Results tagged ‘ Cubs vs Cardinals ’
Cubs Barely Survive
The good news is we got a win, the bad news is; only because the Cards gave it to us.
More good and bad; the good is Lilly pitched a great game. After getting rocked in two innings during his last outing, Ted Lilly did exactly what the Cubs needed him to do, go deep into the game with few runs. Lilly ended up going eight innings and only giving up one.
Which brings me to bad number one, what was Lou thinking taking Ted out with only 90 pitches and bringing in Wood who blew his last save opportunity? Don’t tell me he was trying to show Kerry he hasn’t lost confidence in him. Wood is a big boy, if he needs Lou to blow smoke up his back side in order to feel good than he is in the wrong business. We needed a win and Lilly was pitching lights out, if it’s not broke don’t fix it. If he was looking to get Kerry innings then wait until tomorrow when Harden pitches and he goes his standard five or six. I know it worked but I still question the move.
More bad; the bats are still dead. I know we got four runs but without the two errors we get one and this game is a loss. We have to get more timely hitting and more multi-base hits. Not just home runs, although we are not hitting them anymore either, both some gappers for doubles and triples. The guys that looked the best at the plate today; Felix Pie and Ted Lilly, yeah I know it sounds crazy but Pie went 1 for 2 with 2 walks and Lilly put down two great bunts.
We needed a win and we got a win. That is definitely a step forward in getting out of this horrendous slump. Let’s take the next step, get a win and earn it. Next Century Is Here.
Cubs In Big Time Trouble
I’m trying to say positive about this season and I definitely won’t blame any curse or voodoo BUT, this team is in trouble. They have lost eight of their last nine and I don’t see a glimmer of the team that started the second half on fire.
The pitching has been steady but with the little run support they have gotten every mistake is being amplified. This game should have been won which makes two games in a row that the Cubs have straight out blown. This is not what a team should be doing in a pennant race!
Sunday you could blame Wood or Cedeno, I don’t care. Bottom line; a game that should have been won was a lost. Today the bags were left loaded in one inning and in another Soto bunted into a double play. Also, in the fourth Soto was on second with two outs. Dempster gets a base hit to left and…Soto is held at third! Ankiel doesn’t pick the ball up cleanly. In fact he runs past the ball and has to back track to get it. It doesn’t matter because Soto is walking back to third with his head down and never sees it. To quote Santo, “…you gotta stay in the game!”
Look, Lou can talk all his, “…we new it wasn’t going to be easy” crap but the bottom line is somebody has to kick these guys in their butts. Their heads are not in the game and they are without a doubt underachieving. I know the Cub players are not happy with losing, but neither are the Pirates. The difference is the Pirates don’t have the talent to be a championship team, the Cubs do.
I’m trying to type slowly to see if I can get an outcome to the Brewers game but the Reds can’t get any timely hitting. The game is in the bottom of the ninth and the it’s tied up 4-4. The last two innings the Reds have had men on base and did nothing. This is what is pissing me off, I’m waiting to see if the fifth place Reds can beat the Brewers so the Cubs don’t lose ground. If the Cubs were talking care of business I wouldn’t be loosing my hair over a Brewers Reds game!
The Cubs magic number is 15 which means if we don’t win again the Brewers have to loose 15 of 18, the Cards have to loose 11 of 18 and the Astros have to loose 10 of 17 for the Cubs to take the division. I’m not laughing either.
One Inning of Bats = Cubs Win
With the series tied, the wind blowing in and Dempster and Carpenter on the mound, you knew this was going to be a low scoring tough game. Going into the bottom of the sixth you were getting everything you expected with the Cubs leading by the slimmest of margins, 1-0. Then the Cub’s bats woke up and put a big five on the board. It actually could have been more but both Edmonds and Cedeno were tagged out at third.
The Cards would come back with two of their own in the top of the seventh, but that would be all the scoring as the game would end 6-2.
The Card killer, Edmonds made another great catch in the top of the 4th to end the inning. There were men on second and third with the eighth batter , the pitcher Carpenter, hitting. You wonder what would have happened if the pitcher was batting in the traditional ninth slot and Izturis was up.
The Cubs win the series and take care of business. It was a big win because the never say die Brewers won again in Miller Park to pull within 3 1/2 games of our division leading Cubs. Now with a day off the Cubs are 4 up on the Brewers and 7 up on the Cards. The Brew Crew host another game against the Nationals and the Cardinals head south to meet the Marlins. Since there is nothing we can do but watch it’s; Go Nationals and Go Marlins!
On Tuesday the Cubs head to Atlanta, and that is something we can control, so let’s go get them since Next Century Is Here!
Edmonds Bites The Hand That Fed Him
With the standings the way they are, this series doesn’t appear to be as dire as it did six weeks ago. That said, it is the Cubs and the Cards so fever pitch is the norm and the regular season does have two more months to go. So if you’re not taking this series seriously than you are not a Cub or a Card fan.
The Card killer for today was the Cub killer of yesterday; Jim Edmonds. Hey Cubs fans, is Jim a Cub now? If you haven’t gotten on that train, all aboard because without Jim in our dugout this game goes to the Cardinals. Two solo home runs; one to take the early lead and the other to tie it later. The Next Century Is Here award goes to Mr. Edmonds, Cub of the day.
Big Z against Wellemeyer tomorrow. Go Cubs!
gdantona
Recent Comments