CHICAGO SPORTS BLOG - BOTH CHICAGO TEAMS IN SECOND PLACE
The First Ten Games or So Lands Both Chicago Teams in Second Place
The first 10 games are complete for the Chicago Cubs and the Chicago White Sox are just one game shy having played nine games. Both teams find themselves in second place with the Sox just a half game behind the Kansas City Royals and the Cubs chasing the St. Louis Cardinals by a game and a half. Sure, it's too early to look at the divisions in this way but these first two weeks have yielded some interesting questions for both teams.
For the White Sox, they were able to pull off a five game winning streak but now have suffered back-to-back losses after opening the season 0-2. They have had some great hitting from A.J. Pierzynski, Joe Crede and Jermaine Dye but the rest of the lineup has been relatively quiet although Nick Swisher seems to be a good catalyst for the offense.
However, the lineup figures to put its fair share of runs on the board this year but what about the starting pitching? The statistics are not good for their starters up to this point. Of the four starters in the rotation who have started two games, Javier Vazquez has the lowest earned run average at a whopping 5.12. Gavin Floyd, the fifth man in the rotation, is starting today and with only one game under his belt, his E.R.A. is 4.5. In just nine games, Sox starters have allowed 57 hits, 22 walks and one batter hit by a pitch. That's 80 base runners allowed in just nine games, just for the starters. Further, the starting staff has allowed 34 earned runs in just 46.4 innings pitched and again this is not taking into account the long and short relievers. The starting pitching has to be better if the Sox want to compete in a division with three teams who can hit very well.
For the Cubs, they too have managed a five game winning streak but find themselves with their own problems. The Cubs have only two regulars with averages above the .300 mark: Kosuke Fukodome and Derrek Lee. Leadoff hitter, Alfonso Soriano has remained below the .200 mark hitting a paltry .170 with just two stolen bases and two home runs, he's certainly not earning his 17 million dollars a year. So far, three starters have been a disappointment. Ted Lilly, Rich Hill and Jason Marquis have combined for zero wins, just 22.2 innings in five games and have allowed a combined 18 earned runs. Not a good equation for the Cubs who were slated to have one of the better starting staffs in the National League. Relief pitching has also been an issue in particular with Kerry Wood, the Cubs closer having blown one save already and carrying a 6.00 E.R.A. In just six innings of work, Wood has allowed four earned runs. Short reliever and set-up man, Bobby Howry has been unimpressive too, allowing five earned runs in just 5.1 innings pitched.
They say pitching is the name of the game and right now on both sides of town it proves that the Cubs and White Sox would probably be in first place if it weren't for their pitching woes.
JEFF ARDITO & DEAN'S TEAM CHICAGO
