Some Cubs games upset me more than others, tonight's game against the Braves was one of those games. Things started off great for the Cubs as Alfonso Soriano led off the game with a solo-HR, it would be his only hit of the night, he is now hitting .244. The Cubs would then score in the second inning when pitcher Randy Wells helped himself with a 2-out RBI single. In the 6th inning, the Cubs added two more runs on a Derrek Lee RBI 2B and later a Mike Fontenot Sac-Fly. Lee would later add a solo-HR in the 8th to straight away center. It was very nice to see Lee driving the ball with power, VERY NICE! Usually 5 runs is enough for the Cubs to win, but not tonight.
Randy Wells had the best start of his career tonight: 7+IP, 2H, 2R, ER, OBB, 4K. The only run he allowed was a solo-HR to Garrett Anderson to lead of the 8th inning. Wells had a no-hitter going through 6.2IP, but lost it when Chipper Jones singled to left. He would have had a perfect-game going if the umps had not blown a HBP call when Yuniel Escobar pretended to be hit by a pitch, when in fact the ball clearly hit his bat, I called this as it happened live, while eating dinner with my parents. Anyhow, back to the 8th inning, after the Anderson HR, Wells gave up a routine grounder hit toward Ryan Theriot who then made a bad throw, which Lee then dropped. The error was charged to Lee, but could have gone either way. Next, Lou Piniella decided that it was time to take out Wells who had only thrown 83 pitches to this point and was cruising, bad move. It is not Wells' fault that his fielders suck! I just did not understand how Lou could take Wells out at this point. I highly doubt he would take out Ryan Dempster or Carlos Zambrano in the same situation, 83 pitches! C'mon Lou see what the kid is made of and let him try and finish the game, he is a fighter! Enter: Carlos Marmol who promptly loaded the bases with two walks and a HBP. Marmol walked in a run and allowed another on a Sac-Fly. Marmol's lack of control is unbelievable and I am getting sick of it. True he does not give up hits, but he walks a ton of guys, and now has beaned 5 batters. Marmol managed to get out of the jam and the Cubs were up 5-3 going into the 9th.
"Closer" Kevin Gregg came into pitch the 9th and blew his second save of the season, but it was not entirely his fault. Garret Anderson struck out, but fat-ass Geovany Soto could not block a slider in the dirt, and then could not get to the ball quick enough to throw out Anderson at first-base. This is absolutely pathetic! Soto should have blocked the ball first of all, then he was too slow to get to the ball, then he is so dumb he ran into the backstop, and did not even make a throw to first-base! It is not like Anderson is a speedster either, he is pushing 40 years old, how could Soto have not even made a play here? Then wouldn't you know it, Gregg gave up a game-tying HR to Jeff Francouer, his cough, 2nd HR of the season. Francouer has been so bad this season that he makes Milton Bradley look good.
The Cubs hitters could not get anything going against a mediocre Atlanta bullpen in the extra innings. In the bottom of the 12th, Escobar led off with a routine grounder to third-base but it went for a hit. A regular sized third-baseman makes that play, but Fontenot can not, it is not his fault he is playing there. Bottom line: this would cost us the game as Chipper Jones hit a single to left and Escobar scored easily from second. Aaron Heilman took the loss, which is not shocking, because he is terrible. What did bother me on the last play of the game was Soriano's incredible lack of hustle. He barely ran towards the ball and did not even attempt a throw to the plate, this is unacceptable. This was right after he almost threw the ball into right field trying to hold Escobar to a single, because he misplayed that ball as well. Lou needs to send a message to Soriano that this kind of loafing is not acceptable.
Milton Bradley left the game with a leg injury running out a ground-out. If you ask me, Geovany Soto needs to be sent down to Iowa, he sucks. Soto has not hit all season and now his fielding is costing us games, how many chances will he get? Especially since Koyie Hill has been so much better than him in all facets of the game. I fear that Lou has lost control of this team, they do not hustle, and seem absolutely lifeless on the field, and it has been this way all season. I really feel bad for Randy Wells, he pitched as good of a game as any Cub starter this year. Yet his manager and his teammates let him down, again. If Wells keeps pitching this well, he will eventually get his first ML win, and many more. My roommate compared Wells' tough luck to Rich Harden's in his Cubs starts last season.
Next up: Ted Lilly (6-4) vs. Derek Lowe (6-3). Lilly was very sharp his last time out, he will need to be that good again tomorrow night. Lowe is a very good pitcher who owns the Cubs, I expect him to dominate our sorry line-up, and likely pick up his 7th victory. I hope Lou has the sense to start some left-handed hitters tomorrow, i.e. Micah Hoffpauir, Fukudome, Bobby Scales, and Koyie Hill. But doing that would make too much sense for Lou.
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