Cubs Transactions 2012: Cubs Call Up Adrian Cardenas, Blake DeWitt Stays In Minors

Over the weekend the Chicago Cubs designated utility infielder Blake DeWitt for assignment in order to make room for Travis Wood, who needed to start for the Cubs on Sunday because planned starter Matt Garza was ill. It seemed as if the Cubs would just flip that move after Wood's start, but Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer have decided to keep DeWitt— who has hit a ghastly .138/.133/.172 so far this season— in the minors. Instead, they've called up infielder Adrian Cardenas to make his debut in the majors.

Cubs Vs. Dodgers Score Update: Chicago Rallies For Win

Trailing by a run heading into the final inning of their series with the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Chicago Cubs put together a late rally to earn a stunning 4-3 win in 11 innings. With the victory, the Cubs won their series with the Dodgers.

As a replacement for Matt Garza, Travis Wood put together a strong performance on the mound, allowing three earned runs over six innings. The Cubs tied the game in the 9th inning when Tony Campana drove in Ian Stewart on a triple. David DeJesus attempted to score on the hit, but was thrown out at home.

However, the Cubs were able to get the win in the 11th inning courtesy of some patience at the plate. DeJesus walked with the bases loaded, which allowed Darwin Barney to walk home and gave the Cubs the series win.

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Dodgers Vs. Cubs: Game Delayed By Rain, Start Time To Be Announced

The Chicago Cubs' game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Wrigley Field on Sunday afternoon is being delayed by rainy weather, as the team announced. The two teams were scheduled to begin play at 1:20 p.m. CST, but a storm in the Chicago area has prevented both teams from taking the field.

Today's #Cubs vs. #Dodgers game is delayed by rain. Start time is to be determined.

— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) May 6, 2012

Considering that the storm isn't expected to go into the night, the hope is that a start time will be announced soon. The Cubs have Travis Wood going in favor of Matt Garza, who has come down with the bug that's gone around the Cubs clubhouse lately, against LA's Aaron Harang.

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Cubs Vs. Dodgers Line Ups: Castillo, Mather Will Play For Chicago

Two regular Chicago Cubs starters will be out of the line up today vs. the Los Angeles Dodgers. One is 3B Ian Stewart, who has caught the virus going around Chicago's clubhouse that also knocked Matt Garza out of today's game. The other is C Geovany Soto, who is getting his regular Sunday day off. They'll be replaced, respectively, by Joe Mather and rookie Wellington Castillo.

Here's today's line ups for both teams.

Cubs

1. David DeJesus, RF
2. Tony Campana, CF
3. Starlin Castro, SS
4. Bryan LaHair, 1B
5. Alfonso Soriano, LF
6. Joe Mather, 3B
7. Darwin Barney, 2B
8. Wellington Castillo, C
9. Travis Wood, P

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Cubs Transactions 2012: Blake DeWitt Designated For Assignment

Chicago Cubs offseason acquisition Travis Wood will make the start on Sunday vs. the Los Angeles Dodgers in place of Matt Garza, who is dealing with an illness. In order to make room for Wood on the roster, the Cubs designated utility man Blake DeWitt for assignment.

Cubs Vs. Dodgers: Chicago Aims For Series Victory

Cubs Vs. Dodgers Score Update: Chicago Offense Sputters In 5-1 Loss

After opening their series against the Los Angeles Dodgers with an impressive 5-4 win, the Chicago Cubs delivered a listless offensive performance and fell 5-1 at Wrigley Field. The Cubs had no answer for Chris Capuano, who threw seven shutout innings and struck out seven batters for the win.

Not only did Capuano dominate on the mound, he also delivered a key hit at the plate. Capuano drove in two runs on a double in the second inning to help peg the Dodgers to an early lead they wouldn't relinquish. On the mound, Capuano allowed only three hits and improved his record to 4-0 with a 2.21 ERA.

Chris Volstad saw his record drop to 0-4 after allowing five earned runs in five innings. Starlin Castro was the lone Cub to have success at the plate, as he delivered three hits and scored the lone run of the game for Chicago.

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Matt Garza Update: Sickness Could Sideline Garza On Sunday

After seeing his start pushed back from Saturday to Sunday because of a virus, it's starting to look like Matt Garza may be sidelined all weekend. According to Dave Van Dyck of the Chicago Tribune, Garza is not likely to recover in time for his start on Sunday:

Garza was originally set to start Saturday but he came down with a virus and was moved to Sunday. Now that looks unlikely unless he makes a surprise recovery.

"Iffy" is the way manager Dale Sveum describes Garza’s Sunday start. Sveum said the Cubs could "just skip (his turn) and get him ready five days from now."

According to the report, the Cubs have called up Travis Wood from Iowa to replace Garza on Sunday:

Matt Garza’s scheduled start Sunday for the Cubs is in serious doubt and left-hander Travis Wood has been summoned from Iowa as a backup.

Wood, acquired from Cincinnati in the trade for Sean Marshall, was 1-3 with a 5.08 earned-run average at Iowa. He has not yet appeared with the Cubs.

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Dodgers Vs. Cubs: Bobby Abreu Starts For LA (Lineups, TV Time And More)

The Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers take the field for the second of their three-game weekend set on Saturday afternoon, and the Cubs will send Chris Volstad (0-3, 6.11 ERA) to the mound in opposition to Dodgers lefty Chris Capuano (3-0, 2.73 ERA). Here is a quick look at the starting lineups for each team and the related TV information:

Cubs:

David DeJesus RF

Joe Mather CF

Starlin Castro SS

Bryan LaHair 1B

Alfonso Soriano LF

Ian Stewart 3B

Darwin Barney 2B

Geovanny Soto C

Chris Volstad P

Dodgers:

Dee Gordon SS

Mark Ellis 2B

Matt Kemp CF

Andre Ethier RF

Bobby Abreu LF

Jerry Hairston Jr. 3B

James Loney 1B

Matt Treanor C

Chris Capuano P

Here is the broadcast info for Saturday's game:

Game date/time: Saturday, May 5, 12:05 p.m. CT

Location: Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL

TV: CSN-Chicago

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Dodgers Vs. Cubs Preview: Chicago Can Claim Series Win On Saturday

The Chicago Cubs have quietly gone 7-5 in their last 12 games, and after edging the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday, they can claim a series victory with second straight win on Saturday. After the team removed Carlos Marmol from closer duties on Friday morning, replacements Rafael Dolis and James Russell did enough out of the bullpen to help the Cubs win. Russell turned in a shaky performance (two hits and one earned run allowed in 0.2 innings), while Dolis came in a shut the door for his second save of the year with a scoreless and hitless half-inning of baseball.

On Saturday, Chris Volstad (0-3, 6.11 ERA) is on the bump for the Cubs, while the Dodgers turn to resurgent lefty Chris Capuano (3-0, 2.73 ERA). Here is some basic information to help you find the game:

Game date/time: Saturday, May 5, 12:05 p.m. CT

Location: Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL

TV: CSN-Chicago

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Rafael Dolis And James Russell Replace Carlos Marmol As Cubs Closer

With Carlos Marmol struggling to close out games, Dale Sveum and the Chicago Cubs have decided to make some changes. Rafael Dolis (RHP) and James Russell (LHP) have been tapped to handle the ninth inning while Marmol tries to work through his issues.

Related: Dodgers Vs. Cubs Final Score: Chicago Wins 5-4; Rafael Dolis Picks Up The Save

Dolis picked up his second save of the season on Friday when he closed out a 5-4 Cubs win over the Los Angeles Dodgers. It was a relatively smooth outing for Dolis, who retired the first two batters before putting the tying run on first; he then got a flyout to finish things off.

Russell, who does not have a save in his major league career, has not allowed a run in 7-2/3 innings of relief this season.

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Dodgers Vs. Cubs Final Score: Chicago Wins 5-4; Rafael Dolis Picks Up The Save

Paul Maholm gave up just one run on four hits in six innings of work for the Cubs on Friday and Chicago defeated the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers 5-4.

Related: First Pitch Thread: Cubs vs. Dodgers, Friday 5/4, 1:20 CT

Rafael Dolis replaced a struggling Carlos Marmol in the closer role and picked up the save without running into too much trouble. After getting the first two batters of the inning, Dolis hit A.J. Ellis to put the tying run aboard, but the next batter flew out to end the game.

At the plate for the Cubs, David DeJesus was 3-4 with a walk and Alfonso Soriano went 3-3 with a walk.

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Cubs Vs. Dodgers Score Update: Maholm Hit By Grounder, But Cubs Hold 4-1 Lead

Chicago Cubs SP Paul Maholm was hit by a grounder off SS Dee Gordan's bat, but the Cubs starter managed to finish the 6th inning and escape the 1 out infield single and maintain their 4-1 lead through the 6th inning.

RF David DeJesus is 3 for 4 so far with a single, double and triple, looking for a home run for the Cubs' first cycle since Mark Grace accomplished the feat in 1993. Meanwhile, LF Alfonso Soriano is 2 for 2 with a single and a double and PH Joe Mather powered an opposite field homer, his second dinger of the season, in place of Maholm.

Maholm, meanwhile, pitched 6.0 solid innings while striking out 4 pitchers and allowing 1 homer and only 3 hits total. The Cubs enter the the 7th inning holding a 4-1 lead.

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Dodgers Vs. Cubs: Lineups, Starters And TV Schedule For Friday

The Chicago Cubs and the Los Angeles Dodgers take the field for a Friday matinee at Wrigley Field, and lefty Paul Maholm will take the mound for the Cubs opposite Chad Billingsley. Here is a quick look at the lineups for each team and the relevant TV schedule:

Chicago Cubs Lineup

David DeJesus RF

Tony Campana CF

Starlin Castro SS

Bryan LaHair 1B

Alfonso Soriano LF

Ian Stewart 3B

Darwin Barney 2B

Geovanny Soto C

Paul Maholm P

Los Angeles Dodgers Lineup

Dee Gordon SS

Mark Ellis 2B

Matt Kemp CF

Andre Ethier RF

Juan Rivera LF

James Loney 1B

Jerry Hairston Jr. 3B

A.J. Ellis C

Chad Billingsley P

Here is the basic information to help you find the game on Friday afternoon:

Game date/time: Friday, May 4, 1:20 p.m. CST

Location: Wrigley Field, Chicago, Ill.

TV: Comcast SportsNet

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Soooo, Every Closer Option for the Cubs to Replace Carlos Marmol Pretty Much Sucks

Carlos Marmol Out As Cubs Closer, James Russell And Rafael Dolis Will Share Duties Now

Carlos Marmol has been terrible as the closer for the Chicago Cubs so far this season, and on Friday morning manager Dale Sveum officially informed Marmol that he will not be closing games for Cubs going forward, according to David Kaplan of CSN-Chicago. As for where the Cubs will turn next, Carrie Muskat of MLB.com notes that James Russell and Rafael Dolis will handle closer duties based on matchups in the near-term at least.

Marmol has always had trouble avoiding walks, but he usually offset that with a devastating slider that buoyed an elite strikeout rate. This season his slider has turned into more of a Frisbee spinner that hitters have feasted on, while his walk rate has ballooned to an outrageous 12.46 walks per nine innings -- which has resulted in walks for 25.5 percent of all batters Marmol has faced in 2012 and a 6.77 FIP, according to FanGraphs.com.

Here are the original tweets from Kaplan and Muskat:

Marmol officially informed by Dale Sveum that he is out as Cubs closer. No defined role as of yet.

— David Kaplan (@thekapman) May 4, 2012

James Russell and Rafael Dolis wil handle duties now, based on matchups. #Cubs

— Carrie Muskat (@CarrieMuskat) May 4, 2012

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Dodgers Vs. Cubs: Chicago Returns Home To Face L.A.

The Chicago Cubs are returning home on Friday to begin a three-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers