The Cubs’ celebration looked
something like this, only
in Philadelphia
The taste in the Cubs’ mouths is considerably less bitter after yesterday’s win over the Phillies. They managed to avoid the sweep (and the shame of losing to an octogenarian pitcher), pulling out what was a 10-5 squeaker:
Leads of 5-0 and 8-3 didn’t seem safe, so Piniella
called on his closer to work more than 1 inning for the second time on
the road trip.Kevin Gregg got the dangerous Ryan Howard to ground out
with the bases loaded in the eighth before working a 1-2-3 ninth to
earn his 19th save as the Cubs held off the Phillies 10-5 at Citizens
Bank Park.The Cubs ended their road trip with a 5-2 record, and
they snapped the Phillies’ 10-game winning streak. Piniella was able to
breathe easier after Gregg retired Howard.“That was the big out of the game,” Piniella told reporters.
Though Lou’s words before the game may be more interesting to most of us:
“It’s baffling, it really is,” Lou told WGN. “Look,
we’ve been patient with this, really patient, and we’ve tried every
combination that we have. I’ve run out of explanations.“The problem is, we don’t have the same pieces on the
offensive side of things. My first year here (2007), we had to make
some changes. But we had some pieces in place. Now, you know, we’ve run
out of those pieces.”
Not that there’s been much issue with the starting pitching, but things could get better soon with the early return of Ryan Dempster:
If X-rays on his broken right big toe go as expected Thursday, Dempster could pitch Sunday against Cincinnati.
Dempster threw a simulated game to hitters in the batting cage
Wednesday morning at Citizens Bank Park and pitching coach Larry
Rothschild said he “looked good.”“He’s not favoring it at all,” Rothschild said. “He threw a side [session Monday] and you could see he feels good.”
“Everything depends on the X-rays,” Dempster said. “I feel good and I’m following protocol.”
Though Lou doesn’t sound quite so sure:
“Larry is very optimistic, but let’s wait and see what happens,” he
said. “I’m not as optimistic, but for sure the next time through the
rotation [Wednesday or Thursday].”
It looks like we need to find a platoon partner for Uncle Milty:
He had a pair of hits to raise his average to .343 as a righty. He is
hitting .200 from the left side, but did walk once from there Wednesday.
But he’s getting paid a bit more than you’d want from a platoon player, with the third year in his contract about to be vested:
But just by getting through Wednesday without going on the disabled
list made this by far his biggest week of the season. That’s because
only 74 days remain in the season, assuring that Bradley can’t spend 75
on the DL, which all but assures the final year of his three-year, $30
million contract will vest.The only way it won’t vest at this point is if he ends the season on
the DL, specifically with an injury to his surgically repaired right
knee, and remains unable to play because of the same injury next April
15.
And kudos to the bullpen for some stellar work on the road trip:
Cubs relievers were the unsung heroes of the team’s 5-2 trip, working
27 innings in the seven games, including 2 1/3 in-and-out-of-trouble
scoreless innings Wednesday.…
Gregg lowered his ERA in his last 29 appearances to 1.53, and the Cubs’
bullpen had a 2.33 ERA during the seven-game trip. Those numbers would
have been even better had Jeff Samardzija not allowed a three-run home run to Jayson Werth
in the 13th inning of the Phillies’ 4-1 victory Tuesday. Before that,
Cubs relievers had pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings in the game.
these are some early headlines
Told you Lou didn’t want to trade DeRosa.
I’m out for the rest of the weekend, but the trusty staff a LOHO will take good care of all of you. No wild parties while I’m gone, and keep the bedroom doors open and bibles on the beds.
Later, gators.
The Phillies make a 3-run lead seem like the smallest lead ever.
The Most Dangerous Lead in Baseball?
With 2 men on base and any of the Phillies hitters at the plate, yes. Yes it is.
Here’s some off day fun! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exOxUAntx8I
ha!
Playoffs?!?!?! Playoffs?!?!?!
up until “they were who they thought they were!”, “playoffs?!?!?” was my favorite pc EVER.
Carl, my favorite and most telling quote from today’s sports was Milton’s:
“I’m dumbfounded when I don’t get a hit.”
But the Cubs are done right? Even though they’re a game up in the loss column? And b/c the Cards got Lugo (he of the -46.3 UZR)?
someone made a reference to the “playoffs” speech in our staff meeting the other day and i was the /only/ one who got the reference. i couldn’t believe it.
yes. they are.
I’d say don’t rush Dempster back … maybe Kevin Hart can pull another rabbit out of his hat this weekend (meaning getting seven or eight runs in support).
I liked Mora’s “Diddly Poo” spouting-off better when he was coaching the Saints. And he sounded a lot like Lou in that press conference.
haaaa yeah that one is classic.
i agree with julie though, “they are who we thought they were” really takes the cake.
Sorry, if I overstepped my, I’m not a LOHO staff member, boundaries the other day when I posted the line-ups for the Cubs/Phillies game.
I don’t know if the Cubs are done done, (although if Lugo is the deciding factor in the division race the Cards deserve to win it) but the standings are way closer than I thought they’d be, the Cubs are tied for 2nd with Houston?!?!
ill back off a bit if they acquire a second baseman who can hit.
That was actually much appreciated. Anytime someone’s on the ball, we’ll never reject good help.
Have a good time-and don’t do anything we wouldn’t do! (Or not!). I make sure the Cubs at least take 2 out of 3 for you!
Thanks Carl!! Maybe I’m just a little too sensitive.
Hey there everyone. Since things are so slow today, I was hoping for a little advice. I’m taking a vacation. (Even though my parents say driving from town to town playing guitar for money is similar to a vacation). My special lady friend and I are hitting the road for 5 weeks or so. Leaving on Monday. Don’t really have too much of a plan. Just gonna drive around the country and see what we can see. Anyone have any great suggestions? Anywhere you’ve been and said to yourself that everyone should see this before they die? All suggestions appreciated. Even if I secretly deem them lame.
the Parthenon replica in Nashville, the Grand Ol Opry was kinda strange cool, World’s Largest Truck stop in Iowa (still haven’t gone though, but I have a keychain that says My Friend went to the World’s largest truck stop and all I got was this lousy keychain), the Alamo in San Antonio, the Grand Canyon of course, does not disappoint, either does the Hoover Dam
will have to keep thinking though
any parts of the country you definitely plan to hit/avoid?
Now THIS would be something to cause concerns re: the Cards (not Julio Lugo):
Can you not blockquote in the comments anymore?
Check out the career
It’s not a complex one
200 lbs of gear
One city to the next one
Doing a big loop. From the DC, south to New Orleans. West from there. Up California. Through Oregon and Wash. East from there. Pretty much skipping the middle. Might go to Nebraska though.
seems to me he would be just the kind of guy that would start tearing it up on the Cards mid season
yeah, that rumor doesn’t make me feel optimistic
craters of the moon park in idaho is pretty friggen awesome.
i love deadwood — stop through there if you somehow end up in the Dakotas to gamble a bit, see some history, and look at the black hills gold.
I remember driving through the Petrified Forest in AZ as a kid and really loving it, 4 Corners is fun, although I heard its way more touristy developed from when I went
that catch by wise to save the perfect game was AMAZING
LOL the white sox PBP guy (cant remember his name) had like 18 years worth of calling games to practice his “perfect game” reaction, and all he managed to come up with was an orgasmic “YESSSS YESSSS YESSSSSSSSSSS YES!”
Hawk refers to their bimbo sideline reporter as “honey” — my how times have changed.
To my surprise, Seattle is a great place to go. I traveled via Amtrak from Chicago to Seattle in February and the entire trip was magnificent. If you want to take a shorter trip, Eureka Springs, Arkansas is a quaint little town I enjoy visiting. I recommend staying in a Bed and Breakfast where ever you go. Have fun.