The Cubs’ left-field platoon is dead–at least for the time being. Rookie Brant Brown was optioned to Triple-A Iowa after Sunday’s 10-8 loss to the Houston Astros, clearing the way for Doug Glanville to become the full-time starter.
“Glanville’s playing so well, I want to get him out there on an everyday basis,” manager Jim Riggleman said.
Glanville, the right-handed half of the platoon, went 3 for 5 and scored two runs Sunday after starting in center field against right-hander Tommy Greene. In the four-game series with Houston, he was 7 for 14. Brown, by contrast, was 3 for 26 his last seven games and was hitting .220 for the season.
“You have to expect it,” said a disappointed Brown, who added he hoped to be called back up in 10 days. “I haven’t been feeling confident at the plate. I’m just going to go down and do what I did there last time (.330, seven homers).”
Pitcher Marc Pisciotta, who leads the American Association with 16 saves, was called up to replace Brown. Pisciotta was 5-1 with a 2.62 earned-run average at Iowa.
All-Stars? When a team is 18 games below .500, how many of its players can legitimately expect to be All-Stars? Not many, said Riggleman.
“We have a couple of guys having good years,” he said. “But there are guys at those positions having great years.”
No Cub has enough votes to earn a starting spot on the All-Star team, but National League manager Bobby Cox and his coaching staff will have to include at least one Cub. The short list includes first baseman Mark Grace, right-fielder Sammy Sosa and pitcher Kevin Foster.
Grace’s .315 batting average and seven home runs are solid, but two other first basemen are having better seasons. Houston’s Jeff Bagwell (.320, 22 homers, 72 RBIs) and Colorado’s Andres Galarraga (.334, 21 homers, 81 RBIs) are 2-3 in the league in home runs, 1-2 in RBIs and among the leaders in average.
“Grace’s numbers get hidden,” Riggleman said. “He’s got 50 walks and he’s a Gold Glove fielder. But it’s going to be Bagwell or Galarraga.”
Sosa’s .252 average is low compared with other NL outfielders, who occupy five of the top nine spots in batting average. But his 16 home runs are tied for fourth among NL outfielders. And with the All-Star Game in an American League park (Cleveland’s Jacobs Field), Cox will likely consider outfielders for the designated-hitter spot.
Foster’s nine victories will get him consideration–but then again, eight other pitchers had at least nine victories entering Sunday’s games. He also has given up more home runs (16) than any pitcher in the league and has a 4.29 ERA.
Slump blues: Brian McRae broke out of his 0-for-27 slump Friday, but is still one for his last 33 and hitting .228 overall. Riggleman, who used McRae as a late-inning defensive replacement Sunday, can see the skid is taking its toll on his center-fielder.
“When you get a hit, you feel a little better when you go home at night,” Riggleman said. “But Brian still feels bad about being 0 for whatever. Brian’s tough on himself. He’s had a good career, and he has never hit in the .230s this late in the season.
“The thing that gets him is that we’re not winning and he’s not hitting, and maybe he makes the correlation that we’d be winning if he were hitting. He takes it on himself. But we win and lose as a team.”
Still hurting: Third baseman Kevin Orie was a late lineup scratch after his sprained left middle finger bothered him before the game.
