UCB Progressive Game Blog: The First Inning | 
Every year, the United Cardinal Bloggers (UCB) gather together to form the Progressive Game Blog. This year marks the third edition of the Game Blog, a unique form of game coverage where eleven separate websites will bring you coverage of the Cardinals game against the Cubs today in Chicago. Each website will bring you coverage of one inning, with the United Cardinal Bloggers website bringing you pregame coverage and Fredbird Follys wrapping it all up when we are through.
It is my pleasure to bring you the first inning of coverage. Thanks go out to Daniel Shoptaw at UCB.com for his pregame coverage.
Hello everybody and welcome to the UCB Progressive Game Blog. My name is Bill Ivie and I am the Assignment Editor here at BaseballDigest.com as well as serving as the Content Editor for the Cardinals and Classic sections as well.
Two teams at opposite ends of the spectrum come into this Saturday afternoon game in Chicago. That is not anything out of the ordinary, honestly. Aaron Hooks took a quick look at the series for us on Friday and pointed out the fact that these teams do not seem to put great teams on the field at the same time.
The Cardinals made some roster moves going into today’s affair, adding pitchers Adam Ottavino and Evan MacLane to the roster, while sending outfielder Joe Mather and Fernando Salas to Memphis. Recent injuries to starting pitchers Brad Penny and Kyle Lohse have mandated some moves and Ottavino will take to a big league mound for the first time in his career this afternoon against the Cubbies. MacLane was called up to provide the Cardinals with some insurance for the pitching staff and is estimated to stay through the series with Cincinnati, which ends on Wednesday. Mather will have to stay in the minors for ten days unless there is an injury on the big league roster, so look for Allen Craig or much discussed Aaron Miles to get the call up when MacLane is returned to Memphis.
As we prepare for the first pitch, it appears to be a beautiful day for baseball in Chicago. Temperatures in the high 70′s with some patchy clouds greet the faithful as they file into one of baseball’s oldest and historic stadiums, Wrigley Field. The lineups for today’s games are as follows:
| Cardinals | VS | Cubs | ||||
| 1 | Lopez | SS | 1 | Fukudome | RF | |
| 2 | Ludwick | RF | 2 | Theriot | 2B | |
| 3 | Pujols | 1B | 3 | Lee | 1B | |
| 4 | Holliday | LF | 4 | Soriano | LF | |
| 5 | Rasmus | CF | 5 | Byrd | CF | |
| 6 | Freese | 3B | 6 | Fontenot | 3B | |
| 7 | Molina | C | 7 | Castro | SS | |
| 8 | Schumaker | 2B | 8 | Hill | C | |
| 9 | Ottavino | P | 9 | Silva | P | |
Geovany Soto was a late scratch from the Cubs lineup due to illness, though it is said that he will be available, if needed.
Over the season, the Cardinals offense has been sporadic at best. When they have been successful, however, they have been successful early. The first inning tends to set the tone for the offensive Cardinals and we settle in to see the top of the order try to get on the board for the Redbirds.
As it turns out, the top of the first shows that Carlos Silva is ready for today’s matchup. After getting Felipe Lopez to ground out the first baseman Derek Lee, he would strike out Ryan Ludwick and Albert Pujols to put the cap on a perfect top of the first. Known for being consistently in the strike zone, Silva did not disappoint and got the Cardinals’ number two and three hitters out swinging.
Ottavino takes to the mound in Chicago and the Fox cameras find his parents in the crowd, Dad proudly keeping score as they watch on. The rookie hurler starts his career off with a strikeout, as Koske Fukudome would foul the one ball/two strike pitch into Yadier Molina’s glove. Ryan Theroit would follow with a ground out to second baseman Skip Schumaker and Derek Lee would battle the rookie and draw a two out walk. A rejuvenated all star coming off of successful knee surgery, Alfonso Soriano would stand in with Lee on first and two outs. Ottavion would throw the first three out of the strikezone to Soriano before battling back to a full count and getting the Cubs’ leftfielder to fly out to his counter part, Matt Holliday, in left.
The first inning was uneventful and may be setting the tone for a pitcher’s duel between the Cardinal rookie and the Chicago veteran. Silva will head to the mound for inning two to face Matt Holliday to start the inning. And for that coverage, we will move one spot down in our own batting order today.
Thank you for stopping by Baseball Digest to check out the first inning of the Progressive Game Blog. Head on over to our friends at Fungoes to check out inning number two.
Bill Ivie is the Content Editor for the Cardinals and Baseball Digest Classic sections here on BaseballDigest.com.
For updates on BaseballDigest.com coverage, follow Baseball Digest or Bill Ivie on Twitter.
You can find Bill on Twitter discussing the Cardinals during many of the Cardinal games.
Topics: Adam Ottavino, Afternoon Game, Assignment Editor, Bloggers, brad penny, Cardinal, Cardinals Game, Classic Sections, Content Editor, Cubs, Fernando Salas, Fredbird, Game Coverage, Ivie, Kyle Lohse, Mather, Outfielder, Saturday Afternoon, Shoptaw, starting pitchers
Latest Headlines
- Possible La Russa Replacements
- Rodriguez Proves To Be Valuable For Rays
- Welcome To The Team Cut Your Hair
- Inside the Hobby – Online Trading
- BD Fantasy: The Buck Stops Here
- Retro Box Breaks – 2005 Topps Total
- BD Fantasy: Highlighting September Call-Ups
- Baseball Digest Classic Discussion: Higher Standards – Part IV
- Francouer And Mets Agree To Just Be Friends
- Burnett Joins The Race
- Former Met, Royal Hearn To Be Honored At Nephcure Foundation Night At Citi Field
- A Look At The Reds Pitchers-Part 2 The Bull Pen
- I-70 Baseball Radio And WWPM MediaNet Reach Agreement
- Javy In, Andy Waits
- Gotham Baseball LIVE: Adam Worthington Interview
In The News
BD Fantasy: Can Aroldis Chapman Help You?
After a lights-out debut by
Pinstripe Recap: Yankees & Rays Set For Battle To The Wire
A five-hundred week allowed the Rays to catch the Yankees and set up a race to the AL East finish.
Rushing Niemann Was Not Smart
The Rays activated Jeff Niemann from the disabled list couple of weeks ago, but it has not been smooth sailing for him so far.
Baseball Digest Classic Discussion: Higher Standards – Part III
Kirk Verner provides Part III of our series on players as role models, an ideal he has a hard time accepting.
[...] Baseball Digest * Second: Fungoes Third: Stan Musial’s Stance Fourth: Pitchers Hit Eighth Fifth: The [...]
[...] 29 Cubs-Cardinals game. This post covers the second inning; Bill Ivie at Baseball Digest covered the first inning, and Mike Metzger at Stan Musial's Stance covered the third inning. For links to all innings, [...]
[...] See the original post: UCB Progressive Game Blog: The First Inning | Baseball Digest [...]