thecubsfan.com

Cubs 57-49, 0.0 (tie)/0.5
Phillies 56-41, 3.0/2.0

POTG: RF Matt Murton (2 H, 2B, R, RBI, BB)
Runner Up: LF Soriano (2 H, 3 SB), 1B Derek Lee (2 2B, 2 R), SS/2B Ronny Cedeno (H, R, RBI, BB), RP Scott Eyre (1.1 IP, 3 K, BB, 2 Marooned)

It’s 12 hours later, and I’m still having trouble with thinking. Let me see how I can do this…

* had seats in 142, the last section on the 1st base side. We thought we might be seeing foul balls. With all the lefties, it seemed like they were heading the other way.
* It was a real nice night when the breeze was blowing.
* When it wasn’t, with Moyer and Alfonseca and Mesa others taking a forever in between pitches, and seemingly every count going deep, it felt like the most excruciating game ever

* Rich Hill looked bad in the first inning (lucky to only give up 1), looked fine for 2-3-4, and then completely melted down in the 5th. It was sad to see, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen a pitcher pulled in the middle of count against the opposite pitcher. The Fontenot/Theriot deal was even weirder, because you could at least make a strong case Hill couldn’t get the ball over any more.

* I’d like to pretend Eyre’s turned the corner here. We’ll find out soon enough. And hopefully Lou’s threat of 13 pitchers doesn’t come true.

* Looking at the pitch counts after the game, it seems like the bullpen for today’s game is Wuertz, Ohman, maybe an inning of Marmol, and Cherry/Wood. Heck if I know what’s going to happen if it’s close and late – there’s no way they can put Dempster back in after throw 30 pitches (and struggling since his return.)

* It really seemed like the bottom of the 8th should’ve been it, what with Soriano getting picked off but managing to get to second anyway, and the bases ending up loaded with DeRosa having a chance to put the team ahead. Romero was on the ropes all inning, but the Cubs never did get a hit.

* Soriano looked like he might try to steal home for a moment. That’d be something.

* The crowd reacted to every score change in the Brewers game. I got for updates, and watched the MLB Gamecast on my cell phone while watching the game. Scoreboard was actually moving at a pretty good clip – it was about 30 seconds from when my phone said it was over till the electronic boards had the final (which some people saw) and a few seconds later the CF scoreboard listed it as a final. Huge reaction for numbers changing.

* So many little things happened that could’ve changed everything. Jacque making a diving catch he couldn’t make earlier (if Iguchi gets on, he probably scores on Rollins single.) Murton making it to second on the ball hit to Werth (which was the same type as catch Jacque just made, but Worth couldn’t). Murton freezing between second and third on the first wild pitch, and making it only because Ruiz couldn’t grab the ball cleanly. Myers having unhittable stuff, but also uncatchable stuff.

Percentage points are percentage points – it’s not October yet, and they still need to get some ground. If they finish off this series strong – and it’s Kyle Lohse, so they sure should – maybe the Cubs can keep control of the division and take the Wild Card while they’re at it.