LOS ANGELES. August20, 2009. Barring a supreme effort it would appear that the Cubs season has 43 more games left in it. The question now is who in the 40 man Roster can don the Superman cape! They have come from behind in the past but with a mountain of 7 games to win to just catch a standing still Cardinals, that is getting close to a tall order. The Cubs are at a low ebb and unfortunately everything appears well in the St. Louis dressing room. The Cardinals look in the mood to continue the winning habit.

When you are walking a tightrope the way the Cubs have been recently one slip is all that is required to send you toppling off and out of the game. That’s what happened to Angel Guzman and the Wrigleyvillers last night.

You can’t ask any more of the team than they keep you in the game and the Cubs hitting side did just that. The Dodgers got a run in the 1st to give them a one run lead. It was Ethier who got the RBI to get Furcal home. Furcal had started with a single and reached 2B on a Gorzelanny pick off throwing error. The Cubs replied in the 2nd with a homer from Fukudome. Back came the Dodgers in the bottom of the 2nd to get a further run off a Furcal single to take Russell in. By the way Russell started with a walk.

In the 3rd Bradley was hit by a Weaver pitch and eventually Aramis Ramirez got the RBI for Bradley to touch home base and tie the game. It was 2-2. And so it stayed for the 4th, 5th and the top of the 6th. Gorzelanny had only pitched 82 times with 52 strikes when “The Guru” Lou chose to take him out of the game.

Maybe it was a matter of keeping him in good shape for what’s to come! Well, it didn’t work. In came Guzman and 20 pitches later the balance of the game had changed. Manny Ramirez got a single off the first pitch. Blake got a single off Guzman’s 5th pitch. His 7th pitch was a sac bunt by Hudson. The next four were intent balls to walk Loney and the next pitch, no. 12, a 91mph middle of the box fast ball was hit straight out to left centre field for the grand slam. It took 8 more pitches to get the next two Dodgers out, but the damage was done.

Caridad pitched the 7th for the Cubs and gave up an RBI to Blake who singled to get Manny home for the last run of the game. It ended at 7-2 for the Dodgers.

In a perfect world where there were no fielding errors and the pitching staff were strong and confident and not giving up walks the Cubs would be well on the way to the Play-offs. Right now a number of things are going wrong for the Cubs.

I was encouraged at the end of the game to learn that the team have not thrown in the towel and will continue to strive for perfection. The gradient for the Cubs gets ever steeper. Lance Armstrong could show them how to continue up the hill with a will to win no matter how steep it gets.

A.L.

Chicago Baseball Insider