Carlos Marmol
will be closing games for the Cubs again and apparently will be doing it the same way he did before.
Marmol let the Red Sox load the bases Friday but preserved a 3-0 shutout for
Ryan Dempster
when
Dustin Pedroia
bounced out.
“Most important, I got three outs,” Marmol said.
But he didn’t do it until after manager
Dale Sveum
visited the mound and
Randy Wells
was warming up.
Sveum made the move “to solidify the bullpen somewhat” and informed Marmol two days ago he would be back in his role after a demotion plus a stint on the disabled list.
The save was Marmol’s first since May 2 and he said, “I feel great out there now, I feel confidence. I’m going to keep my job and work hard.”
The reunion:
Baseball president
Theo Epstein
was surrounded by media covering his new team and his old one Friday morning.
“It’s one of those things where you can’t wait for it to come and you can’t wait for it to be over either,” Epstein said. “Hopefully three good games, we can get a couple of wins and move on. It will be great to see everybody. We don’t get to play these guys very often so we have to relish it.”
Epstein left little doubt about his allegiance.
“This game is hard enough with one team so I just focus on the Cubs,” he said. “Obviously being there for 10 years there is a connection that will never go away and I care about a lot of the people there. I don’t feel like it’s my team, so to speak, but I do root for a lot of the people there.”
Hits machine:
Cubs starter
Ryan Dempster
, a career .097 hitter, not only had a stand-up triple Friday but a single as well.
His only other triple was in May of 2002 when he was pitching for the Marlins.
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“I try to spread my triples out,” he said with a straight face. “I finally decided to utilize my wheels.
(Tony) Campana
and I had a bet to see who had the first triple and I won. Imagine that. Feeling pretty good about that.”
Catch this:
Sveum said it’s possible the Cubs could keep three catchers when
Geovany Soto
returns from the disabled list, possibly as soon as Monday or Tuesday.
The Cubs currently have lefty-hitting
Steve Clevenger
and righty
Welington
Castillo
after designating
Koyie Hill
for assignment.
Actually, the Cubs could get away with three catchers when they visit the Sox next week and Clevenger’s ability with the bat and versatility makes him attractive after that.
“We’re going to talk about it,” Sveum said. “Clevenger can play different positions on the field, so you’re not worried about pinch-hitting.”
Extra innings:
Josh Beckett
has been scratched as Boston’s Sunday starter with an inflamed shoulder.
Franklin Morales
will take his place. … Hall of Famer
Billy Williams
turned 74 Friday. … Several players and team officials will be in attendance Saturday for the unveiling of a “Cubs Classroom” at the new Children’s Hospital. The space is donated by Cubs Charities and will enable children to learn and keep up with homework during treatment.