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Cubs 29-21
Pirates 24-26

POTG: 1B D Lee (2 2B, R)
Runner Up: 3B A Ram (2H, 2 RBI), 2B Mark DeRosa (2B, 2H, R), C Blanco (2 H, R, RBI)

This was the kind of finish that makes you stop doing game summaries. It also prompts you to have long debates comparing this to Brant Brown's catch (This was a worse drop and by a more important player, but Brant's play ended the game and was at a far more critical time in the season.)

There's other stuff that happened in this game that no one can possibly ever remember. Bob Brenly going off on Soriano after that play is far more memorable than anything that happened on the field, mostly because it was what everyone else was saying at home.

It's a shame Marmol got a blown save out of this. I'm of the firm belief that balls lost in the sun should count as errors - you're major league baseball players with sunglasses, you play in the sun all the time, you're required to make that catch - so it's a shame he got an earned run out of too.
tangent: good article about where Brant Brown is now. Or was last year, anyway.

Pirates 23-26, 4th
Cubs 29-20, 1st

POTG (for multiple reasons: 1B D Lee (2R, 2H, 2B, BB)
Runner up: 3B A Ram (2B, 2 RBI, R), C Soto (2 H, RBI, 2B, BB), RF Fukudome (2 H, RBI, 2 BB), RP Bobby Howry (1.2 IP, 2 H, K)

There are reasons why these have been slow, but not a single one is good. Maybe we'll get to that later, but I ought to be honest and say I'm thinking about dumping this for uselessness compared to where else I could be spending my time. I like doing it, but when I'm not finding time to do it during a season like this, it's all very questionable. Until I actually decide on something, I might as well keep on going...

...but, I can't claim to see this entire game. I tried, oh I tried. Went to the Cougars game, but had this one all TiVo-ed and ready to go. The TV attached to the TiVo is 18 months old and already going on me, but that wasn't the issue. Yet another extra inning game in Pittsburgh, except I had no clue until I was at around 3:40 of my 4:00 taping window and realized there was no way this one was coming home in time. I can't hate extra innings baseball - it was an 18 inning game in Three Rivers that's among my most vivid childhood memories. (I totally remembered Scott Sanderson went 8 innings in relief before looking it up.)

All I really needed to see is Derrek Lee being taken out of the game for Henry Blanco. We all love the Hank White, but this was Lou's hyper usage of the complete roster to a bad end. I like Lou's willingness to use every bullet he has (often as quick as he can) over a more conservative approach. This game was both an overreach (never ever take out D Lee) and a backfire (Fontenot being burned for one defensive at bat, Eyre being taken out for Wuertz so quick) on his part. Everyone has bad days and this was definitely Lou's.

I don't write about the Cougars games, because it's just low on the list of things to do before I fall asleep (and I have hilariously horrific looking score sheets I should post once I acquire a scanner or camera again), but I still can't get the woman sitting next to me at that game out of my head. Completely and totally insane White Sox fan - someone who that believes every word Hawk says is unquestioned correctly (and suitable for wearing.) In between about ranting how great the White Sox were and how all Cubs fans should know nothing, should stop expecting their team to go to the World Series, and "don't have a ring - we have a ring!!!!", she also was insistent to place the Quad Cities as "someplace in Minnesota - Minneapolis and the other one", taunted Alex Frogriguez - not the short stop, but the inflatable mascot - that he was not a good defender as Joe Crede, and talked about how Red Sox fans were stupid people who weren't paying attention in loud whispers, while three girls in Red Sox hats sat in front of her. She said the same about people who keep score. I mostly tried to keep from laughing and/or engaging her (or her friend, who started dancing to Shout and splashed half her beer on people in the aisle), but the people on the other side tried to defend the Cubs. Two innings later, she was still yelling about the ring they got. And then she left early.

All Sox Fans are not like this - I know people who are who are not completely insane - but people without social awareness are always interesting to watch. For about an hour, then you kinda want them to be quiet so you can watch the game.

I've got tickets again today - that's where I'm going instead of finishing the next two - and I'm hoping the game is entertaining and the crazy people sit at least a row over, so I don't have to keep getting up for beer runs.

Cubs 29-19, 1st (+1.0)
Pirates 22-26, 5th (-7.0)

POTG: SP Z!!!!! (4 H, 2 RBI, R; 7 IP, 6 H, 2R, BB, 6K, W [7/89], QS [9])
Runner Up: CF Reed Johnson (HR, 2 2B, 4 RBI, 2 R), LF Soriano (2B, 2 H, R), 1B D Lee (R, RBI, H), 3B A Ram (3 H, 3 R, BB), 2B-3B Cedeno (2H, 2B, 2R), RF DeRosa (2 2B, 2R, 3 RBI, SF, BB)

This is the opposite of the previous game - there's two really good choices for POTG and it's hard to make the call. Reed Johnson had a nice day at the plate, but I think Z makes it up with the pitching. He gave up two runs in the 5th, but the game was already over. It's funny how, for all his giant swings, all four hits were easy singles. Z must be just playing mind games with the huge cuts, that's it.

This was a total destruction by the Cubs, and a complete implosion by the Pirates. Pittsburgh played some bad bad baseball to match their bad bad uniforms, and this one was over quick. The Pirates were more concerned about not shredding their bullpen for the rest of the series than trying to stay in this, and that allowed just to pile on some more.

I know Houffpauir is Dunn-like in the field, but he's shown enough at the plate that the Cubs really ought to find a way of getting him in there. If Kosuke is fine moving to center and has no problems there, Hoffpauir in right with Redd and Pie coming in when the team has leads would sure be a better bet than Edmonds.

Can't believe the season is 30% over already. Time flies. It looks like the usual NL Central split has started, though I also have trouble believing Milwaukee is part of the second pack. This season is still not out of reach for them and I can't imagine they'll go for much longer without really big changes.

Last 16 POTG
4 Soriano
2 Z!
1 Howry
1 A Ram
1 Marmol
1 Marquis
1 Dempster
1 Soto
1 Wuertz
1 Johnson
1 Lilly
no one 1

Season Total
7 Z!
5 Soto
4 D Lee
4 Soriano
2 Fukudome
2 Fontenot
3 Marquis
2 Dempster
2 A Ram
2 Lilly
2 Johnson
1 Lieber
1 Hart
1 Hill
1 The Riot
1 Cedeno
1 Lieber
1 Howry
1 Marmol
1 Wuertz
1 no one

Cubs 28-18, 1st
Astros 26-21, 3rd

POTG: RP Howry (IP, 3 K)
Runner Up: LF Hoffpauir (2 2B, R)

POTG is a weak pick something pick. I have no recollection of this game, even though I can write like twelve things about the games before it.

Everyone (well, every non-star) has a short leash with Lou around, and I think Gallagher might be done already. I think Lou will stand you not going long into the game if you're at least effective, but Sean was neither here. Marshall being bad in AAA might be a deterrent for a shot time, but everyone's pretty impulsive lately. Same thing with Edmonds - he desperately needs a multi hit game, or this experiment is going to come to a close quick.

If Hoffpauir could play CF, would he be starting everyday? (Yea, and for the last two years.)

At least Derrek is hitting again. It'd just better if it came with a road series win.

Cubs 28-18, 1st
Astros 26-21, 3rd

POTG: 3B A Ram (2 H, HR, 2 RBI)
Runner UP: 1B D Lee (3 H, R), 2B Mark DeRosa (2 H)

I missed the two biggest plate appearances of the game - the Geoff Blum walk, and the Hunter Pence grand slam - while the channel happened to be flipped to something else. Don't look at me, I didn't have the remote (that time.) As painful it is for Ryan Dempster to killed by walks, he is Ryan Dempster and that's why he does. The bigger problem here was the batters not doing what they have been doing, and only putting two runs on the board.

It was almost the opposite of what happened in the last Pittsburgh series: Lee and Ram got hits, no one else did, and the Cubs didn't walk much either. Only two on the game, with Edmonds (catch or no catch, didn't look good otherwise) and Hoffpauir's PH appearance. Besides Soriano, no one struck out all that much, but everyone was pounding the ball into the ground.

I know nothing about Jose Ascanio; I remember the Cubs treading Will Ohman for someone, but I didn't hear his name much in Spring Training. He had issues with baserunners here, but his stuff seems good enough that he deserves as much a chance to secure the last bullpen spot as anyone else they've cycled thru that slot already. I do not expect to see much more of Chad Fox - the very vague injury return assessment is a Prior-ese - and rather the Cubs give younger guys chances to see if they've got something. It is only the last spot in the bullpen anyway, the guy that only exists to eat up innings when everyone else is tried - you might as well see if someone can surprise everyone.

Cubs 28-17, 1st
Astros 25-21, 3rd

POTG: RP Mr. Automatic (IP, K, 2 marooned)
Runner Up: 3B A Ram (3 H, HR, 2 R, RBI), SS The Riot (2B, 2H, R, RBI), 1B D Lee (2B, 2H, R, RBI), RF Fukudome (2 H, R), C Soto (HR, 2 RBI), 2B DeRosa (2 H, R), RP Jon Lieber (1.2 IP, H, 0 ER)

Heart of the order, each batter representing the tying run, and runners at second and third for most of it. Marmol gets a popup, a strikeout, and a ground out to escape untouched. That's as great an escape job you're going to get it. It doesn't stick out as much in the boxscore, because Ram's home run put this out of reach, but Marmol was able to save this from an all square game with all the momentum pointing the wrong way to one where victory was a near certainty. Not sure if I trust any other pitcher on this team to do it.

I think Lieber may oddly find a new life as a setup man. His strength to the builpen is the ability to eat up multiple innings on a consistent basis, but he may also be the third solid guy in the pen (behind Wood and Marmol). Jon is far more steady than Eyre, Wuertz, and Howry at this point - outside of the one start, you're pretty sure about what you'll get it, and it's usually good enough.

The botched home run call was a Cowboy Joe West call, and one that shouldn't have been that hard. I know there are other umps the Cubs have histories with, but it's him and Angel Hernandez I'm least pleased to see turn up for games. It feels like you'll never make it out of series without an incident.

Cubs 27-17, 1st (+2.0)
Pirates 21-23, 4th (-6.0)

POTG: SP Jason Marquis (6 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, BB, 3 K, W [2/70], QS [3])

This is one of those impossible to pick POTGs. No one did a lot, but everyone did a little bit and it was all necessary to win this 8th game on the homestand. I tend to lean towards the pitchers in these situations, so Marquis gets the nod here. You never know how many more he might get.

No way the 2007 or any other team in the 00's wins this game. This years team had 7 different guys taking a walk. On a day where the team only got four hits, and not a single extra base one, it was absolutely necessary to get what base runners any way possible and the Cubs did awful well to squeeze out four runs from that offensive output. Everytime the team gets typecasted as one that can only win with the homerun, they can point back to at least this game.

Jason Marquis was good enough here, and the bullpen set up just like Lou wanted for this season - starter gives six innings, Howry, Marmol, Wood shut down the opposition for one each. I'm not sure what this leaves for Monday's game, though. Marmol's worked back to back days, and Kerry's worked 4 of the last five. They could use a long start.

This Astros series is looking bigger than I would've thought, with Berkman carrying the team to striking distance. The rotations issues are still there, as seen in this series

05/19: Lilly vs Brian Moehler - bullpen pitcher pulled into the rotation due to Wandy Rodriguez's injury. Hasn't made it past five innings.

05/20: Dempster vs Chris Sampson - got lit up by the Giants last time out. The Giants! Gave up 5 ER in three of the last four starts (the other being an inexplicable shutout of the Dodgers.)

05/21: Gallagher vs Shawn Chacon - Shawn Chacon is still in the league, who knew. Somehow has manged to start 9 games and not get a decision yet.

Lots of scoring to come.