Boxscore

Did the Cubs have Angel Guzman start just to allow the Brewers to win the wild card? Or was it simply a matter of giving the team’s best starters and relievers another day of rest to prepare for the playoffs?

It was probably the latter, but it’s fun to speculate. Especially if the 2 teams meet in the NLCS. It would be even more ironic if the Brewers were to beat the Cubs then, but we’re getting ahead of ourselves.

The Brewers scratched their way into the playoffs for the first time in 26 years thanks to, you guessed it, C. C. Sabathia. Sabathia turned in his usual line: 9 innings, 0 earned runs, and 7 strikeouts. Too bad he gets to pitch only once in the first round of the playoffs, unless Milwaukee manager opts for starting him on two days of rest. Nah, that would be crazy, and unnecessarily endanger his future with a team other than the Brewers.

Milwaukee tried to give their season away, but failed and won the wild card, thanks to the Mets repeating their historic collapse from last year. Milwaukee finished in 2nd place, 7.5 games back of the Cubs.

Chicago won their division for the 2nd straight year and hope for better luck in the playoffs than last year. We’ll see how the pressure of that 100-pound albatross feels in their first round against the Dodgers.

Boxscore

With Ben Sheets starting, the Brewers had to feel good about finally getting a win to help stop the recent skid. Well, they won, but they lost Ben Sheets.

Sheets lasted only 2 innings before leaving with an elbow injury. Right now, it looks like there’s more Tommy in his future than playoff appearances.

Still, the Brewers offense finally showed up. It helped that Marquis de Suck was “pitching” for the Cubs. Nothing like a little gasoline to help a fire get going.

The win keeps the Brewers one half game back of the wild card. The Cubs keep their commanding first place lead.

Boxscore

With the Cubs leading 3-1 heading into the bottom of the 9th, you would think this game was over. Heck, I thought it was over long before that, having stopped watching after it was tied. I know the Reds, and once the Cubs tied, I figured it was good as over. Besides, I had a heapin’ helpin’ of lawn work to do.

Imagine my surprise when I found time to relax in front of my computer hours later to find that the Cubs had managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. And to the Reds, no less! Dusty Baker’s Reds.

Crazy. I guess even a crappy, incompetent baseball buffoon like Baker can swing blindly into a win once in a while. Of course, it helps that the Cubs are in the midst of a free fall that’s drawing comparisons to their collapse in 1969. Gotta love the unnecessary, additional pressure that silly curses place on players.

How far down the rabbit hole will they go? We’ll just have to continue to watch as Chicago travels to St. Louis. Until, then, buy a t-shirt.

View image.

The Red Hot Store now features a brand new t-shirt design. This one lacks the wit and subtlety you’ve come to expect from Red Hot Mama in favor of a little straight up player hatin’ on the Cubs.

They’re in first, after all. It’s only natural to spew a little jealous vitriole. Plus, I’m happy to finally be doing my part for all the people who hit the site on searches for “Cubs suck t-shirts.”

Buy the shirt.

Now, I’m a big Lou Piniella fan. He’s the last great manager the Reds have had, and he cleaned up the pile of crap Dusty Baker deposited in Chicago more quickly than I ever could have imagined. But the symbolism of Piniella getting lost are very delicious.

As I write, the Cubs are down 9-0 to the Reds. That’s right, 9 to nothing. Should Cincinnati hold on, Chicago will have lost its 6th game in a row. Apparently, Piniella’s not the only one taking a nap.