CHICAGO. August 14, 2009. Ok, so the Cubs are having a bad run with a losing streak is 5 games but Cub Fans don’t get discouraged. The current longest win streak by one of the 30 MLB teams is only 5 by Atlanta who are still 5 games behind their NL Eastern Div leaders, the recently departed Phillies. Just think how happy The Braves would have been if the latest sweep had been by the Cubs on the Phillies instead of the other way round.  And remember the longest true winning streak was 21 games by the Chicago Cubs in 1935.

The 1916 Giants won 14 and tied 1 and then won the next 12.  The tied game was subsequently replayed. I take my stats very seriously and as far as I’m concerned the Cubs have the record. So what’s the point, you ask? Well, all I am saying is that anything is possible and records can and are there to be broken.

So were the Cubs going to start on the road to recovery this afternoon? The game was against the bottom on the Central Div Pittsburgh Pirates with Morton (2-5) pitching. Randy Wells is 8-5.

The Friendly Confines turned into Dream World in the first two innings. It being Air Show weekend there was a fly-past of Wrigley Field from 6 of the Air Force’s finest from Andrews Air Force Base. Spectacular stuff indeed. I personally think that they were trying to catch the 3RBI homer from Kosuko Fukudome in the 1st. but that came after Triple for Sam Fuld (his first) was advanced home by a D Lee single.  At this point the Cubs heavenly clouds were only forming because their fluffy white heaven came in the 2nd when all hell broke loose on the sinking Pirates. Morton pitched to 6 Cubs in 2nd and was replaced by Bootcheck after Hill tripled, Wells walked, Theriot singled (RBI), Fuld singled, Lee walked for Wells to score and Fox doubled for 2RBIs.

Bootcheck was handed the poison chalice and drank liberally from it. He pitched to 8 now in form Cubs. Fukudome walked, Soriano singled for an RBI, Baker singled (2RBIs), Hills was struck out, Wells singled (RBI), Theriot popped out, Fuld was hit by a pitch, Lee doubled (2RBIs) and the innings ended when Fox struck out. And it was only the end of the 2nd. 0-14. Dream stuff indeed.

A lull came in the 3rd when there were no runs.

The Pirates were batting in this game just in case you thought the Cubs were hitting the pitching machine because they scored 2 runs in the 4th, an RBI to Moss when Jones scored and Moss got home on a double from Jaramillo.

But the Cubs were still in angry mood because in the bottom of the 4th they kept their foot on the gas to rack up 3 more runs. Hill singled, Theriot singled, Fuld walked, Lee doubled again and got 3 more RBIs. Jackson replaced Bootcheck and got the next two up out. It was 2-17.

Another lull came in the 5th and 6th and the 7th and 8th when no runs were scored and the fans had time to relax and guzzle their beers. Well after all it was a hot day. Me, I was positively breathless and I was thirsty because I never drink when I‘m working typing my reports. Yea…. Sure! By now I was counting the chickens to make sure. Yep, it was 2-17. By the way D Lee had been replaced in the 5th by Fontenot but no matter what happened after that Derrek was my man of the game. He was 3 for 3 and notched up 2 runs and 7 RBIs.

A positive for the Pirates was that Jackson did his manager proud. He stemmed the Cubs tide and allowed no more runs. The Cubs did try hard to get more because they loaded the bases in the 8th but it ended 2-17.

Wells finished off the Pirates to get the Cub fans singing the winning end of game song. It’s been so long since it got a rendition that I had nearly forgotten the words. Now wouldn’t a repeat performance tomorrow do all our hearts a power of good? It would take our mind off the recent credit crunch on Cub wins!

A.L.

Chicago Cubs Baseball Insider