Paul Maholm strong as Chicago Cubs beat Los Angeles Dodgers 5-4 – MLB Update
Chicago Cubs beat Los Angeles Dodgers 5-4 at the Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois on Friday, May 4 in the opening game of their three match series of the 2012 Major League Baseball regular season.
After making a poor start to the season but it seems things are finally settling down for Paul Maholm as he pitched six strong innings for his third straight win. Allowing just one run and three hits, the starter played a key role in deciding the outcome
of the clash.
"He's commanding every one of his pitches," manager Dale Sveum said. "He's getting ahead in the counts and putting guys away, in a pretty easy fashion, really, as far as efficiency and pitch counts."
"Being aggressive, mixing pitches, mixing location," Maholm said in a post game interview. "I would say more of a confidence and a comfort factor, getting used to everything and just kind of pitching my game."
"I felt good, I just made some mistakes over the plate," Dodgers’ starting pitcher Chad Billingsley said after taking the loss. "As far as everything else, I still felt pretty good out there."
Beating the Dodgers is extremely important for the Cubs as they have struggled at the beginning of the regular season. The win gives the Cubs their tenth victory for the year and they will be looking to build some confidence in their game to gain some winning
momentum.
The Dodgers, on the other hand, are one of the most successful MLB teams so far this season. With 17 wins in 26 games, they are surely on the right track. If the Cubs can win the series against the Dodgers, they will certainly feel a lot more confident about
their game play.
It will not be wrong to say that the Cubs have brought some improvement in their game after making a very ordinary start to the season. The fans will also love to see their team do well to get things back on tract before the All Star break.
Considering the depth and quality in Dodgers’ hitting and pitching lineups, it will not be a surprise to anyone if they bounce back strongly in the second game.
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