Dusty Says

Sigh.

This is why we shouldn’t complain about wins like the one last night. Today, completely shut down Cubs failed to score a run until the opposing bullpen made its appearance (Hell, that sounds even worse when you know you played the Rockies) and failed to turn the game around, despite having the bases loaded with one out, just to end up losing 4-2 at Colorado, Saturday night.

Not much more to say about the game, although Korey Patterson left six men on base.

Derrek Lee follows through on the first of his two doubles. (David Zalubowski/AP)

The Cubs played terrible baseball, and still, they managed to somehow pull a 5-3 victory over the Rockies, at Colorado for their third in a row.

Chicago left ten men on base, and could only score on the evident flaws of this very young Rockies team.

“I can’t keep going out there and throwing 120 in six innings,” Prior said. “I mean, it’s fine for a couple starts but I know I need to get deeper into ballgames.”

Eh, what’s new, Mark?

“He wasn’t sharp, he threw a lot of pitches,” Baker said. “We were hoping he could get us through six. … He got us there.”

I feel like yawning right now.

Prior pitched actually pretty bad, allowing only two earned runs in six innings, while striking out ten and walking two; he threw an enormous number of pitches, 118, which is something that would really hurt us come playoff time, if we were actually going to them.

Korey Patterson went 1-5, and got a pass despite leaving seven men on base. The runs came on Todd Walker’s ninth homerun, a big one to right field and a couple of singles.

The biggest point in Colorado’s game was a homerun hit by Jorge Piedra; though, the young guy had this to say after the game:

“I hit it good,” Piedra said of his home run. “I’m young and he should think he can throw a fastball by me.”

Prick.

Byun Chop Sushi (3-10) got the loss.

Mark Prior lowered his ERA to 3.66 after tossing six innings. (Jack Dempsey/AP)

If I told you that Jose Macias and Korey Patterson fueled a Cub win against the Cardinals, and that the latter team would score a run on a Mike Jackass Mahoney homerun, would you believe me?

Start believing. The Cubs took the series 3-1, after winning tonight’s 5-4 weird Sunday night game in a good display of fundamentals.

Mark Prior (8-5) threw an enourmous quantity of 138 pitches through six innings, though effective ones, and only allowed one homerun (as said, the first career one of MJ — Mike Jackass); Kerry Wood threw twenty eight pitches and struck out four batters in two innings of relief (his longest outing in such role — he got his second major league hold) and Redster pitched a shaky ninth for his sixteenth save in eighteen chances.

Now, on to the offense.

Macias. Jose Macias.

Well, I’m sorry Jose. You came through tonight, and even if that doesn’t make up for your years of mediocre baseball, I’m thankful for that. You gave Mark a much needed win, and the ballclub a series against our division rivals. Pinch hitter Macias singled on a 0-2 pitch by Matt Morris (12-5) to drive in two runs, in case you missed the play.

Korey also hit his twelveth homerun of the year. He looked good, laying off pitches and stealing a base in a key rally of the Cubs, to set up the Macias hit.

Why I despise Mike Jackass so much, you ask?

As you might know by now, the little bugger messed with us for years down in Iowa, not fielding balls and not hitting them either — but he comes to town and starts hitting like crazy. The little bugger…

Jeromy Burnitz and Corey Patterson are greeted by Matt Lawton. (Jonathan Daniel/Getty)

The Cubs won today 4-1 in what could have been a shutout, and summed up their fourth straight victory against St. Louis; it seems the Low OBP force and the Walk Barrett Walk campaign, at least for now, are working.

The force, represented by Neifi!, went 1/3 with an RBI… and a walk. A walk. Walk walk walk. Sorry if it’s an overkill, but I like to see Neifi! take walks.

Barrett, actually, had a fantastic evening too and went 3/4 with two doubles and a homerun.

Jason Marquis (9-11) opened for the Cardinals and took the loss; Carlos Zambrano (9-5) the Cubs’ most consistent starter, is now 2-0 with a
0.65 (two earned runs in over twenty innings) ERA against the Cardinals this year, in three starts. The no decision? Squeeze play.

Kerry Wood got his first Major League hold tonight, pitching an inning of relief and allowed a hit and walked one, before striking out John Rodriguez on a beautiful, sharp slider that clocked in at 86 MPH. Wood was consistently hitting his target and threw a fastball of 99 MPH, only to see it get hit by Albert Pujols for a two out single. Jim Edmonds was the batter who walked; if Wood can stay like this for the rest of the season, then don’t shelve him. Let him grow as our setup man and bring him back next year in the bullpen.

Amazingly enough, mathematically, the Cubs are still in the Wild Card race; I, for now, think (as many others do) that it would be a pipe dream just to think that the Cubs could actually make a run for it, but it’s nice to dream and hope. The Cubs would have to go something like 42-10 to actually compete, but if the A’s could do it, why not us.

Though, I still think the Cubs are not going to make the postseason.

Carlos Zambrano allowed six hits and struck out five in six innings. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

The Cubs won a game today, despite having Jose Macias and Neifi! Perez as their top two hitters; they went a combined 4/10 with one RBI and just one strikeout; Derrek Lee, also, hit two homeruns that sealed the deal off Mark Mulder (13-6) and the Cubs edged the Cardinals in a good game 11-4. I’m glad Hector Luna didn’t play.

Greg Maddux (9-9) tossed his first complete game since 2004 and held the Cardinals to four runs despite allowing eleven hits. He, apparently, is working on an Evil plan with Dusty to get him his extension for 2006, which is achieved automatically if the pitches forty more innings or so.

Korey Patterson went 3/4, RBI.

The Cubs had sixteen hits, and left ten men on base.

Derrek Lee is congratulated by Jose Macias after his first dinger. (Jeff Roberson/AP)

That’s what Michael Barrett couldn’t hold on to. With the bases loaded in the ninth inning, the Phillies batting, he dropped what would have been –actually, was– strike three to Pat Burrell, who, mistakedly, ran to first base, setting up the most-dreamed about double play ever known to man. But Michael just didn’t have it.

Rule 6.05b says:

(b) A third strike is legally caught by the catcher; “Legally caught” means in the catcher’s glove before the ball touches the ground. It is not legal if the ball lodges in his clothing or paraphernalia; or if it touches the umpire and is caught by the catcher on the rebound. If a foul tip first strikes the catcher’s glove and then goes on through and is caught by both hands against his body or protector, before the ball touches the ground, it is a strike, and if third strike, batter is out. If smothered against his body or protector, it is a catch provided the ball struck the catcher’s glove or hand first. (c) A third strike is not caught by the catcher when first base is occupied before two are out;

Thus, Michael Barrett could have just stayed at home waiting for Jimmy Rollins who had doubled to lead off the inning off Mike Remlinger or he could have chased him down. But the did the riskiest move of his career, though I could call it a mental lapsus. He threw to third, allowing the speedy Rollins to score. The official scorer called it a stolen base. Jimmy Rollins stole home. Bam. Game over.

“I’ve never seen anything like that.”
— Dusty Baker.

The worst part is that it was a good game by the Cubs’ offense, even though it still can’t hit a lot, just left five men on base.

What was terrible about the game is that JeroWilliams, at least twice, couldn’t cover first base properly to retire a runner. Also, he couldn’t pick up a ball that was a sacrifice bunt and let himself to a bases loaded jam; it just wasn’t a pretty game, and the Cubs blew it.

I don’t wanna ellaborate any further, so I’ll just leave you with a sum of what happened tonight; recap (C) Sportsline.

PHILADELPHIA — Jimmy Rollins broke for home and then just stopped, the winning run momentarily stalled about 40 feet from the plate.

Phillies manager Charlie Manuel had one thought as the go-ahead run was nearly wiped out: “Aww, hell.”

But when Chicago catcher Michael Barrett threw to third, it was just the opening Rollins needed to make the mad dash home and score the winning run in the ninth inning, leading Philadelphia to a 4-3 victory over the Cubs on Wednesday night.

“He couldn’t run me down,” Rollins said. “At the least, I make them make a couple of throws and hopefully they make a mistake but it only took one.”

The mental miscue cost the Cubs and it was their second wacky loss to the Phillies this year.

Back in May, former Cub LaTroy Hawkins’ throw to first base for what could have been a game-ending double play instead hit Jose Offerman’s helmet and ricocheted into the stands, allowing the go-ahead run to score.

Billy Wagner (4-1) joked it was the only ending that topped this one.

Jerome Williams allowed two earned runs on five hits in four innings. (Rusty Kennedy/AP)