Astros explain pitching move
Cubs general manager Jim Hendry said Tuesday he got a call the previous day from Tal Smith, the interim general manager of the Houston Astros.
The issue was the Astros starting Felipe Paulino on Tuesday night against the Milwaukee Brewers and their ace, Ben Sheets. It was Paulino's first major-league start.
Talk around baseball had been that Commissioner Bud Selig had spoken with the Astros about putting their best team on the field against the Brewers, who are battling the Cubs for the National League Central title. Astros ace Roy Oswalt is out because his wife is due to have a baby at any time.
"Tal Smith called and was very upfront and professional about it," Hendry said. "He said there was nothing they could do about it, and that the doctors were going to induce labor with Roy's wife. Tal was very honest about it. It's not a story."
Manager Lou Piniella said the Cubs "couldn't concern ourselves" with what the Astros are doing.
Fundamentally speaking: Lou Piniella reiterated Tuesday that he had no "concerns" about his team's fundamental play. After Monday night's 7-6 victory over the Reds, several players admitted the team played poorly in several areas.
"It was just one night," Piniella said. "We didn't play a good game, didn't execute. It's good that they're scrutinizing themselves at this time of the year. You know what? We played 27 outs. That was the bottom line in that game last night. There's no quit. These guys came back in the ninth inning and snatched a victory.
"Yeah, I mentioned in my little talk that we didn't particularly play a good ballgame, but we won it. At this time of year, you'd rather win a game that you don 't particularly play well in than lose one that you played great in."
Left fielder Alfonso Soriano got thrown trying to go from second to third on a groundball to the left side. He also threw to the wrong base on a hit by the Reds.
"There's no need to talk about (individuals); we talk about the team now," Piniella said.
Playoff tix: The sale of individual game tickets for the Cubs' potential first two home games of the division series will begin Sunday at 9 a.m.
Games are referred to and sold as "Home Game One" and "Home Game Two." Dates and times of games at Wrigley Field are to be determined.
Tickets will not be available at the Wrigley Field ticket office or Tickets.Com outlets. They will be available for purchase in the following methods:
Tickets can be purchased by telephone through Tickets.com beginning at 9 a.m. The phone number for Illinois callers is (800) THE-CUBS, or (800) 843-2827. The phone number for out-of-state callers is (866) 652-2827. Tickets ordered by telephone will be delivered by three-day express mailing.
Visitors to the Cubs' Web site -- www.cubs.com -- can purchase tickets online beginning at 9 a.m.
A virtual waiting room will be used for all Internet orders. The virtual waiting room will begin accepting customers at 8:30 a.m. Sunday. At 9, customers will be randomly selected from the virtual waiting room to begin purchasing tickets. All Internet customers will need a valid cubs.com account. The Cubs recommend that customers sign up for an account before Sept. 23.
A limited amount of ADA/Wheelchair Tickets will also go on sale at 9 a.m. CDT. The phone number for wheelchair tickets is (773) 404-4107.