CHICAGO. August 11, 2009. Who ever said it was going to be easy playing the current World Series Champions, even at home! Certainly, not me. My mental bunions were aching before the game. Was it the weather or was it the Phillies? I was thinking to myself ‘maybe I would prefer to be at the ballet where I would be able to see some nice footwork’? But there you go, that’s the life of a Cubs baseball reporter for you. It’s a bit like owning a dog. Even when you are tired and want to go to bed you just have to get out of your easy chair and bring the d*mn dog for his evening walk!

The Phillies are playing well within themselves and are leading the Eastern NL Div. They have a 3½ point lead and I expect them to get to the playoffs comfortably. I wish I was as confident about the Cubs. Their form isn’t good. They just can’t seem to put a decent run of games together. The more I think about it the less I seem to be able to come up with the answers. For the team to be getting cold comfort because the Cardinals lost is simply a drowning man clutching at straws.

As games go, as I expected, tonight’s was a run of the mill close game. The first score came for the Cubs when Jake Fox hit a single to get Bradley, who had started the 3rd innings with a double (12), home. Derrek Lee was second up and was given an unintentional walk by J Happ and a sac fly got by Soriano got him home to make it 0-2 at the end of the 3rd.

Harden for the Cubs was pitching reasonably well and it stayed that way until the beginning of the 6th. Up to that point he was doing the job regulation style… 3 up’s 3 outs. He started the 6th by getting Feliz out on a line drive. Then he gave Carlos Ruis a walk and followed by giving Jimmy(14 home runs this season)Rollins a nice waist high 93mph breaking fastball and Rollins offered the present to a Cub fan in right field. But the fan kindly declined the offer and tossed 2RBI Home Run ball back onto the field. It was 2-2.

The next breaking of the deadlock was in the 8th when Ruis was gifted another walk by Marmol. Now let me tell you… Carlos Marmol has a special talent. It includes giving guys walks (50 odd this season) and just when the bases are loaded with nobody out he strikes out the next 3 up. Well he did it again tonight. He next hit Victorino with a pitch and then gave the 2nd walk to Utley to load the bases. But as will happen occasionally he slipped up and gave Howard a walk as well.  Ruis strolled home to the jubilation of the Phillies fans. Grabow replaced the sorry Marmol to end the innings. Score 3-2.

The Cubs leveled the game again in the 9th when Fukudome started with a walk and was brought home by a Bradley single to make it 3-3.

“The Guru” Lou held Kevin Gregg in reserve till the 11th and the 12th but he let the boss down when he offered a nice easy 79mph curve ball into the middle of the box for Ben Francisco to homer to right field. The Cubs were unable to respond. Game over 4-3.

For me too many walks spoiled the ball game.

The lack of a killer instinct comes to mind.

A.L.

Chicago Cubs Baseball Insider