NewsLilly eyeing payback vs. DeRosa
Chicago (31-31) vs. Cleveland (29-39), 1:20 p.m. CT
By Carrie Muskat / MLB.com
06/18/09 6:00 PM ET
CHICAGO -- It's payback time for Ted Lilly this weekend. Remember a Spring Training game on March 29 at HoHoKam Park in Mesa, Ariz.? Mark DeRosa went 3-for-3 off Lilly, hitting two home runs and a double, and notched another RBI on a sacrifice fly in Cleveland's 7-5 exhibition win over the Cubs. |
"I wish it counted," DeRosa said after the game.
DeRosa, who was Lilly's teammate on the Cubs for two years, and former Cubs pitcher Kerry Wood return to Wrigley Field on Friday for an Interleague series between Chicago and Cleveland. It'll be Wood's first look at the visitors' clubhouse. "I'm sure it will be a little weird," Wood said. Rich Harden will get things started on Friday, Lilly will go Saturday and Randy Wells will close the series on Sunday. "The thing that's important from here on out is that he definitely had fun today," Lilly said at the time of DeRosa's big game, "and I need to make sure when we play them, that he has a miserable time in Chicago." The Cubs lefty had checked the schedule to see when he had a chance for a rematch. "I've got to somehow make sure I get in that series," Lilly said in March. "I'll break about 10 of his at-bats." We'll see about that on Saturday. "I'm sure it will be an exciting weekend," Wood told Cleveland reporters. "We're going back to a place where we've played before. We're going back where I spent all of my career, and DeRosa had a couple good years as well." Wood switched to closer last year, saving 34 games for the Cubs, before signing this past offseason with the Indians. He has eight saves with Cleveland. DeRosa signed a three-year deal with Chicago prior to the 2007 season, and was traded for three Minor League pitchers. "At the time, I disagreed with the trade," DeRosa told Cleveland media. "I don't have any ill feelings. Obviously, [the Cubs] felt they needed to make the move." He is batting .280 with 13 homers and 48 RBIs. That RBI total would lead the offensively challenged Cubs at this point, and he'd be No. 2 in average behind Ryan Theriot, who is batting .282 entering Wednesday's game against the White Sox. "I definitely have some revenge [on my mind]," Lilly said in March about DeRosa's day in the sun. "I'm not happy about it, by any means. The only good thing to come out of it was that it was Spring Training." That changes this weekend. Pitching matchupCHC: RHP Rich Harden (4-3, 4.53 ERA)
Harden took the loss in his last start against the Twins, but he did post his sixth quality start of the season. The right-hander gave up two runs on five hits and two walks over six innings. This was his first start since coming off the disabled list, and he said he felt strong and wanted to go deeper in the game. He also struck out nine, including six of the last eight batters he faced. Harden has struck out nine or more in three starts this season. He's 1-0 with a 3.27 ERA in five games vs. the Indians. CLE: LHP Cliff Lee (4-6, 2.88 ERA)
The Indians will keep Lee on his fifth day, coming out of Thursday's off-day. So he'll look to get the weekend set at Wrigley off on the right foot. He's coming off a marvelous outing against the Cardinals on Sunday night. Lee became the first Tribe pitcher to take a no-hitter into the eighth inning since CC Sabathia did so in 2002. He went on to give up three hits for the shutout on just 93 pitches. Lee gave up one run over 7 2/3 innings for a win over the Cubs in 2006 in his only prior appearance against them. He's never pitched in Wrigley Field. Tidbits
Jason Dubois scored the game-winning run on a throwing error in the 11th inning to give Triple-A Iowa a 5-4 win over Oklahoma City. Bobby Scales reached base three times in the game. Ryan Freel, making a rehab start, was 1-for-4 with a walk, two RBIs and three stolen bases. ... Double-A Tennessee vs. Carolina was postponed Wednesday because of rain. ... Ryan Searle gave up two runs on two hits over three innings in Class A Daytona's 4-1 loss to St. Lucie. ... Class A Peoria won its fifth straight game, beating Quad Cities, 7-3. Justin Bristow gave up one run on seven hits over five innings for the win. Michael Brenly had his third three-hit game of the year. Former Cub Keith Moreland will sub for television analyst Bob Brenly on July 10 and July 12, when Brenly takes some days off to watch his son, Michael, play in the Minor Leagues. ... No makeup date has been set for Tuesday's Cubs-White Sox game, postponed by rain. ... Bears running back Matt Forte will sing during the seventh-inning stretch on Friday, followed on Saturday by actor George Lopez and former Cubs outfielder Todd Hollandsworth on Sunday. Tickets
Buy tickets now to catch the game in person.
On the Internet
MLB.TV
Gameday Audio• Gameday
• Official game notes On television
• CSN On radio
• WGN 720 Up next
• Saturday: Cubs (Ted Lilly, 7-4, 2.94) vs. Indians (Tomo Ohka, 0-1, 4.24), 12:05 p.m. CT
• Sunday: Cubs (Randy Wells, 0-3, 2.55) vs. Indians (Jeremy Sowers, 1-4, 5.14), 1:20 p.m. CT
• Monday: Cubs (Ryan Dempster, 4-4, 3.92) at Braves (Jair Jurrjens, 5-5, 2.89), 6:10 p.m. CT
Carrie Muskat is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
