Cubs Winless Since Big Trade (So Are White Sox)

July 6, 2014 @ admin → No Comments

Sunday smorgasbord: Let the record show that the Chicago Cubs’ record since they traded away pitchers Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel to the Oakland A’s on July 4 is 0-1 and Oakland’s record is 1-0. Then again, the Chicago White Sox and the WNBA Chicago Sky also are 0-1 since the trade. Draw any conclusions you care to. They all will have about the same validity (which at this point could be close to none).

Playboy’s Khloe Terae is a fan of The Netherlands in World Cup Soccer. This is not the official uniform, but it seems to work quite nicely.

* At least the Cubs didn’t waste a good pitching performance when their offense was sputtering. Washington’s Ryan Zimmerman had four hits — one less than all the Cubs combined — in the Nationals’ 13-0 victory Saturday. On the bright (?) side, Cubs third baseman Mike Olt struck out only twice in three at-bats. He has whiffed 74 times in 170 at-bats (44 percent of the time). Outfielder Junior Lake, who leads the team in strikeouts, went 1-for-4 with only one strikeout. He has struck out 88 times in 241 at-bats (37 percent).

* Speaking of wasting pitching performances, that’s pretty much what the Sox did. They entered the ninth inning of their game against visiting Seattle with a 2-0 lead; they exited the inning with the game tied 2-2. The Mariners won 3-2 in 14 innings. Ronald Belisario took the loss. He threw 57 pitches in three innings of work. Meaning some of the blame might go to Sox manager Robin Ventura for having his deposed closer throw so many pitches. On the bright (?) side, Belisario probably won’t be pitching Sunday after all that activity Saturday.

* Speaking of Seattle, the Storm defeated the visiting Sky 80-73. The Sky was without Elena Delle Donne (Lyme disease) and guard Courtney Vandersloot (out 6-10 weeks with a sprained medial collateral ligament in her left knee). On the bright (?) side, center Sylvia Fowles had 19 points and 11 rebounds and Jessica Breland a game-high 20 points for the Sky (8-10).

* Sports City Memoriabilia (9241 Skokie Blvd. in Skokie, Ill.) is having a going-out-of-business sale July 11-13. Signed and unsigned items will be 60-75 percent off. Hours for the sale are 6-9 p.m. July 11, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. July 12 and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. July 13.

* Ex-Cub of the day: Milwaukee right-hander Matt Garza pitched a complete-game two-hitter with nine strikeouts as the visiting Brewers beat the Cincinnati Reds.

* Runner-up for ex-Cub of the day: Milwaukee third baseman Aramis Ramirez had a two-out, run-scoring single in the first inning to account for the game’s only run against the Reds.

* Ex-White Sox of the day (farmhand division): Washington left-hander Gio Gonzalez allowed four hits and struck out seven against the Cubs.

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