News
Berg out to prove he was worth the wait
Chicago (60-55) vs. Pittsburgh (46-70), 1:20 p.m. CT
By Andrew Simon / MLB.com
08/15/09 3:54 PM ET
CHICAGO -- Justin Berg was a 43rd-round Draft pick who went through a handful of rough Minor League seasons, a trade and a role change. He even dealt with one uneventful callup that included a false alarm bullpen warmup. A second callup thrust him into the fire right away. In the eighth inning of the Cubs' 6-1 loss to the Phillies on Thursday, Berg made his Major League debut. Ryan Howard, of all people, was waiting. "Pretty crazy," Berg said. "Not exactly the first hitter anybody wants to face, but I just went in there and tried to attack the zone." Howard ripped a single, but Berg got Jayson Werth to hit into a double play and then struck out Ben Francisco to end the inning. He wound up tossing two scoreless frames. Berg, who could make his second appearance Sunday against the Pirates, impressed manager Lou Piniella. "He threw the ball well, gave us two innings, threw strikes," Piniella said. "He had a nice sinker, threw a few nice breaking balls. I thought his breaking ball was much improved over Spring Training. I liked what I saw." A recent change in Berg's role helped him turn things around. The Yankees drafted him in 2003 as a starter, and he floated through five mostly unremarkable Minor League seasons, with a 2006 trade to the Cubs for Matt Lawton sandwiched in the middle. Berg posted ERAs of 4.38 in 2006 and 4.95 in '07. Late in the '08 season, the Cubs elected to move him to the bullpen, where he could forget about his changeup and curveball and focus on his sinking fastball and the slider-cutter hybrid he developed in the middle of the season. "They just thought the bullpen would be a better fit for me, and it seems to be working out so far," Berg said. "I like it." Berg took to his new role this season, and with the slider-cutter steadily improving as a complement to his groundball-inducing sinker, he posted a 2.33 ERA at Triple-A Iowa. That performance earned him a callup on July 25. Berg's family traveled to Chicago from their home in Wisconsin to watch him make his Major League debut, but he went back to Iowa on July 28 without making an appearance. He had been ready to go into the July 27 game against Houston when Alfonso Soriano hit a walk-off grand slam in the 13th inning. "It was a little disappointing, but I understood the circumstances and everything that happened," Berg said. "I didn't worry about it. I just went back and continued pitching the way I was before. I knew if I did that I'd end up back here and that it would all work out." It worked out fine. Berg was recalled Thursday and this time saw action immediately, although his family did not make it back see it. His mother, father and sister were there Friday, but Berg did not pitch, and they returned home. If Berg continues throwing like he has this season, they will get a chance to see him on a big league mound eventually. One thing Berg will have to do to make that happen is improve his control. The 25-year-old right-hander throws in the low 90s and can get himself out of some jams with double plays. But even with his improved performance this season in Iowa, he walked 4.7 batters per nine innings and struck out 5.2, numbers that do not predict long-term success if they continue. "The big thing is getting ahead in the count early," Berg said. "If you can do that, it will definitely eliminate a lot more chances of walking guys. ... A double play is always possible, but it doesn't always happen. I figure if you eliminate the walks, it'll work a lot better." Pitching matchupCHC: RHP Rich Harden (7-7, 4.30 ERA)
Harden did not get a decision in his previous start vs. the Phillies. He retired the first 16 batters he faced before walking Carlos Ruiz with one out in the sixth. One batter later, Jimmy Rollins spoiled Harden's no-hit bid with a two-run homer. That was one of two hits off Harden in his seven innings. He also struck out six. Harden has a 1.95 ERA in his past six starts. PIT: RHP Ross Ohlendorf (10-8, 4.30 ERA)
Ohlendorf was nothing short of efficient in his previous start, as he gave up three runs on six hits in six-plus innings for the win against the Rockies on Tuesday. Ohlendorf is in the midst of a second-half surge, as he's 3-1 with a 3.07 ERA in five starts -- the past four of which have been a quality starts -- since the All-Star break. If there's anything that could derail him, it might be his ribs. Ohlendorf fielded a ground ball in the sixth inning against the Rockies and had his wind knocked out of him. He stayed in the ballgame and said he was a little sore postgame. Tidbits
Berg's debut made him the ninth rookie pitcher to take the mound for the Cubs this season. The franchise record is 10, set in 1958 and matched in 1962. ... Derrek Lee's second seven-RBI game of the season on Friday against the Pirates made him the second Cubs player to have two such games in a season, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. The only other was Rogers Hornsby, who accomplished the feat in 1931, when he served as a player-manager. ... Lee had eight RBIs in his previous 14 games before Friday. Tickets
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• Monday: Cubs (Ted Lilly, 9-7, 3.59) at Padres (Kevin Correia, 8-9, 4.51), 9:05 p.m. CT
• Tuesday: Cubs (Ryan Dempster, 6-6, 4.23) at Padres (Cesar Carrillo, 0-1, 30.86), 9:05 p.m. CT
• Wednesday: Cubs (TBD) at Padres (Mat Latos, 4-2, 4.01), 9:05 p.m. CT
Andrew Simon is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
