Another dud for Cubs offense in 2-1 loss to Dodgers
Is it too late for the Ricketts family to change their mind? Get their money back? Some kind of a bad baseball refund?
It sure seems $845 million doesn't buy what it used to, unless you are in the market for anemic hitting, shoddy defense and baserunning blunders.
On a day that began with the parent Tribune Co. signing a definitive agreement to sell 95 percent of the franchise to the Ricketts family, the Cubs ended it with their latest loss, 2-1 at Los Angeles.
In losing for the ninth time in 12 games, the Cubs (61-59) missed an opportunity to gain ground on the teams they are chasing, remaining 7 games behind St. Louis in the NL Central and 6 behind Colorado in the wild-card race. As recently as Aug. 5, the Cubs were tied with St. Louis for first.
While Aramis Ramirez's error led to both Dodgers runs, the main culprit continued to be the Cubs' offensive struggles. They managed 1 seeing-eye single against three Dodgers pitchers.
The Cubs entered Friday hitting 27 points higher at home (. 269) than on the road (. 242), and they did nothing to raise that average against Randy Wolf. The veteran left-hander, who turns 33 today, made sure it will be a happy birthday. Wolf (8-6) worked 7 innings, allowing only Ryan Theriot's third-inning RBI single just under shortstop Rafael Furcal's glove, and Theriot promptly followed by getting picked off first.
The Cubs lost 7-2 Thursday, and earlier in the week fell 4-1 and 6-3 to San Diego.
"It's so hard to win with two runs," manager Lou Piniella said on the WGN radio pregame show. "It's almost impossible."
Wolf also did plenty of damage at the plate against Randy Wells, who was working on two extra days of rest. After Ramirez kept the second inning alive when he couldn't field an Orlando Hudson grounder, Wolf hammered Wells' first-pitch fastball for a 2-run double, which turned out to be all the offense the Dodgers managed.
Wolf, who also beat Wells 2-1 on May 28, struck out five and walked two before George Sherrill and Jonathan Broxton finished. The Cubs went down in order in the first, second, fourth, fifth and sixth innings.
Sam Fuld, who got the start in center, scored the only run after reaching on a walk. Fuld sparkled in center, taking extra-base hits away from Casey Blake and Manny Ramirez.
Wells (9-6) has had his share of quality starts spoiled with a lack of support, and he was victimized again Friday. He didn't allow an earned run, scattig 7 hits in 62/3 innings.
The Cubs had a chance to tie it in the eighth when Alfonso Soriano walked and stole second. Fuld and pinch hitter Jake Fox bounced out to short to end the threat.
<p class="factboxheadblack">John Lemon's game tracker</p> <p class="News">Dodgers 2, Cubs 1</p> <p class="News"><b>Streak snapped:</b> Jeff Baker entered Friday with a career-high 10-game hitting streak and was rewarded by moving up to the No. 5 spot. He struck out, grounded out to second and grounded to third to end his streak as the Cubs managed just 1 hit.</p> <p class="News"><b>Have to wait:</b> Randy Wells (9-6) missed a chance for his 10th win, which would have made him the first Cubs rookie pitcher to reach double digits since Kerry Wood won 13 games in 1998. In the last 40 seasons starting in 1970, only five Cubs rookie pitchers have reached 10 wins: Wood, Mike Harkey (12 in 1990), Geremi Gonzalez (11 in 1997), Burt Hooton (11 in 1972) and Rick Reuschel (10 in 1972). </p> <p class="News"><b>Slumping Sori:</b> Alfonso Soriano continued his slide with an 0-for-2 night, popping out to second twice. He's 5 for his last 43 (.116).</p>