Cubs Win the Game; Lose Players

In what will prove to be the most bittersweet "W" of the year, the Cubs beat the Phillies 5-2, with 4 of the runs coming on 2 Donnie Murphy Homers, but the Northsiders also lost 2 players in an ugly 7th inning.  Thomas Neal went down in a heap in his 1st start as a Cub with a dislocated shoulder.  (I guess we all just found out why the Yankees released him).

While Dionner Navarro, only a few minutes later was mowed over by Chase Utley for a game saving out at the plate.

Which resulted in this....

And then this....

This is the face of a man who's season might be over.  Anyone got a catcher they can spare for today's day game?

Dionner has a Right ankle sprain, no fractures thank Jeebus, and Neal's shoulder popped out.  Both injuries could have been much worse.  Think Buster Posey and his year ending broken ankle a few years back.  Either way, both these injuries are a blow to a Cubs team who has already used 50 players in this season, having sold high during the trade deadline sweepstakes.  And now, I have to listen to my mother, complain about how she doesn't know the players anymore....thanks Theo and Jed....

So, say "Welcome Back" to Julio Borbon or Dave Sappelt, and some catcher from the minors, because that's what the team's gonna be now....Ugh...not good.

But I don't want to dwell on the negative too long, because the Cubs actually won this game, thanks to Donnie Murphy's 3 run blast in the 9th inning, breaking a 2-2 tie.  In his 3rd game as a Cub, the veteran socked his second homer of the game into the Left field bleachers, knocking in what proved to be the game winning run.  You got to hand it to Theo and Jed, finding these place holders like Murphy to take over spots for injured players, and excel at the opportunity.  But my Mom still doesn't know who the hell they are...just saying...again...

Junior Lake, everybody's new favorite Cub, is also batting .333, and went 2-4 last night.  He now has 84 at bats in the bigs, which is about 1/5 of a season.  Not the smallest sample size to judge him by, but we've all seen prospects come out swinging, only to fade once the pitchers figure him out.  Lake is a free and aggressive swinger like Starlin Castro.  So just wait till the "Cubs Way" gets a hold of him, and they make him take pitches down the middle just to maybe draw a walk.  Yeah, he will probably suck then too, just like Castro sucks this year.  Batting .245 with only 7 dingers, a full 40 points lower than last year (which we all thought was his down year), and unless he goes on a tear with the home runs, he'll be lucky to hit 10, 4 less than last year.  Is Starlin a bust?

Rizzo was out of the lineup last night too.  He went 1-5 the night before and is only batting .240.  This is also not good.  It's a sad state of affairs when your catchers are batting better than your "prospects".  Unfortunately, one of those catchers bit the dust last night.  Let's hope he heals fast.  Dionner, if you read this, the Casino buffet's on me buddy...

Well, we have a good chance to win this series in Philadelphia, a city I loathe thoroughly.  Trust me, I lived there twice.  What can you say for a city whose claim to fame is a Pretzel that's not pretzel shaped, and a beef sandwich covered in Cheese Whiz?  Plus...they have the rudest fans...remember this guy?

Let's hope Shark Samarkbfoq3[4r09r can shut down the Phils' who are "throwing up". Ethan Martin, who is 0-1 with a 12.46 era.  Doesn't he look like the "barfer"?  I think so.  

Let's hope he  makes Philly fans vomit with his sickeningly bad performance against the Cubs today.  

Go Cubbies!

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