Sean Marshall came on and stranded the runner.
Carlos Marmol hit the first batter he faced in the ninth but worked out of trouble to earn his 22nd save.
It all contributed to the Cubs (46-65) posting their first four-game winning streak of the season. With a victory Thursday over the Pirates, they have a chance at a 5-5 road trip after losing the first five games in Milwaukee and St. Louis.
“Matt Garza deserved this win,” manager Mike Quade told reporters. “He had it coming. Matt has had a lot of tough luck but not today. The boys got him enough and the bullpen picked him up.”
It was Garza’s first win since June 27. He came out to pitch the eighth inning and walked pinch hitter Matt Diaz. With that, Quade took Garza out, even though the pitcher wasn’t happy about it, muttering into his glove as he walked off the field.
Garza said it was just his competitive nature.
“I don’t care if it’s Lee Smith or Goose Gossage or any of the greatest closers of the game because I don’t want to come out until I’m ready,” Garza said. “I understand they have my best interests in mind. I’m looking at the right-now factor.”
To his credit, Garza has never bemoaned his poor luck during postgame news conferences.
“You just ride it,” he said. “It is what it is. The game is going to treat you the way it’s going to treat you. I know it’ll come around in time and I’ll have better luck.”
Garza got his biggest help from Castro, who was 3-for-4 and has three straight 3-hit games, giving him 18 for the season, tops in the National League.
Castro has moved into the leadoff spot in the wake of Kosuke Fukudome being traded to Cleveland last week. He raised his batting average to .309. He now has 142 hits, putting him on pace for 207 this season.
“I still go back to the fact that he just hits no matter where you put him,” Quade said.