Foggy Wrigley Clouds Cubs Loss

Yes, there's a game out there somewhere....

From my favorite fence leaning seats in right field, I took this picture in the 2nd inning of yesterday's 6-2 loss to the Reds.  Why the umpires let this game start on time is beyond me, as the first few innings made for some treacherous plays.  Including this one....

Luis Valbuena will drop this popup, yet was not charged with an error.  I mean, there's no way he could have even seen this ball.  None of them can!  The Cubs are pretty darn bad defensively, and they don't need any help sucking at fielding by some pea soup fog!   Ri-freaking-diculous!

Scott Feldman, pitched OK, except for the part where he gave up a grand slam. in the 3rd inning  Can't blame the fog for that though.  Feldman gave up 7 hits, and 5 runs over 6 innings.  The main problem was the Cubs offense, again.  They collected only 6 hits, 2 by Schierholtz, (boy I'm gonna miss him when they trade him to a contender for a player to be named later), and 1 by the pitcher Feldman.  It's great that the Cubs pitchers can swing the bat, but it sure would be nice if the position players could do the same.  Yesterday, the Cubs were 2-11 with men in scoring position.  Rizzo went 0-3, and Soriano struck out three times.  Nope.  Not gonna win any ball games with that kind of performance.  Starlin Castro finally did get a hit, a double in the 9th, that actually plated a run, during the Cubs fake rally in the 9th.  Castro wears his heart on his sleeve after this double.  Look at the relief in his eyes.  I don't think he's ever struggled like this in his 23 years on earth.  He's batting .243.  Ouch.

This fake rally that the Cubs are so fond of staging late in the game, actually could have gotten us somewhere ,if not for 2 defensive gems by the Reds, especially Brandon Phillips, who unlike Darwin Barney, can hit too.  It's not just that the Reds have 27 errors to our 42, but it's that they make the big play when the games on the line.  Diving sliding catches, over the shoulder grabs.  You know, stuff the Cubs usually don't do, like robbing teams of doubles and base hits.  I wish the Cubs would do that.  Now here's a thing the Cubs should NEVER do.... Send Dioner Navarro on contact from third base.  Unless he's running towards a Chinese Buffet, you're not going to get much juice outta this guy.

Umm, yeah, you've been out for a while now Dioner.  I wish he woulda run over the catcher Pete Rose style.  

Well, that was game one of a 4 game set.  Tonight, Tony Cingriani, 2-0, 3.27, goes up against Matt Garza 1-0, 4.03.  Hopefully the Cubs memory of last night will be as foggy as the first few innings of yesterday's game.  My memory of last evening is a bit foggy too, but I think that's the Old Style.

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Cubs Split Two With Fallen Angels

I can't believe the Angels stink as bad as they do, losing the last 4 of 5 to the basement of the National League Central.  That would be the Cubs and the Brewers.  (Sad Trombone Noise).  But though stacked with talent and payroll, the Angels record (26-34) is about equal to the Cubs (24-33), within a game or two anyway.   It took 10 innings, but the Cubbies, and the ever strengthening Matt Garza, beat the Halo's 8-6 yesterday with an Anthony "Fo Shizzo" Rizzo, 3 run clutch, extra inning, triple, in front of what sounded like a hometown crowd.  I know the Cubs travel well, but the Cub fans roared louder at Angel Stadium than the average Wrigley crowd this year.  Probably because the Angel fans knew when to leave in order to not spend 5 hours driving 30 miles in LA's crappy traffic.  Check out these fans celebrating this Ryan Sweeney game saving catch.

I love the Angels fan's helmet hair with the glasses.  Get a hat buddy!  What a nerd.  He makes the nerdy Cubs jersey fan look cool!

Well, the game was saved many times yesterday.  Cody Ransom tied it in the 5th with a 3 run shot. The Sweeney catch (pictured above) saved 2 runs.  There was a reversed homerun call in the 4th that went the Cubs way, and finally, the save by Kevin Gregg, who made things interesting by giving up a 10th inning homer, and letting the tying run get on base.  But alls well that ends well right?  

Not so much.  The bullpen blew another lead, this time it was James Russel in the 8th, who gave up his first homerun of the year to tie the game.  Got nothing bad to say about Russel, he's been basically great with a 1.52 ERA to show for it.  He did blow the save though.  Then, the Cubs, who had runners at first and second with nobody out twice, including the 8th, in this game, failed to score.  Incredibly, both missed opportunities were virtually identical, with the Angels relievers inducing foul pop up outs, and keeping the runners where they were.  The Cubs were an abysmal 4-18 with runners in scoring position, and should have won this game handily in 9 innings.  

Fine, we won, I should be happy right?  I am, trust me.  It woulda sucked monkey bum to go all the way to Disneyland just to lose two games.  However, the whole game felt precariously played, and I still don't like what I see out of key players like Castro who struck out twice.  He's got to be a contact guy, and he swings at garbage.  He then looks at his bat, as if it's got a hole in it.  He looks ridiculous.  He also does some weird religion prayer thing when he gets a hit, and before he bats.  Just keep your head in the game Castro!  Do you really think the creator of the universe, (cough, sniff, punch), gives a rats behind if you get a hit or not?  God is way too busy helping starving children survive without mothers, and punishing Muslim women for dancing to care about your on base percentage.  Castro did take a rare walk though and hit a double, so I'll leave a full rant on him out of this article.  Welington Castillo still is as much of a "Misser" as a "Catcher".  Dropping 3rd strikes and allowing yet another passed ball.  Schierholtz dropped a ball in the outfield too and was given an error.  But I thought it was unfair, given how the sun was likely in his eyes at the time and it wasn't an easy catch.

This....

Became This.....

He probably shoulda had it....but look at those weird shadows....I'm biased.

Did I mention the Cubs won?!  Yeah!! 8-6!!!! Still feel like complaining though, must be the 58 degree June weather that's got me down.  

So now what?  Another off-day, that's what!  I'm going to celebrate by going to Target and buying toilet paper and garbage bags.  Gotta get my ducks in a row for this weekend when the Pirates come to town on Friday.  Francisco Liriano 3-2, 2.17 of the Bucs vs.  Travis "the new Kerry" Wood 5-3, 2.75.  

I really hope to go to this game in person, as I havent been to Wrigley since the Mets were in town.  Plus, if the Cubs don't win, I won't be heartbroken, as I want the Pirates to overtake the Cardinals at some point this season.  At least make it tough for them!

But, StubHub and the Cubs are price fixing.  I know it!  All the teams are. Just let me into the park for 10$ and I'll drink all the 8$ crappy beer I can until the end of the 8th.  A single ticket is 18$ now to sit in nosebleed.  You know what?  That's too much.  Wrigley is only half filled, even on the weekends.  They have got to lower prices, especially when I'm watching the Iowa Cubs after the trade deadline sell off.  

I'll end with a positive stat!  Ryan Sweeney is batting .357!  How you like dem Apples?  Actually, I'm allergic to apples....but I do like the batting average!

New podcast later today!  In the meantime...here's a soon expiring one...

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