Wow what a day for the Chicago Cubs as they made a big trade and then went out and beat the Cincinnati Reds by the score of 7-3.  The Cubs traded for Rich Harden and Chad Gaudin and had to give up Matt Murton, Eric Patterson, Sean Gallagher, and Josh Donaldson.  After the trade was announced the Cubs got down to business on the field.

Ryan Dempster threw seven innings and only allowed two hits and one run.  The one run came in the fourth inning when Dempster walked Paul Bako with the bases loaded.  Dempster is now 10-3 on the season with a 3.13 era.

Neal Cotts had some problems in the eighth inning as he walked two batters but Carlos Marmol came in to clean up the mess and get out of the jam.  That is now the third straight time Marmol has pitched well.  Bob Howry had some problems in the ninth inning as he gave up three hits and allowed two runs to score.  Howry was throwing the ball right down the middle and just letting the Reds hit it as he was out there pitching with a big league.

The Cubs will now welcome Harden and Gaudin on Wednesday and then go out and try to go up 2-0 in the three game series.

Cubs Blog

The Chicago Cubs had a 3-1 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh inning but Carlos Marmol and Scott Eyre both sucked it up and the Cubs ended up giving up seven runs in the inning and losing 8-3.  It was the first time in the past four days that Marmol was on the mound pitching so he was well rested but clearly didn’t have his usual control.  He walked two batters and hit two batters before being pulled out of the game.

Eyre on the other hand came in with the bases loaded and quickly gave up a grand slam which blew the game wide open.  He then gave up a triple, double, and a sac fly before finally recording an out.  Jon Lieber then came in and finished up the game by throwing 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

Starting pitcher Sean Gallagher didn’t pitch that bad at all.  He did get out of a bases loaded jam in the second inning with only giving up one out but that was really his only mistake of the game.  He lasted six innings while giving up four hits and one run.  It’s too bad Gallagher wasn’t able to get the win.  Oh well I guess Marmol was due for a loss…

Kosuke Fukudome, Ryan Theriot, and Mike Fontenot all had a rbi for the cubs.  Derrek Lee did go 3-4 to kind of get out of his slump.

Cubs Blog

What a terrible game by the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday afternoon as they lost to the Cincinnati Reds by the score of 9-0.  The Reds hit seven home runs in the game as the Cubs pitchers struggled to keep the ball down.  Hell, it could have been 15-0 with seven home runs lol.

Jon Lieber who was making his first start of the season gave up four home runs in the second inning alone.  Sean Marshall gave up back-to-back home runs in the fifth inning and Sean Gallagher gave up a home run in the sixth inning.  Joey Votto alone had three home runs for the Reds.

The Cubs only managed six hit the entire game.  They left twenty guys on base and struck out eleven times.

All around it was just a terrible game by the Cubs.  They will have an off day on Thursday and then begin a three game weekend series with the league leading Arizona Diamondbacks.

Cubs Blog

Sean Gallagher and Jose Ascanio have been optioned to Triple-A Iowa by the Chicago Cubs.

Gallagher has been rumored to be included in the Brian Roberts trade that has never happened, and had hoped to make the team as a long reliver or starter but he is so far down on the depth chart right now that isn’t going to happen.  I can see Gallagher getting a callup once something is done with Ryan Dempster or Jason Marquis.

Josh Kroeger was also sent to the minor league camp.

The Brian Roberts to the Cubs Rumors have not stopped even though the trade was first talked about before the Winter meetings.  If the deal were to happen today, it looks like the Cubs would be sending Sean Marshall, Sean Gallagher, and Ronny Cedeno to the Orioles for Brian Roberts.

Personall, I think two pitchers and Cedeno is a little bit too much for Roberts.  But you have to give up something to get something in return so I can see where they are coming from as well.  I just don’t like getting rid of pitching depth, when a team can always use that.  Look at how many pitchers the Cubs went through last year, it is always nice to have a pitcher like Marshall or Gallagher come in and throw some innings when needed.

Do you like a Marshall, Gallagher, Cedeno deal for Roberts?  Leave us a comment and let us know!