Cubs select OF Alberto Almora in 6th round of MLB First-Year Player Draft; Cubs swept by Giants and head to Milwaukee

The Cubs lost 3-2 to the San Francisco Giants for the fourth game in a row this afternoon.  Jeff Samardzija started for the Cubs and allowed two runs on seven hits, while striking out six and walking five batters over five innings pitched.

This was the Cubs' 11th straight loss on the road, which is their longest streak since June 18-29 in 1954.

Steve Clevenger and Samardzija both hit RBI singles, but that was about it for the Cubs' offense.  "We've got to get something going offensively," Cubs manager Dale Sveum said.  "You can't win ballgames by scoring no more than two runs a game.  It just dosn't matter.  No matter how good your pitching and defense could possibly be, you've got to put some numbers up on the board."

Jeff Samardzija hit an RBI single in today's game against the Giants (photo from cubs.com)

In the fifth inning, shortstop Starlin Castro forgot how many outs there were after taking a throw at second from Darwin Barney and began running off the field and neglecting to throw to first to try to get a double play on Brandon Crawford, as the tying run scored from third base.

This was Castro's second "brain fart" in the four-game series against the Giants.  "It's the last straw," Sveum said.  "He better start getting his head in the game, period.  It's not acceptable.  These things have got to stop happening, or we're just going to stop playing him.  These kind of things are things my son does in high school, maybe."

Today was also the first day of the 2012 MLB First-Year Player Draft.  The Cubs have selected OF Alberto Almora, 18, of Mater Academy Charter with the 6th overall pick.  In 25 games last season, Almora hit .603 with 13 doubles, 5 triples, 6 home runs, 34 RBI and 24 stolen bases, along with a 1.164 SLG and .667 OBP.  He has played for six USA National Baseball teams and was named USA Baseball’s Athlete of the Year and MVP of the Pan-Am Games in 2011.

The Cubs selected Alberto Almora in the 6th round of the MLB First-Year Player Draft (photo from Chicago Cubs

The Cubs also selected right handed pitcher Pierce Johnson of Missouri State University with the 43rd overall pick.  Johnson was drafted with the pick received after Aramis Ramirez signed with Milwaukee.

Right handed pitcher Paul Blackburn from Heritage High School in Oakley, California was selected with the 56th overall pick by the Cubs.  The selection of Blackburn came in the slot gained after Carlos Pena returned to Tampa Bay.

Tomorrow the Cubs will be in Milwaukee to play the first game of a three-game series against the Brewers at 7:10pm CT.  Ryan Dempster, who stayed home for the San Francisco games due to personal reasons, will start for the Cubs and try to get his first win of the season.