Morning Box Score: Cubs 3-0 Post Big Z Blowup

AP Photo/Dave Einsel

Cubs 4,Astros 3

We have no clue as to why Mike Quade uses his bullpen the way he does, but when it works, it works well. James Russell, Sean Marshall, Jeff Samardzija and Kerry Wood combined for 4-2/3 innings of scoreless relief to preserve a win for Rodrigo Lopez at Minute Maid Park. Wood picked up his first save on a night when Quade decided to give Carlos Marmol the night off after pitching in back-to-back games. Funny, we thought the job of a closer was to save a game when the score was close. Carlos Pena and Geovany Soto each drove in two runs with doubles to account for the Cubs scoring.

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By Chuck Sudo in News on August 16, 2011 8:00 AM

Comments [rss]

sat3911

The job of a closer is to save the game when the score is close, but it is the job of a manager to make sure the closer's arm doesn't get hurt. Don't yell at Quade when he actually makes the right decision.

ChicagoD

"Closer" should not be a job. Get hitters out when the team needs you to should be a job. A pitcher can "save" the game by getting a strike out with two on in the seventh but another pitcher gets the "save" for being a closer. Idiot stat makes for idiot incentives which makes for idiot baseball. I don't like the save rule . . .