Cubs didn't save any runs for tonight as they lose 8-0 to the Brewers; 2012 MLB First-Year Player Draft wraps up

The Cubs lost 8-0 to the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park tonight.  Paul Maholm started for the Cubs and only lasted four innings and allowed four runs on six hits.  He struck out three and walked one batter.

Paul Maholm only lasted four innings against the Brewers in Milwaukee (photo from cubs.com)

The Cubs beat the Brewers 10-0 yesterday, but the Brewers beat the Cubs 8-0 today.  Well, at least we scored two more runs yesterday than the Brew Crew did today.

In other Cubs news, the Cubs placed right-handed relief pitcher Blake Parker on the 60-day DL with a right elbow stress reaction.  In a corresponding move, the Cubs selected the contract of right handed relief pitcher Manuel Corpas from Triple-A Iowa.

The 2012 First-Year Player Draft wrapped up today and the Cubs selected some more talent today, including:

Left-handed pitcher Nathan Dorris, SIU Carbondale

Catcher Blake Hickman, Simeon Career Academy in Chicago.

Third baseman Rustin Sveum, son of Cubs manager Dale Sveum, in the 39th round, Desert Mountain High School in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Cubs GM Jed Hoyer feels confident about this year's draft and said, “It went according to plan as far as that we talked about adding pitching depth to the system.  We really pounded away on pitching after we picked (Albert) Almora with the first pick.  I thought we would take a hitter at the top and then a lot of pitching and that is exactly what we did.  Everyone feels they had a good draft, and in five years, we will find out if we are right.”

Even though Albert Almora said on Tuesday that his first priority was to go to college, most believe he was saying that to try to get more money out of the Cubs.  Being the sixth draft pick, the most the Cubs can offer Almora is $3.25 million.

“We got to know Albert really well,” Hoyer said. “We spent a lot of time with him, and we felt really comfortable with the background information we had on him.”
Now that the draft is over, Hoyer and Cubs President Theo Epstein can focus on the current roster and what they can do to improve it.  Cubs starter Ryan Dempster said he would "listen" to the Cubs if they approached him about waiving his 5-and-10 rights, he hasn't spoken with anyone about leaving.

Hoyer expects the Cubs to be very active before the July 31^st trade deadline.  “I think we will,” he said.  “We’ve already started talking to teams.  Teams work on duel tracks this time of year.  But even the last couple days, those calls will pick up.  It’s such a jumbled race right now.  If you look at it, it’s hard to even talk about a wild card right now because in both leagues three’s a mass of teams hovering.  That’ll shake out a little bit over the next 6-8 weeks, and as it does, teams will be more active.  We’ll be on the phones….That’s what the focus is going to be now.”

Tomorrow the Cubs and Brewers will play the final game of the three-game series at 1:10pm CT.  Matt Garza will make the start for the Cubs and try for his third win of the season.  Let's hope we can at least win the series!

Ryan Dempster finally gets long overdue first win of the season as Cubs beat Brewers 10-0 in Milwaukee

Ryan Dempster finally gets his long overdue first win of the season as the Cubs beat the Brewers 10-0 tonight in Milwaukee.  Dempster was excellent and allowed just three hits and struck out three over seven scoreless innings pitched.  He didn't allow a hit until the sixth inning when Cody Ransom hit a leadoff single.

Ryan Dempster earned a long overdue first win of the season tonight (photo from cubs.com)

Tonight's win ends an 11-game road losing streak, which tied a club record.  I'm just glad the Cubs didn't set a new record by losing 12 in a row on the road!  It was also great to see Dempster receive run support from his teammates.

Alfonso Soriano and Bryan LaHair both his home runs tonight as the Cubs offense finally rose up.

Tomorrow the Cubs and Brewers will play game two of the three-game series at 7:10pm CT.  Paul Maholm will start for the Cubs and try for his fifth win of the season.

Today was also Day 2 of the 2012 MLB First-Year Player Draft.  Here's a link to my post from earlier today about the Cubs' selections today:  http://cubbynews.blogspot.com/2012/06/theo-epstein-jason-mcleod-and-jed-hoyer.html

Theo Epstein, Jason McLeod and Jed Hoyer continue with 2012 draft selections; Cubs to play Brewers in Milwaukee at 7:10pm CT

Today is day two of the 2012 MLB First-Year Player Draft.  Cubs President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein, along with SVP of Scouting and Player Development Jason McLeod and GM Jed Hoyer followed through with their plans to replenish pitchers as they selected seven pitchers out of their nine picks today and also selected two pitchers yesterday.

Here are the Cubs' selections for Day 2:

RHP Duane Underwood, Pope High School in Georgia with the 67th overall pick

RHP Ryan McNeil, Nipomo High School in California with the 101st overall pick

RHP Joshua Conway, Coastal Carolina University with the 134th overall pick

LHP Anthony Prieto, Americas High School in Texas with the 164th overall pick

RHP Trey Lang, Gateway Community College in Arizona with the 194th overall pick

3B Stephen Bruno, University of Virginia with the 224th overall pick

LHP Michael Heesch, University of South Carolina Beaufort with the 254th overall pick

C Chadd Krist, University of California with the 284th overall pick

RHP Chad Martin, Indiana University with the 314th overall pick

Cubs' first round pick Albert Almora says he is focusing on college (Chicago Tribune photo)

Yesterday, the Cubs selected high school outfielder Albert Almora with their first pick (No. 6 overall).  It sounds like Almora isn't in any hurry to come to an agreement with the Cubs as he has a scholarship to the University of Miami and says, "My main priority now is college.  I just graduated high school and I have a full scholarship to the University of Miami, and that's all I'm looking forward to right now."  Almora's agent is Scott Boras, who has a history of playing hardball.  We'll see what happens.

The Cubs also selected Missouri State right-handed pitcher Pierce Johnson (No. 43 overall) and high school right-handed pitcher Paul Blackburn (No. 56 overall) yesterday.

Tonight the Cubs will play the first game of a three-game series against the Brewers in Milwaukee at 7:10pm CT.  Ryan Dempster will start for the Cubs and try for his first win of the season.  Let's hope Dempster will get some run support from his teammates.

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.