Tag: Los Angeles Dodgers

Game 138: Cubs 8 – Dodgers 2

Cubs 71-67, +0.5 Dodgers 73-66, -4.0 POTG: SP Ted Lilly (6 IP, 2 R, BB, 3 K, W [14/73]) Runner Up: 2B Mark DeRosa (3 H, 2B, SB, 2R, 2 RBI, BB), 3B A Ram (HR [20/216], 2 RBI, 2 IBB, HBK), C El Soto (2 H, R, RBI, BB, though could use some sign … Continue reading “Game 138: Cubs 8 – Dodgers 2”

Cubs 71-67, +0.5
Dodgers 73-66, -4.0

POTG: SP Ted Lilly (6 IP, 2 R, BB, 3 K, W [14/73])
Runner Up: 2B Mark DeRosa (3 H, 2B, SB, 2R, 2 RBI, BB), 3B A Ram (HR [20/216], 2 RBI, 2 IBB, HBK), C El Soto (2 H, R, RBI, BB, though could use some sign reading help)

So the Cubs’ half of innings have taken on a new level of enjoyment with me lately. Anytime someone gets an extra base hit to get a run in, I can go “look, look – POWER = WINS”, even though the idea of “HOME RUNS = GOOD” is not exactly revolutionary thought. Last night, once Ram hit the bomb, I felt pretty good that the team was on their way to a win. They had it, even before the Dodgers stretched the game out a half hour longer by imploding.

I could do with no more Cowboy Joe West games. I have a feeling Lou didn’t as much screw up the double switch in two games as the umpire wanted to make a point about something or other and Lou happened to be doing a move at the wrong time. I really would’ve appreciated an explanation from the umps about why they held up the game this time, but nothing again. I figure that means Cowboy Joe just wanted to get on TV some more.

Lilly had another good start here, Howery and Dempster were fine, and the Dodgers relievers blowing up can only help for today. (6 guys for 6 outs was quite incredible.) Lowe vs Marquis is a tough matchup for the Cubs, but they really need to split this series.

Game 137: Dodgers 6 – Cubs 2

Cubs 70-67, +0.5 Dodgers 73-56, -3.0 POTG: 1B Darryl Ward (2 H, 2B, R, RBI) Runner Up: 2B Mark DeRosa (2 H), RP Kevin Hart (2 IP, 0 R + 1 IHR (of 3), H, BB, 3 K) I’m not sure if you’ve heard me say this before, but NO POWER = NO WINS. Two … Continue reading “Game 137: Dodgers 6 – Cubs 2”

Cubs 70-67, +0.5
Dodgers 73-56, -3.0

POTG: 1B Darryl Ward (2 H, 2B, R, RBI)
Runner Up: 2B Mark DeRosa (2 H), RP Kevin Hart (2 IP, 0 R + 1 IHR (of 3), H, BB, 3 K)

I’m not sure if you’ve heard me say this before, but NO POWER = NO WINS. Two doubles on the night, compared to 4 double plays. That’s not good! The offensive would’ve been better off with 4 more fly outs than what they got. It was nice that they were taking walks, but they’re not going to win with an offense like this.

Trachsel gets the L, but he rally gave them the line they were kinda hoping for when they grabbed him – 6 IP, 3 R (on a Marshall-like 82 pitches.) This was a marked improvement over his last Cubs start – 3.1 IP, 8 R for his 18th loss of the season. I guess 7 years between starts does a body good.

I’m going to guess the Cubs go with a six man rotation for the next week, to keep Marshall fresh and keep Trachsel on pace to pitch the double header next weekend. They’ll figure out the rest after.

Wood and Ohman were pretty horrid. I think Wuertz has slipped back ahead of Kerry in the depth chart, and Ohman might be well buried for the rest of the season. He might get another shot just because they need a lefty, but I wouldn’t either be surprised to see him bypassed for one of the younger lefties. Hart was fine, given the situation they stuck him into start.

Game 136: Dodgers 11 – Cubs 3

Cubs 70-66, +1.5 Dodgers 72-65, -4.0 POTG: LF Alfonso Soriano (2B, HR, 2 R, RBI) Runner Up: SS Ryan Theriot (H, BB, RBI), 2B-3B Mark DeRosa (2 H, RBI) Sometime, it’s better to let the emotion of the moment pass over you before you start commenting on it. You might be better of having some … Continue reading “Game 136: Dodgers 11 – Cubs 3”

Cubs 70-66, +1.5
Dodgers 72-65, -4.0

POTG: LF Alfonso Soriano (2B, HR, 2 R, RBI)
Runner Up: SS Ryan Theriot (H, BB, RBI), 2B-3B Mark DeRosa (2 H, RBI)

Sometime, it’s better to let the emotion of the moment pass over you before you start commenting on it. You might be better of having some perspecitve on the moment. I tend to do that here, because I’ve got no one demanding me say anything right after the game (or anything ever), but then I’m also not paid millions and millions of dollars.

Do fans have a right to boo? Yea, sure.
Does it ever make sense to boo? I don’t know. I’m not sure it has any positive effect on the team, though the game is just entertainment and if you night’s entertainment is booing the team when they’re bad, did you still get your money’s worth?

Should players take boos or cheers personally? NO. They’re not cheering for you because of they think you’re a swell person or in appreciating of your work with charity, though they may feel those things. Fans cheer based on what they think the player has done for them, what they’re doing right now, and what they think may do for them next. (They may also boo the player as surrogate for people who don’t actually step on the field but are responsible for the player to be there.) Once the crowd of people watching your game switches from supportive parents to ticketholders, the fan reactions become completely shallow, impersonally, and transitory. It’s always been like this and it will always been like this.
Is there any easy way to distance yourself from the reactions of the crowd? No no no. It’s too tasty to give in to buy into the crowd cheering YOU rather than the double you just hit, and it’s too late to give up once they start booing the walks you’re giving up.

This is just one drama of what will be many with Z over his baseball life with the Cubs. He said something stupid, he apologized the next day. Last I checked, the Cubs were still up by 1.5 and the earth was still rotating around the sun. My cable’s gone out as I written this today, so I’ll have to peer out the window occasionally to double check that the world has not come to an end.

The only thing that really bugged me is Z riling against the fans for booing other people, but only being upset about it to mention it when they were booing him. There were people standing up for the likes of Jacque this and last, but I don’t remember Z being one of them.

Hey, cable’s back.