Cubs fall short again in 3-2 loss to Marlins
Now it's come to this.
When reporters asked Cubs manager Lou Piniella to help them find a new way to inquire about the Cubs' hitting woes, Piniella had the perfect retort.
"Don't ask," he said after the Cubs fell 3-2 to the Florida Marlins on Tuesday night at Wrigley Field.
So maybe a little field trip is in order.
"I don't know," he said. "I think I'm going to the casino in Indiana and play snake-eyes. I don't know what else to say, I'll be honest with you. Oh, boy."
The Cubs lost their seventh game in their last eight and fell to 14-20. They outhit the Marlins 7-4, wasting a quality start by pitcher Randy Wells.
Wells gave up a walk to Dan Uggla and a 2-run homer to Cody Ross in the second inning. Gaby Sanchez touched him for a solo homer in the third.
The Cubs got an RBI double from Derrek Lee in the sixth against Ricky Nolasco, and they looked like they might break through in the eighth against reliever Chris Leroux, but Aramis Ramirez continue to struggle, striking out with runners on second and third to end the inning.
Ramirez was 0-for-3 with a walk and is batting .159.
"I've just got to get it done," he said when asked about the at-bat during which he swung at high pitches. "I see the ball good out there. I haven't got it done. No excuses. I don't know. I feel good. I'm healthy. I don't know. Maybe I'm old."
If there was one thing to be encouraged about, it was Wells, who bounced back from a 2-inning performance last week in Pittsburgh. He gave up the 2 homers, but walked only one and struck out eight.
"Anything's better than the last time; I finally got an at-bat," said Wells, who fell to 3-2 with a 4.57 ERA. "I felt OK. I made a couple mistakes, obviously. I got some pitches up. That's a key example of why you don't want to walk guys. They seem to always score. I had them right where I wanted and let them slip away."
Kosuke Fukudome, moved to the leadoff spot, was on base three times, with 2 singles and a walk. Lee's RBI double in the sixth was a flyball to right that turned Ross around. Marlon Byrd added a sacrifice fly in the eighth.
"Same story," Lee said. "We didn't score enough runs. I thought we hit quite a few balls hard. We didn't find any holes tonight. We didn't swing the bats good enough."
<p class="factboxheadblack">Bruce Miles' game tracker</p>
<p class="News">Marlins 3, Cubs 2</p>
<p class="News"><b>Castro watch:</b> Starlin Castro committed his fifth error of the season and fourth in two games as he overran and tried to backhand Wes Helms' grounder in the eighth. At the plate, Castro was 2-for-4, and he flied out to end the game. </p>
<p class="News"><b>Ex-Cub watch:</b> Former Cubs farmhand Ricky Nolasco gave up 5 hits and 1 run in seven innings. He's 3-2 with a 3.66 ERA. </p>
<p class="News"><b>Wasted effort:</b> Randy Wells' quality start was the Cubs' 21st. They're only 9-12 in those games. </p>
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