Cubs shut down Harden; beat Giants in 9th
The Cubs made it official before Thursday night's game against the Giants at AT&T Park: Pitcher Rich Harden is shut down for the season.
Harden was a spectator in the dugout watching teammate Ryan Dempster take the mound as he continued his quest to pitch at least 200 innings this year.
Dempster went 7 innings but didn't get the win as the Cubs beat the Giants 3-2. Jeff Baker hit a 2-run homer in the ninth against Giants closer Brian Wilson with two outs to rally the Cubs and help them stave off elimination in the NL Central.
It came as no real surprise that the Cubs shut Harden down.
He hasn't pitched since Sept. 16, when he had little command in going only 3 innings against the Brewers at Wrigley Field. The Cubs subsequently said Harden was suffering from "fatigue" in his arm, although they denied he was being shut down for the season.
Harden has had a history of shoulder problems, but the Cubs managed to get 26 starts out of him this year, and Harden went 9-9 with a 4.09 ERA.
He becomes a free agent at the end of this season, and he said Wednesday in Milwaukee that he'd like to come back to the Cubs, who probably won't want to go out on a long-term deal.
"It was a mutual decision," cubs.com quoted Harden as saying, although manager Lou Piniella told his WGN radio audience that the decision was Harden's. "I'm still healthy. I feel good, and I take that as a positive for the season."
In not exactly a shocking development, Piniella also told reporters that "I don't see myself managing beyond next year, I really don't. I see giving it everything I've got to get the organization back on top, and I look forward to that challenge."
Dempster entered Thursday with 179 innings under his belt for this year.
The Cubs gave him a 1-0 lead in the fourth. Micah Hoffpauir opened with a double and went to third on Mike Fontenot's groundball single to short left field. Baker grounded into a double play, scoring Hoffpauir.
The Giants tied it in the bottom half with two outs. Juan Uribe hit an infield single that Dempster couldn't come up with to the left of the mound. John Bowker doubled to left, scoring Uribe.
Bowker's homer off Dempster leading off the seventh put the Giants ahead. In the ninth, Derrek Lee led off with a walk, and two outs later Baker homered.
<p class="factboxheadblack">Bruce Miles' game tracker</p> <p class="News">Cubs 3, Giants 2</p> <p class="News"><b>Dempster doings:</b> Cubs starter Ryan Dempster pitched 7 innings, giving up 7 hits and 2 runs. He has worked at least 6 innings in his last 11 starts dating to Aug. 2. It was his 17th quality start.</p> <p class="News"><b>Keeps saving:</b> Carlos Marmol converted his 12th save opportunity in a row, striking out three in the ninth inning while also giving up a single and a walk. It was Marmol's 15th save overall this year.</p> <p class="News"><b>Shake and Baker:</b> Jeff Baker hit the game-winning, 2-run homer in the ninth. It was his fourth homer of the season, and he's 9-for-24 on the road trip.</p>