Back To Second

The Cubs have fallen out of first place for the first time since August 17th, after falling to the Pirates 10-5, and losing the series to the lowly Pirates 2-1.  Do the Cubs look like a team in a pennant chase?  This is embarassing.  In this critical stretch, the Cubs are dropping a series against a last place team?  Just going by strength of schedule, the Cubs should have it easier than the Brewers or Cardinals, but they are tanking big time.  The Cubs have won 10 of its last 15 against the other contenders for the division title, the Brewers and Cardinals. But the Cubs have dropped seven of 12 to both the Pirates and Reds, whom they face a combined nine times in those last 20 game. Does anyone else feel like it’s 2004 all over again?  Maybe we can get LaTroy Hawkins back on the team.

Trachsel Bombs

That didn’t last long.  The Steve Trachsel experiment ended quicker than expected.  Trachsel is 1-6 since June 13, but had a good August and took the spot of lefty Sean Marshall. Looks like Marshall may have gotten his spot back.  After working a 1-2-3 first, Trachsel never made it out of the second.  To sum it up, Trachsel was getting everything up, the Pirates had some clutch hits, and Jacque Jones misplayed a ball so bad in center it pretty much cost the Cubs the game.  Trachsel had two outs with the game tied 2-2, when he gave up a hit to the opposing pitcher, Matt Morris. Can anyone tell me what opposing pitchers are hitting against the Cubs?  Honestly?  Trachsel than threw a wild pitch and than loaded the bases with Freddie Sanchez at the plate.  The guy Trachsel walked with two outs?  Nate McClouth, batting a hefty .244.  The next man up with the bases loaded?  All Star Freddie Sanchez, batting .314. Good job Steve.  How many times has that happened also?  But it looked liked Trachsel was going to get out it when Sanchez hit a ball to center field, but Jacque Jones got a wrong read on the ball, moving right first, than moving back left, diving, and letting the ball get all the way to the wall.  That cleared the bases, and Sanchez was out attempting an inside the park home run.

Don’t listen to any of that **** that Pinella and Trachsel were saying about the ball "knuckling" or being a hard play.  Jones blew it, period.

Up to the Bullpen

With the Cubs down 6-2, it was up to the bullpen.  The Pirates added a run in the bottom of the fourth to make it 7-2, but Alfonso Soriano hit a two run homer in the top of the fifth to make it 7-4.  Then, in the top of the seventh, Geovany Soto, who I would like to see get more starts, hit a solo home run to cut the Pirates lead to 7-5.  It felt like their was a little magic in the ballpark, and maybe the Cubs were on their way to a miracle comeback, but the Cubs choked big time.

Same Old Same Old

After Soto’s solo home run in the seventh, Aramis Ramirez hits a double in the eighth to lead off the inning.  That meant that the tying run would be coming to the plate with no outs.  But the Cubs wasted that threat when Matt Murton bounced back to the pitcher, Jones lined out to the third baseman, and DeRosa grounded out to the shortstop.  DeRosa went 0-4 and left five men on base.  Then came the bullpen’s turn.  Kerry Wood did not record a single out, giving up a leadoff walk, a single, another walk, and then a double, giving the Reds a 10-5 lead.  Way to go Kerry.

Can Kid K

Look, I am not the Grinch, it’s not that I don’t like good story lines.  One of my favorite movies is Cinderella Man.  I love the underdog.  I like feel good stories, except feel good stories about cheaters like Rick Ankiel, (click here to read a great article by Jayson Stark), but I have said it over and over again, I do not want Kerry Wood in the bullpen.  Yes, it was great in 1998 when he got 20 stike outs, but that does nothing to help you now.  Yes, there will still be flashes of brilliance, but most of the time you will see what you saw today; a guy who takes to long to warm up, who walks too many guys, and is hittable.  I thank Kerry for everything he has done for the Cubs, both on and off the field, but it is time that the Cubs end this and end this charade.

Where Do We Go From Here?

As the Cubs continue to slump, they will have to face a beat up St Louis Cardinal team in a makeup game at Wrigley tomorrow. The Cardinals are coming off a tough road trip, getting swept by the Arizona Diamondbacks, blowing a 4-2 lead.  The Cards scored one in the ninth, making it 6-5, and had the bases loaded with two outs, buy Yadier Molina flied to right to end the game.  The Cubs will send Ted Lilly to the mound to face Joel Pinero, who has been very solid since coming to the Cardinals.  The Red Birds are now three behind Milwaukee, with the Cubs one game behind.  With St Louis reeling from a tough weekend, they had the lead in every game, they scored just one run after the fifth inning in the entire series, and were outscored by a total of four runs in the three games, will the Cubs be able to take advantage of the situation?  Will they use it as a spirngboard to start a winning streak?  Or will they let the Cardinals bounce back again?  Hopefully Theodore brings his "A" game to the ballpark tomorrow.

Go Cubs!  Please?!