Pitching Woes

Rich Hill didn't do anything to improve his chances of staying on the Cubs major league team nor did he do anything to help his prospect status. Besides Maddux and Zambrano the Cubs have been hard pressed to get starters to go more than 5 innings. This is going to lead to major problems in September when each relief pitcher has thrown 90+ innings. Today it will be Carlos Marmol on the mound and hopefully he can give the pen some rest today. The one thing he needs to do is start throwing more strikes and reducing his walks. I know that is stating the obvious, but he hasn't done much to improve on it since coming up, so maybe it needs to be stated.

One good pitching thing for the Cubs is in the few games he has pitched since his return, Michael Wuertz has looked pretty good out there. He is showing the slider that he had at the end of last season and much more control over his pitches compared to his stint in the beginning of the year. I don't expect much change in the pen now that the Cubs have traded Scott Williamson, as I doubt that Scott Eyre or Bob Howry are on the market and the way Ryan Dempster has pitched the last month who would want him?

Another complaint I have is why on earth does Dusty Baker keep starting Angel Pagan in LF over Matt Murton? Matt Murton is finally starting to hit the ball again and not popping everything up, but I guess that is the time to sit him. Yeah I know I like Pagan at the beginning of the year, but since his return from the injury he isn't even worthy of being a 5th OF, let alone a starting one.