ByThis week on the podcast:
And all this *before* Corey Patterson came up with two outs in the bottom of 11 and the winning run on base.
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By| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cubs (50-33) | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 9 | 10 | 0 |
| Giants (36-47) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 2 |
Lou Piniella was ejected for the first time this year, and it did nothing but propel the Cubs to demolish the Giants. That breaks Chicago’s longest losing streak of the season at 4 games, and keeps the winning Cardinals 2.5 games back. Perhaps Lou should have done that earlier.
Or maybe not. It’s hard to lose when Ted Lilly pitched better than he ever has all year, allowing 2 runs over 8-plus innings. Kerry Wood pitched a scoreless ninth to close the game in a non-saving situation. I imagine that after all that losing, Wood just needed a little work. Either that, or wanted to be one appearance closer to injury.
However, things aren’t looking up just yet. Jason Marquis starts for Chicago tonight.
By| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brewers (44-38) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 1 |
| Diamondbacks (42-41) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | 6 | 11 | 0 |
Dave Bush struggled in his start for the Brewers, allowing 5 runs (4 earned) in his 5 innings of work as the Diamondbacks stormed past them.
Milwaukee took an early lead in the first inning, but gave it up at the first chance they had. Seriously, that’s no way to catch the Cubs and Cardinals, guys.
I know I had a couple pithy things to say about this game, but I’ve forgotten it since this morning. I often do forget about the Brewers. It’s probably due to the fact that I still think of them as an American League team.
By| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pirates (38-44) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 0 |
| Reds (39-45) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 0 |
Aaron “Lemon” Harang lived up to his nickname for only one inning during his start against the Pirates when he allowed 2 runs in the 6th. The other 6 innings were good, though, and the Reds stayed close.
Then Ken Griffey, Jr. pinch hit in the bottom of the 9th with the tying run on. To me, it felt like he was saying, “Guys, this is the Pirates,” as he swung and launched the walk-off home run into the seats.
Of course, it might have just been the Pirates helping the Reds showcase Griffey to any American League team in need of a designated hitter. After all, Griffey’s defense didn’t hurt the Reds last night. All they needed was his bat.
By| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mets (40-42) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 3 |
| Cardinals (48-36) | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 7 | 10 | 2 |
Kyle Lohse threw 7 innings yesterday allowing only one run, unearned, helping the Cardinals to their 48th team win and his 10th.
Is there any doubt in the minds of Reds fans that Dave Duncan is a god among mere mortals? I haven’t followed other teams enough to know what happens to their cast-offs, but the ones from the Reds turn to gold. Josh Hancock, Ryan Franklin, and Kyle Lohse are the ones that come immediately to mind. Watch out next year, NL Central, when the Cardinals rule the world with Todd Coffey and Bronson Arroyo!
St. Louis scored some runs, too. The pitching coach’s son is apparently back with the team, and he hit his 5th home run. Albert Pujols also drove in a couple runs, playing the entire game at first.
And in momentous news, Mark Mulder made his first appearance since Mexican Independence Day last year. Mulder was okay, allowing 2 hits and no runs in his one inning of work. If he’s healthy and effective, he could be quite a shot in the arm for the club. If nothing else, he’s well-rested.
