Game 63: Mariners 5 – Cubs 3 (13)

POTG: 1B D Lee (2B, 2H, R, RBI, 2 BB) situation) Runner Up: 3B Mark DeRosa (3 H, 2B), LF Soriano (2 BB, R), RP Bobby Howry (2 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 R), RP Carlos Marmol (1.1 IP, 2 H, BB, 2 K) notes: DQed Theroit (8th), Barrett (13th) (aside: I have no … Continue reading “Game 63: Mariners 5 – Cubs 3 (13)”

POTG: 1B D Lee (2B, 2H, R, RBI, 2 BB) situation)
Runner Up: 3B Mark DeRosa (3 H, 2B), LF Soriano (2 BB, R), RP Bobby Howry (2 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 R), RP Carlos Marmol (1.1 IP, 2 H, BB, 2 K)
notes: DQed Theroit (8th), Barrett (13th)

(aside: I have no recollection of the bottom fo the 7th exception wanting to shoot my TV and using the mute button so much. I had to listen a little, just because it was a car crash – I can only imagine how radio went – but it was so horrible. Not that I’m a country fan, but Cubs couldn’t do better than last year’s Idol non-winner flavor of the moment? I ALMOST SAID APPLE JACKS – DO THEY SELL APPLE JACKS?)

This game was a middle-finger to probability. It was crazy, it made no sense, and it was awesome.

USS Mariner

Welcome to 2007 Cubs Baseball, where your chicago national league ballclub plays games which turn out vastly entertaining to the opposition as they find new and even more incredible ways to lose each night – and still can’t fall of the race.

I think it’s been underplayed how, for once in his miserable Chicago career, Jacque Jones was going to gun a man down at the plate. Maybe “gun” is overstating it, because it was the usual four-bouncer to the plate, Jacque having over rotated his arm into almost spiking the ball in the infield, but a Jones throw was actually going to beat the runner. (Did the M’s third base coach and/or Vidro lose track of who was out in right field? If he Vidro didn’t hesitate, he could’ve jogged in without a play.) Not only did the throw beat the runner, but the runner didn’t actually get around to touching the base till he walked a couple steps past it and turned around. A below average play by the catcher ends the inning tied. It didn’t even needed to be caught, just stopped and grabbed before Video clued in. Instead, for the second time in three games, the Cubs lost because Michael Barrett couldn’t block a ball in the dirt.

If Koyie Hill had gotten a hit in the 13th, I don’t know that he’d be the new starting catcher, but I think the playing time ratio might have wildly changed. It still might, when Blanco gets back.

Barrett wasn’t the only problem; this was an okay performance by Rich, but not near his last one. The offense really should’ve scored more runs. We’ve seen the 8th inning performance occur in previous games, and this is starting to look like a very questionable run scoring team until A Ram gets back. Ohman not bothering to cover first on the ball hit back to Lee in the 13th was inexcusable, but normal at this point.

Lou hiding away from the media, knowing that’ll just make it rain even harder on Barrett (and Hill, because everyone saw that argument and everyone saw Z pitch better with Koyie) is probably not endearing himself to his clubs right about now.

This is the 3rd game of 4 where the bullpen has been absolutely throttled. Since Pie got his day off yesterday (well, for a while anyway), do you send Pagan down for 10 days and bring up Rocky Cherry? Best case scenario is Jacque getting traded in the next 15 minutes, but that’s quite obviously not happening. Can’t even hope for a Barrett trade until Hank White gets back.

M’s had to be trying to pitch around Soriano in the 13th, right? The pitches were close – all the pitches were close with in that strike zone – but they threw 4 bad ones even though that would’ve moved the tying run into scoring position because they knew the pitchers spot was next and they were much better off with Koyie (or Marquis), right? Hargrove doesn’t seem to have a rep for that sort of chance taking, but it’s what I figured was happening last night.

Still 5.5 out. Crazy.

Going to the game tonight, though with who and what inning I’ll actually make in the park is a dense mystery. Hopefully they don’t kill me while I’m there.

One thought on “Game 63: Mariners 5 – Cubs 3 (13)”

  1. The Cubs must break out of the cycle of creative destruction that they find themselves in–it starts with one simple fact–top to bottom, every hitter, during every plate appearance and in every situation is routinely working himself into an 0-2 count before he decides that he needs to start looking for a pitch to hit. Called third strikes and swinging in the dirt for strike three are all about getting in the 0-2 hole on two pitches. When will the team hire a true hitting instructor instead of basebell lifers who are happy just to be here??

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