Marquis Versus Cardinals

Jason Marquis is ready to pitch against the Cardinals. Tonight's game is the third in a three-game series in St. Louis.

Marquis's record is 2-0 in two starts against St. Louis this season. His ERA for both games is 1.98.

His record for the season is 7-5, with an ERA of 3.92.

The Cardinals will send Braden Looper to the mound. He enters the game with a season's record of 7-8 and an ERA of 5.09.

Game time is 7:10 p.m. Central Time.

Cubs Launch Hit Parade

The Cubs went on a hitting spree in the top of the ninth to restore order with the Padres Thursday night in San Diego.

Jason Marquis gave up five hits in seven innings and now has an ERA of 2.60.

Marquis can throw strikes, and sometimes the Cubs can hit when needed.

Things To Worry About

Going into tonight's series-ending game in San Diego, Cub fanatics have several things to worry about.

Will Jason Marquis continue to pitch as well as he has all season?

Will the Cubs score any runs to support Marquis?

Will I run out of beer before the game is over?

Marquis has a 5-1 record, with an ERA of 2.76. He also has a batting average of .240, which is better than some of his teammates that I prefer not to name.

If the other Cubs in tonight's game forget which end of the bat to hold, Marquis may have to provide his own offense.

Good luck to us all.