Nothing to see here, says Lou: Cubs offense disappoints again
By Paul Sullivan,
MCT News Service
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| Chicago Cubs' Kosuke Fukudome is out at second on the first half of a double play as Atlanta Braves second baseman Brooks Conrad prepares to throw to first for the out on Ryan Theriot during the first inning of a baseball game Wednesday, July 8, 2009, in Chicago. ((AP Photo/M. Spencer Green) ) |
CHICAGO – Lou Piniella was in no mood to regurgitate his pre-game comments about the lack of offense after Wednesday’s 4-1 loss to Atlanta pushed the Cubs back to .500 at 41-41.
“There’s no sense talking about it anymore,” the Cubs manager said.
The Cubs wound up with only six hits off Braves starter Kenshin Kawakami and three relievers, a recurring theme that has Piniella at wit’s end.
Making matters worse, Cubs catcher Geovany Soto was sent for an MRI on Wednesday after suffering a left oblique strain during batting practice. He could be out for a while, forcing the Cubs to consider bringing up a minor leaguer with no major-league experience.
As for the Cubs’ offense, which ranks 15th in the league in runs scored, Piniella said the media is asking the wrong person what’s wrong.
“There’s nothing else to say, there really isn’t,’ he said. “We just have to start swinging the bats better if we’re going to do anything in this division or the rest of the year. And that’s really the bottom line. I said it before the ballgame.
“I get asked the same questions every day. I think what you need to do is go ask the players why they’re not hitting instead of asking me. They could probably give you a much better insight than I can. Or go talk to the hitting coach.”
Kosuke Fukudome’s sixth-inning homer was the Cubs’ lone run.
The Cubs hit into three double plays and put only two runners in scoring position. Rookie Kevin Hart pitched five innings of one-run ball, but Casey Kotchman’s solo homer off Angel Guzman in the sixth gave the Braves a 2-0 lead, and they added two in the ninth after Fukudome’s error in center.
Star of the game: Kenshin Kawakami, Braves, 6 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 SO, 2 BB
Weekend preview
> Cardinals (Brad Thompson 2-5) at Cubs (Rich Harden 5-5), 1:20 p.m. Friday
> Cards (Chris Carpenter 6-3) at Cubs (Ted Lilly 8-6), 3:10 p.m. Saturday
> Cards (Adam Wainwright (9-5) at Cubs (Randy Wells 4-3), 12:05 p.m. Sunday
> Cards (TBA) at Cubs (Carlos Zambrano 4-4), 7:05 p.m. Sunday
